God Near And Far

Quoniam excelsus Dominus et humilia respicit et alta a longe agnoscit... Neque solum magna est Dei gloria: sed etiam excelsus est, et humilia respicit. Hinc eminentis celsitudinis suae admiratio maxima est, uod humilia respicit qui excelsus est. Sed quae humilia respicit? Nempe est: Cor contribulatum et humilitatum Deus non spernet. Et rursum: Et super quem respiciam, nisi super humilem et trementem verba mea. Sed quia exclesus humilia respicit, habet in se aliam quoque admirationem, quod et alta de longe cognoscit. Superbae et insolentes cogitationes Deum non fallunt: agnoscit omnia, et nihil scientiae ejus impenetrabile est. Deus, ut scriptum est, prope est his qui tribulatio sunt corde: non admiscetur autem arrogantibus, neque insolentibus prope est. Unicuique enim nostrum pro fidei diversitate aut proximus est aut remotus, spiritali virtute ubi se dignum est acquiescens. Et ideo a longe alta cognoscit, quia et per indignitatem abest ab insolente, et per virtutem, longe licet, quae sunt superba cognoscit. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, Tractatus super Psalmos, Tractatus in Psalmum CXXXVII Source: Migne PL 9.790b

Because the Lord is exalted and He looks upon the humble and He knows from afar.... 1 The glory of the Lord is not only great but it is even exalted, and He looks upon the humble. Whence the admiration of His heavenly eminence is greatest because He who is exalted looks upon the humble. But what humility does He look upon? Without doubt it is: the heart troubled and lowly, God does not spurn. 2 And again: 'And who shall I look upon, unless him who is humble and trembles at my words?' 3 Yet because the exalted One looks on the humble, He has in Himself something else to admire, that even He knows the high ones from afar. Proud and insolent thoughts do not escape God. He knows all things, and nothing is impenetrable to His knowledge. God, as it is written, is near to those troubled in their hearts. 4 He does not mingle with those who are arrogant, nor is He near to the insolent. For to all of us, according to the differences of our faith, He is near or far, by spiritual virtue where it has been given. And therefore He knows the high ones from afar, because by indignation He is absent from him who is insolent, and by power He is able to know those who are proud from afar. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 137 1 Ps 137.6 2 Ps 50.20 3 Isaiah 66.2 4 Ps 33.19