Even the sparrow finds a home, and the turtledove a nest in which she puts her young. For the present, let us be satisfied with a simple interpretation. Notice all that the verse implies: I long, O Lord, for your eternal dwelling places; my soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord; I long for some place to dwell, a nest for my soul and my body. The birds that fly about to and fro with no restraint, nevertheless, after their flight, have a place and a nest in which to rest. How much more ought not my body and soul procure for itself a resting place?

In heart, let us migrate from living in this world, from which we are rapidly going to migrate in the body, that that heavenly dwelling may receive us, concerning which the apostle says that we have an eternal dwelling from God, a house not made by hands, in the heavens. Concerning this dwelling it has been written: Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. There, just as there is an eternal dwelling, so there is eternal praise. Those who live there always praise God because they are always exulting about God and in God; and just as for those who give praise, there is the sweet eternity of a holy dwelling, so the eternal sweetness of giving praise remains for those who dwell there.

The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly and the Son more obscurely. The New [Testament] manifested the Son and suggested the deity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit dwells among us and supplies us with a clearer demonstration of himself. For it was not safe, when the Godhead of the Father was not yet acknowledged, plainly to proclaim the Son; nor when that of the Son was not yet received to burden us further (if I may use so bold an expression) with the Holy Spirit; lest perhaps people might, like persons loaded with food beyond their strength and presenting eyes as yet too weak to look at the sun’s light, risk the loss even of that which was within the reach of their powers; but that by gradual additions, and, as David says, Goings up, and advances and progress from glory to glory,^[1] the light of the Trinity might shine on the more illuminated. It was for this reason, I think, that [the Holy Spirit] gradually came to dwell in the disciples, measuring himself out to them according to their capacity to receive him, at the beginning of the Gospel, after the passion, after the ascension, making perfect their powers, being breathed on them and appearing in fiery tongues.

For the lawgiver will give a blessing. Somebody may ask, Why in the valley of tears, in the place that God has set for the contest—or for the conflict—why has he placed us as athletes? Why has he willed us to fight? The psalmist gives the answer: He has willed that this place be set for us as an arena that he may reward our victory with a crown. For the lawgiver will give a blessing. This Lawgiver, our president of the contest,^[1] has willed us to contend only that he may bless us. Just consider what the victory means! What are the blessings of this Master of the games? They go from strength to strength;^[2] they win the victory here that they may receive the crown there. If a person of courage gives evidence of strength here, there he becomes stronger. They go from strength to strength; hence, unless we are strong here, we cannot have greater strength there. The psalmist did not say, they shall go from weakness to strength, but from strength to strength. Do you want to be a person of fortitude there? Then be one here first. Do you want to be crowned there? Fight here.