See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
For unless there were some who were destroyed to be rebuilt, Jeremiah would not have written, “See, I have this day set you to throw down and to build.” - "Expositions of the Psalms 89.3"
Root up, to announce the fall and restoration of many nations, Ezechiel iv. 2. (Calmet)
Jeremias spoke of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews. (Worthington)
Isaiah, again, beheld the glory of the seraphim, and after him Jeremiah, who was entrusted with great power against nations and kings. The one heard the divine voice and was cleansed by a live coal for his prophetic office, and the other was known before his formation and sanctified before his birth. Paul, also, while yet a persecutor, who became the great herald of the truth and teacher of the Gentiles in faith, was surrounded by a light and acknowledged him whom he was persecuting, and was entrusted with his great ministry and filled every ear and mind with the gospel. - "On the Death of His Father, Oration 18.14"
It is important to observe here that two joys succeed four sorrows. The good cannot be built up unless the evil is destroyed, nor can the best be planted unless the worst is eradicated. For “every plant that the heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted,” and every building that does not have its foundation on rock but was built on sand is undermined and destroyed by the word of God. But that which Jesus will consume by the breath of his mouth and destroy by the coming of his presence, indeed, all sacrilege and perverse doctrine, he will annihilate forever. Furthermore, he will depose and scatter all who elevate themselves against the knowledge of God, trusting instead in their own wisdom, which is foolishness to God, so that the lower dwellings may be prepared for them and that those who are conformed to the truth of the church, having previously been destroyed and plucked up, might be planted and established in the higher places, such that what the apostle said will be fulfill...
But you should know that we must work twice as hard to drive out vice as we do to acquire virtue. And this is not simply our own opinion, but we were instructed by the opinion of the One who alone knows the strength and the method of his work: “See,” he says, “I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” He points out that four things are required for getting rid of poisonous elements: to root up, to pull down, to waste and to destroy. But in order to do good and acquire righteousness, all that is required is to build and to plant. It is perfectly evident that it is a harder thing to tear up and eradicate the ingrained passions of body and soul than to introduce and plant spiritual virtues. - "Conference 2.14.3"
