hast not the circumcision of the flesh. Let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments, O Lord.
11. "Walk about Zion, and embrace her" (ver. 11). Be it said to them who live ill, in the midst of whom is the people, which hath received the mercy of God. In the midst of you is a people living well, " Walk about Zion." But how? "embrace her." Not with scandals, but with love go round about her: that so those who live well in the midst of you ye may imitate, and by imitation of them, be incorporate with Christ, whose members they are. " Walk about Zion, go round about her: speak in the towers thereof." In the height of her bulwarks, set forth the praises thereof.
1 2. " Set your hearts upon her might " (ver. 12). Not that ye may have the form of godli- ness, deny the power thereof,8 but, " upon her might set your hearts. Speak ye in her towers." What is the might of this city? Whoso would understand the might of this city, let him un- derstand the force of love. That is a virtue which none conquereth. Love's flame no waves of the world, no streams of temptation, extin- guish. Of this it is said, " Love is strong as death." » For as when death cometh, it cannot be resisted; by whatever arts, whatever medi- cines, you meet it; the violence of death can none avoid who is born mortal; so against the violence of love can the world do nothing. For from the contrary the similitude is made of 6 John iv. 22. 9 Cant. viii. 6.
1 68 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XLVIIL.
death; for as death is most violent to take away, so love is most violent to save. Through love many have died to the world, to liye to God; by this love inflamed, the martyrs, not pretenders, not puffed up by vain-glory, not such as they of whom it is written, " Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing," ■ but men whom truly a love of Christ and of the truth led on to this passion; what to them were the temptations of the tormentors? Greater violence had the eyes of their weeping friends, than the persecutions of enemies. For how many were held by their children, that they might not suffer? to how many did their wives fall upon their knees, that they might not be left widows? How many have their parents forbidden to die, as we know and read in the Passion of the Blessed Perpetua! 2 All this was done; but tears, however great, arid with whatever force flowing, when did they ex- tinguish the ardour of love? This is the might of Sion, to whom elsewhere it is said, " Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." 3 13. What here understand we, "Set your hearts upon her might, and distribute her houses "? That is, distinguish house from house. Do not confound. For there is a house having the form of godliness, and not having godliness; but there is a house having both form and god- liness. Distribute, confound not. But then ye distribute and confound not, when ye " set your hearts upon her might; " that is, when through love ye are made spiritual. Then ye will not judge rashly, then ye will see that the evil harms not the good as long as we are in this floor. " Distribute her houses." There can be also another understanding. The two houses, one coming of the circumcision, one of the uncir- cumcision, it is commanded the Apostles to dis- tribute. For when Saul was called, and made the Apostle Paul, agreeing in unity with his fel- low Apostles, he so with them determined, that they should go to the circumcision, he to the uncircumcision. By that dispensation of their Apostleship, they distributed the houses of the city of the great King; and meeting in the corner, divided the Gospel in dispensation, in love united it. And truly this is rather to be understood; for it followeth and showeth that it is here said to the preachers, " distribute her houses: that ye may tell it to the generation following: " that is, that even to us, who were to come after them, their dispensation of the Gos- pel should reach; For not for those only they laboured, with whom they lived in the earth; nor 1 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
9 Ruinart. Acta Martyrum,?. 86, which supports the read- ing adopted from the Oxford mss. Ben. has, " How many parents did their sons forbid." [Sec A. N. T. vol. iii., p. 700. — C.J 3 P». exxii. 7.
the Lord for those Apostles only to whom He deigned to show Himself alive after His Resur- rection, but for us also. For to them He spake, and signified us when He spake, " Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world."4 Were they then to be here alway, even to the end of the world? Also He said, " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." 5 There- fore He considereth us, because He suffered on account of us. Justly then it is said, " That ye may tell it to the generation following."
14. Tell what? " For this is God, even our God " (ver. 13). The earth was seen, the earth's Creator was not seen; the flesh was held, God in the flesh was not acknowledged. For the flesh was held by those from whom had been taken the same flesh, for of the seed of Abraham was the Virgin Mary. At the flesh they stayed, the Divinity they did not understand. O Apos- tles, O mighty city, preach thou on the towers, and say, " This is God, even our God." So, even so as He was despised, as He lay a stone before the feet of the stumbling, that He might humble the hearts of the confessing; even so, "This is God, even our God." Certainly He was seen, as was said, " Afterward did He show Himself upon earth, and conversed with men."6 " This is God, even our God." He is also Man, and who is there will know Him? "This is God, even our God." But haply for a time as the false gods. For because they can be called gods, but cannot be so, for a time they are even called so. For what saith the Prophet, or what warneth He to be said to them? This shall ye say to them, " The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from those that are under the heavens." 7 He is not such a god: for our God is above all gods. Above all what gods? " For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." 8 The same then is our God. "This is God, even our God." For how long? " For ever and ever: He shall rule us for ever." If He is our God, He is also our King. He protecteth us, being our God, lest we die; He ruleth us, being our King, lest we fall. But by ruling us He doth not break us; for whom He ruleth not, He breaketh. "Thou shalt rule them," saith He, "with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 9 But there are whom He ruleth not; these He spareth not, as a potter's vessel dashing them in pieces. By Him then let us wish to be ruled and delivered, " for He is our God for ever and ever, and He shall rule us for ever."
4 Matt, xxviii. ao. * Baruch iii. 37.
7 Jer. x. xi, 8 Ps. xcvi. 5. » Ps. ii. 9.
* John xvii. ao.
Psalm XLIX.]
ON THE PSALMS.
169 PSALM XLIX.'
The First Part.
i..." Hear ye these things, all ye nations " (ver. 1). Not then you only who are here. For of what power is our voice so to cry out, as that all nations may hear? For Our Lord Jesus Christ hath proclaimed it through the Apostles, hath proclaimed it in so many tongues that He sent; and we see this Psalm, which before was only repeated in one nation, in the Synagogue of the Jews, now repeated throughout the whole world, throughout all Churches; and that fulfilled which is here spoken of, " Hear ye these words, all ye nations."...Of whom ye are: " With ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world." This He seemeth to have repeated a second time, lest to have said " hear," before, were too little. What I say, he saith, "hear, with ears ponder," that is, hear not cursorily. What is, " with ears ponder "? It is what the Lord said, " he that hath ears to hear, let him hear: " 2 for as all who were in His presence must have had ears, what ears did He require save those of the heart, when He said, " he that hath ears to hear, let him hear "? The same ears also this Psalm doth smite. "With ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world." Perhaps there is here some distinction. We ought not indeed to narrow our view, but there is no harm in explaining even this view of the sense. Perhaps there is some difference between the saying, " all na- tions," and the saying, " all ye that dwell in the world." For perchance he would have us under- stand the expression, " dwell in," with a further meaning, so as to take all nations for all the wicked, but the dwellers of the world all the just. For he doth inhabit who is not held fast: but he that is occupied is inhabited, and doth not in- habit. Just as he doth possess whatever he hath, who is master of his property: but a master is one who is not held in the meshes of covet- ousness: while he that is held fast by covetous- ness is the possessed, and not the possessor...
2. Therefore let even the ungodly hear: " Hear ye this, all ye nations." Let the just also hear, who have not heard to no purpose, and who rather rule the world than are ruled by the world: " with ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world."
3. And again he saith, " both all ye earthborn, and sons of men" (ver. 2). The expression " earthborn " he doth refer to sinners; the ex- pression "sons of men" to the faithful and righteous. Ye see then that this distinction is observed. Who are the "earthborn"? The children of the earth. Who are the children of the earth? They who desire earthly inheritances.
■ Lat. XLVIII. 3 Matt. xi. 15.
[From a sermon preached before a bishop.]
Who are the "sons of men "? They who ap- pertain to the Son of Man. We have already before explained this distinction to your Sanctity,3 and have concluded that Adam was a man, but not the son of man; that Christ was the Son of Man, but was God also. For whosoever pertain to Adam, are "earthborn: " whosoever pertain to Christ, are "sons of men." Nevertheless, let all hear, I withhold my discourse from no one. If one is "earthborn," let him hear, because of the judgment: another is a " son of man," let him hear for the kingdom's sake. " The rich and poor together." Again, the same words are repeated. The expression " rich " refers to the " earthborn; " but the word " poor " to the " sons of men." By the " rich " understand the proud, by the " poor " the humble...He saith in another Psalm, "The poor shall eat and be satis- fied."4 How hath he commended the poor? "The poor shall eat and be satisfied." What eat they? That Food which the faithful know. How shall they be satisfied? By imitating the Passion of their Lord, and not without cause receiving their recompense. "The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and they shall praise the Lord who seek Him." What of the rich? Even they eat. But how eat they? " All the rich upon the earth have eaten and worshipped." 5 He said not, " Have eaten and are satisfied; " but, " have eaten and worshipped." They wor- ship God indeed, but they will not display brotherly humaneness. These eat and worship; those eat and are filled: yet both eat. Of the eater what he eateth is required: let him not be forbidden by the distributor to eat, but let him be admonished to fear him who doth require his account. Let these words then be heard by sinners and righteous, nations, and those who inhabit the world, " earthborn and sons of men, the rich and the poor together: " not divided, not separated. That is for the time of the har- vest to do, the hand of the winnower will effect that.5 Now together let rich and poor hear, let goats and sheep feed in the same pasture, until He come who shall separate the one on His right hand, the other on His left.' Let them all hear together the teacher, lest separated from one another they hear the voice of the Judge.
4. And what is it they are now to hear? " My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart understanding" (ver. 3). And this repetition is perhaps made, lest perchance if he had said only " my mouth," thou shouldest sup- pose that one spake to thee who had under- standing but in his lips. For many have under- standing in their lips, but have not in their heart, of whom the Scripture saith, " This peo- ple honoureth me with their lips, but their heart 3 On Ps. viii. 6 Matt. iii. 13.
* Ps. xxii. 26. 7 Matt. xxv. 33.
5 Ps. xxii. 29.
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[Psalm XLIX.
is far from me." ' What saith he then who speaketh to thee? when he hath said, " My mouth shall speak of wisdom," in order that thou mayest know that what is poured forth from the mouth floweth from the bottom of the heart, he hath added, "And the meditation of my heart of understanding."
5. " I will incline mine ear to the parable, I will show my proposition upon the harp " (ver. 4)...And why "to a parable"? Because " now we see through a glass darkly," 2 as saith the Apostle; " whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." 3 For our vision is not yet that face to face, where there are no longer parables, where there no longer are riddles and comparisons. Whatever now we understand we behold through riddles. A rid- dle is a dark parable which it is hard to under- stand. Howsoever a man may cultivate his heart and apply himself to apprehend mysteries, so long as we see through the corruption of this flesh, we see but in part...But as He was seen by those who believed, and by those who crucified Him, when He was judged; so will He be seen, when He shall have begun to be judge, both by those whom He shall condemn, and by those whom He shall crown. But that vision of divinity, which He hath promised to them that love Him, when He saith, "He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and he that loveth Me keepeth My commandments, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him: " « this the ungodly shall not see. This manifesta- tion is in a certain way familiar: He keepeth it for His own, He will not show it to the ungodly. Of what sort is the vision itself? Of what sort is Christ? Equal to the Father. Of what sort is Christ? " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 5 For this vision we sigh now, and groan so long as we sojourn here; to this vision we shall be brought home at the last, this vision now we see but darkly. If then we see now darkly, let us " incline our ear to the parable," and then let us " show our proposition upon the harp: " 6 let us hear what we say, do what we enjoin.
6. And what hath he said? " And wherefore shall I fear in the evil day? The iniquity of my heel shall compass me " (ver. 5 ). He be- ginneth something obscurely. Therefore he ought the rather to fear if the iniquity of his heel shall compass him. Nay, for let not man fear, he saith, who hath not power to escape. For example, he who feareth death, what shall he do to escape death? Let him tell me how * John xiv. ai. * John i. x.
6 [He explains " the Inrp " elsewhere as the body, used by the soul "as the harper useth the harp"; and see p. 139, supra. — C] he is to escape what Adam oweth, he who is born of Adam. But let him consider that he is bom of Adam, and hath followed Christ, and ought to pay what Adam oweth, and obtain what Christ hath promised. Therefore, he who fear- eth death can no wise escape: but he who feareth the damnation which the ungodly shall hear, " Go ye into everlasting fire," 7 hath an escape. Let him not fear then. For why should he fear? Will the iniquity of his heel compass him? If then he avoid "the iniquity of his heel," and walk in the ways of God, he shall not come to the evil day: the evil day, the last day, shall not be evil to him...Now while they live, let them take heed to themselves, let them put away iniquity from their heel: let them walk in that way, let them walk in the way of which He saith Himself, " I am the way, the truth, and the life: " 8 and let them not fear in the evil day, for He giveth them safety who be- came " The Way." Therefore let them avoid the iniquity of their heel. With the heel a man slippeth. Let your Love observe. What was said by God to the Serpent? " She shall mark thy head, and thou shalt mark her heel." » The devil marketh thy heel, in order that when thou slippest he may overthrow thee. He marketh thy heel, do thou mark his head. What is his head? The beginning of an evil suggestion. When he beginneth to suggest evil thoughts, then do thou thrust him away before pleasure ariseth, and consent followeth; and so shalt thou avoid his head, and he shall not grasp thy heel. But wherefore said He this to Eve? Because through the flesh man doth slip. Our flesh is an Eve within us. " He that loveth his wife," he saith, " loveth himself." What mean- eth " himself "? He continueth, and saith, " For no man ever yet hath hated his own flesh." 10 Because then the devil would make us slip through the flesh, just as he made that man Adam to slip, through Eve; Eve is bidden to mark the head of the devil, because the devil marketh her heel." " If then the iniquity of our heel shall compass us, why fear we in the evil day," since being converted to Christ we are able not to do iniquity; and there will be nothing to compass us, and we shall joy and not sorrow in the last day?
7. But who are they whom the " iniquity of their heel shall compass "? " They who trust in their virtue," and in the abundance of their riches do glory" (ver. 6). Therefore such sins 7 Matt. xxv. 41. 8 John xiv. 6.
9 Gen. iii. 15. [" She shall mark," etc. So the Vulgate, but not in the older editions. The Septuagint is conclusive as to the ancient exposition of the Jews, for the neuter (viripua) had a masculine pronoun (avros) as nominative to the verb. So Jerome, Dominus noster conteret Satanam. It is noteworthy that our author attaches no such force to his reading as Mariolatry demands. — C] 10 Eph. v. 28, 29.
Psalm XLIX.]
ON THE PSALMS.
171 will I avoid, and the " iniquity of my heel " shall never compass me. What is avoiding such sins? Let us not trust in our own virtue, let us not glory in the abundance of our own riches, but let us glory in Him who hath prom- ised to us, being humble, exaltation, and hath threatened condemnation to men exalted; and then iniquity of our heel shall never compass us.
8. There are some who rely on their friends, others rely on their virtue, others on their riches. This is the presumption of mankind which re- lieth not on God. He hath spoken of virtue, he hath spoken of riches, he speaketh of friends. " Brother redeemeth not,' shall man redeem? " (ver. 7). Dost thou expect that man shall redeem thee from the wrath to come? If brother redeem thee not, shall man redeem thee? Who is the brother, who if He hath not redeemed thee, no man will redeem? It is He whs said after His resurrection, " Go, tell My brethren." * Our Brother He hath willed to be: and when we say to God, " Our Father," this is manifested in us. For he that saith to God, " Our Father; " saith to Christ, " Brother." 3 Therefore let him that hath God for his Father and Christ for his Brother, not fear in the evil day. " For the iniquity of his heel shall not compass him; " for he relieth not on his virtue, nor glorieth in the abundance of his riches, nor vaunteth himself cf his powerful friends. Let him rely on Him who died for him, that he might not die eternally: who for his sake was humbled, in order that he might be exalted; who sought him ungodly, in order that He might be sought by him faithful. Therefore if He redeem not, shall man redeem? Shall any man redeem, if the Son of man redeem not? If Christ redeem not, shall Adam redeem? " Brother redeemeth not, shall man redeem? " 4 9. " He shall not give to God his propitiation, and the price of the redemption of his soul " (ver. 8). He trusteth in his virtue, and in the abundance of his riches doth glory, who " shall not give to God his propitiation: " that is, satis- faction whereby he may prevail with God for his sins: " nor the price of the redemption of his soul," who relieth on his virtue, and on his friends, and on his riches. But who are they that give the price of the redemption of their souls? They to whom the Lord saith, " Make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that they may receive you into everlasting habita- tions." s They give the price of the redemption of their soul who cease not to do almsdeeds. So those whom the Apostle chargeth by Timothy 1 Oxf. mss. " hath not redeemed," and so through the paragraph.
2 Matt, xxviii. 10.
3 See on St. John, Horn. xxi. § 3.
* [The Latin versions do not divide into verses such as our author seems to have made. — C] 5 Luke xvi. q.
he would not have to be proud, lest they should glory in the abundance of their riches. Lastly, what they possessed he would not have to grow old in their hands: but that something should be made of it to be for the price of the redemp- tion of their souls. For he saith, " Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high- minded: nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." 6 And as if they had said, " What shall we then make of our riches?" he continueth, " Let them be rich in good works, ready to dis- tribute, willing to communicate," ^ and they will not lose that. How know we? Hear what fol- loweth. " Let them lay up for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life." 8 So shall they give the price of the redemption of their soul. And our Lord counselled! this: " Make for yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where thief ap- proacheth not, neither moth corrupteth." "> God would not have thee lose thy wealth, but He hath given thee counsel to change the place thereof. Let your love understand. Suppose thy friend were just now to enter thy house, and find thou hadst placed thy store of grain in a damp place, and he knew the natural proneness of grain to decay, which thou perchance knewest not, he would give thee counsel of this sort, say- ing, " Brother, thou art losing what with great toil thou hast gathered, thou hast placed it in a damp place, in a few days this grain will decay." " And what am I to do, brother?" "Raise it into a higher place." Thou wouldest hearken to thy friend suggesting that thou shouldest raise grain from a lower to a higher chamber, and dost thou not hearken to Christ charging thee to lift thy treasure from earth to heaven, where not what thou keepest in store may be paid to thee, but that thou mayest keep in store- earth, mayest receive heaven, mayest keep in store things mortal, mayest receive things everlasting, that while thou lendest Christ to receive at thy hands but a small loan upon earth, He may re- pay thee a great recompense in Heaven? Never- theless, they whom " the iniquity of their heel shall compass," because they trust in their virtue, and in the abundance of their riches do glory, and rely on human friends who are able to help them in nothing, " shall not give to God their propitiation, and the price of the redemption of their souls."
10. And what hath he said of such a man? " Yea, he hath laboured for ever, and shall live till the end " (ver. 9). His labour shall be with- out end, his life shall have an end. Wherefore saith he, " He shall live till the end "? Because 7 1 Tim. vi. 18.
8 1 Tim. vi. 19.
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[Psalm XLIX.
such men think life to be nought but daily enjoyments. So when many poor and needy men of our times, unstable, and not looking to what God doth promise them for their labours, see rich men in daily feastings, in the splendour and glitter of gold and of silver, they say what? " These are the only people; ■ they really live! " This is a saying, be it said no longer: we both warn you, and it remains to warn you, that it be said by fewer persons than it would be said, if we had not warned you. For we do not pre- sume to say that we so say these words, as that it be not said, but that it be said by fewer per- sons: for it will be said even unto the end of the world. It is too little that he saith, " he liveth; " he addeth and saith, he thundereth, thinkest thou that he alone liveth? Let him live! his life will be ended: because he giveth not the price of the redemption of his soul, his life will end, his labour will not end. " He laboured for ever, and shall live till the end." How shall he live till the end? As he lived that was " clothed with purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day,"2 who, being proud and puffed up, spurned the man full of sores lying before his gate, whose sores the dogs