7. "That Thy beloved may be delivered: save me with Thy right hand, and hearken unto me " (ver. 5). With Thy right hand save me, Lord: so save me as that at the right hand I may stand. Not any safety temporal I require, in this matter Thy Will be done. For a time what is good for us we are utterly ignorant: for " what we should pray for as we ought we know not: " « but "save me with Thy right hand," so that even if in this time I suffer sundry tribulations, when the night of all tribulations hath been spent, on the right hand I may be found among the sheep, not on the left hand among the goats.' " And hearken unto me." Because now I am deserving that which Thou art willing to give; not " with the words of my transgressions" I am crying through the day, so that Thou hearken not, and " in the night so that Thou hearken not," 6 and * 1 Pet. iv. 18. He quotes the whole passage.
* Rom. viii. a6. > Matt. xxv. 33. • Pi. xxii. a.
that not for folly to me," but truly for my warn- ing, by adding savour from the valley of salt-pits, so that in tribulation I may know what to ask: but I ask life everlasting; therefore hearken unto me, because Thy right hand I ask...
8. " God hath spoken in His Holy One " (ver. 6)...In what Holy One of His? "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." t In that Holy One, of whom elsewhere ye have heard, " O God, in the Holy One is Thy way." 8 " I will rejoice and will divide Sichima,...and the valley of tabernacles I will measure out." Sichima is interpreted shoulders. But according to history, Jacob returning from Laban his father- in-law with all his kindred, hid the idols in Sichima 9 which he had from Syria, where for a long time he had dwelled, and at length was coming from thence. But tabernacles he made there because of his sheep and herds, and called the place Tabernacles.'0 And these I will divide, saith the Church. What is this, " I.will divide Sichima"? If to the story where the idols were hidden is the reference, the Gentiles it signifieth; I divide the Gentiles. I divide, is what? " For not in all men is there faith." " I divide, is what? Some will believe, others will not believe...The shoulders are divided, in order that their sins may burthen some men, while others may take up the burden of Christ. For godly shoulders He was requiring when He said, " For My yoke is gentle, and My burden is light." " Another burden oppresseth and loadeth thee, but Christ's burden relieveth thee: another burden hath weight, Christ's burden hath wings. For even if thou pull off the wings from a bird, thou dost remove a kind of weight; and the more woight thou hast taken away, the more on earth it will abide. She that thou hast chosen to dis- burden lieth there: she flieth not, because thou hast taken off a weight: let there be given back the weight, and she flieth. Such is Christ's burden; let men carry it, and not be idle: let them not be heeded that will not bear it; let them bear it that will, and they shall find how light it is, how sweet, how pleasant, how ravishing unto Heaven, and from earth how transporting...Perchance because of the sheep of Jacob, " the valley of Tabernacles " is to be understood of the nation of the Jews, and the same is di- vided: for they have passed from thence that have believed, the rest have remained without.
9. "Mine is Galaad " (ver. 7). These names are read in the Scriptures of God. Galaad hath the voice of an interpretation of its own and of a great Mystery: for it is interpreted " the heap of testimony." How great a heap of testimony in the Martyrs? "Mine is Galaad," mine is a heap of testimony, mine are the true Martyrs.
9 Gen. xxxv. 4. 12 Matt. xi. 30.
Psalm LX.]
ON THE PSALMS.
247 ...Then meanly esteemed was the Church among men, then reproach on Her a Widow was being thrown, because Christ's She was, because the sign of the Cross on her brow She was wear- ing: not yet was there honour, censure there was then: when therefore not honour, but cen- sure there was, then was made a heap of witness; and through the heap of witness was the Love of Christ enlarged; and through the enlarge- ment of the Love of Christ, were the Gentiles possessed. There followeth, " And mine is Ma- nasses; " which is interpreted forgotten. For to Her had been said, " Confusion for everlasting Thou shalt forget, and of the reproach of Thy widowhood Thou shalt not be mindful." ■ There was therefore a confusion of the Church once, which now hath been forgotten: for of Her con- fusion and of the " reproach " of Her widow- hood now She is not mindful. For when there was a sort of confusion among men, a heap of witness was made. Now no longer doth any even remember that confusion, when it was a reproach to be a Christian, now no one remem- bereth, now all have forgotten, now " Mine is Manasses, and Ephraim the strength of My head." Ephraim is interpreted fruitfulness. Mine, he saith, is fruitfulness, and this fruitfulness is the strength of My Head. For My Head is Christ. And whence is fruitfulness the strength of Him? Because unless a grain were to fall into the earth, it would not be multiplied, alone it would remain.2 Fall then to earth did Christ in His Passion, and there followed fruit-bearing in the Resurrection. He was hanging and was being despised: the grain was within, it had powers to draw after it all things. How in a grain do numbers of seeds lie hid, something abject it appeareth to the eyes, but a power 3 turning into itself matter and bringing forth fruit is hidden; so in Christ's Cross virtue 4 was hid- den, there appeared weakness. O mighty grain! Doubtless weak is He that hangeth, Doubtless before Him that people did wag the head, Doubtless they said, " If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross." 5 Hear the strength of Him: that which is a weak thing of God, is stronger than men.6 With reason so great fruitfulness hath followed: it is mine, saith the Church.
10. "Juda is my king: Moab the pot of my hope" (ver. 7). What Juda? He that is of the tribe of Juda. What Juda, but He to whom Jacob himself said, "Juda, thy brethren shall praise thee "? ' What therefore should I fear, when Juda my king saith, " Fear not them that kill the body"?8 Moab the pot of my hope." Wherefore " pot "? Because tribulation. Where- 1 Isa. liv. 4. « Virtus. ' Gen. xlix. 8.
3 Vis.
6 1 Cor. i. 25.
fore " of my hope "? Because there hath gone before Juda my king...Moab is perceived in the Gentiles. For that nation was born of sin,9 that nation was born of the daughters of Lot, who lay with their father drunken, abusing a father. Better were it to have remained barren, than thus to have become mothers. But this was a kind of figure of them that abuse the law. For do not heed that law in the Latin language is of the feminine gender: in Greek of the mas- culine gender it is: but whether it be of the feminine gender in speaking, or of the masculine, the expression maketh no difference to the truth. For law hath rather a masculine force, because it ruleth, is not ruled. But moreover, the Apostle Paul saith what? "Good is the law, if any one use it lawfully." IO But those daughters of Lot unlawfully used their father. But in the same manner as good works begin to grow when a man useth well the law: so arise evil works, when a man ill useth the law. Furthermore, they ill using their father, that is, ill using the law, engendered the Moabites, by whom are sig- nified evil works. Thence the tribulation of the Church, thence the pot boiling up. Of this pot in a certain place of prophecy is said, " A pot heated by the North wind." " Whence but by the quarters of the devil, who hath said, " I will set my seat at the North "? " The chiefest trib- ulations therefore arise against the Church from none except from those that ill use the law...
11. " Into Idumaea I will stretch out my shoe " (ver. 8). The Church speaketh, "I will come through even unto Idumaea." Let tribulations rage, let the world boil with offences, even unto those very persons that lead an earthly life (for Idumaea is interpreted earthly), even unto those same, " even unto Idumaea, I will stretch out my shoe." Of what thing the shoe except of the Gospel? " How beautiful the feet of them that tell of peace, that tell of good things," '3 and " the feet shod unto the preparation of the Gospel of peace." '*...In these times we see, brethren, how many earthly men do perpetrate frauds for the sake of gain, for frauds perjuries; on account of their fears they consult fortune-tellers, astrol- ogers: all these men are Edomites, earthly; and nevertheless all these men adore Christ, under His own shoe they are; now even unto Idumaea is stretched out His shoe. " To Me Allophyli have been made subject." Who are " Allophyli "? Men of other race, not belonging to My race.1' They " have been made subject," because many men adore Christ, and are not to reign with Christ.
12. " Who will lead Me down into the city of standing round?" (ver. 9). What is the city 248 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm LXI.
of standing round? If ye remember already, I have made mention thereof in another Psalm,' wherein hath been said, " And they shall go around the city." For the city of standing round is the compassing around of the Gentiles, which compassing around of the Gentiles in the middle thereof had the one nation of the Jews, worshipping one God: the rest of the compassing around of the Gentiles to idols made supplica- tion, demons they did serve. And mystically it was called the city of standing round; because on all sides the Gentiles had poured themselves around, and had stood around that nation which did worship one God..." Who will lead me down even unto Idumaea?"
13. "Wilt not Thou, O God, that hast driven us back? And wilt not Thou, O God, march forth in our powers?" (ver. 10). Wilt not Thou lead us down, that hast driven us back? But wherefore " hast driven us back"? Because Thou hast destroyed us.2 Wherefore hast destroyed us? Because angry Thou hast been, and hast had pity on us. Thou therefore wilt lead down, that hast driven back; Thou, O God, that wilt not march forth in our powers, wilt lead down. What is, " wilt not march forth in our powers "? The world is to rage, the world is to tread us down, there is to be a heap of witnesses, builded of the spilled blood of martyrs, and the raging heathen are to say, " Where is the God of them?" 3 Then "Thou wilt not march forth in our powers: " against them Thou wilt not show Thyself, Thou wilt not show Thy power, such as Thou hast shown in David, in Moses, in Joshua the son of Nun, when to their might the Gentiles yielded, and when the slaughter had been ended, and the great laying waste repaired, into the land which Thou prom- isedst Thou leddest in Thy people. This thing then Thou wilt not do, " Thou wilt not march forth in our powers," but within Thou wilt work. What is, " wilt not march forth "? Wilt not show Thyself. For indeed when in chains the Martyrs were being led along, when they were being shut up in prison, when they were being led forth to be mocked, when to the beasts they were exposed,4 when they were being smitten with the sword, when with fire they were being burned, were they not despised as though for- saken, as though without helper? In what man- ner was God working within? in what manner within was He comforting? in what manner to these men was He making sweet the hope of life everlasting? in what manner was He not for- saking the hearts of them, where the man was dwellings in silence, well if good, ill if evil? Was He then by any means forsaking, because > Pn. Ixxix. 10. 4 Subrigtbantur.
» Oxf. mss. " dwelleth."
He was not marching forth in the powers 6 of them? By not marching forth in the powers of them, did He not the more lead down the Church even unto Idumsa, lead down the Church even unto the city of standing around? For if the Church chose to war and to use the sword, She would seem to be fighting for life present: but because she was despising life present, therefore there was made a heap of witness for the life that shall be.
14. Thou therefore, O God, that wilt not march forth in our powers, " Give to us aid from tribulation, and vain is the safety of man " (ver. n). Go now they that salt have not, and de- sire safety temporal for their friends, which is empty oldness. " Give to us aid: " from thence whence Thou wast supposed to forsake, thence succour. " In God we will do valour,' and Himself to nothing shall bring down our ene- mies " (ver. 12). We will not do valour with the sword, not with horses, not with breastplates, not with shields, not in the mightiness of an army, not abroad. But where? Within, where we are not seen. Where within? " In God we will do virtue: " and as if abjects, and as if trod- den down, men as if of no consideration we shall be, but " Himself to nothing shall bring down our enemies." In a word, this thing hath been done to our enemies. Trodden down have been the Martyrs: by suffering, by enduring, by persevering even unto the end, in God they have done valour. Himself also hath done that which followeth: to nothing He hath brought down the enemies of them. Where are now the ene- mies of the Martyrs, except perchance that now drunken men with their cups do persecute those whom at that time frenzied men did use with stones to persecute?
PSALM LXI.8 1. The title of it doth not detain us. For it is "Unto the end, in hymns, to David himself. " In hymns," to wit in praises. " Unto the end," to wit unto Christ...But the voice in this Psalm (if we are among the members of Him, and in the Body, even as upon His exhor- tation we have the boldness to trust) we ought to acknowledge to be our own, not that of any foreigner. But I have not so called it our own, as if it were of those only that are now in pres- ence; but our own, as being of us that are throughout the whole world, that are from the East even unto the West. And in order that ye may know it thus to be our voice, He speaketh here as if one Man: but He is not One Man; but even as One, the Unity is speaking. But in Christ we all are one man: because of this One 6 Or. " hosts" (virtutibus). 7 Virtutem.
8 Lai. LX. Sermon to the Commonalty.
Psalm LXI.]
ON THE PSALMS.
249 Man the Head is in Heaven, and the members are yet toiling on earth: and because they are toiling see what He saith.1 2. " Hearken, O God, to my supplication, give heed to my prayer" (ver. 1). Who saith? He, as if One. See whether one: " From the ends of the earth to Thee I have cried, while my heart was being vexed" (ver. 2). Now therefore not one: but for this reason one, because Christ is One, of whom all we are the members. For what one man crieth from the ends of the earth? There crieth not from the ends of the earth any but that inheritance, of which hath been said to the Son Himself, " Demand of Me, and I will give to Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and for Thy possession the boundaries of the earth." 2 This therefore Christ's possession, this Christ's inheritance, this Christ's Body, this Christ's one Church, this the Unity which we are, is crying from the ends of the earth...But wherefore have I cried this thing? "While my heart was being vexed." He showeth himself to be throughout all nations in the whole round world, in great glory, but in great tribulation. For our life in this sojourning cannot be with- out temptation: because our advance is made through our temptation, nor does a man become known to himself unless tempted, nor can he be crowned except he shall have conquered, nor can he conquer except he shall have striven, nor can he strive except he shall have experi- enced an enemy, and temptations. This Man therefore is being vexed, that from the ends of the earth is crying, but nevertheless He is not forsaken. For ourselves who are His Body He hath willed to prefigure also in that His Body wherein already He hath both died and hath risen again, and into Heaven hath ascended, in order that whither the Head hath gone before, thither the members may be assured that they shall follow. Therefore us He did transfer by a figure into Himself, when He willed to be tempted of Satan.
3. But now there was read in the Gospel, how the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness was being tempted of the devil.' Christ entirely was tempt- ed of the devil. For in Christ thou wast being tempted, because Christ of thee had for Him- self flesh, of Himself for thee salvation; of thee for Himself death, of Himself for thee life; of thee for Himself revilings, of Himself for thee honours; therefore of thee for Himself tempta- tion, of Himself for thee victory. If in Him tempted we have been, in Him we overcome the devil..." On the Rock Thou hast exalted me." Now therefore here we perceive who is crying from the ends of the earth. Let us call to mind the Gospel: " Upon this Rock I will Or, " they say," mss.
2 Ps. ii. 8.
3 Matt. iv. 1.
build My Church."'4 Therefore She crieth from the ends of the earth, whom He hath willed to be builded upon a Rock. But in order that the Church might be builded upon the Rock, who was made the Rock? Hear Paul saying: " But the Rock was Christ."' On Him therefore builded we have been. For this reason that Rock whereon we have been builded,6 first hath been smitten with winds, flood, rain, when Christ of the devil was being tempted. Behold on what firmness He hath willed to stablish thee. With reason our voice is not in vain, but is hearkened unto: for on great hope we have been set: " On the Rock Thou hast exalted me."...
4. " Thou hast led me down, because Thou hast been made my hope: a tower of strength from the face of the enemy" (ver. 3). My heart is vexed, saith that Unity from the ends of the earth, and I toil amid temptations and offences: the heathen envy, because they have been conquered; the heretics lie in wait, hidden in the cloak of the Christian name: within in the Church itself the wheat suffereth violence from the chaff: amid all these things when my heart is vexed, I will cry from the ends of the earth. But there forsaketh me not the Same that hath exalted me upon the Rock, in order to lead me down even unto Himself, be- cause even if I labour, while the devil through so many places and times and occasions lieth in wait against me, He is to me a tower of strength, to whom when I shall have fled for refuge, not only I shall escape the weapons of the enemy, but even against him securely I shall myself hurl whatever darts I shall please. For Christ Him- self is the tower, Himself for us hath been made a tower from the face of the enemy, who is also the Rock whereon hath been builded the Church. Art thou taking heed that thou be not smitten of the devil? Flee to the Tower j never to that tower will the devil's darts follow thee: there thou wilt stand protected and fixed. But in what manner shalt thou flee to the Tower? Let not a man, set perchance in temptation, in body seek that Tower, and when he shall not have found it, be wearied, or faint in temptation. Before thee is the Tower: call to mind Christ, and go into the Tower.7...
5. "A sojourner I will be in Thy tabernacle even unto ages" (ver. 4). Ye see how he, of whom we have spoken, is he that crieth. Which of us is a sojourner even unto ages? For a few days here we live, and we pass away: for sojourners here we are, inhabitants in Heaven we shall be. Thou art a sojourner in that place where thou art to hear the voice of the Lord * Matt. xvi. j8.
3 I Cor. x. 4. [Rhetorically he may say this of Cephas: but as of Peter's confesi-ion elsewhere, so here, dogmatically he understands only Christ. Compare p. 223, supra. — C.l 250 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm LX1.
thy God, " Remove." For from that Home everlasting in the Heavens no one will bid thee to remove. Here therefore a sojourner thou art. Whence also is said in another Psalm, " A sojourner I am with Thee and a stranger, as all my fathers were." • Here therefore sojourners we are; there the Lord shall give to us mansions everlasting: " Many are," He saith, " the man- sions in My Father's house." ' Those mansions not as though to sojourners He will give, but as though to citizens to abide for everlasting. Here however, brethren, because for no small time the Church was to be on this earth, but because here shall be the Church even unto the end of the world: 3 therefore here He hath said, " A dweller I will be in Thy tabernacle even unto ages." *...Well, of a few days thou wouldest choose that the temptations should be: but how would She gather together all Her sons, unless for. a long time She were to be here, unless even unto the end She were to be prolonged? Do not envy the rest of mankind that hereafter shall be: do not, because thou hast already passed over, wish to cut down the bridge of mercy: 5 be it here even for ever. And what of tempta- tions, which needs must abound, by how much the more offences come? For Himself saith, " Because iniquity hath abounded, the love of many shall wax cold." 6 But that Church, which crieth from the ends of the earth, is in these cir- cumstances whereof he speaketh in continuation. " But he that shall have persevered even unto the end, the same shall be saved." But whence shalt thou persevere?..." I shall be covered up in the veiling of Thy wings." Behold the reason why we are in safety amid so great temp- tations, until there come the end of the world, and ages everlasting receive us; namely, because we are covered up in the veiling of His Wings. There is heat in the world, but there is a great shade under the wings of God.
6. " For Thou, O God, hast hearkened to my prayer" (ver. 5). What prayer? That where- with he beginneth: " Hearken, O God, to my supplication."..."Thou hast given inherit- ance to men fearing Thy name." Let us con- tinue therefore in the fear of God's name: the eternal Father deceiveth us not. Sons labour, that they may receive the inheritance of their parents, to whom when dead they are to suc- ceed: are we not labouring to receive an in- heritance from that Father, to whom not dying we succeed; but together with Him in the very inheritance for everlasting are to live?
7. " Days upon days of the King Thou shalt add to the years of Him" (ver. 6). This is therefore the King of whom we are the mem- 1 Pit. xxxix. 12.
* Strcitli.
* Many omit "of mercy."
2 John xiv. a.
* Sttcula.
6 Matt. xxiv. 13.
bers. A King Christ is, our Head, our King. Thou hast given to Him days upon days; not only those days in that time that hath end, but days upon those days without end. " I will dwell," he saith, " in the house of the Lord, for length of days " 7 Wherefore for length of days, but because now is the shortness of days? For everything which hath an end, is short: but of this King are days upon days, so that not only while these days pass away, Christ reigneth in His Church, but the Saints shall reign together with Him in those days which have no end...For years of God have been also spoken of: " But Thou art the very Same, and Thy years shall not fail." 8 In the same manner as years, so days, so one day. Whatsoever thou wilt thou sayest of eternity. Whatever thou wilt thou say- est for this reason, because whatever thou shalt have said, it is too little that thou hast said. For thou must needs say somewhat, to the end that there may be something whereby thou mayest meditate on that which cannot be told. " Even unto the day of generation and of genera- tion." Of this generation and of the generation that shall be: of this generation which is com- pared to the moon, because as the moon is new, waxeth, is full, waneth, and vanisheth, so are these mortal generations; and of the generation wherein we are born anew by rising again, and shall abide for everlasting with God, when now no longer we are like the moon, but like that of which saith the Lord, " Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." » For the moon by a figure in the Scriptures is put for the mutability of this mortal state...
8. " He shall abide for everlasting in the sight of God " (ver. 7); according to what, or be- cause of what? "His mercy and truth who shall seek for Him? " He saith also in another place, " All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to men seeking His testament and His testimonies." IO Large is the discourse of truth and mercy, but shortness we have promised. Briefly hear ye what is truth and mercy: because no small thing is that which hath been said, "All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth." Mercy is spoken of, because our merits God regarded not, but His own goodness, in order that He might forgive us all our sins, and might promise life everlasting: but truth is spoken of, because He faileth not to render those things which He hath promised. Let us acknowledge it here, and let us do it; so that, just as to us God hath shown forth His mercy and His truth, mercy in forgiving our sins, truth in showing forth His promises; so also, I say, let us execute mercy and truth, mercy concerning the weak, 7 Ps. xxvii. 4. 10 Ps. xxv. 10.
8 Ps. cii. 27.
9 Matt. xiii. 43.
Psalm LXII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
2=;i