Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
336 THE WORKS" OF (Si.cAUGUSTIN. [PsaLtm LXXIII.
Whence was the heart not right? Hear: "My steps were well nigh overthrown." What he hath meant by "almost," the same he hath meant by "well nigh:" and what he hath meant by "my feet were almost moved," the same he hath meant by "my steps were overthrown." Almost my feet were moved, almost my steps were overthrown. Moved were the feet : but whence were the feet moved and the steps overthrown? Moved were the feet to going astray, overthrown were the steps to falling: not entirely, but "almost." But what is this? Already I was going to stray, I had not gone: already I was falling, I had not fallen.
holden them pride"? "They have been clothed about with their iniquity and ungodliness." He hath not said, covered; but, "clothed about," on all sides covered up with their ungodliness. Deservedly miserable, they neither see nor are seen, because they are clothed about; and the inward parts of them are not seen. For whosoever could behold the inward parts of evil men, that are as it were happy for a time, whosoever could see their torturing consciences, whosoever could examine their souls racked with such mighty perturbations of desires and fears, would see them to be miserable even when they are called happy. But because "they are clothed about with their iniquity and ungodliness," they see not; but neither are they seen. The Spirit knew them, that saith these words concerning them: and we ought to examine such men with the same eye as that wherewith we know that we see, if there is taken from our eyes the covering of ungodliness. . . . 10. At first these men are being described. "There 'shall go forth as if out of fat their iniquity'' (ver. 7)... . A poor beggar committeth a theft ; out of leanness hath gone forth the iniquity: but when a rich man aboundeth in so many things, why doth he plunder the things of others? Of the former the iniquity out of leanness, of the other out of fatness, hath gone forth. Therefore to the lean man when thou sayest, Why hast thou done this? Humbly afflicted and abject he replieth, Need hath compelled me. Why hast thou not feared God? Want was urgent. Say to a rich man, Why doest thou these things, and fearest not God?— supposing thee to be great enough to be able to say it—see if he even deigneth to hear; see if even against thyself? there will not go forth iniquity out of his fatness. For now they declare war with their teachers and reprovers, and become enemies of them that speak the truth, having been long accustomed to be coaxed with the words of flatterers, being of tender ear, of unsound heart. Who would say to a rich man, Thou hast ill done in robbing other men's goods? Or perchance if any man shall have dared to speak, and he is such a man as he could not withstand, what doth he reply? All that he saith is in contempt of God. Why? Because he is proud. Why? Because he is fat. Why? Because he is devoted for a victim. "They have passed over unto purpose of heart.'' Here within they have passed over. What is, "they have passed over" ? They have crossed over the way. What is, "they have passed over"? 'They have exceeded the bounds of mankind, men like the rest they think not themselves. They have passed over, I say, the bounds of mankind. When thou sayest to
8. But whyeventhis? " For I was jealous," he saith, "in the case of sinners, looking on the peace of sinners" (ver. 3). I observed sinners, I saw them to have peace. What peace? Temporal, transient, falling, and earthly: but yet such as I also was desiring of God. I saw them that served not God to have that which I desired in order that I might serve God: and my feet were moved, and my steps were almost overthrown. But why sinners have this, he saith briefly: -" Because there is no avoidance of their death, and there is a firmament in their scourge"' (ver. 4). Now I have perceived, he saith, why they have peace, and flourish on the earth; because of their death there is no avoidance, because death sure and eternal doth await them, which neither doth avoid them, nor can they avoid it, "because there is no avoidance of their death, and there is a firmament in their scourge." And there is a firmament in their scourge. For their scourge is not temporal, but firm for everlasting. Because of these evil things then which are to be to them eternal, now what? 'In the labours of men they are not, and with men they shall not be scourged"'
(ver. 5). Doth not even the devil himself escape scourging with men, for whom nevertheless an eternal punishment is being prepared ?
g. Wherefore on this account what do these men, while they are not scourged, while they labour not with men? "Therefore," he saith, "there hath holden them pride" (ver. 6). Observe these men, proud, undisciplined ; observe the bull, devoted for a victim, suffered to stray at liberty ; and to damage whatever he may, even up to the day of his slaughter. Now it is a good thing, brethren, that we should hear in the very words of a prophet of this bull as it were, whereof I have spoken. For thus of him the Scripture doth make mention in another place : he saith that they are, as it were, made ready as for a victim, and that they are spared for an evil liberty.' "' Therefore," he saith, '" there hath holden them pride." What is, " there hath
2 Ed. zz tezpso; Ben. conj. and Oxf. Mss. 2% tezpsum.
I Prov. vii. 22.
Psatm LXXIII.] ( ON: THE PSALMS. Ja such a man, Thy brother this beggar is; when thou sayest to such a man, Thy brother' this poor man is; the same parents ye have had, Adam and Eve: do not heed thy haughtiness, do not heed the vapour unto which thou hast been elevated ; although an establishment waiteth about thee, although countless gold and silver, although a marbled house doth contain thee, although fretted ceilings cover thee, thou and the poor man together have for covering that roof of the universe, the sky; but thou art different from the poor man in things not thine own, added to thee from without: thyself see in them, not them in thee. Observe thyself, how thou art in relation to the poor man; thyself, not that which thou hast. For why dost thou despise thy brother? In the bowels of your mothers ye were both naked. Forsooth, even when ye shall have departed this life, and these bodies shall have rotted, when the soul hath been breathed forth, let the bones of the rich and poor man be distinguished! I am speaking of the equality of condition, of that very lot of mankind, wherein all men are born :? for both here doth a man become rich, and a poor man will not alway be here: and as a rich man doth not come rich, so neither doth he depart rich; the very same is the entrance of both, and like is the departure. I add, that perchance ye will change conditions. Now everywhere the Gospel is being preached : observe a certain poor man full of sores, who was lying before the gate of a rich man,3 and was desiring to be filled with crumbs, which used to they have spoken iniquity; but even openly, in the hearing of all, proudly; "I will do it;" "I will show you ;"' "thou shalt know with whom thou hast to do;" "I will not let thee live." 'Thou? mightest have but thought such things, not have given utterance to them! Within the chambers of thought at least the evil desire might have been confined, he might have at least restrained it within his thought. Why? Is he perchance lean? "There shall go forth as if out of fatness the iniquity of them." " Iniquity on high they have spoken."
12. "They have set against Heaven their mouth, and their tongue hath passed over above the earth''(ver. 9). For this, '' hath passed over above the earth" is, they pass over all earthly things? What is it to pass over all earthly things ?
He doth not think of himself as a man that can die suddenly, when he is speaking ; he doth menace as if he were alway to live: his thought doth transcend earthly frailty, he knoweth not with what sort of vessel he is enwrapped ; he knoweth not what hath been written in another place concerning such men: " His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return unto his earth, in that day shall perish all his thoughts."*® But these men not thinking of their last day, speak pride,? and unto Heaven they set their mouth, they transcend the earth. If a robber were not to think of his last day, that is, the last day of his trial, when sent to prison, nothing would be more monstrous than he: and yet he might escape. Whither dost thou flee to escape death? Certain will that day be. What is the long time which thou hast to live? How much is the long time which hath an end, even if it were a long time? To this there is added that it is nought: and the very thing which is called long time is not a long time, and is uncertain. Why doth he not think of this? Because he hath set against Heaven his mouth, and his tongue hath passed over above the earth. "And full days shall be found in them."
fall from the table of the rich man; observe also that likeness+ of thine who was clothed with purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. It chanced, I say, for that poor man to die, and to be borne by the Angels into the bosom of Abraham: but the other died and was buried ; for the other's burial perchance no one cared. . . . Brethren, how great was the toil of the poor man! Of how long duration were the luxuries of the rich man! But the condition which they have received in exchange is everlasting. . . . Deservedly too late he will say, "Send Lazarus," 5 "let him tell even my brethren ;" since to himself there is not granted the fruit of repentance. For it is not that repentance ® is not given, but everlasting will be the repentance, and no salvation after repentance. Therefore these men "have passéd over unto purpose of heart."
13. "Therefore there shall return hither My people" (ver. 10). Now Asaph himself is returning hither. For he saw these things abound to unrighteous men, he saw them abound to proud men: he is returning to God, and is beginning to inquire and discuss. But when? ' When full days shall be found in them.' What is "full days"? "But when there came the fulness of time, God sent His Son." ?° This is the very fulness of time, when He came to teach men that things temporal should be despised, that they should not esteem as a great matter whatever object evil men covet, that they should suffer whatever evil men fear. He became the
11. "They have thought and have spoken spitefulness'' (ver. 8). But men do speak spitefulness even with fear: but these men how? "Tniquity on high they have spoken." Not only
I The words from " this beggar," added from Oxf. mss. 2 [See A. N. F. vol. vii. p. 151. —C. 3 Luke xvi. 19. 4 Al. * father.' 5 Luke xvi. 27. 6 Used, of course, in the lower sense. [The sense, 7.¢., of mere attrition. See Roman doctrine, Liguori, vol. iv. p. 245, ed. Paris, 1852. —C.]
7 Oxf. mss. and some of Ben. '' Thou proud man, thou," etc. 8 Ps. cxlvi. 4. 9 Oxf. and other mss. "' proud things."
10 Gal. iv. 4.
338 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXXIII. i ee aR Oe they are in higher fever; physicians call it the "critical? accession"? through which they pass to health: greater fever is there, but leading to health: greater heat, but recovery is at hand. So also is this man enfevered. For these are dangerous words, brethren, offensive, and almost blasphemous, " How hath God known?" 'This is why I say, "and almost ;"" He hath not said, God hath not known: he hath not said, there is way, He recalled us to inward thought, admonished us of what should be sought of God. And see from what thought reacting upon itself, and in a manner recalling the waves of its impulse, he doth pass over unto choosing true things.
14. " And they said, How hath God known, and is there knowledge in the Most High?"
(ver. 11). See through what thought they pass. Behold unjust men are happy, God doth not care for things human. Doth He indeed know what we do? See what things are being said. We are inquiring, brethren, '"' How hath God known," etc. (no longer let Christians say it). For how doth it appear to thee that God knoweth not, and that there is no knowledge in the Most no knowledge in the Most High: but as if inquiring, hesitating, doubting. 'This is the same as he said a little before, "' My steps were almost overthrown." 3 He doth not affirm it, but the very doubt is dangerous. Through danger he is passing to health. Hear now the health': "Therefore in vain I have justified my heart, and have washed among the innocent my hands: and I have been scourged all the day long, and my chastening was in the morning." Chastening
High? He replieth, "Lo! themselves they are sinners, and in the world they have gotten abundant riches" (ver. 12). Both sinners they are, and in the world they have gotten abundant riches. He confessed that he willed not to be a sinner in order that he might have riches. A carnal soul for things visible and earthly would have sold its justice. What sort of justice is that which is retained for the sake of gold, as if gold were a more precious thing than justice herself, or as if when a man denieth the deposit of another man's goods, he to whom he denied them should suffer a greater loss, than he that denieth them to him. The former doth lose a garment, the latter fidelity. '" Lo! they are themselves sinners, and in the world they have gotten abundant riches." On this account therefore God knoweth not, and on this account there is no knowledge in the Most High.
is correction. He that is being chastened is being corrected. What is, "in the morning"? It is not deferred. That of the ungodly is being deferred, mine is not deferred: the former is too late or is not at all; mine is in the morning.
16. "If I said, I shall declare thus ; behold, the generation of Thy sons I have reprobated "
(ver. 15): that is, I will teach thus. How wilt thou teach? that there is no knowledge in the Most High, that God doth not know? Wilt thou propound this opinion, that without cause men live justly who do live justly; that a just man hath lost his service, because God doth more show favour to evil men, or else He doth care for no one? Wilt thou tell this, declare this? He doth restrain himself by an authority repressing him. What authority? A man wisheth some time to break out in this sentiment: but he is recalled by the Scriptures directing us alway to live well, saying, that God doth care for things human, that He maketh a distinction between a godly man and an ungodly man. Therefore this man also wishing to put forth this sentiment, doth recollect himself. And what saith he? 'I have reprobated the generation of Thy sons." If I shall declare thus, the generation of just men I shall repro- | bate. As also some copies have it, '' Behold, the generation of thy sons with which I have been in concert:" that is, with which consisting of | Thy sons I have been in concert ; that is, with which I have agreed, to which I have been conformed: I have been out of time with all, if so | I teach. For he doth sing in concert who giveth the tune together; but he that giveth not the tune together doth not sing in concert. Am I to say something different from that which Abraham said, from that which Isaac said, from that which Jacob said, from that which the Prophets said? |
15. "And I said, therefore ' without cause I have justified my heart" (ver. 13). In that I serve God, and have not these things; they serve him not, and they abound in these things : "therefore without cause I have justified my heart, and have washed among the innocent my hands." This without cause I have done. Where is the reward of my good life? Where is the wage of my service? I live well and am in need; and the unjust man doth abound. "And I have washed among the innocent my hands. And I have been scourged all the day long"
(ver. 14). From me the scourges of God do not impart. I serve well, and I am scourged ; he serveth not, and is honoured. He hath proposed to himself a great question. The soul is disturbed, the soul doth pass over things which are to pass away unto despising things earthly and to desiring things eternal. There is a passage of the soul herself in this thought ; where she doth toss in a sort of tempest she will reach the harbour. And it is with her as it is with sick persons, who are less violently sick, when recovery is far off: when recovery is at hand
1 mss. want " therefore." 2 Mss. creticam. 3 Ps, Ixxili. 2.
Psatm LXXIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 339
For all they said that God doth care for things human, am I to say that He careth not? Is there greater wisdom in me than in them? Greater understanding in me than in them? A most wholesome authority hath called back his thought from ungodliness. And what followeth? 'That he might not reprobate, he did what? "And I undertook to know" (ver. 16). May God be with him in order that he may know. Meanwhile, brethren, from a great fall he is being withheld, when he doth not presume that he already knoweth, but hath undertaken to know that which he knew not. For but now he was willing to appear as if knowing, and to declare that God hath no care of things human. For this hath come to be a most naughty and ungodly doctrine of unrighteous men. Know, brethren, that many men dispute and say that God careth not for things human, that by chances all things are ruled, or that our wills have been made subject to the stars, that each one is not dealt with according to his deserts, but by the necessity of his stars,—an evil doctrine, an impious doctrine. Unto these thoughts was going that man whose feet were almost moved, and whose steps were all but overthrown, into this error he was going ; but because he was not in tune with the generation of the sons of God, he undertook to know, and condemned the knowledge wherein with God's just men he agreed not. And what he saith let us hear; how that he undertook to know, and was helped, and learned something, and declared it to us. " And I undertook," he saith, " to know." 'In this labour is before me.'"' Truly a great labour ; to know in what manner both God doth care for things human, and it is well with evil men, and good men labour. Great is the importance of the question; therefore, "and this labour is before me." As it were there is standing in my face a sort of wall, but thou hast the voice of a Psalm, "In my God I shall pass over the wall." ?
thou mayest solve this question? "And I understand," he saith, " upon the last things: " not present things. I, he saith, from the Sanctuary of God stretch out mine eye unto the end, I pass over present things. All that which is called the human race, all that mass of mortality is to' come to the balance, is to come to the scale, thereon will be weighed the works of men. All things now a cloud doth enfold: but to God are known the merits of each severally. "And I understand," he saith, "upon the last things:" but not of myself; for before me there is labour. Whence "may I understand upon the last things"? Let me enter into the Sanctuary of God. In that place then he understood also the reason why these men now are happy.
18. To wit, "because of deceitfulness Thou hast set upon them" (ver. 18). Because deceitful they are, that is fraudulent; because deceitful they are, they suffer deceits. What is this, because fraudulent they are they suffer a fraud? They desire to play a fraud upon mankind in all their naughtinesses, they themselves also suffer a frand, in choosing earthly good things, and in forsaking the eternal. 'Therefore, brethren, in their very playing off a fraud they suffer a fraud. In that which but now I said, brethren, " What manner of wit? hath he who to gain a garment doth lose his fidelity?" hath he whose garment he hath taken suffered a fraud, or he that is smitten with so great a loss? If a garment is more precious than fidelity, the former doth suffer the greater loss: but if incomparably good faith doth surpass the whole world, the latter shall seem to have sustained the loss of a garment; but to the former is said, '"' What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?" 3 Therefore what hath befallen them? '"' Because of deceitfulness Thou hast set for them : Thou didst throw them down while they were being exalted." He hath not said, Thou didst throw them down because they were lifted up: not as it were after that they were lifted up Thou didst throw them down; but in their very lifting up they were thrown down. For thus to be lifted up is already to fall.
17... . And he hath done this ; for he saith how long labour is before him; "until I enter into the sanctuary of God, and understand upon the last things" (ver. 17). A great thing it is, brethren: now for a long time I labour, he saith, and before my face I see a sort of insuperable labour, to know in what manner both God is just, and doth care for things human, and is not unjust because men sinning and doing wicked actions have happiness on this earth ; but the godly and men serving God are wasted ofttimes in trials and in labours; a great difficulty it is to know this, but only " until I enter into the Sanctuary of God." For in the Sanctuary what is presented to thee, in order that
19. " How have they become a desolation suddenly?" (ver. 19). He is wondering at them, understanding unto the last things. '" They have vanished." Truly like smoke, which while it mounteth upward, doth vanish, so they have vanished. How doth he say, '"'They have vanished"? In the manner of one who understandeth the last things: "they have perished because of their iniquity." 'Like as the dream of one rising up"' (ver. 20). How have they vanished? As vanisheth the dream of one rising up.
2 Cor. 3 Matt. xvi. 26,
Z Ps, xviii. 29.
340 THE WORKS-OF 'ST. AUGUSTIN: [PsaLmM LXXIII.
Fancy a man in sleep to have seen himself find treasures ; he is a rich man, but only until he awaketh. " Like as the dream of one rising up:" so they have vanished, like the dream of one awaking. It is sought then and it is not: there is nothing in the hands, nothing in the bed. A poor man he went to sleep, a rich man in sleep he became: had he not awoke, he were a rich man: he woke up, he found the care which he had lost while sleeping. And these men shall find the misery which they had prepared for themselves. When they shall have awoke from this life, that thing doth pass away which was grasped as ifin sleep. "Like as the dream of one rising up." <And that there might not be said, 'What then? a small thing doth their glory seem to thee, a small thing doth their state seem to thee, small things seem to thee inscriptions, images, statues, distinctions, troops of clients?" "O Lord," he saith, "in Thy city their image? Thou shalt bring to nothing." ... He hath taken away the pride of rich men, he giveth counsel.? As if they3 were saying, We are rich men, thou dost forbid us to be proud, dost prohibit us from boasting of the parade of our riches: what then are we to do with these riches? Is it come to this, that there is nothing which they may do therewith? " Be they rich," he saith, "jin good works; let them readily distribute, communicate."# And what doth this profit? "Let them treasure unto themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of true life.""5 Where ought they to lay up treasure for themselves? In that place whereunto he set his eye, when entering into the Sanctuary of God. Let there shudder all our rich brethren, abounding in money, gold, silver, household, honours, let them shudder at that which but now hath been said, 'Thou shalt bring to nothing their image." Are they not worthy to suffer these things, to wit that God bring to nothing their image in His city, because also they have themselves brought to nothing the image of God in their earthly city?
the very man, who now say these things of rich men, once longed for such things: therefore
'' when my steps were almost overthrown. ' And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not." We must not therefore despair even of them, against whom I was saying such things.
"even I was brought to nothing
21. What is, "I knew not"? "As it werea beast I became to Thee, and I am alway with Thee (ver. 23). There is a great difference between this man and others. He became as it were a beast in longing for earthly things, when being brought to nothing he knew not things eternal: but he departed not from his God, because he did not desire these things of demons, of the devil. For this I have already brought to your notice. The voice is'from the Synagogue, that is, from that people which served not idols. A beast indeed I became, when desiring from my God things earthly: but I never departed from That my God.
22. Because then, though having become a beast, I departed not from my God, there followeth, "Thou hast held the hand of my right hand." He hath not said my right hand, but "the hand of my right hand." If the hand of the right hand it is, a hand hath a hand. "The hand Thou hast held of my right hand," in order that Thou mightest conduct me. For what hath he put hand? For power. For we say that a man hath that in his hand which he hath in his power: just as the devil said to God concerning Job, " Lay to Thine hand, and take away the things which he hath.'® What is, lay to Thine hand? Put? forth power. The hand of God he hath called the power of God: as hath been written in another place, "death and life are in the hands of the tongue."® Hath the tongue hands? But what is, in the hands of the tongue? In the power of the tongue. What is, in the power of the tongue? " Out of thy mouth thou shalt be justified, and out of thy mouth thou shalt be condemned." 9 'Thou hast held," therefore, "the hand of my right hand," the power of my right hand. What was my right hand? That I was alway with Thee. Unto the left I was holding, because I became a beast, that is, because there was an earthly concupiscence in me: but the right was mine, because I was alway with thee. Of this my right hand Thou hast held the hand, that is, hast directed the power. What power? "He gave them power to become sons of God." '° He is beginning now to be among the sons of God, belonging to the New Testament. See in what manner the hand of his right hand was held. "In Thy will Thou hast conducted me." What is, "in thy will"? >? Not in my merits. What is, "in Thy
20. "Because my heart was delighted" (ver. 21). Heissaying with what things he is tempted : "because my heart was delighted," he saith, "my reins also were changed.'"' When those temporal things delighted me, my reins were changed. It may also be understood thus: "because my heart was delighted" in God, " my reins also were changed, that is, my lusts were changed, and I became wholly chaste. 'My reins were changed." And hear how. "And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not" (ver. 22). I,
T Oxf. mss. "' images." 2 [He uses the word ferzmus in the omitted paragraph. — C.] He seems to mean, that such teaching, addressed to any one in common intercourse, would be "' smiting."
3 Oxf. mss. " the rich." 5 x Tim. vi. 19. 4 x Tim. vi. 18,
6 Jobi. rz. 7 Lit. " give." 8 Prov. xviii. 21. 9 Matt. xii. 37. 14° Johni, 12.