3. " Prove me, O Lord, and try me " (ver. 2). Lest, however, any of my secret sins should be hid from me, prove me, O Lord, and try me, making me known, not to Thee from whom nothing is hid, but to myself, and to men. " Burn my reins and my heart." Apply a remedial purgation, as it were fire, to my pleasures and thoughts. " For Thy mercy is before mine eyes " (ver. 3). For, that I be not consumed by that fire, not my merits, but Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast brought me on to such a life, is before my eyes. "And I have been pleasing in Thy truth." And since my own falsehood hath been displeasing to me, but Thy truth pleasing, I have myself been pleasing also with it and in it.
4. " I have not sat with the council of vanity " (ver. 4). I have not chosen to give my heart to them who endeavour to provide, what is impos- sible, how they may be blessed in the enjoyment of things transitory. " And I will not enter in with them that work wickedly." And since this is the very cause of all wickedness, therefore I will not have my conscience hid, with them that work wickedly.
5. " I have hated the congregation of evil doers." But to arrive at this council of vanity, congregations of evil doers are formed, which I have hated. " And I will not sit with the un- " [So the dying Jacob, Gen. xlix. 18. — C. ] * Prarogasti.
3 Lat. XXV.
64 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXVII.
godly" (ver. 5). And, therefore, with such a council, with the ungodly, I will not sit, that is, I will not place my consent.' "And I will not sit with the ungodly."
6. " I will wash mine hands amid the inno- cent" (ver. 6). I will make clean my works among the innocent: among the innocent will I wash mine hands, with which I shall embrace Thy glorious gifts.2 " And I will compass Thy altar, O Lord." J 7. " That I may hear the voice of Thy praise." That I may learn how to praise Thee. " And that I may declare all Thy wondrous works " (ver. 7). And after I have learnt, I may set forth all Thy wondrous works.
8. " O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house: " of Thy Church. " And the place of the habitation of Thy glory " (ver. 8): where Thou dwellest, and art glorified.
9. " Destroy not my soul with the ungodly " (ver. 9). Destroy not then, together with them that hate Thee, my soul, which hath loved the beauty of Thy house. " And my life with the men of blood." And with them that hate their neighbour. For Thy house is beautified with the two commandments.4 10. " In whose hands is wickedness." De- stroy me not then with the ungodly and the men of blood, whose works are wicked. " Their right hand is full of gifts" (ver. 10). And that which was given them to obtain eternal salvation, they have converted into the receiving this world's gifts, " supposing that godliness is a trade." 5 11. "But I have walked in mine innocence: deliver me, and have mercy on me" (ver. 11). Let so great a price of my Lord's Blood avail for my complete deliverance: and in the dangers of this life let not Thy mercy leave me.
12. "My foot hath stood in uprightness." My Love hath not withdrawn from Thy righteous- ness. " In the Churches I will bless Thee, O Lord" (ver. 12). I will not hide Thy bless- ing, O Lord, from those whom Thou hast called; for next to the love of Thee I join the love of my neighbour.
PSALM XXVII.6 OF DAVID HIMSELF, BEFORE HE WAS ANOINTED.7 i. Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the faith. " The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom shall I fear?" (ver. 1). The Lord will give me both knowledge of Him- self, and salvation: who shall take me from Him?
1 Placitum non collocabo. into 1 -C] ' [We are " made unto our Goi, priests. " — C.J 4 [Matt. xxii. 40. • Lat. XXVI.
' [In the Second Exposition he dwells on the spiritual chrism, from which the Son of David is called Christ; affirms that Chris- tians partake of the tame anointing; speaking of confirmation as their sacramental anointing and what it implies. — C.J " The Lord is the Protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? " The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. " Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh" (ver. 2). Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. " Mine enemies who trouble me." Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recall me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. " They became weak, and fell." 8 Whilst then they do this with the desire of defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. " If camps stand together against me, my heart will not fear." But if the multitude of gain- sayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to go over to their side. " If war rise up against me, in this will I trust " (ver. 3). If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am ponder- ing, will I place my hope.
4. " One have I asked of the Lord, this will I require." For one petition have I asked the Lord, this will I require. " That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life " (ver. 4). That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them who hold the unity and the truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. " That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord." With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may contemplate face to face. " And I shall be protected, His temple." And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.'
5. " For He hath hidden me in His taberna- cle in the day of my evils" (ver. 5). For He hath hidden me in the dispensation of His In- carnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. " He hath pro- tected me in the secret place of His tabernacle." He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. " On a rock hath He exalted me." And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. " And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine ene- mies " (ver. 6). What doth He reserve for me 9 [The Old Latin of this charming verse seems to have read, "One hope have I desired," etc. See Cyprian, A. N. F. vol. v. p. 501. — C] Psalm XXVIII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
65 at the last, when even now the body is dead be- cause of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive under the rebellious law of sin? " I have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing." I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. " I will sing and give praises to the Lord." In heart and in deed I will be glad in the Lord.
7. " Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee" (ver. 7). Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. " Have mercy upon me, and hear me." Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein.
8. " My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy countenance" (ver. 8). For I have not exhibited myself to men; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee; I have not sought from Thee aught without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. " Thy coun- tenance, O Lord, will I seek." In this search will I perseveringly persist: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since noth- ing more precious do I find.
9. "Turn not away Thy face from me" (ver. 9): that I may find what I seek. "Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: " lest, while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance? "Be Thou my Helper." How shall I find it, if Thou help me not? "Leave me not, neither despise me, O God my Saviour." Scorn not that a mortal dares to seek the Eter- nal; for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. " For my father and my mother have left me" (ver. 10). For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which I was born in time and mortality, have left me seeking Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what I seek. " But the Lord took me up." But the Lord, who can give me Himself, took me up.
n. " Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way " (ver. 11). For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and commencing so great a pro- fession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, O Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wandering Thy rule abandon me. " And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies." And di- rect me in the right way of its straits. For it is not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end is attained.
12. "Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me" (ver. 12). Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. " For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me." For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee, as if I seek glory of men. " And iniquity hath lied unto itself." Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me it hath not moved, to whom be- cause of this there hath been promised a greater reward in heaven.
13. "I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living" (ver. 13). And since my Lord hath first suffered these things, if I too despise the tongues of the dying (" for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul" ■), I be- lieve to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there is no place for falsity.
14. "Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man: and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord" (ver. 14). But when shall this be? It is arduous for a mortal, it is slow to a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him that saith, " Wait on the Lord." Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burn- ing of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee. That thou faint not in despair, see how it is said, " Wait on the Lord." 2 PSALM XXVIII.3 OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. It is the Voice of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand in the conflict of the Passion. Now what He seems to wish for against His enemies, is not the wish of malevolence, but the declaration of their punishment; as in the Gos- pel,4 with the cities, in which though He had performed miracles, yet they had not believed on Him, He doth not wish in any evil will what He saith, but predicteth what is impending over them.
2. " Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried; 5 My God, be not silent from me " (ver. 1 ). Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried; My God, separate not the unity of Thy Word from that which as Man I am. " Lest at any time Thou be silent from me: and I shall be like them that go down into the pit." For from this, that the Eternity of Thy Word ceaseth not to unite Itself to Me, it comes that I am not such a man as the rest of men, who are born into the deep misery of this ■ Wisd. i. It.
2 JOn the first three verses of this Psalm, see Origen, A. N. F. vol. iv. pp. 333, 575, 649. Compare Cyprian, A. N. F. vol. iv. p. 501. — C.l 3 Lat. XXVII. „ < Matt. xi. 20-24.
5 f The Greek and Vulgate omit the epithet of the Hebrew, " My Rock, which is the link with the Psalm foregoing (ver. 5), and the key to other parallels. St. Jerome renders \\tfortti mens. — C] 66 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXIX.
world: where, as if Thou art silent, Thy Word is not recognised. " Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, whilst I pray unto Thee, whilst I hold up my hands to Thy holy temple "(ver. 2). Whilst I am crucified for their salvation, who on believing become Thy holy temple.
3. " Draw not My Soul away with sinners, and destroy me not with them that work iniquity, with them that speak peace with their neighbours " (ver. 3). With them that say unto Me, "We know that Thou art a Master come from God." ' " But evil in their hearts." But they speak evil in their hearts.
4. " Give unto them according to their works " (ver. 4). Give unto them according to their works, for this is just. " And according to the malice of their affections." ' For aiming at evil, they cannot discover good. " According to the works of their hands give Thou unto them." Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto them according to the works of their wills. " Pay them their recompense." Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.
5. " For they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord " (ver. 5). And whence is it clear that this hath befallen them? From this forsooth, " for they have not had under- standing in the works of the Lord." This very thing, in truth, hath been, even now, their rec- ompense, that in Him whom they tempted with malicious intent as a Man, they should not rec- ognise God, with what design the Father sent Him in the Flesh. " And the works of His hands." Nor be moved by those visible works, which are laid out before their very eyes. " Thou shalt destroy them, and not build them up." Let them do Me no hurt, nay, nor again in their endeavour to raise engines against My Church, let them aught avail.
6. " Blessed be the Lord, for He hath heard the voice of My prayer " (ver. 6).
7. "The Lord My Helper and My Protector" (ver. 7). The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. " In Him hath My Heart trusted, and I have been helped." i' And My Flesh hath flourished again: " that is, and My Flesh hath risen again. " And of my will I will confess unto Him." Wherefore, the fear of death being now destroyed, not by the necessity of fear under the Law, but with a free will with the Law, shall they who believe on Me, confess unto Him; and because I am in them, I will confess.
8. "The Lord is the strength of His people " (ver. 8). Not that people "ignorant of the > John iii. 3.
righteousness of God, and willing to establish their own." J For they thought not themselves strong in themselves: for the Lord is the strength of His people, struggling in this life's difficulties with the devil. " And the protector of the sal- vation of His Christ." That, having saved them by His Christ, after the strength of war, He may protect them at the last with the immortality of peace.
9. " Save Thy people, and bless Thine inher- itance" (ver. 9). I intercede therefore, after My Flesh hath flourished again, because Thou hast said, " Desire of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance; "* " Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance: " for " all Mine are Thine." 5 " And rule them, and set them up even for ever." And rule them in this temporal life, and raise them from hence into life eternal.
PSALM XXIX.6 A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF, OF THE CONSUMMA- TION OF THE TABERNACLE.
i. A Psalm of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand, of the perfection of the Church in this world, where she wars in time against the devil.
2. The Prophet speaks, " Bring unto the Lord, O ye Sons of God, bring unto the Lord the young of rams" (ver. 1). Bring unto the Lord yourselves, whom the Apostles, the leaders of the flocks, have begotten by the Gospel.7 "Bring unto the Lord glory and honour" (ver. 2). By your works let the Lord be glorified and honoured. " Bring unto the Lord glory to His name." Let Him be made known gloriously throughout the world. " Worship the Lord in His holy court." Worship the Lord in your heart enlarged and sanctified. For ye are His regal holy habitation.
3. " The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters" (ver. 3). The Voice of Christ is upon the peoples. " The God of majesty hath thun- dered." The God of majesty, from the cloud of the flesh, hath awfully preached repentance. " The Lord is upon many waters." The Lord Jesus Himself, after that He sent forth His Voice upon the peoples, and struck them with awe, converted them to Himself, and dwelt in them.
4. "The Voice of the Lord is in power" (ver. 4). The Voice of the Lord now in them themselves, making them powerful. " The Voice of the Lord is in great might." The Voice of the Lord working great things in them.
5. "The Voice of the Lord breaking the cedars " (ver. 5). The Voice of the Lord hum- bling the proud in brokenness of heart. " The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus." The Lord by repentance shall break them that are * Ps ii. 8.
7 1 Cor. iv. 15.
5 John xvii. xo.
Psalm XXX.]
ON THE PSALMS.
67 lifted on high by the splendour of earthly nobility, when to confound them He shall have " chosen the base things of this world," ' in the which to display His Divinity.
6. " And shall bruise them as the calf of Libanus " (ver. 6). And when their proud ex- altation hath been cut off, He will lay them low after the imitation of His Own humility, who like a calf was led to slaughter2 by the nobility of this world. " For the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers agreed together against the Lord, and against His Christ."3 "And the Be- loved is as the young of the unicorns." For even He the Beloved, and the Only One of the Father, "emptied Himself" of His glory; and was made man,4 like a child of the Jews, that were " ignorant of God's righteousness," 5 and proudly boasting of their own righteousness as peculiarly theirs.
7. " The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of fire " (ver. 7). The Voice of the Lord, without any harm to Himself, passing through all the exciud ardour of them that persecute Him, or dividing the furious rage of His perse- cutors, so that some should say, " Is not this haply the very Christ; " others, " Nay; but He deceiveth the people: " 6 and so cutting short their mad tumult, as to pass some- over into His love, and leave others in their malice.
8. " The Voice of the Lord moving the wilder- ness " (ver. 8). The Voice of the Lord moving to the faith the Gentiles once " without hope, and without God in the world; " 7 where no prophet, no preacher of God's word, as it were, no man had dwelt. " And the Lord will move the desert of Cades." And then the Lord will cause the holy word of His Scriptures to be fully known, which was abandoned by the Jews who understood it not.
9. "The Voice of the Lord perfecting the stags"3 (ver. 9). For the Voice of the Lord hath first perfected them that overcame and re- pelled the envenomed tongues. 9 " And will reveal the woods." And then will He reveal to them the darknesses of the Divine books, and. the shadowy depths of the mysteries, where they may feed with freedom. " And in His temple doth every man speak of His glory." And in His Church all born again to an eternal hope praise God, each for His own gift, which He hath received from the Holy Spirit.
10. "The Lord inhabiteth the deluge" (ver. 10). The Lord therefore first inhabiteth the deluge of this world in His Saints, kept safely in 3 Ps. ii. 2.
6 John vii. 41, 12.
fc.ph. 11. 12.
8 [Jerome's Hebraic version reads, Vox Domini obstetricans cervas, which the Authorized English follows. — C] 9 Plin. Hitt. Nat. viii. 32 and xxviii. 9 says, that they bring serrnts out of their holes with their breath, and kill and eat them. See Greg. Mor. xxx. 36.
the Church, as in the ark. " And the Lord shall sit a King for ever." And afterward He will sit reigning in them for ever.
n. "The Lord will give strength to His people " IO (ver. 1 1 ). For the Lord will give strength to His people fighting against the storms and whirlwinds of this world, for peace in this world He hath not promised them." " The Lord will bless His people in peace." And the same Lord will bless His people, afford- ing them peace in Himself; for, saith He, " My peace I give unto you, My peace I leave with you." " PSALM XXX.'3 TO THE END, THE PSALM OF THE CANTICLE '« OF THE DEDICATION OF THE HOUSE, OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the.former Psalm the tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting.
2. It is then whole Christ who speaketh. " I will exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up" (ver. i). I will praise Thy high Majesty, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up. " Thou hast not made Mine enemies to rejoice over Me." And those, who have so often en- deavoured to oppress Me with various persecu- tions throughout the world, Thou hast not made to rejoice over Me.
3. " O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed Me" (ver. 2). O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and I no longer bear about a body enfeebled and sick by mortality.
4. " O Lord, Thou hast brought back My Soul from hell, and Thou hast saved Me from them that go down into the pit" (ver. 3). Thou hast saved Me from the condition of pro- found darkness, and the lowest slough of corrupt- ible flesh.
5. "Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of His." The prophet seeing these future things, rejoiceth, and saith, " Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of His. And make confession of the remembrance of His holiness" (ver. 4). And make confession to Him, that He hath not forgotten the sanc- tification, wherewith He hath sanctified you, although all this intermediate period belong to your desires.
6. " For in His indignation is wrath " (ver. 5).
° [This Psalm was referred to Pentecost by the Jews, and to the giving of the law. Heb. xii.:8-ai. — C] " John xvi. 33. « John xiv. 27. » Lat. XXIX.
l* [A shir, or *' song." So Psalm xvtii. —shirah, the only two instances in the first division of the Psalter, forty-one Psalms. — C.J 68 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXXI.
For He hath avenged against you the first sin, for which you have paid by death. " And life in His will." And life eternal, whereunto you could not return by any strength of your own, hath He given, because He so would. " In the evening weeping will tarry." Evening began, when the light of wisdom withdrew from sinful man, when he was condemned to death: from this evening weeping will tarry, as long as God's people are, amid labours and temptations, await- ing the day of the Lord. " And exultation in the morning." Even to the morning, when there will be the exultation of the resurrection, which hath shone forth by anticipation in the morning resurrection of the Lord.
7. " But I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved for ever " (ver. 6). But I, that people which was speaking from the first, said in mine abundance, suffering now no more any want, " I shall not be moved for ever."
8. " O Lord, in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty" (ver. 7). But that this my abundance, O Lord, is not of myself, but that in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty, I have learnt from this, " Thou turnedst away Thy Face from me, and I became troubled; " for Thou hast sometimes turned away Thy Face from the sinner, and I became troubled, when the illumination of Thy knowl- edge withdrew from me.
9. " Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto my God will I pray" (ver. 8). And bringing to mind that time of my trouble and misery, and as it were established therein, I hear the voice of Thy First-Begotten, my Head, about to die for me, and saying, " Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto My God will I pray."
10. "What profit" is there "in My bloody whilst I go down to corruption?" (ver. 9) What profit is there in the shedding of My blood, whilst I go down to corruption? "Shall dust confess unto Thee?" For if I shall not rise immediately, and My body shall become corrupt, "shall dust confess unto Thee?" that is, the crowd of the ungodly, whom I shall justify by My resurrection? "Or declare Thy truth?" Or for the salvation of the rest declare Thy truth?
11. "The Lord hath heard, and had mercy on Me, the Lord hath become My helper." Nor did " He suffer His holy One to see cor- ruption" ' (ver. 10).
12. " Thou hast turned My mourning into joy to Me " (ver. 11). Whom I, the Church, having received, the First- Begotten from the dead,2 now in the dedication of Thine house, say, "Thou hast turned my mourning into joy to me. Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with 1 Pf. xvi. 10.
' Rev. L 5.
gladness." Thou hast torn off the veil of my sins, the sadness of my mortality; and hast girded me with the first robe, with immortal gladness.
13. "That my glory should sing unto Thee, and I should not be pricked " (ver. 12). That now, not my humiliation, but my glory should not lament, but should sing unto Thee, for that now out of humiliation Thou hast exalted me; and that I should not be pricked with the consciousness of sin, with the fear of death, with the fear of judgment. " O Lord, my God, I will confess unto Thee for ever." And this is my glory, O Lord, my God, that I should confess unto Thee for ever, that I have nothing of myself, but that all my good is of Thee, who art " God, All in all." s PSALM XXXI.t TO THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF, AN ECSTASY.5 i. To the end a Psalm of David Himself, the Mediator strong of hand in persecutions. For the word ecstasy, which is added to the title, signifies a transport of the mind, which is pro- duced either by a panic, or by some revelation. But in this Psalm the panic of the people of God troubled by the persecution of all the heathen, and by the failing of faith throughout the world, is principally seen. But first the Mediator Him- self speaks: then the People redeemed by His Blood gives thanks: at last in trouble it speaks at length, which is what belongs to the ecstasy; but the Person of the Prophet himself is twice interposed, near the end, and at the end.
2. " In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me not be put to confusion for ever" (ver. 1). In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let Me never be confounded, whilst they shall insult Me as one like other men. " In Thy righteousness rescue Me, and deliver Me." And in Thy righteousness rescue Me from the pit of death, and deliver Me out of their company.
3. " Bend down Thine ear unto Me " (ver. 2). Hear Me in My humiliation, nigh at hand unto Me. " Make haste to deliver Me." Defer not to the end of the world, as with all who believe on Me, My separation from sinners. " Be unto Me a God who protecteth Me." Be unto Me God, and Protector. " And a house of refuge, that Thou mayest save Me." And as a house, wherein taking refuge I may be saved.
4. " For Thou art My strength, and My refuge" (ver. 3). For Thou art unto Me My strength to bear My persecutors, and My refuge 3 1 Cor. xv. 28. [This Psalm was used at Easter and Pentecost. Compare Cyprian, vol. v. p. 525, A. N. F. — C] * Lat. XXX.
3 [Borrowed from the Septuagint, where it is anticipated from ver. 22. See p. 70, infra. — C.J Psalm XXXI.]
ON THE PSALMS.
69 to escape them. "And for Thy Name's sake Thou shalt be My guide, and shalt nourish Me." And that by Me Thou mayest be known to all the Gentiles, I will in all things follow Thy will; and, by assembling, by degrees, Saints unto Me, Thou shalt fulfil My body, and My perfect stature.
5. "Thou shalt bring Me out of this trap, which they have hidden for Me" (ver. 4). Thou shalt bring Me out of these snares, which they have hidden for Me. " For Thou art My Protector."
6. " Into Thy hands I commend My Spirit " (ver. s ). To Thy power I commend My Spirit, soon to receive It back. " Thou hast redeemed Me, O Lord God of truth." Let the people too, redeemed by the Passion of their Lord, and joy- ful in the glorifying of their Head, say, " Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth."
7. "Thou hatest them that hold to vanity uselessly" (ver. 6). Thou hatest them that hold to the false happiness of the world. " But I have trusted in the Lord."
8. " I will be glad, and rejoice in Thy mercy: " which doth not deceive me. " For Thou hast re- garded My humiliation: " wherein Thou hast sub- jected me to vanity in hope.1 " Thou hast saved my soul from necessities" (ver. 7). Thou hast saved my soul from the necessities of fear, that with a free love it may serve Thee.