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1 For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred. 2 For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay [there] exiled from the eternal providence. 3 For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with [strange] apparitions. 4 For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises [as of waters] falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances. 5 No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night. 6 Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not. 7 As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace. 8 For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at. 9 For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents, 10 They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided. 11 For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things. 12 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. 13 And the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment. 14 But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell, 15 Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them. 16 So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars, 17 For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness. 18 Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently, 19 Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear. 20 For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour: 21 Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness.
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[AD 253] Origen of Alexandria on Wisdom 17:1
In the Apocalypse we see “a Lamb, as though sacrificed.” This is the Lamb that, for certain ineffable reasons, became the sacrifice of expiation for the entire world, having accepted even to be sacrificed, according to the measure of the Father’s love for humanity. By his blood he bought us back2 from him who had bought us, in that we were corrupted by sins. Leading this lamb to the sacrifice was the God who was in the man, the great high priest, as he himself attests, saying, “No one takes my life from me, but I myself give it. I have the power to give it and the power to take it up again.” All of the other sacrifices are related to this sacrifice by affinity, the sacrifices prescribed by the Law being a symbol of it. And in my opinion, the shedding of blood on the part of the noble martyrs are sacrifices similar to this one; not without reason does John the disciple contemplate them as surrounding the heavenly altar. “Who is wise enough to understand these things, intelligent enough to know them?” To grasp somewhat more contemplatively the reason for these sacrifices, which purify those for whom they are offered, we must understand the significance of the sacrifice of the daughter of Jephthah. Jephthah had defeated the Ammonites because of a vow, to which she who was to be sacrificed adhered, responding to her father’s words, “I have given my word to the Lord against you,” by saying, “Even if it is against me that you have given your word to the Lord, fulfill your vow.” In considering such events one could be led to attribute an element of great cruelty to God, to whom such sacrifices are offered for the salvation of human beings. One needs a more open and farsighted mind to reconcile this in light of the designs of providence, so as to be able to justify these things as both ineffable and beyond human nature, saying, “The judgments of God are great and difficult to tell. For this reason, ignorant souls fell into error.” Moreover, it is also attested among the pagans that in times of pestilence, many were given over to sacrifice for the common salvation. The faithful Roman Clement also admits that this occurred, basing himself on history;8 Paul testifies of him saying, “Together with Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.” Someone wanting to insult mysteries that escape the comprehension of the many finds the precepts regarding martyrs10 similarly absurd. God, however, considers that it would be better for us to confess his divinity at the price of the most atrocious sufferings than to free ourselves for a brief time from apparent evils, declaring our acquiescence to the will of the enemies of truth.

Source: COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6:53-54
[AD 367] Hilary of Poitiers on Wisdom 17:1
In the book of the psalms we read, “Your judgments, like the great abyss.” The apostle Paul says, “The judgments of God are inscrutable,” and the prophet, “Your judgments are great and beyond number.” In what sense, then, does the prophet dare to say, “With my lips I recited all the judgments of your mouth”? And yet he is not saying here anything that contradicts himself or anyone else who is similarly inspired. In fact, he does not say, “With my lips I have recited all your judgments,” but, “All the judgments of your mouth,” knowing that there is a difference between the judgments of God and the judgments of the mouth of God. When he said, “Your judgments like the great abyss,” did he in fact use the expression, “The judgments of your mouth like the great abyss”? Here, rather, he says, “I have announced the judgments of your mouth.” The prophet, therefore, did not remain silent about those judgments that he knew from the prophets or from the word of God, and if he proclaimed them it is precisely so that they would be taught.

Source: HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 118. BETH.8.