Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
76 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsALM XXXIV. a ea ee eS eee ee eth a question. Doth not every one among you answer, 1? Is there any man among you that loveth not life, that is, that desireth not life, and loveth not to see good days? Do ye not daily thus murmur, and thus speak ; How long shall we suffer these things? Daily are they worse and worse: in our fathers' time were days more chre, having expired in beds of ivory, his family weeping around ; and thou sayest in thy mind, if haply thou knowest some both sins and crimes done by him: I know what things that man hath done ; lo, he hath grown old, he hath died in his bed, his friends follow him to the grave, his funeral is celebrated with all this pomp; I know what he hath done ; the Scripture has deceived me, and has spoken falsely, where I hear and sing ; "The rich do lack and suffer hunger." When was this man in need? when did he suffer hunger? "But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.' Daily I rise up to Church, daily I bend the knee, daily I seek the Lord, and have nothing good: this man sought not the Lord, and he hath died in the midst of all these good things! Thus thinking, the snare of offence choketh him; for he seeketh mortal food on the earth, and seeketh not a true reward in heaven, and so he putteth his 'head into the devil's noose, his jaws are tied joyful, were days better. O if thou couldest ask those same, thy fathers, in like manner would they murmur to thee of their own days. Our fathers were happy, miserable are we, evil days have we: such an one ruled over us, we thought that after his death might some refreshing be given to us; worse things have come: O God, show unto us good days! 'What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good days?" Let him not seek here good days. A good thing he seeketh, but not in its right place doth he seek it. As, if thou shouldest seek some righteous man in a country, wherein he lived not, it would be said to thee, A good man thou seekest, a great man thou seekest, seek him still, but not here; in vain thou seekest him here, thou wilt never find him. Good days .|thou seekest, together let us seek them, seek close, and the devil holdeth him fast unto evil doing, that so he may imitate the evil men, whom he seeth to die in such plenty.
14. Therefore understand it not so. . . When thou art filled with spiritual riches, canst thou be poor? And was he therefore rich, because he had a bed of ivory; and art thou poor who hast the chamber of thy heart filled with such jewelry of virtues, justice, truth, charity, faith, endurance? Unfold thy riches, if thou hast them, and compare them with the riches of the rich. But such an one has found in the market mules of great value, and has bought them. If thou couldest find faith to be sold, how much wouldest thou give for that, which God willeth that thou shouldest have gratis, and thou art ungrateful? Those rich then lack, they lack, and what is heavier, they lack bread... . For He hath said, "I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven."* And again, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."? " But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing:" but what manner of good, I have already said.
not here.../ene Readithe, Scriptures.s <a: 17. Let not a Christian then murmur, let him see whose steps he followeth: but if he loveth good days, let him hearken unto Him teaching and saying, 'Come, ye children, hearken unto Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." What wouldest thou? Life and good days. Hear, and do. "Keep thy tongue from evil" (ver. 13). This do. I will not, saith a miserable man, I will not keep my tongue from evil, and yet I desire life and good days. If a workman of thine should say to thee, I indeed lay waste this vineyard, yet I require of thee my reward ; thou broughtest me to the vineyard to lop and prune it, I cut away all the useful wood, I will cut short also the very trunks of the vines, that thou have thereon nothing to gather, and when I have done this, thou shalt repay to me my labour. Wouldest thou not call him mad? Wouldest thou not drive him from thy house or ever he put his hand to the knife? Such are those men who would both do evil, and swear falsely, and speak blasphemy against God, and murmur, and defraud, and be drunken, and dispute, and commit adultery, and use charms, and consult diviners, and withal see good days. To such it is said, thou canst not doing ill seek a good reward. If thou art unjust, shall God also be unjust? What shall I do, then? What desirest thou? Life I desire, good days I desire. "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile," that is, defraud not any, lie not to any.
15. "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (ver. rr). Ye think,' brethren, that I say this: think that David saith it; think that an Apostle saith it ; nay think that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself saith it; '"Come, ye children, hearken unto Me." Let us hearken unto Him together: hearken ye unto Him through us. For He would teach us; He the Humble, He that drummeth, He that affecteth, would teach us. . . . 16. " What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good days?" (ver. 12). He ask-
18. But what is, "Depart from evil"? (ver. 14). Itis little that thou injure none, murder t John vi. 51. 2 Matt, v. 6; Luke i. 53; 1 Sam. ii. 5. 3 Most mss. '' Think," imperative, as in the other clauses.