Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
Psat VII.| ON THE PSALMS. 21 wrought. Wherefore this silence is called the Son of the right hand, which is, " Chusi, the son of Gemini."
then, and understanding what the Lord has done for him, and by His example going on to perfection, the Psalmist says, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil:" that is, if I have not done what Thou hast taught me by Thy example: "may I therefore fall by mine enemies empty." And he says well, not, If I have repaid them that do me evil; but, who "recompense." For who so recompenseth, had received somewhat already. Now it is an instance of greater patience, not even to repay him evil, who after receiving benefits returns evil for good, than if without receiving any previous benefit he had had a mind to injure. If therefore he says, "I have repaid them that recompense me evil:' that is, If I have not imitated Thee in that silence, that is, in Thy patience, which Thou hast wrought for me, " may I fall by mine enemies empty.'' For he is an empty boaster, who, being himself a man, desires to avenge himself on a man; and whilst he openly seeks to overcome a man, is secretly himself overcome by the devil, rendered empty by vain and proud joy, because he could not, as it were, be conquered. The Psalmist knows - then where a greater victory may be obtained, and where "the Father which seeth in secret will reward." 4 Lest then he repay them that recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another man, being instructed too by those writings, wherein it is written, " Better is he that overcometh his anger, than he that taketh a city."5 "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil, may I therefore fall by my enemies empty.'' He seems to swear by way of execration, which is the heaviest kind of oath, as when one says, If I have done so and so, may I suffer so and so. But swearing in a swearer's mouth is one thing, in a prophet's meaning another. For here he mentions what will really befall men who repay them that recompense evil ; not what, as by an oath, he would imprecate on himself or any other.
2. "O Lord my God, in Thee have I hoped: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me" (ver. 1). As one to whom, already perfected, all the war and enmity of vice being overcome, there remaineth no enemy but the envious devil, he says, 'Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me (ver. 2): lest at any time he tear my soulas alion." The Apostle says, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."! Therefore when the Psalmist said in the plural number, "Save me from all them that persecute me:'' he afterwards introduced the singular, saying, "lest at any time he tear my soul as a lion." For he does not say, lest at any time they tear: he knew what enemy and violent adversary of the perfect soul remained. 'Whilst there be none to redeem, nor to save:'' that is, lest he tear me, whilst Thou redeemest not, nor savest. For, if God redeem not, nor save, he tears."
3. And that it might be clear that the already perfect soul, which is to be on her guard against the most insidious snares of the devil only, says this, see what follows. "O Lord my God, if I have done this" (ver. 3). What is it that he calls "this"? Since he does not mention the sin by name, are we to understand sin generally ? If this sense displease us, we may take that to be meant whick follows: as if we had asked, what is this that you say, "this"? He answers, "If there be iniquity in my hands." Now then it is clear that it is said of all sin, "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil" (ver. 4). Which none can say with truth, but the perfect. For so the Lord says, " Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven; who maketh His sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and raineth on the just and the unjust."3 He then who repayeth not them that recompense evil, is perfect. When therefore the perfect soul prays "for the words of Chusi, the son of Jemini," that is, for the knowledge of that secret and silence, which the Lord, favourable to us and merciful, wrought for our salvation, so as to endure, and with all patience bear, the guiles of this betrayer: as if He should say to this perfect soul, explaining the design of this secret, For thee ungodly and a sinner, that thine iniquities might be washed away by My blood-shedding, in great silence and great patience I bore with My betrayer ; wilt not thou imitate me, that thou too mayest not repay evil for evil? Considering
4. "Let the enemy " therefore " persecute my soul and take it" (ver.5). By again naming the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out him whom he spoke of above asa lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has deceived it, will take it. For the limit of men's rage is the destruction of the body ; but the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas whatever souls the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. "And let him tread my life upon the earth:" that is, by treading let him make my life earth, that is to say, his food. For he is not only called a lion, but a serpent too, to whom it was said, "Earth shalt thou eat.''® And to the sinner was
Ep Petive8: 2 [This Psalm is the first of those which our author rg agg They are seven, as follows: Psalms xxxiv., lii., liv., lvi., lvii., lix., exlii. — C.
4 Matt. vi. 6. 5 Prov. xvi. 32. 6 Gen. iii. 14.
3 Matt. v. 43, 45.
TFHE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Psatm VII.
and first fulfil what Thou hast enjoined ; that men by Thy example overcoming pride may not be possessed of the devil, who against Thy commandments advised to pride, saying, " Eat, and your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods." 8 it said, " Earth thou art, and into earth shalt thou go." "And let him bring down my glory to the dust." This is that dust which "the wind casteth forth from the face of the earth," ? to wit, vain and silly boasting of the proud, puffed up, not of solid weight, as a cloud of dust carried away by the wind. Justly then has he here spoken of the glory, which he would not have brought down to dust. For he would have it solidly established in conscience before God, where there is no boasting. " He that glorieth," saith the Apostle, "let him glory in the Lord." 3 This solidity is brought down to the dust, if one through pride despising the secrecy of conscience, where God only proves a man, desires to glory before men. Hence comes what the Psalmist elsewhere says, "God shall bruise the bones of them that please men.''4 Now he that has well learnt or experienced the steps in overcoming vices, knows that this vice of empty glory is either alone, or more than all, to be shunned by the perfect. For that by which the soul first fell, she overcomes the last. " For the beginning of all sin is pride:" and again, " The beginning of man's pride is to depart from God."'5
6. " And the congregation of the people shall surround Thee." 'This may be understood two ways. For the congregation of the people can be taken, either of them that believe, or of them that persecute, both of which took place in the same humiliation of our Lord: in contempt of which the multitude of them that persecute surrounded Him; concerning which it is said, "Why have the heathen raged, and the people meditated vain things?" But of them that believe through His humiliation the multitude so surrounded Him, that it could be said with the greatest truth, "blindness inpart is happened unto Israel, that the fulness of the Gentiles might come in:" ?° and again, "' Ask of me, and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thine inheritance, and the boundaries of the earth for Thy possession." '! "And for their sakes return Thou on high: " that is, for the sake of this congregation return Thou on high: which He is understood to have done by His resurrection and ascension into heaven. For being thus glorified He gave the Holy Ghost, which before His exaltation could not be given, as it is written in the Gospel, " for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." '? Having then returned on high for the sake of the congregation of the people, He sent the Holy Ghost: by whom the preachers of the Gospel being filled, filled the whole world with Churches.
5. "Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger" (ver. 6). Why yet does he, who we say is perfect, incite
God to anger? Must we not see, whether he rather be not perfect, who, when he was being stoned, said, "O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge "?® Or does the Psalmist pray thus not against men, but against the devil and his angels, whose possession sinners and the ungodly are?
He then does not pray against him in wrath, but in mercy, whosoever prays that that possession may be taken from him by that Lord "who justifieth the ungodly.''7 For when the ungodly is justified, from ungodly he is made just, and from being the possession of the devil he passes into the temple of God. And since it is a punishment that a possession, in which one longs to have rule, should be taken away from him: this punishment, that he should cease to possess those whom he now possesses, the Psalmist calls the anger of God against the devil. "Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger." "Arise" (he has used it as " appear"), in words, that is, human and obscure ; as though God sleeps, when He is unrecognised and hidden in His secret workings. " Be exalted in the borders of mine enemies." He means by borders the possession itself, in which he wishes that God should be exalted, that is, be honoured and glorified, rather than the devil, while the ungodly are justified and praise God. "And arise,O Lord my God, in the commandment that Thou hast given:" that is, since Thou hast enjoined humility, appear in humility ;
7. It can be taken also in this sense: " Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger, and be exalted in the borders of mine enemies: "' that is, arise in Thine anger, and let not mine enemies understand Thee ; so that to " be exalted," should be this, become high,"3 that Thou mayest not be understood ; which has reference to the silence spoken of above. For it is of this exaltation thus said in another Psalm, '" And He ascended upon Cherubim, and flew:" and, "He made darkness His secret place." '4 In which exaltation, or concealment, when for their sins' desert they shall not understand Thee, who shall crucify Thee, '" the congregation"' of believers " shall surround Thee." For in His very humiliation He was exalted, that is, was not understood. So that, " And arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that Thou hast given: "' may have reference to this, that is, when Thou showest Thyself, be high or deep that mine enemies may not un-
8 Gen. iii. 5. 9 Pasir 10 Rom. xi. 25. II Ps, ii, 8. 12 John vii. 39. 13 Altus. Its twofold meaning of "high" and ''deep" is not capable of being preserved in translation.
Ca hayes 3 x Cor. i. 31. 5 Ecclus. x. 13, 12. I Gen. iii. 19. i ® Acts vii. 60. 4 Ps, liii, 5. 7 Rom. iv. 5.
14 Ps, xviii, 10, 12.