Expositions on the Book of Psalms
Psatm CXIX.] ON THE :PSALMS. 577 smaller and the greater in age are wont to be termed younger and elder, although neither of them hath arrived at or approached old age; although if we are concerned to seek in the Gospel the express term, elders, more than whom He understood, we find it when the Scribes and Pharisees said unto Him, " Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread."! Behold the transgression cf the tradition of the elders is objected to Him. But He who was wiser than His elders, let us hear what answer chewing it: but it is sweet to the mouth of the heart, not to the mouth of the flesh.
104. But what mean the words, '' Through Thy commandments I get understanding'? (ver. 104). For the expressions, I have understood Thy commandments: and, "I get understanding through Thy commandments;" are different. Something else then he signifieth that he hath understood from the commandments of God: that is, as far as I can see, he saith, that by obeying God's commandments he hath arrived at the comprehension of those things which he had longed to know. . . . These then are the words of the spiritual members of Christ, "Through Thy commandments I get understanding." For the body of Christ rightly saith these words in those, to whom, while they keep the commandments, a richer knowledge of wisdom is given on account of this very keeping of the commandments.
He made them. 'Why do ye also, He asked, "'transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" 2...
101. But what cometh next, doth not seem to apply to the Head, but to the Body: "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy words" (ver. 101). For that Head of ours, the Saviour of the Body Himself, could not be borne by carnal lust into any evil way, so that it should be needful for Him to refrain His feet, as though they would go thither of their own accord ; which we do, when we refrain our evil desires, which He had not, that they may not follow evil ways. For thus we are able to keep the word of God, if we "go not after our evil lusts," 3 so that they attain unto the evils desired ; but rather curb them with the spirit which lusteth against the flesh,4 that they may not drag us away, seduced and overthrown, through evil ways.
" Therefore," he addeth, "I hate all evil ways. " For it is needful that the love of righteousness should hate all iniquity: that love, which isso much the stronger, in proportion as the sweetness of a higher wisdom doth inspire it, a wisdom given unto him who obeyeth God, and getteth understanding from His commandments.
Nun.
105. " Thy word isa lantern unto my feet, and a light unto my paths" (ver. 105). The word "lJantern"' appears in the word "light;" "my feet'' are also repeated in " my paths.'' What then meaneth "Thy Word"?° Is it He who was in the beginning God with God, that is, the Word by whom all things were made? It is not thus. For that Word is a light, but is not a lantern. For a lantern is acreature, not a creator; and it is lighted by participation of an unchangeable light. .. . Forno creature, howsoever rational and intellectual, is lighted by itself, but is lighted by participation of eternal Truth : although sometimes day is spoken of, not meaning the Lord, but that "day which the Lord hath made," 7 and on account of which it is said, ""Come unto Him, and be lightened." ® On account of which participation, inasmuch as the Mediator Himself became Man, He is styled lantern in the Apocalypse.? But this sense is a solitary one; for it cannot be divinely spoken of any of the saints, nor in any wise lawfully said of any, "'The Word was made flesh,' ?° save of the " one Mediator between God and men.''"™ Since therefore the only-begotten Word, coequal with the Father, is styled alight ; and man when enlightened by the Word is also called a light, who is styled also a lantern, as John, as the Apostles; and since no man of these is the Word, and that Word by whom they were enlightened is not a lan-
102. "Ihave not shrunk," he saith, " from Thy judgments: for Thou hast laid down a law for me" (ver.102). He hath stated what made him fear, so that he refrained his feet from every evil way... . Thou, more inward than my inmost self, Thou hast laid down a law within my heart by Thy Spirit, as it were by Thy fingers, that I might not fear it as a slave without love, but might love it with a chaste fear as a son, and fear it with a chaste love.
103. Consider then what followeth: "O how sweet are Thy words unto my throat !" (ver. 103). Or, as it is more literally rendered from the Greek, " Thy utterances, above honey and the honeycomb unto my mouth." This is that sweetness which the Lord giveth, 'So that the earth yield her increase :" 5 that we do good truly in a good spirit, that is, not from the dread of carnal evil, but from the gladness of spiritual good. Some copies indeed do not read "honeycomb:" butthe majority do. Now the open teaching of wisdom is like unto honey ; but that is like the comb which is squeezed from the more recondite mysteries, as if from cells of wax, by the mouth of the teacher, as if he were 2 Matt. xv. 3. 4 Gal. v. 17.
1 Matt. xv. 2. 3 Ecclus. xviii. 30, 5 Ps, Ixxxy. 12.
8 Ps. xxxiv. 5. 6 Johni. x. fom ea 11 y Tim. ii. 5. 9 Rev. xxi. 23. 7 Ps. cxviil. 24. To John i. 14.
THE WORKS*OF -ST. AUGUSTIN, [PsaLm CXIX. explained as the words of one who was gaining in grace, and praying that he might receive in addition to what he had received. tern; what is this word, which is thus called a light and a lantern at the same time, save we understand the word which was sent unto the Prophets, or which was preached through the Apostles; not Christ the Word, but the word of Christ, of which it is written, " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" ?* For the Apostle Peter also, comparing the prophetical word to a lantern, saith, "' whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lantern, that shineth in a dark place."? What, therefore, he here saith, "Thy word"' is the word which is contained in all the holy Scriptures.
108. " My soul is alway in Thy hand" (ver. 109). Some copies read, "in my hand:" but most, "in Thy hand ;" and this latter is indeed easy. For "the souls of the righteous are in God's hand:5 in whose hand are both we and our words."® "And I do not forget Thy law:" as if his memory were aided to remember God's law by the hands of Him in whose hands is his soul. But how the words, " My soul is in my hands," can be understood, I know not. For these are the words of the righteous, not of the ungodly ; of one who is returning to the Father, not departing from the Father.? . . . Is it perhaps said, " My soul is in my hands," in this sense, as if he offered it to God to be quickened ? Whence in another passage it is said, "Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.'® Since here too he had said above, '" Quicken Thou me."
106. "I have sworn, and am stedfastly purposed to keep Thy righteous judgments" (ver.
106) : as one who walked aright in the light of that lantern, and kept to straight paths. For he calleth what he hath determined by a sacrament, an oath ; because the mind ought to be so fixed in keeping the righteous judgments of God, that its determination should be in the place of an oath. Now the righteous judgments of God are kept by faith ; when, under the righteous judgment of God, neither any good work is believed to be fruitless, nor any sin unpunished ; but, because the body of Christ hath suffered many most grievous evils for this faith, he saith, "I was humbled above measure" (ver. 107). He doth not say, I have humbled myself, so that we must needs understand that humiliation which is commanded ; but he saith, "I was humbled abovemeasure ;"" that is, suffered a very heavy persecution, because he swore and was stedfasly purposed to keep the righteous judgments of God. And, lest in such trouble faith herself might faint he addeth, " Quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy word:" that is, according to Thy promise.
109." The ungodly," he saith, "have laid a snare for me: but yet I swerved not from Thy commandments" (ver. 110). Whence this, unless because his soul is in the hands of God, or in his own hands is offered to God to be quickened ?
110. "Thy testimonies have I gained in heritage for ever" (ver. 111). Some wishing to express in one word what is put in one word in the Greek, have translated it hereditavi. Which although it might be Latin, yet would rather signify one who gave an inheritance than one who received it, heredifavi being like dtavi. Better, therefore, the whole sense is conveyed in two words, whether we say, "I have possessed in heritage," or, "I have gotten in heritage:" not gotten heritage, but "gotten in heritage." If it be asked, what he gained in heritage, he he replieth, "Thy testimonies." What doth he wish to be understood, save that he might become a witness of God, and confess His testimonies, that is, that he might become a Martyr of God, and might declare His testimonies, as the Martyrs do, was a gift bestowed upon him by the Father, of whom he is heir? . . . But even their wish was prepared by the Lord. For this reason he saith he hath gained them in heritage, and this "for ever;'' because they have not in them the temporal glory of men who seek vain things, but the eternal glory of those who suffer for a short season, and who reign without end. Whence the next words, For the word of the promises of God is a lantern to the feet, and a light to the paths. Thus also above, in the humiliation of pesecution, he prayed that God would quicken him3 ...
107. ' Make the freewill offerings of my mouth well pleasing, O Lord" (ver. 108) : that is, let them please Thee; do not reject, but approve them. By the freewill offerings of the mouth are well understood the sacrifices of praise, offered up in the confession of love, not from the fear of necessity ; whence it is said, "a freewill offering will I offer Thee."*+ But what doth he add? "and teach me Thy judgments'? Had he not himself said above, " From Thy judgments I have not swerved"? How could he have done thus, if he knew them not? Moreover, if he knew them, in what sense doth he here say, "and teach me Thy judgments"? Is it as in a former passage, "' Thou hast dealt in sweetness with Thy servant:" presently after which we find, "teach me sweetness"? This passage we " Because they are the very joy of my heart:" although the affliction of the body, yet the very joy of the heart.
111. He then addeth: "I have applied my heart to fulfil Thy righteousness for ever, for my I Rom. x. 17. 2 2 Pet. i. 19. 4 Ps, liv. 6. 3 Ps. cxix. 87, 88.
5 Wisd. iii. 1. 8 Por xxvete 6 Wisd. vii. 16. 7 Luke xv. 12, 24.