Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
THE. WORKSOF (ST. AUGUSTIN, [PsaLm CIV.
ers of the word, the exalted Angels of God, though still in mortal flesh ; lofty not by their own power, but by His grace; but as far as relates to themselves, they are valleys, in their humility they send forth springs. "In the midst," he saith, '"' between the mountains, the waters shall pass through." Let us suppose this said thus, "In the midst between the Apostles shall pass through the preachings of the Word of Truth." What is, in the midst between the Apostles? What is called in the midst, is common. A common property, from which all alike live, is in the midst, and belongs not to me, but neither belongs it to thee, nor yet to me... . Forif they are not in the midst, they are as it were private, they flow not for public use, and I have mine, and he has his own, it is not in the midst for both me and him to have it; but such is not the preaching of peace. . . . Therefore, brethren, let what we have said to your Love serve to this purpose, because of the springs: that they may flow from you, be ye valleys, and communicate with all that which ye have from God. Let the waters flow in the midst, envy ye no one, drink, be filled, flow forth when ye are filled. Everywhere let the common water of God have the glory, not the private falsehoods of men... . 11. For it follows, "All the beasts of the wood shall drink" (ver. 11). We do indeed see this also in the visible creation, that the beasts of the wood drink of springs, and of streams that run between the mountains: but now since it hath pleased God to hide His own wisdom in the figures of such things, not to take it away from earnest seekers, but to close it to them that care not, and open it. to them that knock ; it hath also pleased our Lord God Himself to) exhort you by us to this, that in all these things which are said as if of the bodily and visible creation, we may seek something spiritually hidden, in which when found we may rejoice. The beasts of the wood, we understand the Gentiles, and Holy Scripture witnesses this in many places... . These beasts, then, drink those waters, but passing; not staying, but passing; for all that teaching which in all this time is dispensed passeth. . .. Unless perchance your love thinketh that in that city to which it is said, " Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, praise thy God, O Sion; for He hath made strong the bars of thy gates;"* when the bars are now strengthened and the city closed, whence, as we said some time since,? no friend goeth out, no enemy entereth ;3 that there we shall have a book to read, or speech to be explained as it is now explained to you. Therefore is it now treated, that there it may be held fast: therefore is it now divided by syllables, that there it may be contemplated whole and entire. The Word of God will not be wanting there: but yet not by letters, not by sounds, not by books, not by a reader, not by an expositor. How then? As, "In the beginning was the Word," etc.5 For He did not so come to us as to depart from thence ; because He was in this world, and the world was made by Him. Such a Word are we tocontemplate. For "the God of gods shall appear in Zion."® But this when? After our pilgrimage, when the journey is done: if however after our journey is done we be not delivered to the Judge, that the Judge may send us to prison. But if when our journey is ended, as we hope, and wish, and endeavour, we shall have reached our Country, there shall we contemplate What we shall ever praise; nor shall That fail which is present to us, nor we, who enjoy: nor shall he be cloyed that eateth, nor shall that fail which he eateth. Great and wonderful shall be that contemplation. . . 13. " The onagers shall take for their thirst." By onagers he meaneth some great beasts. For who knoweth not that wild asses are called onagers? He meaneth, therefore, some great untrained ones. For the Gentiles had no yoke of the Law: many nations lived after their own customs, ranging in proud boastfulness as in a wilderness. And so indeed did all the beasts, but the wild asses are put to signify the greater sort. They too shall drink for their thirst, for for them too the waters flow. Thence drinks the hare, thence the wild ass: the hare little, the wild ass great; the hare timid, the wild ass fierce: either sort drinks thence, but each for his thirst. . . . So faithfully and gently doth it flow, as at once to satisfy the wild ass, and not to alarm the hare. The sound of Tully's voice rings out, Cicero is read, it is some book, it is a dialogue of his, whether his own, or Plato's, or by whatever such writer: some hear that are unlearned, weak ones of less mind; who dareth to aspire to such a thing? It is a sound of water, and that perchance turbid, but certainly flowing so violently, that a timid animal dare not draw near and drink. 'To whom soundeth a Psalm, and he saith, It is too much for me? Behold now what the Psalm soundeth ; certainly they are hidden mysteries, yet so it soundeth, that even children are delighted to hear, and the
I love the 'Where no enemy ever enters, and whence no Unde amicus non extt, quo tnimicus non tutrat. familiar Hngiche: friend departs."
1 Ps. exlvii. 12, 13.
4 [I suppose many Christians have said, '' Shall I no more recall my Bible, and be refreshed by the recollection of these songs of our pilgrimage?" I could not think of heaven as a place where the Hol Scriptures should be forgotten. The author's idea comforts me. —C,
2 See on Ps Ixxxv. 10 and on Ps, cxlvii. on ver. 13.— Ben. 3 [This beautiful expression may be found in divers places in these expositions: eg. on Ps, xlix. ver. 15 (p. 186, supra), where it is of slightly different sense; also on Ps. Ixxxv. ver. 9, (p. 407, supra), and, 77/ra, on Ps. cxlvili. 13.. The Latin is felicitous though varied:
John i, 1. © Ps, Ixxxiv. 7.