Psalm CIII
17“Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, even so hath the Lord had mercy on them that fear Him” (ver. 13). Let Him be as angry as He shall will, He is our Father. But He hath scourged us, and afflicted us, and bruised us: He is our Father. Son, if thou bewailest, wail beneath thy Father; do not so with indignation, do not so with the puffing up of pride. What thou sufferest, whence thou mournest, it is medicine, not punishment; it is thy chastening, not thy condemnation. Do not refuse the scourge, if thou dost not wish to be refused thy heritage: do not think of what punishment thou sufferest in the scourge, but what place thou hast in the Testament.
18“For He knoweth our forming” (ver. 14): that is, our infirmity. He knoweth what He hath created, how it hath fallen, how it may be repaired, how it may be adopted, how it may be enriched. Behold, we are made of clay: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” He sent even His own Son, Him who was made the second man, Him who was God before all things. For He was second in His coming, first in His returning: He died after many, He arose before all. “He knoweth our forming.” What forming? Ourselves. Why sayest thou that He knoweth? Because He hath pitied. “Remember that we are but dust.” Addressing God Himself, he saith, “Remember,” as if God could forget: He perceiveth, He knoweth in such a manner that He cannot forget. But what meaneth, “Remember”? Let thy mercy continue towards us. Thou knowest our forming; forget not our forming, lest we forget thy grace.
19“Man, his days are but as grass” (ver. 15). Let man consider what he is; let not man be proud. “His days are but as grass.” Why is the grass proud, that is now flourishing, and in a very short space dried up? Why is the grass proud that flourisheth only for a brief season, until the sun be hot? It is then good for us that His mercy be upon us, and from grass make gold. “For he flourisheth as a flower of the field.” The whole splendour of the human race; honour, powers, riches, pride, threats, is the flower of the grass. That house flourisheth, and that family is great, that family flourisheth; and how many flourish, and how many years do they live! Many years to thee, are but a short season unto God. God doth not count, as thou dost. Compared with the length and long life of ages, all the flower of any house is as the flower of the field. All the beauty of the year hardly lasteth for the year. Whatever there flourisheth, whatever there is warmed with heat, whatever there is beautiful, lasteth not; nay, it cannot exist for one whole year. In how brief a season do flowers pass away, and these are the beauty of the herbs! This which is so very beautiful, this quickly falleth. Inasmuch then as He knoweth as a father our forming, that we are but grass, and can only flourish for a time; He sent unto us His Word, and His Word, which abideth for evermore, He hath made a brother unto the grass which abideth not. Wonder not that thou shalt be a sharer of His Eternity; He became Himself first a sharer of thy grass. Will He who assumed from thee what was lowly, deny unto thee what is exalted in respect of thee?
20“The wind shall go over on it, it shall not be; and the place thereof shall know it no more” (ver. 16). For he is not speaking of grass, but of that for whose sake even the Word became grass. For thou art man, and on thy account the Word became man. “All flesh is grass:” “and the Word was made flesh.” How great then is the hope of the grass, since the Word hath been made flesh? That which abideth for evermore, hath not disdained to assume grass, that the grass might not despair of itself.
21In thy reflections therefore on thyself, think of thy low estate, think of thy dust: be not lifted up: if thou art anything better, thou wilt be so by His Grace, thou wilt be so by His mercy. For hear what followeth: “but the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear Him” (ver. 17). Ye who fear not Him, will be grass, and in grass, and in torment with the grass: for the flesh shall arise unto the torment. Let those who fear Him rejoice, because His mercy is upon them.
22“And His righteousness upon children’s children” (ver. 18). He speaketh of reward, “upon children’s children.” How many servants of God are there who have not children, how much less children’s children? But He calleth our works our children; the reward of works, our “children’s children.” “Even upon such as keep His covenant.” Let men beware that all may not conceive what is here said to belong to themselves: let them choose, while they have the choice. “And keep in memory His commandments to do them.” Thou wast already disposed to flatter thyself, and perhaps to recite to me the Psalter, which I have not by heart, or from memory to say over the whole Law. Clearly thou art better in point of memory than I, better than any righteous man who doth not know the Law word for word: but see that thou keep the commandments. But how shouldest thou keep them? Not by memory, but by life. “Such as keep in memory His commandments:” not, to recite them; but, “to do them.” And now perhaps each man’s soul is disturbed. Who remembereth all the commandments of God? who remembereth all the writings of God? Lo, I wish not only to hold them in my memory, but also to do them in my works: but who remembereth them all? Fear not: He burdeneth thee not: “on two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” …
23“The Lord hath prepared His throne in heaven” (ver. 19). Who but Christ hath prepared His throne in heaven? He who descended and ascended, He who died, and rose from the dead, He who lifted up to heaven the manhood He had assumed, hath Himself prepared His throne in heaven. The throne is the seat of the Judge: observe therefore ye who hear, that “He hath prepared His throne in heaven.”…The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He shall be the Governor among the people. “And His kingdom shall rule over all.”
24“Bless ye the Lord, ye Angels of His, ye that are mighty in strength: ye that fulfil His word” (ver. 20). By the word of God, then, thou art not righteous, nor faithful, unless when thou dost it. “Ye that are mighty in strength, ye that fulfil His commandment, and hearken unto the voice of His words.”
25“Bless ye the Lord, all ye His hosts: ye servants of His that do His pleasure” (ver. 21). All ye angels, all ye that are mighty in strength: ye that do His word: all ye His hosts, ye servants of His that do His pleasure, do ye, ye bless the Lord. For all they who live wickedly, though their tongues be silent, by their lips do curse the Lord. What doth it profit if thy tongue singeth a hymn, while thy life breatheth sacrilege? By living ill thou hast set many tongues to blasphemy. Thy tongue is given to the hymn, the tongues of those who behold thee, to blasphemy. If then thou dost wish to bless the Lord, do His word, do His will.…
26“Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of His, in all places of His dominion” (ver. 22). Therefore in every place. Let Him not be blessed where He ruleth not: “in all places of His dominion.” Let no man perchance say: I cannot praise the Lord in the East, because He hath departed unto the West; or, I cannot praise Him in the West, because He is in the East. “For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the desert hills. And why? God is the Judge.” He is everywhere, in such wise that everywhere He may be praised: He is in such wise on every side, that we may be joyful in Him on every side: He is in such wise blessed on every side, that on every side we may live well.…“In every place of His dominion: bless thou the Lord, O my soul!” The last verse is the same as the first: blessing is at the head of the Psalm, blessing at the end; from blessing we set out, to blessing let us return, in blessing let us reign.