9. The Lord displeased that Pharisee, who to dinner had bidden Him, because a woman that was a sinner drew near to His feet, and he murmured against Him, saying, " If this man were a prophet, He would know what woman drew near to His feet." 3 O thou that art no prophet, whence knowest thou that He knew not what woman drew near to His feet? Because indeed He kept not the purifying of the Jews, which outwardly was as it were kept in the flesh, and was afar from the heart, this thing he suspect- ed of the Lord. And in order that I may not speak at length on this point, even in his mouth He willed to break utterly the teeth of him. For He set forth to him: " A certain usurer had two debtors, one was owing five hundred pence, the other fifty: both had not wherewithal to pay, he forgave both. Which loved him the more?"4 To this end the one asketh, that the other may answer: to this end he answereth, that the teeth of him in his mouth may be broken utterly...
10. "The jaw-bones of lions the Lord hath broken utterly." I Not only of asps. What of asps? Asps treacherously desire to throw in their venom, and scatter it, and hiss. Most openly raged the nations, and roared like lions. " Wherefore have raged the nations, and the peoples meditated empty things? " 6 When they were lying in wait for the Lord. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or is it not lawful? ' Asps they were, serpents they were, broken utterly were the teeth of them in their own mouth.
1 Matt. xxii. 21. 8 Luke vii. 39. * Ps. ii. 1. 1 Matt. xxii. 17.
Afterwards they cried out, "Crucify, Crucify."8 Now is there no tongue of asp, but roar of lion. But also " the jaw-bones of lions the Lord hath broken utterly." Perchance here there is no need of that which he hath not added, namely, " in the mouth of them." For men lying in wait with captious questions, were forced to be conquered with their own answer: but those men that openly were raging, were they by any means to be confuted with questions? Never- theless, even their jaw-bones were broken utterly: having been crucified, He rose again, ascended into heaven, was glorified as the Christ, is adored by all nations, adored by all kings. Let the Jews now rage, if they are able. We have also in the case of heretics this as a warning and precedent, because themselves'also we find to be serpents with indignation made deaf, not choos- ing to hear the " medicine medicated by the wise man: " and in their own mouth the Lord hath broken utterly the teeth of them...
n." They shall be despised like water running down" (ver. 7). Be not terrified, brethren, by certain streams, which are called torrents: with winter waters they are filled up; do not fear: after a little it passeth by, that water runneth down; for a time it roareth, soon it will subside: they cannot hold long. Many heresies now are utterly dead: they have run in their channels as much as they were able, have run down, dried are the channels, scarce of them the memory is found, or that they have been. " They shall be despised like water running down." But not they alone; the whole of this age for a time is roaring, and is seeking whom it may drag along. Let all ungodly men, all proud men resound- ing against the rocks of their pride as it were with waters rushing along and flowing together, not terrify you, winter waters they are, they can- not alway flow: it must needs be that they run down unto their place, unto their end. And nevertheless of this torrent of the world the Lord hath drunk. For He hath suffered here, the very torrent He hath drunk, but in the way He hath drunk, but in the passage over: because in way of sinners He hath not stood.9 But of Him saith the Scripture what? " Of the torrent in the way He shall drink, therefore He shall lift up His Head; " '° that is, for this reason glorified He hath been, because He hath died; for this reason hath risen again, because He hath suffered...
12. "Like wax melted they shall be taken away" (ver. 8). For thou wast about to say, all men are not so made weak, like myself, in order that they may believe: many men do per- severe in their evil, and in their malice. And of the same fear thou nothing: " Like wax melted 8 Matt, xx vii. 23; John xix. 6. »° Ps. ex. 7.
9 Ps. i. 1.
234 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm LVIII.
they shall be taken away." Against thee they shall not stand, they shall not continue: with a sort of fire of their own lusts they shall perish. For there is here a kind of hidden punishment,' of it the Psalm is about to speak now, to the end of it. There are but a few verses; be attentive. There is a certain punishment future, fire of hell, fire everlasting. For future punishment hath two kinds: either of the lower places it is, where was burning that rich man, who was wishing for himself a drop of water to be dropped on his tongue off the finger of the poor man, whom before his gate he had spurned, when he saith, " For I am tormented in this flame." 2 And the second is that at the end, whereof they are to hear, that on the left hand are to be set: " Go ye into fire everlasting, that hath been prepared for the devil and his angels." 3 Those punish- ments shall be manifest at that time, when we shall have departed out of this life, or when at the end of the world men shall have come to the resurrection of the dead. Now therefore is there no punishment, and doth God suffer sins utterly unpunished even unto that day? There is even here a sort of hidden punishment, of the same he is treating now We see nevertheless sometimes with these punishments just men to be afflicted, and to these punishments unjust men to be strangers: for which reason did totter the feet of him that afterwards rejoicing saith, " How good is the God of Israel to men right in heart! But my own feet have been almost shaken, because I have been jealous in the case of sinners, beholding the peace of sinners." 4 For he had seen the felicity of evil men, and well-pleased he had been to be an evil man, see- ing evil men to reign, seeing that it was well with them, that they abounded in plenty of all things temporal, such as he too, being as yet but a babe, was desiring from the Lord: and his feet did totter, even until he saw what at the end is either to be hoped for or to be feared. For he saith in the same Psalm, " This thing is a la- bour before me, until I enter into the sanctuary of God, and understand unto the last things." 5 It is not therefore the punishments of the lower places, not the punishments of that fire everlasting after the resurrection, not those punish- ments which as yet in this world are common to just men and unjust men, and ofttimes more heavy are those of just men than those of unjust men; but some punishment or other of the present life the Spirit of God would recommend to our notice. Give heed, hear ye me about to speak of that which ye know: but a more sweet thing it is when it is declared in a Psalm, which, before it was declared, was deemed obscure. For behold I bring forth that which already ye 1 Hidden punishment of sinners.
* Matt. xxv. 41. * Ps. lxxiii. 1-3.
knew: but because these things are brought forth from a place where ye have never yet seen them, it cometh to pass that even known things, as if they were new things, do delight you. Hear ye the punishment of ungodly men: " Like wax," he saith, " melted they shall be taken away." I have said that through their lusts this thing to them is done. Evil lust is like a burning and a fire. Doth fire consume a garment, and doth not the lust of adultery consume the soul? Of meditated adultery when the Scripture was speak- ing it saith, " Shall one bind fire in his bosom, and his garments shall he not burn up? " 6 Thou bearest in thy bosom live coals; burned through is thy vest; thou bearest in thought adultery, and whole then is thy soul? But these punish- ments few men do see: therefore them the Spirit of God doth exceedingly recommend to our notice. Hear the Apostle saying, " God hath given them up unto the lusts of their heart." 7 Behold, the fire from the face of which like wax they are melting. For they loose themselves from a certain continence of chastity; therefore even these same men, going unto their lusts, as loose and melting are spoken of. Whence melt- ing? whence loose? From the fire of lusts.
" God hath given them up unto the lusts of their heart, so that they do those things which beseem not, being filled full of all iniquity."...
13. "There hath fallen upon them fire, and they have not seen the sun." Ye see in what manner he speaketh of a certain punishment of darkening. " Fire hath fallen upon them," fire of pride, a smoky fire, fire of lust, fire of wrath. How great a fire is it? He upon whom it shall have fallen, shall not see the sun. Therefore hath it been said, " Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." 8 Therefore, brethren, fire of evil lust fear ye, if ye will not melt like wax, and to perish from the face of God. For there falleth upon you that fire, and the sun ye shall not see. What sun? Not that which together with thee see both beasts and insects, and good men and evil men: because " He maketh His sun to rise upon good men and evil men." 9 But there is another sun, whereof those men are to speak, " And the sun hath not risen to us, passed away are all those things as it were a shadow. There- fore we have strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shone to us, and the sun hath not risen to us." IO...
14. "Before that the bramble " bringeth forth your thorns: as though living, as though in an- ger, it shall drink them up" (ver. 9). What is the bramble? Of prickly plants it is a kind, upon which there are said to be certain of the closest thorns. At first it is a herb; and while it is a herb, soft and fair it is: but thereon there 8 Eph. iv. 26. 11 Rhamnus.
Psalm LVIII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
235 are nevertheless thorns to come forth. Now therefore sins are pleasant, and as it were they do not prick. A herb is the bramble; even now nevertheless there is a thorn. " Before that the bramble bringeth forth thorns: " is before that of miserable delights and pleasures the evident tortures come forth. Let them question them- selves that love any object, and to it cannot at- tain; let them see if they are not racked with longing: and when they have attained to that which unlawfully they long for, let them mark if they are not racked with fear. Let them see therefore here their punishments; before that there cometh that resurrection, when in flesh rising again they shall not be changed. " For all we shall rise again, but not ' all we shall be changed." 2 For they shall have the corruption of the flesh wherein to be pained, not that wherein to die: otherwise even those pains would be ended. Then the thorns of that bram- ble, that is, all pains and piercings of tortures shall be brought forth. Such thorns as they shall suffer that are to say, "These are they whom some- times we had in derision: " 3 thorns of the pier- cing of repentance, but of one too late and with- out fruit like the barrenness of thorns. The repentance of this time is pain healing: repent- ance of that time is pain penal. Wouldest thou not suffer those thorns? here be thou pierced with the thorns of repentance; in such sort that thou do that which hath been spoken of, "Turned I have been in sorrow, when the thorn was piercing: 4 my sin I have known, and mine iniquity I have not covered: I have said, I will declare against me my shortcoming to the Lord, and Thou hast remitted the ungodliness of my heart." 5 Now do so, now be pierced through, be there not in thee done that which hath been said of certain execrable men, " They have been cloven asunder, and have not been pierced through." 6 Observe them that have been cloven asunder and have not been pierced through.' Ye see men cloven asunder, and ye see them not pierced through. Behold beside the Church they are, and it doth not repent them, so as they should return whence they have been cloven asun- der. The bramble hereafter shall bring forth their thorns. They will not now have a healing piercing through, they shall have hereafter one penal. But even now before that the bramble produceth thorns, there hath fallen upon them fire, that suffereth them not to see the sun, that is, the wrath of God is drinking up them while still living: fire of evil lusts, of empty honours, 1 So several early writers and MSS. But the balance of authority as well as the sense is in favour of the received reading.
* Or, " being made to pierce." 5 Ps. xxxii. 5.
6 Ps. xxxv. 15. These words are in the Vulgate, for " they did tear me, and ceased not; " but St. Augustin does not notice them in his comment on the P>alm.
7 Against the Donatists.
of pride, of their covetousness: and whatsoever is weighing them down, that they should not know the truth, so that they seem not to be conquered, so that they be not brought into subjection even by truth herself. For what is a more glorious thing, brethren, than to be brought in subjection and to be overcome by truth? Let truth overcome thee willing: for even unwilling she shall of herself overcome thee...
15. As yet the punishments of the lower places have not come, as yet fire everlasting hath not come: let him that is growing in God compare himself now with an ungodly man, a blind heart with an enlightened heart: compare ye two men, one seeing and one not seeing in the flesh. And what so great thing is vision of the flesh? Did Tobias by any means have fleshly eyes? 8 His own son had, and he had not; and the way of life a blind man to one seeing did show. Therefore when ye see that punishment, rejoice, because in it ye are not.
Therefore saith the Scripture, " The just man shall rejoice when he shall have seen vengeance " (ver. 10). Not that future punishment; for see what followeth: " his hands he shall wash in the blood of the sinner." What is this? Let your love attend. When man-slayers are smitten, ought anywise innocent men to go thither and wash their hands? But what is, " in the blood of the sinner he shall wash his hands"? When a just man seeth the punishment of a sinner, he groweth himself; and the death of one is the life' of another. For if spiritually blood runneth from those that within are dead, do thou, seeing such vengeance, wash therein thy hands; for the future more cleanly live. And how shall he wash his hands, if a just man he is? For what hath he on his hands to be washed, if just he is? " But the just man of faith shall live." ' Just men therefore he hath called believers: and from the time that thou hast believed, at once thou beginnest to be called just. For there hath been made a re- mission of sins. Even if out of that remaining part of thy life some sins are thine, which cannot but flow in, like water from the sea into the hold; nevertheless, because thou hast believed, when thou shalt have seen him that altogether is turned away from God to be slain in that blind- ness, there falling upon him that fire so that he see not the sun — then do thou that now through faith seest Christ, in order that thou mayest see in substance (because the just man liveth of faith), observe the ungodly man dying, and purge thyself from sins. So thou shalt wash in a manner thy hands in the blood of the sinner.
16. " And a man shall say, If therefore there is fruit to a just man " (ver. 10). Behold, before that there cometh that which is promised, before 8 Tob. iv. 3-19.
9 Rom. i. 17.
236 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm LIX.
that there is given life everlasting, before that ungodly men are cast forth into fire everlasting, here in this life there is fruit to the just man. What fruit? " In hope rejoicing, in tribulation enduring.'" What fruit to the just man? "We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, but patience probation, but probation hope: but hope confoundeth not: because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that hath been given to us." 2 Doth he rejoice that is a drunk- ard; and doth he not rejoice that is just? In love there is fruit to a just man. Miserable the one, even when he maketh himself drunken: blessed the other, even when he hungereth and thirsteth. The one wine-bibbing doth gorge, the other hope doth feed. Let him see therefore the punishment of the other, his own rejoicing, and let him think of God. He that hath given even now such joy of faith, of hope, of charity, of the truth of His Scriptures, what manner of joy is He making ready against the end? In the way thus He feedeth, in his home how shall He fill him? " And a man shall say, If therefore there is fruit to the just man." Let them that see believe, and see, and perceive. Rejoice shall the just man when he shall have seen vengeance. But if he hath not eyes whence he may see vengeance, he will be made sad, and will not be amended by it. But if he seeth it, he seeth what difference there is between the darkened eye of the heart, and the eye enlightened of the heart: between the cool- ness of chastity and the flame of lust, between the security of hope and the fear there is in crime. When he shall have seen this, let him separate himself, and wash his hands in the blood of the same. Let him profit by the comparison, and say, " Therefore there is fruit to the just man: therefore there is a God judging them in the earth." Not yet in that life, not yet in fire eter- nal, not yet in the lower places, but here in earth...
1 7. If somewhat too prolix we have been, par- don us. We exhort you in the name of Christ, to meditate profitably on those things which ye have heard. Because even to preach the truth is nought, if heart from tongue dissenteth; and to hear the truth nothing profiteth, if a man upon the rock build not. He that buildeth upon a Rock, is the same that heareth and doeth: > but he that heareth and doeth not, buildeth upon sand: he that neither heareth nor doeth, build- eth nothing...PSALM LIX.* Tke First Part.
i. As the Scripture is wont to set mysteries of the Psalms on the titles, and to deck the brow ' Rom. xii. tf, ' Rom. v. 3-5. J Matt. vii. 34.
* Lot LVI1I. Delivered after the discovery of the error of Pelagius.
of a Psalm with the high announcement of a Mystery,5 in order that we that are about to go in may know (when as it were upon the door-post we have read what within is doing) either of whom the house is, or who is the owner of that estate: so also in this Psalm there hath been written a title, of a title. For it hath, " At the end, corrupt not for David himself unto the inscription of the title." This is that which I have spoken of, title of Title. For what the inscription of this title is, which to be corrupted he forbiddeth, the Gospel to us doth indicate. For when the Lord was being crucified, a title by Pilate was inscribed and set, " King of the Jews," 5 in three tongues, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: » which tongues in the whole world mostly do prevail...Therefore " corrupt not " is most proper and prophetic; since indeed even those Jews made suggestion at that time to Pilate, and said, " Do not write King of the Jews, but write, that Himself said that He was King of the Jews: " 8 for this title, say they, hath established Him King over us. And Pilate, "What I have written, I have written." And there was fulfilled, " corrupt not."
2. Nor is this the only Psalm which hath an inscription of such sort, that the Title be not cor- rupted. Several Psalms thus are marked on the face, but however in all the Passion of the Lord is foretold. Therefore here also let us perceive the Lord's Passion, and let there speak to us Christ, Head and Body. So always, or nearly always, let us hear the words of Christ from the Psalm, as that we look not only upon that Head, the one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.9...But let us think of Christ, Head and whole Body, a sort of entire Man. For to us is said, " But ye are the Body of Christ and members," '° by the Apostle Paul. If therefore He is Head, we Body; whole Christ is Head and Body. For sometimes thou findest words which do not suit the Head, and unless thou shalt have attached them to the Body, thy understanding will waver: again thou findest words which are proper for the Body, and Christ nevertheless is speaking. In that place we must have no fear lest a man be mistaken: for quickly he pro- ceeded to adapt to the Head, that which he seeth is not proper for the Body...
3. Let us hear, therefore, what followeth: "When Saul sent and guarded his house in or- der that he might kill him." This though not to the Cross of the Lord, yet to the Passion of the Lord doth belong. For Crucified was Christ, and dead, and buried. That sepulchre was therefore as it were the house: to guard which the government of the Jews sent, when guards were set to the sepulchre of Christ." There is * Sacramenti. 8 John xix. 21. 11 Matt, xxvii. 66.
Psalm LIX.]
ON THE PSALMS.
237 indeed a story in the Scripture of the Reigns, of the occasion when Saul sent to guard the house in order that he might kill David.'...But in like manner as Saul effected not his purpose of slaying David: so this could not the government of the Jews effect, that the testimony of guards sleeping should avail more than that of Apostles watching. For what were the guards instructed to say? We give to you, they say, as much money as ye please; and say ye, that while ye were sleeping there came His disciples, and took Him away. Behold what sort of witnesses of falsehood against truth and the Resurrection of Christ, His enemies, through Saul figured, did produce. Enquire, O unbelief, of sleeping wit- nesses, let them reply to thee of what was done in the tomb. Who, if they were sleeping, whence knew it? If watching, wherefore de- tained they not the thieves? Let him say there- fore what followeth.
4. " Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, redeem Thou me" (ver. 1). There hath been done this thing in the flesh of Christ, it is being done in us also. For our enemies, to wit the devil and his angels, cease not to rise up upon us every day, and to wish to make sport of our weakness and our frailness, by deceptions, by suggestions, by temptations, and by snares of whatsoever sort to entangle us, while on earth we are still living. But let our voice watch unto God, and cry out in the members of Christ, under the Head that is in heaven, " Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, re- deem Thou me."