The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^11. O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all your bones say, “Lord, who is like you?” And if the flesh under persecution has fallen away, let the bones say, “Lord, who is like You?” For of the righteous it is said, “The Lord keeps all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.” Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken? Finally, “The just shall live by faith,” and “Christ justifies the ungodly.” But how justifies He any except believing and confessing? “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Therefore also that thief, although from His theft led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the very cross was justified: with his heart he believed, with his mouth he confessed. For neither to a man unrighteous and not already justified, would the Lord have said, “Today shall you be with Me in Paradise,” and yet his bones were broken. For when they came to take down the bodies, by reason of the approaching Sabbath, the Lord was found already dead, and His Bones were not broken. But of those that yet lived, that they might be taken down, the legs were broken, that so from this pain having died, they might be buried. Were then of the one thief, who persisted in his ungodliness on the cross, the bones broken, and not also of the other who with his heart believed, and with his mouth made confession unto salvation? Where then is that which was said, “The Lord keeps all his bones; not one of them shall be broken;” except that in the Body of the Lord the name of bones is given to all the righteous, the firm in heart, the strong, yielding to no persecutions, no temptations, so as to consent unto evil?...

12. “Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him; yea, the poor and needy from him that spoils him.”...Who that deliverest, but He who is Strong in hand? Even that David shall deliver the poor from him that is too strong for him. For the devil was too strong for you, and held you, because he conquered you, when you consented unto him. But what has the Strong in hand done? “No man enters into a strong man's house, to spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man.” By His own Power, most Holy, most Magnificent, has He bound the devil by pouring forth the weapon to stop the way against him, that He may deliver the poor and needy, to whom there was no helper. For who is your helper but the Lord to whom you say, “O Lord, My Strength, and My Redeemer.” If you will presume of your own strength, thereby will you fall, whereof you have presumed: if of another's, he would lord it over you, not succour you. He then alone is to be sought Who has redeemed them, and made them free, and has given His Blood to purchase them, and of His servants has made them His Brethren....