negligence becomes an occasion for greater condemnation. Concerning the written words, what has been said is sufficient; but if anyone also desires to take the Psalm in an anagogical sense, we shall not refuse to walk this path as well, not destroying the history—may that never be—but adding these things to those, for the more studious, as far as it is possible. *Praise, Jerusalem, the Lord; praise thy God, O Sion.* Paul knows the heavenly Jerusalem, of which he says: *But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother* (Gal. 4:26); just as Sion also knows the Church, when he says: *For you are not come to the mountain that might be touched and that burned with fire and to a whirlwind and darkness and storm, but you are come to mount Sion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem* (Heb. 12:18, 22). Therefore, it is possible to say of it also, according to anagoge: *Praise, Jerusalem, the Lord; praise thy God, O Sion; A because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children in thee.* For He fortified it more strongly than Jerusalem, not with bars and gates, but by surrounding it with the Cross and by the declaration of His own power, through which He raised its borders on every side, when He said: *The gates of hell shall not prevail against it* (Matt. 16:18).
B In the beginning, all emperors and kings, and peoples and cities, and the phalanxes of demons, and the tyranny of the devil itself, and ten thousand other things, assailed the Church; yet all those things were broken and dissolved and perished; but she grew and was raised to such a height that she surpassed the very heavens. *He hath blessed thy children in thee.* Just as when He said in the beginning, *Increase and multiply, and fill the earth* (Gen. 1:28), the word spread throughout the whole earth; so also afterwards: *Go ye and teach all nations* (Matt. 28:19); and, *This gospel shall be preached in the whole world* (Matt. 26:13); and His command occupied the very ends of the earth in a brief moment of time. Wherefore He Himself also said: *Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit* (John 12:24). And again: *When I shall be lifted up, I will draw all things to myself* (Ibid. v. 32). And in the beginning, many were born from one, as the multitude was growing by the law of nature, and for this reason the matter proceeded more slowly; but at the time of the apostles, the multitude was not growing by the law of nature, but by grace; and therefore three thousand were added at once on one day, then five thousand, then ten thousand, then the whole earth, birthed through this beautiful regeneration, were increased and multiplied, and they showed by their deeds the blessing they had received: *For not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh* (John 1:13), but they were born of the grace of God.
C 3. *Who hath made thy borders peace.* This can be said very properly of the Church; for, what is more admirable, while she was being warred against, she enjoyed peace, and while everyone was setting snares for her, she took the greatest pleasure in total security. And therefore He said Himself: *Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you* (John 14:27). *And with the fat of wheat he filleth thee.* This can also be taken otherwise regarding the Church, as spiritual food, namely, that He gave us the bread of life. 4. *Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.* What "word"? Tell me, I pray. That which, having been uttered through the apostles, flew faster than any wing over all things. Wherefore David also elsewhere, signifying this, says: *The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power* (Ps. 67:12). But if anyone doubts the words of the foolish, let him take proof from what happens according to the elements, and learn how snow descends suddenly and in a heap, and in a moment of time covers the whole earth, not invading its face over a long course of time, but filling it all suddenly. Therefore, since he was a prophet, and it was becoming that he should foretell things to come and signify them through anagoge, it was fitting that he should dwell on what was said concerning the elements. But what he says is of this kind: The whole earth is to be instructed by the word of God, and that with the greatest speed and in the briefest time. Then, lest anyone doubt, if the Jewish nation, one race on which so much study and diligence was lavished for so long a time, was not proven, how will those who inhabit the whole earth be able to be changed in a short time, and become good and moderate? To confirm what he said, he takes examples from the elements, namely the snow, the mist, the ice, which occur briefly in one moment of time. Do not therefore disbelieve, even if their mind is easily to be changed. But are there many who resist? Yet they too will yield and give place. For if no one can endure a little cold when it becomes more violent, but all yield to it and give place, much more will all things that oppose yield to His word and command. For He can change substances and produce things that are not, and raise them to such powers that these things become intolerable to all. 8. *Who declareth his word to Jacob, his justices and his judgments to Israel.* Here too you will not have erred if you call "Jacob" the spiritual one, and "Israel," whom Paul also knows, saying: *Peace upon them, and upon the Israel of God* (Gal. 6:16); to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
CONCERNING PSALM CXLVIII
*Praise ye the Lord from the heavens; praise ye him in the highest places. Praise ye him, all his angels.*
1. It is a custom for the saints, because of their great gratitude, when they are about to give thanks to God, D to call many to be partners in their praise, and to exhort them to perform this beautiful service with them. This is what the three children also did, when they were in the furnace (Dan. 3), inviting the whole creation to praise and sing hymns to God for the benefit they had already received. This very thing he does here too, calling both worlds, the upper and the lower, the sensible and that which is apprehended by intelligence alone. This is also done by the prophet, as when he says: *Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad, for God hath had mercy on his people…*
(Isai. 49:13). And indeed, this same prophet again asks, when he says: *In the going forth of Israel from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people, the mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the lambs of the flock* (Ps. 113:1, 4). And elsewhere, Isaiah again says: *Let the clouds rain justice* (Isai. 45:8). For, as they are not sufficient of themselves to celebrate the praises of the Master, they go about taking all things as companions in their hymn-singing. This one A does very frequently, as when he says, *And let all the angels of God adore him* (Ps. 96:7), and again, *You mighty in strength, who do his word* (Ps. 102:20).
And from these he establishes another point. What is this? That none of the less rational should suppose there to be two creators. For since the creatures are different and separate from one another in their substances (the one is sensible, the other intelligible; the one is visible, the other invisible; the one is filled with bodies, the other is bodiless), lest, because of the difference in the works, anyone should introduce different creators, he sets up one choir, drawing up from all of them a single melody for Him, and insisting that the same God ought to be praised by the upper creation and by the lower, showing from this also that He is the Creator of both. And he begins from above, saying: *Praise him, all his angels: praise him, all his powers.* Another says, *All his hosts* (b), naming the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the Dominations, the Principalities, the Powers. This belongs to a soul greatly kindled, this to a burning love, to stir up all things to the praise of the Beloved; this belongs to a mind constantly enjoying the thought of God, struck with wonder, admiring His glory, and devoted to Him. *Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.* Another says, *Stars of light*. *Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and let the water that is above the heavens praise the name of the Lord. For he commanded, and they were made: he ordered, and they were created. He hath established them for ever, and for ever and ever.* Another says, *He hath established them to remain eternally.* *He hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.*
B The heavens of the heavens, he says, belong to the Lord; but the earth he hath given to the children of men. And the water that is above the heavens? You have heard Moses also saying that of the waters, He left some below, and others He caused to be suspended above the backs of the heavenly bodies, having fixed the firmament in the midst of the abyss, and having left the waters to remain above the backs. And how does this praise Him, someone might say, having no voice, no tongue, no soul, no reason, no mind, no vocal organ, no intellect? Because there are two modes of doxology: one is that which is through words, another is that which is through sight, and a third, along with these, is that which is through life and deeds. For even when men are not speaking, but are silent, glory is rendered to God; just as Christ also says: *Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven* (Matt. 5:16). And again, *Those that glorify me, I will glorify* (1 Reg. 2:30). There is also a doxology through the tongue, just as Moses glorified Him with Mary, saying: *Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified* (Exod. 15:1). There is also that which is through the creation itself, as this very one says: *The heavens show forth the glory of God; and the firmament declareth the work of his hands* (Ps. 18:1). Thus, here too the creation praises Him by its beauty, its position, its greatness, its nature, its use, its ministry, its duration, and by the utility that comes from them. C When he says, *Praise the Lord, ye angels, powers, heavens, moon, sun, stars, the water that is above the heavens,* he means this: that each of the things created is worthy of the wisdom of Him who made it, and is full of great miracle; which Moses briefly stated in the beginning: *And God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good* (Gen. 1:31)—so good that it glorifies the One who made it and leads the spectator into the praises of the Artificer.
2. This, therefore, he calls praise: the beauty of what has come into being producing hymn-singing to the One who made them. Which Paul also indicates, saying: *For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, his eternal power also and divinity* (Rom. 1:20). And the prophet also shall come. For what reason, after saying a few things about the celestial creatures, and after mentioning them to the sight of those who contemplate the powers, did he quickly leap away from there, and leading his discourse into the visible things, does he there prolong it, going through everything one by one, the things above and the things below? Because these things were clearer to those hearing at that time, being seen and lying before their eyes. For this reason Moses also, beginning the creation and discoursing nothing about the things above—neither small nor great—makes his beginning from the heaven and the earth, and proceeds from thereafter through the sun and moon, and herbs, and swimming creatures, and four-footed beasts, and ends his discourse at man. But by saying "heavens of heavens" here, he does not indicate a multitude, but calls the same thing "heaven of heaven." For in the Hebrew tongue, it is customary to call the heaven "heavens," just as others—leaving the beauty of them to be contemplated, and the D magnitude, and the utility—he himself sets forth another cause, saying that *He commanded, and they were made: he ordered, and they were created. He hath established them for ever, and for ever and ever. He hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.* That indeed they are good and wondrous, the sight itself declares; but that it also has a Creator, and that these things are not automatic, nor uncreated, it is sufficient to discern this from the interpretation itself. But if anyone should doubt, let him learn from me that it has a Creator and Maker, and a Provider and Guardian. For he sets two things here, or rather three; but if anyone should examine it accurately, even four...
that He made what is, and made it from things that were not, and made it easily, and rules and governs those things that have been made. For by saying, "He said," He shows the facility; as Paul also indicates when he says: "Who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Rom. 4:17): indicating to us the facility by the name of calling. But that He rules and holds together the things that have been made, the prophet himself shows again, adding: "He has established them for ever and into the age of the age. He has set a decree, and it shall not pass away." See how here, too, he has again shown the power and authority, not only that He has established them, but also that He has spoken the "Decree," indicating His operation through human expressions. For just as it is easy for you to speak and command, so it is for God to make those things which do not exist, and to govern and hold them together; or rather, it is not just so, but far easier. For the extreme facility with which He made all things cannot be explained in words. B And it is not only remarkable that He rules and holds them together, and that the boundaries of nature stand fixed and immovable, but that they do so for such an infinite time. Consider how great the span of ages is, and yet of the things that exist nothing at all is confused: the sea has not overwhelmed the earth, the sun has not burned up the things that are seen, the heaven has not been moved out of place, the boundaries of night and day have not been confused, nor the cycles of the seasons, nor anything else of this kind; but each of the things that exist, both above and below, has stood, keeping most diligently the boundaries imposed upon it from the beginning to the mark. Having therefore spoken of the heavenly creatures and of those that are in heaven, he descends to the earth. And what He did with the heavenly creatures—to begin indeed with the super-celestial and descend to the celestial—He does also here, leaping from the celestial to the earth. For since there are some who say that those things which are in the heavens are worthy of God's handiwork, but they find fault with the things on earth, since there are scorpions, lions, vipers, dragons, and the rest of the kinds of beasts in it, and unfruitful trees, answering them as it were, he approaches the argument in a different way. C See, moreover, what he does: leaving aside the things confessed to be good—the sheep, the oxen, whose use experience itself demonstrates, the donkeys, the camels, and whatever is suitable for us for the carrying of burdens—he turns the argument to those things which seem to be useless, bringing into the medium the dragons, the impassable part of the sea, and those things which seem to bring distress, such as fire, hail, snow, ice; then the unfruitful trees, the mountains: then again, having left the broad plains, which are suitable for agriculture and for the production of useful and mild fruits, he moves to the mountains, the hills, and the desert places, and makes mention of the serpents. In order that we might know these things more clearly, let us hear the words themselves. After he said, "He has set a decree, and it shall not pass away," he added: 7. "Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all abysses: 8. fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of storms, which do His word." Another: "Wind of the typhoon." 9. "Mountains and all hills, fruit-bearing trees, and all cedars: the winged ones." Why, then, does he treat the argument in this way? Showing from redundant abundance the providence of God. For if the things which seem to be useless, and hostile to the human race, are so good and so useful that they themselves also offer praise to God and affect Him with glory and honor because of their handiwork, think within yourself what the others are like. And if it seems good, let us pursue each of those things which have been said. "Dragons," he says, "and all abysses." By dragons here he means the sea-monsters: D just as also elsewhere, when he says, "This dragon, which You have fashioned to make sport of it" (Ps. 103:26). But in many places this animal can be seen to be so called. How then does he not praise Him who made it? Or how does it not praise Him? For when you see the magnitude and the composition of the body, which Scripture recounts most clearly in Job (Job 40), how could you not marvel at Him who produced such an animal? And not merely because of the magnitude, but also because an impassable part of the sea was attributed to it in which to live. And it is rightly to be wondered at that it does not pass its proper limits, although it is a wild and fierce animal, and by far the largest; but dwelling in its own places it contains itself, and not only does it not go out onto the land, nor into a habitable place, but not even into that part of the sea which is suitable for navigation; it does not consume the kinds of fish, but spends its life within its own region. Nor are these things alone to be wondered at, but the depth of the abyss as well. And what is the case with the animal can also be seen in the sea. For although it is intolerable with the blowing of winds and has such a plenty of waters, it does not erupt from its proper boundaries, it does not inundate the neighboring land, but it too is tied with immovable bonds, even though the nature of waters is otherwise unruly. But when it is of such magnitude, and is impelled by such great spirits: consider how great a miracle it is that it does not exceed its place through an unorganized mass, nor through magnitude, nor through intolerable violence, but in such great perturbation, it beautifully maintains order and measure. Having therefore pondered these things within yourself, you will be able from this source also to weave praise and a hymn to God, and to marvel at His power, wisdom, virtue, and authority. There are also other ineffable reasons for these things, which He who made them knows Himself. And for this reason someone said, "Do not say, 'Why this?' or 'To what end this?' For all things have been made for His use." "Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of storms, which do His word" (Eccl. 39:2). He adds here also something else to the things that have been said. For in the previous psalm he was marveling that in a brief moment of time the snow and ice permeate the whole earth, that it congeals, that it is changed, that it is converted into the contrary: here, however, that it exists, and that while it remains...
A it fulfills the rank of servants, even though they are irrational, and carries out His command with the greatest obedience. Indeed, it often achieved the command even against its nature, just as in the Babylonian furnace, where the fire was shown both burning and cooling, performing both tasks. Is this, then, one might ask, worthy of thanksgiving? Yes, and of much thanksgiving. For we must praise God in the same way, both when He punishes and when He releases from punishment. Both are of His providence, both are of His goodness. For men do one thing out of goodness, but another out of malice and anger; but God does both out of His love for mankind. Therefore, we must praise Him in the same way, both because He placed Adam in paradise, and because He cast him out; and we must give thanks not only for the kingdom, but also for Gehenna. For He both created it and threatened it, so that He might deliver us from wickedness. Thus, just as we admire the physician, not only when he feeds, but also when he restricts through hunger, not only when he brings one into the marketplace, but also when he shuts one up in a house, not only when he anoints, but also when he burns and cuts—for even if the actions are contrary, he looks to one end—so also we must praise God for all things, and by much more, inasmuch as He is God and the other is man; and because the actions of the latter often turn out for the contrary, while those of God occur with the fitting wisdom and providence. Nor does hail and fire alone punish, but it has also delivered from punishment, and stayed wars, and repelled invading enemies. Or do you not know how many wonders were worked by these elements in Egypt, and among the Jews, and in this our own generation? And such is the power of Him who commands, that the things which He once did through angels, those intellectual and great powers, these He often worked miraculously through the elements, so that when an angel also performs these things, no one of the more senseless might attribute them to him, but to Him who commanded. Did an angel stop a war? Hail did, too. Did an angel destroy the firstborn? A storm at sea destroyed the entire multitude. Therefore, give thanks for all things to the God who loves mankind. B *Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds.* See how He dwells more among the more useless things—in mountains and glens, and hills, and among beasts, creeping things, and fruitless trees. For the fruitful trees have their utility evident from themselves, just as the flat plains and the tame animals; but what utility, you ask, do the beasts, and the creeping things, and the mountains, and the fruitless trees provide? A great deal, and one that greatly sustains our life. For mountains and hills and fruitless trees are very useful to us for building, and if we did not enjoy these, nothing would prevent our race from perishing. Just as we require fertile lands for our sustenance, so we also require fruitless trees and stones for building houses, and for constructing countless other things from them.
4. But, you ask, what utility do snakes, and scorpions, and dragons, and lions introduce into life? And what is the profit of them? It is great and unspeakable, and no less than that of the tame ones. For those are useful for the needs of the body; but these fortify you with fear, and prepare you to be sober, and make you watchful, and remind you of the sin of your forefather in Paradise, and show you of what evils disobedience is the cause. For the beasts were not like this before that, fearful and to be avoided by man, but tame and tractable. Indeed, God led them to Adam, and he himself imposed names upon them. C The serpent converses with the woman, and Eve does not flee. But when the command was transgressed and God was disobeyed, the symbols of honor were mutilated. Therefore, when you see a lion, when you see a serpent, let these stories come to your mind, and they will provide you with no small subject for philosophy. And remember also Daniel, how, when he returned to the ancient image, the fearful beasts were contemptible to him; just as the viper was to Paul; and from this you will harvest no small zeal and care of the soul. D With these, one may also admire from another perspective God's stewardship over them and His arrangement. And what is this? That He appointed for them places separated from the cities, namely the deserts; and being so fearful, they do not dwell in the cities, nor do they run down those who live within them, but they cherish and love the desert, God having allotted this to them from above, and having them possess a suitable place and a lot for their dwelling. For when you are asleep, then those creatures repair to the desert. This is what the prophet shows elsewhere, saying: *You appointed darkness, and there was night; in it all the beasts of the forest shall prowl about* (Ps. 103:20). Do you see how even now the traces of the beginning remain for you, even if they are mutilated, yet still containing a riddle of the ancient honor? For just as slaves, they are thus relegated both in time and in place; and if you do not come upon them, they do not attack, but dwell in the deserts. But if you are discouraged and troubled about why beasts were created, you are being very senseless. For if you order your own affairs well, you will be harmed by nothing from them; but if you receive harm from beasts, consider that you have often received far crueler treatment from men. For a human being is even crueler than a beast. For the one has its beastliness manifest, but this one hides his...
malice under a mask of gentleness, and therefore it is often difficult to guard against. But if you are sober, neither a beast nor a human being will do you any harm, but will even benefit you greatly. And why do I say a beast and a human being, when the devil himself did not merely fail to harm Job, but actually became the occasion for a thousand crowns for him? Why do I say a beast and a human being, when you are in danger of suffering far worse things even from your own constituent elements, if you are negligent—for instance, from bile or phlegm, if you overlook the immoderate excess of these things? Thus, you need a sober and vigilant mind in all respects. But just as you will receive the greatest harm from this if you are negligent, so if you are attentive and vigilant, you will receive no small or negligible gain; for the whole matter lies in the discernment of your own will. For what snow, fire, and a spirit of storm are in the universe, that are phlegm, blood, and bile in the body; and it is necessary to arrange and administer these with the best of reason, in order to enjoy some benefit from them, rather than being harmed. And why do I speak of the body, when the soul also has certain things which, if you allow them to go to excess, become diseases, but if you chastise and moderate them, they become aids? For anger, if you use it as you ought, has become a saving remedy, but if [you use it] immoderately, it has become a cause of destruction. And desire, if you manage it with measure, makes you a father; for it is useful for the procreation of children; but if you allow it to break forth, it often casts you down into fornication and adultery. Therefore, do not blame the things themselves, but always your own will. For if you neglect this, you are harmed by yourself and destroyed by your own body; but if you take care of it, you will not suffer anything grave or unpleasant, not only at the hands of demons or the devil, but not even at the hands of beasts.
[heading: The Necessity of Magistrates]
11. “Kings of the earth, and all peoples.” Another [translator says], “And all tribes.” “Princes and all judges of the earth. 12. Young men and maidens.” Another, “The elect.” “Old men with the younger.” Another, “With the young men. Let them praise the name of the Lord.” Here again, one moves to another kind of providence, namely, that of the princes—a point which Paul also makes in the Epistle to the Romans, showing most wisely that it was a work of God’s providence to have divided the whole of [human existence] into those who hold magistracy and those who are subject to them. “For he is God’s minister to you for good,” he says (Rom. XIII, 4). If you were to remove this, everything would perish. For if, when there are currently princes and magistrates, and many among them are corrupt and depraved, there is nonetheless such great utility in the reality [of their existence] that even when they are evil, great benefit is derived from them, imagine for yourself if those who are entrusted with magistracies were to manage them correctly, how well it would go for the human race. But indeed, for it to be established that there are kings and judges was God’s work; but that wicked men are advanced to these positions and do not use them as they ought is the work of human wickedness. For [God], providing for the care and orderly administration of mankind and that many might not live in a beast-like manner, bestowed authority and kingship, like a certain art of steering a chariot or the science of governing a ship. If, therefore, you are a prince or hold a magistracy, give thanks to the benevolent God that you have been given the occasion for such great care and diligence; if you are a private citizen, give thanks again that you have someone to take care of you and not permit you to be circumvented and oppressed by the machinations of the wicked. Whether you have reached old age or are young, give thanks to God. For this Psalm proves most of all throughout that it is necessary to thank God for everything, whether you are a magistrate or a private citizen; and therefore, signifying this, he said, “And all peoples.” Whether you be, he says, an old man, or a young man, or a man, or a woman.
13. “Because his name alone is exalted.” Another, “Because he is supreme.” 14. “His confession is on earth and in heaven.” Another, “And his hymn. And he shall exalt the horn of his people. A hymn B to all his saints, to the children of Israel, a people drawing near to him.” What he says is of this kind: I have shown from all visible things his providence, glory, and majesty; but one must praise him not only for these things, but also without them; for even before these, and without these, altitude, glory, and thanksgiving from all belongs to him. And the expression, “His alone,” he said so that he might be distinguished from those who are not truly gods. Then, lifting the listener once again to a higher contemplation, he transfers him from the earth back to heaven. For just as at the beginning he descended from heaven to the earth, so from all visible things he leads man back up above the heaven, saying: “His confession is above heaven and earth.” This means: even if the heavenly powers, which do not fall under sight and are comprehended by the intellect alone, do not cease to give thanks and praise to God, nevertheless, such a great and illustrious God has deigned to name us his people; and not only to name us, but also to raise us up and exalt us. And therefore he added: “And he shall exalt the horn of his people,” drawing them again by this rationale to a greater worship of him, and showing that he is not in need of their worship and veneration (how could one to whom glory is attributed by nature, and to whom so many and such great creatures are subject, [be in need]?), but that out of goodness alone he has made them his own and intimate, and has rendered them glorious and famous throughout the whole world. Signifying this, he said: “A hymn to all his saints, to the children of Israel, a people drawing near to him.” For so that he might not render them more slothful and supine by calling them his people—placing their confidence in this name alone and neglecting the virtue of the soul—after he said, “A hymn to all,” he did not say simply, “to men,” but, “to his saints”; and again, after he said, “to the children of Israel,” he added, “to a people drawing near to him.” Another interpreter, for the word “Hymn,” said, “Praise.” What he says, therefore, is of this kind: If you are saints, if you draw near to him, you will attain great glory. For all things of his are lasting...