Pure Speech

Eloquia Domini, eloquia casta... Utriusque Testamenti doctrinam insimul comprehendit. Tunc casta sunt, si a bonis praedicatoribus incorruptibiliter et sine corruptione praedicentur. Tunc erit istud: si quando praedicant non parentum provocati amore, non potentum timore, non propter dona praesentia, non pro honore vano. Aliter: Qui nec audent addere aliquid amplius, nec minuere tam in veteri quam in novo Testamento, sed fideliter praedicant. Argentum igne examinatum... Hoc est, Spiritu Sancto probatum. Non illi eloquia divina probant: sed Spiritus Sanctus illos illuminat, qui ipsa praedicant: sicut in Isaia ille angelus, quando accepti calculum ab altari, et tetigit labia ejus, dicens: Ecce tetigi hoc labia tu, et auferetur iniquitas tua, et peccatum tuum mundabitur. Per argentum, vetus Testamentum: per aurum, novum. Sic est littera et spiritalis intellectus, quasi ex argento producatur aurum. Probatum terrae... Hoc est, Ecclesia. Illa eloquia divina probata sunt per Spiritum Sanctum, quem accepti Ecclesia. Aliter: Probatum terrae, id est, Christus Dominus, qui venit in humanitate illa pro parte carnis, quam ex Maria accepit, quasi terram Dominus suscepit. Purgatum septuplum. Septem dona quae in Christo fuerunt: non ut ille purificatetur, sed qui ipsa dona accepturi erant, purificarentur. Sanctus Hieronymus, Breviarum In Psalmos, Psalmus XI Source Migne PL 26.848a-c

The speech of the Lord is chaste speech...1 Here he includes the teaching of both Testaments. Then they are chaste, if by good preachers they are preached incorruptibly and without defilement. So it will be if when they preach they are not beholden to love of parents, nor fear of the powerful, nor do they do so for present rewards, nor for vain honours. Also: They do not dare to add anything more, nor do they suppress anything in the Old or New Testaments, but they preach faithfully. Silver proved by fire... That is, proved by the Holy Spirit. They do not prove the Divine speech, but the Holy Spirit enlightens those who preach such things, as in Isaiah when the angel took a burning coal from the altar and touched his lips, saying: 'Behold, I have touched your lips and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is cleansed.' 2 The Old Testament is silver, gold the New. So is the letter and the spiritual understanding, as gold brought from silver. Proved by the earth... That is, the Church. Those Divine words proved by the Holy Spirit which the Church receives. Also: Proved by the earth, that is, The Lord Christ, who became man by partaking of the flesh, which he received from Mary, is as the Lord taking up the earth. Purified seven times. The seven gifts which were in Christ: not that He was purified, but those who were going to receive His gifts, they were purified. Saint Jerome, Commentary On The Psalms, from Psalm 11 1 Ps 11.6 2 Isaiah 6.6-7