Expositions on the Book of Psalms
614 THE WORKS* OF 877 AUGUSTIN, [PsaLm CXXXI.
our soul began to hope from hence: and how far? " Even unto night ;" until we die ; for all our carnal death is as it were sleep... . 7. And he returns to this, '' From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord." Not only "let Israel hope," but " from the morning watch let Israel hope." Do I then blame the hope of the world, when it is placed in the Lord? No; but there is another hope belonging to Israel. Let not Israel hope for riches as his highest good, not for health of body, not for abundance of earthly things: he will indeed have to suffer tribulation here, if it should be his lot to suffer any troubles for the sake of the truth... . 8. "For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption" (ver. 7). Admirable! This could not have been better said in its own place, on account of the words, "From the morning watch." Wherefore? Because the Lord rose again from the morning watch; and the body ought to hope for that which went before in the Head. But, lest this thought 'should be suggested: The Head might rise again, because It was not weighed down with sins, there was no sin in Him; what shall we do? Shall we hope for such a resurrection, as went before in the Lord, whilst we are weighed down by our sins? But see what followeth: "And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins" sake," therefore, " of"' this "law I have waited for. Thee, O Lord." Ihave waited until Thou mayest come and free me from all need, for in my very need Thou hast not forsaken the law of mercy.
. . « "My soul hath waited for Thy word." ... 4. We therefore trust without fear on the word of Him who cannot deceive. 'My soul hath trusted in the Lord, from the morning watch even unto night" (ver. 5). This morning watch is the end of night. We must therefore understand it so that we may not suppose we are to trust in the Lord for one day only. What do you conceive to be the sense, then, brethren? The words mean this: that the Lord, through whom our sins have been remitted, arose from the dead at the morning watch, so that we may hope that what went before in the Lord will take place in us. For our sins have been already forgiven: but we have not yet risen again: if we have not risen again, not as yet hath that taken place in us which went before in our Head. What went before in our Head? Because the flesh of that Head rose again; did the Spirit of that Head die? What had died in Him, rose again. Now He arose on the third day; and the Lord as it were thus speaketh to us: What ye have seen in Me, hope for in yourselves; that is, because I have risen from the dead, ye also shall rise again.
5. But there are who say, Behold, the Lord hath risen again; but must I hope on that account that I also may rise again? Certainly, on that account: for the Lord rose again in that which He assumed from thee. For He would not rise again, save He had died; and He could not have died, except He bore the flesh. What did the Lord assume from thee? 'The flesh. What was He that came Himself? The Word of God, who was before all things, through whom all things were made. But that He might. receive something from thee, '' The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." ! He received from thee, what He might offer for thee ; as the priest receiveth from thee, what he may offer for thee, when thou wishest to appease God for thy sins. It hath already been done, it hath been done thus. Our Priest received from us what He might offer for us: for He received flesh from us, in the flesh itself He was made a victim, He was made a holocaust, He was made a sacrifice. In the Passion He was made a sacrifice ; in the Resurrection He renewed that which was slain, and offered it as His first-fruits unto God, and saith unto thee, All that is thine is now consecrated: since such first-fruits have been offered unto God from thee; hope therefore that that will take place in thyself which went before in thy first-fruits.
(ver. 8). Though therefore he was weighed down with his sins, the mercy of God is present to him. For this reason, He went before without sin, that He may blot out the sins of those that follow Him. 'Trust not in yourselves, but trust from the morning watch... .
PSALM CXXXI.?
1. In this Psalm, the humility of one that is a servant of God and faithful is commended unto us, by whose voice it is sung ; which is the whole body of Christ. For we have often warned you, beloved, that it ought not to be received as the voice of one man singing, but of all who are in Christ's Body. And since all are in His Body, as it were one man speaketh: and he is one who also is many. . . . Now he prayeth in the temple of God, who prayeth in the peace of the Church, in the unity of Christ's Body; which Body of Christ consisteth of many who believe in the whole world: and therefore he who prayeth in the temple, is heard. For he prayeth in the spirit and in truth,* who prayeth in the peace of the Church; not in that temple, wherein was the figure...
2. "Lord, my heart is not lifted up" (ver. 1). He hath offered a sacrifice. Whence do we
6. Since He then rose with the morning watch,
2 Lat. CXXX. A sermon to the common people. 3 (On this principle the Magnificat and the Nunc démittis are perpetuated as the ceaseless song of the Church. —C.]
t John i. 1, 3, 14.
4 John iv, 21-24.
PsaLM CXXXI.] ON THE PSALMS. 615 prove that he hath offered a sacrifice? Because humility of heart is a sacrifice. . . . If there is no sacrifice, there is no Priest. But if we have a High Priest in Heaven, who intercedeth with the Father for us (for He hath entered into the Holy of Holies,-within the veil), ... we are safe, for we have a Priest ; let us offer our sacrifice there. Let us consider what sacrifice we ought to offer; for God is not pleased with burnt-offerings, as ye have heard in the Psalm. But in that place he next showeth what he offereth: "The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise.'
see to be false, were shut out of the Catholic Church v2. 5. Another opinion indeed hath been entertained, and another sense in these words... . It has been evidently explained, my brethren, where God would have us to be humble, where lofty. Humble, in order to provide against pride; lofty, to take in wisdom. Feed upon milk, that thou mayest be nourished ; be nourished, so that thou mayest grow ; grow, so that thou mayest eat bread. But when thou hast begun to eat bread, thou wilt be weaned, that is, thou wilt no longer have need of milk, but of solid food. This he seemeth to have meant: "Tf I had not lowly thoughts, but have lifted up my soul:"' that is, if I was not an infant in mind, I was in wickedness. In this sense, he said before, " Lord, my heart was not lifted up, nor mine eyes raised on high: I do not exercise myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.' Behold, in wickedness I am an infant. But since I am not an infant in understanding, "If I had not lowly thoughts, but have lifted up my soul,' may that reward be mine which is given unto the infant that is weaned from his mother, that I may at length be able to eat bread.
3. " Lord, my heart was not lifted up, neither were mine eyes raised on high" (ver. 1); "I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things which are too high for me"
(ver. 2). Let this be more plainly spoken and heard. I have not been proud: I have not wished to be known among men as for wondrous powers ; nor have I sought anything beyond my strength, whereby I might boast myself among the ignorant. As that Simon the sorcerer wished to advance into wonders above himself, on that account the power of the Apostles more pleased him, than the righteousness of Christians... . What is above my strength, he saith, I have not sought ; I have not stretched myself out there, Ihave not chosen to be magnified there. How deeply this self-exaltation in the abundance of graces is to be feared, that no man may pride himself in the gift of God, but may rather preserve humility, and may do what is written: "The greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shalt find favour before the Lord:"? how deeply pride in God's gift should be feared, we must again and again impress upon you. . . 4. "If I had not lowly thoughts, but have lifted up my soul, as one taken from his mother's breast, such the reward for my soul" (ver. 2). He seemeth as it were to have bound himself by acurse: . . . as though he had been going to say, Let it so happen to me. "As one taken away from his mother's breast, may be my soul's reward.'"' Ye know that the Apostle saith to some weak brethren, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat ; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able." 3 There are weak persons who are not fit for strong meat ; they wish to grasp at that which they cannot receive: and if they ever do receive, or seem to themselves to receive what they have not received, they are puffed up thereby, and become proud thereupon ; they seem to themselves wise men. Now this happeneth to all heretics ; who since they were animal and carnal, by defending their depraved opinions, which they could not
6. This interpretation, also, brethren, displeaseth me not, since it doth not militate against the faith. Yet I cannot but remark that it is not only said, " As one taken away from milk, such may be my soul's reward ;"' but with this addition, "As one taken away from milk when upon his mother's breast, such may be my soul's reward." Here there is somewhat that induces me to consider it a curse. For it is not an infant, but a grown child that is taken away from.| milk; he who is weak in his earliest infancy, which is his true infancy, is upon his mother's breast: if perchance he hath been taken away from the milk, he perisheth. It is not without a reason then that it is added, "Upon his mother's breast." For all may be weaned by growing. He who groweth, and is thus taken away from milk, it is good for him; but hurtful for him who is still upon his mother's breast. We must therefore beware, my brethren, and be fearful, lest any one be taken away from milk before his time. . . . Let him not therefore wish to lift up his soul, when perchance he is not fit to take meat, but let him fulfil the commandments of humility. He hath wherein he may exercise himself: let him believe in Christ, that he may understand Christ. He cannot see the Word, he cannot understand the equality of the Word with the Father, he cannot as yet see the equality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Word ; let him believe this, and suck it. He is safe, because, when he hath grown, he will eat, which he could not do before he grew by suck-
T Ps, li. 17. 2 Ecclus, iii. 18, 3 x Cor. iii. 2,