Now this Psalm for her who
receiveth
the inhe ritance; and she adds the exulting joy of her hope, in saying,
(ver.
(ver.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
For man was made after Gen.
1,
the image and likeness of God, which he defaced by sin : therefore it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he
be stamped. And I believe this to be the bearing of that which some understand skilfully; 1 mean, what the Lord
said on seeing Caesar's tribute money, Render to Cwsar the Mat. 22, things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are l'
'
22 Gods Image is for God. Manifold desires loose simple good.
Psalm God's. As if He had said, in like manner as Caesar exacts -- from you the impression of his image, so also does God : that as the tribute money is rendered to him, so should the
soul to God, illumined and stamped with the light of His countenance. (Ver. 7. ) Thou hast put gladness into my heart. Gladness then is not to be sought without by them, who, being still heavy in heart, love vanity, and seek a lie; but within, where the light of God's countenance is stamped.
Eph. 3, For Christ dwelleth in the inner man, as the Apostle says ;. * ' for toIHim doth it appertain to see truth, since He hath
am the truth. And again, when He spake in the Apostle, saying, Would you receive a proof of Christ, Who 13, 3. speaketh in me ? He spake not of course from without to him, but in his very heart, that is, in that chamber where we
are to pray.
9. But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after
things temporal, know not to say aught else, than, who. sheweth us good things? when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see. Of these ac cordingly is most justly said, what he adds next ; From the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, they have been mul tiplied. For the addition of His, is not superfluous. For
John 6, the corn is God's : inasmuch as He is the living bread Which came down from heaven. The wine too is God's :
Ps36,8. for, they shall be inebriated, he says, with the fatness of Thine house. The oil too is God's : of which it is said, Pu. 23,5. Thou hast fattened my head with oil. But those many,
Johni4, said,
2 Cor.
vfisd. 9,
who say, Who sheweth us good things? and who see not that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, from the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, are multiplied. For multiplication does not always betoken plentifulness, and not, generally, scantiness : when the soul, given up to tem poral pleasures, burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with manifold and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good. Such is the soul of which it is said, for the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth on many things. A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods, that from the time of His corn, wine, and oil, filled with numberless
is,
Rest in leaving the world. Singleness of hope in God. 23
idle fancies, is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which isVEr. 7. commanded, think on the Lord in goodness, and in sim-YfuA. 1, plicity of heart seek Him. For this multiplicity is strongly1. opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these,
who are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say, Who sheweth us good things ? which are to be sought not with the eyes without, but with simpli city of heart within, the faithful man rejoices and says,
Iwill sleep, and take rest. For such men justly hope for all manner of estrangement of
(ver. 8. ) In peace, together,
mind from things mortal, and forgetfulness of this world's miseries; which is beautifully and prophetically signified under the name of sleep and rest, where the most perfect peace cannot be interrupted by any tumult. But this is
not had now in this life, but is to be hoped for after this
life. Thiseven the words themselves, which are in the future tense, shew us. For it is not said, either, 1 have slept, and taken rest; or, I do sleep, and take rest; but,
/ will sleep, and take rest. Then shall this corruptible put I Cor.
'
on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality ;
then shall death be swallowed up in victory. Hence it
'
is said, but if we hope for that we see not, we wait in Rom. 8,
j. 25. patience.
10. Wherefore, consistently with this, he adds the last words, and says, Since Thou, O Lord, in singleness hast made me dwell in hope. Here he does not say, wilt make ; but, hast made. In whom then this hope now is, there will
be assuredly that which is hoped for. And well does he say,
in singleness. For this may refer in opposition to those many, who being multiplied from the time of His corn, of
wine, and oil, say, Who sheweth us good things ? For this multiplicity perishes, and singleness is observed among the Saints: of whom it is said in the Acts of the Apostles, and o/^cts 4,
the multitude of them that believed, there was one soul, and32- one heart. In singleness, then, and simplicity, removed, that is, from the multitude and crowd of things, that are
born and die, we ought to be lovers of eternity, and unity, if we desire to cleave to the one God and our Lord.
24 Church's Inheritance. Htr crytoher King and her God. OneGod.
PSALM V.
1. The title of the Psalm is, For her who receiveth the inheritance. The Church then is signified, who receiveth for her inheritance eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ ; that she may possess God Himself, in cleaving to
Matt. 5, Whom she may be blessed, according to that, Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. What earth, but Ps. 142, that of which it is said, Thou art my hope, my portion in the
p'<<. 16 5Jand of the living? And again more clearly, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. And conversely the word Church is saidIto be God's inheritance
Psalm called to her inheritance, that she too may herself become the inheritance of the Lord.
2. Ver. 1. Hear my words, O Lord. Being called she calleth upon the Lord ; that the same Lord being her helper, she may pass through the wickedness of this world, and attain unto Him. Understand my cry. The Psalmist well shews what this cry is ; how from within, from the chamber of the
>>>>tre- heart, without the body's utterance2, it reaches unto God:
Ps. 2, 8. according to that, Ask of Me, and
shall give thee the hea then for thine inheritance. Therefore is God said to be our ? con- inheritance, because He feedeth and sustaineth1 us: and we are said to be God's inheritance, because He ordereth and ruleth us. Wherefore it is the voice of the Church in this
p'tu
for the bodily voice is heard, but the spiritual is understood. Although this too may be God's hearing, not with carnal ear, but in the omnipresence of His Majesty.
3. Attend Thou to the voice ofmy supplication; that is, to that voice, which he maketh request that God would understand : of which what the nature is, he hath already intimated, when he said, (ver. 2. ) Understand my cry. Attend
Thou to the voice of my supplication, my King, and my God. Although both the Son is God, and the Father God, and the Father and the Son together One God ; and if asked of the Holy Ghost, we must give no other answer than that He is God; and when the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are mentioned together, we must understand nothing else, than One God; nevertheless Scripture is wont to give the
appellation of King to the Son. According then to that
Trinity in Unity. Hope deferred through sin. 25
which is said, By Me man cometh to the Father, rightly is it Ver. a. first, my King ; and then, my God. And yet has not the Johni4, Psalmist said, Attend ye ; but, Attend Thou. For the ' Catholic faith preaches not two or three Gods, but the Very Trinity, One God. Not that the same Trinity can be together, now the Father, now the Son, now the Holy
Ghost, as Sabellius believed : but that the Father must be
none but the Father, and the Son none but the Son, and the
Holy Ghost none but the Holy Ghost, and this Trinity but
One God. Hence when the Apostle had said, Of Whom Rom. are all things, by Whom are all things, in Whom are all11'36. things, he is believed to have conveyed an intimation of the
Very Trinity ; and yet he did not add, to Them be glory ; but, to Him be glory.
Iwillpray unto Thee,
morning Thou wilt hear my voice. What does that, which he
said above, Hear Thou, mean, as if he desired to be heard immediately ? But now he saith, in the morning Thou
wilt hear ; not, hear Thou : and, / will pray unto Thee ;
not, I do pray unto Thee : and, as follows, in the morning
I will stand by Thee, and will see ; not, I do stand by Thee,
and do see. Unless perhaps his former prayer marks the invocation itself: but being in darkness amidst the storms
of this world, he perceives that he does not see what he desires, and yet does not cease to hope, For hope that is nam. 8, seen, is not hope. Nevertheless, he understands why he does 24'
not see, because the night is not yet past, that the dark
ness which our sins have merited. He says therefore, Because will pray unto Thee, Lord; that is, because
Thou art so mighty to Whom shall make my prayer, in the morning Thou wilt hear my voice. Thou art not He, he
says, That can be seen by those, from whose eyes the
night of sins not yet withdrawn when the night then of
my error past, and the darkness gone, which by my sins
have brought upon myself, then Thou wilt hear my voice.
Why then did he say above not, Thou wilt hear, but, hear Thou
that after the Church cried out, hear Tlwu, and was not heard, she perceived what must needs pass away to enable her to be heard Or that she was heard above, but doth not yet understand that she was heard, because she doth not yet
4. Because
(ver. 3. )
O Lord, in the
?
is it
Is it
? I
is
I is
I :O
is,
26 God, how said to learn. Why He is not seen till ' morning:
Psalm see by Whom she hath been heard ; and what she now says, Y. In the morning Thou wilt hear, she would have thus taken, In the morning I shall understand that I have been heard ?
Ps. 3, 7. Such is that expression, Arise, O Lord, that is, make me arise. But this latter is taken of Christ's resurrection : but
Deut. 13' 3'
at all events that Scripture, The Lord your God proveth you, that He may know whether ye love Him, cannot be taken in any other sense, than, that ye by Him may know, and that it may be made evident to yourselves, what progress ye have
made in His love. I will stand by Thee, and will see. 5. In the morning "
What is, 1 will stand, but, I will not lie down ? " Now what else is to lie down, but to take rest on the earth, which
/ will stand by, he says, and will see. We must not then cleave to things earthly, if we would see God, Who is beheld by a clean heart. (Ver. 5, 6. ) For Thou art not a God Who hast pleasure
is a seeking happiness in earthly pleasures ?
in iniquity. The malignant man shall not dwell near Thee, nor shall the unrighteous abide before Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all that work iniquity, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie. The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate. Iniquity, malignity, lying, homicide,
craft, and all the like, are the night of which we speak: on the passing away of which, the morning dawns, that God may be seen. He has unfolded the reason, then, why he will stand by in the morning, and see : For, he says, Thou art not a God Who hast pleasure in iniquity. For if He were a God Who had pleasure in iniquity, He could be seen even by the iniquitous, so that He would not be seen in the morning,
that is, when the night of iniquity is over.
6. The malignant man shall not dwell near Thee : that
is, he shall not so see, as to cleave to Thee. Hence follows, Nor shall the unrighteous abide before Thine eyes. For their eyes, that is, their mind is beaten back by the light of truth, because of the darkness of their sins ; by the habitual
practice of which they are notable to sustain the brightness of right understanding. Therefore even they who see sometimes, that is, who understand the truth, are yet still unrighteous, they abide not therein through love of those things, which turn away from the truth. For they carry about with them
God's hatred of sinners. Alt lying displeases Him. 27
their night, that not only the habit, but even the love, Vbr. ft. of sinning. But this night shall pass away, that is,
they shall cease to sin, and this love and habit thereof be
put to flight, the morning dawus, so that they not only under stand, but also cleave to the truth.
7. Thou hast hated all that work iniquity. God's hatred may be understood from that form of expression, by which every sinner hates the truth. For seems that she too
hates those, whom she suffers not to abide in her. Now they do not abide, who cannot bear the truth. Thou tcilt destroy all that speak a lie. For this the opposite to truth. But lest any one should suppose that any substance or nature opposite to truth, let him understand that a lie has relation to that which not, not to that which is. For
that which be spoken, truth spoken but that which not be spoken, a lie. Therefore saith he, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie; because drawing back from
that which is, they turn aside to that which not. Many
lies indeed seem to be for some one's safety or advantage, spoken not in malice, but in kindness such was that of those midwives in Exodus, who gave a false report toExod. Pharaoh, to the end that the infants of the children
of^h. Israel might not be slain. But even these are praised notTrea-
for the fact, but for the disposition shewn since those who Lying"
only lie in this way, will attain in time to freedom from all and
_
. , ,.
against lying. For in those that are perfect, not even these nesT. yjng.
are found. For to these said, Let there be in your Matt. mouth, yea, yea nay, nay whatsoever more, is of evil. 3'' Nor without reason written in another place, The mouth Wisdom
l.
that lieth slayeth the soul lest any should imagine that the perfect and spiritual man ought to lie for this temporal life, in the death of which no soul slain, neither his own, nor
But since one thing to lie, another to conceal the truth; (if indeed be one thing to say what false, another not to say what true,) haply one does not wish to give a man up even to this visible death, he should be prepared to conceal what true, not to say what false so that he may neither give him up, nor lie, lest he slay his own soul for another's body. But he cannot yet do this, let him at all events admit only lies of such necessity, that he may attain
another's.
it
if
a ifis : it ;
,
is
is ;
is is
is ;
it
it it
it is
if is,
is
is
is
is
is is
,
is it
is
is if
5,
1,
a;
:
:
is if
if
28 . No He, where no duplicity. The false inherit not.
Psalm to be freed even from these, if they alone remain, and '--- receive the strength of the Holy Ghost, whereby he may despise all that must be suffered for the truth's sake. In fine, there are two kinds of lies, in which there is no great fault, and yet they are not without fault, either when we are in jest, or when we lie that we may do good. That first
kind, in jest, is for this reason not very hurtful, because there is no deception. For he to whom it is said knows that it is said for the sake of the jest. But the second kind is for this reason the more inoffensive, because it carries with it some kindly intention. And to say truth, that which has no duplicity, cannot even be called a lie. As
for example, sword be intrusted to any one, and he promises to return it, when he who intrusted to him shall demand it: he chance to require his sword when in fit of madness, clear must not be returned then, lest he kill either himself or others, until soundness of mind be restored to him. Here then no duplicity, because he, to whom the sword was intrusted, when he promised that he would return at the other's demand, did not imagine that he could require when in fit of madness. But even the Lord concealed the truth, when He said to the^isciples, not
Johni6, yet strong enough, have many things to say unto you, but
18'
ye cannot bear them now: and the Apostle Paul, when he iCor. 3, said, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. Whence clear that not blameable,
sometimes not to speak what true. But to say what false, not found to have been allowed to the perfect.
8. The man blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate. What he said above, Thou hast hated all that work iniquity, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie, may well seem to be repeated here so that one may refer the man blood to the worker iniquity, and the crafty man to the lie. For craft, when one thing done, another pretended. He used an apt word too, when he said, will abominate. For the disinherited are usually called abomi nated.
Now this Psalm for her who receiveth the inhe ritance; and she adds the exulting joy of her hope, in saying,
(ver. 7. ) But in the multitude of Thy mercy, will enter into Thine house. In the multitude ofmercy perhaps he means
I,
is,
it is
a
it is
is
is
of
is
I
it it if
of I is
is
it a
it
of
:
is
: it
is
'?
a
it
if,
God's Temple, the Church perfected. Manner of His Justice. 29
in the multitude of perfected and blessed men, of whom that V>>r. 7. city shall consist, of which the Church is now in travail, and
is bearing few by few. Now that many men regenerated
and perfected, are rightly called the multitude of God's
mercy, who can deny ; when it is most truly said, what is Pa. 8, 4. man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that
Iwill enter into Thine house: as a stone
Thou visilest him?
into a building, I suppose, is the meaning. For what else is the house of God than the Temple of God, of which it is said, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are ? Of which building He is the corner-stone, Whom the Power and Wisdom of God coeternal with the Father assumed.
/ will worship at Thy holy temple, in Thy At fear.
l Cor. the temple, we understand as, near the temple. For heEph. 2
9.
does not say, 1 will worship in Thy holy temple; but, / will20. worship at Thy holy temple. It must be understood too to be spoken not of perfection, but of progress toward perfection :
so that the words, / will enter into Thine house, should sig nify perfection. But that this may come to a happy issue,
Iwill first, he says, worship at Thy holy temple. And per
haps on this account he added, in Thy fear; which is a
great defence to those that are advancing toward salvation.
But when any one shall have arrived there, in him comes to
pass that which is written, perfect love casteth out fear, l John
For they do not fear Him Who is now their friend, to whom
it is said, henceforth I will not call you servants, but friends, JotanlS, when they have been brought through to that which was
promised.
10. Ver. 8. O Lord, lead me forth in Thy justice because of
mine enemies. He has here sufficiently plainly declared that he is on his onward road, that is, in progress toward perfection, not yet in perfection itself, when he desires eagerly that he may be led forth. But, in Thy justice, not in that which seems so to men. For to return evil for evil seems justice : but it is not His justice of Whom it is said, He maketh His sun to rise on the good and on the evil: for even when God
sinners, He does not inflict His evil on them, but leaves them to their own evil. Behold, the Psalmist says,P9. 7,H. he travailed with injustice, he hath conceived toil, and broughtforth iniquity: he hath opened a ditch, and digged
punishes
'
80 The way of God travelled within. False flattery of sinners.
Psalm it, and hath fallen into the pit which he wrought: his pains --:--shall be turned on his own head, and his iniquity shall descend on his own pate. When then God punishes, He
punishes as a judge those that transgress the law, not by bringing evil upon them from Himself, but driving them on to that which they have chosen, to fill up the sum of their misery. But man, when he returns evil for evil, does it with an evil will: and on this account is himself first evil, when he would punish evil.
11. Direct in Thy sight my way. Nothing is clearer, than that he here sets forth that time, in which he is journeying onward. For this is a way which is traversed not in any regions of the earth, but in the affections of the heart. In
Thy sight, he says, direct my way: that is, where no man sees; who are not to be trusted in their praise or blame. For they can in no wise judge of another man's conscience, wherein the way toward God is traversed. Hence it is added,
(ver. 9. ) for truth is not in their mouth. To whose judgment of course then there is no trusting, and therefore must we fly within to conscience, and the sight of God. Their heart is vain. How then can truth be in their mouth, whose heart is deceived by sin, and the punishment of sin? ' Whence men are called back by that voice, Wherefore do ye love vanity, andseek a lie?
12. Their throat is an open sepulchre. It may be referred to signify gluttony, for the sake of which men very often lie by flattery. And admirably has he said, an open sepulchre: for this gluttony is ever gaping with open mouth, not as sepulchres, which, on the reception of corpses, are closed up. This also may be understood hereby, that with lying and blind flattery men draw to themselves those, whom they entice to sin ; and as it were devour them, when they turn them to their own way of living. And when this happens to them, since by sin they die, those, by whom they are led along, are rightly called open sepulchres : for themselves too are in a manner lifeless, being destitute of the life of truth ; and they take in to themselves dead men, whom having slain by lying words and a vain heart, they turn unto themselves.
With their own tongues they dealt craftily: that with evil tongues. For this seems to be signified, when he says their
is,
Prophecy inform of wish. Great punishment for great sin. 31
own. For the evil have evil tongues, that they speak Ver. 9. evil, when they speak craftily. To whom the Lord saith,
How can ye, being evil, speak good things? Mat. 12,
13. Ver. 10. Judge them, God: let them fall from their
own thoughts. It prophecy, not curse. For he does not
wish that should come to pass but he perceives what will
come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he appears to have wished for but because they are such as
to deserve that should happen. For so also what he says afterwards, Let all that hope in Thee rejoice, he says by way
of prophecy since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise said prophetically, Stir up Thy strength, and Ps. 80,2. come: for he saw that He would come. Although the words,
let them fall from their own thoughts, may be taken thus
also, that may rather be believed to be a wish for their good
by the Psalmist, whilst they fall from their evil thoughts,
that is, that they may no more think evil. But what follows,
drive them out, forbids this interpretation. For can in no
wise be taken in favourable sense, that one driven out by
God. Wherefore understood to be said prophetically,
and not of ill will; when this said, which must necessarily happen to such as chose to persevere in those sins, which
have been mentioned. Let them, therefore, fa from their
own thoughts, is, let them fall by their self-accusing thoughts,
their own conscience also bearing witness, as the Apostle Rom. says, and their thoughts accusing or excusing, in the reve-
latum of the just judgment of God.
14. According to the multitude of their ungodlinesses drive them out: that is, drive them out far away. For this according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses', that they should be driven out far away. The ungodly then are driven
out from that inheritance, which possessed by knowing and seeing God as diseased eyes are driven out from the
shining of the light, when what gladness to others pain to them. Therefore these shall not stand in the morning,
and see. And that expression as great punishment, as
ver. 3.
that which said, But for me is good to cleave to the Ps. 73, <<o.
It not possible to preserve in the secundum multitudinem impietatum translation the cognate words, multi- eorum, ut multum expellantur/ tudinem and multum hoc est enim
'
* is
is
is
: : a it
' itis
it is a
is
is
is
'
2,
11
is
it
is,
is
it,
a
it
is it it ;
is a
O ;
82 God bitter to the wicked. Thejoy ofGod's Indwelling.
Psalm Lord, is a great reward. To this punishment is opposed, j^-- Enter thou into the joy of Thy Lord; for similar to this 2i. *3o! expulsion Cast him into outer darkness.
15. Since they have embittered Thee, Lord: am, saith John He, the Bread which came down from heaven; again, lb' 27. Labour for the meat which wasteth not again, Taste and Ps. 34,s. see that the Lord is sweet. But to sinners the bread of
truth bitter. Whence they hate the month of him that speaketh the truth. These then have embittered God, who by sin have fallen into such state of sickliness, that the food of truth, in which healthy souls delight, as
were bitter as gall, they cannot bear.
16. Ver. 11. And let all rejoice that hope in Thee; those of
course to whose taste the Lord sweet. They trill exult for evermore, and Thou wilt dwell in them. This will be the ex ultation for evermore, when the just become the Temple of God, and He, their Indweller, will be their joy. And all that love Thy name shall glory in Thee as when what they love present for them to enjoy. And well said, in Thee, as
in possession of the inheritance, of which the title of the Psalm speaks: when they too are His inheritance, which intimated by, Thou wilt dwell in them. From which good they are kept back, whom God, according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses, driveth out.
17. Ver. 12. ForThou wilt bless the just man. This
to glory in God, and to be inhabited by God. Such sancti- fication given to the just. But that they may be justified,
calling goes before which not of merit, but of the grace
Rom. of God. For all have sinned, and want the glory of God.
Rom. For whom He called, them He also justified and whom He
justified, them He also glorified. Since then calling not of our merit, but of the goodness and mercy of God, he went on to say, Lord, as with the shield of Thy good will Thou hast crowned us. For God's good will goes before our good
will, to call sinners to repentance. And these are the arms
whereby the enemy overcome, against whom
Bom. Who will bring accusation against God's elect? Again,
' God be for us, who can be against us Who spared not His Only Son, but delivered Him up for us all. For if, when we were enemies, Christ died for us; much
30.
32. ' Rom.
blessing,
said,
5, 8, 8, 3,
*/ a if
6,
is
:
? ;
O
is,
is
a
is
itis I
is
is
is it
;O
is :
if isis it
is
The Church's Prayer in Ps. 5. Meaning of1 the Eighth. ' 33
more being reconciled, shall we be saved from wrath through Psalm Him. This is that unconquerable shield, whereby the enemy -- is driven back, when he suggests despair of our salvation through the multitude of tribulations and temptations.
18. The whole contents of the Psalm, then, are a prayer that she may be heard, from the words, hear my words, O Lord, unto, my King, and my God. Then follows a view of those things which hinder the sight of God, thaIt is, a knowledge that she1 is heard, from the words, because
i. e. the
shall1 pray unto Thee, O Lord, in the morning Thou wilt hear my voice, unto, Ihe man of blood and the crafty man the Lord
will abominate. Thirdly, she hopes that she, who is to be the house of God, even now begins to draw near to Him in fear, before Ithat perfection which casteth out fear, from the words, but in the multitude of Thy mercy, unto, / will worship at Thy holy temple in Thyfear. Fourthly, as she is progressing and advancing amongst those very things which she feels to hinder her, she prays that she may be
assisted within, where no man seeth, lest she be turned aside
by evil tongues, for the words, O Lord, lead me forth in Thy justice because of my enemies, unto, with their tongues they dealt craftily. Fifthly, is a prophecy of what punishment awaits the ungodly, when the just man shall scarcely be saved; and of what reward the just shall obtain, who, when they were called, came, and bore all things manfully, till they were brought to the end, from the words, judge them,
O God, unto the end of the Psalm.
PSALM VI.
To the end, in the hymns of the eighth >>, a Psalm to David.
1. Of the eighth, seems here obscure. For the rest of this title is more clear. Now it has seemed to some to intimate the day of judgment, that is, the time of the coming of our Lord, when He will come to judge the quick and dead. Which coming, it is believed, is to be, after reckoning the
years from Adam, seven thousand years : so as that seven thousand years should pass as seven days, and afterwards
a LXX. <<ri{ ris iyiim. D
84 Time of Judgment secret. Eight follows four and three.
Psalm that time arrive as it were the eighth day. But since it has ' been said by the Lord, It is not yours to know the times,
7. which the Father hath put in His own power : and, But of
^e day and that hour knoweth no man, no, neither angel,
nor Power, neither the Son, but the Father alone: and again,
18*83
l Thess. that which is written, that the day of the Lord cometh as a
' '
Dent, 13' 3'
thief, shews clearly enough that no man should arrogate to himself the knowledge of that time, by any computation of
For if that day is to come after seven thousand years, every man could learn its advent by reckoning the years. What comes then of the Son's even not knowing this? Which of course is said with this meaning, that men do not learn this by the Son, not that He by Himself doth not know it: according to that form of speech, the Lord your Godtrieth you that He may know; that is, that He may make you know:
years.
Pa. 3, 7. and, arise, O Lord; that is, make us arise. When therefore the Son is thus said not to know this day ; not because He knoweth it not, but because He causeth those to know it not, for whom it is not expedient to know that He doth not shew to them what does that strange presumption mean, which, by reckoning up of years, expects the day of the Lord as most certain after seven thousand years
2. Be we then willingly ignorant of that which the Lord would not have us know and let us inquire what this title, of the eighth, means. The day of judgment may indeed, even without any rash computation of years, be understood by the eighth, for that immediately after the end of this world, life eternal being attained, the souls of the righteous will not then be subject unto times: and, since all times have their revolution in repetition of those seven days, that peradventure called the eighth day, which will not have this variety. There another reason, which may be here not unreasonably accepted, why the judgment should be called the eighth, because will take place after two generations, one relating to the body, the other to the soul. For from Adam unto Moses the human race lived of the
body, that is, according to the flesh which called the
outward and the old man, and to which the Old Testament 2^ph. was given, that might prefigure the spiritual things to come by operations, albeit religious, yet carnal. Through this
Rom.
*?
6,
it
a
;
it :
is
is
is
a
:
is, ?
it
it,
Four denotes the body, three the soul. 35
entire season, when men lived according to the body, death Title. reigned, as the Apostle saith, even over those that had not ff"". 5, sinned. Now it reigned after the similitude of Adam's trans
gression, as the same Apostle saith ; for it must be taken of
the period up to Moses, up to which time the works of the
law, that is, those sacraments of carnal observance, held even
those bound, for the sake of a certain mystery, who were sub
ject to the One God. But from the coming of the Lord, from Whom there was a transition from the circumcision of the
flesh to the circumcision of the heart, the call was made,
that man should live according to the soul, that is, according
to the inner man, who is also called the new man by reason Col. 3, oi the new birth and the renewing of spiritual conversation.
Now it is plain that the number four has relation to
the body, from the four well-known elements of which it consists, and the four qualities, of dry, humid, warm, cold. Hence too it is administered by four seasons, spring, sum
mer, autumn, winter. All this is very well known. For of
the number four relating to the body we have treated else
where somewhat subtilly, but obscurely : which must be avoided in this discourse, which we would have accom modated to the unlearned. But that the number three has relation to the mind may be understood from this, that we
are commanded to love God after a threefold manner, with Pe"1, the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind : Mat. 22, of each of which severally we must treat, not in the Psalms,37. but in the Gospels : for the present, for proof of the relation
of the number three to the mind, I think what has been said
Those numbers then of the body which have relation to the old man and the Old Testament, being past and gone, the numbers too of the soul, which have relation to the new man and the New Testament, being past and gone, a septenary so to say being passed ; because every thing is done in time, four having been distributed to the
body, three to the mind ; the eighth will come, the day of judgment : which assigning to deserts their due, will transfer at once the saint, not to temporal works, but to eternal life ;
but will condemn the ungodly to eternal punishment.
3. In fear of which condemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says, (ver. Reprove me not, Lord, in Thine
d2
enough.
1. )
O
36 Anger how ascribed to God. Chastening how deprecated.
Psalm anger. The Apostle too mentions the anger of the judg- . 5 --^ ment; Thou ireasurest up unto thyself, he says, anger
,5.
the image and likeness of God, which he defaced by sin : therefore it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he
be stamped. And I believe this to be the bearing of that which some understand skilfully; 1 mean, what the Lord
said on seeing Caesar's tribute money, Render to Cwsar the Mat. 22, things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are l'
'
22 Gods Image is for God. Manifold desires loose simple good.
Psalm God's. As if He had said, in like manner as Caesar exacts -- from you the impression of his image, so also does God : that as the tribute money is rendered to him, so should the
soul to God, illumined and stamped with the light of His countenance. (Ver. 7. ) Thou hast put gladness into my heart. Gladness then is not to be sought without by them, who, being still heavy in heart, love vanity, and seek a lie; but within, where the light of God's countenance is stamped.
Eph. 3, For Christ dwelleth in the inner man, as the Apostle says ;. * ' for toIHim doth it appertain to see truth, since He hath
am the truth. And again, when He spake in the Apostle, saying, Would you receive a proof of Christ, Who 13, 3. speaketh in me ? He spake not of course from without to him, but in his very heart, that is, in that chamber where we
are to pray.
9. But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after
things temporal, know not to say aught else, than, who. sheweth us good things? when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see. Of these ac cordingly is most justly said, what he adds next ; From the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, they have been mul tiplied. For the addition of His, is not superfluous. For
John 6, the corn is God's : inasmuch as He is the living bread Which came down from heaven. The wine too is God's :
Ps36,8. for, they shall be inebriated, he says, with the fatness of Thine house. The oil too is God's : of which it is said, Pu. 23,5. Thou hast fattened my head with oil. But those many,
Johni4, said,
2 Cor.
vfisd. 9,
who say, Who sheweth us good things? and who see not that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, from the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, are multiplied. For multiplication does not always betoken plentifulness, and not, generally, scantiness : when the soul, given up to tem poral pleasures, burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with manifold and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good. Such is the soul of which it is said, for the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth on many things. A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods, that from the time of His corn, wine, and oil, filled with numberless
is,
Rest in leaving the world. Singleness of hope in God. 23
idle fancies, is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which isVEr. 7. commanded, think on the Lord in goodness, and in sim-YfuA. 1, plicity of heart seek Him. For this multiplicity is strongly1. opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these,
who are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say, Who sheweth us good things ? which are to be sought not with the eyes without, but with simpli city of heart within, the faithful man rejoices and says,
Iwill sleep, and take rest. For such men justly hope for all manner of estrangement of
(ver. 8. ) In peace, together,
mind from things mortal, and forgetfulness of this world's miseries; which is beautifully and prophetically signified under the name of sleep and rest, where the most perfect peace cannot be interrupted by any tumult. But this is
not had now in this life, but is to be hoped for after this
life. Thiseven the words themselves, which are in the future tense, shew us. For it is not said, either, 1 have slept, and taken rest; or, I do sleep, and take rest; but,
/ will sleep, and take rest. Then shall this corruptible put I Cor.
'
on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality ;
then shall death be swallowed up in victory. Hence it
'
is said, but if we hope for that we see not, we wait in Rom. 8,
j. 25. patience.
10. Wherefore, consistently with this, he adds the last words, and says, Since Thou, O Lord, in singleness hast made me dwell in hope. Here he does not say, wilt make ; but, hast made. In whom then this hope now is, there will
be assuredly that which is hoped for. And well does he say,
in singleness. For this may refer in opposition to those many, who being multiplied from the time of His corn, of
wine, and oil, say, Who sheweth us good things ? For this multiplicity perishes, and singleness is observed among the Saints: of whom it is said in the Acts of the Apostles, and o/^cts 4,
the multitude of them that believed, there was one soul, and32- one heart. In singleness, then, and simplicity, removed, that is, from the multitude and crowd of things, that are
born and die, we ought to be lovers of eternity, and unity, if we desire to cleave to the one God and our Lord.
24 Church's Inheritance. Htr crytoher King and her God. OneGod.
PSALM V.
1. The title of the Psalm is, For her who receiveth the inheritance. The Church then is signified, who receiveth for her inheritance eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ ; that she may possess God Himself, in cleaving to
Matt. 5, Whom she may be blessed, according to that, Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. What earth, but Ps. 142, that of which it is said, Thou art my hope, my portion in the
p'<<. 16 5Jand of the living? And again more clearly, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. And conversely the word Church is saidIto be God's inheritance
Psalm called to her inheritance, that she too may herself become the inheritance of the Lord.
2. Ver. 1. Hear my words, O Lord. Being called she calleth upon the Lord ; that the same Lord being her helper, she may pass through the wickedness of this world, and attain unto Him. Understand my cry. The Psalmist well shews what this cry is ; how from within, from the chamber of the
>>>>tre- heart, without the body's utterance2, it reaches unto God:
Ps. 2, 8. according to that, Ask of Me, and
shall give thee the hea then for thine inheritance. Therefore is God said to be our ? con- inheritance, because He feedeth and sustaineth1 us: and we are said to be God's inheritance, because He ordereth and ruleth us. Wherefore it is the voice of the Church in this
p'tu
for the bodily voice is heard, but the spiritual is understood. Although this too may be God's hearing, not with carnal ear, but in the omnipresence of His Majesty.
3. Attend Thou to the voice ofmy supplication; that is, to that voice, which he maketh request that God would understand : of which what the nature is, he hath already intimated, when he said, (ver. 2. ) Understand my cry. Attend
Thou to the voice of my supplication, my King, and my God. Although both the Son is God, and the Father God, and the Father and the Son together One God ; and if asked of the Holy Ghost, we must give no other answer than that He is God; and when the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are mentioned together, we must understand nothing else, than One God; nevertheless Scripture is wont to give the
appellation of King to the Son. According then to that
Trinity in Unity. Hope deferred through sin. 25
which is said, By Me man cometh to the Father, rightly is it Ver. a. first, my King ; and then, my God. And yet has not the Johni4, Psalmist said, Attend ye ; but, Attend Thou. For the ' Catholic faith preaches not two or three Gods, but the Very Trinity, One God. Not that the same Trinity can be together, now the Father, now the Son, now the Holy
Ghost, as Sabellius believed : but that the Father must be
none but the Father, and the Son none but the Son, and the
Holy Ghost none but the Holy Ghost, and this Trinity but
One God. Hence when the Apostle had said, Of Whom Rom. are all things, by Whom are all things, in Whom are all11'36. things, he is believed to have conveyed an intimation of the
Very Trinity ; and yet he did not add, to Them be glory ; but, to Him be glory.
Iwillpray unto Thee,
morning Thou wilt hear my voice. What does that, which he
said above, Hear Thou, mean, as if he desired to be heard immediately ? But now he saith, in the morning Thou
wilt hear ; not, hear Thou : and, / will pray unto Thee ;
not, I do pray unto Thee : and, as follows, in the morning
I will stand by Thee, and will see ; not, I do stand by Thee,
and do see. Unless perhaps his former prayer marks the invocation itself: but being in darkness amidst the storms
of this world, he perceives that he does not see what he desires, and yet does not cease to hope, For hope that is nam. 8, seen, is not hope. Nevertheless, he understands why he does 24'
not see, because the night is not yet past, that the dark
ness which our sins have merited. He says therefore, Because will pray unto Thee, Lord; that is, because
Thou art so mighty to Whom shall make my prayer, in the morning Thou wilt hear my voice. Thou art not He, he
says, That can be seen by those, from whose eyes the
night of sins not yet withdrawn when the night then of
my error past, and the darkness gone, which by my sins
have brought upon myself, then Thou wilt hear my voice.
Why then did he say above not, Thou wilt hear, but, hear Thou
that after the Church cried out, hear Tlwu, and was not heard, she perceived what must needs pass away to enable her to be heard Or that she was heard above, but doth not yet understand that she was heard, because she doth not yet
4. Because
(ver. 3. )
O Lord, in the
?
is it
Is it
? I
is
I is
I :O
is,
26 God, how said to learn. Why He is not seen till ' morning:
Psalm see by Whom she hath been heard ; and what she now says, Y. In the morning Thou wilt hear, she would have thus taken, In the morning I shall understand that I have been heard ?
Ps. 3, 7. Such is that expression, Arise, O Lord, that is, make me arise. But this latter is taken of Christ's resurrection : but
Deut. 13' 3'
at all events that Scripture, The Lord your God proveth you, that He may know whether ye love Him, cannot be taken in any other sense, than, that ye by Him may know, and that it may be made evident to yourselves, what progress ye have
made in His love. I will stand by Thee, and will see. 5. In the morning "
What is, 1 will stand, but, I will not lie down ? " Now what else is to lie down, but to take rest on the earth, which
/ will stand by, he says, and will see. We must not then cleave to things earthly, if we would see God, Who is beheld by a clean heart. (Ver. 5, 6. ) For Thou art not a God Who hast pleasure
is a seeking happiness in earthly pleasures ?
in iniquity. The malignant man shall not dwell near Thee, nor shall the unrighteous abide before Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all that work iniquity, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie. The man of blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate. Iniquity, malignity, lying, homicide,
craft, and all the like, are the night of which we speak: on the passing away of which, the morning dawns, that God may be seen. He has unfolded the reason, then, why he will stand by in the morning, and see : For, he says, Thou art not a God Who hast pleasure in iniquity. For if He were a God Who had pleasure in iniquity, He could be seen even by the iniquitous, so that He would not be seen in the morning,
that is, when the night of iniquity is over.
6. The malignant man shall not dwell near Thee : that
is, he shall not so see, as to cleave to Thee. Hence follows, Nor shall the unrighteous abide before Thine eyes. For their eyes, that is, their mind is beaten back by the light of truth, because of the darkness of their sins ; by the habitual
practice of which they are notable to sustain the brightness of right understanding. Therefore even they who see sometimes, that is, who understand the truth, are yet still unrighteous, they abide not therein through love of those things, which turn away from the truth. For they carry about with them
God's hatred of sinners. Alt lying displeases Him. 27
their night, that not only the habit, but even the love, Vbr. ft. of sinning. But this night shall pass away, that is,
they shall cease to sin, and this love and habit thereof be
put to flight, the morning dawus, so that they not only under stand, but also cleave to the truth.
7. Thou hast hated all that work iniquity. God's hatred may be understood from that form of expression, by which every sinner hates the truth. For seems that she too
hates those, whom she suffers not to abide in her. Now they do not abide, who cannot bear the truth. Thou tcilt destroy all that speak a lie. For this the opposite to truth. But lest any one should suppose that any substance or nature opposite to truth, let him understand that a lie has relation to that which not, not to that which is. For
that which be spoken, truth spoken but that which not be spoken, a lie. Therefore saith he, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie; because drawing back from
that which is, they turn aside to that which not. Many
lies indeed seem to be for some one's safety or advantage, spoken not in malice, but in kindness such was that of those midwives in Exodus, who gave a false report toExod. Pharaoh, to the end that the infants of the children
of^h. Israel might not be slain. But even these are praised notTrea-
for the fact, but for the disposition shewn since those who Lying"
only lie in this way, will attain in time to freedom from all and
_
. , ,.
against lying. For in those that are perfect, not even these nesT. yjng.
are found. For to these said, Let there be in your Matt. mouth, yea, yea nay, nay whatsoever more, is of evil. 3'' Nor without reason written in another place, The mouth Wisdom
l.
that lieth slayeth the soul lest any should imagine that the perfect and spiritual man ought to lie for this temporal life, in the death of which no soul slain, neither his own, nor
But since one thing to lie, another to conceal the truth; (if indeed be one thing to say what false, another not to say what true,) haply one does not wish to give a man up even to this visible death, he should be prepared to conceal what true, not to say what false so that he may neither give him up, nor lie, lest he slay his own soul for another's body. But he cannot yet do this, let him at all events admit only lies of such necessity, that he may attain
another's.
it
if
a ifis : it ;
,
is
is ;
is is
is ;
it
it it
it is
if is,
is
is
is
is
is is
,
is it
is
is if
5,
1,
a;
:
:
is if
if
28 . No He, where no duplicity. The false inherit not.
Psalm to be freed even from these, if they alone remain, and '--- receive the strength of the Holy Ghost, whereby he may despise all that must be suffered for the truth's sake. In fine, there are two kinds of lies, in which there is no great fault, and yet they are not without fault, either when we are in jest, or when we lie that we may do good. That first
kind, in jest, is for this reason not very hurtful, because there is no deception. For he to whom it is said knows that it is said for the sake of the jest. But the second kind is for this reason the more inoffensive, because it carries with it some kindly intention. And to say truth, that which has no duplicity, cannot even be called a lie. As
for example, sword be intrusted to any one, and he promises to return it, when he who intrusted to him shall demand it: he chance to require his sword when in fit of madness, clear must not be returned then, lest he kill either himself or others, until soundness of mind be restored to him. Here then no duplicity, because he, to whom the sword was intrusted, when he promised that he would return at the other's demand, did not imagine that he could require when in fit of madness. But even the Lord concealed the truth, when He said to the^isciples, not
Johni6, yet strong enough, have many things to say unto you, but
18'
ye cannot bear them now: and the Apostle Paul, when he iCor. 3, said, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. Whence clear that not blameable,
sometimes not to speak what true. But to say what false, not found to have been allowed to the perfect.
8. The man blood, and the crafty man, the Lord will abominate. What he said above, Thou hast hated all that work iniquity, Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie, may well seem to be repeated here so that one may refer the man blood to the worker iniquity, and the crafty man to the lie. For craft, when one thing done, another pretended. He used an apt word too, when he said, will abominate. For the disinherited are usually called abomi nated.
Now this Psalm for her who receiveth the inhe ritance; and she adds the exulting joy of her hope, in saying,
(ver. 7. ) But in the multitude of Thy mercy, will enter into Thine house. In the multitude ofmercy perhaps he means
I,
is,
it is
a
it is
is
is
of
is
I
it it if
of I is
is
it a
it
of
:
is
: it
is
'?
a
it
if,
God's Temple, the Church perfected. Manner of His Justice. 29
in the multitude of perfected and blessed men, of whom that V>>r. 7. city shall consist, of which the Church is now in travail, and
is bearing few by few. Now that many men regenerated
and perfected, are rightly called the multitude of God's
mercy, who can deny ; when it is most truly said, what is Pa. 8, 4. man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that
Iwill enter into Thine house: as a stone
Thou visilest him?
into a building, I suppose, is the meaning. For what else is the house of God than the Temple of God, of which it is said, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are ? Of which building He is the corner-stone, Whom the Power and Wisdom of God coeternal with the Father assumed.
/ will worship at Thy holy temple, in Thy At fear.
l Cor. the temple, we understand as, near the temple. For heEph. 2
9.
does not say, 1 will worship in Thy holy temple; but, / will20. worship at Thy holy temple. It must be understood too to be spoken not of perfection, but of progress toward perfection :
so that the words, / will enter into Thine house, should sig nify perfection. But that this may come to a happy issue,
Iwill first, he says, worship at Thy holy temple. And per
haps on this account he added, in Thy fear; which is a
great defence to those that are advancing toward salvation.
But when any one shall have arrived there, in him comes to
pass that which is written, perfect love casteth out fear, l John
For they do not fear Him Who is now their friend, to whom
it is said, henceforth I will not call you servants, but friends, JotanlS, when they have been brought through to that which was
promised.
10. Ver. 8. O Lord, lead me forth in Thy justice because of
mine enemies. He has here sufficiently plainly declared that he is on his onward road, that is, in progress toward perfection, not yet in perfection itself, when he desires eagerly that he may be led forth. But, in Thy justice, not in that which seems so to men. For to return evil for evil seems justice : but it is not His justice of Whom it is said, He maketh His sun to rise on the good and on the evil: for even when God
sinners, He does not inflict His evil on them, but leaves them to their own evil. Behold, the Psalmist says,P9. 7,H. he travailed with injustice, he hath conceived toil, and broughtforth iniquity: he hath opened a ditch, and digged
punishes
'
80 The way of God travelled within. False flattery of sinners.
Psalm it, and hath fallen into the pit which he wrought: his pains --:--shall be turned on his own head, and his iniquity shall descend on his own pate. When then God punishes, He
punishes as a judge those that transgress the law, not by bringing evil upon them from Himself, but driving them on to that which they have chosen, to fill up the sum of their misery. But man, when he returns evil for evil, does it with an evil will: and on this account is himself first evil, when he would punish evil.
11. Direct in Thy sight my way. Nothing is clearer, than that he here sets forth that time, in which he is journeying onward. For this is a way which is traversed not in any regions of the earth, but in the affections of the heart. In
Thy sight, he says, direct my way: that is, where no man sees; who are not to be trusted in their praise or blame. For they can in no wise judge of another man's conscience, wherein the way toward God is traversed. Hence it is added,
(ver. 9. ) for truth is not in their mouth. To whose judgment of course then there is no trusting, and therefore must we fly within to conscience, and the sight of God. Their heart is vain. How then can truth be in their mouth, whose heart is deceived by sin, and the punishment of sin? ' Whence men are called back by that voice, Wherefore do ye love vanity, andseek a lie?
12. Their throat is an open sepulchre. It may be referred to signify gluttony, for the sake of which men very often lie by flattery. And admirably has he said, an open sepulchre: for this gluttony is ever gaping with open mouth, not as sepulchres, which, on the reception of corpses, are closed up. This also may be understood hereby, that with lying and blind flattery men draw to themselves those, whom they entice to sin ; and as it were devour them, when they turn them to their own way of living. And when this happens to them, since by sin they die, those, by whom they are led along, are rightly called open sepulchres : for themselves too are in a manner lifeless, being destitute of the life of truth ; and they take in to themselves dead men, whom having slain by lying words and a vain heart, they turn unto themselves.
With their own tongues they dealt craftily: that with evil tongues. For this seems to be signified, when he says their
is,
Prophecy inform of wish. Great punishment for great sin. 31
own. For the evil have evil tongues, that they speak Ver. 9. evil, when they speak craftily. To whom the Lord saith,
How can ye, being evil, speak good things? Mat. 12,
13. Ver. 10. Judge them, God: let them fall from their
own thoughts. It prophecy, not curse. For he does not
wish that should come to pass but he perceives what will
come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he appears to have wished for but because they are such as
to deserve that should happen. For so also what he says afterwards, Let all that hope in Thee rejoice, he says by way
of prophecy since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise said prophetically, Stir up Thy strength, and Ps. 80,2. come: for he saw that He would come. Although the words,
let them fall from their own thoughts, may be taken thus
also, that may rather be believed to be a wish for their good
by the Psalmist, whilst they fall from their evil thoughts,
that is, that they may no more think evil. But what follows,
drive them out, forbids this interpretation. For can in no
wise be taken in favourable sense, that one driven out by
God. Wherefore understood to be said prophetically,
and not of ill will; when this said, which must necessarily happen to such as chose to persevere in those sins, which
have been mentioned. Let them, therefore, fa from their
own thoughts, is, let them fall by their self-accusing thoughts,
their own conscience also bearing witness, as the Apostle Rom. says, and their thoughts accusing or excusing, in the reve-
latum of the just judgment of God.
14. According to the multitude of their ungodlinesses drive them out: that is, drive them out far away. For this according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses', that they should be driven out far away. The ungodly then are driven
out from that inheritance, which possessed by knowing and seeing God as diseased eyes are driven out from the
shining of the light, when what gladness to others pain to them. Therefore these shall not stand in the morning,
and see. And that expression as great punishment, as
ver. 3.
that which said, But for me is good to cleave to the Ps. 73, <<o.
It not possible to preserve in the secundum multitudinem impietatum translation the cognate words, multi- eorum, ut multum expellantur/ tudinem and multum hoc est enim
'
* is
is
is
: : a it
' itis
it is a
is
is
is
'
2,
11
is
it
is,
is
it,
a
it
is it it ;
is a
O ;
82 God bitter to the wicked. Thejoy ofGod's Indwelling.
Psalm Lord, is a great reward. To this punishment is opposed, j^-- Enter thou into the joy of Thy Lord; for similar to this 2i. *3o! expulsion Cast him into outer darkness.
15. Since they have embittered Thee, Lord: am, saith John He, the Bread which came down from heaven; again, lb' 27. Labour for the meat which wasteth not again, Taste and Ps. 34,s. see that the Lord is sweet. But to sinners the bread of
truth bitter. Whence they hate the month of him that speaketh the truth. These then have embittered God, who by sin have fallen into such state of sickliness, that the food of truth, in which healthy souls delight, as
were bitter as gall, they cannot bear.
16. Ver. 11. And let all rejoice that hope in Thee; those of
course to whose taste the Lord sweet. They trill exult for evermore, and Thou wilt dwell in them. This will be the ex ultation for evermore, when the just become the Temple of God, and He, their Indweller, will be their joy. And all that love Thy name shall glory in Thee as when what they love present for them to enjoy. And well said, in Thee, as
in possession of the inheritance, of which the title of the Psalm speaks: when they too are His inheritance, which intimated by, Thou wilt dwell in them. From which good they are kept back, whom God, according to the multitude of their ungodlinesses, driveth out.
17. Ver. 12. ForThou wilt bless the just man. This
to glory in God, and to be inhabited by God. Such sancti- fication given to the just. But that they may be justified,
calling goes before which not of merit, but of the grace
Rom. of God. For all have sinned, and want the glory of God.
Rom. For whom He called, them He also justified and whom He
justified, them He also glorified. Since then calling not of our merit, but of the goodness and mercy of God, he went on to say, Lord, as with the shield of Thy good will Thou hast crowned us. For God's good will goes before our good
will, to call sinners to repentance. And these are the arms
whereby the enemy overcome, against whom
Bom. Who will bring accusation against God's elect? Again,
' God be for us, who can be against us Who spared not His Only Son, but delivered Him up for us all. For if, when we were enemies, Christ died for us; much
30.
32. ' Rom.
blessing,
said,
5, 8, 8, 3,
*/ a if
6,
is
:
? ;
O
is,
is
a
is
itis I
is
is
is it
;O
is :
if isis it
is
The Church's Prayer in Ps. 5. Meaning of1 the Eighth. ' 33
more being reconciled, shall we be saved from wrath through Psalm Him. This is that unconquerable shield, whereby the enemy -- is driven back, when he suggests despair of our salvation through the multitude of tribulations and temptations.
18. The whole contents of the Psalm, then, are a prayer that she may be heard, from the words, hear my words, O Lord, unto, my King, and my God. Then follows a view of those things which hinder the sight of God, thaIt is, a knowledge that she1 is heard, from the words, because
i. e. the
shall1 pray unto Thee, O Lord, in the morning Thou wilt hear my voice, unto, Ihe man of blood and the crafty man the Lord
will abominate. Thirdly, she hopes that she, who is to be the house of God, even now begins to draw near to Him in fear, before Ithat perfection which casteth out fear, from the words, but in the multitude of Thy mercy, unto, / will worship at Thy holy temple in Thyfear. Fourthly, as she is progressing and advancing amongst those very things which she feels to hinder her, she prays that she may be
assisted within, where no man seeth, lest she be turned aside
by evil tongues, for the words, O Lord, lead me forth in Thy justice because of my enemies, unto, with their tongues they dealt craftily. Fifthly, is a prophecy of what punishment awaits the ungodly, when the just man shall scarcely be saved; and of what reward the just shall obtain, who, when they were called, came, and bore all things manfully, till they were brought to the end, from the words, judge them,
O God, unto the end of the Psalm.
PSALM VI.
To the end, in the hymns of the eighth >>, a Psalm to David.
1. Of the eighth, seems here obscure. For the rest of this title is more clear. Now it has seemed to some to intimate the day of judgment, that is, the time of the coming of our Lord, when He will come to judge the quick and dead. Which coming, it is believed, is to be, after reckoning the
years from Adam, seven thousand years : so as that seven thousand years should pass as seven days, and afterwards
a LXX. <<ri{ ris iyiim. D
84 Time of Judgment secret. Eight follows four and three.
Psalm that time arrive as it were the eighth day. But since it has ' been said by the Lord, It is not yours to know the times,
7. which the Father hath put in His own power : and, But of
^e day and that hour knoweth no man, no, neither angel,
nor Power, neither the Son, but the Father alone: and again,
18*83
l Thess. that which is written, that the day of the Lord cometh as a
' '
Dent, 13' 3'
thief, shews clearly enough that no man should arrogate to himself the knowledge of that time, by any computation of
For if that day is to come after seven thousand years, every man could learn its advent by reckoning the years. What comes then of the Son's even not knowing this? Which of course is said with this meaning, that men do not learn this by the Son, not that He by Himself doth not know it: according to that form of speech, the Lord your Godtrieth you that He may know; that is, that He may make you know:
years.
Pa. 3, 7. and, arise, O Lord; that is, make us arise. When therefore the Son is thus said not to know this day ; not because He knoweth it not, but because He causeth those to know it not, for whom it is not expedient to know that He doth not shew to them what does that strange presumption mean, which, by reckoning up of years, expects the day of the Lord as most certain after seven thousand years
2. Be we then willingly ignorant of that which the Lord would not have us know and let us inquire what this title, of the eighth, means. The day of judgment may indeed, even without any rash computation of years, be understood by the eighth, for that immediately after the end of this world, life eternal being attained, the souls of the righteous will not then be subject unto times: and, since all times have their revolution in repetition of those seven days, that peradventure called the eighth day, which will not have this variety. There another reason, which may be here not unreasonably accepted, why the judgment should be called the eighth, because will take place after two generations, one relating to the body, the other to the soul. For from Adam unto Moses the human race lived of the
body, that is, according to the flesh which called the
outward and the old man, and to which the Old Testament 2^ph. was given, that might prefigure the spiritual things to come by operations, albeit religious, yet carnal. Through this
Rom.
*?
6,
it
a
;
it :
is
is
is
a
:
is, ?
it
it,
Four denotes the body, three the soul. 35
entire season, when men lived according to the body, death Title. reigned, as the Apostle saith, even over those that had not ff"". 5, sinned. Now it reigned after the similitude of Adam's trans
gression, as the same Apostle saith ; for it must be taken of
the period up to Moses, up to which time the works of the
law, that is, those sacraments of carnal observance, held even
those bound, for the sake of a certain mystery, who were sub
ject to the One God. But from the coming of the Lord, from Whom there was a transition from the circumcision of the
flesh to the circumcision of the heart, the call was made,
that man should live according to the soul, that is, according
to the inner man, who is also called the new man by reason Col. 3, oi the new birth and the renewing of spiritual conversation.
Now it is plain that the number four has relation to
the body, from the four well-known elements of which it consists, and the four qualities, of dry, humid, warm, cold. Hence too it is administered by four seasons, spring, sum
mer, autumn, winter. All this is very well known. For of
the number four relating to the body we have treated else
where somewhat subtilly, but obscurely : which must be avoided in this discourse, which we would have accom modated to the unlearned. But that the number three has relation to the mind may be understood from this, that we
are commanded to love God after a threefold manner, with Pe"1, the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind : Mat. 22, of each of which severally we must treat, not in the Psalms,37. but in the Gospels : for the present, for proof of the relation
of the number three to the mind, I think what has been said
Those numbers then of the body which have relation to the old man and the Old Testament, being past and gone, the numbers too of the soul, which have relation to the new man and the New Testament, being past and gone, a septenary so to say being passed ; because every thing is done in time, four having been distributed to the
body, three to the mind ; the eighth will come, the day of judgment : which assigning to deserts their due, will transfer at once the saint, not to temporal works, but to eternal life ;
but will condemn the ungodly to eternal punishment.
3. In fear of which condemnation the Church prays in this Psalm, and says, (ver. Reprove me not, Lord, in Thine
d2
enough.
1. )
O
36 Anger how ascribed to God. Chastening how deprecated.
Psalm anger. The Apostle too mentions the anger of the judg- . 5 --^ ment; Thou ireasurest up unto thyself, he says, anger
,5.
