The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^13. To whom shall they offer gifts? “To Him terrible, and to Him that takes away the spirit of princes”. For the spirits of princes are proud spirits. They then are not His Spirits; for if they know anything, their own they will it to be, not public; but, that which sets Himself forth as equal toward all men, that sets Himself in the midst, in order that all men may take as much as they can, whatever they can; not of what is any man's, but of what is God's, and therefore of their own because they have become His. Therefore they must needs be humble: they have lost their own spirit, and they have the Spirit of God....For if you shall have confessed yourself dust, God out of dust does make man. All they that are in the circuit of Him do offer gifts. All humble men do confess to Him, and do adore Him. “To Him terrible they offer gifts.” Whence to Him terrible exult ye with trembling: “and to Him that takes away the spirit of princes:” that is, that takes away the haughtiness of proud men. “To Him terrible among the kings of the earth.” Terrible are the kings of the earth, but He is above all, that does terrify the kings of the earth. Be thou a king of the earth, and God will be to you terrible. How, will you say, shall I be a king of the earth? Rule the earth, and you will be a king of the earth. Do not therefore with desire of empire set before your eyes exceeding wide provinces, where you may spread abroad your kingdoms; rule thou the earth which you bear. Hear the Apostle ruling the earth: “I do not so fight as if beating air, but I chasten my body, and bring it into captivity, lest perchance preaching to other men, I myself become a reprobate.”...