Expositions on the Book of Psalms
384 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Psatm LXXIX.
Thy sword :"'® or when obstinate enemies at the last are punished. For the corporal ills which they suffer in this world, they may have in common with good men. There is also another kind of vengeance; that wherein the Church's enlargement and fruitfulness in this world after so great persecutions, wherein they supposed she would utterly perish, the sinner and unbeliever and enemy seeth, and is angry ; "with his teeth he shall gnash, and shall pine away."9 For who would dare to deny that even this is a most heavy punishment? But I know not whether that which he saith, " before our eyes," is taken with sufficient elegance, if by this sort of punishment we understand that which is done in the inmost recesses of the heart, and doth torment even those who blandly smile at us, while by us there cannot be seen what they suffer in the inner man. But the fact, that whether in them believing their iniquity is slain, or whether the last punishment is rendered to them persevering in their naughtiness, without difficulty of doubtfulness is understood in the saying, "that there may be known before our eyes vengeance among the nations." gone, which might have even been recent; but | "of old," that is, coming from parents. For to such iniqaities judgment, not correction, is owing. ' Speedily let Thy mercies anticipate us." Anticipate, that js,at Thy judgment. For "mercy exalteth above in judgment.''2 Now there is "judgment without mercy," but to him that hath not showed mercy. But whereas he addeth, "for we have become exceeding poor:" unto this end he willeth that the mercies of God should be understood to anticipate us; that our own poverty, that is, weakness, by Him having mercy, should be aided to do His commandments, that we may not come to His judgment to be condemned.
12. Therefore there followeth, "Help us, O God, our healing One"' (ver.g). By this word which he saith, "' our healing One," he doth sufficiently explain what sort of poverty he hath willed to be understood, in that which he had said, "for we have become exceeding poor." For it is that very sickness, to which a healer is necessary. But while he would have us to be aided, he is neither ungrateful to grace, nor doth he take away free-will. For he that is aided, doth also of himself something. He hath added also, " for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us: in order that he who glorieth, not in himself, but in the Lord may glory.4 " And merciful be Thou," he saith, "to our sins for Thy Name's sake :"? not for our sake. For what else do our sins deserve, but due and condign punishments? But "merciful be Thou to our sins, for Thy Name's sake." 'Thus then Thou dost deliver us, that is, dost rescue us from evil things, while Thou dost both aid us to do justice, and art merciful to our sins, without which in this life we are not. For "in Thy sight shall no man living be justified."'5 Butsin is iniquity. And "if Thou shalt have marked iniquities, who shall stand ?''7
14. And this indeed, as we have said, is a prophecy, not a wish. ... And the Lord in the Gospel ?° hath set before us the widow for an example, who longing to be avenged, did intercede with the unjust judge, who at length heard her, not as being guided by justice, but overcome with weariness: but this the Lord hath set before us, to show that much more the just God will speedily make the judgment of His elect, who cry unto Him day and night, Thence is also that cry of the Martyrs under the altar of God," that they may be avenged in the judgment of God. Where then is the, '' Love your enemies, do good unto them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you"? Where is also the, " Not rendering evil for evil, nor cursing for cursing :"' 3 and, "' unto no man rendering evil for evil" ?'4 . . . For when the Lord was exhorting us to love enemies, He set before us the example of our Father, who is in Heaven, "who maketh His sun to rise upon good men and evil men, and raineth upon just men and unjust men:'"''5 doth He yet therefore not chasten even by temporal correction, or not condemn at the last the "obstinately hardened ? Let therefore an enemy be so loved as that the Lord's justice whereby he is punished displease us not, and let the justice whereby he is punished so please us, as that the joy is not at his evil but at the good Judge. But a malevolent soul is sorrowful, if his enemy by being corrected shall have escaped punishment: and
13. But that which he addeth, "lest at any time they should say among the Gentiles, Where is their God?" (ver. 10) must be taken as rather for the Gentiles themselves. For to a bad end they come that have despaired of the true God, thinking that either He is not, or doth not help His own, and is not merciful to them. But this which followeth, "and that there may be known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of Thy servants which hath been shed:" is either to be understood as of the time, when they believe in the true God that used to persecute His inheritance ; because even that is vengeance, whereby is slain the fierce iniquity of them by the sword of the Word of God, concerning which hath been said, " Gird Thou
T AZ. " would be." 4-te Cornyn gis 6 7.e., injustice. IURSS CXXX5 3)
2 Jas. ii. 13. 3 Salutaris. 5 Ps. cxlili. 2. 1 John iii. 4 and v. 17.
8 Ps. xlv. 4. Il Rev. vi. 9. 14 Rom. xii. 17,
10 Luke xviii. 3. 13 1 Pet. ili. 9.
9 Ps. cxii. 10,
12 Matt. v. 44. 1S Matt. v. 45.