Mercy And Salvation

Qui eduxit Israel per medium eorum, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. Per medium Aegyptiorum deducit Israel, quando sanctos suos a conversatione liberat pessimorum, et a mundi istius habitione teterrima in lucem suae veritatis adducit. Qui excussit Pharaonem et exercitum eius in mare Rubrum, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. Diabolum cum ministris suis in fontem salutis excutit, quando eos a nobis potentiae suae virtute removerit. Excutit autem dixit, tanquam pulverem proiicit, ut de hac celeritate et virtutem divinitatis ostenderet, et illos terrenas sordes esse monstraret. Qui transduxit populum suum per desertum, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. Per desertum nos traiicit, quando per hoc saeculum transire facit illaesos; soli enim evadunt qui mundi istius mala pertranseunt. Caeterum qui in istis haeserit, ad praemia divina non pervenit. Desertus enim ideo dicitur mundus, quia divina electione privatus. Et merito sic vocatur, quia ad se venientem non recepit Auctorem. Qui eduxit aquam de petra rupis, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. Educit aquam de petra rupis, quando sterilia corda mortalium salutares rivulos fecerit proferre lacrymarum; ut qui sunt propria siccitate steriles, reddantur divina largitate manabiles. De petra rupis ad auxesim positum est, quoniam non parva, sed ingentia et dura saxa sunt, quae in magnitudinem rupis eriguntur. Qui percussit reges magnos, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. Percutit reges magnos, quando in corde nostro impia desideria coelestis miserator exstinxerit. Tunc enim nos vivimus, dum illa moriuntur; et contraria sorte necesse est nos occumbere, si contingat illa superare. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus CXXXV Source: Migne PL 70.971c-972c

He who led Israel from the midst of them, because His mercy is forever. 1 He leads Israel from the midst of the Egyptians when He liberates His holy ones from assocation with the worst of folk, and leads them from the wretched dwelling of this earth into the light of His truth. He who overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red sea, because His mercy is forever. 2 He overthrows the devil with his ministers in the fount of salvation, when they are removed from us by the power of His virtue. For it says He strikes them just as dust is driven off, and with the swiftness of it and the power of His Divinity, they are shown to be earthly filth. He who guided His people through the desert, because His mercy is forever. 3 He guides us through the desert when He makes us pass unharmed through this world, for only they escape who pass through the evils of this world. And he who cleaves to such things, he does not come to the Divine reward. Therefore the world is called a waste because it lacks Divine election. And rightly it is so called, because it did not receive its Creator when He came to it. He who drew water from the rock, because His mercy is forever. 4 He draws water for the rock, who makes salutary rivers of tears flow from sterile mortal hearts, so that they who in themselves are utterly dry, produce running waters by the Divine largess. And this rock is given as a help, because it is not a little thing, but a great and hard stone, in the greatness of which the waters flow. He who struck great kings, because His mercy is forever. 5 He strikes great kings, when in our hearts the Merciful one of heaven extinguishes wicked desires. For then we live when they die, and contrariwise it is necessary that we die if they prevail. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, from Psalm 135 1 Ps 135.11 2 Ps 135.13 3 Ps 135.16 4 Ps 135.16 LXX 5 Ps 135.17