Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
THE WORKS) OF ST? AUGUSTIN. [PsALM LXXIX,.
before, we know to be evidently fulfilled. For when these things were being sung in the times of King David, nothing of such sort, by the hostility of the Gentiles, as yet had befallen the city Jerusalem, nor the Temple of God, which as yet was not even builded. For that after the death of David his son Salomon made a temple to God, who is ignorant? That is spoken of therefore as though past, which in the Spirit was seen to be future.
apostle Peter doth admonish them, when they were troubled because they had shed the blood of Christ, and he saith, " Repent ye, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins shall be forgiven you." + But twins they begat, the works, to wit, of the two commandments of twin love, love of God, and love of one's neighbour: whence a barren one there was not among them. From behind these teeming sheep our David having been taken, doth now feed other flocks among the Gentiles, and those too "Jacob" and "Tsrael."" For thus hath been said, "to feed Jacob His servant, and Israel His inheritance.". . . Unless perchance any one be willing to make such a distinction as this ; viz. that in this time Jacob serveth ; but he will be the eternal inherit-
"OQ God, the Gentiles have come into Thine inheritance" (ver. 1). Under which form of expression other things which were to come to pass, are spoken of as having been done. Nor must this be wondered at, that these words are being spoken to God. For they are not being represented to Him not knowing, by whose revelation they are foreknown ; but the soul is speaking with God with that affection of godliness, of which God knoweth.5 For even the things which Angels proclaim to men, they proclaim to them that know them not; but the things which they proclaim to God, they proclaim to Him knowing, when they offer our prayers, and in ineffable manner consult the eternal Truth respecting their actions, as an immutable law. And therefore this man of God is saying to God that which he is to learn of God, like a scholar to a master, not ignorant but judging ; and so either approving what he hath taught, or censuring what he hath not taught: especially because under the appearance of one praying, the Prophet is transforming into himself those who should be at the time when these things were to come to pass.° But in praying it is customary to declare those things to God which He hath done in taking vengeance, and for a petition to be added, that henceforth He should pity and spare. In this way here also by him the judgments are spoken of by whom they are foretold, as if they were being spoken of by those whom they befell, and the very lamentation and prayer is a prophecy.
ance of God, at that time when he shall see God face to face, whence he hath received the name Israel.?
38. " And He fed them," he saith, "in the innocence of His heart" (ver. 73). What can be more innocent than He, who not only had not any sin whereby to be conquered, but even not any to conquer? "And in the understanding of His hands He led them home:" or, as some copies have it, "in the understandings of His hands." Any other man might suppose that it would have been better had it been said thus, "in innocence of hands and understanding of heart ;"" but He who knew better than others what He spake, preferred to join with the heart innocence, and with the hands understanding. It is for this reason, as far as I judge; because many men think themselves innocent, who do not evil things because they fear lest they should suffer if they shall have done them; but they have the will to do them, if they could with impunity. Such men may seem to have innocence of hands, but yet not that of heart. And what, I pray, or of what sort is that innocence, if of heart it is not, where man was made after the image of God?3 But in this which he saith, "in understanding (or intelligence) of His hands He led them home," he seemeth to me to have spoken of that intelligence which He doth Himself make in believers: and so "of His hands:" for making doth belong to the hands, but in the sense wherein the hands of God may be understood ; for even Christ was a Man in such sort, that He was also God. ...
2. "They have defiled Thy holy Temple, they have made Jerusalem for a keeping of apples." "They have made the dead bodies of Thy servants morsels for the fowls of heaven, the fleshes of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth" (ver. 2). "They have poured forth their blood like water in the circuit of Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them" (ver. 3). If in this prophecy any one of us shall have thought that there must be understood that laying waste of Jerusalem, which was made by Titus the Roman Emperor, when already the
PSALM LXXIX
1. Over the title of this Psalm, being so short and so simple, I think we need not tarry. But the prophecy which here we read sent
Lord Jesus Christ, after His Resurrection and
5 One Oxf. ms. ''love thou to speak with God with affection of godliness, things of which God knoweth;" a/. "' For what things doth not God see ?"
T Acts ii. 38. 2 Gen. xxxii. 28. 3 Gen. i. 27. 4 Lat. LXXVIII. Preached after the Exposition of Psalm Ixxvili., as appears elsewhere.
6 [Compare 1 Pet. i, 12, a text which floods with light the subject of inspiration. — C. ]
PsALM LXXIX.] ON THE PSALMS. 381
Ascension, was being preached among the Gentiles, it doth not occur to me how that people could now have been called the inheritance of God, as not holding to Christ, whom having rejected and slain, that people became reprobate, which not even after His Resurrection would believe in Him, and even killed His Martyrs. For out of that people Israel whosoever have believed in Christ ; to whom the offer of Christ was made, and in a manner the healthful and fruitful fulfilment of the promise; concerning whom even the Lord Himself saith, "I am not sent but to the sheep which have been lost of the house of Israel,''* the same are they that out of them are the sons of promise ; the same are counted for a seed ;? the same do belong to the inheritance of God. From hence are Joseph that just man, and the Virgin Mary who bore Christ :3 hence John Baptist the friend of the Bridegroom, and his parents Zacharias and Elisabeth: 4 hence Symeon the old,' and Anna the widow, who heard not Christ speaking by the sense of the body; but while yet an infant not speaking, by the Spirit perceived Him: hence the blessed Apostles: hence Nathanael, in whom guile was not :° hence the other Joseph, who himself too looked for the kingdom of God:7 hence that so great multitude who went before and followed after His beast, saying, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord :" 8 among whom was also that company of children, in whom He declared to have been fulfilled, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise." 9 Hence also were those after His resurrection, of whom on one day three and on another five thousand were baptized,'° welded into one soul and one heart by the fire of love; of whom no one spoke of anything as his own, but to them all things were common." Hence the holy deacons, of whom Stephen was crowned with martyrdom before the Apostles." Hence so many Churches of Judza, which were in Christ, unto whom Paul was unknown by face,'3 but known for an infamous ferocity, and more known for Christ's most merciful grace. Hence even he, according to the prophecy sent before concerning him, "a wolf ravening, in the morning carrying off, and in the evening dividing morsels ;" '4 that is, first as persecutor carrying off unto death, afterwards as a preacher feeding unto life. These are they that are out of that people the inheritance of God.
of God : not those concerning whom a little below he saith, "But the rest have been blinded." For thus he saith. "What then? That which Israel sought, this he hath not obtained: but the election hath obtained it: but the rest have been blinded." !© This election then, this remnant, that people of God, which God hath not cast off, is called His inheritance. But in that Israel, which hath not obtained this, in the rest that were blinded, there was no longer an inheritance of God, in reference to whom it is possible that there should be spoken, after the glorification of Christ in the Heavens, in the time of Titus the Emperor, "O God, there have come the Gentiles unto Thine inheritance," and the other things which in this Psalm seem to have been foretold concerning the destruction of both the temple and city belonging to that people.
3. Furthermore herein we ought either to perceive those things which were done by other enemies, before Christ had come in the flesh: at that time when there were even the holy prophets, when the carrying away into Babylon took place,'?7 and that nation was grievously afflicted, and at the time when under Antiochus also the Maccabees, having endured horrible sufferings, were most gloriously crowned."® Or certainly if after the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord the inheritance of God must be understood to be here spoken of; such things must be understood herein, as at the hands of worshippers of idols, and enemies of the name of Christ, His Church, in such a multitude of martyrs,endured. . . . ThisChurch then, this inheritance of God, out of circumcision and uncircumcision hath been congregated, that is, out of the people of Israel, and out of the rest of the nations, by means of the Stone which the builders rejected, and which hath become for the Head of the corner,'? in which corner as it were two walls coming from different quarters
"For Himself is our peace, who hath made both one, that He might build two into Himself, making peace, and might unite together 7° both in one Body unto God:"'?" in which Body we are sons of God, " crying, Abba were united.
Father." 2, Abba, on account of their language ; Father, on account of ours. For Abba is the same as Father... . 4. But now in that which followeth, " they have made Jerusalem for a keeping of apples ;" even the Church herself is rightly understood under this name, even the free Jerusalem our mother,?3 concerning whom hath been written, "many more are the sons of the forsaken, than. . . So then even at this time a remnant through election of Grace have been saved. This remnant out of that nation doth belong to the inheritance '5 t Matt. xv. 24. 2 Rom. ix. 8. 3 Matt. i. 16. 4 Luke i. 5. 5 Luke ii, 25. 6 John i. 47. 7 John xix. 38; Luke xxiii, 51. 8 Matt. xxi. 9. 9 Ps. viii. 2. to Acts ii. 41, iv. 4. 1 Acts iv. 32. 12 Acts vii. 59. ' 13 Gal. i. 22. 14 Gen. xlix. 27. 15 One ms. " are the inheritance."
17 2 Kings xxiv. 14. 18 2 Mace. vil. 20 Coadunaret. MSS. "' might change." 22 Rom. vill. 15.
16 Rom. xi. 719 Ps, cxviil. 22. 21 Eph. ii. 14, etc. 23 Gal. iv. 26.
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm LXXIX,
of her that hath the husband." ! The expression, "for a keeping. of apples," I think must be understood of the desertion which the wasting of persecution hath effected: that is, like a keeping of apples; for the keeping of apples is abandoned, when the apples have passed away. And certes when through the persecuting Gentiles the Church seemed to be forsaken, unto the celestial table, like as it were many and exceeding sweet apples from the garden of the Lord, the spirits of the martyrs did pass away.
no one to bury:" it either ought not to seem to be an incredible thing that there should have been so great a panic in some places, that not any buriers at all of holy bodies came forward : or certes that unburied corpses in many places might lie long time, until being by the religious in a manner stolen' they were buried.
4. "We have become," he saith, "a reproach to our neighbours' (ver. 4). Therefore precious not in the sight of men, from whom this reproach was, but " precious5 in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."° "A scoffing and derision:" or, as some have interpreted it, "'a mockery to them that are in our circuit." It is a repetition of the former sentence. For that which above hath been called, "'a reproach," the same hath been repeated in, "a scoffing and derision:" and that which above hath been said in, "to our neighbours," the same hath been repeated in, "to them that are in our circuit."" Moreover, in reference to the earthly Jerusalem, the neighbours, and those in the circuit of that nation, are certainly understood to be other nations. But in reference to the free Jerusalem our mother,' there are neighbours even in the circuit of her, among whom, being her enemies, the Church dwelleth in the circuit of the round world.
5. "They have made," he saith, "the dead bodies of Thy servants morsels for the fowls of heaven, the fleshes of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth" (ver. 2). The expression, " dead bodies," hath been repeated in " fleshes:" and the expression, "of Thy servants," hath been repeated in, "of Thy saints." This only hath been varied, '' to the fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the earth." Better have they interpreted who have written " dead," than as some have it, " mortal." For "dead" is only said of those that have died; but mortal is a term applied even to living bodies. When then, as I have said, to their Husbandman the spirits of martyrs like apples had passed away, their dead bodies and their fleshes they set before the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the earth: as if any part of them could be lost to the resurrection, whereas out of the hidden recesses of the natural world He will renew the whole, by whom even our hairs have been numbered.?
8. In the second place now giving utterance to an evident prayer, whence it may be perceived that the calling to remembrance of former affliction is not by way of information but prayer ; " How long," he saith, "O Lord, wilt Thou be angry, unto the end? shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?" (ver. 5). He is evidently asking God not to be angry unto the end, that is, that this so great oppression and tribulation and devastation may not continue even unto the end; but that He moderate His chastening, according to that which is said in another Psalm, "Thou shalt feed us with the bread of tears, and Thou shalt give us to drink of tears in measure."® For the, "how long, O Lord, wilt Thou be angry, unto the end?" hath been spoken in the same sense as if it had been said, Be not, O Lord, angry unto the end. And in that which followeth, "shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?"'? both words must be understood, both, "how long," and, "unto the end:"' just as if there had been said, how long shall there burn like fire Thy jealousy unto the end? For these two words must be understood in the same manner as that word which was used a little higher up, namely, " they-havemade." For while the former sentence hath, "they have made the dead bodies of Thy servants morsels for the fowls of heaven: "' 9 this
6. "They have poured forth their blood like water," that is, abundantly and wantonly, "in the circuit of Jerusalem" (ver. 3). If we herein understand the earthly city Jerusalem, we perceive the shedding of their blood in the circuit thereof, whom the enemy could find outside the walls. But if we understand it of that Jerusalem, concerning whom hath been said, "' many more are the sons of her that was forsaken, than of her that hath the husband," ! the circuit thereof is throughout the universal earth. For in that lesson of the Prophet, wherein is written, "many more are the sons of her that was forsaken, than of her that hath the husband:" a little after unto the same is said, "and He that hath delivered thee, shall be called the God of Israel of the universal earth.''3 The circuit then of this Jerusalem in this Psalm must be understood as followeth: so far as at that time the Church had been expanded, bearing fruit, and growing in the universal world, when in every part thereof persecution was raging, and was making havoc of the Martyrs, whose blood was being shed like water, to the great gain of the celestial treasuries. But as to that which hath been added, "and there was
7k With pious sacrilege a grave T stole," Dr. Young. —C.] 5 Oxf. Mss. rep. * precious. © Ps. cxvi. 15. 7 Gal. iv. 26, 8 Ps, Ixxx. 5. 9 Ps. Ixxix. 2.
T Isa, liv. x. 2 Matt. x. 30. 3 Isa. liv. 5.
Psatm LXXIX.] ON THE PSALMS. 383 word the latter sentence hath not, wherein is said, "the fleshes of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth ;" but there is surely understood what the former hath, namely, " they have made."
is against the nations, which have not known the Lord? For in this which he saith, " Pour forth Thine anger," with this word he hath clearly enough pointed out, how great anger he hath willed that there should be understood. Whence afterwards he saith, " Render to our neighbours seven times as much."'9 Is it not that there is a great difference between servants, who, though they know not the will of their Lord, do yet call upon His name, and those that are aliens from the family of so great a Master, who are so ignorant of God, as that they do not even call upon God? For in place of Him they call upon either idols or demons, or any creature they choose ; not the Creator, who is blessed for ever. For those persons, concerning whom he is prophesying this, he doth not even intimate to be so ignorant of the will of their God, as that still they fear the Lord Himself; but so ignorant of the Lord Himself, that they do not even call upon Him, and that they stand forth as enemies of His name. 'There is a great difference then between servants not knowing the will of their God, and yet living in His family and in His house, and enemies not only setting the will against knowing the Lord Himself, but also not calling upon His name, and even in His servants fighting against it.
Moreover, the anger and jealousy of God' are not emotions of God; as some do charge upon the Scriptures which they do not understand :? but under the name of anger is to be understood the avenging of iniquity; under the name of jealousy, the exaction of chastity ; that the soul may not despise the law of her Lord, and perish by departing in fornication from the Lord. These then in their actual operation in men's affliction are violent ; but in the disposal of God they are calm, unto whom hath been said, " But Thou, O Lord of virtues, with calmness dost judge."3 But it is clearly enough shown by these words, that for sins these tribulations do befall men, though they be faithful: although hence may bloom the Martyrs' glory by occasion of their patience, and the yoke of discipline godly endured as the scourge of the Lord. Of this the Maccabees amid sharp tortures,' of this the three men amid flames innocuous,5 of this the holy Prophets in captivity, do testify. For although paternal correction most bravely and most godly they endure, yet they do not hide the fact, that these things have befallen them for the deservings of their sins.° . . g. But that which he addeth, " Pour forth Thine anger upon the nations which have not known Thee, and upon the kingdoms which have not called upon Thy name" (ver. 6) ; this too is a prophecy, not a wish. Not in the imprecation of malevolence are these words spoken, but foreseen by the Spirit they are predicted: just as in the case of Judas the traitor, the evil things which were to befall him have been so prophesied as if they were wished. For in like manner as the prophet doth not command Christ, though in the imperative mood he giveth utterance to what he saith, " Gird Thou Thy sword about Thy thigh, O Most Mighty: in Thy beauty and in Thy goodliness, both go on, and prosperously proceed, and reign:''7 so he doth not wish, but doth prophesy, who saith, " Pour forth Thine anger upon the nations which have not known Thee." Which in his usual way he repeateth, saying, "'And upon the kingdoms which have not called upon Thy name."' For nations have been repeated in kingdoms: and that they have not known Him, hath been repeated in this, that they have not called upon His name. How then must be understood, what the Lord saith in the Gospel® concerning stripes, " the many and the few''? if greater the anger of God
10. Lastly, there followeth, " For they have eaten up Jacob, and his place they have made desolate" (ver. 7). . . . How we should view " the place' of Jacob, must be understood. For rather the place of Jacob may be supposed to be that city, wherein was also the Temple, whitherunto the whole of that nation for the purpose of sacrifice and worship, and to celebrate the Passover, the Lord had commanded to assemble. For if the assemblies of Christians, letted and suppressed by persecutors, has been what the Prophet would have to be understood, it would seem that he should have said, places made desolate, not place. Still we may take the singular number as put for the plural number; as dress for clothes, soldiery for soldiers, cattle for beasts : for many words are usually spoken in this manner, and not only in the mouths of vulgar speakers, but even in the eloquence of the most approved authorities. Nor to divine Scripture herself is this form of speech foreign. For even she hath put frog for frogs, locust for locusts,'° and countless expressions of the like kind. But that which hath been said, "They have eaten up Jacob," the same is well understood, in that many men into their own evil-minded body, that is, into their own society, they have constrained to pass.
. . He subjoineth, "' Remember not our
Ebay iniquities of old" (ver. 8).
He saith not by-
I The anger any jealousy of God. 2 Manichzus. 3 Wisd. xii. 18 . 4 2 Macc. vii. 1, 2, etc. 5 Dan. iii. 21. é Ps. cxviil. 18; Heb. xii. 6. 7 Ps xlv.735 4. 8 Luke xii. 47, 48.
9 Ps. lxxix, 13, 10 Ps, Ixxviii. 46.