Psalms 97 · The Lantern

Psalmus ipsi David. Cantate Domino canticum novum, quia mirabilia fecit. Salvavit sibi dextera ejus, et brachium sanctum ejus.

For if the earth has to suffer either joy or injury, it is simply on people's account, that they may suffer the joy or the sorrow through the events that happen to their dwelling place, whereby they will rather have to pay the penalty that, simply on their account, even the earth must suffer.

The Lord has reigned, let the earth exult. Let the whole earth, and all the world, which had before been subjected to demons and idols, rejoice now that the Lord reigns. The Lord has reigned. The Lord the Creator who made you, he himself has reigned. O you who before were subjected under the lord the devil, now you are subjected under the Lord the Creator.

..."The Lord is King, let the earth be glad: yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous" [Psalm 97:1]. It is so indeed, because the word of God hath been preached not in the continent alone, but also in those isles which lie in mid sea: even these are full of Christians, full of the servants of God. For the sea doth not retard Him who made it.

Notum fecit Dominus salutare suum; in conspectu gentium revelavit justitiam suam.

Recordatus est misericordiæ suæ, et veritatis suæ domui Israël. Viderunt omnes termini terræ salutare Dei nostri.

If, however, those whom God has accepted and the believers shall attain salvation, it is necessary that those whom God has rejected and the unbelieving should incur the opposite issue, even the loss of salvation. Now here is a judgment, and those who hold it out before us belong to the Creator.

"There shall go a fire before Him, and burn up His enemies on every side" [Psalm 97:3]. We remember having read in the Gospel, He shall say, "Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." [Matthew 25:41] I do not think it is said of that fire. Why do I not? Because he speaketh of some fire, which shall go before Him, before He cometh to judgment.

Fire will precede the face of the Judge, by which the face of the earth will be burned up, so that the figure of this world will perish by the conflagration of worldly fires, just as the flood came about by the inundation of waters.

Jubilate Deo, omnis terra; cantate, et exsultate, et psallite.

Psallite Domino in cithara; in cithara et voce psalmi;

in tubis ductilibus, et voce tubæ corneæ. Jubilate in conspectu regis Domini:

moveatur mare, et plenitudo ejus; orbis terrarum, et qui habitant in eo.

"Let all be confounded who worship graven images." If the prophet is blessed, being blessed he never knew how to curse; and therefore in that which he says, "Let them be confounded," it is not against them, but for them: for he prays that they may be confounded in their error, and be converted to the true and only God, the Creator.

"Confounded be all they that worship carved images" [Psalm 97:7]. Hath not this come to pass? Have they not been confounded? Are they not daily confounded? For carved images are images wrought by the hand. Why are all who worship carved images confounded? Because all people have seen His glory.

Why did the Lord place the figment of the human mind among idolatry, since a figment is nothing in reality? An idol is nothing; rather, it is referred to that which exists in estimation. Concerning idolatry with respect to the figment of the human mind, it is said in the Psalm: Let all be confounded who adore graven things, and who glory in their idols.

Flumina plaudent manu; simul montes exsultabunt

a conspectu Domini: quoniam venit judicare terram. Judicabit orbem terrarum in justitia, et populos in æquitate.

Psalms97