Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
[PsaLm CXXXVIII.
THE WORKS: OF iST. AUGUSTIN.
therefore " quickly hear me.'"' Since Thou hast taught me what to seek, grant what I seek... . 6. Let us see then what he seeketh, with what right he hath said, "quickly hear me." For what seekest thou, that thou shouldest quickly be heard? "Thou shalt multiply me." In many ways may multiplication be understood... . For men are multiplied in their soul with cares : a man seemeth to be multiplied in soul, in whom vices even are multiplied. That is the multiplication of want, not of fulness. What then dost thou desire, thou who hast said, " quickly hear me," and hast withdrawn thyself entirely from the body, from every earthly thing, from every earthly desire, so as to say to God, " Thou shalt multiply me in my soul"? Explain yet further what thou desirest. Thou shalt multiply me, saith he, in my soul " with virtue." . . . 7. "Let all the kings of the earth confess to Thee, O Lord" (ver. 4). So shall it be, and so it is, and that daily ; and it is shown that it was not said in vain, save that it was future. But neither let them, when they confess to Thee, when they praise Thee, desire earthly things of Thee. For what shall the kings of the earth desire? Have they not already sovereignty? Whatever more a man desire on earth, sovereignty is the highest point of his desire. What more can he desire? It must needs be some loftier eminence. But perhaps the loftier it is, the more dangerous. And therefore the more exalted kings are in earthly eminence, the more ought truth." Let not then the kings of the earth be proud, let them be humble. Then let them sing in the ways of the Lord, if they be humble : let them love, and they shall sing. We know travellers that sing; they sing, and hasten to reach the end of their journey. There are evil songs, such as belong to the old man; to the new man belongeth a new song. Let then the kings of the earth too walk in Thy paths, let them walk and sing in Thy paths, Sing what? that "great is the glory of the Lord," not of kings.
g. See how he willed that kings should sing on their way, humbly bearing the Lord, not lifting themselves up againstthe Lord. For if they lift themselves up, what follows? "For the Lord is high, and hath respect unto the lowly"
(ver. 6). Do kings then desire that He have respect unto them? Let thembe humble. What then? if they lift themselves up to pride, can they escape His eyes? Lest perchance, because thou hast heard, "He hath respect unto the lowly," thou choose to be proud, and say in thy soul, God hath respect unto the lowly, He hath not respect unto me, I will do what I will. O foolish one! wouldest thou say this, if thou knewest what thou oughtest to love? Behold, even if God willeth not to see thee, dost thou not fear this very thing, that He willeth not to see thee? . . . The lofty then, it seemeth, He hath not respect unto, for it is the lowly He respecteth. 'The lofty'»— what? ' He considereth from afar."" What then gaineth the proud? To be seen from afar, not to escape being seen. And think not that thou must needs be safe on that account, for that He seeth less clearly, who seeth thee from afar. For thou indeed seest not clearly, what thou seest from afar; God, although He see thee from afar, seeth thee perfectly, yet is He not with thee. This thou gainest, not that thou art less perfectly seen, but that thou art not with Him by whom thou art seen. But what doth the lowly gain? "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart."" Let the proud then lift himself up as much as he will, certainly God dwelleth on high, God is in heaven: wishest thou that He come nigh to thee? Humble thyself. For the higher will He be above thee, the more thou liftest thyself up.
they to humble themselves before God. What do they do? " Because they have heard all the words of Thy mouth." In a certain nation were hidden the Law and the Prophets, "all the words of Thy mouth:" in the Jewish nation alone were "all the words of Thy mouth," the nation which the Apostle praiseth, saying, " What advantage hath the Jew? Much every way; chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." These were the words of God." .. . What meant Gideon's fleece? Itis like the nation of the Jews in the midst of the world, which had the grace of sacraments, not indeed openly manifested, but hidden in a cloud, or in a veil, like the dew in the fleece The time came when the dew was to be manifested in the floor; it was manifested, no longer hidden. Christ alone is the sweetness of dew: Him alone thou recognisest not in Scripture, for whom Scripture was written. But yet, "they have heard all the words of thy mouth."
10. "If I walk in the midst of tribulation, Thou shalt revive me" (ver. 7). True it is: whatsoever tribulation thou art in, confess, call on Him ; He freeth thee, He reviveth thee. . . . Love the other life, and thou shalt see that this life is tribulation, whatever prosperity it shine with, whatever delights it abound and overflow with ; since not yet have we that joy most safe and free from all temptation, which God reserveth for us in the end, without doubt it is
8. "And let them sing in the paths of the Lord, that great is the glory of the Lord" (ver. 5). Let all the kings of the earth sing in the paths of the Lord. In what paths? Those that are spoken of above, "in Thy mercy and Thy
1 Rom. iii, 1, 2. 2 Judg. vi. 37, 39.
PSALMS. 635
PsatmM CXXXIX_] ON THE tribulation. Let us understand then what tribulation he meaneth here too, brethren. Not as though he said, "If perchance there shall any tribulation have befallen me, Thou shalt free me therefrom." But how saithhe? "If I walk," etc. ; that is, otherwise Thou wilt not revive me, unless I walk in the midst of tribulation.
"Thy mercy is for everlasting," wherewith Thou hast freed the martyrs, and so hast quickly taken them from this life. '' Despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands." I say not, Lord, "despise not the works of my hands:" of mine own works I boast not. "I sought," indeed, "the Lord with my hands in the night season before Him, and have not been deceived ;" but yet I praise not the works of mine own hands ; I fear lest, when Thou shalt look into them, Thou find more sins in them than deserts. Behold in me Thy Work, not mine: for mine if Thou seest, Thou condemnest ; Thine, if Thou seest, Thou crownest. For whatever good works there be of mine, from Thee are they to me; and so they are more Thine than mine.4 Therefore whether in regard that we are men, or in regard that we have been changed and justified from our iniquity, Lord, "despise not Thou the works of Thine own hands."
11. "Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand over the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand hath made me safe.' Let mine enemies rage: what can they do? They can take my money, strip, proscribe, banish me; afflict me with grief and tortures; at last, if they be allowed, even kill me: can they do aught more? But over that which mine enemies can do, Thou hast stretched forth Thine hand. For mine enemies cannot separate me from Thee: but Thou avengest me the more, the more Thou as yet delayest. . . . Yet not to make me despair ; for it follows, "and Thy right hand hath made me safe."
12. "Thou, Lord, shalt recompense for me" (ver. 8). I recompense not: Thou shalt recompense. Let mine enemies rage their full: Thou shalt recompense what I cannot.... " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves," saith the Apostle, " but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." * 'There is here another sense not to be neglected, perhaps even to be preferred. "Lord" Christ, "Thou shalt repay for me." For I, if I repay, have seized ; Thou hast paid what Thou hast not seized. Lord, Thou shalt "repay for me." Behold Him repaying for us. They came to Him, who exacted tribute :? they used to demand as. tribute a didrachma, that is, two drachmas for one man; they came to the Lord to pay tribute ; or rather, not to Him, but to His disciples, and they said to them, " Doth not your Master pay tribute?" They cameand told Him. He saith unto Peter, "lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up: and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a stater:3 that take, and give for Me and thee." The first that riseth from the sea, is the First-begotten from the dead. In His mouth we find two didrachmas, that is, four drachmas: in His mouth we find the four Gospels. By those four drachmas we are free from the claims of this world, by the four Evangelists we remain no longer debtors ; for there the debt of all our sins is paid. He then hath repaid for us, thanks to His mercy. He owed nothing: He repaid not for Himself: He repaid PORTUS. 5317. 8 13. " Lord, Thy mercy is for everlasting. Not for a time only do I desire to be freed.
PSALM CXXXIX:.s
1... . Our Lord Jesus Christ speaketh in the Prophets, sometimes in His own Name, sometimes in ours, because He maketh Himself one with us; as it is said, " they twain shall be one flesh." Wherefore also the Lord saith in the Gospel, speaking of marriage, " therefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." One flesh, because of our mortality He took flesh ; not one divinity, for He is the Creator, we the creature. Whatsoever then our Lord speaketh in the person of the Flesh He took upon Him, belongeth both to that Head which hath already ascended into heaven, and to those members which still toil in their earthly wandering. Let us hear then our Lord Jesus Christ speaking in prophecy. For the Psalms were sung long before the Lord was born of Mary, yet not before He was Lord; for from everlasting He was the Creator of all things, but in time He was born of His creature. Letus believe that Godhead, and, so far as we can, understand Him to be equal to the Father. But that Godhead equal to the Father, was made partaker of our mortal nature, not of His own store, but of ours; that we too might be made partakers of His Divine Nature, not of our store, but of His.
2. "Lord, Thou hast tried me, and known me" (ver. 1). Let the Lord Jesus Christ Himself say this; let Him too say, "Lord," to the Father. For His Father is not His Lord, save
because He hath deigned to be born according
4 Eph. ii. 8-10. 5 Lat. CXX XVIII. Sermon to the people. [The author says: "We had prepared us a short Psalm, and had desired the reader to chant it; but he, through confusion at the time, as it seems, has substituted another for it. We have chosen to follow the will of God in the reader's mistake, rather than our own will by keeping our | purpose." —C.]
I Rom, xii. 19. , 2 Matt. xvii, 24-26, 3 That is, two didrachmas,
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[PsaLm CXXXIX.
leave his father? . . . What is, "my path'? that by which I have gone. What is, " my limit ''? that whereunto I have reached. "Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit." That limit of mine, far distant as it was, was not far from Thine eyes. Far had I gone, and yet Thou wast there. "And all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand."' He said not, "hast seen,' but, "hast seen beforehand." Before I went by them, before I walked in them, Thou didst see them beforehand ; and Thou didst permit me in toil to go my own ways, that, if I desired not to toil, I might return into Thy ways. '"' For there is no deceit in my tongue." ? What meant he by this? Lo, I confess to Thee, I have walked in my own way, I am become far from Thee, I have departed from Thee, with whom it was well with me, and to my good it was ill with me without Thee. .. . 5. " Behold Thou, Lord, hast known all my last doings, and the ancient ones" (ver. 5). Thou hast known my latest doings, when I fed swine ; 'Thou hast known my ancient doings, when I asked of Thee my portion of goods. Ancient doings were the beginnings to me of latest ills: ancient sin, when we fell; latest punishment, when we came into this toilsome and dangerous mortality. And would that this may be "'latest'' to us ; it will be, if now we will to return. For there is another "latest "' for certain wicked ones, to whom it shall be said, "Go ye into everlasting fire." 3 . . . "Thou hast fashioned me, and hast laid Thine hand upon me." "Fashioned me," where? In this mortality ; now, to the toils whereunto we all are born.
to the flesh. He is Father of the God, Lord of the Man. Wouldest thou know to whom He is Father? To the coequal Son. 'The Apostle saith, '' Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." * To this "Form" God is Father, the " Form" equal to Himself, the only-begotten Son, begotten of His Substance. But forasmuch as for our sakes, that we might be re-made, and made partakers of His Divine Nature, being renewed unto life eternal, He was made partaker of our mortal nature, what saith the Apostle of Him? He saith, " yet He emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man."' He was in the Form of God, equal to the Father; He took upon Him the form of a servant, so as therein to be less than the Father 33. 4 3. "Thou hast known My down-sitting and Mine up-rising" (ver. 2). What here is "' downsitting," what "up-rising"? He who sitteth, humbleth himself. The Lord then "sat" in His Passion, "' up-rose"' in His Resurrection. "Thou," he saith, hast known this; that is, Thou hast willed, Thou hast approvec ; according to Thy will was it done. But if thou choosest to take the words of the Head in the person of the Body : man sitteth when he humbleth himself in penitence, he riseth up when his sins are forgiven, and he is lifted up to the hope of everlasting life. Lift not up yourselves, unless ye have first been humbled. For many wish to rise before they have sat down, they wish to appear righteous, before they have confessed that they are SINNErS:its Ws
| For none is born, but God has fashioned him
4. " Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit " (ver. 3) ; "and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand" (ver. 4). What is, "from afar"? While I am yet in my pilgrimage, before I reach that, my true country, Thou hast known my thoughts. . ... The younger son went into a far country. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, "I will arise, and go to my father." "TI will arise," said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, "Thou hast known my down-sitting and up-rising." I sat, in want; I arose, in longing for Thy Bread. "Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar." For far indeed had I gone; but where is not He whom I had left? Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. Truly; for "he had _ understood his thoughts from afar." "My path," he saith ; in his mother's womb ; nor is there any creature, whereof God is not the Fashioner. But "Thou hast fashioned me "' in this toil, '' and laid Thine hand upon me," Thine avenging hand, putting down the proud. For thus healthfully hath He cast down the proud, that He may lift him up humble.
6. "Thy skill hath displayed itself wonderfully in me: it hath waxed mighty: I shall not be able to attain unto it" (ver. 6). Listen now and hear somewhat, which is obscure indeed, yet bringeth no small pleasure in the understanding thereor. Moses, the holy servant of God, with whom God spake by a cloud, for, speaking after human fashion, He must needs speak to His servant through some work of His hands which He assumed, ... longed and desired to see the true appearance of God, and said to God, who was conversing with him, "If now I have found grace in Thy sight, show me Thyself."* When this he desired vehemently, and would extort from God in that sort of friendly what, but a bad path, the path he had walked to t Philip. ii. 6, 7-
2 Ps. cxxxix. 4. 3 Matt. xxv. 41. 4 Exod. xxxili. 13.