Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
THE WORKS: OF ST) AUGUSTIN. [PsaLmM LXVIII.
in the Spirit foreseeing them, even he too being fulfilled with joy hath burst forth® a hymn, saying, "The Lord God is blessed, blessed is the Lord God from day unto day" (ver. 19). Which some copies have, "by day daily," because the Greeks have it thus, juepay Kal' jépay: which more exactly would be expressed by, "by day daily."" Which expression I think signifieth the same as that which hath been said, to wit, "' from day unto day." For daily this He doeth even unto the end, He leadeth captive captivity, receiving gifts in men.
23. But what is, ' Thou hast led captivity captive"? Is it because He hath conquered death, which was holding captive those over whom it reigned? Or hath he called men themselves captivity, who were being held captive under the devil? Which thing's mystery even the title of that Psalm? doth contain, to wit, ""when the house was being builded after the captivity :" that is, the Church after the coming in of the Gentiles. Calling therefore those very men who were being held captive a captivity, as when " the service "'? is spoken of there are understood those that serve also, that same captivity he saith by Christ hath been led captive. For why should not captivity be happy, if even for a good purpose men may be caught ? Whence to Peter hath been said, "From henceforth thou shalt catch men.''3 Led captive therefore they are because caught, and caught because subjugated, being sent under that gentle yoke, being delivered from sin whereof they were servants, and being made servants of righteousness5 whereof they were children. Whence also He is Himself in them, that hath given gifts to men, and hath received gifts in men. And thus in that captivity, in that servitude, in that chariot, under that yoke, there are not thousands of men lamenting, but thousands of men rejoicing. For the Lord is in them, in Sina, in the holy place.® ...
26. And because He leadeth that chariot unto the end, He continueth and saith, "A prosperous journey there shall make for us the God of our healths, our God, the God of making men safe" (ver. 20). Highly is grace here commended. For who would be safe, unless He Himself should make whole? But that it might not occur to the mind, Why then do we die, if through His grace we have been made safe? immediately he added below, "and the Lord's is the outgoing of death:" as though he were saying, Why are thou indignant, O lot of humanity, that thou hast the outgoing of death? Even thy Lord's outgoing was no other than that of death. Rather therefore be comforted than be indignant: for even "the Lord's is the outgoing of death." "For by hope we have been saved : but if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it."9 Patiently therefore even death itself let us suffer, by the example of Him, who though by no sin He was debtor to death, and was the Lord, from whom no one could take away life, but Himself laid it down of Himself, yet had Himself the outgoing of death.
24. But what next doth he adjoin? "For they that believe not to dwell" (ver. 18) : or, as some copies have, "For not believing to dwell: " for what else are men not believing, but they that believe not? To whom this hath been said, is not easy to perceive. For as though a reason were being given of the above words, when it had been said, "Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts in men:"' there hath been added in continuation, " for they that believe not to dwell," that is, not believing that they should dwell. What is this? Of whom saith he this? Did that captivity, before it passed into a good captivity, show whence it was an evil captivity? For through not believing they were possessed by the enemy, " that worketh in the sons of unbelief: among whom ye were sometime, while ye were living among them." By the gifts therefore of His grace, He that hath received gifts in men, hath led captive that captivity. For they believed not that they should dwell. For faith hath thence delivered them, in order that now believing they may dwell in the House of God, even they too becoming the House of God, and the Chariot of God, consisting of thousands of men rejoicing.
27. '" Nevertheless, God shall break in pieces the heads of His enemies, the scalp of hair of men walking on in their transgressions" (ver. 21) : that is, too much exalting themselves, being too proud in their transgressions: wherein at least they ought to be humble, saying, "'O Lord, be Thou merciful to me a sinner.'''° But He shall break in pieces their heads: for he that exalteth himself shall be humbled.'' And thus though even of the Lord be the outgoing of death: nevertheless the same Lord, because He was God, and died after the flesh of His own will, not of necessity, "shall'? break in pieces the heads of His enemies:'' not only of those who mocked and crucified Him, and wagged their heads, and said, "If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross ;"' 13 but also of all men lifting up themselves against His doctrine, and deriding His death as though it were of a man. For that very same One of whom hath been said, '' Others He saved, Himself He can-
25. Whence he that was singing of these things,
1 See Title Ps. xcv., Vulgate. 2 Militia. 3 Luke vy, 10. 4 Matt. xi. 30. 5 Rom. vi, 18. 6 Ps, Ixviii. 17. He adds: ' with which sense agreeth another interpretation also, whereby Sina is interpreted ' measure.'"
9 Rom. viii. 24, 25. : 10 Luke xviii. 13. 12 Oxf. mss. ' did." 8 Eructavit. 11 Luke xviii. 14. 13 Matt xxvii. 40.
Eph. ii. 2.