THE VOWS OF THE KING King David wrote this psalm at the beginning of his reign, presenting to God a serious vow; Namely, to have the holy will in the Lord. But, through our study of the life of king David, as we do not find in his personality, .the perfect image, he intended to give here, We would rather consider this psalm, as concerning the Lord Christ, the wholly perfect King of kings. This psalm was most probably recited in every anniversary of David’s reign, to perpetually remind him of his vow to the Lord. Its language reveals that its author was one of a royal status, who feels a commitment to walk according to a holy befitting spiritual royal way. In the old, some used to call this psalm “Psalm of the head of the household”, in his capacity as a king and a leader, committed to a spiritual royal line of faith. And since the seventeenth century, and even before that, some in the West, used to listen to a sermon on this psalm, whenever they celebrate a new family, or consecrating a new dwelling place. According to some, this psalm bears two integral lines: A- The leader, whether a king, or the head of a household, presents his heart a dwelling place to the King of kings, who is within his depths. B- The true or royal leadership should bear the compassionate spirit of fatherhood. 1- An introduction to the psalm 1 2-The befitting royal behavior 2 - 7 a- Behaving wisely through the dwelling of the wisdom of God in his depths 2 b- Setting nothing wicked before his eyes. 3 3-“A perverse heart shall depart from me” 4 - 5 4- Getting attached to the saints 6 5- His household to be as a holy church 7 6-A conclusion 1- AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALM: “A psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises” (1) https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2 The psalmist often says the expression: “mercy and justice”. As mercy precedes justice, by revealing His mercy, God opens before us the door of hope, and takes away from us the despair. Yet, in our hope, we should not, slothfully and loosely, anticipate God’s mercy, and forget about His justice. But, by God’s mercy, we should exultantly cast ourselves into His bosoms; And by His justice we should commit ourselves to walk as is befitting of the children of God. … Through this mercy and this justice, the psalmist dares to praise God, who seeks the salvation of his soul, and supports him to walk as a son of God. According to St. Augustine, through the mercy of God, the believer, in this world, enjoys the first resurrection, namely, that of the soul; by which he would be qualified for the eternal glory, with his whole spiritual and physical being; and in the great day of the Lord, he would enjoy the resurrected and glorified body. … Whereas through the justice or judgment, all mankind will be resurrected; yet those who have got the first resurrection will be glorified, while those who disregarded it, will fall under the judgment without mercy. We could reach the first resurrection now; As no one will partake of this first resurrection, but those who will have the grace forever. Whereas, all people will partake of the second resurrection, as we shall see: the righteous and the wicked; the former, will partake of the resurrection of mercy, and the later, will partake of the resurrection of judgment. Hence it is written in the psalm: “I will sing of mercy and justice (judgment), to You, O Lord, I will sing praises” (1)1. Mercy is sought first, to be followed later on by justice, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked … I wish we can cross over from being like fishermen, in whom rejoicing is mixed with tears: rejoicing for the good fish they catch; and tears on the bad ones.. I wish no one would deceive himself, that, through the mercy of God, he will not be punished; as there is, His judgment (justice) as well. And I wish that no one would be terrified by the judgment of God, as long as it turns into what is better, on account of that God’s mercy precedes His judgment2. 1 City of God, book 20. 2 Sermon 250: 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 God does not lose the firmness of His judgment through the flow of His mercy; nor lose the flow of His mercy when He judges with firmness1. Unless God works first through mercy, He will find no one to crown through judgment. There is time for mercy, when the longsuffering of God calls the sinners to repent. (St. Augustine) “I will sing mercy and justice to You, O Lord”. I wish the sinners who despair of having salvation; those humble, and contrite, because of their sins, listen to the “song of mercy”. And I wish the arrogant who say: [God is merciful; Let us commit sin, for He will eventually forgive us], listen to the “song of justice judgment2”. (St. Jerome) Responding to a question:: [How could the soul get to know that God has forgiven her?], St. Maximus said: [If she see that she is at the level of him who says: “I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law” (Psalm 119: 163); for he also says: “I will sing mercy and justice to You, O Lord” (Psalm 101: 1). Let us then do the works of repentance, to reveal the just judgment of God, and have Him consummate His mercy on us; when He forgives our sins]. (Paradise of the fathers) Make me worthy, O Lord, of praising You, for Your mercy on us, and for Your judgment and revenge against our enemies. For, when I get such a grace, I shall sing thanksgiving to Your goodness; and I shall abide to a pure, and blameless behavior. I praise You, O Lord, and I shall sing mercy and justice to You; for You do not deal with men according to their sins; but Your mercy and compassion precede Your justice. In the present time, You deal with us by Your mercy; Whereas in the time to come, You will deal with us by Your justice. According to St. Cyril, By saying: “I will sing mercy and justice to You, O Lord”, the psalmist means to say: [For, having mercy on us, You have sent Your Son to the world, have forgiven our sins by His mercy, and have avenged our enemy (the devil) by a just judgment. 1 On Ps. 101 (100). 2 Homily 27 on Ps. 100 (101). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) 2- THE BEFITTING ROYAL BEHAVIOR: a- Behaving wisely, through the dwelling of the wisdom of God in his depths: “I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (2) If the mercy of God grants the soul an inner joy, the believer will not cease praising God. On another aspect, he would enjoy the divine wisdom, discernment, and reason, to walk by grace in the way of perfection. The psalmist cries out to God to send His grace down on him, to sanctify his heart, and set out of it a temple for Himself. Perfection would never lead the believer to haughtiness, but to feel God’s favor on him; to walk with a perfect heart, with the spirit of meekness within his house, namely, within the holy congregation. According to St. Ambrose, it is the Lord Christ, who walks within His house with a perfect heart, as He walks within the chest of the wise and the reasonable man. [The house of the Lord is within us; We have halls, courts, and rooms; as it is written: “Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?” (See proverbs 5: 16). Open up, therefore, the court of your heart to the Word of God, to Him who says to you: “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (See psalm 81: 10) 1. Nothing brings pleasure to God, like the simple and pure heart, which He sees in the simple dove among the birds; and in the meek lamb among the quadrupeds2. (St. Jerome) The wickedness goes hand in hand with narrowness; whereas the righteousness of heart, alone, grants enough width to walk in. “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart”…. By “within my house”, he means within the church; for Christ walks within it; or he probably means within the heart; for our inner house is our heart3. (St. Augustine) If you long to have the light of the spiritual knowledge; not that of the wrong kind of knowledge, for the sake of vain pride, to become vain men, You should first long fervently to that kind of blessing, uttered 1 Of the Holy Spirit, 3: 12. 2 Homily 27 on Ps. 100 (101). 3 On Ps. 101 (100). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 by the Lord Himself, saying: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5: 8); by which you will get what the angel said to Daniel: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12: 3); And what another prophet said: “Sow for yourselves righteousness (for it is time to seek the Lord)” (Hosea 10: 12). We are committed to persist on reading -- which, as I see, you are already doing -- together, first, with longing to gain the practical experimental knowledge, namely, the behavioral knowledge; without which, you cannot acquire the theoretical purity. By so doing, you would not be uttering, and teaching the words of others, but through the exaltation of work and execution. … After such effort and labor, you would get the spiritual knowledge as a reward; … And through acquiring it, and not just through mere meditation in the law, but as a fruit of your labor, you would say together with the psalmist: “Through Your precepts, I get understanding” (Psalm 119: 104); … And through overcoming all your lusts, you can say with confidence: “I will sing to You, O Lord; I will behave wisely in a perfect way” (Psalm 101: 1-2). For, whoever strives in a perfect way, with a pure heart, will sing this psalm, and would comprehend the words with which he praises. In case you intend to set your hearts a temple for the spiritual knowledge, you will have to purify your souls of all traces of sins, and to get rid of the worries of this world; For, it would be impossible for the soul which is preoccupied with the worries of the world – even to a limited extent – to acquire the gift of knowledge, or to become a source of the spiritual interpretation, and to strive on reading the holy Scriptures1. (Father Nestor) “Oh, When will You come to Me?”, When will You grant me what I desire?; For I am still walking according to my own heart among my congregation! As to saying: “within my house”, according to Eusabius: [Many people hide their craftiness, among the crowd in the streets and marketplaces, and in their dealings with others; While within their own households, their real intentions would be revealed. … He, who ‘walks within his house with a perfect heart” , would be truly a good man]. 1 Cassian, Conference 14: 9. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 And according to St. Dedymus the blind: [He, who is fond of things contrary to the law of God, would be called “outside his house”; For the house of a good man is his virtue; and he, who abides to it, would be “within his house”]. In the book of Genesis, it came that “Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents”. Whereas his older brother Esau was “a hunter, man of the field” (Genesis 25: 27). And about the man who was possessed by unclean spirits, the gospel says: “he had his dwelling among the tombs” (Mark 5: 3). (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) b- Setting nothing wicked before his eyes: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me” (3) How could the psalmist say: “I shall set nothing wicked before my eyes”, while he says somewhere else: “Who will be justified before You?”; and, “They have all gone out of the way, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3: 12, 23). It is only the Lord who is Righteous, and without sin; whereas man is a sinner. Yet, there is a difference between him who finds pleasure in sin, looks for it, seeks it, and submits himself to it; and him, who resists it, and tries his best to flee from it; And in case he falls into it, he hastens to seek God’s grace to lift him up, and to keep him from finding pleasure in it. This verse and the one preceding it, reveal the situation in which the prophet David found himself in the royal palace of king Saul; as well as that of the true believer, living in the midst of an evil, dark, and pervert generation. There, tin the royal palace, David, in his youth, has gone through a bitter experience. While many wicked and corrupt men attached themselves to the king and sought his favor; David, on the other hand, “set nothing wicked before his eyes”, even if it was the only way to reach to the king’s heart and friendship. He loved righteousness, hated perversion, and preferred getting attached to the Holy God, whatever it costs him, to getting attached to king Saul, through deception. “I hate the work of those who fall away” (3 LXX), whether it is my own father, mother, brother, sister, or a friend. … I hate the work of anyone who retreats from the fear of God; I shall not cling to him; I shall not set family relationships, nor friendship above my love for God1. 1 Homily 27 on Ps. 100 (101). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 (St. Jerome) What the prophet David says, does not mean that he never fell into something against the law, but it means that he did not intend, nor sought to do it; and “he even hates the work of those who fall away”. … And if it so happens that he did fall into what is unbefitting, it would be because of something beyond his will. Saying: “I set nothing wicked before my eyes”; means that I did not ponder nor looked intensively to anything that is against the law. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) 1- “A perverse heart shall depart from me”: “A perverse heart shall depart from me, I will not know wickedness” (4) If David has become a king, Yet, in his depths he feels that he has got this position, not for the sake of any personal gifts on his part, for any self-righteousness, or for being better than others; But, it was a free gift from God. Hence, it is befitting of him to walk with a pure heart, and to depart from men with perverse heart; not out of hatred toward them, but out of an intention to keep away from perverting from the uprightness, granted to him by God. That is what is befitting of every believer who got attached to the King of kings, his Savior Jesus Christ; to live together with Him in a royal life with non-perversion; following the example of the prophet Daniel and the three young men, who were captivated to a land prevailed by the defilement of idol-worship; and yet, cherishing their faith and their attachment to the true Holy God, they refused to recognize the evil king, through not partaking of his corruption. In short, together with our love of all mankind, and our commitment of obedience to rulers and princes, it is befitting of us to perceive that the children of God should be manifest; different from the children of the devil. According to St. Augustine, [he who talks here, talks in the name of God. As the one with a perverse heart, would be unworthy of being known by God. Saying: “I will not know wickedness”, means I do not want to know him, who does wickedness]. Whoever he is, a friend, a relative, a bishop, or a priest; and whatever is his position or rank; if he corrupts himself in any way, I shall depart from him, and will never remember him1. 1 Homily 27 on Ps. 100 (101). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 The uprightness of mind is like that of a way with no diversions; … Such was the personality of the blessed psalmist, he who moans, saying: “A pervert heart shall depart from me” (3). … Joshua, the son of Nun, exhorted the people, saying: “Let your hearts be upright toward God of Israel“.; while St. John the Baptist cries out, saying: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight” (Mark 1: 3); which means that the soul of man is committed to be the way it was created: completely straight and beautiful; and in case it perverts from its nature; that would be called evil and perversion1. (St. Cyril the Great) In the book of Ecclesiastes, it came: “God made man upright” (Ecclesiastes 7: 29). He who walks contrary to the instinct in which he was created, and perverts from his uprightness; About him the prophet says: “A pervert heart shall depart from me”;… If he is a friend of mine, I shall not even care to admonish him; knowing that the bad relationship corrupts the good habits. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) The Babylonian king issued a decree that the Israelites taken into captivity, have to forsake the law of their God, and the celebration of the feasts of their fathers, and should follow instead the rites of the Chaldeans. But, Daniel decided in his heart to keep himself from being defiled with the food served on the table of the king (See Daniel 1: 8-16). … The king issued a decree that the young Hebrew men have to worship the golden image of the king; But they addressed him, saying: “Let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3: 18). … Concerning the Son of God, we read that “He knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5: 21). In another text, you will find: “He who keeps His command, will experience nothing harmful” (Ecclesiastes 8: 5). Namely, the knowledge of evil is not to be blamed; but to be attached to evil is. And David himself says: “A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness” (4). And when the adversaries attempt to set up their signs, he cries out, saying: It is as though on the way, on the high summit, “Your foes, … have set up their banners for signs, they seem like men who lift up axes among the thick trees. And now they break down its carved work, all at once, with axes and hammers” (Psalm 74: 5, 6 LXX). This means 1 Comm.. on Luke, Homily 6. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 that our faith should not be “on the way”, the Words of God should not be sowed by the wayside, lest the birds of the air would devour it (See Luke 8: 5) 1. (St. Ambrose) “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not tolerate” (5) According to the Jews, he who slanders his neighbor, would harm three parties: himself first, the one who listens to him, and the one whom he secretly slanders. In case man hears something about his neighbor, being pure in heart, loving his friend, and desiring his salvation, should first seek a convenient chance to talk to him directly, with a true intention for his edification, and without hurting his feeling. And in case he finds out that talking to him is futile, he should seek the help of a wise intercessor, like his friend’s father or his father of confession; Yet, all that should be with reason and wisdom, without undue excitement, nor judgment, and with the spirit of humility, According to St. Augustine, departing from, or not eating together with someone, would be a way to rebuke him, to let him feel shame, and to motivate him to repent. Yet, this does not mean to depart from all strangers; as the Lord Christ, Himself ate together with sinners, tax-collectors, and even with some Pharisees. But the psalmist means here, those who are within; namely, members of the church, who may happen to walk in a way not befitting to the children of God. That was the way adopted by the apostle Paul, who counsels us not to isolate the perverts within the congregation, but as to those outside (the nonbelievers), we have no authority over them. But even those within, we should not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brothers (2 Thessalonians 3: 14). I not only counsel those who speak evil, but also those who listen to others speak evil. I exhort them to shut up their ears, and to follow the lead of the prophet who says: “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy” (5). Say to your friend: [Is it up to you to commend or to glorify?; … I open up my ears only to receive the talk, full of sweet fragrance; But if you happen to have some evil talk 1 Prayer of David 4: 7: 27. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 10 to say, I shall close shut them up, for I shall not allow dirt to enter into my ears1. It is befitting of men, not to believe what they hear, except after elaborate search and investigation; and to take the sound decision in the light of facts; which is why God says in a scripture oracle: “Do not believe everything you hear” (Sirach 19: 15). There is nothing more destructive to the life of man, like hastening to make decisions according to what he hears from people2. (St. John Chrysostom) By telling lies, they kill me; for the mouth which lies kills the soul3. (St. Athansius the apostolic) He who slanders his fellow men, intends to harm their reputation, and not to reform them; which is the worse of all evil; And by which he would be like the scoundrel devil, who deceived Eve by slandering God. As to “The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart”, the prophet says: “him I will not tolerate”; As their company would be a great harm to the soul. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) Responding to a question: [What is the sin of slander?], Abba Isaiah said: [The sin of slander keeps man away from the presence of God; according to what is written: “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy” (5) (Paradise of the fathers) We should guard our tongues and ears against uttering, or listening to such talk; for it is written: “You shall not circulate false report” (Exodus 23: 1); and, “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy” (5); and, “Concerning the works of me, I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress” (Psalm 17: 4, 3)…. We should not believe everything we hear, nor judge those who say them; but should act and talk according to what is written in the Holy Book: “But, like a deaf man, I do not hear; and, like a mute who does not open his mouth” (Psalm 38: 13). (Mother St. Sankletiky) 1 Concerning the Statues, 3: 14. 2 On the Incomprehensible Nature of God, hom 9: 8. 3 Defense before Constantius, 5. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 11 Satan, who was once high and mighty, fell like lightening from heaven, crawled on earth, and became trampled by the earthlies (Luke 10: 19); Whereas man who was weak on earth, became exalted by his humility, and trampled him who was once high and mighty … According to the Holy Scripture: “God resists the proud” (James 4: 6); and “gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 4: 34); and God says: “On this one will I look, on him who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66: 2) … The proud will be punished together with Satan. (St. John Chrysostom) 2- GETTING ATTACHED TO THE SAINTS: “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me” (6) Our Holy Christ used to find rest in the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. And the apostle Paul used to find rest in working, debating, and worshipping together with Aquila, Prescilla, and his close followers like Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Onesimus. For the company with the believers who are faithful in their life, supports the soul, and brings joy to the heart. The psalmist did not say: ‘My eyes shall be on the rich, emperors, bishops, priests, or deacons; but “on the faithful, that they may dwell with me”. A holy bishop has the right to utter such words:.[I shall not ordain a priest, him who is close to me, or a relative of mine; but the faithful] 1. (St. Jerome) The prophet calls them “the faithful of the land”, the righteous and the blameless, in whose company and counsel he finds pleasure, and who shall serve him. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) The Holy Book bears a testimony against Satan, that “he went out of the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils” (Job 2: 7). For such are those who go out of the presence of the Lord, they strike, and do harm to men. So are the heretics who go against faith, (like the followers of Arius); they persecute and harm the true believers. 1 Homily 27 on Ps. 100 (101). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 12 On the contrary, we find the saints, when approached by the men of God, they look at them as friends, the way David did, saying: “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me” (6)1. (Pope Abba Athanasius the apostolic) 1- HIS HOUSEHOLD TO BE AS A HOLY CHURCH: “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house. He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence” (7) We should not marvel to see our father Abraham dwell together with his believer wife Sarah; and in the company of 318 men who carried his same spirit, the spirit of uprightness. An evil person, with his craftiness, may be able to crawl into David’s house, but he cannot dwell within it; for the darkness cannot unite with the light. He would not find a common ground to talk to such a man like David, who cares for every word that comes out of his mouth; And finally, he would never continue to establish himself before the eyes of the righteous David; for he would find no place in his heart to practice his wickedness. Let us then be aware against keeping company with the wicked, who set snares for us, using the following serious ways: 1- They would attempt to crawl into our inner houses, namely, our hearts, to dwell within them as members of the household. 2- In case we allow them to enter, they would start to debate, telling lies, the way the serpent did with Eve. 3- If we take part of this debate, they would attempt to establish themselves before our eyes, to make us think there is light in their darkness, and there is wisdom in their deceit. By doing that, they would manage to have authority over our hearts, as masters who have the right to lead us to wherever they intend for us to go. The prophet David would not let the proud dwell within the house of his heart and mind; and he hated the slanderers and the oppressors. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) A CONCLUSION: “Early, I will destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord” (8) The prophet David was preoccupied with two issues: 1 Paschal Letters, 10. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 13 1- The first, that his life is extremely precious; and that every moment of his life has its value. That was the reason behind his early endeavor to destroy any wickedness that may attempt to crawl into his heart, to keep evil from having deep roots within him. 2- The second is, believing that his heart is the holy city of the Lord, he decided not to allow any defilement to crawl into it. The way the Lord Christ told us: “The kingdom of God is within you”; and, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10; 18). According to St. Jerome, it is not befitting of us to be slothful with the evildoers within the church – the house of the Lord – but we are committed to exhort and rebuke them, for the sake of their repentance. The “city” is the soul; and the wicked thoughts are the “evildoers” (8). By destroying them, our good intentions would flourish1. (St. Gregory of Nyssa) On the day all the enemies (the sins) are destroyed, God will be glorified like in a day of feast; Before the failure of our enemies, we would greatly rejoice. That is probably what the prophet means by saying: “Early, I shall destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord” (8). Namely, he would cut off Satan who provokes mankind to commit iniquity. Hearing the expression “the city of the Lord”, we look at the soul of each of us, being: “living stones” (1 Peter 2: 5); built by virtues of every kind2. In case you see him who persecutes you, in a state of extreme anger; be sure that he is driven by a devil to be so violent and cruel. “You will chase your enemies” (Leviticus 26: 7). Who are those enemies but the devil himself, together with all his evil hosts, and the unclean demons (Luke 4: 33). We shall chase them away, not just from ourselves, but from the others as well, of their victims; according to the commandment, saying: “You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword” (Leviticus 26: 7). For, when “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16: 5), “Our enemies will fall before us”. (The scholar Origen) According to St. Basil the Great, the “city of the Lord” is man, whom God created in His image and likeness; whereas the “wicked of 1 Comm.. on Cant., Sermon 12. 2 In Josh 8: 8. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 14 the land” and the ”evildoers” are the evil thoughts which come out of the heart, like murder, fornication, adultery, robbery, false witness, blasphemy, etc.; all of which we should early destroy from the city of the Lord, namely, in our youth; and not to let them grow in us. (Father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem) Virtue would be severely stricken, when evil overcomes. That is why we should follow the counsel of the prophet, and early destroy all the evildoers of the land (the soul) (8); so that the good activity would flourish in our souls; And so as to live after death. In the light of the words of God, saying: “I kill, and I make alive” (Deuteronomy 32: 39), the apostle Paul lived after he died, became strong in weakness, continued his strife while bound in chains, had wealth in poverty, was rich when he possessed nothing, and “carried about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4: 10) 1. (St. Gregory of Nyssa) In short, the psalmist started by the positive edifying work, and ended up by the negative aspect. He started by proclaiming that his heart is the house of the Lord, full of singing and praise; and ended up by cutting off every trace of evil from himself, for he is a sanctuary of the Lord.. عظة 12 على نشید الأناشید ترجمة الدكتور جورج نوّار. 1 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 15 AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 101 REIGN, O LORD IN MY DEPTHS How can I call You to dwell in my heart; When it is the work of Your hand? You set it as a holy place for Yourself; Where the sound of singing and praise is heard; Out of it, You set a heaven; Which the devil with all his hosts could not invade. What shall I call my heart? It is Your exultant holy house; It is Your exalted heavens, led by Your Holy Spirit. Pour Your mercy in my depths; Let the water of Your love flow over by Your abundant grace. I shall sing to You all the days of my life; And I will anticipate Your coming on the clouds with the spirit of exultation. Walk along in me; Not as in Solomon’s court, But as in Your heavens Pour Your righteousness on me; That I may hide in You; O Righteous One. No perversion will forcibly crawl in me; For Your Holy Spirit dwells in me; No wicked and evildoers will get attached to me; Unless they return to You in repentance. My soul will not find comfort in hearing slanders; Nor shall I find pleasure in the company of the proud and haughty. I find exalted pleasure in the company of Your children; Where You Yourself find comfort. By Your Word, You cut off, as though with a sword, every evil that crawls in me; You destroy every corruption in my depths; You truly set out of me a city You call after Your Holy name.
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