Expositions on the Book of Psalms
48 THE WORKSVOF SST) AUGUSTIN, [Psatm XVI, derstood. 'And hath not entertained slander against his neighbour," that is, hath not readily or rashly given credence to an accuser, with my goods Thou dost not look to be made blessed.
3. "To the saints who are on His earth" (ver. 3): to the saints who have placed their hope in the land of the living, the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose spiritual conversation is, by the anchor of hope, fixed in that country, which is rightly called God's earth; although as yet in this earth too they be conversant in the flesh. "' He hath wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in them." To those saints then He hath wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in their advancement, whereby they have perceived, how both the humanity of My divinity hath profited them that I might die, and the divinity of the humanity that I might rise again.
4. "The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight'"'* (ver. 4). This is perfection, that the malicious one have no force against aman; and that this be "'in his sight ;" that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form? of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. " But those that fear the Lord, He glorifieth:'' the Lord Himself, that is. Now "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.'"3 As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.
4. "Their infirmities have been multiplied '' 8 (ver. 4): their infirmities have been multiplied not for their destruction, but that they might long for the Physician. " Afterwards they made haste." Accordingly after infirmities multiplied they made haste, that they might be healed. "T will not gather together their assemblies by blood." For their assemblies shall not be carnal, nor will I gather them together as one propitiated by the blood of cattle.9 "Nor will I be mindful of their names within My lips." But by a spiritual change what they have been shall be forgotten ; nor by Me shall they be any more called either sinners, or enemies, or men ; but righteous, and My brethren, and sons of God through My peace.
5. " Who sweareth unto his neighbour, and deceiveth him not." 'Who hath not given his money upon usury, and hath not taken rewards against the innocent" (ver. 5). These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay ;''4 and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one hath been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, " Whoso doeth these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, ''The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight:" but here, "shall not be moved for ever."
5. 'The Lord is the portion of Mine inheritance, and of My cup" (ver. 5). For together with Me they shall possess the inheritance, the Lord Himself. Let others choose for themselves portions, earthly and temporal, to enjoy: the portion of the Saints is the Lord eternal. Let others drink of deadly pleasures, the portion of My cup is the Lord. In that I say, "Mine," I include the Church: for where the Head is, there is the body also. Fer into the inheritance will I gather together their assemblies, and by the inebriation of the cup I will forget their old names. 'Thou art He who will restore to Me My inheritance:" that to these too, whom I free, may be known "the glory wherein I was with Thee before the world was made." '° For Thou wilt not restore to Me that which I never lost, but Thou wilt restore to these, who have lost it, the knowledge of that glory : in whom because I am, Thou wilt restore to Me.
PSALM XVLI.5
THE INSCRIPTION OF THE TITLE, OF DAVID
HIMSELF.°
1. Our King in this Psalm speaks in the character of the human? nature He assumed, of whom the royal title at the time of His passion was eminently set forth.
2. Now He saith as follows; "Preserve me, O Lord, for in Thee have I hoped" (ver. 1) : "T have said to the Lord, Thou art my God, for Thou requirest not my goods" (ver. 2): for
6. "The lines have fallen to me in glorious places" (ver. 6). The boundaries of my possession have fallen in Thy glory as it were by lot, like as God is the possession of the Priests and Levites."* ' For Mine inheritance is glorious
1 [Malignus in the Vulgate, which the Anglican Psalter does not follow here. —C.]
3 Ps. ext. 10; Ecclus. i. 14; Prov. i. 7. 5 Lat. XV.
2 Shecte. 4 Matt. v. 37. 6 ["' Michtam of David,' which Bishop Wordsworth derives from Catham, and illustrates by Job xix. 23.—C.
8 So Oxford mss. 1I Numb. xviii. 20, 9 Isa. i, 11, 12, to. John xvii. 5.
7 Susceptionts humane.