Expositions on the Book of Psalms
PSALMS. 15
Psat VI.] ON THE
"They will exult for evermore, and Thou wilt dwell in them " (ver. 11). This will be the exultation for evermore, when the just become the Temple of God, and He, their Indweller, will be their joy. " And all that love Thy name shall glory in Thee:"' as when what they love is present for them to enjoy. And well is it said, "in Thee," as if in possession of the inheritance, of which the title of the Psalm speaks: when they too are His inheritance, which is intimated by, "Thou wilt dwell in them." From which good they are kept back, whom God, according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses, driveth out.
tongues, for the words, "'O Lord, lead me forth in Thy justice because of my enemies," unto, "with their tongues they dealt craftily." Fifthly, is a prophecy of what punishment awaits the ungodly, when the just man shall scarcely be saved ; and of what reward the just shall obtain, who, when they were called, came, and bore all things manfully, till they were brought to the end, from the words, " judge them, O God," unto the end of the Psalm.
PSALM VI.
TO THE END, IN THE HYMNS OF THE EIGHTH,° A
17. "For Thou wilt bless the just man" (ver. 12). This is blessing, to glory in God, and to be inhabited by God. Such sanctification is given to the just. But that they may be justified, a calling goes before: which is not of
PSALM TO DAVID.7
1. "Of the eighth," seems here obscure. For the rest of this title is more clear. Now it has seemed to some to intimate the day of judgment, that is, the time of the coming of our Lord, when He will come to judge the quick and dead. Which coming, it is believed, is to be, after reckoning the years from Adam, seven thousand years: so as that seven thousand years should pass as seven days, and afterwards that time arrive as it were the eighthday. But since it has been said by the Lord, "It is not yours to know the times, which the Father hath put in His own power:'® and, "But of the day and that hour knoweth no man, no, neither angel, nor Power, neither the Son, but the Father alone:"'9 and again, that which is written, "that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief," !° shows clearly enough that no man should arrogate to himself the knowledge of that time, by any computation of years. For if that day is to come after seven thousand years, every man could learn its advent by reckoning the years. What comes then of the Son's even not knowing this? Which of course is said with this meaning, that men do not learn this by the Son, not that He by Himself doth not know it: merit, but of the grace of God. "For all have sinned, and want the glory of God."'? " For whom He called, them He also justified ; and whom He justified, them He also glorified."? Since then calling is not of our merit, but of the goodness and mercy of God, he went on to say, "O Lord, as with the shield of Thy good will Thou hast crowned us." For God's good will goes before our good will, to call sinners to repentance. And these are the arms whereby the enemy is overcome, against whom it is said, " Who will bring accusation against God's elect?" Again, "if God be for us, who can be against us? Who spared not His Only Son, but delivered Him up for us all."3 "For if, when we were enemies, Christ died for us; much more being reconciled, shall we be saved from wrath through Him.' 4 This is that unconquerable shield, whereby the enemy is driven back, when he suggests despair of our salvation through the multitude of tribulaions and temptations.
18. The whole contents of the Psalm, then, are a prayer that she may be heard, from the words, according to that form of speech, "the Lord your God trieth you that He may know ;"'"" that is, that He may make you know: and, "arise, O Lord ;" ? that is, make us arise. When there-. fore the Son is thus said not to know this day ; not because He knoweth it not, but because He causeth those to know it not, for whom it is not expedient to know it, that is, He doth not show it to them ; what does that strange presumption mean, which, by areckoning up of years, expects the day of the Lord as most certain after seven thousand years ? 3
"hear my words, O Lord," unto, " my King, and my God." Then follows a view of those things which hinder the sight of God, that is, a knowledge that she5 is heard, from the words, " because [ shall pray unto Thee, O Lord, in the morning Thou wilt hear my voice," unto, "the man of blood and the crafty man the Lord will abominte." Thirdly, she hopes that she, who is to be the house of God, even now begins to draw near to Him in fear, before that perfection which casteth out fear, from the words, " but I in the multitude of Thy mercy," unto, "I will worship at Thy holy temple in Thy fear." Fourthly, as she is progressing and advancing amongst those very things which she feels to hinder her, she prays that she may be assisted within, where no man seeth, lest she be turned aside by evil
2. Be we then willingly ignorant of that which the Lord would not have us know: and let us
6 LXX., bmép ris dyddns. [See Hippolytus, A. N. F. vol. v. p. 200, — de, [The first of the Seven Penitential Psalms, which are Psalms Vi., XxXxii,, xxxvili., li., cii., cxxx., cxlili. — C.]
8 Acts i. 7. 9 Mark xiii. 32. to x Thess. v. 2. II Deut. xiii. 3. 12 Ps, ili. 7. 13 [See City of God, this series, vol. ii. p. 426 e¢ segg.—C.]
2 Rom. viii. 30. 3 Rom. viil. 33, 31, 32. 1 Rom. iii. 23. 5 z.e., the Church. 4 Rom, v. 10.
16 THEQWORKS (OF 8T? AUGUSTIN. [PsaLm VI.
inquire what this title, "of the eighth," means. The day of judgment may indeed, even without any rash computation of years, be understood by the eighth, for that immediately after the end of this world, life eternal being attained, the souls of the righteous will not then be subject unto times: and, since all times have their revolution in a repetition of those seyen days, that peradventure is called the eighth day, which will not have this variety. There is another reason, which may be here not unreasonably accepted, why the judgment should be called the eighth, because it will take place after two generations, one relating to the body, the other to the soul, For from Adam unto Moses the human race lived of the body, that is, according to the flesh: which is called the outward and the old man,' and to which the Old Testament was given, that it might prefigure the spiritual things to come by operations, albeit religious, yet carnal. Through this entire season, when men_ lived according to the body, "death reigned," as the Apostle saith, "even over those that had not sinned." Now it reigned "after the similitude of Adam's transgression," ? as the same Apostle saith ; for it must be taken of the period up to Moses, up to which time the works of the law, that is, those sacraments of carnal observance, held even those bound, for the sake of a certain mystery, who were subject to the One Gop. But from the coming of the Lord, from whom there was a transition from the circumcision of the flesh to the circumcision of the heart, the call was made, that man should live according to the soul, that is, according to the inner man, who is also called the "new man''3 by reason of the new birth and the renewing of spiritual conversation. Now itis plain that the number four has relation to the body, from the four well known enough. Those numbers then of the body which have relation to the old man and the Old Testament, being past and gone, 'the numbers too of the 'soul, which have relation to the new man and the New Testament, being past and gone, a septenary so to say being passed ;_because everything is done in time, four having been distributed to the body, three to the mind ; the eighth will come, the day of judgment: which assigning to deserts their due, will transfer at once the saint, not to temporal works, but to eternal life ; but will condemn the ungodly to eternal punishment.
3. In fear of which comdemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says, "' Reprove me not, O Lord, in Thine anger" (ver. 1). The Apostle too mentions the anger of the judgment ; " Thou treasurest up unto thyself,' he says, "anger against the day of the anger of the just judgment of God."® In which he would not be reproved, whosoever longs to be healed in this life. " Nor in Thy rage chasten me." " Chasten," seems rather too mild a word; for it availeth toward amendment. For for him who is reproved, that is, accused, it is to be feared lest his end be condemnation. But since " rage" seems to be more than "anger," it may be a difficulty, why that which is milder, namely, chastening, is joined to that which is more severe, namely, rage.
But I suppose that one and the same thing is signified by the two words. For in the Greek Ovpos, which is in the first verse, means the same as épyy, which is in the second verse.?7 But when the Latins themselves too wished to use two distinct words, they looked out for what was akin to "anger," and "rage" ® was used. Hence copies vary. For in some "anger" is found first, and then "rage:" in others, for "rage," "indignation" or "choler"' is used. But whatever the reading, it is an emotion of the soul urging to the infliction of punishment. Yet this emotion must not be attributed to God, as if toa soul, of whom it is said, '' but Thou, O Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity.'9 Now that which is tranquil, is not disturbed. Disturbance then does not attach to God as judge: but what is done by His ministers, in that it is done by His laws, is called His anger. In which anger, the soul, which now prays, would not only not be reproved, but not even chastened, that is, amended or instructed. For in the Greek it is, raudevons, that is, instruct. Now in the day of judgment all are "reproved" that hold not the foundation, which is Christ. But they are amended, that is, purged, who "upon this foundation build wood, hay, stubble. For they shall suffer loss, but shall be saved, as by fire.'' ?° elements of which it consists, and the four qualities of dry, humid, warm, cold. Hence too it is administered by four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, winter. All this.is very well known. For of the number four relating to the body we have treated elsewhere somewhat subtilly, but obscurely: which must be avoided in this discourse, which we would have accommodated to the unlearned. But that the number three has relation to the mind may be understood from this, that we are commanded to love God after a threefold manner,+ with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind:5s of each of which severally we must treat, not in the Psalms, but in the Gospels: for the present, for proof of the relation of the number three to the mind, I think what has been said
2 Rom. v. 14.
I Rom. vi. 6; Eph. iv. 22. 3 Col. iii. 10. 4 [On the igerute nature of man, see Tertull. A. N. F. vol. iii. Pp. A 474. —
6 Rom. ii. 5. 7 (Compare Trench on Synonyms of the New Testament, p. 178, ed. New York, 1854. —C,] 8 Furor. 9 Wisd, xii. 18. 10 7 Cor, iii, 11, '12, 235.15.
5 Deut. vi. 5; "Matt. xxii. 37.