Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
346 THE WORKS' OF OT) AUGUSTIN, [Psatm LXXIV.
out unclean it remaineth? Draw it back, let it return to its colour, let it acknowledge the Saviour. " Wherefore dost thou turn away Thine hand, and Thy right hand from the midst of Thy bosom unto the end?" These words he crieth, being blind, not understanding, and God doeth what He doeth. For wherefore came Christ? "Blindness in part happened unto Israel, in order that the fulness of the Gentiles might enter in, and so all Israel might be saved."* Therefore now, O Asaph, acknowledge that which hath gone before, in order that thou mayest at least follow, if thou wast not? able to go before. For not in vain came Christ, or in vain was Christ slain, or in vain did the corn fall into the ground; but it fell that it might rise manifold. A serpent was lifted up in the desert, in order that it might cure of the poison him that was smitten.4 Observe what was done. Do not think it to be a vain thing that He came: lest He find thee evil, when He shall have come a second time.
sessed, Thou hast broken in pieces upon the water: for those persons whom they were possessing, Thou by Baptism hast delivered.
13. What more after the heads of dragons? For those dragons have their chief, and he is himself the first great dragon. And concerning him what hath He done that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth? Hear: "Thou hast broken the head of the dragon"' (ver. 14). Of what dragon? We understand by dragons all the demons that war under the devil: what single dragon then, whose head was broken, but the devil himself ought we to understand? What with him hath He done? "Thou hast broken the head of the dragon." That is, the beginning of sin. That head is the part which received the curse, to wit that the seed of Eve should mark the head of the serpent.? For the Church was admonished to shun the beginning of sin. Which is that beginning of sin, like the head of a serpent? The beginning of all sin is pride.® There hath been broken therefore the head of the dragon, hath been broken pride diabolical. And what with him hath He done, that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth? "Thou hast given him for a morsel to the Ethiopian peoples." What is this? How do I understand the Ethiopian peoples? How but by these all nations? And properly by black men: for Ethiopians are black. They are themselves called to the faith who were black; the very same indeed, so that there is said to them, " for ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord." 9 . . . Thence was also that calf which the people worshipped, unbelieving, apostate, seeking the gods of the Egyptians, forsaking Him who had delivered them from the slavery of the
11. Asaph hath understood, because on the Title of the Psalm there is, " understanding of Asaph." And what saith he? "But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth" (ver. 12). On the one hand we cry, "No longer is there prophet, and us He will not know as yet:"5 but on the other hand, "our God, our King, who is before the worlds " (for He is Himself in the beginning of the Word® by whom were made the worlds), "hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth." "God therefore, our King before the worlds," hath done what? "hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth:" and I am yet crying as if forsaken! . . . Now the Gentiles are awake, and we are snoring, and as though God hath forsaken us, in dreams we are delirious. 'He hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth."
Egyptians: whence there was enacted that great Sacrament. For when Moses was thus wroth with them worshipping and adoring the idol,'° and, inflamed with zeal for God, was punishing temporally, in order that he might terrify them to shun death everlasting ; yet the head itself of the calf he cast into the fire, and ground to powder, destroyed, strawed on the water, and gave to the people to drink: so there was enacted a great Sacrament. O anger prophetic, and mind not perturbed but enlightened! He did what? Cast it into the fire, in order that first the form itself may be obliterated ; piece by piece grind it down, in order that little by little it may be consumed: cast it into the water, give to the people to drink! What is this but that the worshippers of the devil were become the body of the same? In the same manner as men confessing Christ become the Body of Christ ; so that to them is said, "but ye are the Body of Christ
12. Now therefore, O Asaph, amend thyself according to thy understanding, tell us what sort of Salvation God hath wrought in the midst of the earth. When that earthly Salvation of yours was overthrown, what did He do, what did He promise? 'Thou didst confirm in Thy virtue the sea" (ver. 13). As though the nation of the Jews were as it were dry land severed from the waves, the Gentiles in their bitterness were the sea, and on all sides they washed about that land: behold, "Thou hast confirmed in Thy virtue the sea," and the land remained thirsting for Thy rain. " Thou hast confirmed in Thy virtue the sea, Thou hast broken in pieces the heads of dragons in the water.'' Dragons' heads, that is, demons' pride, wherewith the Gentiles were pos-
1 Rom. xi. 25. ae" 2 Oxf. mss. '* wast unwilling, and wast not." 4 Numb. xxi. 9. 3 John xii. 24. 5 Ps, Ixxiv. 9. 6 Jone i, 1.
7 Gen. ili. 15. 8 Eccles. x. 13. 9 Eph. v. 8. [See p. 331, note 3, supra. —C.] 10 Exod. xxxil. 19.
Psatm LXXIV.] ON THE "PSALMS. 347 and the members."* The body of the devil was to be consumed, and that too by Israelites was to be consumed. For out of that people were the Apostles, out of that people the first Church.
him a well of water springing up unto life eternal?5 But the other receiveth the Word, he preacheth, he is not silent, he runneth: but summer proveth whether he be fountain or torrent. Nevertheless through both be the earth watered, by Him who hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth: let the fountains overflow, let the torrents run.
. . . Thus the devil is being consumed with the loss of his members. 'This was figured also in the serpent of Moses. For the magicians did likewise, and casting down their rods they exhibited serpents: but the serpent of Moses swallowed up the rods of all those magicians.2_ Let there be perceived therefore even now the body of the devil: this is what is coming to pass, he is being devoured by the Gentiles who have believed, he hath become meat for the Ethiopian peoples. This again, may be perceived in, "Thou hast given him for meat to the Ethiopian peoples," how that now all men bite him. What is, bite him? By reproving, blaming, accusing. Just as hath been said, by way of prohibition indeed, but yet the idea expressed: " but if ye bite and eat up one another, take heed that ye be not consumed of one another." 3 What is, bite and eat up one another? Ye go to law with one another, ye detract from one another, ye heap revilings upon one another. Observe therefore now how that with these bitings the devil is being consumed. What man, when angry with his servant, even a heathen, would not say to him, Satan?4* Behold the devil given for meat. This saith Christian, this saith Jew, this saith heathen : 4 him he worshippeth, and with him he Cursethd-rcen).
15. "Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham"' (ver. 15)... . Whatis Etham? For the word is Hebrew. What is Etham interpreted? Strong, stout. Who is this strong and stout one, whose rivers God drieth up? Who but that very dragon? For "no one entereth into the house of a strong man that he may spoil his vessels, unless first he shall have bound fast the strong man."7 'This is that strong man on his own virtue relying, and forsaking God: this is that strong man, who saith, "I will set my seat by the north, and I will be like the Most High."® Out of that very cup of perverse strength he hath given man to drink. Strong they willed to be, who thought that they would be Gods by means of the forbidden food. Adam became strong, over whom was reproachfully said, "' Behold, Adam hath become like one of us."9 . . . As though they were strong, "to the righteousness of God they have not been made subject." *° Observe ye that a man hath put out of the way his own strength, and remained weak, needy, standing afar off, not daring even to raise his eyes to Heaven ; but smiting his breast, and saying, "O Lord, merciful be Thou to me a sinner." '! Now he is weak, now he confesseth his weakness, he is not strong: dry land he is, be he watered with fountains and torrents. They are as yet strong who rely on their own virtue. Be their rivers dried up, let there be no advancement in the doctrines of the Gentiles, of wizards, of astrologers, of magic arts: for dried up are the rivers of the strong man: 'Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham." Let there dry up that doctrine ; let minds be flooded with the Gospel of truth.
14. "Thou hast cleft the fountains and torrents,' (ver. 15): in order that they might flow with the stream of wisdom, might flow with the riches of the faith, might water the saltness of the Gentiles, in order that they might convert all unbelievers into the sweetness of the faith by their watering. . . . In some men the Word of God becometh a well of water springing up unto life eternal ;5 but others hearing the Word, and not so keeping it as that they live well, yet not keeping silence with tongue, they become torrents. For they are properly called torrents which are not perennial: for sometimes also in a secondary sense torrent is used for river: as hath been said, "with the torrent of Thy pleasures Thou shalt give them to drink.'"'® For that torrent shall not ever be dried up. But torrents properly are those rivers named, which in summer fail, but with winter rains are flooded and run. Thou seest therefore a man sound in faith, that will persevere even unto the end, that will not forsake God in any trial; for the sake of the truth, not for the sake of falsehood and error, enduring all difficulties. Whence is this man so vigorous, but because the Word hath become in
16. "Thine own is the day and Thine own is the night" (ver. 16). Who is ignorant of this, seeing that He hath Himself made all these things ; for by the Word were made all things? '? To that very One Himself who hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth, to Him is said, "Thine own is the night." Something here we ought to perceive which belongeth to that very Salvation which He hath wrought in the midst of the earth. 'Thine own is the day." Who are these? The spiritual. 'And Thine own is the night.'"" Who are these? 'The carnal. ... "Thou hast made perfect sun and
7 Mark xii. 29. 8 Tsa. xiv. 13. 9 Gen. iii. 22. 10 Rom. x. 3. It Luke xviii. 13. 12 Johni. 3.
1 x Cor. xii. 27. 2 Exod. vii. 12. 3 Gal. v. 15. 4 [A note of the state of heathenism in our author's time. — C.] 5 John iv. 14. © Ps, xxxvi. 8.
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[PsaLm LXXIV.
moon:" the sun, spiritual men, the moon, carnal men. As yet carnal he is, may he not be forsaken, and may he too be made. perfect. The sun, as it were a wise man: the moon, as it were an unwise man: Thou hast not however forsaken. For thus it is written, "A wise man endureth as the sun, but a foolish man as the moon is changed."* What then? Because the sun endureth, that is, because the wise man endureth as the sun, a foolish man is changed like the moon, is one as yet carnal, as yet unwise, to be forsaken? And where is that which hath been said by the Apostle, "To the wise and unwise a debtor I am" ?2
19. But what sayest thou, O Asaph, now in understanding? "Deliver not to the beasts a soul confessing to Thee" (ver. 19)... . To what beasts, save to those the heads whereof were broken in pieces upon the water? For the same devil is called, beast, lion, and dragon. Do not, he saith, give to the Devil and his Angels a soul confessing to Thee. Let the serpent devour, if still I mind things earthly, if for things earthly I long, if still in the promises of the Old Testament, after the revealing of the New, I remain. But forasmuch as now I have laid down pride, and my own righteousness I will not acknowledge, but Thy Grace ; against me let proud beasts have no power. "The souls of Thy poor forget Thou not unto the end." Rich we were, strong we were: but Thou hast dried up the rivers of Etham: no longer we establish our own righteousness, 'but we acknowledge Thy Grace ; poor we are, hearken to Thy beggars. Now we do not dare to lift our eyes to Heaven, but smiting our breasts we say, "'O Lord, be Thou merciful to me a sinner." 7
17. "Thou hast made all the ends of the earth" (ver. 17)... . Behold in what manner He hath made the ends of the earth, that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth.
"Thou hast made all the ends of the earth. Summer and spring Thou hast made them." Men fervent in the Spirit are the summer. Thou, I say, hast made men fervent in the Spirit: Thou hast made also the novices in the Faith, they are the "spring." 'Summer and Spring Thou hast made them." 'They shall not glory as if they have not received: "Thou hast made them."
20. "Have regard unto Thy Testament" ® (ver. 20). Fulfil that which Thou hast promised: the tables we have, for the inheritance we are looking. "Have regard unto Thy Testament," not that old one: not for the sake of the land of Canaan I ask, not for the sake of the temporal subduing of enemies, not for the sake of carnal fruitfulness of sons, not for the sake of earthly riches, not for the sake of temporal welfare: "Have regard unto Thy Testament," wherein Thou hast promised the kingdom of
18. " Mindful be Thou of this Thy creature "' (ver. 18). Of what creature of Thine? "The enemy hath reviled the Lord." O Asaph, grieve over thine old blindness in understanding: " the enemy hath reviled the Lord." It was said to Christ in His own nation, "a sinner is this Man: we know not whence He is:" we know Moses, to him spake God; this Man is a Samaritan.3 "And the unwise people hath provoked Thy name." The unwise people Asaph was at that time, but not the understanding of Asaph at that time. What is said in the former Psalm? "As it were a beast I have become unto Thee, and I am alway with Thee :''* because He went not to the gods and idols of the Gentiles. Although he knew not, being like a beast, yet he knew again asa man. For he said, " alway I am with Thee, like a beast: and what afterwards .in that place in the same Psalm, where Asaph is? "Thou hast held the hand of my right hand, in Thy will Thou hast conducted me, and with glory Thou hast taken me up."5 In Thy will, not in my righteousness: by Thy gift, not by my work. Therefore here also, "the enemy hath reviled the Lord: and the unwise people hath provoked Thy name." Have they all then perished? Far be it. . . . For even the Apostle Paul through unbelief had been broken, and through faith unto the root he was restored. So evidently "the unwise people provoked Thy name," when it was said, " If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross." ®
Heaven. Now I acknowledge Thy Testament : now understanding is Asaph, no beast is Asaph, now he seeth that which was spoken of, " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, and I will accomplish with the House of Israel and of Juda a new Testament, not after the Testament which I ordered 9 with their Fathers." '° " Have regard unto Thy Testament: for they that have been darkened have been filled of the earth of unrighteous houses:"' because they had unrighteous hearts. Our "houses" are our hearts: therein gladly dwell they that are blessed with pure heart." " Have regard," therefore, " unto Thy Testament:" and let the remnant be saved: '? for many men that give heed to earth are darkened, and filled with earth. For there hath entered into their eyes dust, and it hath blinded them, and they have become dust which the wind sweepeth from the face of the earth." "They that have been darkened have been filled of the earth of unrighteous houses." For by giving heed to earth they have been darkened, concerning whom there is said in another
8 Or, "' Covenant." II Matt. v. 8. 7 Luke xviii. 13. 10 eee EE 13 Ps. i. 4.
9 Disposut. 12 Rom. ix, 27.
t Ecclus. xxvii. 11. 2 Rom. i, 14. 3 John ix. 24, 29; John viii. 48. - S Ps, Ixxiii. 23. © Matt, xxvii. 40.
4 Ps, Ixxiii. 22.
PSALMS. 349
Psatm LXXIV.] ON THE
Psalm, " Let their eyes be blinded, that they see not, and their back ever bow Thou down." ! With earth, then, "they that have been darkened have been filled, with the earth of unrighteous houses:" because they have unrighteous heartsics..
operations of the body I know thee to be living, by the works of creation canst thou not know the Creator? And perchance he that saith, when I shall be dead, afterwards I shall be nothing; hath both learned letters, and hath learned this doctrine from Epicurus, who was a sort of doting philosopher, or rather lover of folly not of wisdom, whom even the philosophers themselves have named the hog: who said that the "chief good" was pleasure of body; this philosopher they 7 have named the hog, wallowing in carnal mire. From him perchance this lettered man hath learned to say, I shall not be, after I have died. Dried be the rivers of Etham! Perish those doctrines of the Gentiles, flourish the plantations of Jerusalem! Let them see what they can, in heart believe what they cannot see! Certainly all those things which throughout the world now are seen, when God was working Salvation in the midst of the earth, when those things were being spoken of, they were not then as yet: and behold at that time they were foretold, now they are shown as fulfilled, and still the fool saith in his heart, '' there is no God." ® Woe to the perverse hearts: for so will there come to pass the things which remain, as there have come to pass the things which at that time were not, and were being foretold as to come to pass. Hath God indeed performed 9 to us all the things which He promised, and concerning the Day of Judgment alone hath He deceived us? Christ was not on the earth ; He promised, He hath performed: no virgin had conceived ; He promised, He hath performed: the precious Blood had not been shed whereby there should be effaced the handwriting of our death; He promised, He hath performed: not yet had flesh risen again unto life eternal ; He promised, He hath performed : not yet had the Gentiles believed ; He promised, He hath performed : not yet heretics armed with the name of Christ, against Christ were warring ; He foretold, He hath performed: not yet the idols of the Gentiles from the earth had been effaced ; He foretold, He hath performed : when all these things He hath foretold and performed, concerning the Day of Judgment alone hath He lied? It will come by all means as these things came ; for even these things before they came to pass were future, and as future were first foretold, and afterwards they came to pass. It will come, my brethren. Let no one say, it will not come: or, it will come, but far off is that which will come. But to thyself it is near at hand to go hence. . . . If thou shalt have done that which the devil doth suggest, and shalt have despised that which God hath commanded ;
21. "Let not the humble man be turned away confounded " (ver. 21). For them pride hath confounded. "The needy and helpless man shall praise Thy name." Ye see, brethren, how sweet ought to be poverty : ye see that poor and helpless men belong to God, but "poor in spirit, for of them is the Kingdom of Heaven." ? Who are the poor in spirit? The humble, men trembling at the words of God, confessing their sins, neither on their own merits, nor on their own righteousness relying. Who are the poor in spirit? They who when they do anything of good, praise God, when anything of evil, accuse themselves. ' Upon whom shall rest My Spirit," saith the Prophet, " but upon the humble man, and peaceful, and trembling at My words?" 3 Now therefore Asaph hath understood, now to the earth he adhereth not, now the earthly promises out of the Old Testament he requireth Otis'.
22. "Arise, O Lord, judge Thou my cause" 4 (ver. 22). ... Because I am not able to show my God, as if I were following an empty thing, they revile me. And not only Heathen, or Jew, or heretic ; but sometimes even a Catholic brother doth make a grimace when the promises of God are being preached, when a future resurrection is being foretold.s And still even he, though already washed with the water of eternal Salvation, bearing the Sacrament of Christ, perchance saith, "and what man hath yet risen again?" And, "I have not heard my father speaking out of the grave, since I buried him!"' "God hath given to His servants a law for time, to which ° let them betake themselves: for what man cometh back from beneath?'"' And what shall I do with such men? Shall I show them what they see not? Iam not able: for not for the sake of them ought God to become visible... . I see not, he saith: what am I to believe? Thy soul is seen then, I suppose? Fool, thy body is seen: thy soul who doth see? Since therefore thy body alone is seen, why art thou not buried? He marvelleth that I have said, If body alone is seen, why art thou not buried? And he answereth (for he knoweth as much as this), Because I am alive. How know I that thou art alive, of whom I see not the soul? How know I? Thou wilt answer, Because I speak, because I walk, because I work. Fool, by the
I Ps. Ixix. 23. 2 Matt. v. 3. 3 Isa. xvi. 2. 4 E. V. "' Thine own cause." S {1 Cor. xv. 35 .—C.J 6 Quod (tempus ?). Oxf. mss. guam (legem).
7 Oxf. mss. ' philosopher." [Hor. Z%. iv. 16; and Cic, De Officiis, iii. 33. —C.]
S. XIV. I. 9 Exhibuit.
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXXV.
'All things have passed away like a shadow. Because on things corruptible they relied, their hope shall be corrupted: but our own hope at that time shall be substance. For in order that the promise of God may remain whole and sure and certain towards us, we have said out of a heart ¢ of faith, "at the end corrupt not." Fear not, therefore, lest any mighty man should corrupt the promises of God. He doth not corrupt, because He is truthful; He hath no one more mighty by whom His promise may be corrupted : let us be then sure concerning the promises of God ; and let us sing now from the place where the Psalm beginneth.
there will come the Judgment Day, and thou wilt find that true which God hath threatened, and that false which the devil hath promised.
. . . "Remember Thy reproaches, those which are from the imprudent man all the day long." For still Christ is reviled: nor will there be wanting all the day long, that is, even unto the end of time, the vessels of wrath. Still is it being said, "Vain things the Christians do preach:"' still is it being said, "A fond thing is the resurrection of the dead." "' Remember Thy reproaches." But what reproaches, save those "which are from the imprudent man all the day long?" Doth a prudent man say this? Nay, for a prudent man is said to be one farseeing. If a prudent man is one far-seeing, by faith he seeth afar: for with eyes scarce that before the feet is seen.
2. "We will confess to Thee, O Lord, we will confess to Thee, and will invoke Thy name"
(ver. 1). Do not invoke, before thou confess : confess, and invoke. For Him whom thou art invoking, unto thyself thou callest. For what is it to invoke, but unto thyself to call? If He is invoked by thee, that is, if He is called to thee, unto whom doth He draw near? Toa proud man He draweth not near. High indeed He is, one lifted up attaineth not unto Him. In order that we may reach all exalted objects, we raise ourselves, and if we are not able to reach them, we look for some appliances or ladders, in order that being exalted we may reach exalted objects: contrariwise God is both high, and by the lowly He is reached. It is written, "Nigh is the Lord to them that have bruised the heart."5 The bruising of the heart is Godliness, humility. He that bruiseth himself is angry with himself. Let him make himself angry in order that he may make Him merciful ; let him make himself judge, in order that he may make Him Advocate. Therefore God doth come when invoked. Unto whom doth He come? To the proud man He cometh not.
23. "Forget not the voice of them that implore Thee" (ver. 23). While they groan for and expect now that which Thou hast promised from the New Testament, and walk by that same Faith, "do Thou not forget the voice of them imploring Thee." But those still say, "Where is Thy God? Let the pride of them that hate Thee come up alway to Thee." Do not forget even their pride. Nor doth He forget: no doubt He doth either punish or amend.
PSALM LXXV."
1... . The Title of this Psalm thus speaketh : 'At the end,? corrupt not." What is, "corrupt not?" That which Thou hast promised, perform. But when? "At the end." To this then let the mind's eye be directed, "unto the end." Let all the things which have occurred in the way be passed over, in order that we may attain to the end. Let proud men exult because of present felicity, let them swell with honours, glitter in gold, overflow with domestics, be encircled with the services of clients: these things pass away, they pass away like a shadow. When that end shall have come, when all who now hope in the Lord are to rejoice, then to them shall come sorrow without end. When the meek shall have received that which the proud deride, then the vapouring of the proud shall be turned into mourning. Then shall there be that voice which we know in the Book of Wisdom: for they shall say at that time when they see the glory of the Saints, who, when they were in humiliation, endured them; who, when they were exalted, consented not — at that time then they shall say, " These are they whom sometime we have had in derision."3 Where they also say, 'What hath pride profited us, and the boasting of riches hath bestowed upon us what?"
. . . Take heed therefore what ye do: forif He knoweth, He is not unobservant.® It is better therefore that He be unobservant than known. For what is that same being unobservant, but not knowing? What is, not to know? Not to animadvert. For even as the act of one avenging animadversion is wont to be spoken of.
Here one praying that He be unobservant: "Turn away Thy face from my sins."? What then wilt thou do if He shall have turned away His face from thee? A grievous thing it is, and to be feared, lest He forsake thee. Again, if He turn not away His face, He animadverteth. God knoweth this thing, God can do this thing, namely, both turn away face from one sinning, and not turn away from one confessing. ... Confess therefore and invoke. For by confessing thou purgest the Temple, into which He may
4 4 mss. "mouth," _ 5 Ps xxxiv. 18. 6 Non ignosczt, " doth not forgive" (take no notice). 7 Ps, li. g.
I Lat. LXXIV. Sermon to the Commonalty. 2 In finem. 3 Wisd. v. 3.