The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

¹⁰ This levity, by which consent is easily given to what is evil, is followed by severe torment; therefore he proceeds:—

“Like as the fire that burns up the wood, and as the flame that consumes the mountains”: “so shall You persecute them with Your tempest, and in Your anger shall disturb them”. Wood, he says, for its barrenness, mountains for their loftiness; for such are the enemies of God's people, barren of righteousness, full of pride. When he says, “fire” and “flame,” he means to repeat under another term, the idea of God judging and punishing. But in saying, “with Your tempest,” he means, as he goes on to explain, “Your anger:” and the former expression, “You shall persecute,” answers to, “You shall disturb.” We must take care, however, to understand, that the anger of God is free from any turbulent emotion; for His anger is an expression for His just method of taking vengeance: as the law might be said to be angry when its ministers are moved to punish by its sanction.