i. "To the end," for His own resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaketh.5 For in the morning on the first day of the week was His resurrection, whereby He was taken up, into eternal life, " Over whom death shall have no more dominion."6 Now what follows is spoken in the person of The Crucified. For from the head of this Psalm are the words, which He cried out, whilst hanging on the Cross, sustain- ing also the person of the old man, whose mor- tality He bare. For our old man was nailed together with Him to the Cross.7 2. "O God, my God, look upon me, why hast Thou forsaken8 me far from my salvation?" (ver. 1 ). Far removed from my salvation: for " salvation is far from sinners." » " The words of my sins." For these are not the words of righteousness, but of my sins. For it is the old man nailed to the Cross that speaks, ignorant even of the reason why God hath forsaken him: or else it may be thus, The words of my sins are far from my salvation.
3. " My God, I will cry unto Thee in the day- time, and Thou wilt not hear" (ver. 2). My God, I will cry unto Thee in the prosperous cir- cumstances of this life, that they be not changed; and Thou wilt not hear, because I shall cry unto Thee in the words of my sins. "And in the night-season, and not to my folly." And so in 1 John xi. 50.
8 [/* religuiis tuu ' Lat. XXI.
tuts. So Vulgate. — C] [This was read on the anniversary of our Lord's passion, as appears from the (omitted) Second Exposition. — C] » John xx. 1-17. * Rom. vi. o. » Rom. vi. 6.
■ Vid. Ps. xxxvii. % 6 and xliii. i a, and Enarr. i. Ps. Iviii. § a, and F.p. 149. [Off. S. August, ed. Migne, torn. iv. pp. 300, 483, 691, etc. — C] 9 Ps. cxix. 155.
the adversities of this life will I cry to Thee for prosperity; and in like manner Thou wilt not hear. And this Thou doest not to my folly, but rather that I may have wisdom to know what Thou wouldest have me cry for, not with the words of sins out of longing for life temporal, but with the words of turning to Thee for life eternal.
4. " But Thou dwellest in the holy place, O Thou praise of Israel" (ver. 3). But Thou dwellest in the holy place, and therefore wilt not hear the unclean words of sins. The " praise " of him that seeth Thee; not of him who hath sought his own praise in tasting of the forbidden fruit, that on the opening of his bodily eyes he should endeavour to hide himself from Thy sight.
5. "Our Fathers hoped in Thee." All the righteous, namely, who sought not their own praise, but Thine. " They hoped in Thee, and Thou deliveredst them " (ver. 4).
6. " They cried unto Thee, and were saved." They cried unto Thee, not in the words of sins, from which salvation is far; and therefore were they saved. " They hoped in Thee, and were not confounded " (ver. 5). " They hoped in Thee," and their hope did not deceive them. For they placed it not in themselves.
7. " But I am a worm, and no man " (ver. 6). But I, speaking now not in the person of Adam, but I in My own person, Jesus Christ, was born without human generation in the flesh, that I might be as man beyond men; that so at least human pride might deign to imitate My humility. " The scorn of men, and outcast of the people." In which humility I was made the scorn of men, so as that it should be said, as a reproachful railing, " Be thou His disciple: " IO and that the people despise Me.
8. " All that saw Me laughed Me to scorn " (ver. 7). All that saw Me derided Me. "And spake with the lips, and shook the head." " And they spoke, not with the heart, but with the lips.
9. For they shook their head in derision, say- ing, " He trusted in the Lord, let Him deliver Him: ",2 " let Him save Him, since He desireth Him" (ver. 8). These were their words; but they were spoken "with the lips."
10. "Since Thou art He who drew Me out of the womb" (ver. 9). Since Thou art He who drew Me, not only out of that Virgin womb (for this is the law of all men's birth, that they be drawn out of the womb), but also out of the womb of the Jewish nation; by the darkness whereof he is covered, and not yet born into the light of Christ, whosoever places his salvation in the carnal observance of the Sabbath, and of cir- cumcision, and the like. " My hope from My 10 John ix. 38. « Matt, xxvii. 39.
12 Matt, xxvii. 43.
Psalm XXII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
59 mother's breasts." "My hope," O God, not from the time when I began to be fed by the milk of the Virgin's breasts; for it was even be- fore; but from the breasts of the Synagogue, as I have said, out of the womb, Thou hast drawn Me, that I should not suck in the customs of the flesh.
it. "I have been strengthened in Thee from the womb" (ver. 10). It is the womb of the Synagogue, which did not carry Me, but threw Me out: but I fell not, for Thou heldest me. " From My mother's womb Thou art My God." From My mother's womb: My mother's womb did not cause that, as a babe, I should be for- getful of Thee.
12. "Thou art My God," "depart not from Me; for trouble is hard at hand " (ver. 1 1 ). Thou art, therefore, My God, depart not from Me; for trouble is nigh unto Me; for it is in My body. " For there is none to help." For who helpeth, if Thou helpest not?
13. " Many calves came about Me." The multitude of the wanton populace came about Me. "Fat bulls closed Me in" (ver. 12). And their leaders, glad at My oppression, " closed Me in."
14. "They opened their mouth upon Me" (ver. 13). They opened their mouth upon Me, not out of Thy Scripture, but of their own lusts. " As a ravening and roaring lion." As a lion, whose ravening is, that I was taken and led; and whose roaring, "Crucify, Crucify."'
15. "I was poured out like water, and all My bones were scattered " (ver. 14). "I was poured out like water," when My persecutors fell: and through fear, the stays of My body, that is, the Church, My disciples were scattered from Me.2 " My heart became as melting wax, in the midst of my belly." My wisdom, which was written of Me in the sacred books, was, as if hard and shut up, not understood: but after that the fire of My Passion was applied, it was, as if melted, manifested, and entertained in the memory of My Church.
16. "My strength dried up as a potsherd" (ver. 15). My strength dried up by My Pas- sion; not as hay, but a potsherd, which is made stronger by fire. " And My tongue cleaved to My jaws." And they, through whom I was soon to speak, kept My precepts in their hearts. " And Thou broughtest Me down to the dust of death." And to the ungodly appointed to death, whom the wind casteth forth as dust from the face of the earth,3 Thou broughtest Me down.
1 7. " For many dogs came about Me " (ver. 16). For many came about Me barking, not for truth, but for custom. " The council of the malignant came about Me." The council 1 John xix. 6.
* Matt. xxvi. 56.
3 Ps.
of the malignant besieged Me.4 " They pierced My hands and feet." They pierced with nails My hands and feet.
18. " They numbered distinctly all My bones " (ver. 17). They numbered distinctly all My bones, while extended on the wood of the Cross. " Yea, these same regarded, and beheld Me." Yea, these same, that is, unchanged, regarded" and beheld Me.
19. "They divided My garments for them- selves, and cast the lot upon My vesture"5 (ver. 18).
20. " But Thou, O Lord, withhold not Thy help far from Me" (ver. 19). But Thou, O Lord, raise Me up again, not as the rest of men, at the end of the world, but immediately. " Look to My defence." " Look," that they in no wise hurt Me.
at. " Deliver My soul from the sword." " Deliver My soul " from the tongue of dissen- sion. " And My only One from the hand of the dog " (ver. 20). And from the power of the people, barking after their custom, deliver My Church.
22. "Save Me from the lion's mouth: " save Me from the mouth of the kingdom of this world: " and my humility from the horns of the uni- corns " 6 (ver. 21). And from the loftiness of the proud, exalting themselves to special pre- eminence, and enduring no partakers, save My humility.
23. " I will declare Thy name to My brethren " 7 (ver. 22). I will declare Thy name to the hum- ble,8 and to My Brethren that love one another as they have been beloved by Me.9 " In the midst of the Church will I sing of Thee." In the midst of the Church will I with rejoicing preach Thee.
24. " Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him." " Ye that fear the Lord," seek not your own praise, but " praise Him." " All ye seed of Jacob, magnify Him" (ver. 23). All ye seed of him whom the elder shall serve, magnify Him.
25. " Let all the seed of Israel fear Him." Let all who have been born to a new life, and restored to the vision of God "fear Him." "Since He hath not despised, nor disregarded the prayer of the poor man " (ver. 24). Since He hath not despised the prayer, not of him who, crying unto God in the words of sins was loath to overpass a vain life, but the prayer of the poor man, not swollen up with transitory pomps. " Nor hath He turned away His face * These seven words from the Oxford MS.
5 [The garments he elsewhere makes the sacraments, his vesture the undivided unity of the Church. See his Second Exposi- tion, here omitted. — C] ° [The original Hebrew seems to me a foreshadowing of the Romans, as Peres (Dan. v. 28) points to the Persians. — C J 7 [Here he makes Part II. to begin; i.e., the triumph over death and the grave. — C] 8 Or, " to My Brethren that are humble, and," etc.
9 John xvii. 6, ai.
6o THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXIII.
from Me." As from him who said, I will cry unto Thee, but Thou wilt not hear. " And when I cried unto Him He heard Me."
26. "With Thee is My praise" (ver. 25). For I seek not Mine own praise," for Thou art My praise, who dwellest in the holy place; and, praise of Israel, Thou hearest The Holy One now beseeching Thee. "In the great Church I will confess Thee." In the Church of the whole world " I will confess Thee." " I will offer My vows in the sight of them that fear Him." I will offer the sacraments of My Body and Blood in the sight of them that fear Him.
27. "The poor shall eat, and be filled" (ver. 26). The humble and the despisers of the world shall eat, and imitate Me. For so they will neither desire this world's abundance, nor fear its want. " And they shall praise the Lord, who seek Him." For the praise of the Lord is the pouring out of that fulness. " Their hearts shall live for ever and ever." For that food is the food of the heart.
28. "All the borders of the earth shall re- member themselves, and be turned to the Lord " (ver. 27). They shall remember themselves: for, by the Gentiles, born in death and bent on outward things, God had been forgotten; and then shall all the borders of the earth be turned to the Lord. "And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight." And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in their own consciences.
29. " For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations" (ver. 28). For the kingdom is the Lord's, not proud men's: and He shall rule over the nations.
30. " All the rich of the earth have eaten, and worshipped"2 (ver. 29). The rich of the earth too have eaten the Body of their Lord's humilia- tion, and though they have not, as the poor, been filled even to imitation, yet they have worshipped. " In His sight shall fall all that descend to earth." For He alone seeth how all they fall, who aban- doning a heavenly conversation, make choice, on earth, to appear happy to men, who see not their fall.
31. "And My Soul shall live to Him." And My Soul, which in the contempt of this world seems to men as it were to die, shall live, not to itself, but to Him. "And My seed shall serve Him" (ver. 30). And My deeds, or they who through Me believe on Him, shall serve Him.
32. "The generation to come shall be declared to the Lord " (ver. 31). The generation of the New Testament shall be declared to the honour of the Lord. "And the heavens shall declare 1 John viii. 50. ,'IHe . ^re the African Psalter reads, "divite: ttrrtr," the counterpart of pauptrci in ver. i6. Would this had been followed in our English, which makes a ludicrous transition in this sublime prophecy. — C.J His righteousness." And the Evangelists shall declare His righteousness. " To a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made." To a people that shall be born to the Lord through faith.
PSALM XXIII.3 A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. The Church speaks to Christ: "The Lord feedeth me, and I shall lack nothing" (ver. 1). The Lord Jesus Christ is my Shepherd, " and I shall lack nothing."
2. " In a place of pasture there hath He placed me" (ver. 2). In a place of fresh pasture, leading me to faith,4 there hath He placed me to be nourished. " By the water of refreshing hath He brought me up." By the water of baptism, whereby they are refreshed who have lost health and strength, hath He brought me up.
3. " He hath converted my soul: He hath led me forth in the paths of righteousness, for His Name's sake" (ver. 3). He hath brought me forth in the narrow ways, wherein few walk, of His righteousness; not for my merit's sake, but for His Name's sake.
4. " Yea, though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death" (ver. 4). Yea, though I walk in the midst of this life, which is the shadow of death. 5 "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." I will fear no evil, for Thou dwellest in my heart by faith: and Thou art now with me, that after the shadow of death I too may be with Thee. " Thy rod and Thy staff, they have com- forted me." Thy discipline, like a rod for a flock of sheep, and like a staff for children of some size, and growing out of the natural into spiritual life, they have not been grievous to me; rather have they comforted me: because Thou art mindful of me.
5. "Thou hast prepared a table in my sight, against them that trouble me" (ver. 5). Now after the rod, whereby, whilst a little one, and living the natural life, I was brought up among the flock in the pastures; after that rod, I say, when I began to be under the staff, Thou hast prepared a table in my sight, that I should no more be fed as a babe with milk,6 but being older should take meat, strengthened against them that trouble me. " Thou hast fattened my head with oil." Thou hast gladdened my mind with spirit- ual joy. " And Thy inebriating cup, how excel- lent is it! " And Thy cup yielding forgetfulness of former vain delights, how excellent is it!
6. "And Thy mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: " that is, as long as I live in this mortal life, not Thine, but mine. " That I may * Lat. XXII. * Pascua incipientis.
5 [Note this very comprehensive comment on the real meaning of the valley. —C.J 6 1 Cor. iii. a.
Psalm XXIV.]
ON THE PSALMS.
61 dwell in the house of the Lord ' for length of days " (ver. 6). Now Thy mercy shall follow nie not here only, but also that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
PSALM XXIV."
A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF, ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.5 1. A Psalm of David himself, touching the glorifying and resurrection of the Lord, which took place early in the morning on the first day of the week, which is now called the Lord's Day.
2. " The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, the compass of the world, and all they that dwell therein" (ver. i); when the Lord, being glorified, is announced for the believing of all nations; and the whole compass of the world becomes His Church. " He hath founded it above the seas." He hath most firmly estab- lished it above all the waves of this world, that they should be subdued by it, and should not hurt it. "And hath prepared it above the rivers" (ver. 2). The rivers flow into the sea, and men of lust lapse into the world: these also the Church, which, when worldly lusts have been conquered by the grace of God, hath been pre- pared by love for the reception of immortality, subdues.
3. " Who shall ascend into the mount of the Lord? " Who shall ascend to the height of the righteousness of the Lord? " Or who shall stand in His holy place? " (ver. 3). Or who shall abide in that place, whither He shall ascend,4 founded above the seas, and prepared above the rivers?
4. " The innocent of hand, and the pure in heart " (ver. 4). Who then shall ascend thither, and abide there, but the guiltless in deed, and pure in thought? "Who hath not received his soul in vain." Who hath not reckoned his soul among things that pass away, but feeling it to be immortal, hath longed for an eternity stedfast and unchangeable. "And hath not sworn in deceit to his neighbour." And therefore without deceit, as things eternal are simple and undeceiv- ing, hath so behaved himself to his neighbour.
5. "This man shall receive blessing from the Lord, and mercy from the God of his salvation " 5 (ver. s).
6. " This is the generation of them that seek the Lord " (ver. 6). For thus are they born that seek Him. " Of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.6 Diapsalma." Now they seek 1 [He applies the figures of ver. 5 and here to the Lord's Table, the chrism {i.e., confirmation), and the Church in time and eternity. — C.1 * Lat. XXIII.
3 [Surely a foretokening of our Sunday. — C] * At. "hath ascended.
* [Light, resurrection, and sanctification are the glories of the Lord's Day, and " this man " inherits all this. — C.l 6 [" Cod of Jacob." So the Vulgate, after the Septuagint. — C] the face of God, who gave the pre-eminence to the younger born.7 7. " Take away your gates, ye princes " (ver. 7). All ye, that seek rule among men, remove, that they hinder not, the entrances which ye have made, of desire and fear. " And be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates." And be ye lift up, ye entrances of eternal life, of renunciation of the world, and conversion to God. " And the King of glory shall come in." And the King, in whom we may glory without pride, shall come in: who having overcome the gates of death, and having opened for Himself the heavenly places, fulfilled that which He said, " Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." 8 8. "Who is this King of glory?" Mortal nature is awe-struck in wonder, and asks, " Who is this King of glory? " " The Lord strong and mighty." He whom thou didst deem weak and overwhelmed. " The Lord mighty in battle " (ver. 8). Handle the scars, and thou wilt find them made whole, and human weakness re- stored to immortality. The glorifying of the Lord, which was owing to earth, where It warred with death, hath been paid.
9. " Take away your gates, ye princes." ' Let us go hence straightway into heaven. Again, let the Prophet's trumpet cry aloud, " Take away too, ye princes of the air, the gates, which ye have in the minds of men who ' worship the host of heaven.' " '° " And be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates." And be ye lift up, ye doors of everlasting righteousness, of love, and chastity, through which the soul loveth the One True God, and goeth not a-whoring with the many that are called gods. " And the King of glory shall come in" (ver. 9). "And the King of glory shall come in," that He may at the right hand of the Father intercede for us.
10. "Who is this King of glory?" What! dost thou too, prince of the power of this air," marvel and ask, " Who is this King of glory? " " The Lord of powers, He is the King of glory " (ver. 10). Yea, His Body now quickened, He who was tempted marches above thee; He who was tempted by the angel, the deceiver, goes above all angels. Let none of you put himself before us and stop our way, that he may be worshipped as a god by us: neither principal- ity, nor angel, nor power, separateth us from the love of Christ.'2 It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in a prince; '3 that he who glorieth, should glory in the Lord.14 These indeed are powers in the administration of this world, but " the Lord of powers, He is the King of glory."
7 Rom. ix. 13. 8 John xvi. 33.
9 [" Ye princes." So Septuagint and Vulgate. — C] 62 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXV.
PSALM XXV.'
TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF.* i. Christ speaks, but in the person of the Church: for what is said has reference rather to the Christian People turned unto God.
2. "Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up my soul" (ver. i): with spiritual longing have I lift up the soul, that was trodden down on the earth with carnal longings. " O my God, in Thee I trust, I shall not be ashamed " (ver. 2).
0 my God, from trusting in myself I was brought even to this weakness of the flesh; and 1 who on abandoning God wished to be as God, fearing death from the smallest insect, was in derision ashamed for my pride; now, therefore, " in Thee I trust, I shall not be ashamed."
3. " And let not my enemies mock me." And let them not mock me, who by ensnaring me with serpent-like and secret suggestions, and prompting me with "Well done, well done," have brought me down to this. " For all that wait upon Thee shall not be confounded " (ver. 3).
4. " Let them be confounded who do vain things unrighteously." Let them be confounded who act unrighteously for the acquiring things that pass away. " Make Thy ways, O Lord, known to me, and teach me Thy paths " (ver. 4): not those which are broad, and lead the many to destruction; 3 but Thy paths, narrow, and known to few, teach Thou me.
5. " In Thy truth guide me: " avoiding error. " And teach me: " for by myself I know nothing, but falsehood. " For Thou art the God of my salvation; and for Thee have I waited all the day" (ver. 5). For dismissed by Thee from Paradise, and having taken my journey into a far country,* I cannot by myself return, unless Thou meetest the wanderer: for my return hath throughout the whole tract of this world's time waited for Thy mercy.
6. " Remember Thy compassions, O Lord " (ver. 6). Remember the works of Thy mercy, O Lord; for men deem of Thee as though Thou hadst forgotten. " And that Thy mercies are from eternity." And remember this, that Thy mercies are from eternity. For Thou never wast without them, who hast subjected even sinful man to vanity indeed, but in hope; * and not deprived him of so many and great con- solations of Thy creation.
7. " Remember not the offences of my youth and of my ignorance" (ver. 7). The offences of my presumptuous boldness and of my igno- rance reserve not for vengeance, but let them be as if forgotten by Thee. "According to Thy mercy, be mindful of me, O God." Be mindful > Lat XXIV. 3 Matt. vii. 13.
* Luke av. 13. 5 Rom. viii. ao.
indeed of me, not according to the anger of which I am worthy, but according to Thy mercy which is worthy of Thee. " For Thy goodness, O Lord." Not for my deservings, but for Thy goodness, O Lord.
8. " Gracious and upright is the Lord " (ver. 8). The Lord is gracious, since even sinners and the ungodly He so pitied, as to forgive all that is past; but the Lord is upright too, who after the mercy of vocation and pardon, which is of grace without merit, will require merits meet for the last judgment. "Wherefore He will establish a law for them that fail in the way." For He hath first bestowed mercy to bring them into the way.
9. " He will guide the meek in judgment." He will guide the meek, and will not confound in the judgment those that follow His will, and do not, in withstanding It, prefer their own. "The gentle He will teach His ways" (ver. 9). He will teach His ways, not to those that desire to run before, as if they were better able to rule themselves; but to those who do not exalt the neck, nor lift the heel, when the easy yoke and the light burden is laid upon them.6 10. " All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth " (ver. 10). And what ways will He teach them, but mercy wherein He is placable, and truth wherein He is incorrupt? Whereof He hath exhibited the one in forgiving sins, the other in judging deserts. And therefore " all the ways of the Lord " are the two advents of the Son of God, the one in mercy, the other in judgment. He then attaineth unto Him holding on His ways, who seeing himself freed by no deserts of his own, lays pride aside, and henceforward bewares of the severity of His trial, having experienced the clemency of His help. " To them that seek His testament and His testimonies." For they understand the Lord as merciful at His first ad- vent, and as the Judge at His second, who in meekness and gentleness seek His testament, when with His Own Blood He redeemed us to a new life; and in the Prophets and Evangelists, His testimonies.
11. "For Thy Name's sake, O Lord, Thou wilt be favourable to my sin; for it is manifold " (ver. 11). Thou hast not only forgiven my sins, which I committed before I believed; but also to my sin, which is manifold, since even in the way there is no lack of stumbling, Thou wilt be made favourable by the sacrifice of a troubled spirit.'
12. "Who is the man that feareth the Lord?" from which fear he begins to come to wisdom. " He shall establish a law for him in the way, which he hath chosen" (ver. 12). He shall establish a law for him in the way, which in his 6 Matt. xi. 30.
' [Here our author, as did St. Chrysostom, treats true contrition as completed by pardon, without sacramental absolution. — C] Psalm XXVI.]
ON THE PSALMS.
63 freedom he has taken, that he may not sin now with impunity.
13. " His soul shall dwell in good, and his seed shall, by inheritance, possess the earth "(ver. 13). And his work shall possess the stable inherit- ance of a renewed body.
14. " The Lord is the stay of them that fear Him" (ver. 14). Fear seems to belong to the weak, but the Lord is the stay of them that fear Him. And the Name of the Lord, which hath been glorified throughout the whole world, is a stay to them that fear Him. " And His testa- ment, that it may be manifested unto them." And He maketh His testament to be manifested unto them, for the Gentiles and the bounds of the earth are Christ's inheritance.
15. " Mine eyes are ever unto the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare " (ver. 15). Nor would I fear the dangers of earth, while I look not upon the earth: for He upon whom I look, will pluck my feet out of the snare.
16. " Look upon me, and have mercy upon me; for I am single and poor" (ver. 16). For I am a single people, keeping the lowliness of Thy single Church, which no schisms or heresies possess.
1 7. " The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied" (ver. 17). The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love.1 " O bring Thou me out of my necessities." Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessi- ties.
18. "See my humility and my travail" (ver. 18). See my humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, break off from unity; and my travail, wherein I bear with the unruly ones that are mingled with me. " And forgive all my sins." And, propitiated by these sacri- fices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before I believed, but those also which, living now by faith, I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life.
19. "Consider mine enemies, how they are multiplied" (ver. 19). For not only without, but even within, in the Church's very communion, they are not wanting. " And with an unrighteous hate they hate me." And they hate me who love them.
20. " Keep my soul, and deliver me." Keep my soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them; and draw me out from the confusion wherein they are mingled with me. " Let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in Thee " (ver. 20). Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me: for not in myself, but in Thee have I put my trust.
1 Matt. xxiv. xa.
21. "The innocent and the upright have cleaved to me, for I have waited for Thee, O Lord " (ver. 21). The innocent and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are min- gled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the same innocence and uprightness cleave to me: for I have not fallen away to imitate the evil; but I have waited for Thee, expecting the winnowing of Thy last harvest.2 22. "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles " (ver. 22). " Redeem Thy people, O God," whom Thou hast prepared to see Thee, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within.
PSALM XXVI.J OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. It may be attributed to David himself, not the Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus, but the whole Church now perfectly established in Christ.
2. " Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence" (ver. 1). Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which Thou first showedst 4 me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof I have kept. "And trusting in the Lord I shall not be moved." And yet not even so trusting in myself, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.