Divine Counsel and the Face of God

These are not creatures, but such states or dispositions. And teaching does the same: it takes the ignorant and makes him vanish, not as a man, but as an ignorant person; for it makes his ignorance vanish. In this way, righteousness makes the unrighteous vanish, not so that he no longer exists, but so that he no longer exists as unrighteous.

Lord, in your wrath confound them, and let fire devour them (Ps 53:3). Someone is confounded when he begins to waver and repent. And 'let fire devour them' means so that they no longer are such. 'You shall destroy their fruit from the earth and their seed from the sons of men' (Ps 53:10). The 'seed' is a homonym. When contrasted with fruit, it denotes the seed of a plant; but when contrasted with children, it is the seed of a man; for we have in the Scripture many times the 'seed' named after children. It is about the difference of the words that is now to be said.

This says: being upon the earth and having drawn near to the earth, they were stuck to it. Instead of the pure soul, the works of the flesh bore fruit. This is 'you shall destroy the fruit from the earth.' The earth is the good and beautiful thing, which, receiving the seed of Jesus that is cast, bears fruit. But the same earth, as a subject, is this one that bears thorns. And the receptive one is a rational substance of seeds. And from ourselves, this earth receives the difference.

'And their seed from the sons of men' (Ps 53:10). He sowed into the sons of men, not into the sons of God; for they are unfit for these. 'From the sons' therefore, 'of men you shall destroy their seed,' so that also the fitness toward the worthless fruit is lost. If someone has virtue by operation, the seed of wickedness is prevented, and the fitness and the power are there, so that it seems to be destroyed.

'Because they turned to you for evil' (Ps 53:12), to you, having made them straight. Their choice turned toward the evil. You know that regarding sensible creations and idols, the one who has worked the evil work receives mockery, but the one who has done what is right receives praise. For it is said in Sirach: 'The work of a craftsman shall be praised' (Sir 38:33).... if someone turns away from the 'according to the image.' How much then it reached to them, they judged evils toward you. 'They consulted plans' (Ps 53:12), which he would not be able...

To stand. And so that, having been led again by history from history—as if by a mere history, though I do not know if it is history—those who wished to build a tower, having the head up to the very limit, deliberated and were not able to stand. Indeed, they scattered. God perfects counsel when it is deliberated rightly and according to his will. He who pursues this 'does all things according to his counsel.' By this counsel, God brings a completion.

"You shall set them at their heels." It is often said of those concerning God that his body is the church; "you are the body of Christ," and in this body eyes, ears, and hands are found. Therefore, "you shall set" "them at their heels." You shall arrange these behind your body. This can be understood thus: the preceding things are called the face of God, and these created, sensible things are behind; for they are with him. Indeed, just as Moses at the end was not able to behold the face of God, God passes by with his glory and shows him the things behind. Indeed, he immediately wrote down the generation. Therefore, he shall set them at their heels; for the face is set toward the saints according to the prayer they offer up: "let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved." "In your remnants you will prepare your face." The remnants are the other saints besides those who "hate," those who were left over in the destruction. And it is well that it is "you will prepare" and not "you will give." It holds it ready so that everyone wishing to see it is able to see it.

"Be exalted, O Lord, in your power." We shall sing and indeed chant your mighty acts. For you do all these things powerfully. And after the beginning of the chanting, the power of God is praised: "Lord, the king shall rejoice in your power." The power that rejoices the king and performs all the things spoken of is exalted, not rising from a low place to a height, but no longer being thought of by men as lowly, but high as it is. And if we say, "I will exalt you, O Lord," we do not mean that we are lifting you up from the low to the height. To exalt is to confess him; that is the height. Therefore, he sings triumphantly—for power is spoken of a king alone, and of this king there are powers—things that can be done kingly. Toward the end, on behalf of the...