9. " And hast not shut me up into the hands of the enemy " (ver. 8). And hast not shut me up", that I should have no opening for recovering unto liberty, and be given over for ever into the power of the devil, ensnaring me with the desire of this life, and terrifying me with death. " Thou hast set my feet in a large room." The resurrec- tion of my Lord being known, and mine own being promised me, my love, having been brought out of the straits of fear, walks abroad in con- tinuance, into the expanse of liberty.
10. " Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am troubled" (ver.o). But what is this unlooked- for cruelty of the persecutors, striking such dread into me? " Have mercy on me, O Lord." For I am now no more alarmed for death, but for torments and tortures. "Mine eye hath been disordered by anger." I had mine eye upon Thee, that Thou shouldest not abandon me: Thou art angry, aid hast disordered it. " My soul, and my belly." By the same anger my soul hath been disturbed, and my memory, whereby I retained what my God hath suffered for me, and what He hath promised me.
11. "For my life hath failed in pain" (ver. 10). For my life is to confess Thee, but it failed in pain, when the enemy had said, Let them be tortured until they deny Him. " And 1 Rom. viii. 20.
my years in groanings." The time that I pass in this world is not taken away from me by death, but abides, and is spent in groanings. " My strength hath been weakened by want." I want the health of this body, and racking pains come on me: I want the dissolution of the body, and death forbears to come: and in this want my confidence hath been weakened. "And my bones have been disturbed." And my stedfast- ness hath been disturbed.
12. "I have been made a reproach above all mine enemies" (ver. n). All the wicked are my enemies; and nevertheless they for their wickednesses are tortured only till they confess: I then have overpassed their reproach, I, whose confession death doth not follow, but racking pains follow upon it. " And to my neighbours too much." This hath seemed too much.to them, who were already drawing near to know Thee, and to hold the faith that I hold. " And a fear to mine acquaintance." And into my very acquaintance I struck fear by the example of my dreadful tribulation. " They that did see me, fled without from me." Because they did not understand my inward and invisible hope, they fled from me into things outward and visible.
13. "I have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart" (ver. 12). And they have forgotten me, as if I were dead from their hearts. " I have become as a lost vessel." I have seemed to myself to be lost to all the Lord's service, living in this world, and gaining none, when all were afraid to join themselves unto me.
14. " For I have heard the rebuking of many dwelling by in a circuit " (ver. 13). For I have heard many rebuking me, in the pilgrimage of this world near me, following the circuit of time, and refusing to return with me to the eternal country. " Whilst they were assembling them- selves together against me, they conspired that they might take my soul." That my soul, which should by death easily escape from their power, might consent unto them, they imagined a de- vice, whereby they would not suffer me even to die.
15. "But I have hoped in Thee, O Lord; I have said, Thou art my God" (ver. 14). For Thou hast not changed, that Thou shouldest not save, Who dost correct.
16. " In Thy hands " are " my lots " (ver. 15). In Thy power are my lots. For I see no desert, for which out of the universal ungodliness of the human race Thou hast elected me particularly to salvation. And though there be with Thee some just and secret order in my election, yet I, from whom this is hid, have attained by lot unto my Lord's vesture.2 " Deliver me from the 3 John xix. 34.
7o THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXXII.
hands of mine enemies, and from them that per- secute me."
1 7. " Make Thy Face to shine upon Thy ser- vant" (ver. 16). Make it known to men, who do not think that I belong unto Thee, that Thy Face is bent upon me, and that I serve Thee. " Save me in Thy mercy."
18. "O Lord, let me not be confounded, for I have called upon Thee" (ver. 17). O Lord, let me not be put to shame by those who insult me, for that I have called upon Thee. "Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell." Let them rather who call upon stones be ashamed, and made to dwell with darkness."
19. " Let the deceitful lips be made dumb" (ver. 18). In making known to the peoples Thy mysteries wrought in me, strike with dumb amazement the lips of them that invent false- hood of me. " Which speak iniquity against the Righteous, in pride and contempt." Which speak iniquity against Christ, in their pride and contempt of Him as a crucified man.
20. " How great " is " the multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord " (ver. 19). Here the Prophet exclaims, having sight of all this, and admiring how manifoldly plenteous is Thy sweetness, O Lord. "Which Thou hast hid for them that fear Thee." Even those, whom Thou correctest, Thou lovest much: but lest they should go on negligently from relaxed security, Thou hidest from them the sweetness of Thy love, for whom it is profitable to fear Thee. " Thou hast per- fected it for them that hope in Thee." But Thou hast perfected this sweetness for them that hope in Thee. For Thou dost not withdraw from them what they look for perseveringly even unto the end. " In sight of the sons of men." For it does not escape the notice of the sons of men, who now live no more after Adam, but after the Son of Man. " Thou wilt hide them in the hidden place of Thy Countenance: " which seat Thou shalt preserve for everlasting in the hidden place of the knowledge of Thee for them that hope in Thee. " From the troubling of men." So that now they suffer no more trouble from men.
21." Thou wilt protect them in Thy taberna- cle from the contradiction of tongues " (ver. 20). But here meanwhile whilst evil tongues murmur against them, saying, Who hath known this? or, Who hath come thence? Thou wilt protect them in the tabernacle, that of faith in those things, which the Lord wrought and endured for us in time.
22. " Blessed be the Lord; for He hath made His mercy marvellous, in the city of compassing " (ver. 21). Blessed be the Lord, for after the correction of the sharpest persecutions He hath 1 Umbrit tocitntur.
made His mercy marvellous to all throughout the world, in the circuit of human society.2 23. "I said in my ecstasy " s (ver. 22). Whence that people again speaking saith, I said in my fear, when the heathen were raging horri- bly against me. " I have been cast forth from the sight of Thine eyes." For if Thou hadst regard to me, Thou wouldest not suffer me to endure these things. " Therefore Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I cried unto Thee." Therefore putting a limit to cor- rection, and showing that I have part in Thy care, Thou heardest, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I raised it high 4 out of tribulation.
24. " Love the Lord, all ye His saints " (ver. 23). The Prophet again exhorts, having sight of these things, and saith, " Love the Lord, all ye His saints; for the Lord will require truth." Since " if the righteous shall scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear? " s " And He will repay them that do exceeding proudly." And He will repay them who even when conquered are not converted, because they are very proud.
25. "Quit you like men, and let your heart be. strengthened " (ver. 24): working good with- out fainting, that ye may reap in due season. " All ye who trust in the Lord: " that is, ye who duly fear and worship Him, trust ye in the Lord.
PSALM XXXII.6 TO DAVID HIMSELF; FOR UNDERSTANDING.
1. To David himself; for understanding; by which it is understood that not by the merits of works, but by the grace of God, man is de- livered, confessing his sins.
2. " Blessed are they whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sins are covered " (ver. 1): and whose sins are buried in oblivion. " Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, nor is there guile in his mouth " (ver. 2): nor has he in his mouth boastings of righteousness, when his conscience is full of sins.
3. " Because I kept silence, my bones waxed old: " because I made not with my mouth " confession unto salvation," ' all firmness in me has grown old in infirmity. "Through my roar- ing all the day long " (ver. 3); when I was ungodly and a blasphemer, crying against God, as though defending and excusing my sins.
4. " Because day and night Thy Hand was heavy upon me: " because, through the continual punishment of Thy scourges, " I was turned in misery, while a thorn was fixed through me " * [Elsewhere St. Augustin explains the word " ecstasy " as some- times = transport, sometimes = panic. See his sermon on this Psalm, usually following this exposition. — C.l « Nimis. » 1 Pet. iv. 18. <> Lat. XXXI.
7 Rom. x. zo.
Psalm XXXIII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
71 (ver. 4): I was made miserable by knowing my misery, being pricked with an evil conscience.
5. " I acknowledged my sin, and my un- righteousness have I not hid: " that is, my unrighteousness have I not concealed.1 " I said, I will confess against myself my un- righteousness to the Lord: " I said, I will con- fess, not against God (as in my ungodly crying, when I kept silence), but against myself, my unrighteousness to the Lord. " And Thou for- gavest the iniquity of my heart" (ver. 5); hear- ing the word of confession in the heart, before it was uttered with the voice.
6. " For this shall every one that is holy pray unto Thee in an acceptable time: " for this wickedness of heart shall every one that is righteous pray unto Thee. For not by their own merits will they be holy, but by that ac- ceptable time, that is, at His coming, who redeemed us from sin. " Nevertheless in the flood of great waters they shall not come nigh him" (ver. 6): nevertheless, let none think, when the end has come suddenly, as in the days of Noah,2 that there remaineth a place of confes- sion, whereby he may draw nigh unto God.
7. " Thou art my refuge from the pressures, which have compassed me about: " Thou art my refuge from the pressure of my sins, which hath compassed my heart. " O Thou, my Re- joicing, deliver me from them that compass me about " (ver. 7): in Thee is my joy: deliver me from the sorrow which my sins bring upon me.
8. Diapsalma. The answer of God: " I will give thee understanding, and will set thee in the way in which thou shalt go; " I will give thee understanding after confession, that thou depart not from the way in which thou should- est go; lest thou wish to be in thine own power. " I will fix Mine Eyes upon thee " (ver. 8): so will I make sure upon thee My Love.
9. " Be not ye like unto horse or mule, which have no understanding: " and therefore would govern themselves. But saith the Prophet, " Hold in their jaws with bit and bridle." Do Thou then, O God, unto them " that will not come nigh Thee" (ver. 9), what man doth to horse and mule, that by scourges Thou make them to bear Thy rule.
10. " Many are the scourges of the sinner: " much is he scourged, who, confessing not his sins to God, would be his own ruler. " But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy compasseth him about" (ver. 10); but he that trusteth in the Lord, and submitteth himself to His rule, mercy shall compass him about.
11. "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye 1 [Here in our Psalter version is verse 6; not so the Authorized, nor the Vulgate, nor the other versions. — C] righteous: " be glad, and rejoice, ye righteous, not in yourselves, but in the Lord. "And glory, all ye that are right in heart" (ver. n): and glory in Him, all ye who understand that it is right to be subject unto Him, that so ye may be placed above all things beside.
PSALM XXXIII.3 1. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous:" rejoice, O ye righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe; but in the Lord. " For praise is comely to the upright" (ver. i): these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord; for else they are distorted and perverse.
2. " Praise the Lord with harp: " praise the Lord, presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice.4 " Sing unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings" (ver. 2): let your members be servants to the love of God, and of your neigh- bour, in which are kept both the three and the seven commandments.5 3. " Sing unto Him a new song: " sing unto Him a song of the grace of faith. " Sing skil- fully unto Hinvwith jubilation" (ver. 3): sing skilfully unto Him with rejoicing.
4. " For the Word of the Lord is right: " for the Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. " And all His works are done in faith " (ver. 4): lest any think that by the merit of works he hath arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which God Himself loveth.
5. "He loveth Mercy and Judgment:" for He loveth Mercy, which now He showeth first; and Judgment, wherewith He exacteth that which He hath first shown. "The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord " (ver. 5 ): through- out the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.
6. "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm: " for not by themselves, but by the Word of the Lord were the righteous made strong. " And all the strength 6 of them by the Breath of His Mouth" (ver. 6). And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.
7. " He gathereth the waters of the sea to- gether as into a bottle: " He gathereth the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. • " He layeth up the deep in storehouses " (ver. 7): and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.
8. " Let all the earth fear the Lord: " let 3 Lat. XXXII. « Rom. Jtii. I.
5 See St. Augustin on Faith and Works, § 17, Tr. note h. He takes our 6rst and second as one, dividing the tenth. _ [Compare St. Augustin, Sermon ix. cap. 5. He is credited with introducing this division into the Western churches. Compare Irenaeus {Adv. Hares, ii. 24, § 4. note 9), A. N. F. vol. i. p. 395; also Clement, Stromata, A. N. F. vol. ii. p. 51a. — C] * Virtut.
72 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXXIV.
every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. " Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him " (ver. 8): not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him let them stand in awe.
9. " For He spake, and they were made: " for no other one made those things which are to fear; but He spake, and they were made. " He commanded, and they were created " (ver. 9): He commanded by His Word,1 and they were created.
10. "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought; " of them that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. " He maketh the devices of the people of none effect: " of them that covet earthly happiness. " And reproveth the counsels of princes " (ver. 10): of them that seek to rule over such peoples.
11. "But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever; " but the counsel of the Lord, whereby He maketh none blessed but him that submitteth unto Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts of His Heart to all generations " (ver. n): the thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but endure to all generations.
12. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: " one nation is blessed, belonging to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen save the Lord for their God: " And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance " (ver. 12): and which not of itself, but by the gift of God, hath been chosen, that He by pos- sessing it may not suffer it to be uncared for and miserable.
13. "The Lord looketh from Heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men" (ver. 13). From the souls of the righteous, the Lord looketh mercifully upon all who would rise to newness of life.
14. " From His prepared habitation: " from His habitation of assumed Humanity, which He prepared for Himself. " He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth " (ver. 14): He looketh mercifully upon all who live in the flesh, that He may be over them in ruling them.
15. " He fashioneth their hearts singly: " He giveth spiritually to their hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor the whole hearing; 2 but that one in this manner, another in that manner, may be incorporated with Christ. " He underslandeth all their works" (ver. 15). Before Him are all their works understood.
16. "A king shall not be saved by much strength: " he shall not be saved who ruleth his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. " Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength" (ver. 16): nor shall he be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.
17. "A horse is a deceitful thing for safety: " he is deceived, who thinketh either that through men he gaineth salvation received among men, or that by the impetuosity of his own courage he is defended from destruction. " In the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved " (ver. 17).
18. "Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him: " because if thou seek salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon them that fear Him. " Upon them that hope in His mercy" (ver. 18): that hope not in their own strength, but in His mercy.
19. "To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine" (ver. 19). To give them the nourishment of the Word, and of Everlasting Truth, which they lost while pre- suming on their own strength, and therefore have not even their own strength, from lack of righteousness.
20. " My soul shall be patient for the Lord: " that hereafter it may be filled with dainties in- corruptible, meanwhile, whilst here it remaineth, my soul shall be patient for the Lord. " For He is our Helper and Defender " (ver. 20): our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; and our Defender, while we resist the adversary.
at. "For our heart shall rejoice in Him:" for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there is great need; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. " And we have trusted in His holy Name " (ver. 21); and therefore have we trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent hath He sent, through faith, His own Name.
22. "Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee " (ver. 22): let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; for hope confoundeth not, because we have hoped in Thee.
PSALM XXXIV.'
A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS COUNTENANCE BEFORE ABIMELECH, AND HE SENT HIM AWAV, AND HE DEPARTED.
i. Because there was there a sacrifice after the order of Aaron, and afterwards He of His Own Body and Blood appointed a sacrifice after the order of Melchizedek; He changed then His Countenance in the Priesthood, and sent away the kingdom of the Jews, and came to the Gentiles. What then is, " He affected"?* He was full of affection. For what is so full of 3 Lat. XXXIII.
4 [1 Sam. xxi. 13. He follows the Septuagint, which differs from the Vulgate. — C] Psalm XXXIV.]
ON THE PSALMS.
n affection as the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, seeing our infirmity, that He might deliver us from everlasting death, underwent temporal death with such great injury and contumely? " And He drummed: " because a drum is not made, except when a skin is extended on wood; and David drummed, to signify that Christ should be crucified. But, " He drummed upon the doors of the city: " what are " the doors of the city," but our hearts which we had closed against Christ, who by the drum of His Cross hath opened the hearts of mortal men? " And was carried in His Own Hands: " how " carried in His Own Hands "? Because when He com- mended His Own Body and Blood, He took into His Hands that which the faithful know; and in a manner carried Himself, when He said, "This is My Body."1 "And He fell down at the doors of the gate; " that is, He humbled Himself. For this it is, to fall down even at the very beginning of our faith. For the door of the gate is the beginning of faith; whence be- ginneth the Church, and arriveth at last even unto sight: that as it believeth those things which it seeth not, it may deserve to enjoy them, when it shall have begun to see face to face. So is the title of the Psalm; briefly we have heard it; let us now hear the very words of Him that affecteth, and drummeth upon the doors of the city.
2. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth " (ver. i). So speaketh Christ, so also let a Christian speak; for a Christian is in the Body of Christ; and therefore was Christ made Man, that that Chris- tian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, " I will bless the Lord at all times." When shall I "bless the Lord"? When He blesseth thee? When the goods of this world abound? When thou hast great abundance of corn, oil, and wine, of gold and silver, of servants and cattle; when this mortal health remaineth unwounded and sound; when all that are born to thee grow up, nothing is withdrawn by immature death, happi- ness wholly reigneth in thy house, and all things overflow around thee; then shalt thou bless the Lord? No; but "at all times." Therefore both then, and when according to the time, or according to the scourges of our Lord God, these things are troubled, are taken away, are seldom born to thee, and born pass away. For these things come to pass, and thence followeth penury, need, labour, pain, and temptation. But thou, who hast sung, " I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be ever in my mouth," both when He giveth them, bless; and when He taketh them away, bless. For it is He that giveth, it is He that taketh away: but Himself 1 Matt. xxvi. 36.
from him that blesseth Him He taketh not away.
3. But who is it that blesseth the Lord at all times, except the humble in heart. For very humility taught our Lord in His Own Body and Blood: because when He commendeth His Own Body and Blood, He commendeth His Humility, in that which is written in this history, in that seeming madness of David, which we have passed by, " And his spittle ran down over his beard."2 When the Apostle was read,3 Ye heard the same spittle, but running down over the beard. One saith perhaps, What spittle have we heard? Was it not read but now, where the Apostle saith, " The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom?" But now it was read, " But we preach," saith he, " Christ crucified" (for then He drummed), "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. Because the Foolish- ness of God is wiser than men, and the Weak- ness of God is stronger than men." 4 For spittle signifieth foolishness; spittle signifieth weakness. But if the Foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the Weakness of God is stronger than men; let not the spittle as it were offend thee, but observe that it runneth down over the beard: for as by the spittle, weakness; so by the beard, strength is signified. He covered then His Strength by the body of His Weakness, and that which without was weak, appeared as it were in spittle; but within His Divine Strength was cov- ered as a beard. Therefore humility is com- mended unto us. Be humble if thou wouldest bless the Lord at all times, and that His praise should be ever in thy mouth...
4. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times? Because he is humble. What is it to be humble? To take not praise unto himself. Who would himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou not then be proud? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written; " In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad" (ver. 2). Those then who will not be praised in the Lord, are not humble, but fierce, rough, lifted up, proud. Gentle cattle would the Lord have; be thou the Lord's jumentum; that is, be thou humble. He sitteth upon thee, He ruleth thee: fear not lest thou stumble, and fall headlong: that indeed is thy infirmity; but consider Who sitteth upon thee. Thou art an ass's colt, but thou carriest Christ.
2 1 Sam. xxi. 13.
3 [This expression, so frequent in St. Auguslin, refers to the Epistle for the day. As the Law and the Prophets in the syna- gogue, so also the Evangelists and Apostles were read ceremonially in the Church. — C] * x Cor. i. 33-35.
74 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XXXIV.
For even He on an ass's colt came into the city; and that beast was gentle..." Be not ye as the horse or as the mule, which have no understand- ing." ' For horse and mule sometimes lift up their neck, and by their own fierceness throw off their rider. They are tamed with the bit, with bridle, with stripes, until they learn to submit, and to carry their master. But thou, before thy jaws are bruised with the bridle, be humble, and carry thy Lord: wish not praise for thyself, but praised be He who sitteth upon thee, and say thou, " In the Lord shall my soul be praised; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad."...
5. Now followeth, "O magnify the Lord with me" (ver. 3). Who is this that exhorteth us, that we should magnify the Lord with him? Whoever, Brethren, is in the body of Christ, ought for this to labour, that the Lord may be magnified with him. For he loveth the Lord, whoever he is. And how doth he love Him? So as not to envy his fellow-lover...Let them blush who so love God as to envy others. Abandoned men love a charioteer, and whoever loveth a charioteer or hunter, wisheth the whole people to love with him, and exhorteth, saying, Love with me this pantomime, love with me this or that shame. He calleth among the people that shame may be loved with him; and doth not a Christian call in the Church, that the Truth of God may be loved with him? Stir up then love in yourselves, Brethren; and call to every one of yours, and say, " O magnify the Lord with me." Let there be in you that fervour. Wherefore are these things recited and explained? If ye love God, bring quickly to the love of God all who are joined unto you, and all who are in your house; if the Body of Christ is loved by you, that is, if the unity of the Church, bring them quickly to enjoy, and say, " O magnify the Lord with me."
6. " And let us exalt His Name together." * What is, " let us exalt His Name together "? That is, in one. For many copies so have it, " O magnify the Lord with me; and let us exalt His Name in one." 3 Whether it be said, " to- gether," or "in one," it is the same thing. Therefore bring quickly whom ye can, by exhort- ing, by transporting,4 by beseeching, by disput- ing, by rendering a reason, with meekness, with gentleness. Bring them quickly unto love; that if they magnify the Lord, they may magnify Him in one...7. " I sought the Lord, and He heard me " (ver. 4). Where heard the Lord? Within. Where giveth He? Within. There thou pray- est, there thou art heard, there thou art blessed.
c.j ■ Pi. xxxii. 9. » In idiptum.
> In unum. [In the Septuagint «jri to avr6, as in Acta ii. i. — '* Al. "by working."