Psalm 137:6 Douay-Rheims

For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.

Augustine of Hippo

A.D. 354–430 Patristic

Perhaps because [the psalm] said, "The Lord is sublime and observes lowly things," you say to yourself, "Then he does not observe me." What could be more unfortunate than you, if he does not observe you but ignores you? Observing indicates compassion; ignoring indicates contempt. But no doubt, because the Lord observes lowly things, you imagine you escape his notice, because you are not humble or lowly, you are high and mighty, you are proud. That is not the way to be missed by the eyes of God. I mean, just see what it says there: "The Lord is sublime." Sublime indeed. How are you going to get to him? Will you look for a ladder? Look for the wood of humility, and you have already gotten to him. "The Lord is sublime, he observes lowly things, but high and mighty things" (do not imagine you escape notice, you that are so proud) "but high and mighty things he knows from afar." He knows them, all right, but from afar. "Salvation is far from sinners."

Source details
A.D. 430 · on Ps 138:6 (SERMON 70A.2)

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

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