Bellarmine on Psalm 99 : Verses 4-5 (conclusion)

Verse 4

We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Go ye into his gates with praise, into his courts with hymns: and give glory to him.

Populus ejus, et oves pascuae ejus. Introite portas ejus in confessione, atria ejus in hymnis; confitemini illi. 

The Prophet recalls another gift from God, on account of which it is right that we should render unto Him our acknowledgement with praise: for He not only made us but He also rules us and feeds us. “We are his people,” that is, a people whom God rules with His special providence; “and the sheep of his pasture,” that is, we are like sheep  endowed with reason whom He refreshes in His pastures with the nourishment of His teaching, and whom He also feeds with food for the body;  “Go ye into the gates” of His house, or His tabernacle, “with praise,” and “into his courts with hymns,” and “and give glory to him,” you owe everything to Him : and you have received all good things from His hand.

Verse 5

Praise ye his name: For the Lord is sweet, his mercy endureth for ever, and his truth to generation and generation.

Laudate nomen ejus, quoniam suavis est Dominus; in aeternum misericordia ejus, et usque in generationem et generationem veritas ejus. 

The Prophet adds three qualities of God as reasons why He is worthy to be praised by all men, because he is sweet, because He is merciful and because he is truthful; and these three are connected in such a way that each one emerges from the others. “The Lord is sweet,” and because He is sweet, he readily shows mercy: because He is merciful, He promises deliverance (from sin and its consequences); because he is truthful, He fulfils His promises. “Praise ye his name,” he says, that is, praise God; for a noun is often used in Scripture to represent the thing named. “Praise ye his name,” note, “for the Lord is sweet.” A wonderful quality of the almighty and tremendous majesty that dwells in light inaccessible, and is terrible above all gods, and takes away the spirit of princes, and of whom the Apostle says in Hebrews x: “ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;”[1] and yet it is said, most truthfully, “For the Lord is sweet,” and this is not the only place in the Psalms or in divine Scripture where this is said. Psalm XXXIV: “O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet:”[2] Ps. LXXXIII: “For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy.”[3] I Peter ii: “If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet.”[4] II Cor. i: “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”[5] But these two qualities, which seem contrary to each other, are easily reconciled: for God is sweet to the upright in heart who fear Him; but He is rough and terrible to the crooked in heart who despise Him. “How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!” says David in Ps. LXXII.[6] For what is smooth and level seems rough to the crooked in heart, because they cannot be joined together. Now they are crooked or wicked of heart who do not wish to be conformed to the most upright divine will; for they are despisers, and this it is said Ps. CII : “As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:...But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him;”[7] in her canticle, the Virgin Mother of God says this: “And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.”[8] And so if anyone will begin to direct his heart and conform it to pleasing God’s will, and to fear nothing more than offending God, he will soon begin to taste how sweet the Lord is: and in him will be fulfilled what follows: “his mercy endureth for ever, and his truth to generation and generation.”

[1] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis. [Hebr. x. 31]

[2] O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him. Gustate, et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus; beatus vir qui sperat in eo. [Ps. XXXIII 9]

[3] For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee. Quoniam tu, Domine, suavis et mitis, et multae misericordiae omnibus invocantibus te.[Ps. LXXXV 5]

[4] If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est Dominus. [I Petr ii. 3]

[5] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Benedictus Deus et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater misericordiarum, et Deus totius consolationis, [II Cor. i 3]

[6] A psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart! Psalmus Asaph. Quam bonus Israel Deus, his qui recto sunt corde! [Ps. LXXII 1]

[7] As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him: Quomodo miseretur pater filiorum, misertus est Dominus timentibus se. [17] But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him: And his justice unto children's children, Misericordia autem Domini ab aeterno, et usque in aeternum super timentes eum. Et justitia illius in filios filiorum,  [Ps. CII 13 & 17]

[8] And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. [Luke I. 50] 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.