Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
ON THE PSALMS. 513
PsaLm CIV.]
unlearned come to drink, and when filled burst forth in singing. . . . 14. Then the Psalm goes on in its text, "Upon them' the fowls of the heaven shall inhabit" earth be satisfied." What is, " From the fruit of Thy works"? Let no man glory in his own works: but "he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."4 With Thy grace he is satisfied, when he is satisfied: let him not say that grace was given for his own merits. If it is called grace, "it is gratuitously given ;"' if it is returned for works, wages are paid.s Freely therefore receive, because ungodly thou art justified.
(ver. 12). . . . Upon the mountains, then, the fowls of the air shall have their habitation. We see these birds dwell upon the mountains, but many of them dwell in plains, many in valleys, many in groves, many in gardens, not all upon mountains. 'There are some fowls that dwell not save on the mountains. Some spiritual souls doth this name denote. Fowls are spiritual hearts, which enjoy the free air. In the clearness of heaven these birds delight, yet their feeding is on the mountains, there will they dwell. Ye know the mountains, they have been already treated of. Mountains are Prophets, mountains are Apostles, mountains are all preachers of the trath. .°2'°.
18. " Bringing forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men" (ver. 14). This is true, I perceive ; I recognise the creation : the earth doth bring forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. But I perceive the words, "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn: Doth God take care for oxen? For our sakes therefore the Scripture saith it.'®° How then doth the earth bring forth grass for the cattle? Because "the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." He sent preachers, saying unto them, " Eat such things as are set before you of them: for the labourer is worthy of his hire."7... They give spiritual, they receive carnal things ; they give gold, they receive grass... . "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?" § This the Apostle said, a preacher so laborious, so indefatigable, so well tried, that he giveth this very grass to the earth. '' Nevertheless," he saith, "we have not used this power." He showeth that it is due to him, yet he received it not; nor hath he condemned those who have received what was due. For those were to be condemned who exact what is not due, not they who accept their recompense: yet he gave up even his own recompense. Thou dost not cease to owe to another, because one hath given up his dues, otherwise thou wilt not be the watered earth which bringeth forth grass for the cattle. ... Thou receivest spiritual things, give carnal things in return: to the soldier they are due, to the soldier thou returnest them; thou art the paymaster? of Christ. 'Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? I speak not thus, that it should be so done unto me." '® There has been such a soldier as gave up his rations of food even to the paymaster: yet let the paymaster pay the rations: Ps 51. 1g. "That it may bring forth bread out of the earth." What bread? Christ. Out of what earth? From Peter, from Paul, from the other
15. But think not that those "fowls of heaven" follow their own authority ; see what the Psalm saith: " From the midst of the rocks they shall give their voice." Now, if I shall say to you, Believe, for this said Cicero, this said Plato, this said Pythagoras: which of you will not laugh at me? For I shall be a bird that shall send forth my voice not from the rock. What ought each one of you to say to me? what ought he who is thus instructed to say? "If any one shall have preached unto you a gospel other than that ye have received, let him be anathema."'?, What dost thou tell me of Plato, and of Cicero, and of Virgil? Thou hast before thee the rocks af the mountains, from the midst of the rocks give me thy voice. Let them be heard, who hear from the rock: let them be heard, because also in those many rocks the One Rock is heard: for "the Rock was Christ."3 Let them therefore be willingly heard, giving their voice from the midst of the rocks. Nothing is sweeter than such a voice of birds. They sound, and the rocks resound: they sound ; spiritual men discuss: the rocks resound, testimonies of Scripture give answer. Lo! thence the fowls give their voice from the midst of the rocks, for they dwell on the mountains.
16. " Watering the mountains from the higher places" (ver. 13). Now if a Gentile uncircumcised man comes to us, about to believe in Christ, we give him baptism, and do not call him back to those works of the Law. And if a Jew asks us why we do that, we sound from the rock, we say, This Peter did, this Paul did: from the midst of the rocks we give our voice. But that rock, Peter himself, that great mountain, when he prayed and saw that vision, was watered from above. ...
17. "From the fruit of Thy works shall the
5 Rom. iv. 4, 5. © x Cor. ix. 9. SoriConcix. 10s See this series, vol. vii. p. 440, note 3.
arr Cor i.3r7 Luke x. 7, 8. 9 Provincialis. 10 x Cor. ix. 7, 15.
I [ilos, 2 Gal. i. g. 3-1 Cor: xX. 4.
514 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Psatm CIV.
stewards of the truth. Hear that it is from the earth: " We have," saith St. Paul, "this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'"'' He is the bread who descended from heaven,? that He might be brought forth out of the earth, when strengtheneth the stomach, feedeth the body, there is another bread which strengtheneth the heart, in that it is the bread of the heart... . There is therefore a wine that truly maketh glad the heart, and knoweth not to do aught else than to gladden the heart. But that thou mayest not imagine that this indeed should be taken of the spiritual wine, but not of that spiritual bread ; He hath shown this very point, that it is also spiritual : "'and bread," he saith, " strengtheneth man's heart." So understand it therefore of the bread as thou dost understand it of the wine ; hunger inwardly, thirst inwardly : " Blessed are they," saith our Lord, "who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." ° That bread is righteousness, that wine is righteousness : it is truth, Christ is truth.7 "I am," He said, "the living bread, who came down from heaven ;''® and, " I am the Vine, and ye are the branches." 9
He is preached through the flesh of His servants. The earth bringeth forth grass, that it may bring forth bread from the earth. What earth bringeth forth grass? Pious, holy nations. That bread may be brought forth out of what earth? 'The word of God out of the Apostles, out of the stewards of God's Sacraments, who still walk upon the earth, who still carry an earthly body. . 20. "And wine maketh glad the heart of man" (ver. 15). Let no man prepare himself for intoxication ; nay, let every man prepare him for intoxication. '" How excellent is Thy cup which maketh inebriate !"?3_ We choose not to say, Let no man be drunk. Be inebriated ; yet beware, from what source. If the excellent cup of the Lord doth saturate you, your ebriety shall be seen in your works, it shall be seen in the holy love of righteousness, it shall, lastly, be seen in the estrangement of your mind, but from things earthly to heavenly. 'To make him a cheerful countenance with oil." ... What is the making the countenance cheerful with oil? The grace of God; a sort of shining for manifestation ; as the Apostle saith, "The Spirit is given to every man for manifestation.'4+ A certain grace which men can clearly see in men, to conciliate holy love, is termed oil, for its divine splendour; and since it appeared most excellent in Christ, the whole world loveth Him ; who though while here He was scorned, is now worshipped by every nation: " For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall be Governor among the people."5 For such is His grace, that many, who do not believe on Him, praise Him, and declare that they are unwilling to believe on Him, because no man can fulfil what He doth command. They who with reproaches once raged against Him, are hindered by His very praises. Yet by all is He loved, by all is He preached ;
22. " The trees of the plain shall be satisfied" (ver. 16) : but with this grace, brought forth out of the earth. 'The trees of the plain," are the lower orders of the nations. "And the cedars of Libanus which He hath planted." The cedars of Libanus, the powerful in the world, shall themselves be filled. The bread, and wine, and oil of Christ hath reached senators, nobles, kings; the trees of the plain are filled. First the humble are filled; next also the cedars of Libanus, yet those which He hath planted ; pious cedars, religious faithful; for such hath He planted. For the ungodly also are cedars of Libanus; for, "The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus.'"''° For Libanus is a mountain: there are those trees, even according to the letter most long-lived and most excellent. But Libanus is interpreted, as we read in those who have written of these things, a brightness : and this brightness seemeth to belong to this world, which at present shineth and is refulgent with its pomps. There are the cedars of Libanus, which the Lord hath planted ; those which the Lord hath planted shall be filled... . 23. "There shall the sparrows build their nests: their leader is the house of the coot "
(ver. 17). Where shall the sparrows build? In the cedars of Libanus. . . . Who are the sparrows? Sparrows are birds indeed, and fowls of the air, but small fowls are wont to be called sparrows. 'There are therefore some spiritual ones that build in the cedars of Libanus: that is, there are certain servants of God who hear in the Gospel, "Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come and follow Me."*! . . . Let him who hath resigned many things, not be because He is excellently anointed, therefore He is Christ: for He is called Christ from the Chrism or anointing which He had. Messiah in the Hebrew, Christ in the Greek, Unctus in the Latin: but He anointeth over His whole Body. All therefore who come, receive grace, that their countenances may be made glad with oil.
21. " And bread strengtheneth man's heart." What is this, brethren? As it were, he hath forced us to understand what bread he was speaking of. For while that visible bread
6 Matt. v. 6. 8 John vi. 51. 40 Ps, xxix. 5,
7 John xiv. 6. 9 John xv. 5. 11 Matt. xix. 21.
2 John vi. 41. 3 Ps, xxiii. 5. 1 2 Cor. iv. 7. ii 5 Ps, xxii. 28. 4 1 Cor. xii. 7.