The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^8. “The heavens have declared His righteousness: and all the people have seen His glory”. What heavens have declared? “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Who are the heavens? Those who have become His seat; for as God sits in the heavens, so does He sit in the Apostles, so does He sit in the preachers of the Gospel. Even thou, if you will, shall be a heaven. Do you wish to be so? Purge from your heart the earth. If you have not earthly lusts, and hast not in vain uttered the response, that you have “lifted up your heart,” you shall be a heaven. “If you be risen with Christ,” says the Apostle to believers, “set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth.” You have begun to set your affection upon things above, not on things upon earth; have you not become a heaven? Thou carriest flesh, and in your heart you are already a heaven; for your conversation will be in heaven. Being such, thou also declarest Christ; for who of the faithful declares not Christ?...Therefore the whole Church preaches Christ, and the heavens declare His righteousness; for all the faithful, whose care it is to gain unto God those who have not yet believed, and who do this from love, are heavens. From them God thunders forth the terror of His judgment; and he who was unbelieving trembles, and is alarmed, and believes. He shows unto men what power Christ had throughout the world, by pleading with them, and leading them to love Christ. For how many this day have led their friends either to some pantomimist, or flute-player? Why, except from their liking him? And do ye love Christ. For He who conquered the world has exhibited such spectacles, as that no man can say that he finds in them cause for blame. For each person's favourite in the theatre is often vanquished there. But no man is vanquished in Christ: there is no reason for shame. Seize, lead, draw, whom you may: be without fear, you are leading unto Him, who displeases not those who see Him; and ask ye Him to enlighten them, that they may behold to good account.

9. “Confounded be all they that worship carved images”. Hath not this come to pass? Have they not been confounded? Are they not daily confounded? For carved images are images wrought by the hand. Why are all who worship carved images confounded? Because all people have seen His glory. All nations now confess the glory of Christ: let those who worship stones be ashamed. Because those stones were dead, we have found a living Stone; indeed those stones never lived, so that they cannot be called even dead; but our Stone is living, and has ever lived with the Father, and though He died for us, He revived, and lives now, and death shall no more have dominion over Him. This glory of His the nations have acknowledged; they leave the temples, they run to the Churches. Do they still seek to worship carved images? Have they not chosen to forsake their idols? They have been forsaken by their idols. “Who glory in their idols.” But there is a certain disputer who seems unto himself learned, and says, I do not worship that stone, nor that image which is without sense;...I worship not this image but I adore what I see, and serve him whom I see not. Who is that? Some invisible deity, he replies, who presides over that image. By giving this account of their images, they seem to themselves able disputants, because they do not worship idols, and yet do worship devils. “The things,” brethren, says the Apostle, “which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice unto devils, and not to God; we know that an idol is nothing: and that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.” Let them not therefore excuse themselves on this ground, that they are not devoted to insensate idols; they are rather devoted to devils, which is more dangerous. For if they were only worshipping idols, as they would not help them, so they would not hurt them; but if you worship and serve devils, they themselves will be your masters....