Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PsaLM LXXXI.] ON THE PSALMS. 391 is, on the " fifth of the sabbath," God said, " Let the waters bring forth creeping things of living souls." * See ye, therefore, ye in whom the waters have already brought forth creeping things of living souls. For ye belong to the presses, and in you, whom the waters have brought forth, one thing is strained out, another is thrown away. For there are many that live not worthily, of the baptism which they have received. For how many that are baptized have chosen rather to be filling the Circus than this Basilica! How many that are baptized are either making booths in the streets, or complaining that they are not made !
give the tabret."" The Apostle Paul saith in a certain place,3 reproving and grieving, that no one had communicated with him in the matter of giving and receiving. What is, "in the matter of giving and receiving,'"' but that which he hath openly set forth in another place. "If we have sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things." And it is true that a tabret, which is made of hide, belongs to the flesh. The Psalm, therefore, is spiritual, the tabret, carnal. Therefore, people of God, congregation of God, "take ye the Psalm, and give the tabret:" take ye spiritual things, and give carnal. This also. is what at that blessed Martyr's table 5 we exhorted you, that receiving spiritual things ye should give carnal. For these which are built for the time, are needful for receiving the bodies either of the living or of the dead, but in time that is passing by. Shall we after God's judgment take up these buildings to
But this Psalm, " For the presses," and " on the fifth of the sabbath," is sung "unto Asaph." Asaph was a certain man called by this name, as Idithun, as Core, as other names that we find in the titles of the Psalms: yet the interpretation of this name intimates the mystery of a hidden truth. Asaph, in fact, in Latin is interpreted "congregation." Therefore, " For the presses, on the fifth of the sabbath," it is sung " unto Asaph," that is, for a distinguishing pressure, to the baptized, born again of water, the Psalm is sung to the Lord's congregation. We have read the title on the lintel, and have understood what it means by these "presses."" Nowif you please let us see the very house of the composition, that is, the interior of the press. Let us enter, look in, rejoice, fear, desire, avoid. For all these things ye are to find in this inward house, that is, in the text of the Psalm itself, when we shall have begun to read, and, with the Lord's help, to speak what He grants us.
Heaven? Yet without these we shall not be able to do at this time the things which belong to the possessing of Heaven. If therefore ye are eager in getting spiritual things, be ye devout in expending carnal things. ' Take the Psalm, and give the tabret:" take our voice, return your hands.
5. "The pleasant psaltery,® with the harp." I remember that we once intimated to your charity the difference of psaltery and harp.?
. . . For heavenly is the preaching of the word of God. But if we wait for heavenly things, let us not be sluggish in working at earthly things ; because, "the psaltery is pleasant,'' but, "with the harp." The same is expressed in another way as above, "Take the Psalm, and give the tabret:'' here for '" Psalm," is put " psaltery," for " tabret," "harp.'"' Of this, however, we are admonished, that to the preaching of God's word we make answer by bodily works.
3. Behold yourselves, O Asaph, congregation of the Lord. '" Exult ye unto God our helper" (ver. 1). Ye who are gathered together to-day, ye are this day the congregation of the Lord, if indeed unto you the Psalm is sung, " Exult ye unto God our helper." Others exult unto the Circus, ye unto God: others exult unto their deceiver, do ye exult unto your helper: others exult unto their god their belly, do ye exult unto your God your helper. " Jubilate unto the God of Jacob."" Because ye also belong to Jacob: yea, ye are Jacob, the younger people to which the elder is servant.2 ' Jubilate unto the God of Jacob.' Whatsoever ye cannot explain in words, ye do not therefore forbear exulting : what ye shall be able to explain, cry out : what ye cannot, jubilate. For from the abundance of joys, he that cannot find words sufficient, useth to break out into jubilating; "Jubilate unto the God of Jacob."
6. "Sound the trumpet" (ver. 3). This is, Loudly and boldly preach, be not affrighted ! as the Prophet says in a certain place, "Cry out, and lift up as with a trumpet thy voice." > Sound the trumpet in the beginning of the month of the trumpet." It was ordered, that in the beginning of the month there should be a sounding of the trumpet: and this even now the Jews do in bodily sort, after the spirit they understand it not. For the beginning of the month, is the new moon: the new moon, is the new life. What is the new moon? "Tf any, then, is in Christ,
3 Phil. iv. 15. 4 x Cor. ix. 11. 5 St. Cyprian's, who is named in § 21, note 4; namely, at Carthage, on the spot of his martyrdom. '' In that same place," says St. Augustin, Ser. 113, ''a table was constructed to God, which is called Cyprian's table, not because Cyprian ever ate there, but because there he was offered up, and because by that very offering of his he prepared that table, not to feed or be fed on, but whereon sacrifice might be offered to God, to whom himself also was offered." — Ben, 6 Or, '' The psaltery is pleasant." 7 ie repeats. See Ps. xliii. 4, p. 139, supra. — C.] 8 Isa. lvili. 1.
4. "Take the Psalm, and give the tabret" (ver. 2). Both "take," and "give." What is, "take"? what, " give'? " Take the Psalm, and
1 Gen. i, 20. 2 Gen, xxv. 23.
THE WORKS"OF ST. AUGUSTIN,
[Psatm LXXXI.
Blood of the Lord. Why fearest thou to come? The consciousness, perhaps, of some huge offences goads and tortures in thee thy mind, and says to thee that it is so great a thing thou hast committed, that thou mayest despair to have it remitted thee. Fear lest there remain anything of thy sins, if there lived any one of the Egyptians ! ® he is a new creature." What is, "sound the trumpet in the beginning of the month of the trumpet"? With all confidence preach ye the new life, fear not the noise of the old life.
7. " Because it is a commandment for Israel, and a judgment for the God of Jacob" (ver. 4). Where a commandment, there judgment. For, "They that have sinned in the Law, by the Law shall be judged." And the very Giver of the commandment, the Lord Christ, the Word made flesh, saith, " For judgment I am come into the world, that they that see not may see, and they that see may be made blind." 3 What is, "That they that see not may see, they that see be made blind," but that the lowly be exalted, the proud thrown down? For not they that see are to be made blind, but those who to themselves seem to see are to be convicted of blindness. This is brought about in the mystery of the press, that they who see may not see, and they that see be made blind.
But when thou shalt have passed the Red Sea, when thou shalt have been led forth out of thine offences " with a mighty hand and with a strong arm," 9 thou wilt perceive mysteries that thou knowest not: since Joseph himself too, " when he came out of the land of Egypt, heard a language which he knew not." Thou shalt hear a language which thou knowest not: which they that know now hear and recognise, bearing witness and knowing. Thou shalt hear where thou oughtest to have thy heart: '° which just now when I said many understood and answered by acclamation, the rest stood mute, because they have not heard the language which they knew not. Let them hasten, then, let them pass over, let them learn.
8. "A testimony in Joseph He made that" (ver.5). Look you, brethren, what is it? Joseph is interpreted augmentation. Ye remember, ye know of Joseph sold into Egypt: Joseph sold into Egypt* is Christ passing over to the Gentiles. There Joseph after tribulations was exalted, and here Christ, after the suffering of the Martyrs, was glorified. henceforth to Joseph the Gentiles rather belong, and thenceforth augmentation ; because, " Many are the children of her that was desolate, rather than of her that hath the husband.'"'5 " He made it, till he should go out of the land of Egypt." Observe that also here the "fifth of the sabbath" is signified : when. Joseph went out from the land of Egypt, that is, the people multiplied through Joseph, g. " He turned away from burdens his back " (ver. 6). Who "turned away from burdens his back," but He that cried, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden"? ** In another manner this same thing is signified. What the pursuit of the Egyptians did, the same thing do the burdens of sins. As if thou shouldest say, From what burdens? " His hands in the basket did serve." By the basket are signified servile works; to cleanse, to manure, to carry earth, is done with a basket,'? such works are servile: because "' every one that doeth sin, is the slave of sin;" and "if the Son shall have made you free, then will ye be free indeed." "3 Justly also are the rejected things of the world counted as baskets, but even baskets did God he was caused to pass through the Red Sea. Therefore then also the waters brought forth creeping things of living souls.° No other thing was it that there in figure the passage of that people through the sea foreshowed, than the passing of the Faithful through Baptism; the apostle is witness: for "I would not have you ignorant, brethren," he said, "that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."7 Nothing else then the passing through the sea did signify, but the Sacrament of the baptized ; nothing else the pursuing Egyptians, but the multitude of past sins. Ye see most evident mysteries. The Egyptians press, they urge; so then sins. follow close, but no farther than to the water. Why then dost thou fear, who hast not yet come, to come to the Baptism of Christ, to pass through the Red Sea? What is "Red"? Consecrated with the fill with morsels ; "' Twelve baskets " '4 did He fill with morsels ; because "' He chose the rejected things of this world to confound the things that were mighty."''5 But also when with the basket Joseph did serve, he then carried earth, because he did make bricks. ' His hands in the basket did serve."
10. "In tribulation thou didst call on Me, and I delivered thee" (ver. 8). Let each Christian conscience recognise itself, if it have devoutly passed the Red Sea,'® if with faith in believing and observing it hath heard a strange language which it knew not, let it recognise itself as having been heard in its tribulation. For that was a great tribulation, to be weighed
8 Exod. xiv. 29, 30. 9 Exod. xiii, 3; Deut. vi. 27. 10 Matt. vi. 21, and Off. Euch. It Matt, xi. 28. 12 Yo this day it is common in many countries to do with a basket what we usually do with a barrow.
1 2 Cor. v. 17. 2 Rom. ii. 12, 3 John ix. 39. 4 Oxf. Mss. repeat the words. 5 Isa, liv. x. 6 Gen. i. 20, 7 1 Cor. x.1, 2
13, John viii. 34-36. 15 x Cor. i. 27. 14 Matt. xiv 20, 16 Exod. xiv.22; 1 Cor. x. 2.