Expositions on the Book of Psalms
288 THE WORKS'.OF ST... AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXVIII. ment." For God called the firmament Heaven,? as in Genesis hath been written. Thus then Heavens and Heaven, mountains and mountain, are not a different thing, but the very same thing : just as Churches many, and the One Church, are followeth, ' Mount Sina from the face of the God | of Israel," ' "with voluntary rain severing God to Thine inheritance" (ver. 9), namely, the God that on Mount Sina spake to Moses, when He gave the Law, so that the manna is the voluntary rain, which God severed for His inheritance, that is, for His people; because them alone He so fed, not the other nations also: so that what next he saith, "and it was weakened," is understood of the inheritance being itself weakened; for they murmuring, fastidiously loathed the manna, longing for victuals of flesh, and those things on which they had been accustomed to live in Egypt2 ... Lastly, all those men in the desert were stricken down, nor were any of them except two found worthy to go into the land of promise.3 Although even if in the sons of them that inheritance be said to have been perfected, we ought more readily to hold to a spiritual sense. For all those things in a figure did happen to them ;¢ until the day should break, and the shadows should be removed.5 not a different thing, but the very same thing. Why then "Mount Sina, which gendereth unto bondage'? !° as saith the Apostle. - Is perchance the Law itself to be understood in Mount Sina, as that which "the Heavens dropped from the face of God," in order that the earth might be moved? And is this the very moving of the earth, when men are troubled, because the Law they cannot fulfil? But if so it is, this is the voluntary rain, whereof in confirmation he saith, "Voluntary rain God severing to Thine inheritance:" because " He hath not done so to any nation, and His judgment He hath not mani- -fested to them.'''* God therefore set apart this voluntary rain to His inheritance because He gave the Law. And "there was made weak," either the Law, or the inheritance. The Law may be understood to have been made weak, because it was not fulfilled; not that of itself it is weak, but because it maketh men weak, by threatening punishment, and not aiding through grace. For also the very word the Apostle hath used, where he saith, " For that which was impossible of the Law, wherein it was made weak through the flesh: '? willing to intimate that through the Spirit it is fulfilled: nevertheless, itself he. hath said is made weak, because by weak men it cannot be fulfilled. But the inheritance, that is, the people, without any doubt is understood to have been made weak by the giving tothem of the Law. For " the Law came in, that transgression might abound." 3 But that which followeth, " But Thou hast made it perfect," to the Law is thus referred, forasmuch as it is made perfect, that is, is fulfilled after that which the Lord saith in the Gospel, "'I have not come to annul the Law, but to fulfil." 14. . . There isin these words yet another sense: which seemeth to me more to approve itself. For much more in accordance with the context, grace itself is understood to be the voluntary rain, 5 because with no preceding merits of works it is given gratis.'© "For if grace, no longer of works: otherwise grace no longer is grace." '7 . . . "But to humble men He giveth grace." '8 And it was made weak, but Thou hast made it perfect :"' because "virtue in weakness is perfected." 19 Some copies indeed, both Latin and Greek, have not g. May then the Lord open to us that knock ; and may the secret things of His mysteries, as far as Himself vouchsafeth, be disclosed. For in order that the earth might be moved to the Truth when into the desert of the Gentiles the Gospel was passing, "' the Heavens dropped from the face of God."' These are the Heavens, whereof in another Psalm is sung, '' The Heavens are telling forth the glory of God."® . . . So here also, "the Heavens dropped ;"' but "from the face of God." For even these very persons have been " saved through faith, and this not of themselves, but God's gift it is, not of works, lest perchance any man should be lifted up. For of Himself we are the workmanship," 7 ' that maketh men of one mood to dwell in a house." 8
10. But what is that which followeth, " Mount Sina from the face of the God of Israel'? Must there be understood "dropped ;" so that what he hath called by the name of Heavens, the same he hath willed to be understood under the name of Mount Sina also ; just as we said that those are called mountains, which were called Heavens? Nor in this sense ought it to move us that He saith "' mountain," not mountains, while in that place they were called "Heavens," not Heaven: for in another Psalm also after it had been said, 'The Heavens are telling forth the glory of God: "® after the manner of Scripture repeating the same sense in different words, subsequently there is said, "And. the firmament telleth the works of His hands." ° First he said " Heavens," not " Heaven:" and yet afterwards not "firmaments," but " firma- " Mount Sina;'' but, '' from the face of the God of Sina, from the face of the God of Israel." That is, "The Heavens dropped from the face
Il Ps. cxlvii. 20. 9 Gen. i. 8. 10 Gal. iv. 24. i 14 Matt. v. 17. 12 Rom, viii. 3. 13 Rom. v. 20. 15 Grace the voluntary rain. 16 | See p. 189, supra.—C.] 18 Jas, iv. 6, 19 2 Cor, xii, 9. 17 Rom, xi. 6.
3 Numb. xiv. 23, 34. 6 Ps, xix.t.
2 Numb. xi. 5, 6. 5 Sol. Song i. 17. 8 Ps, Ixviil. 6.
1 Ps. Ixviii. 8. 4 x Cor. x. 11. 7 Eph, ii. 8-10, PSALMS. 289
Psatm LXVIII.] ON THE of God:" and, as if enquiry were made of what God, "from the face of the God," he saith, " of Sina, from the face of the God of Israel," that is, from the face of the God that gave the Law to the people of Israel. Why then "the Heavens dropped from the face of God," from the face of this God, but because thus was fulfilled that which had been foretold, " Blessing He shall give that hath given the Law"?' The Law whereby to terrify a man that relieth on human powers ; blessing, whereby He delivereth a man that hopeth in God. Thou then, O God, hast made perfect Thine inheritance ; because it is made weak in itself, in order that it may be made perfect by Thee. it hath been said, "The Lord of Virtues, He is the King of Glory?'"'+ But his not having said King of Virtues, but " King of the Virtues of the beloved," is a most usual expression in the Scriptures, if any one observe: which thing chiefly appeareth in those cases where even the person's own name is already expressed, so that it cannot at all be doubted that it is the same person of whom something is said. Of which sort also is that which in the Pentateuch in many passages is found: " And Moses did it, as the Lord commanded Moses." He said not that which is usual in our expressions, And Moses did, as the Lord commanded him ; but, " Moses did as the Lord commanded Moses," as if one per-
11. " Thine animals shall dwell therein " (ver. 10). "Thine," not their own; to Thee subject, not for themselves free ; for Thee needy, not for themselves sufficient. Lastly, he continueth, "Thou hast prepared in Thine own sweetness for the needy, O God." "In Thine own sweetness," not in his meetness. For the needy he is, for he hath been made weak, in order that he may be made perfect: he hath acknowledged himself indigent, that he may be replenished. This is that sweetness, whereof in another place is said, '"' The Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her fruit: "'? in order that a good work may be done not for fear, but for love ; not for dread of punishment, but for love of righteousness. For this is true and sound freedom. But the Lord hath prepared this for one wanting, not for one abounding, whose reproach is that poverty : of which sort in another place is said, " Reproach to these men that abound, and contempt to proud men."3. For those he hath called proud, whom he hath called them that abound. son were the Moses whom He commanded, and another person the Moses who did, whereas it is the very same. In the New Testament such expressions are most difficult to finds... "The King," therefore, "of the virtues of the Beloved," thus may be understood, as if it were to be said, the King of His virtues, because both King of Virtues is Christ, and the Beloved is the very same Christ. However, this sense hath not so great urgency, as that no other can be accepted: because the Father also may be understood as King of the virtues of His Beloved Son, to whom the Beloved Himself saith, " All Mine are Thine, and Thine Mine."® But if perchance it is asked, whether God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ can be called King also, I know not whether any one would dare to withhold this name from Him in the passage where the Apostle saith, "' But to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God." 7 Because even if this be said of the Trinity itself, therein is also God the Father. But if we do not carnally understand, " O God, Thy Judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the Son of the King :'"'® I knownot whether anything else hath been said than, "to Thy Son." King therefore is
12. "The Lord shall give the Word" (ver. 11): to wit, food for His animals which shall dwell therein. But what shall these animals work to whom He shall give the word? What but that which followeth? "To them preaching the Gospel in much virtue."" With what virtue, but with that strength wherein He leadeth forth men fettered? Perchance also here he speaketh of that virtue, wherewith in preaching the Gospel they wrought wondrous signs. Who then "shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue'? 'The King," he saith, "of the virtues 'of the Beloved" (ver. 12). The Father therefore is King of the virtues of the Son. For the Beloved, when there is not specified any person that is beloved, by a substitution of name, of the Only Son is understood. Is not the Son Himself King of His virtues, to wit of the virtues serving Himself? Because with much virtue the King of Virtues shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel, of Whom the Father also. Whence that verse of this Psalm, '" King of the virtues of the Beloved," in either way may be understood. When therefore he had said, "The Lord shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue: " because virtue itself by Him is ruled, and serveth Him by whom it is given; the Lord Himself, he saith, who shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue, is the King of the virtues of the Beloved.
13. In the next place there followeth, " Of the Beloved, and of the beauty of the House to divide the spoils." The repetition belongeth to eulogy.? . . . But whether it be repeated, or 4 Ps. xxiv. 10. 5 Rom. i. 3, 4. 6 John xvii. ro, 7 x Tim. i. 17. 8 Ps. Ixxil. 1. 9 He adds: ' This repetition all the copies have not, and the more careful mark it with a star put before it, which marks are called asterisks, whereby they would have to be noted, that there are not in the Septuagint Version, but there are in the Hebrew, those words which are distinguished by such marks."
I Ps, Ixxxiv. 6 (@/. Ixxxiii. 8). Vulgate nearly so, 2 Ps, Ixxxv. 12. 3 Ps. cxxili. 4.