It is good to confess to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, most High. The psalmist did not say that it is good to sing and after that confess. Note the order: it is good to confess, and it is good to sing. First repent and wash away sin with your tears; then sing to the Lord. It is good to confess to the Lord—not to people but to God. Confess your sins to him who is able to heal you. And to sing praise to your name, most High.

Remember the calf in Exodus, which they fashioned through idolatry, which Moses beat to powder and gave to the people to drink.^[1] In a manner similar to that calf, he will utterly destroy all Lebanon^[2] and the practice of idolatry prevailing in it. And as the beloved son of unicorns.^[3] The only-begotten Son, he who gives his life for the world whenever he offers himself as a sacrifice and oblation to God for our sins, is called both Lamb of God and a sheep. Behold, it is said, the lamb of God. And again, He was led like a sheep to slaughter. But, when it is necessary to take vengeance and to overthrow the power attacking the human race, a certain wild and savage force, then he will be called the Son of unicorns. For, as we have learned in Job, the unicorn is a creature irresistible in might and unsubjected to human beings. For you cannot bind him with a thong, he says, nor will he stay at your crib.^[4] There is also much said in that part of the prophecy about the animal acting like a free person and not submitting to humans. It has been observed that the Scripture has used the comparison of the unicorn in both ways, at one time in praise, at another in censure. Deliver, he says, my soul from the sword . . . and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.^[5] He said these words complaining of the warlike people who in the time of passion rose up in rebellion against him. Again, he says, My horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn. It seems that on account of the promptness of the animal in repelling attacks it is frequently found representing the baser things, and because of its high horn and freedom it is assigned to represent the better. On the whole, since it is possible to find the horn used by Scripture in many places instead of glory, as the saying, He will exalt the horn of his people,^[6] and His horn shall be exalted in glory,^[7] or also, since the horn is frequently used instead of power, as the saying, My protector and the horn of my salvation, Christ is the power of God; therefore, he is called the Unicorn on the ground that he has one horn, that is, one common power with the Father.

An old man used to say, It is written, ‘The right-eous one shall blossom like the palm tree.’ Now these words make known that the soul acquires height, and straightness of stature and sweetness from beautiful deeds. But there is another quality that is found in the palm, that is, a single, white heart, which is wholly suitable for work (or useful for being worked). And this must be found in the righteous person, for his heart must be single and simple, and it must be accustomed to look toward God only. Now the heart of the palm tree is also white by reason of that fire that it possesses naturally, and all the service of the right-eous person is in his heart; and the hollowness and the evenness of the tops of the leaves [typify] the setting up of sharpness of the soul of the righteous person against the calumniator.^[1]

Accordingly, it is not proper to adore God outside of this holy court, but only within it, lest anyone who is outside of it and is attracted by those outside of it might lose the right to be in the court of the Lord. Many assume an attitude of prayer, but they are not in the court because of the wandering of their mind and the distraction of their thoughts coming from vain solicitude. It is possible to consider the court in a still loftier sense as the heavenly way of life. Therefore, They that are planted here in the house of the Lord, which is the church of the living God, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. But one who makes his belly a god, or glory, or money or anything else which he honors more than all things, neither adores the Lord nor is in the holy court, even though he seems to be worthy of the visible assemblies.