Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE WORKS®OF ST. AUGUSTIN, [PsaLm LXXVII.
they that are in the circuit of Him shall offer gifts''? All they that understand truth to be common to all, and who do not make it as it were their own by being proud concerning it, they shall offer gifts; because they have humility: but they that make as it were their own that which is common to all, as though it were set in the middle, are endeavouring to lead men astray to a party, these shall not offer gifts... . "To Him terrible." Let therefore all men fear that are in the circuit of Him. For therefore they shall fear, and with trembling they shall praise ; because they are in the circuit of Him, to the end that all men may attain unto Him, and He may openly meet all, and openly enlighten all. This is, to stand in awe with others.' When thou hast made him as it were thine own, and no longer common, thou art exalted unto pride ; though it is written, "Serve ye the Lord in fear, and exult unto Him with trembling.''? Therefore they shall offer gifts, who are in the circuit of Him. For they are humble who know truth to be common to all.
body, and bring it into captivity, lest perchance preaching to other men, I myself become a reprobate? 4 <1
PSALM LXXVIL.5
1. This Psalm's lintel is thus inscribed: "Unto the end, for Idithun, a Psalm to Asaph himself." What "Unto the end" is, ye know. Idithun is interpreted "leaping over those men," Asaph is interpreted "a congregation." Here therefore there is speaking "a congregation that leapeth over," in order that it may reach the End, which is Christ Jesus.°. . . 2. "With my voice," he saith, "to the Lord I have cried" (ver. 1). But many men cry unto the Lord for the sake of getting riches and avoiding losses, for the safety of their friends, for the security of their house, for temporal felicity, for secular dignity, lastly, even for mere soundness of body, which is the inheritance? of the poor man. For such and such like things': many men do cry unto the Lord; scarce one for the sake of the Lord Himself. For an easy thing it is fora man to desire anything of the Lord, and not to desire the Lord Himself; as if forsooth that which He giveth could be sweeter than Himself that giveth. Whosoever therefore doth cry unto the Lord for the sake of any other thing, is not yet one that leapeth over. . . . He doth indeed hearken to thee at the time when thou dost seek Himself, not when through Himself thou dost seek any other thing. It hath been said of some men, "They cried, and there was no one to save them ; to the Lord, and He hearkened not unto them." ® For why? Because the voice of them was not unto the Lord. This the Scripture doth express in another place, where it saith of such men, "On the Lord they have not called.''9 Unto Him they have not ceased to cry, and yet upon the Lord they have not called. What is, upon the Lord they have not called? They have not called the Lord unto themselves : '° they have not invited the Lord to their heart, they would not have themselves inhabited by the Lord. And therefore what hath befallen them? "They have trembled with fear where fear was not." They have trembled about the loss of things present, for the reason that they were not full of Him, upon whom they have not called. They have not loved gratis, so that after the loss of temporal things they could say, "As it hath pleased the Lord, so hath been done, be the name of the Lord blessed." !? Therefore this man saith, ' My voice is unto the Lord, and He
13. To whom shall they offer gifts? "To Him terrible, and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes" (ver. 12). For the spirits of princes are proud spirits. They then are not His Spirits ; for if they know anything, their own they will it to be, not public; but, that which setteth Himself forth as equal toward all men, that setteth Himself in the midst, in order that all men may take. as much as they can, whatever they can; not of what is any man's, but of what is God's, and therefore of their own because they have become His. Therefore they must needs be humble: they have lost their own spirit, and they have the Spirit of God. ...
For if thou shalt have confessed thyself dust, God out of dust doth make3 man. All they that are in the circuit of Him do offer gifts. All humble men do confess to Him, and do adore Him. 'To Him terrible they offer gifts." Whence to Him terrible exult ye with trembling :? "and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes:" that is, that taketh away the haughtiness of proud men. 'To Him terrible among the kings of the earth." Terrible are the kings of the earth, but He is above all, that doth terrify the kings of the earth. Be thou a king of the earth, and God will be to thee terrible. How, wilt thou say, shall I be a king of the earth? Rule the earth, and thou wilt be a king of the earth. Do not therefore with desire of empire set before thine eyes exceeding wide provinces, where thou mayest spread abroad thy kingdoms ; rule thou the earth which thou bearest. Hear the Apostle ruling the earth: "I do not so fight as if beating air, but I chasten my
4 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. 5 Lat. LXXVI. Sermon to the Commonalty. 6 [See p. 112, supra.—C. 7 Patrimonium. 8 Ps. xviii, 41. 9 Ps, xiv. 4. 10 /y se non vocaverunt. II Jobi. 21.
l Contremiscere. 2 Ps, ii. rr. 3 Or, "' make thee man" (three mss ap. Ben. #e).