December 16

Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.—Ps. exlviii. 1.

THIS psalm arrayeth all creation to praise God, and as it were exhorteth it to praise, as though it had found it holding its peace.

As though he had found things in heaven holding their peace in the praise of the Lord, he exhorteth them to arise and praise. Never have things in heaven held their peace in the praises of their Creator, never have things on earth ceased to praise God. But it is manifest that there are certain things which have breath to praise God in that disposition wherein God pleaseth them. For no one praiseth aught, save what pleaseth him. And there are other things which have not breath of life and understanding to praise God, but yet, because they also are good, and duly arranged in their proper order, and form part of the beauty of the universe, which God created, though they themselves with voice and heart praise not God, yet when they are considered by those who have understanding, God is praised in them, they themselves too in a manner praise God. For instance, in heaven all things praise God, which have the breath of life, and a pure intelligence to contemplate and love him without disgust or weariness. But on earth men praise God by their understanding whereby they discern good and evil, by their understanding whereby they know the creature and the Creator; because they can think of these things, because God has given them a mind to discern them, to love, and to praise. This man can do; but surely beasts have not this sort of understanding: if they had, God would not say to us, Be ye not like unto horse and mule, which have no understanding. When he exhorteth us not to be like beasts, which have no understanding, he showeth us that to man he hath assigned an understanding whereby to praise God. And the trees surely have not so much as the life whereby they may have senses like the beasts. For though the beasts have not the inner sense of reason, and an understanding, and a discerning mind, which man has, to praise God withal, yet they have an outward and visible life, as we all know, whereby they seek food, take what is for their good, reject what is harmful; they have senses whereby to discern corporeal things, sight to distinguish color, hearing to distinguish sounds, smell to distinguish odors, taste to distinguish flavors; they naturally move toward what pleases, away from what annoys them. This we understand and see before our eyes. They have not reason to understand with, but they have the breath of a living body, and a visible life: the trees have not even this; yet all of them praise God. Wherefore do they praise God? Because when we see them, and think upon the Creator who made them, they cause to arise within us praise to God, and since through consideration of them God is praised, all things praise God. He begins then with heaven: all things praise, and yet he says, Praise ye. Wherefore doth he say, Praise ye, when they are praising? Because he delighteth in their praising, and therefore it pleaseth him to add, as it were, his own encouragement. Just as, when you come to men who are doing any good work with pleasure in their vineyard or in their harvest field, or in some other matter of husbandry, you are pleased at what they are doing, and say, "work on," "go on:" not that they may begin to work, when thou sayest this, but, because you are pleased at finding them working, you add your approbation and encouragement. For by saying, "work on," and encouraging those who are working, you, so to speak, work with them in wish. In this sort of encouragement then the psalmist, filled with the Holy Ghost, saith this.

And in some versions this psalm is entitled, a Psalm of Haggai and Zechariah. These two prophets prophesied at the time when the people was kept captive in Babylon, and foretold

32 the coming end of the captivity, that the city of Jerusalem which had been destroyed in war, should be restored. They set forth to us then in a mystery the life to come, wherein we shall praise God, when the captivity of this present life is at an end, when shall be restored that mighty city Jerusalem, in wandering from whence we sigh, prisoners as yet under the burden and weight of this mortal body : wherefore as yet we groan in our pilgrimage, but we shall exult when we reach our country. But he, who groaneth not as a pilgrim, shall not rejoice as a citizen, because there is no longing in him. Those holy prophets then gave great comfort to the people, who were then captives according to the flesh, that is, who were placed in Babylon under strange sovereigns. For they showed in prophecy, that a time should come when they should be freed from their captivity, and Jerusalem should be restored. But all these things were done in a figure, they contain their own truth ; they were figured in what happened of old, they are set forth really present among us. Now then what saith the apostle ? While we are present in the body, we are absent from the Lord. As yet we are not in our country : when shall we be ? When we shall triumph for victory over our enemy the devil ; when death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is thy strife ? where, O death, is thy sting ? When then shall there be no more strife of death, which now there is, and maketh us groan at the failure and changeableness of things, at the frailness of man's flesh ? Daily temptations strive with us, daily delights : and even though we consent not, yet we suffer annoyance, and strive : and great is the peril, lest he who striveth be conquered : and even if by not consenting we conquer, yet we suffer annoyance in resisting delights. The enemy ceaseth not, dieth not, save in the resurrection of the dead. But let us hope, let us trust : Haggai and Zechariah lift us up, they sing our coming liberation. If they sang to that people, and it hath been fulfilled, shall what is sung to the Christian people not be fulfilled ? Be not troubled : only take heed how ye act in this pilgrimage of life. Let not love of Babylon please you, lest you forget your city Jerusalem. Though your body is yet detained in Babylon, let your heart be sent forward to Jerusalem. Let then the whole creation praise the Lord : for there we shall do what here we practise beforehand.