{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/108/1080178.htm","path":"chr/ecf/108/1080178.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/108/1080178.htm","text":"Psalm CXLV. 5861\n1. \u2026The title is, \u201cPraise, to David himself.\u201d Praise to Christ Himself. And since He is called David, who came to us of the seed of David, yet He was our King, ruling us, and bringing us into His kingdom, therefore \u201cPraise to David himself\u201d is understood to mean, Praise to Christ Himself. Christ according to the flesh is David, because He is the Son of David: but according to His Divine Nature He is the Creator of David, and Lord of David. \u201cI will exalt Thee, my God, my King; and I will bless Thy Name for the age, and age upon age\u201d (Psa. 145.1). Ye see that the praise of God is here begun, and this praise is carried on even to the end of the Psalm.\u2026Now then begin to praise, if thou intendest to praise for ever. He who will not praise in this transitory \u201cage,\u201d will be silent when \u201cage upon age\u201d has come. But lest any one should in any otherwise also understand what he saith, \u201cI will praise Thy Name for the age,\u201d and should seek another age, wherein to praise, he saith, \u201cEvery day will I bless Thee\u201d (Psa. 145.2). Praise then and bless the Lord thy God every day, that when single days have passed, and there has come one day without end, thou mayest go from praise to praise, as \u201cfrom strength to strength.\u201d 5862 No day shall pass by, wherein I bless Thee not. And it is no wonder, if in thy day of joy thou bless the Lord. What if perchance some day of sorrow hath dawned on thee, as is natural in the circumstances of our mortal nature, as there is abundance of offences, as temptations are multiplied; what, if something sad befall thee, a man; wilt thou cease to praise God? wilt thou cease to bless thy Creator? If thou cease, thou hast lied in saying, \u201cevery day,\u201d etc. But if thou cease not, although it seem to thee to be ill with thee in the day of thy sorrow, yet in thy God it shall be well with thee.\u2026\n2. \u201cGreat is the Lord, and very much to be praised\u201d (Psa. 145.3). How much was he about to say? what terms was he about to seek? How vast a conception hath he included in the one word, \u201cvery much\u201d? Imagine what thou wilt, for how can that be imagined, which cannot be contained? \u201cHe is very much to be praised. And of His Greatness there is no end;\u201d therefore said he \u201cvery much:\u201d lest perchance thou begin to wish to praise, and think that thou canst reach the end of His praises, whose Greatness can have no end. Think not then that He, whose Greatness has no end, can ever be enough praised by thee. Is it not then better that as He has no end, so neither should thy praise have end? His Greatness is without end; let thy praise also be without end.\u2026\n3. For how great things besides has His boundless Goodness and illimitable Greatness made, which we do not know! When we lift the gaze of our eyes even to the heaven, and then recall it from sun, moon, and stars to the earth, and there is all this space where our sight can wander; beyond the heavens who can extend the eyesight of his mind, not to say of his flesh? So far then as His works are known to us, let us praise Him through His works. 5863 \u201cGeneration and generation shall praise Thy works\u201d (Psa. 145.4). Every generation shall praise Thy works. For perhaps every generation is meant by \u201cgeneration and generation.\u201d\u2026Did he perchance mean to imply two generations by that repetition? For we are in this generation sons of God, we shall be in another generation sons of the Resurrection. Scripture hath called us \u201csons of the Resurrection;\u201d the Resurrection itself it hath called Regeneration. \u201cIn the regeneration,\u201d it saith, \u201cwhen the Son of Man shall be seated in His Majesty.\u201d 5864 So also in another place; \u201cFor they shall not marry, nor be given in marriage, for they are the sons of the Resurrection.\u201d 5865 Therefore \u201cgeneration and generation shall praise Thy works.\u2026And they shall tell out Thine excellence.\u201d For neither shall they praise Thy works, save in order to \u201ctell out Thine excellence.\u201d Boys at school are set to praise, and all such things are set before them to be praised, as God hath wrought: a mortal is set to praise the sun, the sky, the earth; to come to even lesser things, to praise a rose, or a laurel; all these are works of God: they are set, they are undertaken, they are praised: the works are lauded, of the Worker they are silent. I desire in the works to praise the Creator: I love not a thankless praiser. Dost thou praise what He hath made, and art silent of Him who made? In that which thou seest, what is it that thou praisest? The form, the usefulness, some virtue, some power in the things. If beauty delight thee, what is more beautiful than the Maker? If usefulness be praised, what more useful than He who made all things? If excellence be praised, what more excellent than He by whom all things were made?\u2026\n4. \u201cThey shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of Thy Holiness, and shall record Thy p. 658 wondrous deeds\u201d (Psa. 145.5). \u201cAnd the excellence of Thy fearful works shall they speak of: and Thy greatness, they shall relate it\u201d (Psa. 145.6). \u201cThe remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth\u201d (Psa. 145.7): none but Thine. See whether this man, meditating on Thy works, hath turned aside from the Worker to the work: see whether he hath sunk from Him who made, to the things which He made. Of the things which He hath made, he hath made a step up to Him, not a descent from Him to them. For if thou love these more than Him, thou wilt not have Him. And what profit is it to thee to overflow with the works, if the Worker leave thee? Truly thou shouldest love them; but love Him more, and love them for His sake. For He doth not hold out promises, without holding out threats also: if He held out no promises, there would be no encouragement; if He held out no threats, there would be no correction. They that praise Thee therefore shall \u201cspeak\u201d also \u201cof the excellence of Thy terrible deeds;\u201d the excellence of that work of Thy hands which punisheth and administereth discipline, they shall speak of, they shall not be silent: for they shall not proclaim Thine everlasting kingdom, and be silent about Thine everlasting fire. For the praise of God, setting thee in the way, ought to show thee both what thou shouldest love, and what thou shouldest fear; what thou shouldest seek, and what thou shouldest shun; what thou shouldest choose, and what thou shouldest avoid. The time of choice is now, the time of receiving will be hereafter. Let then the excellence of Thy terrible things be told. Unlimited as it is, though \u201cof Thy greatness there is no end,\u201d they shall not be silent about it. How shall they recount it, if there is no end of it? They shall recount it when they praise it; and because there is no end of it, so of His praise also there shall be no end. 5866\n5. \u201cThe remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness they shall pour forth.\u201d O happy feasts! What shall they eat, who thus shall \u201cpour forth\u201d!\u2026So eat, that thou mayest pour forth again; so receive, that thou mayest give. Thou eatest, when thou learnest; thou pourest forth again, when thou teachest: thou eatest, when thou hearest; thou pourest forth again, when thou preachest; but that thou pourest forth, which thou hast first eaten. Finally, that most eager feaster John, to whom the very table of the Lord sufficed not, unless he leaned on the Lord\u2019s breast, and of his inmost heart drank in divine secrets; what did he pour forth? \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.\u201d 5867 How is it that it sufficeth not to say, \u201cThy remembrance;\u201d or, \u201cthe remembrance of Thine abundance\u201d? Because, what availeth it if it be abundant, yet not sweet? So also it is annoying if it be sweet but too little.\n6. \u2026By \u201cpouring forth\u201d this, His preachers \u201cshall exult in His righteousness\u201d not in their own. What then hast Thou done unto us, O Lord, whom we praise, that we should be, that we should praise, that we should \u201cexult in Thy righteousness,\u201d that we should \u201cutter forth the remembrance of the abundance of Thy sweetness\u201d? Let us tell it, and, as we tell, let us praise.\n7. \u201cMerciful and pitiful is the Lord; long-suffering, and very merciful\u201d (Psa. 145.8). \u201cSweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions reach into all His works\u201d (Psa. 145.9). Were He not such as this, there would be no seeking to recover us. Consider thyself: what didst thou deserve, O sinner? Despiser of God, what didst thou deserve? See if aught occur to thee but penalty, if aught occur to thee but punishment. Thou seest then what was due to thee, and what He hath given, who gave gratis. There was given pardon to the sinner; there was given the spirit of justification; there was given charity and love, wherein thou mayest do all good works; and beyond this, He will give thee also life everlasting, and fellowship with the angels: all of His mercy.\u2026Hear the Scripture: \u201cI will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn, and live.\u201d 5868 By these words of God, he is brought back to hope; but there is another snare to be feared, lest through this very hope he sin the more. What then didst thou also say, thou who through hope sinnest yet more? \u201cWhensoever I turn, God will forgive me all; I will do whatsoever I will.\u201d Say not then, \u201cTo-morrow I will turn, to-morrow I will please God; and all to-day\u2019s and yesterday\u2019s deeds shall be forgiven me.\u201d Thou sayest true: God hath promised pardon to thy conversion; He hath not promised a to-morrow to thy delay. 5869\n8. \u201cSweet is the Lord to all, and His compassions are over all His works.\u201d Why then doth He condemn? why doth He scourge? Are not they whom He condemneth, whom He scourgeth, His works? Plainly they are. And wilt thou know how \u201cHis compassions are over all His works\u201d? Thence is that long-suffering, whereby \u201cHe maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good.\u201d 5870 Are not \u201cHis compassions over all His works, who sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust\u201d? In His long-suffering He waiteth for the sinner, saying, \u201cTurn ye to Me, and I will turn to you.\u201d 5871 Are p. 659 not \u201cHis compassions over all His works\u201d? And when He saith, \u201cGo ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,\u201d 5872 this is not His compassion, but His severity. His compassion is given to His works: His severity is not over His works, but over thy works. Lastly, if thou remove thine own evil works, and there remain in thee nought but His work, His compassion will not leave thee: but if thou leavest not thy works, there will be severity over thy works, not over His works.\n9. \u201cLet all Thy works, O Lord, confess to Thee, and let Thy saints bless Thee\u201d (Psa. 145.10). How so? Is not the earth His work? Are not the trees His work? Cattle, beasts, fish, fowl, are not they His works? Plainly they too are. And how shall these too confess to Him? I see indeed in the angels that His works confess to Him, for the angels are His works: and men are His works; and when men confess to Him, His works confess to Him; but have trees and stones the voice of confession? Yes, verily; \u201clet all\u201d His \u201cworks confess to\u201d Him. What sayest thou? even the earth and the trees?\u2026But there ariseth the same question in regard of praise, as in regard of confession. For if earth and all things devoid of sensation therefore cannot confess, because they have no voice to confess with; neither will they be able to praise, because they have no voice to proclaim with. But do not those Three Children enumerate all things, as they walked amid the harmless flames, who had leisure not only not to fear, but even to praise God? They say to all things, heavenly and earthly, \u201cBless ye the Lord, praise Him and magnify Him for ever.\u201d 5873 Behold how they praise. Let none think that the dumb stone or dumb animal hath reason wherewith to comprehend God. They who have thought this, have erred far from the truth. God hath ordered everything, and made everything: to some He hath given sense and understanding and immortality, as to the angels; to some He hath given sense and understanding with mortality, as to man; to some He hath given bodily sense, yet gave them not understanding, or immortality, as to cattle: to some He hath given neither sense, nor understanding, nor immortality, as to herbs, trees, stones: yet even these cannot be wanting in their kind, and by certain degrees He hath ordered His creation, from earth up to heaven, from visible to invisible, from mortal to immortal. This framework of creation, this most perfectly ordered beauty, ascending from lowest to highest, descending from highest to lowest, never broken, but tempered together of things unlike, all praiseth God. Wherefore then doth all praise God? Because when thou considerest it, and seest its beauty, thou in it praisest God. The beauty of the earth is a kind of voice of the dumb earth.\u2026And this which thou hast found in it, is the very voice of its confession, that thou praise the Creator. When thou hast thought on the universal beauty of this world, doth not its very beauty as it were with one voice answer thee, \u201cI made not myself, God made me\u201d?\n10. For when Thy saints bless Thee, what say they? \u201cThey shall tell the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy Power\u201d (Psa. 145.11). How powerful is God, who hath made the earth! how powerful is God, who hath filled the earth with good things! how powerful is God, who hath given to the animals each its own life! how powerful is God, who hath given different seeds to the womb of the earth, that they might make to spring up such various shoots, such beautiful trees! how powerful, how great is God! Do thou ask, creation answereth, and by its answer, as by the confession of the creature, thou, O saint of God, blessest God, and \u201ctalkest of His power.\u201d\n11. \u201cThat they may make known to the sons of men Thy power, and the glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom\u201d (Psa. 145.12). Thy saints then commend \u201cthe glory of the greatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom,\u201d the glory of the greatness of its beauty. There is a certain \u201cgreatness of the beauty of Thy kingdom:\u201d that is, Thy kingdom hath beauty, and great beauty. Since whatever hath beauty, hath beauty from Thee, how great beauty hath Thy whole kingdom! Let not the kingdom frighten us: it hath beauty also, wherewith to delight us. For what is that beauty, which the saints shall hereafter enjoy, to whom it shall be said, \u201cCome, ye blessed of My Father, enjoy the kingdom\u201d? 5874 Whence shall they come? whither shall they come? Behold, brethren, and, if ye can, as far as ye can, think of the beauty of that kingdom which is to come; whence our prayer saith, \u201cThy kingdom come.\u201d For that kingdom we desire may come, that kingdom the saints proclaim to be coming. Observe this world: it is beautiful. How beautiful are earth, sea, air, heavens, stars. Do not all these frighten him who considereth them? Is not the beauty of them so conspicuous, that it seemeth as though nothing more beautiful could be found? And here, in this beauty, in this fairness almost unspeakable, here worm and mice and all creeping things of the earth live with thee, they live with thee in all this beauty. How great is the beauty of that kingdom where none but angels live with Thee! There is a greatness of a certain beauty; let it be loved before it is seen, that when it is seen, it may be retained.\np. 660 12. \u201cThy kingdom.\u201d What kingdom mean I? \u201ca kingdom of all ages.\u201d For the kingdom of this age too hath its own beauty, but there is not in it that greatness of beauty, such as in the \u201ckingdom of all ages.\u201d \u201cAnd Thy dominion is in every generation and generation\u201d (Psa. 145.13). This is the repetition we noticed, signifying either every generation, or the generation which will be after this generation. \u201cFaithful is the Lord in His words, and holy in all His works.\u201d 5875 \u201cFaithful is the Lord in His words:\u201d for what hath He promised that He hath not given? \u201cFaithful is the Lord in His words.\u201d Hereto there are certain things which He hath promised, and hath not given; but let Him be believed from the things which He hath given. We might well believe Him, if He only spake: He willed not that we should believe Him speaking, but that we should have His Scriptures in our hands:\u2026as though a kind of bond of God\u2019s, which all who pass by might read, and might keep to the path of its promise. And how great things hath He already paid in accordance with that bond! Do men hesitate to believe Him concerning the Resurrection of the dead and the Life to come, which alone now remaineth to be paid, when, if He come to reckon with the unbelievers, the unbelievers must blush? If God say to thee, \u201cThou hast My bond: I have promised judgment, the separation of good and bad, everlasting life for the faithful, and wilt thou not believe? There in My bond read all that I have promised, reckon with me: verily even by counting up what I have paid, thou canst believe that I shall pay what still I owe. In that bond thou hast My only-begotten Son promised, \u201cWhom I spared not, but gave Him up for you all:\u201d 5876 reckon this then among what is paid. Read the bond: I promised therein that I would give by My Son the earnest of the Holy Spirit: reckon that as paid. I promised therein the blood and the crowns of the glorious Martyrs; let the White Mass 5877 remind you that My debt has been paid.\u2026He setteth before the eyes of all His payment of His debts: some He hath paid in the time of our ancestors, which we saw not: some He hath paid in our times, which they saw not; throughout all generations He hath paid what was written. And what remaineth? Do men not believe Him, when He hath paid all this? What remaineth? Behold thou hast reckoned: all this He hath paid: is He become unfaithful for the few things which remain? God forbid! Wherefore? Because \u201cthe Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.\u201d\n13. \u201cThe Lord strengtheneth all that are falling\u201d (Psa. 145.14). But who are \u201call that are falling\u201d? All indeed fall in a general sense, but he meaneth those who fall in a particular way. For many fall from Him, many also fall from their own imaginations. If they had evil imaginations, they fall from them, and \u201cGod strengthened all that are falling.\u201d They who lose anything in this world, yet are holy, are as it were dishonoured in this world, from rich become poor, from honoured of low estate, yet are they God\u2019s saints; they are, as it were, falling. But \u201cGod strengtheneth.\u201d For \u201cthe just falleth seven times, and riseth again; but the wicked shall be weakened in evils.\u201d 5878 When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened thereby; when evils befall the righteous, \u201cthe Lord strengtheneth all that are falling.\u201d\u2026\u201cAnd lifteth up all those that have been cast down:\u201d all, that is, who belong to him; for \u201cGod resisteth the proud.\u201d 5879\n14. \u201cThe eyes of all hope upon Thee, and Thou givest them food in due season\u201d (Psa. 145.15). Just as when thou refreshest a sick man in due season, when he ought to receive, then Thou givest, and what he ought to receive, that Thou givest. Sometimes then men long, and he giveth not: he who tendeth, knoweth the time to give. Wherefore say I this, brethren? Lest any one be faint, if perchance he hath not been heard, when making some righteous request of God. For when he maketh any unrighteous request, he is heard to his punishment: but when making some righteous request of God, if perchance he have not been heard, let him not be down-hearted, let him not faint, let his eyes wait for the food, which He giveth in due season. When He giveth not, He therefore giveth not, lest that which He giveth do harm. 5880 \u2026\u201cThou givest them meat in due season.\u201d\n15. \u201cThou openest Thine Hand, and fillest every living thing with blessing\u201d (Psa. 145.16). Though sometimes Thou givest not, yet \u201cin due season\u201d Thou givest: Thou delayest, not deniest, and that in due season.\u201d \u201cRighteous is the Lord in all His ways, and holy in all His works\u201d (Psa. 145.17). Both when He smiteth and when He healeth, He is righteous, and in Him unrighteousness is not. Finally, all His saints, when set in the midst of tribulation, have first praised His righteousness, and so sought His blessings. They first have said, \u201cWhat Thou doest is righteous.\u201d So did Daniel ask, and other holy men: \u201cRighteous are Thy judgments: rightly have we p. 661 suffered: deservedly have we suffered.\u201d They laid not unrighteousness to God, they laid not to Him injustice and folly. First they praised Him scourging, and so they felt Him feeding.\n16. \u201cThe Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him\u201d (Psa. 145.18). Where then is that, \u201cThen shall they call upon Me, and I will not hear them\u201d? 5881 See then what follows: \u201call who call upon Him in truth.\u201d For many call upon Him, but not in truth. They seek something else from Him, but seek not Himself. Why lovest thou God? \u201cBecause He hath made me whole.\u201d That is clear: it was He that made thee so. For from none else cometh health, save Him. \u201cBecause He gave me,\u201d saith another, \u201ca rich wife, whereas I before had nothing, and one that obeyeth me.\u201d This too He gave: thou sayest true. \u201cHe gave me,\u201d saith another, \u201csons many and good, He gave me a household, He gave me all good things.\u201d Dost thou love Him for this?\u2026Therefore if God is good, who hath given thee what thou hast, how much more blessed wilt thou be when He hath given thee Himself! Thou hast desired all these things of Him: I beseech thee desire of Him Himself also. For these things are not truly sweeter than He is, nor in any way are they to be compared to Him. He then who preferreth God Himself to all the things which he has received, whereat he rejoiceth, to the things he has received, he \u201ccalleth upon God in truth.\u201d\u2026\n17. \u201cHe will perform the will of them that fear Him\u201d (Psa. 145.19). He will perform it, He will perform it: though He perform it not at once, yet He will perform it. Certainly if therefore thou fearest God, that thou mayest do His will, behold even He in a manner ministereth to thee; He doeth thy will. \u201cAnd He shall hear their prayer, and save them.\u201d Thou seest that for this purpose the Physician hears, that He may save. When? Hear the Apostle telling thee. \u201cFor we are saved in hope: but hope which is seen is not hope: but if what we see not we hope for, then do we with patience wait for it: 5882 \u201cthe salvation,\u201d that is, which Peter calleth \u201cready to be revealed in the last time.\u201d 5883\n18. \u201cThe Lord guardeth all that love Him, and all sinners He will destroy\u201d (Psa. 145.20). Thou seest that there is severity with Him, with whom is so great sweetness. He will save all that hope in Him, all the faithful, all that fear Him, all that call upon Him in truth: \u201cand all sinners He will destroy.\u201d What \u201call sinners,\u201d save those who persevere in sin; who dare to blame God, not themselves; who daily argue against God; who despair of pardon for their sins, and from this very despair heap up their sins; or who perversely promise themselves pardon, and through this very promise depart not from their sins and impiety? The time will come for all these to be separated, and for the two divisions to be made of them, one on the right hand, the other on the left; and for the righteous to receive the everlasting Kingdom, the wicked to go into everlasting fire. Since this is so, and we have heard the blessing of the Lord, the works of the Lord, the wondrous things of the Lord, the mercies of the Lord, the severity of the Lord, His Providence over all His works, the confession of all His works; observe how He concludeth in His praise, \u201cMy mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy Name for ever and ever\u201d (Psa. 145.21).\nLat. CXLIV. Sermon to the people.\n657:5862 657:5863 657:5864 657:5865\nLuke 20:35, 36.\n658:5866 658:5867 658:5868 658:5869 658:5870 658:5871 659:5872 659:5873\nSong of Three Children, 29, etc.\n659:5874 660:5875\nThis verse is not contained in the English version.\n660:5876 660:5877\nThis sermon appears from this to have been preached in the Basilica of the \u201cWhite Mass.\u201d The Roman Martyrology, Aug. 24, has, \u201cat Carthage, of the 300 holy martyrs, who, in the reign of Valerius and Gallienus, first suffered manifold torments, and at last were thrown into a burning lime-pit, and won a glorious crown of martyrdom. Hence they had the name of \u2018The White Mass.\u2019\u201d There was a Basilica in memory of them at Utica. Serm. 306 of St. Aug. is on their festival. See also Prud. Peristeph. 13; Ruinart, pp. 199, 518.\n660:5878 660:5879 660:5880 661:5881 661:5882 661:5883","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VIII: Expositions on...","type":"page"}