Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
92 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLmM XXXVIL £5 ee ca en a oa pr DAS SS REC RES SE ON SS ness. He asks that he may receive his sight. Let him ask it ; for God does that too, and gives those blessings also. But these things are asked for even by the wicked. This is a desire of the flesh. One is sick, and prays to be made sound. From the point of death he is restored to health. That too is a desire of the flesh, as are all of such a kind. What is " the desire of the heart'? As the desire of the flesh is to wish to have one's eyesight restored, to enable him, that is, to see that light, which can be seen by such eyes ; so "the desire of the heart" relates to a different sort of light. For, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Delight thou thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
wither who is thus rooted? But when will our spring be? When our summer? When will the honour of foliage clothe us around, and the fulness of fruit make us rich? When shall this come to pass? Hear what follows: ' When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." And what then shall we do now? "Be not envious because of the evil-doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon wither like the grass, and fade like the herb of the meadow."
4. What shouldest thou do then? "Trust in the Lord" (ver. 3). For they too trust, but not "in the Lord." Their hope is perishable. Their hope is short-lived, frail, fleeting, transitory, baseless. "Trust thou in the Lord." " Behold," thou sayest, "I do trust; what am I to do?"
6. " Behold" (you say), "I do long after it, I do ask for it, I do desire it. Shall I then accomplish it?" No. Whoshallthen? " Reveal thy way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (ver. 5). Mention to Him what thou sufferest, mention to Him what thou dost desire. For what is it that thou sufferest? '"' The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." What is it then that thou dost desire? 'Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?''5 And because it is He " Himself" that "will bring it to pass," when thou shalt have " revealed thy ways unto Him ;" hear what follows: "The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." What is it then that He is to bring to pass, since it is said, "' Reveal thy way unto Him, and He will bring it to pass''? What will He bring to pass? "And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light" (ver.6). For now, " thy righteousness" is hid. Now it is a thing of faith; not yet of sight. You believe something that you may do it. You do not yet see that in which you believe. But when thou shalt begin to see that, which thou didst believe before, "thy righteousness will be brought forth to the light," because it is thy faith that was® thy righteousness. For "the just lives by faith." 7. "And He shall bring forth thy judgment as the noon-day." That is to say, "as the clear light." It was too little to say, "as the light." For we call it "light '"' already, even when it but dawns: we call it light even while the sun is rising. But never is the light brighter than at mid-day. Therefore He will not only "bring forth thy righteousness as the light," but " thy judgment shall be as the noon-day." For now dost thou make thy "judgment" to follow Christ. This is thy purposé: this is thy choice: this is thy "judgment." ...
" And do good." Do not do that evil which thou beholdest in those men, who are prosperous in wickedness. "Do good, and dwell in the land." Lest haply thou shouldest be doing good without " dwelling in the land." For it is the Church that is the Lord's land. It is her whom He, the Father, the tiller of it, waters and cultivates. For there are many that, as it were, do good works, but yet, in that they do not "dwell in the land," they do not belong to the husbandman. 'Therefore do thou thy good, not outside of the land, but do thou " dwell in the land." And what shall I have? 'And thou shalt be fed in its riches."" What are the riches of that land? Her riches are her Lord! Her riches are her God! He it is to whom it is said, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup."? In a late discourse we suggested to you, dearly beloved, that God is our possession,? and that we are at the same time God's possession. Hear how that He is Himself the riches of that land.
"Delight thyself in the Lord" (ver. 4). As if thou hadst put the question, and hadst said, "Show me the riches of that land, in which thou biddest me dwell, he says, ' Delight thyself in the Lord."
5. "And He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Understand in their proper signification,3 "the desires of thine heart." Distinguish the "desires of thine heart" from the desires of thy flesh ; distinguish as much as thou canst. It is not without a meaning that it is said in a certain Psalm, '"' God is" (the strength) "of mine heart." For there it says in what follows: "And God is my portion for ever." For instance: One labours under bodily blind-
8. "What should I do then?" Hear what
I Ps, xvi. 5. 2 See Disc. 2 (omitted) on Ps. 33, delivered at Carthage in the Church of St. Cyprian.
3 Signanter accipe.
4 Gal. v. 17. 5 Rom. vii. 24. 6 Al, "shall be."
Psatm XXXVIL] ON THE PSALMS
thou shouldest do. 'Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Him" (ver. 7). Be this thy life, to obey His commandments. For this is to submit thee to Him ; and to entreat Him until He give thee what He hath promised. Let good works "continue; ": 2: Jet prayer "continue." " For. "men ought always to pray, and. not to faint." ? Wherein dost thou show that thou art " submitted to Him"? In doing what He hath commanded. But haply thou dost not receive thy wages as yet, because as yet thou art not able. For He is already able to give them; but thou art not already able to receive them. Exercise thou thyself in works. Labour in the vineyard; at the close of the day crave thy wages. '' Faithful is He" who brought thee into the vineyard.
man in adversity?' Consider what thought it begets: stifle the wicked notion. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:" so that now returning to thy senses, thou mayest say, "Mine eye is disturbed because of wrath."'5 What eye is that, but the eye of faith? To the eye of thy faith I appeal.© Thou didst believe in Christ: why didst thou believe? What did He promise thee? If it was the happiness of this world that Christ promised thee, then murmur against Christ ; yes! murmur against Him, when thou seest the wicked flourishing. What of happiness did He promise? What, save in the Resurrection of the Dead? But what in this life? That which was His portion. His portion, I say! Dost thou, servant and disciple, disdain what thy Lord, what thy Master bore? .. . "For evil-doers shall be cut off" (ver. 9). "But I see their prosperity." Believe Him who saith, "they shall be cut off;'' Him who seeth better than thou, since His eye anger cannot cloud. "For evil-doers shall be cut off. But those that wait upon the Lord," — not upon any one that can deceive them ; but verily on Him who is the Truth itself, — "' But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land." What "land," but that Jerusalem, with the love of which whosoever is inflamed, shall come to peace at the last.
"Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Hint."
g. "See! I do so; I do 'submit to the Lord, and I do entreat.' But what do you think? That neighbour of mine is a wicked man, living a bad life, and prosperous! His thefts, adulteries, robberies, are known to me. Lifted up above every one, proud, and raised on high by wickedness, he deigns not to notice me. In these circumstances, how shall I hold out with patience ?" This is a sickness; drink, by way of remedy. "Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way." He prospereth, but it is "in his way:" thou sufferest, but it is in God's way! His portion is prosperity on his way, misery on arriving at its end: yours, toil on the road, happiness in its termination. "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish."3 Thou walkest those ways which "the Lord knoweth," and if thou dost suffer toil in them, they do not deceive thee. The "way of the ungodly" is but a transitory happiness ; at the end of the way the happiness is at an end also. Why? Because that way is "the broad road ;" its termination leads to the pit of hell. Now, thy way is narrow ; and " few there be" that enter in through it: 4 but into how ample a field it comes at the last, thou oughtest to consider. ' Fret not thyself at him who prospereth in his way ; because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
10. " But how long is the sinner to flourish? How long shall I have to endure?" Thou art impatient ;7 that which seems long to thee, will soon come to pass. It is infirmity makes that seem long, which is really short, as is found in the case of the longings of sick men. Nothing seems so long as the mixing of the potion for him when athirst. For all that his attendants are making all speed, lest haply the patient be angry; " When will it be done? (he cries). When will it be drest? When will it be served?" Those who are waiting upon you are making haste, but your infirmity fancies that long which is being done with expedition. Behold ye, therefore, our Physician complying with the infirmity of the patient, saying, '' How long shall I have to endure? How long will it be?" "Vet a little while, and the sinner shall not be" (ver. 10). Is it certainly among sinners, and because of the sinner, that thou murmurest ? "A little while, and he shall not be." Lest haply because I said, "' They that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land," thou shouldest think that waiting to be of very long duration. Wait "a little while,"' thou shalt receive without end what thou waitest for. A little while, a moderate space. Review the years from Adam's time up to this day ; run through the Scriptures. It is almost yesterday that he fell from Paradise !
"Cease from anger, and forsake wrath" (ver. 8). Wherefore art thou wroth? Wherefore is it that, through that passion and indignation, thou dost blaspheme, or almost blaspheme? Against " the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, cease from anger, and forsake wrath." Knowest thou not whither that wrath tempts thee on? Thou art on the point of saying unto God, that He is unjust. It tends to that. "Look! why is that man prosperous, and this
1 Perseveret, alluding to a word in the portion omitted. Matt. XXiV. 13. sets 2 Luke xviii. 1. 4 Matt. vii. 13, 14.
5 Ps. vi. 7. 6 Interrogo. 7 Festinas.
94 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm XXXVIL silver, in the multitude of his slaves, in the multitude, lastly, of his baths, his roses, his intoxicating wines, his most sumptuous and luxurious banquets. Is this the power thou enviest? Is this the glory that delights thee? Would not his fate be worthy to be deplored, even if he were to be so for ever? What shall be thy delights? "And they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Peace shall be thy gold. Peace shall be thy silver. Peace shall be thy lands. Peace shall be thy life, thy God Peace. Peace shall be to thee whatsoever thou dost desire. ...
So many ages have been measured out, and unrolled.!. Where now are the past ages? Even so, however, shall the few which remain, pass away also. Hadst thou been living throughout all that time, since Adam was banished from Paradise up to this present day, thou wouldest certainly see that the life, which had thus flown away, had not been of long duration. But how long is the duration of each individual's life? Add any number of years you please: prolong old age to its longest duration: what is it? Is it not but a morning breeze? Be it so, however, that the Day of Judgment is far off, when the reward of the righteous and of the unrighteous is to come: your last day at all events cannot be far off. Make thyself ready against this! For such as thou shall have departed from this life, shalt thou be restored to the other. At the close of that short life, you will not yet be, where the Saints shall be, to whom it shall be said, "Come, ye blessed of My Father: inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world."? You will not yet be there? Who does not know that? But you may already be there, where that beggar, once " covered with sores," was seen at a distance, at rest, by that proud and unfruitful "rich man" in the midst of his torments.3 Surely laid in that rest thou waitest in security for the Day of Judgment, when thou art to receive again a body, to be changed so as to be made equal to an Angel. How long then is that for which we are impatient, and are saying, "When will it come? Will it tarrylong?" This our sons will say hereafter, and our sons' sons will say too; and, though each one of these in succession will say this same thing, that " little while" that is yet to be, passes away, as all that is already past hath passed away already! O thou sick one! " Yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be. Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and thou shalt not find him." . 11. "But the meek shall inherit the land '' 4 (ver. 11). That land is the one of which we have often spoken, the holy Jerusalem, which is to be released from these her pilgrimages, and to live for ever with God, and on God. Therefore, "' They shall inherit the land."" What shall be their delight? "And they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Let the ungodly man delight himself here in the multitude of his gold, in the multitude of his
On the Second Part of the Psalm?
1. Then follow these words: "The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth" (ver. 12) : " But the Lord shall laugh at him" (ver. 13). At whom? Surely at the sinner, " gnashing upon"' the other " with his teeth."'? But wherefore shall the Lord " laugh at him"? "For He foreseeth that his day is coming." He seems indeed full of wrath, while, ignorant of the morrow that is in store for him, he is threatening the just. But the Lord beholds and " foresees his day." " What day?" That in which " He will render to every man according to his works." For he is "treasuring up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God."® But it is the Lord that foresees it; thou dost not foresee it. It hath been revealed to thee by Him who foresees it. Thou didst not know of the "day of the unrighteous," in which he is to suffer punishment. But He who knows it hath revealed it to thee. It is a main part of knowledge to join thyself to Him who hath knowledge. He hath the eyes of knowledge: have thou the eyes of a believing mind. That which God "sees," be thou willing to believe. For the day of the unjust, which God foresees, will come.
What day is that? The day for all vengeance! For it is necessary that vengeance should be taken upon the ungodly, that vengeance be taken upon the unjust, whether he turn, or whether he turn not. For if he shall turn from his ways, that very thing, that his "injustice is come to an end," is the infliction of vengeance. . . . 2. "The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright heart" (ver. 14). "Their weapon shall enter into their own heart" (ver. 15). It is an easy thing for his weapon, that is, his sword, to reach thy body, even as the sword of the persecutors reached the body of the Martyrs, but when the body had been smitten, "the heart"? remained unhurt ; but his heart who " drew out the sword
1 [Few consider how very short is the span of all human history. Daily we read of men and women who live a kundred years. Eighteen such lives go back to the age of Christ and His Apostles. Official lives of /ty years are not uncommon, and six-and-thirty such cover the entire Christian era. — C.
2 Matt. xxv. 34. 3 Luke xvi. 20, 23. 4 [Comp. St. Matt. v. 5. The earlier Fathers believed in the "' regeneration " of this earth. See A. N. F. vol. i. 240, 435, and (Apocryphal Revelation) viii. 584, vii. 218, 254, iv. 211, 212, 218, and conversely, 274, 275. Our author, after sharing this early opinion, gave it up, and founded a new school. —C.]
5 Preached at another time. © Rom. ii. 6, 5.
against" the body of the just did not clearly remain unhurt. This is attested by this very Psalm. It saith, Their weapon, that is, "Their sword shall," not go into their body, but, " their weapon shall go into their own heart." They would fain have slain him in the body. Let them die the death of the soul. For those whose bodies they sought to kill, the Lord hath freed from anxiety, saying, "' Fear not them who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul."" .. . 3. "And their bows shall be broken." What is meant by, " And their bows shall be broken" ? Their plots shall be frustrated. For above He had said, "The wicked have drawn out the sword and bent their bows." By the " drawing out of the sword' he would have understood open hostility ; but by the " bending of the bow," secret conspiracies. See! His sword destroys himself, and his laying of snares is frustrated. What is meant by frustrated? 'That it does no mischief to the righteous. How then, for instance (you ask), did it do no mischief to the man, whom it thus stripped of his goods, whom it reduced to straitened circumstances by taking away his possessions? He has still cause to sing, "A little that a righteous man hath, is better than great riches of the ungodly" (ver.
one is crucified. It was honoured, and it came to anend. It came to an end asa punishment ; it is continued in glory. It hath removed from the place of execution to the foreheads of Emperors. He who hath invested His very sufferings with such honour, what doth He reserve for His faithful servants? ...
5. But observe whether that was fulfilled in his case which the Psalm now speaks of. "The Lord strengtheneth the righteous. — Not only so"' (saith that same Paul, whilst suffering many evils), " but we glory in tribulations also : knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience ; and experience hope; but hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.''5 Justly is it said by him, now righteous, now "strengthened." As therefore those who persecuted him did no harm to him, when now "strengthened," so neither did he himself do any harm to those whom he persecuted. ' But the Lord," he saith, " strengtheneth the righteous." . 6. Therefore "the Lord does strengthen the righteous." In what way does He strengthen them? "The Lord knoweth the ways® of the spotless ones" (ver. 18). When they suffer ills, they are believed to be walking ill ways by those who are ignorant, by those who have not knowledge to discern " the ways of the spotless ones." He who "knoweth those ways," knoweth by what way to lead His own, " them that are gentle," in the right way. Whence in another Psalm he said, " The meek shall He guide in judgment ; them that are gentle will He teach His way."7 How, think you, was that beggar, who lay covered with sores before the rich man's door,' spurned by the passers by! How did they, probably, close their nostrils and spit at him! The Lord, however, knew how to reserve? Paradise for him. How did they, on the other hand, desire for themselves the life of him who was "clad in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day!" "° But the Lord, who foresaw that man's "day coming," knew the torments, the torments without end, that were in store forhim. Therefore "The Lord knoweth the ways of the upright."
16). 4... . "For the arms of the wicked shall be broken" (ver. 17). Now by "their arms'? is meant their power. What will he do in hell? Will it be what the rich man had to do, he who was wont "tc fare sumptuously" in the upper world, and in hell "' was tormented"??? Therefore their arms shall be broken; " but the Lord upholdeth the righteous." How does He " uphold" them? What saith He unto them? Even what is said in another Psalm, " Wait on the Lord, be of good courage; and let thine heart be strengthened. Wait, I say, on the Lord."3 What is meant by this, "Wait on the Lord"? Thou sufferest but for a time; thou shalt rest for ever: thy trouble is short ; thy happiness is to be everlasting. It is but for "a little while" thou art to sorrow ; thy joy shall have no end. But in the midst of trouble does thy " foot"' begin to "slip"? The example even of Christ's sufferings is set before thee. Consider what He endured for thee, in whom no cause was found why He should endure it? How great soever be thy sufferings, thou wilt not come to those insults, those scourgings, to that robe of shame, to that crown of thorns, and last of all to that Cross, which He endured ; because that is now removed from the number of human punishments. For though under the ancients criminals were crucified, in the present day no
7. "And their inheritance shall be for ever" (ver. 18). This we hold by faith. Doth the Lord too know it by faith? The Lord knoweth those things with as clear a manifestation, as we cannot speak of even when we shall be made equal to the Angels. For the things that shall be manifest to us, shall not be equally manifest to us as they are now to Him, who is incapable of change. Yet even of us ourselves what is
5 Rom. v. 3-5. 6 E. V. and Vulgate, "' days." 7 Ps. xxv. 9. 8 Luke xvi. 20, 9 Ad, "knew that Paradise was in store." 1° Luke xvi. 19.
1 Matt. x. 28, 2 Luke xvi. 19, 23. 3 Ps, xxvii. 14. | 4 [Sozomen, b. i. cap. 8. This author tells us that Constantine made this change, dictated alike by reverence and humanity. — C.]
96 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm XXXVIL whom we possess such an "earnest" already? "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisreds! yeas said? ' Beloved, now are we the sons of God: and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.'* There is therefore surely some blissful vision reserved for us; and if it can be now in some measure conceived, "darkly and through a glass,"'? yet cannot we in any way express in language the ravishing beauty of that bliss, which God reserves for them that fear Him, | which He consummates in those that hope in Him, It is for that destination that our hearts are being disciplined in all the troubles and trials of this life. Wonder not that it is in trouble that thou art disciplined for it. It is for something glorious that thou art being disciplined. Whence comes that speech of the now strengthened righteous man: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to. be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us" ?3 What is that promised glory to be, but to be made equal to the Angels and to see God? How great a benefit doth he bestow on the blind man, who makes his eyes sound so as to be able to see the light of this life. . . . What reward then shall we give unto that Physician who restores. soundness to our inward eyes, to enable them to see a certain eternal Light, which is Himself? .. . 8. "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time" (ver. 19). In the day of trouble, in the day of distress, they shall not be " ashamed," as he is ashamed whose hope deceives him. Who is the man that is "ashamed''? He who saith, "JT have not found that which I was in hopes of." Nor undeservedly either; for thou didst hope it from thyself or from man, thy friend. But "cursed is he that putteth his trust in man." 4 Thou art ashamed, because thy hope hath deceived thee ; thy hope that was set on a lie. For "every man is a liar."5 But if thou dost place thy hopes on thy God, thou art not made "ashamed." For He in whom thou hast put thy trust, cannot be deceived. Whence also the man whom we mentioned just above, the now "strengthened" righteous man, when fallen on an evil time, on the day of tribulation, what saith he to show that he was not "ashamed"? "We glory in tribulation; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; but hope maketh not ashamed." Whence is it that hope "' maketh not ashamed"? Because it is placed on God. Therefore follows immediately, "' Because the love of God is spread in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us."7 The Holy Spirit hath been given to us already: how should He deceive us, of g. "For the wicked shall perish. But the enemies of the Lord, when they shall begin to glory, and to be lifted up, immediately shall consume away utterly, even as the smoke"' (ver. 20). Recognise from the comparison itself the thing which he intimates. Smoke, breaking forth from the place where fire has been, rises up on high, and by the very act of rising up, it swells into a large volume: but the larger that volume is, the more unsubstantial does it become ; for from that very largeness of volume, which has no foundation or consistency, but is merely loose, shifting and evanescent, it passes into air, and dissolves ; so that you perceive its very largeness to have been fatal to it. For the higher it ascends, the farther it is extended, the wider the circumference which it spreads itself over, the thinner, and the more rare and wasting and evanescent does it become. ' But the enemies of the Lord, when they shall begin to glory, and to be lifted up, immediately shall consume away utterly even as the smoke."' Of suchas these was it said, " As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the Truth ; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."® But how is it that they resist the Truth, except by the vain inflation of their swelling pride, while they raise themselves up on high, as if great and righteous persons, though on the point of passing away into empty air? But what saith he of them? As if speaking of smoke, he says, "They shall proceed no farther, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, even as theirs also was." . . . 10. "The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again" (ver. 20). He receiveth, and will not repay. What is it he will not repay? Thanksgiving. For what is it that God would have of thee, what doth He require of thee, except that He may do thee good? And how great are the benefits which the sinner hath received, and which he will not repay! He hath received the gift of being ; he hath received the gift of being aman; and of a being highly distinguished above the brutes ; he hath received the form of a body, and the distinction of the senses in the body, eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, the nostrils for smelling, the palate for tasting, the hands for touching, and the feet for walking; and even the very health and soundness of the body. But up to this point we have these things in common even with the brute ; he hath received yet more than this ; a mind capable of understanding, capable of Truth, capable of distinguishing right from wrong ; capable of seeking after, of longing for,
3 Rom. viii. 18. I x John iii. 2.
2 x Cor. xili. 12, 5 Ps. cxvi. 11,
© Ai, " deceive." 4 Jer. xvii. 5. 7 Rom. vy. 3-5.