The Lord then is merciful, we are
miserable
: in His mercy He vouchsafes to speak to the miserable, vouch safes even in them to use the speech of the miserable.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
In whose hands are wickednesses, their right
hand full of gifts. Gifts are not only money, not only
gold and silver, not only presents' nor do all who receive1 exenia these, receive gifts. For sometimes they are received by
the Church. Yea, moreover, Peter received such; the
Lord received such; He had bag, Judas stole what was John is, put therein. But what to receive gifts To praise man 6.
for gifts, to flatter a man, to fawn and wheedle, to judge contrary to truth for gifts. For what gifts? Not for gold and silver and any thing of this kind only but he too who
judges amiss for praise, receives gift, and gift than which nothing more empty. For his hand was open to receive the judgment of another's tongue, and he hath lost the judgment of his own conscience. Hence in whose hands there are wickednesses, their right hand full gifts. You see, brethren, that they are before God also, in whose hands are no wickednesses, neither their right hand filled with gifts, of course, in God's sight; and they can say to none but God, Thou knowest: to none but Him can they say, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood; Who Alone can see that they receive no
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188 Favour or popularity a real bribe to a Judge.
Psalm gifts. For instance, it happens that two men have a cause Exr. il. before a servant of God: no one calls any but his own ~ cause just. For if he thought his own cause unjust, he would not seek the judge. This one thinks that he has a just cause, and so does the other. They come before the judge : before sentence is pronounced, they both say, We accept your judgment; whatever you shall judge, far be it
from us to reject. -- What say you too ? -- Judge what you will ; only judge : if I should resist at all on any point, may I be anathema. Both love the judge, before he passes
judgment. But when sentence shall have been pronounced, it will be against one ; and neither of them knows against whom it will be. The judge then, if he shall wish to please both parties, receives for a gift the praise of men. But having received that gift, see what gift he loses. He receives what sounds, and passeth away : he loses what is uttered, and never passeth away. The word of God is being ever uttered ; It never passeth away : the word of man as soon as it has been uttered presently passeth away. He holds the
' inanis. shadow1, he lets go the substance2. Now if he have regard asolida,to Q0l\f ne wiH pronounce sentence against one of the parties, having his thoughts on God, under Whom as Judge
he pronounces it. But he, against whom it has been pro nounced, and if it cannot now be disannulled, because it is maintained, it may not be by the law of the Church, but of this world's princes, who have granted so much authority to the Church, that whatever has been judged therein cannot be set aside, say, cannot be disannulled, he has no wish any longer to look into himself, but turns his blinded eyes against the judge, and maligns him as much as he can. He wished, saith he, to please the other party, he favoured the rich man, either he received something from him, or he was afraid to offend him. He makes an accusation, as
gifts had been received. But if the poor man shall have had
cause against rich man, and judgment shall have been for the poor man, the rich one again says, He has received gifts. What gifts from a poor man He saw, saith he,
poor man, and that he might not be blamed as having acted against the poor, he has overborne justice, and pro nounced sentence against the truth. Since then must
it
if
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a
if, I
it
TlieyblessGodinothers,whoseworkscait*eHim to beblessed. 187
needs be that this be said, see how it cannot be said by them Ver-
----- who do not receive gifts, save in God's sight, Who alone 11 12
sIeeth who receiveth and who doth not receive. (Ver. 11. ) But have walked in mine innocence: O deliver me, and be mer ciful unto me: (ver. 12. ) my foot hath stood in uprightness.
I have been shaken indeed on every side by scandals andscaD,la- . lis et
temptations from those who blame my judgment with thetenta- rashness of men ; but my foot hath stood in uprightness. tlon,bus. But why in uprightness ? Because he had said above, And
trusting in the Lord, I
14. How then does he conclude? In the Churches I will
shall not be moved.
bless Tltee, O Lord. That is, in the Churches 1 will not bless myself, as if certain of men, but I will bless Thee in my works. For this it is to bless God in the Churches, Brethren, so to live that God may be blessed by each man's conversation. For he who blesseth the Lord with his tongue, and curseth Him in his deeds, doth not bless God in the Churches. Almost all bless with the tongue, but not all in deed. Some bless with the voice, some with their conversation. Now those in whose conversation there is not found what they say, cause God to be blasphemed, so
that they who do not as yet enter the Church, although they love their sins, and therefore are unwilling to be Christians, yet excuse themselves by the evil, so as to flatter themselves, deceiving their own selves, and saying, Why dost thou
persuade me to be a Christian ?
at a Christian's hands, and never did any : a Christian has
sworn falsely to me, and I have never done so. And when
they speak thus, they are kept back from salvation: that
it profiteth them nothing, not indeed that they are already
good, but that they are but moderately ' bad. For as it is no i medio- profit to open the eyes, if a man be in darkness; so is it noonter" profit to be in the light, if the eyes are closed. And so the
pagan indeed, (to speak of them the rather as though their lives were good,) is, with open eyes, in darkness; because he acknowledgeth not the Lord his Light: but the Christian, whose life is evil, is in none other light than God's, but with closed eyes ; for, by his evil life, he will not see Him, in
Whose Name he is, as it were, blind, in the midst of light, quickened by no vision of the True Light.
I have suffered fraud
X^L
xxvh*
188 The beginner's trust in God, when men draw him back.
PSALM XXVII.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself, before he was anointed
' ' Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the
Exp, i. faith. Ver. 1 The Lord is my light, and my salvation : ( . )
I
The Lord will give me both knowledge
whom shall
of Himself, and salvation : who shall take me from Him ?
fear?
I The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of
The Lord is the Protector of my life : of whom shall
be
afraid?
mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up myflesh. Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. Mine enemies who trouble me. Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recal me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. They became weak, and fell. Whilst then they do this with the desire of
defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. Ver. 3. Ifcamps stand together against me, my heart will not fear. But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to goI over to their side. Ifwar rise up against me, in this will trust. If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope. I
4. Ver. 4. One have
For one pet
asked the Lord, this will of
I
Iition have I asked of the Lord, this
require.
will I require. That of
all the days of my life. That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them, who hold the unity andIthe truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. That
may dwell in the house the lord
may contemplate the delight the Lord. of
Sacrifice of rejoicing for confirmation in the faith. 189
With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the Ver. delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may con- 5~9i
I
temple. And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall
template face to face. And
shall be His protected,
be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.
5. Ver. 5. For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in
the day of my evils. For He hath hidden me in the dis pensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle. He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. On a rock hath He exalted me. And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. (Ver. 6. ) And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies. What doth He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive
under the rebellious law of sin ?
sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing. I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. /will sing and give praises to the Lord. In heart and in deed 1 will be glad in the Lord.
7. Ver. 7. Hear my voice, 0 Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee. Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. Have mercy upon me, and hear me. Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein. I
8. Ver. 8. My heart hath said to Thee,
countenance. For I have not exhibited myself to men ; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee ; I have not sought from Thee ought without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. Tliy countenance, O Lord,
will I
seek. In this search will I perseveringly persist
: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more
precious do I find.
9. Ver. 9. Turn not away Thyface from me: that I may
/
have gone about, and have
have sought Thy
190 The soul, partedfrom the world, longs for God.
Psalm find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: Exp. 'i. le8t) while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance ? Be Thou
my Helper. How shall I find Thou help me not? Leave me not, neither despise me, God my Saviour. Scorn not that mortal dares to seek the Eternal for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which was born in time and mortality, have left me seek ing Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what seek. But the Lord took me up. But the Lord, Who can give me Himself, took me up.
11. Ver. 11. Appoint me a law, Lord, in Thy way. For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and com mencing so great profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wander ing Thy rule abandon me. And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies. And direct me in the right way of its straits. For not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end attained.
12. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee,
as seek glory of men. Andiniquity hath liedunto itself. Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me hath not moved, to whom because of this there hath been promised greater reward in heaven.
3. Ver. 13. believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. And since my Lord hath first suffered Wiad. l, these things, too despise the tongues of the dying, (for ll" the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul,) believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there
is no place for falsity.
14. Ver. 14. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man
and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord.
when shall this be? It arduous for mortal,
But slow to
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Waiting for Him. Groans of the Spirit in God's people. 191
a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him Ver.
14'
that saith, wait on the Lord. Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burning of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee. That thou faint not in despair, see how it is said, Wait on
the Lord.
PSALM XXVII. SECOND EXPOSITION.
1. The Lord our God in addressing and consoling us, whom sooth He regards as eating our bread by His Own righteous judgment in the sweat of our face, vouchsafes toGcn:3. speak to us out of ourselves, to shew us that He is not only
our Creator, but also our Indweller. These words of the Psalm, which we have heard and partly sung, if we say that
are our own, we must be reverently careful how we the truth; for they are rather the words of God's Spirit than our own. Again, if we say that they are not
ours, we do indeed lie. For groaning belongs not but to those who are in distress; or all that speech, which is uttered here, full of grief and tears, may be His Who never can be miserable.
The Lord then is merciful, we are miserable : in His mercy He vouchsafes to speak to the miserable, vouch safes even in them to use the speech of the miserable. So each is true, both that the speech is ours, and that it is not ours ; that it is the speech of God's Spirit, and that it is not His. The speech is that of God's Spirit, in that but for His inspiration we should not speak thus : but it is not His, in that He is neither miserable, nor in distress : but these words are those of the miserable and distressed. Again, they are ours, because they are words indicating our misery : and
yet they are not ours, because it is of His gift that we are vouchsafed1 even to groan.
2. A Psalm of David before he was anointed. Thus runs m
the title of the Psalm, A Psalm of David before he wewsoVulg.
they speak
' mere-
192 Christ, King and Priest. Christians, in Him, anointed.
Psalm anointed, that is, before he received unction. For he was
Exp. ii. anointed as a king. And the king was then anointed
l Sam. alone, and also the priest: these two persons were anointed
' at that time. In the two persons was prefigured the One future king and priest, in either office One Christ ; and there fore Christ from the chrism. But not only was our Head anointed, but His Body also, we ourselves. Now He is King, in that He ruleth and leadeth us ; Priest, in that He intercedeth for us. And verily He alone hath been such a priest, as to be also Himself the sacrifice. He hath offered none other sacrifice to God than Himself. For He could not find besides Himself a most pure, reasonable victim, as a lamb without spot, redeeming us by the shedding of His own blood, incorporating us with Himself, making us His Own members, that in Him we too should be Christ. There fore anointing belongs to all Christians: but in the former times of the Old Testament it belonged to two characters
But it appears from this that we are the Body of Christ, in that we all are anointed : and we all in Him are both Christ's and Christ, because in some sort Whole Christ is the Head and Body. This anointing will perfect us spiritually in that life, which is promised us. But this voice is of one longing for that life ; it is the voice as it were of one longing for the grace of God, which shall be
In Bapt. perfected in us at the last: therefore it is said, Before he g. ^onf- was anointed. For we are anointed now in the sacrament, ham xi, and, by this sacrament, something is prefigured, which we
'
only.
shall be. And that certain unspeakable future thing we S. John ought to long for, and to groan in the sacrament, that we
iiecn
3. l2,i3! may rejoice sacrament.
in that thing, which is foreshewn in the
3. See what he says: (ver. The Lord my light and my salvation whom shall fear He enlightens me, let darkness vanish He saves me, let weakness vanish walk ing in the light with firmness, whom shall fear? For God giveth not such salvation, as can be wrested by any one nor He such a Light, as can be obscured by any one. The Lord enlightening, we enlightened; the Lord saving, we saved
then He be the enlightener and we the enlightened and He the Saviour, we the saved, without Him we are darkness
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God indwellingfrees even thefleshfrom fear. 193
and weakness. But having in Him a sure, and established, Ver.
2' '
I, therefore, what shall I fear, or whom shall I fear ?
Of whom shall I be afraid, or of what shall I be afraid ? They who persecute me, they are weakened, they fall. Now
why do they persecute me ? To eat up my flesh. What is
my flesh? My fleshly affections. Let them rage in their persecutions: nothing dies in me, but what is mortal. There will be somewhat in me, which the persecutor cannot reach, where my God dwelleth. Let them eat my flesh : when my flesh is gone, I shall be spirit and spiritual. And indeed so great salvation doth my Lord promise me, that
even now this mortal flesh, which seems to be given up to
the hands of the persecutors, doth not perish for ever; but
what hath been exhibited in the resurrection of my Head,
may all the members hope for. Whom should my soul fear, which God inhabiteth ? Whom should my flesh fear, when l Cor.
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption ? Would ye know, because they who persecute us eat our flesh, how that we
and true hope, whom shall we fear? The Lord thy light, the Lord thy Saviour. Find one more powerful, and fear. I belong, in such wise, to the most powerful of all, to the all-powerful, that He both enlighteneth me, and saveth me ; nor fear I any but Him. The Lord is the protector of my
be
life: of whom shall I afraid?
4. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh : mine enemies who trouble me became weak and
fell.
need not fear even for this very flesh of ours ?
natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body. Now how great confidence should there be in him, who couIld say, The Lord is my light and my salvation : whom shall I
The Lord is the protector of my life : of whom shall
be The general is protected by guards, and fears not; a mortal is protected by mortals, and is secure : a mortal is
afraid?
protected by the Immortal, and shall he fear and be afraid? 5. Now how great confidence there should be in him, who speaks thus, do ye hear; (ver. 3. ) If camps stand together against me, mine heart shall not fear. Camps are
If
well defended, but what stronger defence than God? war rise up against me. What can war do to me ? Can it take away my hope from me ? Can it take away what the
o
It is sown a ib. 44. fear?
'
194 No enemy has any power but by God's permission.
Psalm Almighty gives? As He who gives is not conquered, so Eyp. it! what He giveth is not taken away. If the gift can be taken away, the giver is conquered. Therefore even these things, which we receive in time, no one can take away from us, my
Brethren, but He alone Who gave them. The spiritual things which He bestoweth He will not take away, unless thou shalt let them go ; but things fleshly and temporal He taketh away ; because whoever else taketh them away, taketh them away by His giving him the power. We know
Job l, this, and read in the book of Job, that not even the devil,
' 2' g
You see this both in the book which I have Luke22 quoted, and in the Gospel the Lord saith, This night ISatan
j,ath desired that he might sift you as wheat; and have prayed for thee, Peter, that thyfaith fail not. Now it is permitted either for our punishment, or for our trial. There
trust. In
31. 32.
who appears, so to say, to have the greatest power for a time, can do any thing without permission. He received power over the lowest things, and lost the greatest and the highest. And this is not the power of one enraged, but the punishment of one damned. Not even he then can have any power without
permission.
fore since no one can take away from us what God giveth, let us fear none but God. Whatsoever else threaten, what soever else vaunt itself against us, let not our heart fear.
6. If war rise up against me, in this wIill I
what ? (Ver. 4. ) One, saith he, have of
asked the Lord. He named some boon in the feminine gender, as if he had said, One petition. And as we are in the habit
of saying in conversation for instance, ' Duas habes,'
(in
the feminine,) and not ' Duo,' the neuter so I (in :) Scripture
this ? What is this one ? That
the Lord all the days ofmy life. This is the one : for that
is called a house where we shall abide always. In this state of pilgrimage, the word house is used, but the proper name
has used this manner of speech: One, saith he, have
asked of the Lord, this will I require.
asketh, who feareth noth ing. 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.
hand full of gifts. Gifts are not only money, not only
gold and silver, not only presents' nor do all who receive1 exenia these, receive gifts. For sometimes they are received by
the Church. Yea, moreover, Peter received such; the
Lord received such; He had bag, Judas stole what was John is, put therein. But what to receive gifts To praise man 6.
for gifts, to flatter a man, to fawn and wheedle, to judge contrary to truth for gifts. For what gifts? Not for gold and silver and any thing of this kind only but he too who
judges amiss for praise, receives gift, and gift than which nothing more empty. For his hand was open to receive the judgment of another's tongue, and he hath lost the judgment of his own conscience. Hence in whose hands there are wickednesses, their right hand full gifts. You see, brethren, that they are before God also, in whose hands are no wickednesses, neither their right hand filled with gifts, of course, in God's sight; and they can say to none but God, Thou knowest: to none but Him can they say, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood; Who Alone can see that they receive no
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I
? is
188 Favour or popularity a real bribe to a Judge.
Psalm gifts. For instance, it happens that two men have a cause Exr. il. before a servant of God: no one calls any but his own ~ cause just. For if he thought his own cause unjust, he would not seek the judge. This one thinks that he has a just cause, and so does the other. They come before the judge : before sentence is pronounced, they both say, We accept your judgment; whatever you shall judge, far be it
from us to reject. -- What say you too ? -- Judge what you will ; only judge : if I should resist at all on any point, may I be anathema. Both love the judge, before he passes
judgment. But when sentence shall have been pronounced, it will be against one ; and neither of them knows against whom it will be. The judge then, if he shall wish to please both parties, receives for a gift the praise of men. But having received that gift, see what gift he loses. He receives what sounds, and passeth away : he loses what is uttered, and never passeth away. The word of God is being ever uttered ; It never passeth away : the word of man as soon as it has been uttered presently passeth away. He holds the
' inanis. shadow1, he lets go the substance2. Now if he have regard asolida,to Q0l\f ne wiH pronounce sentence against one of the parties, having his thoughts on God, under Whom as Judge
he pronounces it. But he, against whom it has been pro nounced, and if it cannot now be disannulled, because it is maintained, it may not be by the law of the Church, but of this world's princes, who have granted so much authority to the Church, that whatever has been judged therein cannot be set aside, say, cannot be disannulled, he has no wish any longer to look into himself, but turns his blinded eyes against the judge, and maligns him as much as he can. He wished, saith he, to please the other party, he favoured the rich man, either he received something from him, or he was afraid to offend him. He makes an accusation, as
gifts had been received. But if the poor man shall have had
cause against rich man, and judgment shall have been for the poor man, the rich one again says, He has received gifts. What gifts from a poor man He saw, saith he,
poor man, and that he might not be blamed as having acted against the poor, he has overborne justice, and pro nounced sentence against the truth. Since then must
it
if
aa
?
a
if, I
it
TlieyblessGodinothers,whoseworkscait*eHim to beblessed. 187
needs be that this be said, see how it cannot be said by them Ver-
----- who do not receive gifts, save in God's sight, Who alone 11 12
sIeeth who receiveth and who doth not receive. (Ver. 11. ) But have walked in mine innocence: O deliver me, and be mer ciful unto me: (ver. 12. ) my foot hath stood in uprightness.
I have been shaken indeed on every side by scandals andscaD,la- . lis et
temptations from those who blame my judgment with thetenta- rashness of men ; but my foot hath stood in uprightness. tlon,bus. But why in uprightness ? Because he had said above, And
trusting in the Lord, I
14. How then does he conclude? In the Churches I will
shall not be moved.
bless Tltee, O Lord. That is, in the Churches 1 will not bless myself, as if certain of men, but I will bless Thee in my works. For this it is to bless God in the Churches, Brethren, so to live that God may be blessed by each man's conversation. For he who blesseth the Lord with his tongue, and curseth Him in his deeds, doth not bless God in the Churches. Almost all bless with the tongue, but not all in deed. Some bless with the voice, some with their conversation. Now those in whose conversation there is not found what they say, cause God to be blasphemed, so
that they who do not as yet enter the Church, although they love their sins, and therefore are unwilling to be Christians, yet excuse themselves by the evil, so as to flatter themselves, deceiving their own selves, and saying, Why dost thou
persuade me to be a Christian ?
at a Christian's hands, and never did any : a Christian has
sworn falsely to me, and I have never done so. And when
they speak thus, they are kept back from salvation: that
it profiteth them nothing, not indeed that they are already
good, but that they are but moderately ' bad. For as it is no i medio- profit to open the eyes, if a man be in darkness; so is it noonter" profit to be in the light, if the eyes are closed. And so the
pagan indeed, (to speak of them the rather as though their lives were good,) is, with open eyes, in darkness; because he acknowledgeth not the Lord his Light: but the Christian, whose life is evil, is in none other light than God's, but with closed eyes ; for, by his evil life, he will not see Him, in
Whose Name he is, as it were, blind, in the midst of light, quickened by no vision of the True Light.
I have suffered fraud
X^L
xxvh*
188 The beginner's trust in God, when men draw him back.
PSALM XXVII.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself, before he was anointed
' ' Christ's young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the
Exp, i. faith. Ver. 1 The Lord is my light, and my salvation : ( . )
I
The Lord will give me both knowledge
whom shall
of Himself, and salvation : who shall take me from Him ?
fear?
I The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of
The Lord is the Protector of my life : of whom shall
be
afraid?
mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
2. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up myflesh. Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. Mine enemies who trouble me. Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recal me from my purpose, but mine enemies also. They became weak, and fell. Whilst then they do this with the desire of
defending their own opinion, they became weak to believe better things, and began to hate the word of salvation, whereby I do what displeases them.
3. Ver. 3. Ifcamps stand together against me, my heart will not fear. But if the multitude of gainsayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to goI over to their side. Ifwar rise up against me, in this will trust. If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope. I
4. Ver. 4. One have
For one pet
asked the Lord, this will of
I
Iition have I asked of the Lord, this
require.
will I require. That of
all the days of my life. That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them, who hold the unity andIthe truth of the Lord's faith throughout the world. That
may dwell in the house the lord
may contemplate the delight the Lord. of
Sacrifice of rejoicing for confirmation in the faith. 189
With this end, namely, that persevering in the faith, the Ver. delightsome vision may appear to me, which I may con- 5~9i
I
temple. And death being swallowed up in victory, I shall
template face to face. And
shall be His protected,
be clothed with immortality, being made His temple.
5. Ver. 5. For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in
the day of my evils. For He hath hidden me in the dis pensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle. He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
6. On a rock hath He exalted me. And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. (Ver. 6. ) And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies. What doth He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive
under the rebellious law of sin ?
sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing. I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. /will sing and give praises to the Lord. In heart and in deed 1 will be glad in the Lord.
7. Ver. 7. Hear my voice, 0 Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee. Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. Have mercy upon me, and hear me. Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein. I
8. Ver. 8. My heart hath said to Thee,
countenance. For I have not exhibited myself to men ; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee ; I have not sought from Thee ought without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. Tliy countenance, O Lord,
will I
seek. In this search will I perseveringly persist
: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek, that I may love Thee freely, since nothing more
precious do I find.
9. Ver. 9. Turn not away Thyface from me: that I may
/
have gone about, and have
have sought Thy
190 The soul, partedfrom the world, longs for God.
Psalm find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant: Exp. 'i. le8t) while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance ? Be Thou
my Helper. How shall I find Thou help me not? Leave me not, neither despise me, God my Saviour. Scorn not that mortal dares to seek the Eternal for Thou, God, dost heal the wound of my sin.
10. Ver. 10. For my father and my mother have left me. For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which was born in time and mortality, have left me seek ing Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what seek. But the Lord took me up. But the Lord, Who can give me Himself, took me up.
11. Ver. 11. Appoint me a law, Lord, in Thy way. For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and com mencing so great profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wander ing Thy rule abandon me. And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies. And direct me in the right way of its straits. For not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until the end attained.
12. Ver. 12. Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me. Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me. For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee,
as seek glory of men. Andiniquity hath liedunto itself. Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie. For me hath not moved, to whom because of this there hath been promised greater reward in heaven.
3. Ver. 13. believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. And since my Lord hath first suffered Wiad. l, these things, too despise the tongues of the dying, (for ll" the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul,) believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there
is no place for falsity.
14. Ver. 14. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man
and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord.
when shall this be? It arduous for mortal,
But slow to
is
a
O if IO
it is
;
:
if I/a
it O
a
1
it
if I
I isis a I
it,
Waiting for Him. Groans of the Spirit in God's people. 191
a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him Ver.
14'
that saith, wait on the Lord. Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burning of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee. That thou faint not in despair, see how it is said, Wait on
the Lord.
PSALM XXVII. SECOND EXPOSITION.
1. The Lord our God in addressing and consoling us, whom sooth He regards as eating our bread by His Own righteous judgment in the sweat of our face, vouchsafes toGcn:3. speak to us out of ourselves, to shew us that He is not only
our Creator, but also our Indweller. These words of the Psalm, which we have heard and partly sung, if we say that
are our own, we must be reverently careful how we the truth; for they are rather the words of God's Spirit than our own. Again, if we say that they are not
ours, we do indeed lie. For groaning belongs not but to those who are in distress; or all that speech, which is uttered here, full of grief and tears, may be His Who never can be miserable.
The Lord then is merciful, we are miserable : in His mercy He vouchsafes to speak to the miserable, vouch safes even in them to use the speech of the miserable. So each is true, both that the speech is ours, and that it is not ours ; that it is the speech of God's Spirit, and that it is not His. The speech is that of God's Spirit, in that but for His inspiration we should not speak thus : but it is not His, in that He is neither miserable, nor in distress : but these words are those of the miserable and distressed. Again, they are ours, because they are words indicating our misery : and
yet they are not ours, because it is of His gift that we are vouchsafed1 even to groan.
2. A Psalm of David before he was anointed. Thus runs m
the title of the Psalm, A Psalm of David before he wewsoVulg.
they speak
' mere-
192 Christ, King and Priest. Christians, in Him, anointed.
Psalm anointed, that is, before he received unction. For he was
Exp. ii. anointed as a king. And the king was then anointed
l Sam. alone, and also the priest: these two persons were anointed
' at that time. In the two persons was prefigured the One future king and priest, in either office One Christ ; and there fore Christ from the chrism. But not only was our Head anointed, but His Body also, we ourselves. Now He is King, in that He ruleth and leadeth us ; Priest, in that He intercedeth for us. And verily He alone hath been such a priest, as to be also Himself the sacrifice. He hath offered none other sacrifice to God than Himself. For He could not find besides Himself a most pure, reasonable victim, as a lamb without spot, redeeming us by the shedding of His own blood, incorporating us with Himself, making us His Own members, that in Him we too should be Christ. There fore anointing belongs to all Christians: but in the former times of the Old Testament it belonged to two characters
But it appears from this that we are the Body of Christ, in that we all are anointed : and we all in Him are both Christ's and Christ, because in some sort Whole Christ is the Head and Body. This anointing will perfect us spiritually in that life, which is promised us. But this voice is of one longing for that life ; it is the voice as it were of one longing for the grace of God, which shall be
In Bapt. perfected in us at the last: therefore it is said, Before he g. ^onf- was anointed. For we are anointed now in the sacrament, ham xi, and, by this sacrament, something is prefigured, which we
'
only.
shall be. And that certain unspeakable future thing we S. John ought to long for, and to groan in the sacrament, that we
iiecn
3. l2,i3! may rejoice sacrament.
in that thing, which is foreshewn in the
3. See what he says: (ver. The Lord my light and my salvation whom shall fear He enlightens me, let darkness vanish He saves me, let weakness vanish walk ing in the light with firmness, whom shall fear? For God giveth not such salvation, as can be wrested by any one nor He such a Light, as can be obscured by any one. The Lord enlightening, we enlightened; the Lord saving, we saved
then He be the enlightener and we the enlightened and He the Saviour, we the saved, without Him we are darkness
if
is
;
:;
: :
I
is
:
I 1. )
f
God indwellingfrees even thefleshfrom fear. 193
and weakness. But having in Him a sure, and established, Ver.
2' '
I, therefore, what shall I fear, or whom shall I fear ?
Of whom shall I be afraid, or of what shall I be afraid ? They who persecute me, they are weakened, they fall. Now
why do they persecute me ? To eat up my flesh. What is
my flesh? My fleshly affections. Let them rage in their persecutions: nothing dies in me, but what is mortal. There will be somewhat in me, which the persecutor cannot reach, where my God dwelleth. Let them eat my flesh : when my flesh is gone, I shall be spirit and spiritual. And indeed so great salvation doth my Lord promise me, that
even now this mortal flesh, which seems to be given up to
the hands of the persecutors, doth not perish for ever; but
what hath been exhibited in the resurrection of my Head,
may all the members hope for. Whom should my soul fear, which God inhabiteth ? Whom should my flesh fear, when l Cor.
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption ? Would ye know, because they who persecute us eat our flesh, how that we
and true hope, whom shall we fear? The Lord thy light, the Lord thy Saviour. Find one more powerful, and fear. I belong, in such wise, to the most powerful of all, to the all-powerful, that He both enlighteneth me, and saveth me ; nor fear I any but Him. The Lord is the protector of my
be
life: of whom shall I afraid?
4. Ver. 2. Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh : mine enemies who trouble me became weak and
fell.
need not fear even for this very flesh of ours ?
natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body. Now how great confidence should there be in him, who couIld say, The Lord is my light and my salvation : whom shall I
The Lord is the protector of my life : of whom shall
be The general is protected by guards, and fears not; a mortal is protected by mortals, and is secure : a mortal is
afraid?
protected by the Immortal, and shall he fear and be afraid? 5. Now how great confidence there should be in him, who speaks thus, do ye hear; (ver. 3. ) If camps stand together against me, mine heart shall not fear. Camps are
If
well defended, but what stronger defence than God? war rise up against me. What can war do to me ? Can it take away my hope from me ? Can it take away what the
o
It is sown a ib. 44. fear?
'
194 No enemy has any power but by God's permission.
Psalm Almighty gives? As He who gives is not conquered, so Eyp. it! what He giveth is not taken away. If the gift can be taken away, the giver is conquered. Therefore even these things, which we receive in time, no one can take away from us, my
Brethren, but He alone Who gave them. The spiritual things which He bestoweth He will not take away, unless thou shalt let them go ; but things fleshly and temporal He taketh away ; because whoever else taketh them away, taketh them away by His giving him the power. We know
Job l, this, and read in the book of Job, that not even the devil,
' 2' g
You see this both in the book which I have Luke22 quoted, and in the Gospel the Lord saith, This night ISatan
j,ath desired that he might sift you as wheat; and have prayed for thee, Peter, that thyfaith fail not. Now it is permitted either for our punishment, or for our trial. There
trust. In
31. 32.
who appears, so to say, to have the greatest power for a time, can do any thing without permission. He received power over the lowest things, and lost the greatest and the highest. And this is not the power of one enraged, but the punishment of one damned. Not even he then can have any power without
permission.
fore since no one can take away from us what God giveth, let us fear none but God. Whatsoever else threaten, what soever else vaunt itself against us, let not our heart fear.
6. If war rise up against me, in this wIill I
what ? (Ver. 4. ) One, saith he, have of
asked the Lord. He named some boon in the feminine gender, as if he had said, One petition. And as we are in the habit
of saying in conversation for instance, ' Duas habes,'
(in
the feminine,) and not ' Duo,' the neuter so I (in :) Scripture
this ? What is this one ? That
the Lord all the days ofmy life. This is the one : for that
is called a house where we shall abide always. In this state of pilgrimage, the word house is used, but the proper name
has used this manner of speech: One, saith he, have
asked of the Lord, this will I require.
asketh, who feareth noth ing. 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.
