Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXXVIII.
angels man did eat: dainties He sent them in abundance" (ver. 25). He brought over the South Wind from Heaven, and in His virtue He led in the South West Wind" (ver. 26). " And He rained upon them fleshes like dust, and winged fowls like the sand of the sea" (ver. 27). "And they fellin the midst of their camp, around their tabernacles"' (ver. 28). "And they ate and were filled exceedingly ; and their desire He brought to them: they were not deprived of their desire" (ver. 29). Behold why He had delayed. But what He had delayed let us hear. 'Yet the morsel was in their mouths, and the anger of God came down upon them "' followeth, " And they slandered God, and said, Shall God be able to prepare a table inthe desert?" (ver. 19). " For He smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and torrents gushed forth: will He be able to give bread also, or to prepare a table for His people?" (ver. 20). Not believing therefore, they sought morsels for their souls. Not so the Apostle James doth enjoin a morsel to be asked for the mind, but doth admonish that it be sought by believers, not by such as tempt and slander God. " But if any one of you," he saith, "doth lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who doth give to all men abundantly, and doth not upbraid, and it shall be given to him: but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." This faith had not that generation which " had not directed their heart, and the spirit thereof had not been trusted with God."
(ver. 30). Behold what He had delayed. For before "He delayed:" and afterwards, " fire was lighted in Jacob and anger went yp upon
Israel." He had delayed therefore in order that He might first do what they had believed that He could not do, and then might bring upon them what they deserved to suffer. For if they placed their hope in God, not only would their desires of the flesh but also those of the spirit have been fulfilled. For he that... "opened the doors of Heaven, and rained upon them manna to eat," that He might fill the unbelieving, is not without power to give to believers Himself the true Bread from Heaven, which the manna did signify: which is indeed the food of Angels, whom being incorruptible the Word of God doth incorruptibly feed : the which in order that man might eat, He became flesh, and dwelled in us. For Himself the Bread by means of the Evangelical clouds is being rained over the whole world, and, the hearts of preachers like heavenly doors, being opened, is being preached not to a murmuring and tempting synagogue, but to a Church believing and putting hope in Him. He is able also to feed the feeble faith of such as tempt not, but believe, with the signs of words uttered by the flesh and speeding through the air, as though it were fowls: not however with such as come from the north, where cold and mist do _prevail, that is to say, eloquence which is pleasing to this world, but by bringing over the South Wind from Heaven; whither, except to the earth? In order that they who are feeble in faith, by hearing things earthly may be nourished up to receive things heavenly. ...
14. " Wherefore the Lord heard, and He delayed, and fire was lighted in Jacob, and wrath went up into Israel" (ver. 21). He-hath explained what he hath called fire. He hath called anger fire: although in strict propriety fire did also burn up many men. What is therefore this that he saith, "The Lord heard, and He delayed"? Did He delay to conduct them into the land of promise, whither they were being led: which might have been done in the space of a few days, but on account of sins they must needs be wasted in the desert, where also they were wasted during forty years? And if this be so, He did then delay the people, not those very persons who tempted and slandered God: for they all perished in the desert, and their children journeyed into the land of promise. Or did He delay punishment, in order that He might first satisfy unbelieving concupiscence, lest He might be supposed to be angry, because they were asking of Him what He was not able todo? "He heard," then, "and He delayed to avenge:" and after He had done what they supposed He was not able to do, then "anger went up upon Israel."
15. Lastly, when both these things have been briefly touched, afterwards he is evidently following out the order of the narrative. " Because they believed not in God, nor hoped in His saving health" (ver. 22). For when he had told why fire was lighted in Jacob, and anger went up upon Israel, that is to say, "' because they believed not in God, nor hoped in His saving health: " immediately subjoining the evident blessings for which they were ungrateful, he saith, "and He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of Heaven" (ver. 23). " And He rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them bread of Heaven" (ver. 24). " Bread of
16. But as to unbelievers, being a crooked and embittering generation, as it were, while the morsel was yet in their mouths, "the anger of God went up upon them, and it slew among the most of them" (ver. 31): that.is, the most of them, or as some copies have it, "the fat ones of them," which however in the Greek copies which we had, we did not find. But if this be
2 Johni. 14.
I Jas. i. 5, 6.