Expositions on the Book of Psalms
254 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXII.
I should be lifted up, and fall: "To God my soul shall be made subject: for from Himself is my patience." What patience is there amid so great scandals, except that " if for that which we do not see we hope, through patience we look for it' ?'® There cometh my pain, there will come my rest also ; there cometh my tribulation, there will come my cleansing also. For doth gold glitter in the furnace of the refiner? In a necklace it will glitter, in an ornament it will glitter : let it suffer howeverthe furnace, in order that being cleansed from dross it may come into light. This is the furnace, there is there chaff, there gold, there fire, into this bloweth the refiner: in the furnace burneth the chaff, and the gold is cleansed ; the one into ashes is turned, of dross the other is cleansed. 'The furnace is the world, the chaff unrighteous men, the gold just men ; the fire tribulation, the refiner God: woman at the well found the Lord thirsting, and by Him thirsting she was filled: she first found
Him thirsting, in order that He might drink her believing. And when He was on the Cross, "I thirst," ' He said, although they gave not to Him that for which He was thirsting. For for themselves He was thirsting: but they gave vinegar, not new wine, wherewith are filled up the new bottles, but old wine, but old to its loss. For old vinegar also is said of the old men, of whom hath been said, " For to them is no changing ;"' 3 namely, that the Jebusites should be overthrown, and Jerusalem be builded.
6. So also the Head of this body even unto the end from the beginning runneth in thirst. And as if to Him were being said, Why in thirst? what is wanting to Thee, O Body of Christ, O Church of Christ? in so great honour, in so great exaltation, in so great height also even in this world established, what is wanting to Thee? There is fulfilled that which hath been foretold of thee, " There shall adore Him all kings of the earth, all nations shall serve Him."5 . . . They that at Jerusalem's festivals fill up the Churches, at Babylon's festivals fill up the theatres: and fer all they serve, honour, obey Her —not only those very persons that bear the Sacraments of Christ, and hate the commandments of Christ, but also they, that bear not even the mere Sacraments, Heathen though they be, Jews though they be,—they honour, praise, proclaim, " but with their mouths they were blessing." I heed not the mouth, He knoweth that hath instructed me, "with their heart they were cursing." In that place they were cursing, where *' mine honour they thought to drive back."
that which therefore the refiner willeth I do; wherever the Maker setteth me I endure it. I am commanded to endure, He knoweth how to cleanse: Though there burn the chaff to set me on fire, and as if to consume me ; that into ashes is burned, I of dross am cleansed. Wherefore? Because "' to God my soul shall be made subject : for from Himself is my patience."
8. "For Himself is my God and My Saving One, my Taker up, I will not remove hence" (ver. 6). Because " Himself is my God," therefore He calleth me: "and my Saving One," therefore He justifieth me: "and my Taker up," therefore He glorifieth me. For here
I.am called and am justified, but there I am glorified ; and from thence where I am glorified, "Twill not remove." For asojourner I am with Thee on earth as all my fathers were. Therefore from my lodging I shall remove, from my Heavenly home I shall not remove. "In God is my salvation and my glory" (ver. 7). Saved I shall be in God, glorious I shall be in God; for not only saved, but also glorious, saved, because a just man I have been made out of an ungodly man, by Him justified ;'' but glorious, because not only justified, but also honoured. For '' those whom He hath predestined, those also He hath called." '? Calling them, what hath
7. What dost Thou, O Idithun, Body of Christ, leaping over them? What dost Thou amid all these things? What wilt Thou? wilt faint? wilt Thou not persevere even unto the end? wilt Thou not hearken, '' He that shall have persevered even unto the end, the same shall be saved," © though for that iniquity aboundeth, the love of many shall wax cold?7 And where is it that Thou hast leaped over them? where is it that Thy conversation is in Heaven? §
But they cleave unto earthly things, as though earthborn they mind the earth, and are earth, the serpent's food.2 What dost thou amid these things? . . . " Nevertheless, to God my soul shall be made subject" (ver. 5). And who would endure so great things, either open wars, or secret lyings-in-wait? Who would endure so great things amid open enemies, amid false brethren? Who would endure so great things? Would a man? and if a man would, would a man of himself? I have not so leaped over that
He done here? "Whom He hath called, the same also He hath justified ; but whom He hath justified, the same also He hath glorified."' Justification therefore to salvation belongeth, glorifying to honour. How glorifying to honour belongeth, it is not needful to discuss. How justification belongeth to salvation, let us seek some proof. Behold there cometh to mind out of the Gospel: there were some who to themselves were seeming to be just men, and they were finding fault with the Lord because He
I John xix. 28. 2 Matt. ix. 17. 3 Ps, lv. 19. 4 2 Sam. v. 9. 5 Ps, xxii, 11. 6 Matt. x. 22. 7 Matt, xxiv. 12, 8 Philip. iii. 20. 9 Gen. iil. 14, it Rom, iv. 2, 10 Rom, viil. 25. 12 Rom. viii. 30.