Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PsatmM XXXIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 71
(ver. 4) : I was made miserable by knowing my misery, being pricked with an evil conscience.
righteous :" be glad, and rejoice, ye righteous, not in yourselves, but in the Lord. "And glory, all ye that are right in heart" (ver. 11) : and glory in Him, all ye who understand that it is right to be subject unto Him, that so ye may be placed above all things beside.
5. "I acknowledged my sin, and my unrighteousness have I not hid:" that is, my unrighteousness have I not concealed.t "I said, I will confess against myself my unrighteousness to the Lord:'' I said, I will confess, not against God (as in my ungodly crying, when I kept silence), but against myself, my unrighteousness to the Lord. 'And Thou forgavest the iniquity of my heart" (ver. 5) ; hearing the word of confession in the heart, before it was uttered with the voice.
PSALM XXXIII3
1. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous:" rejoice, O ye righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe ; but in the Lord. "For praise is comely to the upright" (ver. 1) : these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord ; for else they are distorted and perverse.
6. " For this shall every one that is holy pray unto Thee in an acceptable time:" for this wickedness of heart shall every one that is righteous pray unto Thee. For not by their own merits will they be holy, but by that acceptable time, that is, at His coming, who redeemed us from sin. 'Nevertheless in the flood of great waters they shall not come nigh him" (ver. 6): nevertheless, let none think, when the end has come suddenly, as in the days of Noah,? that there remaineth a place of confession, whereby he may draw nigh unto God.
2. "Praise the Lord with harp:" praise the Lord, presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice. 'Sing unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings' (ver. 2): let your members be servants to the love of God, and of your neighbour, in which are kept both the three and the seven commandments.5
3. "Sing unto Him a new song:"' sing unto Him a song of the grace of faith. 'Sing skilfully unto Him-with jubilation" (ver. 3): sing skilfully unto Him with rejoicing. x 4. "For the Word of the Lord is right: " for the Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. "And all His works are done in faith" (ver. 4): lest any think that by the merit of works he hath arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which God Himself loveth.
7. "Thou art my refuge from the pressures, which have compassed me about:" Thou art my refuge from the pressure of my sins, which hath compassed my heart. '"O Thou, my Rejoicing, deliver me from them that compass me about" (ver. 7): in Thee is my joy: deliver me from the sorrow which my sins bring upon me.
5. "He loveth Mercy and Judgment: " for He loveth Mercy, which now He showeth first ; and Judgment, wherewith He exacteth that which He hath first shown. 'The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord" (ver. 5): throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.
8. Diapsalma. The answer of God: "I will give thee understanding, and will set thee in the way in which thou shalt go;" I will give thee understanding after confession, that thou depart not from the way in which thou shouldest go; lest thou wish to be in thine own power. "T will fix Mine Eyes upon thee" (ver. 8): so will I make sure upon thee My Love.
6. " By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm:" for not by themselves, but by the Word of the Lord were the righteous made strong. "And all the strength® of them by the Breath of His Mouth" (ver. 6). And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.
g. " Be not ye like unto horse or mule, which have no understanding:" and therefore would govern themselves. But saith the Prophet, " Hold in their jaws with bit and bridle.' Do Thou then, O God, unto them " that will not come nigh Thee" (ver. 9), what man doth to horse and mule, that by scourges Thou make them to bear Thy rule.
7. "He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle:" He gathereth the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. * "He layeth up the deep in storehouses"
10. " Many are the scourges of the sinner: " much is he scourged, who, confessing not his sins to God, would be his own ruler. " But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy compasseth him about" (ver. 10) ; but he that trusteth in the Lord, and submitteth himself to His rule, mercy shall compass him about.
(ver. 7): and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.
8. "Let all the earth fear the Lord:" let
3 Lat. XXXII. 4 Rom, xii, x. 5 See St. Augustin on Faith and Works, § 17, Tr. noteh. He takes our first and second as one, dividing the tenth. [Compare St. Augustin, Sermon ix. cap. 5. e is credited with introducing this division into the Western churches. Compare Irenzeus (Adv. Heres. ii. 24, § 4, note 9), A. N. F. vol. i. p. 395; also Clement, Stromata, A.N. F. vol. ii. p. 512, —C.]
11. "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye
1 [Here in our Psalter version is verse 6; not so the Authorized, nor the Vulgate, nor the other versions. — C. 2 Matt xxiv. 37-41.
6 Virtus.
72 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Psatm XXXIV.
every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. | saved whoever warreth against the habit of his "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in| own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if awe of Him" (ver. 8): not of the terrors of he trust much to his own might. re men, or of any creature, but of Him let them| 17. "A horse is a deceitful thing for safety : stand in awe. he is deceived, who thinketh either that through g. "For He spake, and they were made :" for men he gaineth salvation received among men, no other one made those things which are to) or that by the impetuosity of his own courage fear; but He spake, and they were made. "He}he is defended from destruction. "In the commanded, and they were created" (ver. 9) :| abundance of his strength shall he not be saved" He commanded by His Word,' and they were) (ver. 17). created. 18. " Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon ro. "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the) them that fear Him:" because if thou seek heathen to nought;" of them that seek not) salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own.| them that fear Him. "Upon them that hope "He maketh the devices of the people of none | in His mercy" (ver. 18) : that hope not in their effect :"' of them that covet earthly happiness. | own strength, but in His mercy. "And reproveth the counsels of princes" (ver.| 19. "To deliver their souls from death, and 10) : of them that seek to rule over such peoples. | to keep them alive in famine" (ver. 1g}. To 11. "But the counsel of the Lord standeth | give them the nourishment of the Word, and of for ever ;"' but the counsel of the Lord, whereby | Everlasting Truth, which they lost while preHe maketh none blessed but him that submitteth | suming on their own strength, and therefore unto Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts| have not even their own strength, from lack of of His Heart to all generations" (ver. 11) : the | righteousness. thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but! 20. " My soul shall be patient for the Lord :" endure to all generations. that hereafter it may be filled with dainties in12. "Blessed is the nation whose God is/ corruptible, meanwhile, whilst here it remaineth, the Lord:" one nation is blessed, belonging | my soul shall be patient for the Lord. " For to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen} He is our Helper and Defender" (ver. 20) : our save the Lord for their God: "And the people} Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance " | and our Defender, while we resist the adversary. (ver. 12): and which not of itself, but by the} 21. " For our heart shali rejoice in Him:" gift of God, hath been chosen, that He by pos-/| for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there sessing it may not suffer it to be uncared for and| is great need; but in Himself shall our heart miserable. rejoice. "And we have trusted in His holy 13. "The Lord looketh from Heaven; He} Name" (ver. 21) ; and therefore have we trusted beholdeth all the sons of men" (ver. 13).| that we shall come to God, because unto us From the souls of the righteous, the Lord| absent hath He sent, through faith, His own looketh mercifully upon all who would rise to| Name. newness of life. 22. "Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, 14. "From His prepared habitation: " from | according as we have hoped in Thee " (ver. 22) : His habitation of assumed Humanity, which He | let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; for hope prepared for Himself. "He looketh upon all|confoundeth not, because we have hoped in the inhabitants of the earth'? (ver. 14): He/ Thee. looketh mercifully upon all who live in the flesh ATMS Yyy that He may be over them in ruling them. Po Cd 15. " He fashioneth their hearts singly: He|}a psarm oF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS giveth spiritually to their hearts their proper! CouNTENANCE BEFORE ABIMELECH, AND HE SENT gifts, so that neither the whole body may be HIM AWAY, AND HE DEPARTED. eye, nor the whole hearing ;? but that one in j this manner, another in that manner, may be 1. Because there was there a sacrifice after the incorporated with Christ. "He understandeth | order of Aaron, and afterwards He of His Own all their works" (ver. 15). Before Him are all | Body and Blood appointed a sacrifice after the their works understood. order of Melchizedek; He changed then His 16. "A king shall not be saved by much|Countenance in the Priesthood, and sent away strength :"" he shall not be saved who ruleth his| the kingdom of the Jews, and came to the own flesh, if he presume much upon his own| Gentiles. What then is, " He affected"?+ He strength. "Neither shall a giant be saved by | Was full of affection. For what is so full of much strength" (ver. 16): nor shall he be }|——————
I See De G Sad Lit. bd. i. §§ 5, 6 3 oo i ee De Genest ad Lit. b. i. §§ 5, 6. 4 [x Sam. xxi. 13. He follows th tuagi ich di 2 x Cor. xii. 17. the — te. —C.] 3 ollows the Septuagint, which differs from
Psaim XXXIV.] ON THE
PSALMS. 73 affection as the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, seeing our infirmity, that He might deliver us from everlasting death, underwent temporal death with such great injury and contumely? "And He drummed :'' because a drum is not made, except when a skin is extended on wood ; and David drummed, to signify that Christ should be crucified. But, " He drummed upon the doors of the city:" what are "the doors of the city,"' but our hearts which we had closed against Christ, who by the drum of His Cross hath opened the hearts of mortal men? "And was carried in His Own Hands:" how " carried in His Own Hands"? Because when He commended His Own Body and Blood, He took into His Hands that which the faithful know ; and in a manner carried Himself, when He said, "This is My Body."* "And He fell down at the doors of the gate;" that is, He humbled Himself. For this it is, to fall down even at the very beginning of our faith. For the door of the gate is the beginning of faith; whence beginneth the Church, and arriveth at last even unto sight: that as it believeth those things which it seeth not, it may deserve to enjoy them, when it shall have begun to see face to face. So is the title of the Psalm; briefly we have heard it; let us now hear the very words of Him that affecteth, and drummeth upon the doors of the city.
from him that blesseth Him He taketh not
away.
3. But who is it that blesseth the Lord at all times, except the humble in heart. For very humility taught our Lord in His Own Body and Blood : because when He commendeth His Own Body and Blood, He commendeth His Humility, in that which is written in this history, in that seeming madness of David, which we have passed by, "And his spittle ran down over his beard."?, When the Apostle was read,3 Ye heard the same spittle, but running down over the beard. One saith perhaps, What spittle have we heard? Was it not read but now, where the Apostle saith, "The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom?" But now it was read, "' But we preach," saith he, " Christ crucified " (for then He drummed), "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men." * For spittle signifieth foolishness ; spittle signifieth weakness. But if the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men ; let not the spittle as it were offend thee, but observe that it runneth down over the beard: for as by the spittle, weakness ; so by the beard, strength is signified. He covered then His Strength by the body of His Weakness, and that which without was weak, appeared as it were in spittle ; but within His Divine Strength was covered as a beard. Therefore humility is commended unto us. Be humble if thou wouldest bless the Lord at all times, and that His praise should be ever in thy mouth... . 4. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times? Because he is humble. What is it to be humble? To take not praise unto himself. Who would himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou not then be proud? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written; "In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad" (ver. 2). Those then who will not be praised in the Lord, are not humble, but fierce, rough, lifted up, proud. Gentle cattle would the Lord have; be thou the Lord's jumentum ; thatis, be thou humble. He sitteth upon thee, He ruleth thee: fear not lest thou stumble, and fall headlong: that indeed is thy infirmity ; but consider Who sitteth upon thee. Thou art an ass's colt, but thou carriest Christ.
2. "Iwill bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth" (ver.1). So speaketh Christ, so also let a Christian speak ; for a Christian is in the Body of Christ; and therefore was Christ made Man, that that Christian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, " T will bless the Lord at all times."" When shall I "bless the Lord"? When He blesseth thee? When the goods of this world abound? When thou hast great abundance of corn, oil, and wine, of gold and silver, of servants and cattle ; when this mortal health remaineth unwounded and sound ; when all that are born to thee grow up, nothing is withdrawn by immature death, happiness wholly reigneth in thy house, and all things overflow around thee ; then shalt thou bless the Lord?:?- No; but "at all times." Therefore both then, and when according to the time, or according to the scourges of our Lord God, these things are troubled, are taken away, are seldom born to thee, and born pass away. For these things come to pass, and thence followeth penury, need, labour, pain, and temptation. But thou, who hast sung, "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be ever in my mouth," both when He giveth them, bless ; and when He taketh them away, bless. For it is He that giveth, it is He that taketh away: but Himself
2 1 Sam. xxi. 13. ' I 3 [This expression, so frequent in St. Augusfin, refers to the Epistle for the day. As the Law and the Prophets in the synagogue, so also the Evangelists and Apostles were read ceremonially in the Church, —C.]
1 Matt. xxvi. 26.