The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^11. Since then it is evident, that many are to judge with the Lord, but that others are to be judged, not however on equality, but according to their deserts; He will come with all His Angels, when before Him shall be gathered all nations, and among all the Angels are to be reckoned those that have been made so perfect, that sitting upon twelve thrones they judge the twelve tribes of Israel. For men are called Angels: the Apostle says of himself, “As an angel of God ye received me.” Of John Baptist it is said, “Behold, I send My Angel before Your face, that shall prepare Your way before You.” Therefore, coming with all Angels, together with Him He shall have the Saints also. For plainly says Isaias also, “He shall come to judgment with the elders of the people.” Those “elders of the people,” then, those but now named Angels, those thousands of many men made perfect coming from the whole world, are called Heaven. But the others are called earth, yet fruitful. Which is the earth that is fruitful? That which is to be set on the right hand, unto which it shall be said, “I was an hungred, and you gave Me to eat:” truly fruitful earth in which the Apostle does joy, when they sent to him to supply his necessities: “Not because I ask a gift,” he says, “but I require fruit.” And he gives thanks, saying, “Because at length you have budded forth again to be thoughtful for me.” He says, “You have budded forth again,” as to trees which had withered away with a kind of barrenness. Therefore the Lord coming to judgment (that we may now hear the Psalm, brethren), He will do what? “He will call the heaven from above”. The heaven, all the Saints, those made perfect that shall judge, them He shall call from above, to be sitters with Him to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. For how shall “He call the heaven from above,” when the heaven is always above? But those that He here calls heaven, the same elsewhere He calls heavens. What heavens? That tell out the glory of God: for, “The heavens tell out the glory of God:” whereof is said, “Into all the earth their sound has gone forth, and into the ends of the world their words.” For see the Lord severing in judgment: “He shall call the heaven from above and the earth, to sever His people.” From whom but from evil men? Of whom here afterwards no mention is made, now as it were condemned to punishment. See these good men, and distinguish. “He shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, to sever His people.” He calls the earth also, not however to be associated, but to be dissociated. For at first He called them together, “when the God of gods spoke and called the world from the rising of the sun unto the going down,” He had not yet severed: those servants had been sent to bid to the marriage, who had gathered good and bad. But when the God of gods shall come manifest and shall not keep silence, He shall so call the “heaven from above” that it may judge with Him. For what the heaven is, the heavens themselves are; just as what the earth is, the lands themselves, just as what the Church is, the Churches themselves: “He shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, to sever His people.” Now with the heaven He severs the earth, that is, the heaven with Him does sever the earth. How does He sever the earth? In such sort that He sets on the right hand some, others on the left. But to the earth severed, He says what? “Come, you blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was an hungred, and you gave me to eat,” and so forth. But they say, “When saw we You an hungred?” And He, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of Mine, you have done it unto Me.” “He shall call therefore the heaven from above, and the earth, to sever His people.”

12. “Gather to Him His righteous”. The voice divine and prophetic, seeing future things as if present does exhort the Angels gathering. For He shall send His Angels, and before Him shall be gathered all nations. Gather to Him His righteous. What righteous men save those that live of faith and do works of mercy? For those works are works of righteousness. You have the Gospel: “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be seen of them.” And as if it were inquired, What righteousness? “When therefore you do alms,” He says. Therefore alms He has signified to be works of righteousness. Those very persons gather for His righteous: gather those that have had compassion on the “needy,” that have considered the needy and poor: gather them, “The Lord preserve them, and make them to live;” “Gather to Him His righteous: who order His covenant above sacrifices:” that is, who think of His promises above those things which they work. For those things are sacrifices, God saying, “I will have mercy more than sacrifice.” “Who keep His covenant more than sacrifice.”

13. “And the Heaven shall declare His righteousness”. Truly this righteousness of God to us the “heavens have declared,” the Evangelists have foretold. Through them we have heard that some will be on the right hand, to whom the Householder says, “Come, you blessed of My Father, receive.” Receive what? “A kingdom.” In return for what thing? “I was an hungred, and you gave Me to eat.” What so valueless, what so earthly, as to break bread to the hungry? At so much is valued the kingdom of heaven. “Break your bread to the hungry, and the needy without covering bring into your house; if you see one naked, clothe him.” If you have not the means of breaking bread, hast not house into which you may bring, hast not garment wherewith you may cover: give a cup of cold water, cast two mites into the treasury. As much the widow does buy with two mites, as Peter buys, by leaving the nets, as Zacchæus buys by giving half his goods. Of so much worth is all that you have. “The heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God is Judge.” Truly judge not confounding but severing. For “the Lord knows them that are His.” Even if grains lie hidden in the chaff, they are known to the husbandman. Let no one fear that he is a grain even among the chaff; the eyes of our winnower are not deceived. Fear not lest that tempest, which shall be round about Him, should confound you with chaff. Certainly mighty will be the tempest; yet not one grain will it sweep from the side of the grain to the chaff: because not any rustic with three-pronged fork, but God, Three in One, is Judge. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is Judge. Let heavens go, let the heavens tell, into every land let their sound go out, and unto the ends of the world their words: and let that body say, “From the ends of the world unto You have I cried, when my heart was in heaviness.” For now mingled it groans, divided it shall rejoice. Let it cry then and say, “Destroy not my soul with ungodly men, and with men of blood my life.” He destroys not together, because God is Judge. Let it cry to Him and say, “Judge me, O Lord, and sever my cause from the nation unholy:” let it say, He shall do it: there shall be gathered to Him His righteous ones. He has called the earth that He may sever His people.