Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm CXXXII. dead, and goest unto Thy Father, let that royal 'Priesthood be clothed with faith, since " the he squandered it all with harlots. At length he suffered hunger, he remembered his father ; he returned, that he might be satisfied with bread. righteous liveth by faith ;" 5 and, receiving the pledge of the Holy Spirit, let the members re-
Enter therefore, that thou mayest be dwelt in ; and mayest be not thine own, so to speak, but His: "We will go into His tabernacles. We will worship on the spot where His feet stood." Whose feet? The Lord's, or those of the house of the Lord itself? For that is the Lord's house, wherein he saith He ought to be worshipped. Beside His house, the Lord heareth not unto eternal life ; for he belongeth to God's house, who hath in charity been built in with living stones. But he who hath not charity, falleth ; and while he falls, the house stands... . 7. But if ye incline to understand it of the house itself, where the feet of that house have stood ; let thy feet stand in Christ. They will then stand, if thou shalt persevere in Christ. For what is said of the devil? '" He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth."' The feet of the devil therefore stood not. Also what saith he of the proud? "O let not the foot of pride come against me; and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down. There are they fallen, all that work wickedness : they are cast down, and were not able to stand." ? That then is the house of God, whose feet stand. Whence John rejoicing, saith: what? "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom standeth and heareth him." | If he stand not, he heareth him not. Justly he standetn, because "he rejoiceth on account of the bridegroom's voice." Now therefore ye see why.they fell, who rejoice because of their own voice. 'That friend of the Bridegroom said, "The same is He which baptizeth." 4 Some say, We baptize: rejoicing in their own voice, they could not stand; and belong not to that house of which it is said, " where His feet stood." joice in the hope of resurrection, which went before in the Head: for to them the Apostle saith, " Rejoicing in hope." ©
10. " For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Thine Anointed" (ver. 10). These words are addressed unto God the Father. "For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Thine Anointed." The Lord was crucified in Judea; He was crucified by the Jews; harassed by them, He slept. He arose to judge those among whose savage hands He slept: and He saith elsewhere, " Raise 'Thou Me up again, and I shall reward them." ? He both hath rewarded them, and will reward them. The Jews well know themselves how great were their sufferings after the Lord's death. They were all expelled from the very city, where they slew Him. What then? have all perished even from the-root of David and from the tribe of Judah? No: for some of that stock believed, and in fact many thousands of men of that stock believed, and this after the Lord's resurrection. They raged and crucified Him: and afterwards began to see miracles wrought in the Name of Him Crucified; and they trembled still more that His Name should have so much power, since when in their hands He seemed unable to work any; and pricked at heart, at length believing that there was some hidden divinity in Him whom they had believed like other men, and asking counsel of the Apostles, they were answered, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ."* Since then Christ arose to judge those by whom He had been crucified, and turned away His Presence from the Jews, turning His Presence towards the Gentiles ; God is, as it seemeth, besought in behalf of the remnant of Israel; and it is said unto Him, " For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the presence of Thine Anointed." If the chaff be condemned, let the wheat be gathered together. May the remnant be saved, as Isaiah saith, " And the remnant hath" clearly " been saved :"?9 for out of them were the twelve Apostles, out of them more than five hundred brethren, to whom the Lord showed Himself after His Resurrection : '° out of their number were so many thousands baptized,"! who laid the price of their possessions at the Apostles' feet. Thus then was fulfilled the prayer here made to God: "For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the presence of Thine Anointed."
8. " Arise, O Lord, into Thy resting place"' (ver. 8). He saith unto the Lord sleeping, " Arise." Ye know already who slept, and who rose again... . "Thou, and the ark of Thy sanctification: " that is, Arise, that the ark of Thy sanctification, which Thou hast sanctified, may arise also. He is our Head; His ark is His Church : He arose first, the Church will arise also. The body would not dare to promise itself resurrection, save the Head arose first. The Body of Christ, that was born of Mary, hath been understood by some to be the ark of sanctification; so that the words mean, Arise with Thy Body, that they who believe not may handle. g. '" Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Thy saints sing with joyfulness" (ver. g). When Thou risest from the 5 Rom. i, 17. 6 Rom. xii. 12. 7 Ps. xli. 10, 8 Acts ii. 38. 9 Isa. x. 21, 22, 10 x Cor, xv. 6. 1 Acts il, 41.
I John viii. 44. 2 Ps, xxxvi. 11, 12. 3 Donatists. 4 John i. 33.