Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PSALMS. 597
Psatm CXXIIL] ON THE lifted up his faith, thither he riseth in affection, with longing hopes : and this very longing causeth the soul to purge off' the filth of sins, and to be cleansed from every stain, that itself also may become heaven ; because it hath lifted up its eyes unto Him who dwelleth in heaven. For if we have determined that that heaven which we see cipitate and preposterous thing, and not a chaste desire, to love one whom she knoweth not whether she shall marry. For it may happen that one man may be betrothed to her, and another man marry her. But as there is no one else who can be preferred to Christ, let her love without apprehension: and before she is joined unto Him, let her love, and sigh from a distance and from her far pilgrimage. ae with our bodily eyes is the dwelling of God, the dwelling of God will pass away; for "heaven and earth will pass away." ? Then, before God created heaven and earth, where did He dwell? But some one saith: and before God made the Saints, where did He dwell? God dwelt in Himself, he dwelt with Himself, and God is with Himself. And when He deigneth to dwell in the Saints, the Saints are not the house of God in such wise, as that God should fall when it is withdrawn. For we dwell in a house in one way, in another way God dwelleth in the Saints. Thou dwellest in a house: if it be withdrawn, thou fallést: but God so dwelleth in the Saints, that if He should Himself depart, they fall. . 4. What then followeth, since he hath said, "Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes"? (ver. 2). How hast thou lifted up thine eyes? " Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until He have mercy upon us." We are both servants, and a handmaiden: He is both our Master and our Mistress. What do these words mean? What do these similitudes mean? It is not wonderful if we are servants, and He our Master; but it-is wonderful if we are a maiden, and He our Mistress. But not even our being a maiden is wonderful ; for we are the Church: nor is it wonderful that He is our Mistress ; for He is the Power and the Wisdom of God. . . . When therefore thou hearest Christ, lift up thine eyes to the hands of thy Master; when thou hearest the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, lift up thine eyes to the hands of thy Mistress ; for thou art both servant and handmaiden ; servant, for thou art a people ;3 handmaiden,* for thou art the Church. But this maiden hath found great dignity with God; she hath been made a wife. But until she come unto those spiritual embraces, where she may without apprehension enjoy Him whom she hath loved, and for whom she hath sighed in this tedious pilgrimage, she is betrothed : and hath received a mighty pledge, the blood of the Spouse for whom she sigheth without fear. Nor is it said unto her, Do not love ; as it is sometimes said to any betrothed virgin, not as yet married: and is justly said, Do not love; when thou hast become a wife, then love: it is rightly said, because it is a pre-
5. 'For we have been much filled with contempt" (ver. 3). All that will live piously according to Christ, must needs suffer reproof,5 must needs be despised by those who do not choose to live piously, all whose happiness is earthly. They are derided who call that happiness which they cannot see with their eyes, and it is said to them, What believest thou, madman ? Dost thou see what thou believest? Hath any one returned from the world below, and reported to thee what is going on there? Behold I see and enjoy what I love. Thou art scorned, be-. | cause thou dost hope for what thou seest not; and he who seemeth to hold what he seeth, scorneth thee. Consider well if he doth really hold it. . . . I have my house, he hath boasted himself. Thou askest, what house of his own? That which my father left me. And whence did he derive this house? My grandfather left it him. Go back even to his great grandfather, then to his great grandfather's father, and he can no longer tell their names. Art thou not rather terrified by this thought, that thou seest many have passed through this house, and that none of them hath carried it away with him to his everlasting home? 'Thy father left it: he passed through it: thus thou also wilt pass by. If therefore thou hast a mere passing stay in thy house, it is an inn for passing guests, not an habitation for permanent abode. Yet since we hope for those things which are to come, and sigh for future happiness, and since it hath not yet appeared what we shall be, although we are already "sons of God ;''® for " our life is hidden with Christ in God :"' 7 " we are utterly despised," by those who seek or enjoy happiness in this world.
6. "Our soul is filled exceedingly ; a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud"
We were asking who were "the wealthy: '' he hath expounded to thee, in that he hath said, "the proud." 'Reproach" and "contempt" are the same : and " wealthy" is the same with "proud." It is a repetition of the sentence, "a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud." Why are the proud wealthy? Because they wish to be happy here. Why? since they themselves too are miserable, are they wealthy? But perhaps when they are
I Desudare. 2 Matt. xxiv. 353 Populus (masc.). 4 Ecclesta (fem.).
5 2 Tim, iii. 12. 6 x John iii. a. 7 Col. iii. 3.
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN,
[PsALM CXXIV.
but wealthy in iniquity, wealthy in malignity ; but is more wealthy in iniquity, in proportion as he seemeth to himself to be wealthy in righteousness.
miserable, they do not mock us. Listen, my beloved. Then perchance they mock when they are happy, when they boast themselves in the pomp of their riches! when they boast themselves in the inflated state of false honours : then they mock us, and seem to say, Behold, it is well with me: I enjoy the good things before me: let those who promise what they cannot show depart from me: see, I enjoy; may I fare well in this life. Be thou more secure; for Christ hath risen again, and hath taught thee what He will give in another life: be assured that He giveth it. But that man mocketh thee, because he holdeth what he hath. Bear with his mockeries, and thou wilt laugh at his groans: for afterwards there will come a season when these very persons will say, "This was he whom we had sometimes in derision. 2" is 90.10 this we must add, that sometimes those also who are beneath the scourge of temporal unhappiness, mock us. . . . Did not the robber? mock, who was crucified with our crucified Lord? If therefore they who are not wealthy mock us, why doth the Psalm say, "A reproach to the wealthy"? If we carefully sift the matter, even these (the unfortunate) are wealthy. How are they wealthy? Yea; for if they were not wealthy, they would not be proud. For one man is wealthy in money, and proud on that score: another is wealthy in honours, and is proud on that account: another imagines himself wealthy in righteousness, and hence his pride, which is worse. They who seem not to be wealthy in money, seem to themselves to be wealthy in righteousness towards God; and when calamity overtakes them, they justify themselves, accuse God, and say, What wrong have I been guilty of, or, what have I done? Thou repliest : Look back, call to mind thy sins, see if thou hast done nothing. He is somewhat touched in conscience, and returneth to himself, and thinketh of his evil deeds ; and when he hath thought of his evil deeds, not even then doth he choose to confess that he deserves his sufferings ; but saith, Behold, I have clearly done many things ; but I see that many have done worse, and suffer no evil. He is righteous against God. He also therefore is wealthy: he hath his breast puffed out with righteousness; since God seemeth to him to do ill, and he seemeth to himself to suffer unjustly. And if thou gavest him a vessel to pilot, he would be shipwrecked with it: yet he wishes to deprive God of the government of this world, and himself to hold the helm of Creation, and to distribute among all men pains and pleasures, punishments and rewards. Miserable soul! yet why do ye wonder? He is wealthy,
8. But a Christian ought not to be wealthy, but ought to acknowledge himself poor; and if he hath riches, he ought to know that they are not true riches, so that he may desire others.
what I see, I hold; what I}. .
. And what is the wealth of our righteousness? How much soever righteousness there may be in us, it is a sort of dew compared to that fountain :3 compared to that plenteousness it is as a few drops, which may soften our life, and relax our hard iniquity. Let us only desire to be filled with the full fountain of righteousness, let us long to be filled with that abundant richness, of which it is said in the Psalm, "They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of Thy house: and Thou shalt give them drink out of the torrent of Thy pleasure." 4 But while we are here, let us understand ourselves to be destitute and in want; not only in respect of those riches which 'are not the true riches, but of salvation itself. And when we are whole, let us understand that we are weak. For as long as this body hungers and thirsts, as long as this body is weary with watching, weary with standing, weary with walking, weary with sitting, weary with eating ; whithersoever it turneth itself for a relief from weariness, there it discovereth another 'source of fatigue: there is therefore no perfect soundness, not even in the body itself. Those riches are then not riches, but beggary ; for the more they abound, the more doth destitution and avarice increase. . Let then our whole hunger, our whole thirst, be for true riches, and true health, and true righteousness. What are true riches? That heavenly abode in Jerusalem. For who is called rich on this earth? Whena rich man is praised, what is meant? He is very rich: nothing is wanting to him. That surely is the praise of him that praiseth the other: for it is not this, when it is said, He wants nothing. Consider if he really want nothing. If he desires nothing, he wants nothing: but if he still desires more than what he hath, his riches have increased in such wise, that his wants have increased also. But in that City there will be true riches, because there will be nothing wanting to us there; for we shall not be in need of anything, and there will be true health. . .
PSALM. CXXIV.5
1. Ye already well know, dearest brethren, that a "Song of Degrees," is a song of our ascent: and that this oo is not effected by
3 [What would our author have said of the merits of ee saints" applied to the remission of sins and purgatorial poate _ 4 Ps, xxxvi. 8. 5 Lat. CXXIII, <A sermon to the people. |
2 Wisd. v. 3. 2 Luke xxiii. 39.
PsALM CXXIV.] ON THE PSALMS. 599 the feet of the body, but by the affections of the heart. This we have repeatedly reminded you of: and we need not repeat it too often, that there may be room for saying what hath not yet been said. 'This Psalm, therefore, which ye have now heard sung for you,' is inscribed, "A Song of Degrees."' This is its title. They sing therefore while ascending: and sometimes as it were one man singeth, sometimes as it were many ; because many are one, since Christ is One, and in Christ the members of Christ constitute one with Christ, and the Head of all these members is in heaven. But although the body toileth on earth, it is not cut off from its Head; for the Head looketh down from above, and regardeth the body.? . . . Whether therefore one or many sing; many men are one man, because it is unity ; and Christ, as we have said, is One, and all Christians are members of Christ.
by the Church, may be in the visible number of the people: but he cannot be in the number of the people which is known to God, whereof the Apostle saith, 'The Lord knoweth who are His," 7 save he be eaten; and eaten he cannot be, save he first be slain. The Pagan cometh, still in him idolatry liveth; he must be grafted among the members of Christ: that he may be engrafted, he must needs be eaten; but he cannot be eaten by the Church, save first he be slain. Let him renounce the world, then is he slain; let him believe in God, then is he eaten. . . . But they in whom the Lord is, are slain and die not. But they who consent ® and live, are swallowed quick, when swallowed up they die. But they who have suffered, and have not yielded to tribulations, rejoice and say, "If the Lord had not been ia Us}~ etc,
4.... "When their fury was enraged upon us." They are now in anger, they now openly rage: 'perchance the water had drowned us"' (ver. 4). By water he meaneth ungodly nations: and we shall see what sort of water in the following verses. Whoever had consented unto them, water would have overwhelmed him. For he would die by the death of the Egyptians, he would not pass through after the example of the Israelites. For ye know, brethren, that the people of Israel passed through the water, by which the Egyptians were overwhelmed.? But what sort of water is this? It is a torrent, it flows with violence, but it will pass by. . . . Hence He, our Head, first drinketh, of whom it is said in the Psalms, "He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall He lift up His head." For our Head is already exalted, because He drank of the torrent by the way; for our Lord hath suffered. If therefore our Head hath been already raised up, why doth the body fear the torrent? Without doubt, because the Head hath been raised, the body also will say hereafter, 'Our soul hath passed over the torrent. Perhaps our soul hath passed over the water without substance"? (ver. 5). Behold, what sort of water he was speaking of, '"' The water perchance had overwhelmed us.'' But what meaneth, '' without substance "'?
2. . . . Certain members indeed of that body of which we also are, which can sing in truth, have gone before us. And this the holy Martyrs have sung: for they have already escaped, and are with Christ in joy about to receive at last incorruptible bodies, the very same which were at first corruptible, wherein they have suffered pains ; of the same there will be made for them ornaments of righteousness. Therefore whether they in reality, or we in hope, joining our affections with their crowns, and longing for such a life as we have not here, and shall never gain unless we have longed for it here, let us all sing together, and say, "If the Lord Himself had not been in us." . 3. "If the Lord Himself had not been in us, now may Israelsay" (ver.1).... When? "When men rose up against us"' (ver. 2). Marvel not: they have been subdued: for they were men ; but the Lord was in us, man was not in us: for men rose up against us. Nevertheless men would crush other men, unless in those men who could not be crushed, there were not man, but the Lord. For what could men do to you, while ye rejoiced, and sang, and securely held everlasting bliss? what could men do to you when they rose against you, if the Lord had not been on your side? what could they do? " Perchance they had swallowed us up quick" (ver. 3). ''Swallowed us up:'"'3 they would not fitst have slain us, and so have swallowed us up. O inhuman, O cruel men'! The Church swalloweth not thus. To Peter it was said, '' X7z/7 and eat :"' 5 not, Swallow quick. Because no man entereth into the body of the Church, save he be slain first. What he was dieth, that he may be what he was not. Otherwise, he who is not slain, and is not eaten oo.
5. In the first place, what meaneth,'° " Per-
7 2 Tim. ii. 19. 8 [ze., to sacrifice to idols. —C.] 9 Exod. xiv. 22-29. . 10 Gesenius, J/onum. Phen. p. 390, thinks both may be from the first root, signifying "' difficulty; " or the latter possibly = X71", NV"
"let one see." [Our author says: '' The Latin interpreters have thus rendered as far as they were able the Greek word aoa, For thus the Greek copies have it; aoa: and as it is an expression of doubt, it is rendered by an expression of doubt, the word ' perchance' (fortasse) ; but this is not the exact sense. We may express this Greek word by one not so Latin in its use, but adapted to your comprehension. The Punic word, zzv, I mean not that which signifieth a wood, but the expression of dpubt, is the Greek apa, This, the Latins may or usually do express by Putas: as in this instance, Dost thou think
1 ("Unto you," in Oxford ed,, which is not necessarily the sense of the original: guem nunc vobis cantatum audistis. —C.]
(putas) I have escaped this? If we say, Perchance I have escaped, ye see that it hath not this meaning: but the word, Thinkest thou, is commonly used: but not in Latin in this sense. Although I may use it, when expounding to you; for I often use words that are not Latin,
2 Acts ix. 4. 3 [z.2., alive: wzvos absorbutssent. —C ] 4 [Compare Ps. xxxv. 25, p. 86, supra. — C.] 5 Acts x, 13. 6 [** Ye are dead," Col. iii. 5. —C.]