Psalm 1:4

The ungodly have no possible hope of having the image of the happy tree applied to them. The only lot that awaits them is one of wandering and winnowing, crushing, dispersion and unrest; shaken out of the solid framework of their bodily condition, they must be swept away to punishment in dust, a plaything of the wind. They shall not be dissolved into nothing, for punishment must find in them some stuff to work on, but ground into particles imponderable, unsubstantial, dry, they shall be tossed to and fro and make sport for the punishment that gives them no rest. Their punishment is recorded by the same prophet in another place where he says, “I will beat them small as the dust before the wind; like the mire of the streets I will destroy them.”

(Verse 4.) It follows: Not so the wicked, not so; but like dust which the wind drives away from the face of the earth; this is, not so as the blessed man, who is blessed because he has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scoffers, desiring to corrupt by either believing or living wrongly; who has delight in the Law and meditates on it; or, as the eagle set forth, he will resound in the Law: so that he may resound the precepts of the Law in his life, and his behavior may be like theirs, whose sound has gone out into all the earth. Perhaps here the sound of human teaching may go out; but there, where it is given to be seen face to face, a fuller expression of the word is seemingly made. Therefore, not like that blessed one who will do these things, who will be like a planted tree, all his deeds will prosper, so will the wicked be. Therefore, he repeated, either the one who wrote, or the one who added afterwards (as some think), by repeating the sentence he may become more confirmed, saying: Not so the wicked, not so, who will be like dust; for they are earthly, and just as dust is thrown away by the wind, so will they be thrown away and scattered by the Holy Spirit, who breathes upon the fertile and fruitful soul like the southern wind used to do.


It is said of this wind in the Song of Songs: Come, O south wind (Cant. IV, 16), that the tenderness of the softer air may relax the fields of our hearts, which were closed by the harsh winter frost and denied the embrace of welcoming seeds. It is good for us that this wind may blow, which may safely guide the ships carrying the necessary provisions for Solomon to his temple into the harbor. But this wind blows only when that heavy wind, the north wind, ceases to blow. Therefore, either the Church or the pious soul says: Arise, north wind, and come, south wind (ibid.); this means: You, north wind, withdraw, and you, south wind, come: blow upon my garden that the flowers may not be scattered but preserved. Therefore, the soul full of the flowers of piety has a garden, or itself is the garden, which bears fruit; the soul that is open to impiety has dust, which is barren of fruit. Indeed, the Lord made that one fruitful; but it gathered for itself the dust of impiety.


Why do you boast, oh full of impiety? Is it because you are powerful in honors and abundant in wealth? Don't you realize that you are dust, and you will be scattered and dispersed? I have seen, he says, the wicked man exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed by, and behold, he was no more (Psal. XXXVI, 35 and 36). Why do you glory in the fact that many services surround you, many friends cover your sides, and numerous horses follow you, of which you explain to us the lineage, as if it were the race of your ancestors. You prefer wealth, because you feed your companions at feasts. I wish you would feed the needy; I wish you were not ministers of jokes, but supporters of wishes. You boast that you immediately yield to someone who is promising, and people avoid you like a wild animal or a beast. Do you think these things are anything? Don't you hear that they pass by everyone like a shadow? What use are consular robes, or triumphal cloaks shining with gold? You will leave naked: no one will recognize you as a consul there. What use are countless possessions? They are public, not yours. Today you hold them, tomorrow another does. When you leave, another enters. Hardly have you moved your foot, another puts in a step. How many were there before you, how many will rule after you, and do you think this to be private? Whom have riches ever redeemed from death? Nay, whom have riches not compelled to death? Whom have wealth recalled from the underworld? Whom has power excused from punishment? Dust is wickedness, as the dust is the power of the wicked: it brings darkness, it cannot give salvation. As soon as a strong wind begins to blow, it scatters and dissolves it: it disturbs the air, it lays bare the ground; as dust is thrown, it vanishes like smoke, it melts like wax.

Hence many have raised the question, whether divine Scripture seems to assert that nature will perish; especially because elsewhere it says: I will crush them like dust before the wind, and like mud on the streets I will wipe them out (Psalm 17:43); and elsewhere: Behold, all adversaries will be put to shame and will be ashamed; for they will be as if they were not (Isaiah 41:11). Therefore, first I ask, do they think impiety is according to nature or beyond nature? If they claim to follow nature, it is certain that their opinion is wrong. After all, let them say whether sin is in accordance with nature or not. But it is certain that to sin is to deviate from what is according to nature. What, therefore, is so absurd as to say that it seems less wicked to be a sinner than impious; when it is most bitter of all, whatever seems to be an offense against God? But if to act impiously is not contrary to nature, then to live impiously according to nature is not to be considered a sin, nor worthy of reproach; for no one is reproached who acts according to nature. Therefore it is concluded that impiety is beyond nature. So how does scripture bring about the destruction of customs, of natures that will be destroyed, that is, perishable natures, when impiety is not natural but beyond nature? For what does not have something, does not lose it: nor can that substance perish, which was not. For even a disturbed dust is either transformed into the substance of water, or into air, or into fire, that is, it often seems to transition into another nature. Therefore, it does not perish into nothingness, but it transitions into something else.

What therefore prevents that even he who is crushed by the power and reason of the word, like dust, is not dissipated into nothingness, but transformed for the better; so that he becomes a spiritual man from the earthly, and so that the clay of the streets is erased in such a way that whatever is rough and dirty is removed, and whatever is smooth and clean remains? And what he says about the adversaries of Jerusalem: They are as if they are not; surely he could have said: They will not be. But when he says: They will be confounded and they will reverence; surely you understand that they will exist in substance, and in the progress of conversion, but they will not be adversaries as they were. And so, due to the lack of wickedness, they will not be, they will be changed with faith and devotion. Furthermore, elsewhere it is said from the perspective of a sinner: 'And I will bear the wrath of God, because I have sinned, until he justifies my judgment' (Micah 7:9). For God, desiring to convert the sinner, punishes and burns them in order to purify them. Hence it is said: 'And he will bring me into the light' (ibid.). For even fire burns and melts wax, in order to purify it; and we are tested by fire; and smoke is purified when all material is consumed, and it does not pass through its nature. And so, the soul, purified from every stain, aims at what is lacking, not at what is not. Hence Balaam says: 'Let my soul die the death of the just' (Numbers 23:10), meaning that his fall and certain wicked uses should die, and that he should become accustomed to the life of the just; for God desires all things to be saved. Thus Solomon also says: 'God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living' (Wisdom 1:13). He made the soul to exist; he created man for incorruption, whom he made in his own image. But men, deviating from the gift of nature, have rendered themselves subject to death, so that they may be corrupted like earthly beings. But God compels through tribulations to repentance, so that through repentance that evil accident of wickedness may be burned up and consumed, and perish; and that place of the soul, which was the possession of the accident of impiety, may be open for the reception of virtue and grace. It is certain, however, that the nature of the soul is precious, which, made in the likeness of God, admits the reception of all virtue; since it is not deprived of the fellowship of heavenly knowledge.


Now we think that what is constantly in everyone's mouth is left over, through which reason God, by whose will not even the most worthless sparrow falls, and before whom the hairs of the head are numbered, said through Isaiah: Thus all nations will be like a drop from a bucket, and like a speck of dust on the scales, and they will be valued like spit (Isaiah 40:15). So all nations will perish like a drop from a bucket, and like spit they will perish, and they will be of no use. But you, who know that our God did not consider the nations worthless, as he said to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you (Gen. XII, 3); and as he spoke to the Son through David: I will give you the nations as your inheritance (Psal. II, 8); and further: All nations will serve him (Psal. LXXI, 11); you who have read that God offered his Son for the salvation of all nations, in order to save sinners (Rom. VIII, 32); you should consider the power of divine sentiment in this passage. For through the contemplation of the celestial creatures, which are many (just as the sky, which is many times greater than the earth, is considered by most to be a mere point in comparison to the sky), the nations were estimated as drops from a bucket, of which the whole fullness belongs. From that heavenly fullness, therefore, the nations are estimated as drops falling down. For how could they seem great, when the very earth in which the nations exist is a small part of the world, and the incline of the scales, by which God has worked all things, is so slight that the nations are like a small portion? At the same time, recognize through this scale that God has created all things with justice, and in the very nations there is naturally something in which justice seems to have even a small amount, and that the spit itself exists as an inner portion of the universality of the whole body.


Therefore, here mercy is preached more, because the one who comes to seek what was lost did not despise that drop of water as insignificant, and he lifted the moment of the scale; and giving him the substance of a good body with his spit, he deigned that all nations be gathered into one body of the Church. However, among the nations and Israel, it can by no means be said that they are devoid of God's divine justice; for Moses himself said of Israel: Behold, a wise people, and tenacious of discipline, a great nation (Deut. IV, 6). And so that you may know that above our merit God's goodness has overflowed, the Apostle, interpreting this prophetic passage, said: God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all (Rom. 11:32-33). And he added: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? (Rom. 11:34-35). But the Prophet, introducing this passage, says: Thus all nations have been esteemed as a drop from a bucket (Is. 40:15), and the rest, so that you may know that this understanding agrees with the Apostolic interpretation.

But what is more evident than this, that it does not seem to bring about perishable natures, since the holy Prophet himself has subjected: For the wicked do not rise again in judgment. For he did not say: They do not rise again; but he says: They do rise again, but not in judgment. However, whoever rises again, is indeed and remains; but because he did not believe in Christ, he has already been judged; and therefore he does not come into judgment, whom the punishment of judgment already completed remains. And concerning the resurrection, there are indeed many testimonies in the divine Scriptures, which we have not overlooked in the books of consolation and resurrection. But regarding what it says: The wicked do not rise again in judgment; according to the Gospel, this is an absolute statement, because not everyone will be judged. However, the Apostle says: For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10). Many people think that these things are contradictory; and they do not realize that the Savior spoke about the faithless and impious, those who did not believe in the Lord Jesus. For He said: 'Whoever believes in me will not be judged, but whoever does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.' This is the judgment, because the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light; for their deeds were evil. (John 3:18, 19). Therefore it is clear about whom it has been said, that is, about those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus. The Apostle, though he said 'all', certainly spoke about those who have believed, but they will render an account of their own actions on the day of judgment. Moreover, he himself elsewhere says (Rom. II, 15) that the testimony of our conscience will be revealed on the day of judgment, when our thoughts will either accuse or defend ourselves, as it is written, and the hidden secrets of the heart will be revealed. But what is clearer than this, which he says elsewhere: 'We shall all rise again, but we shall not all be changed.' (I Cor. XV, 15) For the just shall be changed into incorruption, while the truth of the body remains. Daniel also says: 'Judgment has sat, and the books have been opened.' (Dan. VII, 10) He therefore shows that there will be future judgment, especially when elsewhere he says the same: 'Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some unto life eternal, and others unto everlasting reproach and confusion; and they that understand shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and many of the just as the stars forever and ever.' (Dan. XII, 2 and 3)


What is this judgment of sitting judges, and what is it but the open book of our conscience, containing the series of our sins? Although it is despicable to consider this as if it were a judgment similar to human judgment. Christ's judgment is different, where conscience itself reveals itself, which cannot hide from the judge of hidden things: where thoughts shine forth before Him, who still says to those who think: Why do you think evil in your hearts (Matthew 9:4)? When he was speaking to the Jews, he used to say to everyone, lest anyone should think that hidden things could deceive him, lest anyone should think that a witness of hidden error could escape with closed walls. And so the Evangelist also testifies, saying: But Jesus knew their thoughts. How then does he say: The books are open? Surely not written in ink, but by the traces of sins, and the contamination of crimes. The book of your conscience will be opened, the book of your heart will be opened, our fault will be recited. There is a book where there is a tablet; rather, there are books inscribed where there are inscribed tablets, which are inscribed by the Holy Spirit with the Apostolic teaching, as we read, with Paul saying: You are our epistle... inscribed not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God: not on stone tablets, but on fleshy tablets of the heart (II Cor. III, 2 and 3). Therefore, these tablets of the heart, inscribed with the Holy Spirit, will be recited. If you do well, Scripture will remain. See that you do not take away the grace of the Holy Spirit; see that you do not erase, and write down your crimes with ink, lest the day of judgment come, and the Judge say: Let the books be read, let the tablets of his deeds be read; and let Him say to you: I wrote your tablets, why did you destroy my marks? I wrote my gifts, how did you destroy my offerings and write down your insults? Have you not read that I write? Have I not said to you through the mouth of my Prophet: My tongue is the pen of a swift scribe (Psalm 44:2); but judgment belongs to the Word.


Therefore, many who have slept in the tomb will rise from the earth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29). What Daniel says, 'to eternal life,' the Savior says, 'to the resurrection of life.' Likewise, what Daniel says, 'to shame and everlasting contempt,' the Savior says, 'to the resurrection of judgment.' Therefore, it is not profitable for us to come to judgment, nor is it profitable not to come; lest we appear to be condemned or bear the weight of judgment in this contamination of vices. The prophet asks that the Lord not enter into judgment with his servant (Psalm 142:2); how much more should we fear the judgment of the Lord? Consider that the merciful Lord will forgive: how much will be revealed that I thought was hidden? What shame, what embarrassment will there be for me, when the one whom I claimed to teach others, I myself am found guilty in that very thing in which I was accusing others?

And therefore, since both the Savior and John in the Apocalypse spoke of two kinds of resurrection, and John said, 'Blessed is he who has a part in the first resurrection' (Rev. 20:6), these indeed come to grace without judgment. But those who do not come to the first resurrection, but are reserved for the second, will be burned until they fulfill the time between the first and second resurrection, or if they do not fulfill it, they will remain longer in punishment. Therefore, let us pray that in the first resurrection we may deserve to have a share. There are those who rose in the passion of Christ; and these are clearly blessed, who received the grace of Christ and heard His voice, of which it is written: The hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (John 5:25). And: They entered the holy city (Matthew 27:53). I think that it signifies more the heavenly city than this earthly Jerusalem, which He left, reproached, because they have entered into this one by foot, but into that heavenly one by merits.


But let us also beware that we rise from this earthly tomb. There are those who, while alive, are surrounded and filled with the dead, whose throat is a grave, not the words of life, but of death. If we rise here from the dead, we will also rise there. If we are not dry bones here, but have received the dew of the Word, the moisture of the Holy Spirit, we shall live there. Thus, Jesus will raise us here with His mighty voice, as He raised Lazarus, and through His disciples He will loose us from the chains of death and lead us into Bethany, where Lazarus was, that is, the house of obedience. And He will invite us to His banquet here, and there we shall recline with Him, and there we shall always feast with Him, and there the perfume, which only the betrayer lamented being wasted, will be fragrant to us.

Even as chaff lies exposed to the gusts of wind and is easily caught up and swept along, so is also the sinner driven about by every temptation; for while a sinner is at war with himself and bears the warfare about with him, what hope of safety does he possess; betrayed as he is at home, carrying with him that conscience that is a constant enemy?

Now let us see what Scripture says about the sinner, the wicked man. 'Not so the wicked.' Those universal rewards the just man receives, the wicked man will not receive. 'Not so the wicked.' The psalmist did not say, not so the sinners, for if he had said 'sinners,' we would all then be excluded from reward. 'Not so the wicked.' There is a difference between the wicked and sinners. The wicked deny God altogether; the sinner acknowledges God and in spite of his acknowledgment commits sin. 'Not so the wicked.' In some manuscripts, the words, 'Not so,' are repeated, 'Not so the wicked, not so,' but in the Hebrew there is no such repetition.

We have spoken of the holy man and his likeness to the tree planted near running water, Now for the wicked man, it is exactly the opposite. As the just man is compared to the tree, the wicked man is compared to dust. He who is just is compared to a tree in the Garden of Eden; he who is wicked is compared to dust which the wind drives away. Dust may come from the soil but has ceased to be soil. The wicked are 'like dust which the wind drives away.' (Ps 1:4). Holy Writ says the wicked man will be so unhappy that he is not even dust from the earth. Dust does not seem to have any substance, but it does, of course, have a kind of existence of its own. There is no body to it, yet what substance it does have is really by way of punishment. It is scattered here and there and is never in anyone place; wherever the wind sweeps it, there its whole force is spent. The same is true of the wicked man. Once he has denied God, he is led by delusion wherever the breath of the devil sends him.

"The ungodly are not so," they are not so, "but are like the dust which the wind casts forth from the face of the earth" [Psalm 1:4]. "The earth" is here to be taken as that steadfastness in God, with a view to which it is said, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, yea, I have a goodly heritage." With a view to this it is said, "Wait on the Lord and keep His ways, and He shall exalt you to inherit the earth." With a view to this it is said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." [Matthew 5:5] A comparison too is derived hence, for as this visible earth supports and contains the outer man, so that earth invisible the inner man. "From the face of" which "earth the wind casts forth the ungodly," that is, pride, in that it puffs him up. On his guard against which he, who was inebriated by the richness of the house of the Lord, and drunken of the torrent stream of its pleasures, says, "Let not the foot of pride come against me." From this earth pride cast forth him who said, "I will place my seat in the north, and I will be like the Most High." [Isaiah 14:13-14] From the face of the earth it cast forth him also who, after that he had consented and tasted of the forbidden tree that he might be as God, hid himself from the Face of God. [Genesis 3:8] That his earth has reference to the inner man, and that man is cast forth thence by pride, may be particularly seen in that which is written, "Why is earth and ashes proud? Because, in his life, he cast forth his bowels." [Sirach 10:9] For, whence he has been cast forth, he is not unreasonably said to have cast forth himself.