Psalms 145:9

7. “Who giveth food to the hungry.” Behold, from thee I look for nothing: “God giveth food to the hungry.” Who are “the hungry”? All. What is, all? To all things that have life, to all men He giveth food: doth He not reserve some food for His beloved? If they have another kind of hunger, they have also another kind of food. Let us first enquire what their hunger is, and then we shall find their food. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” We ought to be God’s hungry ones.…“The Lord looseth them that are fettered; the Lord lifteth up them that are dashed down; the Lord maketh wise them that are blind” ( ver. 8 ). …

For as long as that blessed husband of thine was with thee, thou didst enjoy honour, and care and zealous attention; in fact you enjoyed such as you might expect to enjoy from a husband; but since God took him to Himself He has supplied his place to thee. And this is not my saying but that of the blessed prophet David for he says “He will take up the fatherless and the widow,” and elsewhere he calls Him “father of the fatherless and judge of the widow;” thus in many passages thou wilt see that He earnestly considereth the cause of this class of mankind.

God would have her rather than sacrifices. Much does He discourse concerning her: so He loves her. “He will relieve” (it is said) “the widow” and “the fatherless” ( Ps. cxlvi. 9 ) and the poor. God wishes to be called from her. “The Lord is pitiful and merciful, long-suffering, and of great mercy” ( Ps. cxlv. 8 ), and true. The mercy of God is over all the earth. She hath saved the race of mankind (see Ps. cxlv. 9 ): For unless she had pitied us, all things would have perished. “When we were enemies” (see Rom. v. 10 ), she “reconciled” us, she wrought innumerable blessings; she persuaded the Son of God to become a slave, and to empty Himself [of His glory]. ( Phil. ii. 7 .)

But what excuse for despondency will be left us if we take to heart God’s own promises and the hopes of Christians; the resurrection, I mean, eternal life, continuance in the kingdom, and all that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him”? Does not the Apostle say emphatically, “I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope”? I have known many men who even without hope have got the better of their grief by the force of reason alone, and it would indeed be extraordinary if they who are supported by such a hope should prove weaker than they who have no hope at all. Let us then, I implore you, look at the end as a long journey. When he went on a journey we used indeed to be sorry, but we waited his return. …

13. And what shall I say of human judgments, since in the judgments of God the Jews are set forth as having offended the Lord in nothing more than violating what was due to the widow and the rights of minors? This is proclaimed by the voices of the prophets as the cause which brought upon the Jews the penalty of rejection. This is mentioned as the only cause which will mitigate the wrath of God against their sin, if they honour the widow, and execute true judgment for minors, for thus we read: “Judge the fatherless, deal justly with the widow, and come let us reason together, saith the Lord.” And elsewhere: “The Lord shall maintain the orphan and the widow.” And again: “I will abundantly bless her widow.” Wherein also the likeness of the Church is foreshadowed. …

Further the blessed David asks of the Lord that he may gain that very understanding, by which he can recognize God’s com mands which, he well knew, were written in the book of the law, and he says “I am Thy servant: O give me understanding that I may learn Thy commandments.” Certainly he was in possession of understanding, which had been granted to him by nature, and also had at his fingers’ ends a knowledge of God’s commands which were preserved in writing in the law: and still he prayed the Lord that he might learn this more thoroughly as he knew that what came to him by nature would never be sufficient for him, unless his understanding was enlightened by the Lord by a daily illumination from Him, to understand the law spiritually and to recognize His commands more clearly, as the “chosen vessel” also declares very plainly this which we are insisting on. …