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In his prayer, with a song, to whom but the Lord Christ does he
say, "O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing, and was afraid: O
Lord, I have considered Thy works, and was greatly afraid?" What
is this but the inexpressible admiration of the foreknown, new, and
sudden salvation of men? "In the midst of two living creatures thou
shalt be recognized." What is this but either between the two
testaments, or between the two thieves, or between Moses and Elias
talking with Him on the mount? "While the years draw nigh, Thou
wilt be recognized; at the coming of the time Thou wilt be shown,"
does not even need exposition. "While my soul shall be troubled at
Him, in wrath Thou wilt be mindful of mercy." What is this but
that He puts Himself for the Jews, of whose nation He was, who
were troubled with great anger and crucified Christ, when He,
mindful of mercy, said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do? "God shall come from Teman, and the Holy One from
the shady and close mountain." What is said here, "He shall come
from Teman," some interpret "from the south," or "from the
southwest," by which is signified the noonday, that is, the fervor
of charity and the splendor of truth. "The shady and close mountain"
might be understood in many ways, yet I prefer to take it as meaning
the depth of the divine Scriptures, in which Christ is prophesied:
for in the Scriptures there are many things shady and close which
exercise the mind of the reader; and Christ comes thence when he who
has understanding finds Him there. "His power covereth up the
heavens, and the earth is full of His praise." What is this but
what is also said in the psalm, "Be Thou exalted, O God, above
the heavens; and Thy glory above all the earth?" "His splendor
shall be as the light." What is it but that the fame of Him shall
illuminate believers? "Horns are in His hands." What is this but
the trophy of the cross? "And He hath placed the firm charity of
His strength" needs no exposition. "Before His face shall go the
word, and it shall go forth into the field after His feet." What is
this but that He should both be announced before His coming hither and
after His return hence? "He stood, and the earth was moved."
What is this but that "He stood" for succor, "and the earth was
moved" to believe? "He regarded, and the nations melted;" that
is, He had compassion, and made the people penitent. "The
mountains are broken with violence;" that is, through the power of
those who work miracles the pride of the haughty is broken "The
everlasting hills flowed down;" that is, they are humbled in time
that they may be lifted up for eternity. "I saw His goings [made]
eternal for his labors;" that is, I beheld His labor of love not
left without the reward of eternity. "The tents of Ethiopia shall be
greatly afraid, and the tents of the land of Midian" that is, even
those nations which are not under the Roman authority, being suddenly
terrified by the news of Thy wonderful works, shall become a
Christian people. "Wert Thou angry at the rivers, O Lord? or
was Thy fury against the rivers? or was Thy rage against the sea?
This is said because He does not now come to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved. "For Thou shall mount
upon Thy horses, and Thy riding shall be salvation;" that is,
Thine evangelists shall carry Thee, for they are guided by Thee,
and Thy gospel is salvation to them that believe in Thee.
"Bending, Thou wilt bend Thy bow against the sceptres, saith the
Lord;" that is, Thou wilt threaten even the kings of the earth with
Thy judgment. "The earth shall be cleft with rivers;" that is, by
the sermons of those who preach Thee flowing in upon them, men's
hearts shall be opened to make confession, to whom it is said, "Rend
your hearts and not your garments." What does "The people shall see
Thee and grieve" mean, but that in mourning they shall be blessed?
What is "Scattering the waters in marching," but that by walking in
those who everywhere proclaim Thee, Thou wilt scatter hither and
thither the streams of Thy doctrine? What is "The abyss uttered its
voice?" Is it not that the depth of the human heart expressed what it
perceived? The words, "The depth of its phantasy," are an
explanation of the previous verse, for the depth is the abyss; and
"Uttered its voice" is to be understood before them, that is, as we
have said, it expressed what it perceived. Now the phantasy is the
vision, which it did not hold or conceal, but poured forth in
confession. "The sun was raised up, and the moon stood still in her
course;" that is, Christ ascended into heaven, and the Church was
established under her King. "Thy darts shall go in the light;"
that is, Thy words shall not be sent in secret, but openly. For He
had said to His own disciples, "What I tell you in darkness, that
speak ye in the light." "By threatening thou shall diminish the
earth;" that is, by that threatening Thou shall humble men. "And
in fury Thou shall cast down the nations;" for in punishing those who
exalt themselves Thou dashest them one against another. "Thou
wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, that Thou mightest
save Thy Christ; Thou hast sent death on the heads of the wicked."
None of these words require exposition. "Thou hast lifted up the
bonds, even to the neck." This may be understood even of the good
bonds of wisdom, that the feet may be put into its fetters, and the
neck into its collar. "Thou hast struck off in amazement of mind the
bonds" must be understood for, He lifts up the good and strikes off
the bad, about. which it is said to Him, "Thou hast broken asunder
my bonds," and that "in amazement of mind," that is, wonderfully.
"The heads of the mighty shall be moved in it;" to wit, in that
wonder. "They shall open their teeth like a poor man eating
secretly." For some of the mighty among the Jews shall come to the
Lord, admiring His works and words, and shall greedily eat the bread
of His doctrine in secret for fear of the Jews, just as the Gospel
has shown they did. "And Thou hast sent into the sea Thy horses,
troubling many waters," which are nothing else than many people; for
unless all were troubled, some would not be converted with fear,
others pursued with fury. "I gave heed, and my belly trembled at the
voice of the prayer of my lips; and trembling entered into my bones,
and my habit of body was troubled under me." He gave heed to those
things which he said, and was himself terrified at his own prayer,
which he had poured forth prophetically, and in which he discerned
things to come. For when many people are troubled, he saw the
threatening tribulation of the Church, and at once acknowledged
himself a member of it, and said, "I shall rest in the day of
tribulation," as being one of those Who are rejoicing in hope,
patient in tribulation. "That I may ascend," he says, "among the
people of my pilgrimage," departing quite from the wicked people of
his carnal kinship, who are not pilgrims in this earth, and do not
seek the country above. "Although the fig-tree," he says, "shall
not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines the labor of the olive
shall lie, and the fields shall yield no meat; the sheep shall be cut
off from the meat, and there shall be no oxen in the stalls." He
sees that nation which was to slay Christ about to lose the abundance
of spiritual supplies, which, in prophetic fashion, he has set forth
by the figure of earthly plenty. And because that nation was to suffer
such wrath of God, because, being ignorant of the righteousness of
God, it wished to establish its own, he immediately says, "Yet
will I rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in God my salvation. The
Lord God is my strength, and He will set my feet in completion; He
will place me above the heights, that I may conquer in His song,"
to wit, in that song of which something similar is said in the psalm,
"He set my feet upon a rock, and directed my goings, and put in my
mouth a new song, a hymn to our God." He therefore conquers in the
song of the Lord, who takes pleasure in His praise, not in his own;
that "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." But some
copies have, "I will joy in God my Jesus," which seems to me
better than the version of those who, wishing to put it in Latin,
have not set down that very name which for us it is dearer and sweeter
to name.
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