Psalms 103 · The Lantern

Of David. Bless the LORD, my soul, and all my inward parts, his holy name.

For similarly there are commanded to be placed upon the altar "these fats of the ram which are around the kidneys, and those which cover the inward parts"; so that you too, who hear these things, may know that everything within you that is grosser and covers your "inward parts" you ought to offer to the fire of the altar, so that all your "inward parts" may be purged, and you t…

..."Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me, His holy Name" (ver. 1). I suppose that he speaketh not of what is within the body; I do not suppose him to mean this, that our lungs and liver, and so forth, are to burst forth into the voice of blessing of the Lord.

With respect to souls, divine scripture declares them to be circumscribed, and indicates them to be circumscribed by the body itself, as in the passage: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me; thus speaking of the soul as being within

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

Bless the LORD, my soul, and do not forget all his benefits —

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with loyal love and compassions,

who satisfies your ornament with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

But let us speak of death as common to all people. Why should we be afraid of it, when it generally does not harm the soul? For it is written, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." Now through death the soul is freed, while it separates itself from the dwelling place of the body and divests itself of the wrappings of disquiet.

After the battle, then, I shall be crowned; after the crown, what shall I do? "He who satisfieth thy longing with good things" [Psalm 103:5]. ...Seek thy own good, O soul. For one thing is good to one creature, another to another, and all creatures have a certain good of their own, to the completeness and perfection of their nature.

Brothers, let your holiness keep in mind that I recently preached this, namely that a person should be remolded into a younger age through righteousness, and though wearied by the weakness of old age he should be born again into childhood by the character of innocence in such a way that we may see old people become infants again by the mystery that intervenes, for there is a ce…

The LORD does righteous acts and judgments for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the sons of Israel.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love.

God is not an expression, and he does not have his essence in voice or utterance. God is of himself what also he is believed to be. He is named by those who call on him, not what he is essentially (for the nature of him who alone is unspeakable), but he receives his names from what are believed to be his works in regard to our life.

"The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: long-suffering, and of great mercy" [Psalm 103:8]. Why so long-suffering? Why so great in mercy?

He is the one about whom the psalm says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are far above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.

He will not contend forever, and he will not keep his anger for all time.

He has not done to us according to our sins, and he has not repaid us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his loyal love over those who fear him.

As far as east is from west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on sons, the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

For he himself knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

IF A HORSE AND A MULE DO NOT HAVE UNDERSTANDING, HOW MUCH LESS SO DOES THE EARTH, A THING WITHOUT SENSATION? WHAT THEN DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE EARTH IS SAID TO BLESS THE LORD (Ps. 31:9; Dan. 3:74)? — Let the earth bless the Lord, he says; that is, let it praise and confess your truth. How then in the Psalms does he say, Shall the dust give thanks to you, or declare your truth?

So do not forget the weak. Remember, Lord, that you have made me weak; remember that you have formed me from dust. How can I stand unless you always strengthen this clay, so that my strength may come forth from your face?

"For He knows our forming" [Psalm 103:14]: that is, our infirmity. He knows what He has created, how it has fallen, how it may be repaired, how it may be adopted, how it may be enriched.

As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he blossoms.

Our life on earth, brothers, is such that our existence is very transitory. We play, as it were, a game on earth: we do not exist, and we are born, and being born we are dissolved. We are like a fleeting dream, an apparition without substance, the flight of a bird that passes, a ship that leaves no trace on the sea.

Concerning the resurrection more will be said later; but now let us return to our immediate subject. We have shown that even holy people have, without any consideration for their merits, suffered many difficult things in this world, together with toil and misery.

"Man, his days are but as grass" [Psalm 103:15]. 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 flourishes 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 a wind passes over it and it is no more, and its place knows it no longer.

But the loyal love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to sons of sons,

to those who keep his covenant and remember his precepts to do them.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, you his angels, mighty in strength, who do his word, listening to the voice of his word.

"Your will be done on earth as in heaven." God's divine and blessed angels do the will of God, as David said in the psalm, "Bless the Lord, all his angels, mighty in strength, that do his pleasure." So then in effect this is what you mean when you pray, "as in the angels your will is done, so likewise be it done on earth by human beings, O Lord."

"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."

But these bodies are moved by the invisible Powers in an orderly and rational manner according to the will of God, these Powers having received this as a law, according to what is written in David: Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, ye mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his servants who do his will.

Bless the LORD, all his works, in all the places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, my soul.

Psalms103

Bless the LORD, O My Soul