Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE WORKS OF ST, AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm CXXVII.
eth, singeth the song of steps. Remember: do not love to descend, instead of to ascend, but reflect upon your ascent: because he who descended from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves." . . . The Samaritan as He passed by slighted us not: He healed us, He raised us upon His beast, upon His flesh; He led us to the inn, that is, the Church; He entrusted us to the host, that is, to the Apostle ; He gave two pence, whereby we might be healed,? the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. The Apostle spent more ; for, though it was allowed unto all the Apostles to receive, as Christ's soldiers, pay from Christ's subjects,3 that Apostle, nevertheless, toiled with his own hands, and ex-
Since, therefore, He is the true Solomon; for that Solomon was the figure of this Peace maker, when he built the temple; that thou mayest not think he who built the house unto God was the true Solomon, Scripture showing unto thee another Solomon, thus commences this Psalm: " Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost that build it" (ver. 1). The Lord, therefore, buildeth the house, the Lord Jesus Christ buildeth His own house. Many toil in building: but, except He build, " their labour is but lost that build it." Who are they who toil in building it? All who preach the word of God in the Church, the ministers of God's mysteries. We are all running, we are all toiling, we are all building now; and before us others have run, toiled, and built : but " except the Lord build, their labour is but lost." Thus the Apostles seeing some fall bewailed these men, in that they had laboured in vain for them.® We, therefore, speak without, He buildeth within. We can observe with what attention ye hear us ; He alone who knoweth your thoughts, knoweth what ye think. He Himself buildeth, He Himself admonisheth, He Hirself openeth the understanding, He Himself kindleth your understanding unto faith ; nevertheless, we also toil like workmen; but, "except the Lord build," etc.
cused the subjects the maintenance owing to him.' All this hath already happened: if we have descended, and have been wounded ; let us asscend, let us sing, and make progress, in order that we may arrive.
PSALM CXXVII5
1. Among all the Songs entitled the Song of degrees, this Psalm hath a further addition in the title, that it is "Solomon's." For thus it is entitled, "A Song of degrees of Solomon. It hath therefore aroused our attention, and caused us to enquire the reason of this addition, "of. Solomon." For it is needless to repeat explanations of the other words, Song of degrees. . Solomon was in his time David's son, a great man, through whom many holy precepts and healthful admonitions and divine mysteries have been wrought by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. Solomon himself was a lover of women, and was rejected by God: and this lust was so great a snare unto him, that he was induced by women even to sacrifice to idols,° as Scripture witnesseth concerning him. But if, by his fall what was delivered through him were blotted out, it would be judged that he had himself delivered these precepts, and not that they were delivered through him. The mercy of God, therefore, and His Spirit, excellently wrought that whatever of good was declared through Solomon, might be attributed unto God; and the man's sin, unto the man. What marvel that Solomon fell among God's people? Did not Adam fall in Paradise? Did not an angel fall from heaven, and become the devil? We are thereby taught, that no hope must be placed in any among men.
2. But that which is the house of God is also .|acity. For the house of God is the people of God ; for the house of God is the temple of God.
. . . This is Jerusalem: she hath guards: as she hath builders, labouring at her building up, so also hath she guards. To this guardianship these words of the Apostle relate : "I fear, lest by any means your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ." 9 He was guarding the Church. He kept watch, to the utmost of his power, over those over whom he was set. The Bishops also do this. Fora higher place was for this reason given the Bishops, that they might be themselves the superintendents and as it were the guardians of the people. For the Greek word Zfiscopus, and the vernacular Superintendent, are the same; for the Bishop superintends, in that he looks over. As a higher place is assigned to the vinedresser in the charge of the vineyard, so also to the Bishops a more exalted station is alloted. And a perilous account is rendered of this high station, except we stand here with a heart that causeth us to stand beneath your feet in humility, and pray for you, that He who knoweth your minds may be Himself your keeper. Since we can see you both coming in and going out; but we are so unable to see what are the thoughts of your hearts, that we cannot even see what ye do in your houses,. . . The name of Solomon is interpreted to mean peacemaker: now Christ is the True Peacemaker, of whom the Apostle saith, " He is our Peace, who hath made both one.'7...
1 Luke x. 30. 2 Luke x. 35, 37. 3 Provincialibus. 1 Cor. iv. 2. 4 1 Thess. ii. 7,9; 2 Thess: iii. 8, 9. 5 Lat. CXXVE. A sermon to the common people. © x Kings xi. 7, 8. 7 Eph, ii. 14.
8 Gal. iv. 10, 11. 9 2 Cor. xi, 3.