14 “Before the face of the Lord. For He comes, for He comes to judge the world”. He came at first, and will come again. He first came in His Church in clouds. What are the clouds which bore Him? The Apostles who preached, respecting whom you have heard, when the Epistle was being read: “We are ambassadors,” he says, “for Christ: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” These are the clouds in whom He comes, excepting His last Advent, when He will come to judge the quick and the dead.
He came first in the clouds. This was His first voice which sounded forth in the Gospel: “From this time shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds.” What is, “from this time”? Will not the Lord come in later times, when all the tribes of the earth shall mourn? He first came in His own preachers, and filled the whole round world. Let us not resist His first coming, that we may not tremble at His second. “But woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days!” You have heard but now in the Gospel: “Take ye heed, for you know not at what hour He comes.” This is said figuratively.
Who are those with child, and who give suck? Those who are with child, are the souls whose hope is in the world: but those who have gained what they hoped for, are meant by “they who give suck.” For example: one wishes to buy a country seat; he is with child, for his object is not gained as yet, the womb swells in hope: he buys it; he has brought forth, he now gives suck to what he has bought. “Woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days!” Woe to those who put their hope in the world; woe to them that cling to those things which they brought forth through hope in the world.
What then should the Christian do? He should use, not serve, the world. What is this? Those that have as those that have not....He who is without carefulness, waits without fear for his Lord's coming. For what sort of love is it of Christ, to fear lest He come? Brethren, are we not ashamed? We love Him, and yet we fear lest He come. Are we sure that we love Him? Or do we love our sins more? Therefore let us hate our sins for their own sake, and love Him who will come to punish our sins.
He will come, whether we like or not: for because He comes not just now, it is no reason that He will not come at all. He will come, and when you know not; and if He shall find you ready, your ignorance is no hurt to you. “Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord; for He comes:” at His first coming. And what afterwards? “For He comes to judge the earth. And all the trees of the woods shall rejoice.” He came first: and later to judge the earth: He shall find those rejoicing who believed in His first coming, “for He comes.”
Source: The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms (New Advent)