Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Read Chapter 96
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
7. "Confession and beauty are before Him" (ver. 6). Dost thou love beauty? Wishest thou to be beautiful? Confess! He said not, beauty and confession, but confession and beauty. Thou wast foul; confess, that thou mayest be fair: thou wast a sinner; confess, that thou mayest be righteous. Thou couldest deform thyself: thou canst not make thyself beautiful. But of what sort is our Betrothed, who hath loved one deformed, that he might make her fair? How, saith some one, loved He one deformed? "I came not," said He, "to call the righteous, but sinners." Whom callest Thou? sinners, that they may remain sinners? No, saith He. And by what means will they cease to be sinners? "Confession and beauty are before Him." They honour Him by confession of their sins, they vomit the evils which they had greedily devoured; they return not to their vomit, like the unclean dog; and there will then be confession and beauty: we love beauty; let us first choose confession, that beauty may follow. Again, there...
Before him. At his disposal; whereas the idols can bestow nothing. (Calmet)
Sanctuary, or "sanctification. "(Worthington) 1 Paralipomenon, in his place. (Haydock)
