The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^14. Tell what? “For this is God, even our God”. The earth was seen, the earth's Creator was not seen; the flesh was held, God in the flesh was not acknowledged. For the flesh was held by those from whom had been taken the same flesh, for of the seed of Abraham was the Virgin Mary. At the flesh they stayed, the Divinity they did not understand. O Apostles, O mighty city, preach thou on the towers, and say, “This is God, even our God.” So, even so as He was despised, as He lay a stone before the feet of the stumbling, that He might humble the hearts of the confessing; even so, “This is God, even our God.” Certainly He was seen, as was said, “Afterward did He show Himself upon earth, and conversed with men.” “This is God, even our God.” He is also Man, and who is there will know Him? “This is God, even our God.” But haply for a time as the false gods. For because they can be called gods, but cannot be so, for a time they are even called so. For what says the Prophet, or what warns He to be said to them? This shall you say to them, “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from those that are under the heavens.” He is not such a god: for our God is above all gods. Above all what gods? “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” The same then is our God. “This is God, even our God.” For how long? “For ever and ever: He shall rule us for ever.” If He is our God, He is also our King. He protects us, being our God, lest we die; He rules us, being our King, lest we fall. But by ruling us He does not break us; for whom He rules not, He breaks. “You shall rule them,” says He, “with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” But there are whom He rules not; these He spares not, as a potter's vessel dashing them in pieces. By Him then let us wish to be ruled and delivered, “for He is our God for ever and ever, and He shall rule us for ever.”