201
me to have a closer reference to the context of the Psalm.
me to have a closer reference to the context of the Psalm.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
Great security of soul !
Would ye fear nothing ?
Ask this one, which he asketh who feareth nothing, or which Ihe asketh that he may fear nothing.
Let us see what he
asked the Lord, this will I
of require.
One, saith he, have
This is practised here by them thIat walk honestly. What is
may
dwell in the house
of
The joy* of God's House. Misery of ill desire gratified. 195
is, tent. A tent belongs to those who are in pilgrimage, and Ver.
in a measure warring and fighting against an enemy. -- Since then there is a tent in this life, it is plain that there is
an enemy too. For to have tents
be comrades : and you know this is the name for soldiers, contu.
Here then is a tent, there a house. But this tent too isberDales sometimes by application of its resemblance called a house,
and the house is according to the same method called a
tent: yet properly the latter is the house, the former the
tent.
7. Now what we shall do in that house, you have clearly
expressed in another Psalm : Blessed are they that dwell in Ps. 84,4. Thine house ; they will be praising Tliee for ever. On fire,
if we may so say, with this desire, and boiling with this love,
he longs to dwell all the days of his life in the house of the Lord : in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, not as if they were to come to an end, but days eternal. For so
is the word, days, used, as years, of which it is said, And ps. 102,
Thy years shall not For I
fail. the day of life eternal is one27.
day without setting. This then he said to the Lord,
desired this, One have
require.
II asked, This will
have And as if we should say to him, And what wilt thou do there? what will be thy delight there ? what the recreation of thy soul ?
what the pleasures there whence thy joys will be supplied? For thou wilt not continue there, unless thou shalt be happy. But that happiness whence will it come ? For here we have the divers happinesses of the human race j and any one is called miserable, when what he loves is withdrawn.
Men then have divers things, and when any man seems to have what he loves, he is called happy. But he is truly happy, not if he have what he loves, but if he love what he ought to love. For many are more miserable in having what they
love, than in wanting it. For men miserable by the love of hurtful things, are more miserable by having them. And
God in mercy, when we love amiss, denieth what we love:
but in anger giveth to him that loveth what he loves amiss.
You have the Apostle, saying expressly, God gave them upUova. i,
to the lust of their own hearts. He gave them what they loved, but in condemnation. You have again God denying what was asked : For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, o -1
in common, this is to
196 Fallen man must be raised ere he can contemplate God.
Psalm saith he, that He would take it away from me; (namely, the Ex Jli* thorn in the flesh;) and He said to me, My grace is sufficient 2 Cor. for thee: for strength is made perfect in weakness. See He
I2,8. 9. gave those up to the lust of their hearts: He denied the Apostle Paul what he prayed for ; to the former He gave unto condemnation, to the latter He denied unto salvation. But when we love that which God wills us to love, beyond doubt He will give it us. This is that one, which should be loved, that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
1 0xf. ' ipse. '
ask him, as it were, more inquisitively, and let him tell us, what we ourselves, what he ' will do in that house, where he wishes and desires, longs and asks this one thing from the Lord, that he may dwell therein all the days of his life. What wilt thou do there, I ask theeI? What is it for which
the delight of the Lord. See what I love, see why I wish to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. He
has there a grand spectacle, to contemplate the delight of the Lord Himself. He wishes when his own night is over to be fixed in His light. For then will be our morning, when the night is passed : whence he says in another Psalm,
days of our life.
8. And because, in these earthly
habitations, men are
charmed with divers delights and pleasures, and every one wishes to dwell in that house, where he will have nothing to offend his mind, and have many things to delight him ; but if those things which did delight are withdrawn, the man wishes to remove from what place soever it be : let us then
thou longest? Hear what, That
may contemplate
Ps. 5,3. In the morning I will stand before Thee, and will contem
Now therefore I do not contemplate, because 1 have a Oxf. fallen: then I will stand, and will contemplate3. This is
add'be. man's
fall. '
plate.
voice. For man has fallen, and one would not be cause I sent to raise us up, if we had not fallen. We have fallen,
"? Me hath descended. He hath ascended, we are lifted up; John 3, ror no man hath ascended, but He Who descended. He 13 who hath fallen is lifted up ; He Who descended ascendeth.
And let us not therefore despair, that He alone hath ascended. For He lifteth us up, to whom in our fall He descended: and we shall stand, and shall contemplate, and enjoy great delight. Lo ! I have said this, and ye have
He is that Good, by Which all is good, that is good. 197
cried out for the longing after some vision not seen as yet. Ver. Let your soul go beyond all ordinary things, and let your -- reach of thought go beyond all your customary imaginations according to the flesh, derived from the senses of the flesh,
and figuring out all manner of vain fancies. Cast all away from your mind, reject whatever may have occurred to you : recognise the weakness of your heart, and for the very fact of any thing occurring to you, that you are able to imagine, say, It is not that; for if it had been that, it would not have occurred to me. So will ye long for some certain good. What kind of good? The Good of all good, whence cometh all good, the Good to which cannot be added what Good
It is. For we use the expression, a good man, and a good field, and a good house, and a good animal, and a good tree, and a good body, and a good soul : you have added in speak ing of all these, " good. " There is the Simple Good, the
Very Good by Which all things are good, the Very Good of Which all good things are ; this is the delight of the Lord, this we shall contemplate. Now, Brethren, mark; if these goods which are called goods delight us, if goods which are not in themselves goods (for all things changeable are not in themselves goods) delight us ; what will be our contem plation of the Good Unchangeable, Eternal, Abiding ever in the same fashion ? For these things, which are called good, would by no means delight us, except they were good ; nor could they be by any other means good, save from Him Who is simply Good.
9. See why I wish to dwell, saith he, in the house of theI Lord all the days of my life. I have told you why, That may contemplate the delight of the Lord. But, that I may always contemplate, that no annoyance may befal me in my contemplation, no temptation turn me aside, no power of any hurry me away, that 1 may not be exposed to the violence of any enemy in my contemplation, but have secure and thorough enjoyment of my delight, the Lord my God Himself; what shall be done for me ? He shall protect me. Not only, then, saith he, would I contemplate the delight of the Lord, but also that I, His temple, be protected. That He may protect me, His own temple, I shall be His temple, and be protected by Him. Is the temple of God such as the
198 The soul God's Temple. Delight in Him a pledge of more.
Psalm temples of idols are ? The idols of the Gentiles are protected XXVII i Exp. lliby their temples: the Lord our God will protect His temple,
and I shall be secure. I shall contemplate for delight, and be protected for salvation. As that contemplation shall be perfect, so shall this protection be perfect; and as that joy of contemplation shall be perfect, so also shall the incorruption of sound health be perfect. To these two expressions, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple; those two with which the Psalm commences,I
Ver. 1. < The Lord is my Light, and my Salvation, whom shall
In that I shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, He is my Light: in that He will protect me, His temple, He is my Salvation.
10. But why doth He make this good for us unto the end ? (ver. 5. ) For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. My dwelling, then, shall be in His house all the days of my life to this end, that I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple. But whence my assurance of arriving thither ? For He hath
fear?
hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. Then the days of my evils will be no more, but He hath seen me in the days of my evils. He then Who mercifully regarded me when far off, how shall He gladden me when brought near to Him ? For which cause therefore I did not make that one petition shamelessly ; nor did my heart say to me, What art thou asking, or from Whom art thou asking ? For dost thou dare, unrighteous sinnner, to ask any thing from God ? Darest thou hope, infirm one, of heart impure, that thoushalt
I do, he answers, not of myself, but of His delight1; not of self-reliance, but of His ,' . "1? , earnest. He Who hath given such an earnest to the pilgrim, will He desert him on his arrival? For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. Lo ! the day of our evils is this life. Days of evil the ungodly have in one
have any contemplation of God ?
way, the faithful in another. For even they that believe,
but who as yet are in pilgrimage from the Lord, {For as 2Cor. 5, iong as we are (n //,/s. body, we are in pilgrimage from the Lord, as the Apostle hath said :) if they spend no days of evil, whence the words in the Lord's prayer, Deliver us from evil, if we are not in days of evil ? But far differently do they
Christ the Secret Shrine of the Tabernacle, His Church. 199
spend the days of evil, who have not yet believed : yet even Ver. these hath He not disregarded. For Christ died for the 5' ? ' ungodly. Therefore let the soul of man dare to feel conn- 6. dence, and make that one petition : it will have it in safety,
it will possess it in safety. So greatly hath she been loved
in her deformity, how shall she shine in her beauty ? For
He hath hidden me in His tabernacle, in the days of my
evils: He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle.
What is the secret of His tabernacle? What is this? For
there are, so to say, many members of a tabernacle seen from without. There is too, so to say, the shrine1 which is called 1adytum the secret sanctuary*, the innermost part of the temple. And 2 pene. what is this? that which the priest alone entered. And 5^ 9
haply the priest Himself is the secret of God's tabernacle. 7.
For He received flesh from this tabernacle, and made for us
the secret of the tabernacle : so that His other members, believers on Him, should be His tabernacle, but Himself the
secret of the tabernacle. For ye are dead, saith the Apostle, Col. 3,3.
and your life hath been hid with Christ in God.
11. Would ye know that he is speaking of this? The 1 Cor.
Rock assuredly is Christ. Hear what follows, For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the days of my evils : He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle. You were asking what is the secret of the tabernacle : hear what follows : On the Rock hath He exalted me. Therefore in Christ hath He exalted me. Because thou hast humbled
thyself in the dust, He hath exalted thee on the Rock. But Christ is above, and thou art yet below. Hear the words following, (ver. 6. ) Even now hath He exalted mine head above mine enemies. Even now, before I come to that house, where I wish to dwell all the days of my life, before I come to that contemplation of the Lord, Even now hath He exalted
mine headabove mine enemies. As yet I sufferfrom the enemies of the Body of Christ, as yet I have not been exalted above mine enemies ; but, mine head hath He exalted above mine enemies. Christ our Head is already in heaven, our enemies can as yet rage against us ; we are not yet exalted above them ; but our Head is already there, whence He spake the
words, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me ? He hath said Acts 9, that He is in us here below : therefore we too are in Him 4" there above ; for that, Even now He hath exalted mine head
'
200 The sacrifice ofjoy offered on viewing the Creation; Psalm above mine enemies. See what an earnest we have, whereby
expji! we too are by faith, and hope, and charity, with our
mationIofthe world.
in
~
Mat. 28, goodness, unity, is with us on earth even unto the consum
Head. heaven for ever; because the Head Himself, by divinity,
have gone about, and have sacrificed in His taber
12.
nacle the victim of rejoicing.
rejoicing, we sacrifice the victim of gladness, the victim of thankfulness, the victim of thanksgiving, which cannot be
We sacrifice the victim of
in words. But we sacrifice, where? In His tabernacle, in the holy Church. What then do we
explained
very
sacrifice?
words, with speech ineffable. This is the victim of rejoicing. Whence hath it been sought, where found ? By going about.
Most abundant and inexpressible joy, with no
/ have gone about, saith he, and sacrificed in His tabernacle
Let thy mind go about through all creation: every where will creation cry out to thee, God made me. Whatever in art delighti. th thee, sets forth the artificer : and much more if thou go about the universe, doth consideration conceive the great Workman's praise. Thou seest the heavens: they are God's great work. Thou seest
1 Antw. the earth: God made the numerous seeds1, the varieties of 'Jrfip. '? herbs, the multitude of animals. Go yet about the heavens even unto the earth, leave nothing : on all sides all things
to thee the Framer, and the very species of creatures are so to say the voices of the Creator's praisers. But who can set forth the whole creation ? who set it forth in praises ? who worthily praise the heaven and the earth, the sea and all things that are therein ? And these indeed are things visible. Who can worthily praise Angels, Thrones,
Sovereignties, Principalities, and Powers ? Who can worthily praise that very power that works actively within us, quicken ing the body, moving the limbs, bringing the senses into
the victim of rejoicing.
proclaim
action, embracing so many things by the memory, discri minating so many things by the intellect; who can worthily praise it? But if in these creatures of God human language is so embarrassed, how fares it in the case of the Creator, e/xcept
in default of language there remain rejoicing alone ?
have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim
of rejoicing.
13. There is another interpretation also, which seems to
Oronviewing the Church victorious. Presentgrief andprayer.
201
me to have a closer reference to the context of the Psalm. VBr.
- which is Christ; and that his Head, which is Christ, was exalted above his enemies ; he would have it understood
that he himself, who was exalted on the Rock, was exalted in the same, his Head, above his enemies : referring this to
For since he had said that he was exalted on the Rock, -6--
the Church's honour, to which the
enemies gave way : and since this was effected through the faith of the whole world, he saith, 1 have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim ofrejoic ing: that is, I have considered the faith of the whole world, in which faith my Head hath been exalted above them that persecuted me ; and in His very tabernacle, that is, in the Church spread abroad throughout the whole world, have I in
manner unspeakable praised the Lord.
/will
in safety, and sing in safety, and give praise in safety, when
we shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, and shall be protected as His temple in that incorruption, when death l Cor. shall be swallowed up in victory. But what now ? For 1. s, 54, those joys, which we shall have, when we shall have gained
that one petition, have been already spoken of. But what
now? Hear my voice, O Lord. Let us groan now, let us
pray now. Groaning belongs not but to the miserable, prayer belongs not but to the necessitous. Prayer shall
pass away, praise shall take its place ; tears shall pass away,
joy shall take their place. Now in the meanwhile, whilst we are in the days of our evils, let not our prayer to God cease, from Whom we ask that one petition ; and from this petition let us not desist, until by His gift and guidance we attain unto it. (Ver. 7. ) Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee: have mercy upon me, and hear me. He makes that one petition ; entreating, weeping, groaning so long, he makes but that one. He has put an end to all His desires; there hath remained that one petition, which he asks.
15. Hear why heI makes this petition: (ver. 8. ) My heart
14.
sing
and
to the Lord. We shall give praises be
hath said to Thee,
have sought Thy coIuntenance. This then
is what he said a little before, That I
may contemplate the
delight of the Lord. My heart hath said to Thee,
sought Thy countenance. If our joy were in this visible sun,
persecution of the
have
202 Seek the light of God's countenance, not earthly gifts. Pbalm out heart would not say, / have sought Thy countenance ;
Exp. il out, the eyes of our body. To whom saith our heart, /
have sought Thy countenance, but to Him Who appertaineth to the eye of the heart ? The eyes of the flesh seek this visible
light, the eyes of the heart seek that other light. But thou
wouldest see that light, which is seen by the eyes of the 1 Johu heart ; because this Light is God. For God is Light, saith
' 5'
John, and in Him is no darkness at all. Wouldest thou then see that light? Purify the eye, whereby Christ is seen, for,
Matt. 5, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
16. My heart hath said unto Thee, I have sought Thy
countenance; Thy countenance, O Lord, will I
seek. I have made one petition of the Lord, this will I seek, Thy coun
tenance. Turn not away Thy facefrom me. How he hath planted himself in that one petition ! Wouldest thou obtain thy request ? Seek nothing else. Be thou sufficient but for one petitionI, for one will suffice thee. My heart hath said
unto Thee,
O Lord, will I
have sought Thy countenance; Thy countenance,
seek. Turn not
turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. Magnificent !
nothing can be more divinely spoken ! This is the feeling of those that truly love. Another man would be blessed and immortal in these pleasures of earthly lusts which he loves : and peradventure for this reason would worship God, and pray, that he may long live here in his delights, and that nothing should fail him, which earthly desire has in posses sion, neither gold, nor silver, nor any estate that charms his eyes, that his friends, his children, his wife, his dependents, should not die; in these delights would he live for ever. But since he cannot for ever, for he knows that he is mortal; for this haply does he worship God, and for this pray to God, and for this sigh to God, that all these things may last even to old age. And if God should say to him, Lo ! I make thee immortal in these things, he would accept it as a great boon, and in the exultation of his joy and self- congratulation would be unable to contain himself. Not so doth this man wish, who hath made one petition of the Lord. But what doth he wish ? To contemplate the delight of the Lord all the days of his life. And on the contrary the other, who in this way and for this reason would worship the Lord, if
away Thy face from
me :
God's turning away from us, the greatest punishment. 203 those temporal advantages were at his hand, would not fear Ver.
8' 9'
For what doth he fear His anger? Lest He take
away that which he hath loved. What hath he loved ? Thy countenance. Therefore he deems this to be the anger of
the Lord, if He turn away His countenance from him.
(Ver. 9. ) Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. He
might by chance be answered thus ; " Why fearest thou lest
He should turn aside from thee in anger? Rather if He should
turn aside from thee in anger, He will not avenge Himself
on thee: if thou meet Him in His anger, He will be avenged
on thee. Rather then desire that He may turn aside from
thee when in anger. " " No," says he ; for he knows what
he longs for; " His anger is nothing else than the turning
away of His countenance. " " What if He will make thee immortal in these delights, and in the"enjoyment of earthly gratifications ? " Such a lover answers, 1 would not have it; whatever I have beside Him has no charms for me : what
ever my Lord would give me, let Him take away all, give
me Himself. " Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant.
From some peradventure He doth turn aside, not in anger ;
as from certain who say to Him, Turn away Thy face from Ps. 51,9.
my sins. When He turneth away His face from thy sins, He doth not turn aside from thee in anger. Let Him then turn away His face from thy sins: but let Him not turn away His face from thee.
17. Be Thou my helper: leave me not. For, lo, I am in
the way, I have made the one petition of Thee, to dwell in
Thy house all the days of my life, to contemplate Thy delight, and be protected as Thy temple : this is my one petition : but that I may attain unto " am in the way. Peradventure Thou wilt say unto me, Strive, walk, have
given thee freewill; thou art master of thine own will, follow
on the way, seek peace, and ensue it; turn not aside from Ps. 34, the way, abide not therein, look not back persevere in walking, for he that shall persevere unto the end, the same Mat. 24, shall be saved. " Now that thou hast received freewill, thou
dost rely as were on the power of walking rely not ou
the anger of his Lord, unless lest He should take them away. This man feareth not His anger on this account;
since he hath said of his enemies, That they may eat my ver. 2.
Jlesh.
it
:
;
I
it, I
2.
Gal. 4, 26.
who is the mother ? There is a certain city, that is called Babylon ; this city is the company of all the lost from the East even unto the West; she hath a kingdom on earth: after this city a certain* state is named, which ye now see growing old and waning. This was our first mother, in this were we born. We have known another father, God; we have left the devil. For how dare he approach those, whom He, Who overcometh all things, hath taken up ? We have known another mother, the heavenly Jerusalem, which
204 GodandthcChnrch,insteadofParents,orofSatanandBabylon.
Psalm thyself; if He should leave thee, thou wilt faint in the very Exrll uay, tnou "*'* ^all, w^t go astray, wilt come to a stand:
-- say then to Him, Thou hast given me indeed a free will, but without Thee my efforts are nothing : Be Thou my helper : leave me not; neither despise me, 0 God of my salvation. For Thou dost help, Who formedst ; Thou dost not desert, Who creatcdst.
18. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. He hath made himself a babe unto God: he hath made Him Father, he hath made Him Mother. He is Father, in that He made, in that He calleth, in that He ordereth, in that He ruleth him : Mother, in that He cherisheth, in that He nourisheth him, in that He suckleth, in that He beareth him. Myfather and my mother hare left me: but the Lord hath taken me up : both to rule me, and to nourish me. Mortal parents beget, children succeed, mortals to other mortals ; and for this were they born who might succeed,
that those who begot them might depart : He will not depart Who created me, I will not withdraw from Him. My father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me
Beside those two parents also, of whose flesh we were born, the man the father, the woman the mother, as Adam and Eve ; besides those two parents, we have here auother father and another mother, or rather we had. The father according to the world is the devil, and he was our father when we were unbelievers. For to unbelievers the Lord
John 8, saith, Ye are of your father the devil. If he be the father of &ih 2 a^ tne ungodly, who worketh in the children of disobedience,
up.
? He means the Roman empire, of Italy, A. D. 406, and the capture of which was now as it were waxing old, the city, A. D. 410. Ben.
and failing, from the time of the wasting
J'
Demons not to be worshipped even for temporal blessings. 205
is the holy Church, a portion whereof is a pilgrim on earth: Ver.
we have left Babylon. Myfather and my mother have left me: they have nothing now to give me; since even when they seemed to give to me, it was Thou Who gavest, and I set it down to them.
--
19. For by whom, even with respect to this world, is aught given to man, but by God ? Or what is taken away from man, except He order, or permit, Who gave it? But vain
men imagine, that those spirits 1, whom they adore, give it : ' dte- and sometimes they say to themselves, God is necessary for
life eternal, for that spiritual life ; but these powers ought to be worshipped by us for these temporal things. O the folly of mankind ! thou hast more love for those things for which thou wouldest worship them : in good truth, thou hast more mind to worship them, or, not to say more, at least as much. But God will not be worshipped together with them, not even though He be worshipped much more, and they much less. What then, thou wilt say, are they not necessary too for these things ? No. But we have reason to fear, lest they do one harm in their anger. No harm will they do, unless He permit. They have always the wish to do harm, nor, if they be appeased, or if they be entreated, do they cease to wish to do harm. For this is a property of their malevolence. Therefore what wilt thou gain by worshipping them, save that thou wilt offend Him, by offending Whom thou wilt be given over into their power, that they who could do nothing to thee when He is favourable, may do what they will when He is angry? And that thou mayest know, who soever thou art who thinkest so, how vainly thou dost worship them, as if for temporal benefits: of all that worship Neptune have none suffered shipwreck? or of all who blaspheme Neptune have none arrived in port ? Have all the women who worship Juno had a good delivery ? or all who blas pheme Juno a bad delivery ? From this, beloved brethren, ye may understand the folly of those men who will worship them even for these temporal things. For if for these temporal things they ought to be worshipped, their wor shippers alone would abound in all temporal blessings. And indeed if this were the case, we ought to avoid such gifts, and make one petition of the Lord. To this must be
206 A Law desirable to those who have God's help.
Psalm added, that it is He Who giveth even these things, Who is XXVII offended when these ? are Therefore let
ExPji)
spirits worshipped.
our father and our mother leave us ; let the devil leave us,
the city Babylon leave us: let the Lord take us up to console us with things temporal, and to bless us with things eternal. For my father and my mother have left me : but the Lord hath taken me up.
20. Now then he hath been taken up by the Lord, having abandoned that city, and its ruler the devil, for the devil is the ruler of the ungodly, the ruler of the world, of this darkness. What darkness ? Sinners, unbelievers. Whence the Apostle saith to them that now believe, Ye were some times darkness, but now light in the Lord. Being then now taken up by Him, what say we? (Ver. 11. ) Appoint men late, O Lord, in Thy way. Hast thou dared to ask for a law? What if He should say to thee, " Thou shalt fulfil the law ? if I give a law, thou shalt fulfil it ? " He would not dare ask unless he said first, But the Lord hath taken me up. He would not dare ask unless he said first, Be Tfwu my helper. Therefore Thou helpest, Thou takest me up, give me law. Appoint me, Lord, a law in Thy tray.
Eph. 5,
Therefore, appoint me a law in Thy Christ. For the Way JohnH, Himself hath spoken unto us, and said, am the Way, the
Prov.
Truth, and the Life. law in Christ, law with mercy. This the Wisdom, of Which written, She carrieth law and mercy in her tongue. And thou shalt commit any offence in the law, He Who shed His Blood for thee, pardons thee on confession only forsake not thou the way, say unto Him, Be Thou my upholder, and direct me in the right path, because mine enemies. Give me law, but take not mercy away as he said in another Psalm, For He
will give mercy, Who hath given a law Therefore, Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way this refers to the precept what refers to mercy And direct me, saith he, in the right path, because of mine enemies.
21. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me that is, let me not consent to them that trouble me. For thou shalt consent to him that troubleth thee, unto his soul, he will not, so to say, devour thy flesh, but by
Ps. 84, 6. K<<) yi( ii>. oy',a: Mn ntutirS,. LXX.
i
if is
"
if :
?
is
a
it,
:
:
it
it, O
:
".
if a
: of
A
if
a
is I
The Psalmist prays not to he left, in soul, to his enemies'1 will. 207
a perverted will he will eat up thy soul. Deliver me not up Ver.
unto the souls of them that trouble me. Deliver me, if it please Thee, into the hands of them that trouble me. For
this Martyrs have said to Him, and He hath delivered His
own into the hands of them that trouble them. But what
hath He delivered ? The flesh. Which is meant in the
book of Job, The earth hath been delivered into the hands Job 9,
'
of the wicked; the flesh hath been delivered into the hands of the persecutor. Deliver me not up, not my flesh, but me. I speak unto Thee as a soul, as mind I speak unto Thee : I do not say, Deliver not up my flesh into the hands of them that trouble me ; but, Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. And how are men delivered up unto the souls of them that trouble them ? For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. Now, for that there are unrighteous witnesses, and they speak much evil against me, and in many things defame me, if I shall have been delivered up unto their souls, I also shall lie, and shall be their com panion, not a partaker of Thy truth, but a partaker with them in a lie against Thee : Unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me ; and iniquity hath lied unto itself: unto itself, and not unto me : unto itself let it ever lie, but let it not lie unto me. If Thou shalt have delivered me up unto the souls of them that trouble me, that is, if I shall have consented to their wishes; now will not iniquity already havelied unto itself, but unto me also : whereas if they exercise against me all the violence they wish, and endeavour to hinder my free course, and notwithstanding Thou give me not over unto their souls : by not consenting to their wishes, I shall abide and continue in Thy truth, and iniquity will lie not unto me, but unto itself.
22. He returns to that one petition after these dangers, after toils, after difficulties, amid the hands of them that persecute and trouble him, gasping, panting, travailing, yet stedfast, and assured while He upholdeth, helpeth, guideth, ruleth ; yet, after that going about and rejoicing, in joy exulting, in travails groaning, he sighed at last, and said,
(ver.
Let us see what he
asked the Lord, this will I
of require.
One, saith he, have
This is practised here by them thIat walk honestly. What is
may
dwell in the house
of
The joy* of God's House. Misery of ill desire gratified. 195
is, tent. A tent belongs to those who are in pilgrimage, and Ver.
in a measure warring and fighting against an enemy. -- Since then there is a tent in this life, it is plain that there is
an enemy too. For to have tents
be comrades : and you know this is the name for soldiers, contu.
Here then is a tent, there a house. But this tent too isberDales sometimes by application of its resemblance called a house,
and the house is according to the same method called a
tent: yet properly the latter is the house, the former the
tent.
7. Now what we shall do in that house, you have clearly
expressed in another Psalm : Blessed are they that dwell in Ps. 84,4. Thine house ; they will be praising Tliee for ever. On fire,
if we may so say, with this desire, and boiling with this love,
he longs to dwell all the days of his life in the house of the Lord : in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, not as if they were to come to an end, but days eternal. For so
is the word, days, used, as years, of which it is said, And ps. 102,
Thy years shall not For I
fail. the day of life eternal is one27.
day without setting. This then he said to the Lord,
desired this, One have
require.
II asked, This will
have And as if we should say to him, And what wilt thou do there? what will be thy delight there ? what the recreation of thy soul ?
what the pleasures there whence thy joys will be supplied? For thou wilt not continue there, unless thou shalt be happy. But that happiness whence will it come ? For here we have the divers happinesses of the human race j and any one is called miserable, when what he loves is withdrawn.
Men then have divers things, and when any man seems to have what he loves, he is called happy. But he is truly happy, not if he have what he loves, but if he love what he ought to love. For many are more miserable in having what they
love, than in wanting it. For men miserable by the love of hurtful things, are more miserable by having them. And
God in mercy, when we love amiss, denieth what we love:
but in anger giveth to him that loveth what he loves amiss.
You have the Apostle, saying expressly, God gave them upUova. i,
to the lust of their own hearts. He gave them what they loved, but in condemnation. You have again God denying what was asked : For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, o -1
in common, this is to
196 Fallen man must be raised ere he can contemplate God.
Psalm saith he, that He would take it away from me; (namely, the Ex Jli* thorn in the flesh;) and He said to me, My grace is sufficient 2 Cor. for thee: for strength is made perfect in weakness. See He
I2,8. 9. gave those up to the lust of their hearts: He denied the Apostle Paul what he prayed for ; to the former He gave unto condemnation, to the latter He denied unto salvation. But when we love that which God wills us to love, beyond doubt He will give it us. This is that one, which should be loved, that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
1 0xf. ' ipse. '
ask him, as it were, more inquisitively, and let him tell us, what we ourselves, what he ' will do in that house, where he wishes and desires, longs and asks this one thing from the Lord, that he may dwell therein all the days of his life. What wilt thou do there, I ask theeI? What is it for which
the delight of the Lord. See what I love, see why I wish to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. He
has there a grand spectacle, to contemplate the delight of the Lord Himself. He wishes when his own night is over to be fixed in His light. For then will be our morning, when the night is passed : whence he says in another Psalm,
days of our life.
8. And because, in these earthly
habitations, men are
charmed with divers delights and pleasures, and every one wishes to dwell in that house, where he will have nothing to offend his mind, and have many things to delight him ; but if those things which did delight are withdrawn, the man wishes to remove from what place soever it be : let us then
thou longest? Hear what, That
may contemplate
Ps. 5,3. In the morning I will stand before Thee, and will contem
Now therefore I do not contemplate, because 1 have a Oxf. fallen: then I will stand, and will contemplate3. This is
add'be. man's
fall. '
plate.
voice. For man has fallen, and one would not be cause I sent to raise us up, if we had not fallen. We have fallen,
"? Me hath descended. He hath ascended, we are lifted up; John 3, ror no man hath ascended, but He Who descended. He 13 who hath fallen is lifted up ; He Who descended ascendeth.
And let us not therefore despair, that He alone hath ascended. For He lifteth us up, to whom in our fall He descended: and we shall stand, and shall contemplate, and enjoy great delight. Lo ! I have said this, and ye have
He is that Good, by Which all is good, that is good. 197
cried out for the longing after some vision not seen as yet. Ver. Let your soul go beyond all ordinary things, and let your -- reach of thought go beyond all your customary imaginations according to the flesh, derived from the senses of the flesh,
and figuring out all manner of vain fancies. Cast all away from your mind, reject whatever may have occurred to you : recognise the weakness of your heart, and for the very fact of any thing occurring to you, that you are able to imagine, say, It is not that; for if it had been that, it would not have occurred to me. So will ye long for some certain good. What kind of good? The Good of all good, whence cometh all good, the Good to which cannot be added what Good
It is. For we use the expression, a good man, and a good field, and a good house, and a good animal, and a good tree, and a good body, and a good soul : you have added in speak ing of all these, " good. " There is the Simple Good, the
Very Good by Which all things are good, the Very Good of Which all good things are ; this is the delight of the Lord, this we shall contemplate. Now, Brethren, mark; if these goods which are called goods delight us, if goods which are not in themselves goods (for all things changeable are not in themselves goods) delight us ; what will be our contem plation of the Good Unchangeable, Eternal, Abiding ever in the same fashion ? For these things, which are called good, would by no means delight us, except they were good ; nor could they be by any other means good, save from Him Who is simply Good.
9. See why I wish to dwell, saith he, in the house of theI Lord all the days of my life. I have told you why, That may contemplate the delight of the Lord. But, that I may always contemplate, that no annoyance may befal me in my contemplation, no temptation turn me aside, no power of any hurry me away, that 1 may not be exposed to the violence of any enemy in my contemplation, but have secure and thorough enjoyment of my delight, the Lord my God Himself; what shall be done for me ? He shall protect me. Not only, then, saith he, would I contemplate the delight of the Lord, but also that I, His temple, be protected. That He may protect me, His own temple, I shall be His temple, and be protected by Him. Is the temple of God such as the
198 The soul God's Temple. Delight in Him a pledge of more.
Psalm temples of idols are ? The idols of the Gentiles are protected XXVII i Exp. lliby their temples: the Lord our God will protect His temple,
and I shall be secure. I shall contemplate for delight, and be protected for salvation. As that contemplation shall be perfect, so shall this protection be perfect; and as that joy of contemplation shall be perfect, so also shall the incorruption of sound health be perfect. To these two expressions, That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple; those two with which the Psalm commences,I
Ver. 1. < The Lord is my Light, and my Salvation, whom shall
In that I shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, He is my Light: in that He will protect me, His temple, He is my Salvation.
10. But why doth He make this good for us unto the end ? (ver. 5. ) For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. My dwelling, then, shall be in His house all the days of my life to this end, that I may contemplate the delight of the Lord, and be protected, His temple. But whence my assurance of arriving thither ? For He hath
fear?
hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. Then the days of my evils will be no more, but He hath seen me in the days of my evils. He then Who mercifully regarded me when far off, how shall He gladden me when brought near to Him ? For which cause therefore I did not make that one petition shamelessly ; nor did my heart say to me, What art thou asking, or from Whom art thou asking ? For dost thou dare, unrighteous sinnner, to ask any thing from God ? Darest thou hope, infirm one, of heart impure, that thoushalt
I do, he answers, not of myself, but of His delight1; not of self-reliance, but of His ,' . "1? , earnest. He Who hath given such an earnest to the pilgrim, will He desert him on his arrival? For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils. Lo ! the day of our evils is this life. Days of evil the ungodly have in one
have any contemplation of God ?
way, the faithful in another. For even they that believe,
but who as yet are in pilgrimage from the Lord, {For as 2Cor. 5, iong as we are (n //,/s. body, we are in pilgrimage from the Lord, as the Apostle hath said :) if they spend no days of evil, whence the words in the Lord's prayer, Deliver us from evil, if we are not in days of evil ? But far differently do they
Christ the Secret Shrine of the Tabernacle, His Church. 199
spend the days of evil, who have not yet believed : yet even Ver. these hath He not disregarded. For Christ died for the 5' ? ' ungodly. Therefore let the soul of man dare to feel conn- 6. dence, and make that one petition : it will have it in safety,
it will possess it in safety. So greatly hath she been loved
in her deformity, how shall she shine in her beauty ? For
He hath hidden me in His tabernacle, in the days of my
evils: He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle.
What is the secret of His tabernacle? What is this? For
there are, so to say, many members of a tabernacle seen from without. There is too, so to say, the shrine1 which is called 1adytum the secret sanctuary*, the innermost part of the temple. And 2 pene. what is this? that which the priest alone entered. And 5^ 9
haply the priest Himself is the secret of God's tabernacle. 7.
For He received flesh from this tabernacle, and made for us
the secret of the tabernacle : so that His other members, believers on Him, should be His tabernacle, but Himself the
secret of the tabernacle. For ye are dead, saith the Apostle, Col. 3,3.
and your life hath been hid with Christ in God.
11. Would ye know that he is speaking of this? The 1 Cor.
Rock assuredly is Christ. Hear what follows, For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the days of my evils : He hath protected me in the secret of His tabernacle. You were asking what is the secret of the tabernacle : hear what follows : On the Rock hath He exalted me. Therefore in Christ hath He exalted me. Because thou hast humbled
thyself in the dust, He hath exalted thee on the Rock. But Christ is above, and thou art yet below. Hear the words following, (ver. 6. ) Even now hath He exalted mine head above mine enemies. Even now, before I come to that house, where I wish to dwell all the days of my life, before I come to that contemplation of the Lord, Even now hath He exalted
mine headabove mine enemies. As yet I sufferfrom the enemies of the Body of Christ, as yet I have not been exalted above mine enemies ; but, mine head hath He exalted above mine enemies. Christ our Head is already in heaven, our enemies can as yet rage against us ; we are not yet exalted above them ; but our Head is already there, whence He spake the
words, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me ? He hath said Acts 9, that He is in us here below : therefore we too are in Him 4" there above ; for that, Even now He hath exalted mine head
'
200 The sacrifice ofjoy offered on viewing the Creation; Psalm above mine enemies. See what an earnest we have, whereby
expji! we too are by faith, and hope, and charity, with our
mationIofthe world.
in
~
Mat. 28, goodness, unity, is with us on earth even unto the consum
Head. heaven for ever; because the Head Himself, by divinity,
have gone about, and have sacrificed in His taber
12.
nacle the victim of rejoicing.
rejoicing, we sacrifice the victim of gladness, the victim of thankfulness, the victim of thanksgiving, which cannot be
We sacrifice the victim of
in words. But we sacrifice, where? In His tabernacle, in the holy Church. What then do we
explained
very
sacrifice?
words, with speech ineffable. This is the victim of rejoicing. Whence hath it been sought, where found ? By going about.
Most abundant and inexpressible joy, with no
/ have gone about, saith he, and sacrificed in His tabernacle
Let thy mind go about through all creation: every where will creation cry out to thee, God made me. Whatever in art delighti. th thee, sets forth the artificer : and much more if thou go about the universe, doth consideration conceive the great Workman's praise. Thou seest the heavens: they are God's great work. Thou seest
1 Antw. the earth: God made the numerous seeds1, the varieties of 'Jrfip. '? herbs, the multitude of animals. Go yet about the heavens even unto the earth, leave nothing : on all sides all things
to thee the Framer, and the very species of creatures are so to say the voices of the Creator's praisers. But who can set forth the whole creation ? who set it forth in praises ? who worthily praise the heaven and the earth, the sea and all things that are therein ? And these indeed are things visible. Who can worthily praise Angels, Thrones,
Sovereignties, Principalities, and Powers ? Who can worthily praise that very power that works actively within us, quicken ing the body, moving the limbs, bringing the senses into
the victim of rejoicing.
proclaim
action, embracing so many things by the memory, discri minating so many things by the intellect; who can worthily praise it? But if in these creatures of God human language is so embarrassed, how fares it in the case of the Creator, e/xcept
in default of language there remain rejoicing alone ?
have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim
of rejoicing.
13. There is another interpretation also, which seems to
Oronviewing the Church victorious. Presentgrief andprayer.
201
me to have a closer reference to the context of the Psalm. VBr.
- which is Christ; and that his Head, which is Christ, was exalted above his enemies ; he would have it understood
that he himself, who was exalted on the Rock, was exalted in the same, his Head, above his enemies : referring this to
For since he had said that he was exalted on the Rock, -6--
the Church's honour, to which the
enemies gave way : and since this was effected through the faith of the whole world, he saith, 1 have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the victim ofrejoic ing: that is, I have considered the faith of the whole world, in which faith my Head hath been exalted above them that persecuted me ; and in His very tabernacle, that is, in the Church spread abroad throughout the whole world, have I in
manner unspeakable praised the Lord.
/will
in safety, and sing in safety, and give praise in safety, when
we shall contemplate the delight of the Lord, and shall be protected as His temple in that incorruption, when death l Cor. shall be swallowed up in victory. But what now ? For 1. s, 54, those joys, which we shall have, when we shall have gained
that one petition, have been already spoken of. But what
now? Hear my voice, O Lord. Let us groan now, let us
pray now. Groaning belongs not but to the miserable, prayer belongs not but to the necessitous. Prayer shall
pass away, praise shall take its place ; tears shall pass away,
joy shall take their place. Now in the meanwhile, whilst we are in the days of our evils, let not our prayer to God cease, from Whom we ask that one petition ; and from this petition let us not desist, until by His gift and guidance we attain unto it. (Ver. 7. ) Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee: have mercy upon me, and hear me. He makes that one petition ; entreating, weeping, groaning so long, he makes but that one. He has put an end to all His desires; there hath remained that one petition, which he asks.
15. Hear why heI makes this petition: (ver. 8. ) My heart
14.
sing
and
to the Lord. We shall give praises be
hath said to Thee,
have sought Thy coIuntenance. This then
is what he said a little before, That I
may contemplate the
delight of the Lord. My heart hath said to Thee,
sought Thy countenance. If our joy were in this visible sun,
persecution of the
have
202 Seek the light of God's countenance, not earthly gifts. Pbalm out heart would not say, / have sought Thy countenance ;
Exp. il out, the eyes of our body. To whom saith our heart, /
have sought Thy countenance, but to Him Who appertaineth to the eye of the heart ? The eyes of the flesh seek this visible
light, the eyes of the heart seek that other light. But thou
wouldest see that light, which is seen by the eyes of the 1 Johu heart ; because this Light is God. For God is Light, saith
' 5'
John, and in Him is no darkness at all. Wouldest thou then see that light? Purify the eye, whereby Christ is seen, for,
Matt. 5, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
16. My heart hath said unto Thee, I have sought Thy
countenance; Thy countenance, O Lord, will I
seek. I have made one petition of the Lord, this will I seek, Thy coun
tenance. Turn not away Thy facefrom me. How he hath planted himself in that one petition ! Wouldest thou obtain thy request ? Seek nothing else. Be thou sufficient but for one petitionI, for one will suffice thee. My heart hath said
unto Thee,
O Lord, will I
have sought Thy countenance; Thy countenance,
seek. Turn not
turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. Magnificent !
nothing can be more divinely spoken ! This is the feeling of those that truly love. Another man would be blessed and immortal in these pleasures of earthly lusts which he loves : and peradventure for this reason would worship God, and pray, that he may long live here in his delights, and that nothing should fail him, which earthly desire has in posses sion, neither gold, nor silver, nor any estate that charms his eyes, that his friends, his children, his wife, his dependents, should not die; in these delights would he live for ever. But since he cannot for ever, for he knows that he is mortal; for this haply does he worship God, and for this pray to God, and for this sigh to God, that all these things may last even to old age. And if God should say to him, Lo ! I make thee immortal in these things, he would accept it as a great boon, and in the exultation of his joy and self- congratulation would be unable to contain himself. Not so doth this man wish, who hath made one petition of the Lord. But what doth he wish ? To contemplate the delight of the Lord all the days of his life. And on the contrary the other, who in this way and for this reason would worship the Lord, if
away Thy face from
me :
God's turning away from us, the greatest punishment. 203 those temporal advantages were at his hand, would not fear Ver.
8' 9'
For what doth he fear His anger? Lest He take
away that which he hath loved. What hath he loved ? Thy countenance. Therefore he deems this to be the anger of
the Lord, if He turn away His countenance from him.
(Ver. 9. ) Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant. He
might by chance be answered thus ; " Why fearest thou lest
He should turn aside from thee in anger? Rather if He should
turn aside from thee in anger, He will not avenge Himself
on thee: if thou meet Him in His anger, He will be avenged
on thee. Rather then desire that He may turn aside from
thee when in anger. " " No," says he ; for he knows what
he longs for; " His anger is nothing else than the turning
away of His countenance. " " What if He will make thee immortal in these delights, and in the"enjoyment of earthly gratifications ? " Such a lover answers, 1 would not have it; whatever I have beside Him has no charms for me : what
ever my Lord would give me, let Him take away all, give
me Himself. " Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant.
From some peradventure He doth turn aside, not in anger ;
as from certain who say to Him, Turn away Thy face from Ps. 51,9.
my sins. When He turneth away His face from thy sins, He doth not turn aside from thee in anger. Let Him then turn away His face from thy sins: but let Him not turn away His face from thee.
17. Be Thou my helper: leave me not. For, lo, I am in
the way, I have made the one petition of Thee, to dwell in
Thy house all the days of my life, to contemplate Thy delight, and be protected as Thy temple : this is my one petition : but that I may attain unto " am in the way. Peradventure Thou wilt say unto me, Strive, walk, have
given thee freewill; thou art master of thine own will, follow
on the way, seek peace, and ensue it; turn not aside from Ps. 34, the way, abide not therein, look not back persevere in walking, for he that shall persevere unto the end, the same Mat. 24, shall be saved. " Now that thou hast received freewill, thou
dost rely as were on the power of walking rely not ou
the anger of his Lord, unless lest He should take them away. This man feareth not His anger on this account;
since he hath said of his enemies, That they may eat my ver. 2.
Jlesh.
it
:
;
I
it, I
2.
Gal. 4, 26.
who is the mother ? There is a certain city, that is called Babylon ; this city is the company of all the lost from the East even unto the West; she hath a kingdom on earth: after this city a certain* state is named, which ye now see growing old and waning. This was our first mother, in this were we born. We have known another father, God; we have left the devil. For how dare he approach those, whom He, Who overcometh all things, hath taken up ? We have known another mother, the heavenly Jerusalem, which
204 GodandthcChnrch,insteadofParents,orofSatanandBabylon.
Psalm thyself; if He should leave thee, thou wilt faint in the very Exrll uay, tnou "*'* ^all, w^t go astray, wilt come to a stand:
-- say then to Him, Thou hast given me indeed a free will, but without Thee my efforts are nothing : Be Thou my helper : leave me not; neither despise me, 0 God of my salvation. For Thou dost help, Who formedst ; Thou dost not desert, Who creatcdst.
18. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. He hath made himself a babe unto God: he hath made Him Father, he hath made Him Mother. He is Father, in that He made, in that He calleth, in that He ordereth, in that He ruleth him : Mother, in that He cherisheth, in that He nourisheth him, in that He suckleth, in that He beareth him. Myfather and my mother hare left me: but the Lord hath taken me up : both to rule me, and to nourish me. Mortal parents beget, children succeed, mortals to other mortals ; and for this were they born who might succeed,
that those who begot them might depart : He will not depart Who created me, I will not withdraw from Him. My father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me
Beside those two parents also, of whose flesh we were born, the man the father, the woman the mother, as Adam and Eve ; besides those two parents, we have here auother father and another mother, or rather we had. The father according to the world is the devil, and he was our father when we were unbelievers. For to unbelievers the Lord
John 8, saith, Ye are of your father the devil. If he be the father of &ih 2 a^ tne ungodly, who worketh in the children of disobedience,
up.
? He means the Roman empire, of Italy, A. D. 406, and the capture of which was now as it were waxing old, the city, A. D. 410. Ben.
and failing, from the time of the wasting
J'
Demons not to be worshipped even for temporal blessings. 205
is the holy Church, a portion whereof is a pilgrim on earth: Ver.
we have left Babylon. Myfather and my mother have left me: they have nothing now to give me; since even when they seemed to give to me, it was Thou Who gavest, and I set it down to them.
--
19. For by whom, even with respect to this world, is aught given to man, but by God ? Or what is taken away from man, except He order, or permit, Who gave it? But vain
men imagine, that those spirits 1, whom they adore, give it : ' dte- and sometimes they say to themselves, God is necessary for
life eternal, for that spiritual life ; but these powers ought to be worshipped by us for these temporal things. O the folly of mankind ! thou hast more love for those things for which thou wouldest worship them : in good truth, thou hast more mind to worship them, or, not to say more, at least as much. But God will not be worshipped together with them, not even though He be worshipped much more, and they much less. What then, thou wilt say, are they not necessary too for these things ? No. But we have reason to fear, lest they do one harm in their anger. No harm will they do, unless He permit. They have always the wish to do harm, nor, if they be appeased, or if they be entreated, do they cease to wish to do harm. For this is a property of their malevolence. Therefore what wilt thou gain by worshipping them, save that thou wilt offend Him, by offending Whom thou wilt be given over into their power, that they who could do nothing to thee when He is favourable, may do what they will when He is angry? And that thou mayest know, who soever thou art who thinkest so, how vainly thou dost worship them, as if for temporal benefits: of all that worship Neptune have none suffered shipwreck? or of all who blaspheme Neptune have none arrived in port ? Have all the women who worship Juno had a good delivery ? or all who blas pheme Juno a bad delivery ? From this, beloved brethren, ye may understand the folly of those men who will worship them even for these temporal things. For if for these temporal things they ought to be worshipped, their wor shippers alone would abound in all temporal blessings. And indeed if this were the case, we ought to avoid such gifts, and make one petition of the Lord. To this must be
206 A Law desirable to those who have God's help.
Psalm added, that it is He Who giveth even these things, Who is XXVII offended when these ? are Therefore let
ExPji)
spirits worshipped.
our father and our mother leave us ; let the devil leave us,
the city Babylon leave us: let the Lord take us up to console us with things temporal, and to bless us with things eternal. For my father and my mother have left me : but the Lord hath taken me up.
20. Now then he hath been taken up by the Lord, having abandoned that city, and its ruler the devil, for the devil is the ruler of the ungodly, the ruler of the world, of this darkness. What darkness ? Sinners, unbelievers. Whence the Apostle saith to them that now believe, Ye were some times darkness, but now light in the Lord. Being then now taken up by Him, what say we? (Ver. 11. ) Appoint men late, O Lord, in Thy way. Hast thou dared to ask for a law? What if He should say to thee, " Thou shalt fulfil the law ? if I give a law, thou shalt fulfil it ? " He would not dare ask unless he said first, But the Lord hath taken me up. He would not dare ask unless he said first, Be Tfwu my helper. Therefore Thou helpest, Thou takest me up, give me law. Appoint me, Lord, a law in Thy tray.
Eph. 5,
Therefore, appoint me a law in Thy Christ. For the Way JohnH, Himself hath spoken unto us, and said, am the Way, the
Prov.
Truth, and the Life. law in Christ, law with mercy. This the Wisdom, of Which written, She carrieth law and mercy in her tongue. And thou shalt commit any offence in the law, He Who shed His Blood for thee, pardons thee on confession only forsake not thou the way, say unto Him, Be Thou my upholder, and direct me in the right path, because mine enemies. Give me law, but take not mercy away as he said in another Psalm, For He
will give mercy, Who hath given a law Therefore, Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way this refers to the precept what refers to mercy And direct me, saith he, in the right path, because of mine enemies.
21. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me that is, let me not consent to them that trouble me. For thou shalt consent to him that troubleth thee, unto his soul, he will not, so to say, devour thy flesh, but by
Ps. 84, 6. K<<) yi( ii>. oy',a: Mn ntutirS,. LXX.
i
if is
"
if :
?
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The Psalmist prays not to he left, in soul, to his enemies'1 will. 207
a perverted will he will eat up thy soul. Deliver me not up Ver.
unto the souls of them that trouble me. Deliver me, if it please Thee, into the hands of them that trouble me. For
this Martyrs have said to Him, and He hath delivered His
own into the hands of them that trouble them. But what
hath He delivered ? The flesh. Which is meant in the
book of Job, The earth hath been delivered into the hands Job 9,
'
of the wicked; the flesh hath been delivered into the hands of the persecutor. Deliver me not up, not my flesh, but me. I speak unto Thee as a soul, as mind I speak unto Thee : I do not say, Deliver not up my flesh into the hands of them that trouble me ; but, Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. And how are men delivered up unto the souls of them that trouble them ? For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. Now, for that there are unrighteous witnesses, and they speak much evil against me, and in many things defame me, if I shall have been delivered up unto their souls, I also shall lie, and shall be their com panion, not a partaker of Thy truth, but a partaker with them in a lie against Thee : Unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me ; and iniquity hath lied unto itself: unto itself, and not unto me : unto itself let it ever lie, but let it not lie unto me. If Thou shalt have delivered me up unto the souls of them that trouble me, that is, if I shall have consented to their wishes; now will not iniquity already havelied unto itself, but unto me also : whereas if they exercise against me all the violence they wish, and endeavour to hinder my free course, and notwithstanding Thou give me not over unto their souls : by not consenting to their wishes, I shall abide and continue in Thy truth, and iniquity will lie not unto me, but unto itself.
22. He returns to that one petition after these dangers, after toils, after difficulties, amid the hands of them that persecute and trouble him, gasping, panting, travailing, yet stedfast, and assured while He upholdeth, helpeth, guideth, ruleth ; yet, after that going about and rejoicing, in joy exulting, in travails groaning, he sighed at last, and said,
(ver.
