12 “If I have remembered You upon my bed, in the dawnings I did meditate on you: because You have become my helper”. His “bed” he calls his rest. When any one is at rest, let him be mindful of God; when any one is at rest, let him not by rest be dissolved, and forget God: if mindful he is of God when he is at rest, in his actions on God he does meditate. For the dawn he has called actions, because every man at dawn begins to do something. What therefore has he said? If therefore I was not mindful on my bed, in the dawn also I did not meditate on You. Can he that thinks not of God when he is at leisure, in his actions think of God? But he that is mindful of Him when he is at rest, on the Same does meditate when he is doing, lest in action he should come short. Therefore he has added what? “Because You have become my helper.” For unless God aid our good works, they cannot be accomplished by us. And worthy things we ought to work: that is, as though in the light, since by Christ showing the way we work. Whosoever works evil things, in the night he works, not in the dawn; according to the Apostle, saying, “They that are drunken, in the night are drunken; and they that sleep, in the night do sleep; let us that are of the day, be sober.” He exhorts us that after the day we should walk honestly: “As in the day, honestly let us walk.” And again, “You,” he says, “are sons of light, and sons of day; we are not of night nor of darkness.” Who are sons of night, and sons of darkness? They that work all evil things. To such a degree they are sons of night, that they fear lest the things which they work should be seen....No one therefore in the dawn works, except him that in Christ works. But he that while at leisure is mindful of Christ, on the Same does meditate in all his actions, and He is a helper to him in a good work, lest through his weakness he fail. “And in the covering of Your wings I will exult.” I am cheerful in good works, because over me is the covering of Your wings. If you protect me not, forasmuch as I am a chicken, the kite will seize me. For our Lord Himself says in a certain place to that Jerusalem, a certain city, where He was crucified: “Jerusalem,” He says, “Jerusalem, how often I have willed to gather your sons, as though a hen her chickens, and you would not.” Little ones we are: therefore may God protect us under the shadow of His wings. What when we shall have grown greater? A good thing it is for us that even then He should protect us, so that under Him the greater, always we be chickens. For always He is greater, however much we may have grown. Let no one say, let Him protect me while I am a little one: as if sometime he would attain to such magnitude, as should be self-sufficient. Without the protection of God, nought you are. Alway by Him let us desire to be protected: then always in Him we shall have power to be great, if always under Him little we be. “And in the covering of Your wings I will exult.”
13. “My soul has been glued on behind You”. See ye one longing, see ye one thirsting, see ye how he cleaves to God. Let there spring up in you this affection. If already it is sprouting, let it be rained upon and grow: let it come to such strength, that you also may say from the whole heart, “My soul has been glued on behind You.” Where is that same glue? The glue itself is love. Have thou love, wherewith as with glue your soul may be glued on behind God. Not with God, but behind God; that He may go before, you may follow. For he that shall have willed to go before God, by his own counsel would live, and will not follow the commandments of God. Because of this even Peter was rebuked, when he willed to give counsel to Christ, who was going to suffer for us....“Far be it from You, O Lord, be merciful to Yourself.” And the Lord, “Go back behind Me, Satan: for you savour not the things which are of God, but the things which are of men.” Wherefore, the things which are of men? Because to go before Me you desire, go back behind Me, in order that you may follow me: so that now following Christ he might say, “My soul has been glued on behind You.” With reason he adds, “Me Your right hand has taken up.” This Christ has said in us: that is in the Man which He was bearing for us, which He was offering for us, He has said this. The Church also said this in Christ, she says it in her Head: for she too has suffered here great persecutions, and by her individual members even now she suffers....
14. “But themselves in vain have sought my soul. They shall go unto the lower places of the earth”. Earth they were unwilling to lose, when they crucified Christ: into the lower places of the earth they have gone. What are the lower places of the earth? Earthly lusts. Better it is to walk upon earth, than by lust to go under earth. For every one that in prejudice of his salvation desires earthly things, is under the earth: because earth he has put before him, earth upon himself he has put, and himself beneath he has laid. They therefore fearing to lose earth, said what of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they saw great multitudes go after Him, forasmuch as He was doing wonderful things? “If we shall have let Him go alive, there will come the Romans, and will take away from us both place and nation.” They feared to lose earth, and they went under the earth: there befell them even what they feared. For they willed to kill Christ, that they might not lose earth; and earth they therefore lost, because Christ they slew. For when Christ had been slain, because the Lord Himself had said to them, “The kingdom shall be taken from you, and shall be given up to a nation doing righteousness:” there followed them great calamities of persecutions: there conquered them Roman emperors, and kings of the nations: they were shut out from that very place where they crucified Christ, and now that place is full of Christian praisers: it has no Jew, it has been cleared of the enemies of Christ, it has been fulfilled with the praisers of Christ. Behold, they have lost at the hands of the Romans the place, because Christ they slew, who to this end slew, that they might not lose the place at the hands of the Romans. Therefore, “They shall enter into the lower places of the earth.”
15. “They shall be delivered unto the hands of the sword”. In truth, thus it has visibly befallen them, they have been taken by storm by enemies breaking in. “Portions of foxes they shall be.” Foxes he calls the kings of the world, that then were when Judæa was conquered. Hear in order that you may know and perceive, that those he calls foxes. Herod the king the Lord Himself has called a fox. “Go,” He says, “and tell that fox.” See and observe, my brethren: Christ as King they would not have, and portions of foxes they have been made. For when Pilate the deputy governor in Judæa slew Christ at the voices of the Jews, he said to the same Jews, “Your King shall I crucify?” Because He was called King of the Jews, and He was the true King. And they rejecting Christ said, “We have no king but Cæsar.” They rejected a Lamb, chose a fox: deservedly portions of foxes they were made.
Source: The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms (New Advent)