Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
THE WORKS (QE xSIy AUGUSTIN,
[Psatm LXXIIL. walking ; we have been brought back from the bottomless places of the earth, by believing in Him who before us hath risen again from the bottomless place of the earth. . . . Thou hast heard one " again," thou hast heard the other " again ;"' one " again' ' because of Christ going before ; and the other, yet however in hope, and a thing which remaineth to be in substance. "Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness," ! already in me believing, already in those that first have risen again in hope. . . . " Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness, and being turned Thou hast comforted me:" and because of the body to rise again at the end, "even from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back.
When shall they be confounded, when shall they blush, save at the end of the world? For in two ways they shall be confounded, either when they shall believe in Christ, or when Christ shall have come. For so long as the Church is here, so long as grain groaneth amid chaff, so long as wheat groaneth amid tares,* so long as vessels of mercy groan amid vessels of wrath made for dishonour,5 so long as lily groaneth amid thorns, there will not be wanting enemies to say, " When shall he die, and his name perish?"'® " Behold there shall come the time when Christians shall be ended and shall be no more: as they began at a set time, so even unto a particular time they shall be." But while they are saying these things and without end' are dying, and while the Church is continuing preaching the Arm of the Lord 8 to every generation that is to come ; there shall come Himself also at last in His glory,? there shall rise again all the dead, each with his cause: there shall be severed good men to the right hand, but evil men to the left, and they shall be confounded that did insult, they shall blush that did mock: and so my tongue after resurrection shall meditate of Thy righteousness, all day long of Thy praise, "when they shall have been confounded and shall have blushed, that seek evil things for me."
28. " For I will confess to Thee in the vesselécots-ac Psalin. Thy)truth'i(ver.-22))<' | The vessels of a Psalm are a Psaltery. But what isa Psaltery? An instrument of wood and strings.? What doth it signify? There is some difference between it and a harp: . . . there seemeth to be signified by the Psaltery the Spirit, by the harp the flesh. And because he had spoken of two bringings back of ours from the bottomless places of the earth, one after the Spirit in hope, the other after the body in substance ; hear thou of these two: " For I will confess to Thee in the vessels of a Psalm Thy truth." This after the Spirit: concerning the body what? "I will psalm to Thee on a harp, Holy One of Israel."
PSALM LXXII.7°
29. Again hear this because of that same "again" and "again." " My lips shall exult when I shall psalm to Thee" (ver. 23). Because lips are wont to be spoken of both belonging to the inner and to the outward man, it is uncertain in what sense lips have been used: there followeth therefore, "And my soul which Thou hast re-
1. " For Salomon" indeed this Psalm's title is fore-noted: but things are spoken of therein which could not apply to'that Salomon king of Israel after the flesh, according to those things which holy Scripture speaketh concerning him : but they can most pertinently apply to the Lord Christ. Whence it is perceived, that the very word Salomon is used in a figurative sense, so that in him Christ is to be taken. For Salomon is interpreted peace-maker : and on this account such a word to Him most truly and excellently doth apply, through Whom, the Mediator, having received remission of sins, we that were enemies are reconciled to God. For " when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." '' The Same is Himself that Peace-maker. . . . Since then we have found out the true Salomon, that is, the true Peacemaker: next let us observe what the Psalm doth teach concerning Him. deemed.' Therefore regarding the inward lips having been saved in hope, brought back from the bottomless places of the earth in faith and love, still however waiting for the redemption of our body,3 we say what? Already he hath said, "And my soul which Thou hast redeemed." But lest thou shouldest think the soul alone redeemed, wherein now thou hast heard one " again," " but still," he saith; why still? "but still my tongue also: "' therefore now the tongue of the body: "all day long shall meditate of Thy righteousness" (ver. 24): that is, in eternity without end. But when shall this be? Hereafter at the end of the world, at the resurrection of the body and the changing into the Angelic state. Whence is it proved that this is spoken of the end, " but still my tongue also all day long shall meditate of Thy righteousness "'? " When they shall have been confounded and shall have blushed, that seek evil things for me."
2. "O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the King's Son"' (ver.
1). The Lord Himself in the Gospel saith, "The Father judgeth not any one, but all judgment He hath given to the Son:"' this is then, i 2 Tim. ii. 20, 6 Ps, xli. 5. see NE vols v. 516, 520. —C.] to Lat. LX 1 Rom. v. 10.
. Matt. iii. 12, xiii. 30.
' Faith," most Mss. 9 Matt. xxv. eyo 12 Joha v, 22,
I Or, "justice." 2 [See p. 170, supra. —C.] 3 Rom. viii, 23.