The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^38. But in the very faith in Christ great difficulties occurred, and the heathen in their rage long said, “When shall he die, and his name perish?” On account of these then who have now long believed in Christ, but were destined to doubt for some time, these words follow, “Lord, where are Your old loving-kindnesses?”. We have now acknowledged Christ our purifier, we now possess Him in whom Your promises were to be fulfilled; show forth in Him what You have promised. It is He Himself that shall live, and not see death: Himself who delivers His own soul from the hand of Hell: and yet we are still in suffering. Thus spoke the Martyrs, whose birthdays we are celebrating. He shall live, and not see death: He delivers His soul from the hands of Hell: yet “for Your sake we are killed all the day long: and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain.” “Lord, where are Your old loving-kindnesses which You sworest unto David in Your truth?”

39. “Remember, Lord, the rebuke that Your servants have”. Even while Christ was living, and while He was sitting on His Father's right hand, reproaches were cast against the Christians: they long were reproached with the name of Christ. That widowed one who brought forth, and whose children were more than those of the married wife, heard ill names, heard reproaches: but the Church, multiplied as she is, extending right and left, no longer remembers the reproach of her widowhood. “Remember, Lord,” in the memory of whom there is abundant sweetness. “Remember,” forget not. Remember what? “the rebuke that Your servants have: and how I do bear in my bosom the rebukes of many people.” I went, says he, to preach of You, and I heard reproaches, and bore them in my bosom, because I was fulfilling the prophecy. “Being defamed we entreat: we are made as the filth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.” Long the Christians bore reproaches in their bosom, in their heart: nor dared resist their revilers; before, when it was a crime to answer a heathen: it is now a crime to remain a heathen. Thanks be to the Lord! He remembered our rebukes: He raised the horn of His Anointed on high, He made Him the Wonderful among the kings of the earth. Now no one insults Christians, or if he does, it is not in public: he speaks as if he were still more fearful of being heard, than anxious to be believed. “I bear in my bosom the rebukes of many people.”

40. “Wherewith Your enemies have blasphemed You, O Lord”, both Jews and Pagans. “Wherewith they have blasphemed.” Wherewith have they blasphemed You? “With the change of Your Anointed.” They objected that Christ died, and was crucified. Madmen, what is your reproach? Although there is now no one to use it: yet supposing some still remaining that so speak, what is your reproach? That Christ died? He was not destroyed, but changed. He is styled “dead” on account of the three days. Wherewith then have your enemies blasphemed You? Not with the loss, not with the perdition of Your Anointed, but with His “change.” He was changed from temporal to eternal life: He was changed from the Jews to the Gentiles; He was changed from earth to heaven. Let then Your vain enemies blaspheme You still for the change of Your Anointed. Would that they may be changed: they will not in that case blaspheme the change of Christ, which displeases them since they themselves will not be changed. “For there is no change with them, and they fear not God.”