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PSALM 2.
The Royal Prophet describes the Persecutions which the Jews and Gentiles raised against the Messias and his People. 2. He describes the Eternal and Temporal Generation of the Messias, and the Extent of his Dominion over the whole Earth, what Obstacle soever the Persecutors could do against it. 3. He re∣presents the Punishments wherewith God threatens the Wicked: For so the Apostle St. Peter explicates this Psalm, in the Fourth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
Ant. The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes came together in one: against our Lord, and against his Christ.
WHy did the Gentiles rage, and peo∣ples meditate vain things?
The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes came together in one, against our Lord, and against his Christ,
Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh at them: and our Lord shall scorn them.
Then shall he speak to them in his wrath: and in his fury he shall trouble them.
But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy hill, preaching his precept.
The Lord said to me, Thou art my Son, I this day have begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gen∣tiles for thy inheritance, and thy possession the ends of the earth.
Thou shalt rule them in a rod of iron, and as a potters vessel thou shalt break them in pieces.
And now ye kings understand: take in∣struction, you that judge the earth.
Serve our Lord in fear: and rejoyce to him with trembling.
Apprehend discipline, lest sometimes our Lord be wrath, and you perish out of the just way.
When his wrath shall burn in short time, blessed are all that trust in him.
Ant. The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes came together in one: against our Lord, and his Christ.
PSALM 21.
Our Lord JESUS CHRIST pronounced the first Words of this Psalm when he was fastned to the Cross; and they contain the Prophecy of his bitter Passion. And the Royal Prophet ha∣ving represented the Pains and Sufferings of the Son of God, then speaks of his Glory and Empire; and at last shews us the Advantages that accrue unto the Faithful, and for which they ought to render Thanks unto God. This Divine Saviour, who could not be guilty, having put himself in our place, incurred our Obligations, contracted our Debts, and satisfied for our Crimes. Likewise this Psalm presents unto us, That the Sins of Men, wherewith he had loaded himself, deserved that his Fa∣ther should abandon him to all imaginable Misery, that thereby he might satisfie the Rigor of his Justice in all things; and if he addressed this Complaint, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? it was not in his own Person he spoke it; but in the Person of this wretched Infirmity of the Flesh, wherewith He was clothed; 'twas in the Person of the Members of his Mysti∣cal Body, foreseeing the Desires and Demands they would offer to his Father and himself, by an inclination of Nature, and by a Human Motion of being delivered from Torments and Death. For, What did our Saviour desire to be delivered from Sufferings aad Death, who came only to that end into this World? Or why did he speak thus, as if what hapned unto him was against his will, he who had power to render his Soul to God, and to take it again, without any ones being able to take it from him? These Words therefore of this Psalm represent those who in their Miseries pray unto God to be freed from them. Moreover God shews us, that his Eternal Father did not free him from the
Power of the Jews, (who scoffed and scorned him to death) as before he had saved Noe from the Deluge, Lot from the Fire from Heaven, Isaac from the Sword that threatned his Head, Joseph from a Womans slanderous Accusations and the horror of a Pri∣son, Moyses from the Fury of the Egyptians, Rahab from the Destruction of his City in Jericho, Susanna from false Witnesses, Daniel from the Den of Lions, the Three young Hebrew Chil∣dren from the Flames that environ'd them: Whereby he in∣structs us what we are to desire and beg by the Grace of the New Testament; and he teacheth us, that the End for which we are Christians, is not to enjoy Happiness in this temporal Life, wherein God often leaves us to the Rage of our Enemies; but that 'tis the Eternal Life which under the Name of Christians we must endeavour to attain unto; considering, that he from whom we take that Name, was used in such like manner before us.
Ant. They have divided my garments a∣mongst them, and upon my vesture have cast lot.
GOd, my God, have respect to me: why hast thou forsaken me? far from my salvation are the words of my sins.
My God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and not for folly un∣to me.
But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.
In thee our fathers have hoped: they ho∣ped, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried to thee, and were saved: they hoped in thee, and were not confounded.
But I am a worm, and no man: a reproach of men, and out-cast of the people.
All that see me have scorned me: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.
He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him because he will him.
Because thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.
Upon thee I have been cast from the ma∣trice: from my mothers womb thou art my God, depart not from me.
Because tribulation is very nigh: because there is not that will help.
Many calves have compassed me: fat bulls have besieged me.
They have opened their mouth upon me, as a lion raving and roaring.
As water I am poured out: and all my bones are dispersed.
My heart is made as wax, melting in the midst of my belly.
My strength is withered as a potsheard, and my tongue cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.
Because many dogs have compassed me: the counsel of the malignant hath besieged me.
They have digged my hands and my feet: they have numbred all my bones.
But themselves have considered and beheld me: They have divided my garments among them, and upon my vesture have cast lot.
But thou, O Lord, prolong not thy help from me: look tward my defence.
Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: and mine only one from the hand of the dog.
Save me out of the lions mouth: and my humility from the horns of unicorns.
I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church I will praise thee.
Ye that fear our Lord, praise him: all the seed of Jacob, glorifie ye him.
Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not contemned nor despised the peti∣tion of the poor.
Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him, he heard me.
With thee is my praise in the great church: I will render my vows in the sight of them that fear him.
The poor shall eat, and shall be filled, and they shall praise our Lord that seek after him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.
All the ends of the earth shall remember, and be converted to our Lord.
All the families of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.
Because the kingdom is our Lords: and he shall have dominion over the Gentiles.
All the fat ones of the earth have eaten, and adored: in his sight shall all fall, that descend into the earth.
And my soul shall live to him: and my seed shall serve him.
The generation to come shall be shewed to our Lord: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to the people that shall be born, whom our Lord hath made.
Ant. They have divided my garments amonst them, and upon my vesture they have cast lot.
PSALM 26.
The Church declares unto us, That we ought not to fear any thing in the Persecutions and Troubles of this Life, since God provides for our Conduct and Salvation: And what Assi∣stance are we not to expect from him, since his only Son was sacrificed for us? And what should we fear, since by his Death he hath overcome whatever could prejudice us? since he hath ascended into Heaven, there to give a Refuge and Sanctuary, which in all our Sufferings and Necessities is open to us; since from his Throne of Glory he pours upon us his Graces, to san∣ctifie us, to conduct us, to make us surmount all Obstacles to our Salvation, and to make our Patience the Shame and Confu∣sion of our Enemies? Therefore we must be careful lest we render our selves unworthy of his Protection; we must take heed lest the Apprehensions of our Adversities make us commit unlawful Actions; we must be very careful to keep exactly his Commandments, and employ our selves wholly to serve him, in expectation of that eternal Felicity he has promised.
Ant. False witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity hath lied to it self.
OUr Lord is my illumination, and my salvation: whom shall I fear?
Our Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
Whilst the harmful approach me, to eat my flesh.
Mine enemies that trouble me, themselves are weakned and are fallen.
If camps stand together against me, my heart shall not fear.
If battel rise up against me, in this will I hope.
One thing I have asked of our Lord, this will I seek for: That I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life.
That I may see the pleasantness of our Lord, and visit his temple.
Because he hath hid me in his tabernacle: in the day of evils he hath protected me in the secret of his tabernacle.
In a rock he hath exalted me: and now he hath exalted my head over mine enemies.
I have gone round about, and have immo∣lated in his tabernacle an host of jubilation: I will sing and say a psalm unto our Lord.
Hear, O Lord, my voice, wherewith I have cried to thee: have mercy on me, and hear me.
My heart hath said to thee, my face hath sought thee out: thy face, O Lord, I will seek.
Turn not away thy face from me: decline not in wrath from thy servant.
Be thou my helper, forsake me not; nei∣ther despise me, O God my Saviour.
Because my father and my mother have forsaken me: but our Lord hath taken me.
Guide me, O Lord, in thy way: and di∣rect me in the right path, because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not into the souls of them that trouble me: because unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity hath lied to it self.
I believe to see the good things of our Lord, in the land of the living.
Expect our Lord, do manfully: and let thy heart take courage, and expect thou our Lord,
Ant. Unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity hath lied to it self.
VERSICLE, taken out of the One and twentieth Psalm.
The Church shews us, That the Prophets have with such exactness described every Particular of our Saviour's Passion, that they have even mentioned the Division of his Garments amongst the Soldiers.
V. They have divided my garments a∣mong them.
R. And upon my vesture they have cast lot.