Thomas Aquinas, on Ps 49:5

“Gather ye together his saints to him: who set his covenant before sacrifices.”

“And with this the reading of Jerome agrees, which says, "Gather to me all my saints"; as if to say: for this purpose he calls, to present his saints. "Gather to him his saints." This is the office of the Angels, namely to gather the elect at the judgment. Mt. 24: "He shall send his Angels," etc. And this is the voice of the prophet Daniel to the Angels sent for ministry. For his saints are those who order the covenant above sacrifices. The word "above" is taken in two ways. In one way, as designating the order of the material cause; and then the sense is, "above sacrifices," that is, who made a covenant with God concerning sacrifices to be offered. And he made mention of sacrifices for two reasons. First, because the following disputation will be about sacrifices. Second, because the disputation at the judgment will be only with the faithful, who will be judged. And these are those who made a covenant with God in sacrifices. In another way, so that "above" denotes excess. And thus it must be said that by "covenant" is understood the New Covenant, which surpasses; hence the sense is, "above sacrifices," that is, who prefer the New Covenant to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. Or the covenant promised by God; and thus, "above sacrifices," that is, who consider the goods promised by God as greater than all our merits. Rom. 8: "The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared," etc. Or by "covenant" the soul has a pact with justice, mercy, faith, and such things. Hos. 2: "I will espouse you to me in faith." And thus they are "above sacrifices," that is, who prefer spiritual goods of this kind to bodily sacrifices. Hos. 6: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Or, "who order the covenant," etc., that is, who in the sacrifices they offer to God have regard for the covenant of God, because some refer the good things they do to something else, so that they may be gathered into it. 1 Cor. 10: "Do all things for the glory of God."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.