Expositions on the Book of Psalms
Psatm CXXI.] ON THE PSALMS. 59t
Who are they who hate peace? They who tear asunder unity. For had they not hated peace, they would have abode in unity. But they separated themselves, forsooth on this account, that they might be righteous, that they might not have the ungodly mixed with them. These words are either ours or theirs: decide whose. The Catholic Church saith, Unity must not be lost, the Church of God must not be cut off.! God will judge afterwards of the wicked and the good. . . . This we also say: Love ye peace, love ye Christ. For if they love peace, they love Christ. When therefore we say, Love ye peace, we say this, Love ye Christ. Wherefore? For the Apostle saith of Christ, "He is our peace, who hath made both one."? If Christ is therefore peace, because He hath made both one: why have ye made two of one? How then are ye peace-makers, if, when Christ maketh one of two, ye make two of one? But since we say these things, we are peace-makers with them that hate peace ; and yet they who hate peace, when we spake to them, made war on us for nought.
was the foot ef him who was in Paradise moved ? But first consider whereby the feet of him who was among the Angels were moved: who when his feet were moved fell, and from an Angel became a devil: for when his feet were moved he fell. Seek whereby he fell: he fell through pride. Nothing then moveth the feet, save pride : nothing moveth the feet to a fall, save pride. Charity moveth them to walk and to improve and to ascend; pride moveth them to fall. ... Rightly therefore the Psalmist, hearing how he may ascend and may not fall, prayeth unto God that he may profit from the vale of misery, and may not fail in the swelling of pride, in these words, " Suffer not my feet to be moved!" And He replieth unto him, " Let him that keepeth thee not sleep." Attend, my beloved. It is as if one thought were expressed in two sentences ; the man while ascending and singing " the song of degrees," saith, "Suffer not my foot to be moved:" and it is as if God answered, Thou sayest unto Me, Let not my feet be moved: say also, '' Let Him that keepeth thee not sleep," and thy foot shall not be moved.
3. Choose for thyself Him, who will neither sleep nor slumber, and thy foot shall not be moved. God is never asleep: if thou dost wish to have a keeper who never sleepeth, choose God for thy keeper. '' Suffer not my feet to be moved," thou sayest: well, very well: but He also saith unto thee, '' Let not him that keepeth thee slumber." Thou perhaps wast about to turn thyself unto men as thy keepers, and to say, whom shall I find who will not sleep? what man will not slumber? whom do I find? whither shall I go? whither shall I return? The Psalmist telleth thee: "He that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep" (ver. 4). Dost thou wish to have a keeper who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth? Behold, " He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep:" for Christ keepeth Israel. Be thou then Israel. What meaneth Israel? It is interpreted, Seeing God. And how is God seen? First by faith: afterwards by sight. If thou canst not as yet see Him by sight, see Him by faith. . . . Who is there, who will neither slumber nor sleep? when thou seekest among men, thou art deceived ; thou wilt never find one. 'Trust not then in any man: every man slumbereth, and will sleep. When doth he slumber? When he beareth the flesh of weakness. When will he sleep? When he is dead. Trust not then in man. A mortal may slumber, he sleepeth in death. Seek not a keeper among men.
PSALM CXXIi3. Let them "lift up their eyes to the hills, whence cometh their help" (ver. 1). What meaneth, The hills have been lightened? The Sun of righteousness hath already risen, the Gospel hath been already preached by the Apostles, the Scriptures have been preached, all the mysteries have been laid open, the veil hath been rent, the secret place of the temple hath been revealed: let them now at length lift their eyes up to the hills, whence their help cometh.
. . . "Of His fulness have all we received," + he saith. Thy help therefore is from Him, of whose fulness the hills received, not from the hills ; 5 towards which,® nevertheless, save thou lift thine eyes through the Scriptures, thou wilt not approach, so as to be lighted by Him.7
2. Sing therefore what followeth ; if thou wish to hear how thou mayest most securely set thy feet on the steps, so that thou mayest not be fatigued in that ascent, nor stumble and fall: pray in these words: "Suffer not my foot to be moved!"
(ver. 3). Whereby are feet moved; whereby
1 [Unity on Nicene Constitutions, not those of the Decretals. Augustin himself, to maintain unity, "refused communion with the See of Rome, and died in that position. — C.]
2 Eph. ii. 3 3 Lat CxS A sermon to the people on the day of St. Crispina.
ohn i. 16, 3 ere some earlier editions, as quoted by Ben., add, "' Christ, the Son of the supreme Father, is therefore our salvation, and our help, and with the same Father He is God Almighty, and with Him ever abiding in respect of that He is. To those mountains, therefore, which [ have mentioned, if thou lift not up thine eyes."" There are several other additions in the commentary on _ his Psalm, which however seem scarcely worthy of St. Augustin, and for which no MS. eciye is given. Al, "by which thou wilt not be admonished " ? [Familiarity with' Scripture is the Catholic principle, here everywhere presupposed, — C,
4. And who, thou askest, shall help me, save He who slumbereth not, nor sleepeth? Hear what followeth: "The Lord Himself is thy keeper" (ver. 5). It is not therefore man, that slumbereth and sleepeth, but the Lord, that