Psalms 149 · The Lantern

The `title of the hundrid and nyne and fourtithe salm. Alleluya. Synge ye to the Lord a newe song; hise heriyng be in the chirche of seyntis.

Israel be glad in hym that made hym; and the douytris of Syon make ful out ioye in her king.

Herie thei his name in a queer; seie thei salm to hym in a tympan, and sautre.

Let them praise his name in the choir. Wherever there is a choir, there diverse voices are gathered together into one song. For just as diverse strings produce the one sound of a song, so also diverse voices — that is, when they have been gathered together at once — make the choir of the Lord.

"Let them praise His Name in chorus" [Psalm 149:3]. What means "chorus"? Many know what a "chorus" is: nay, as we are speaking in a town, almost all know. A "chorus" is the union of singers. If we sing "in chorus," let us sing in concord. If any one's voice is out of harmony in a chorus of singers, it offends the ear, and throwes the chorus into confusion.

"Let them praise his name in the choir; let them play music for him on the timbrel and harp." In an earlier verse he said that we must rejoice in the Lord Christ, but now he says that we must praise the name of the Lord in the choir.

For the Lord is wel plesid in his puple; and he hath reisid mylde men in to heelthe.

Seyntis schulen make ful out ioye in glorie; thei schulen be glad in her beddis.

The saints shall exult in glory. In what glory? "Arise, my glory; arise, psaltery and lyre: I will arise at dawn." In glory. "For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" — that is, he had not yet been crucified. Scripture says this, The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus had not been glorified, that is, he had not been crucified.

"The saints shall exult in glory" [Psalm 149:5]. I would say somewhat important about the glory of the saints. For there is no one who loves not glory.

Hence it is said by the Psalmist of the just, "The Saints shall be joyful in glory, they shall rejoice upon their beds"; in that when they flee the mischiefs from things without, they exult in safety within the recesses of their hearts. But the joy of the heart will then be complete, when the fight of the flesh shall have ceased without.

The ful out ioiyngis of God in the throte of hem; and swerdis scharp on `ech side in the hondis of hem.

To do veniaunce in naciouns; blamyngis in puplis.

To bynde the kyngis of hem in stockis; and the noble men of hem in yrun manaclis.

That thei make in hem doom writun; this is glorye to alle hise seyntis.

Psalms149