Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsPsalms 64

God will bless the crown.

Under the Allegory of the land of Jury ^[1], whereunto the people of God were to be restored after their captivity in Babylon, the Psalmist here prophesieth greater things, than can be verified of the temporal state of the Jews ^[2], that the militant Church, shall still be blessed from the beginning to the end, yielding expected fruit; and all the just, that persevere to the end of their lives, shall receive most happy and glorious rewards of their labours ^[3]. As Saint Paul after his meritorious travails confidently expected his glorious reward, when he said (2. Tim. 4.) I have fought a good fight, I have consummate my course, I have kept my faith. Concerning the rest, there is laid up for me, a Crown of justice ^[4], which our Lord will render to me in that day, a just Judge. And not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. And this is called the crown of the year of God's benignity, because God of his own benignity, without man's former desert giveth grace, and in the end for merit following, giveth a crown of glory. So our Blessed Saviour according to his fullness of grace, which was in his soul, and infinite merit, received a crown of glory, in the consummation of his temporal life, after the space of thirty three years. And our Blessed Lady the mother of God, received an answerable crown to her excellent grace and merits, in the consummation of her life, at the end of sixty three years. In memory of which numbers of years, devout men have piously instituted certain forms of prayers, called the Crowns, or Corones of our Saviour ^[5], and of our Lady.

• 1 Perpetuity of the Church.
• 2 S. Aug. Eutym.
• 3 Reward of the just.
• 4 Saints' crowns are of God's benignity.
• 5 The Corones of our Lord, and our Lady.