Of the mission of
Macarius
and cution,seeS.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
This sen
tence looks for distinct explanation, wherein there shall be error becomes obscure. For thus has the ungodly said in his heart, God will not require as though God regarded toil and anger, to deliver them into His hands; that as though He feared toil and anger, and for this reason would spare them, lest their punishment be too burdensome to Him, or lest
Heshonld be disturbed by the storm of anger: as men generally act, excusing themselves of vengeance, to avoid toil or anger. 31. The poor hath been left unto Thee. For therefore
is he poor, that is, hath despised all the temporal goods of this world, that Thou only mayest be his hope. Thou will
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90 God a Father to the world's orphans. He * hears' man's lunging. Psalm be a helper to the orphan, that to him to whom his father
lX.
Gal. 14,
Matt. 33
Matt.
Ps. 57,
Rom 25.
this world, by whom he was born after the flesh, dies, and who can already say, The world hath been crucified unto me, and unto the world. For of such orphans God becomes the Father. The Lord teaches us in truth that His disciples do become orphans, to whom He saith, Call no man father on earth. Of which He first Himself gave an example in saying, Who my mother, and who my brethren? Whence
' some most mischievous heretics would assert that He had no mother and they do not see that follows from this, they pay attention to these words, that neither had His
disciples fathers. For as He said, Who is my mother? so He taught them, when He said, Call no man your father on earth.
32. Ver. 15. Break the arm of the sinner and of the malicious; of him, namely, of whom was said above, He shall have dominion over all his enemies. He called his power then, his arm to which Christ's power opposed, of which said, Arise, Lord God, let Thine hand be ex alted. His fault shall be required, and he shall not be found because of' it' that he shall be judged for his sins, and himself shall perish because of his sin. After this, what wonder there follow, (ver. 16. ) The Lord shall reign for ever and world without end; ye heathen shall perish out of
His earth He uses heathen for sinners and ungodly.
33. Ver. 17. The Lord hath heard the longing of the poor: that longing wherewith they were burning, when in the straits and tribulations of this world they desired the
day of the Lord. Thine ear hath heard the preparation their heart. This the preparation of the heart, of which sung in another Psalm, My heart prepared, God, my heart ** prepared: of which the Apostle says, But we hope for what we see not, we do with patience wait for it. Now, by the ear of God, we ought, according to general rule of interpretation, to understand not bodily member, but the power whereby He heareth and so, (not to repeat this often,) by whatever members of His are mentioned, which in
us are visible and bodily, must be understood powers of
* LXX. var. lect. <<Jt*>, because part of the text, as some Mss. are of it,' these words should be marked as pointed.
of
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Open judgmentfor the humble, by the Son of God or of David. 91
operation. For we must not suppose it any thing bodily, Ver. in that1 the Lord God hears not the sound of the voice, but----'
. . .
, al.
the preparation of the heart. << where-
34. Ver. 18. To judge for the orphan and the humble : Wlth"' that is, not for him who is conformed to this world, nor for
the proud. For it is one thing to judge the orphan, another
to judge for the orphan. He judges the orphan even, who
condemns him ; but he judges for the orphan, who delivers sentence for him. That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth. For they are men, of whom it was said,
Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord: let the heathen know Ps. 9,20.
that they are men. But he too, who in this same passage is understood to be placed over them, will be man, of whom it is now said, That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth: namely, when the Son of Man shall come to judge for the orphan, who hath put off from himself the old man, and
thus, as it were, buried his father.
35. After the hidden things then of the Son, of which, in
this Psalm, many things have been said, will come the mani fest things of the Son, of which a little has been now said at the end of the same Psalm. But the title is given from the former, which here occupy the larger portion. Indeed, the
very day of the Lord's advent may be rightly numbered among the hidden things of the Son, although the very presence of the Lord itself will be manifest. For of that day Mark it is said, that no man knoweth neither angels, nor powers, 13' 32. nor the Son of man. What then so hidden, as that which
said to be hidden even to the Judge Himself, not as regards knowledge, but disclosure But concerning the hidden things of the Son, even any one would not wish to under stand the Son of God, but of David himself, to whose name the whole Psalter attributed, for the Psalms we know are
called the Psalms of David, let him give ear to those words
in which said to the Lord, Have mercy on us, Soti ofmm.
David: and so even in this manner let him understand the same Lord Christ, concerning Whose hidden things the inscription of this Psalm. For so likewise said by the
'
Angel: God shall give unto Him the throne of His father Luke David. Nor to this understanding of the sentence opposed in which the same Lord asks of the Jews, Christ
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92 David's Son his Lord. Christ the Mountain.
Psalm be the Son of David, how then doth he in spirit call Him
place, the most true and pure faith, that He is both the Lord John l, of king David, in that He is the Word in the beginning, God with God, by Which all things were made; and Son, in
that He was made to him of the seed of David according to Rom. l, the flesh. For He doth not say, Christ is not David's Son, but if ye already hold that He is his Son, learn how He is his Lord : and do not hold in respect of Christ that He is the Son of Man, for so is He David's Son ; and leave
out that He is the Sou of God, for so is He David's Lord.
? Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on my
Mat. 22,
43. 44. right hand, until Iput Thine enemies under Thy
For it was said to the unskilled, who although they looked for Christ's coming, yet expected Him as man, not as the Power and Wisdom of God. He teacheth then, in that
1. This title does not require a fresh consideration: for See on the meaning of, to the end, has already been sufficiently handled. Let us then look to the text itself of the Psalm,
1 Dona- which to me appears to be sung against the heretics1, who, by rehearsing and exaggerating the sins of many in the Church, as if either all or the majority among themselves were righteous, strive to turn and snatch us away from the
breasts of the one True Mother Church : affirming that Christ is with them, and warning us as if with piety and earnestness, that by passing over to them we may go over to Christ, Whom they falsely declare they have. Now it is known that in prophecy Christ, among the many names in
See on which notice of Him is conveyed in allegory, is also called Ps. 3, 3. a mountain. We must accordingly answer these people and say, (ver. 1. ) / trust in the Lord: how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ? I keep to one mountain wherein I trust, how say ye that I should pass
over to you, as if there were many Christs ? Or if through pride you say that you are mountains, I had indeed need to be a sparrow winged with the powers and commandments
feet.
at. X.
PSALM XI.
To the end, a Psalm of David himself.
Call to false mountains. The Moon a type of the Church. 93
of God : but these very things hinder my flying to these Ver. 2. mountains, and placing my trust in proud men. I have a
house where I may rest, in that I trust in the Lord. For
even the sparrow hath found her a house, and, The Lord Ps. 84,3. hath become a refuge to the poor. Let us say then with all "' ' " confidence, lest while weIseek Christ among heretics we
2. Ver. 2. For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart. These be the
terrors of those who threaten us as touching sinners, that we may pass over to them as the righteous. Lo, they say, the sinners have bent the bow: the Scriptures, I suppose, by carnal interpretation of which they emit envenomed sen tences from them. They have prepared their arrows in the quiver: the same words that is, which they will shoot out on the authority of Scripture, they have prepared in the secret place of the heart. That they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart: that when they see, from the Church's light being obscured by the multitude of the un learned and the carnal, that they cannot be convicted, they
lose Him, In the Lord
Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ?
trust: how say ye to my soul,
may corrupt good manners by evil communicatioIns. But l Cor.
against all these terrors we must say, In the Lord
3. Now I remember that I promised to consider in this
Psalm with what suitableness the moon signifies the Church. There are two probable opinions concerning the moon : but^PTM of these which is the true, I suppose it either impossible or very difficult for a man to decide. For when we ask whence
the moon has her light, some say that it is her own, but
that of her globe half is bright, and half dark : and when she
revolves in her own orbit, that part wherein she is bright gradually turns towards the earth, so as that it may be seen by us ; and that therefore at first her appearance is as
if she were horned. For if you make a ball half white and half dark ; if you have the dark part before your eyes, you see none of the white: and when you begin turning that white part to your eyes, if you do it gradually, at first you
will see horns of whiteness ; afterwards it increases gradually, until the whole white part is brought opposite to the eye,
trust.
'
94 The Church part light, part dark--lighted by the Sun.
Psalm and none of the other dark part is visible : but if you con- -- tinue still gradually turning, the darkness begins to appear and the whiteness to diminish, until it returns again to horns, and is at last wholly removed from the eye, and again that dark part alone can be seen, which they say takes place,
when the light of the moon seems to increase up to the fifteenth day, and again diminishes up to the thirtieth, and returns to horns, until no light at all appears in it. Ac cording to this opinion the moon in allegory signifies the Church, because in its spiritual part the Church is bright, but in its carnal part is dark : and sometimes the spiritual part is seen by good works, but sometimes it lies hid in the conscience, and is known to God alone, since in the body alone is it seen by men. As happens, when we pray in heart, and as it were seem to be doing nothing, whilst we are enjoined to have our hearts upward, not to the earth, but toward the Lord. But others say that the moon has no light of her own, but is lighted by the sun: but that when she is with she keeps that part in which she not lighted towards us, and therefore there no light visible in her: but when she begins to recede from the sun, she lighted in that part also, which towards the earth
and that she necessarily begins with horns, until on the fifteenth day she becomes opposite the sun (for then she rises when the sun sets, so that whosoever shall observe the sun setting, he turn to the east as he first loses sight of it, may see the moon rising;) and thenceforward when she begins to approach him on the other side, she turns towards us that part, in which she not lighted, till she returns to horns, and afterwards altogether vanishes because then the part which lighted on high towards the heaven, but towards the earth the part which the sun cannot irradiate. Therefore according to this opinion also the moon under
stood to be the Church, because she has no light of her own, but lighted by the only-begotten Son of God, Who in
many places of holy Scripture allegorically called the Sun. "Whom certain heretics being ignorant of, and not able to discern Him, endeavour to turn away the minds of the simple to this corporeal and visible sun, which the com mon light of the flesh of men and flies, and some they do
Mai. 2. &c.
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The Moon wanes to be renewed. The Church when obscured. 95 pervert, who as long as they cannot behold with the mind the Ver.
2-
inner light of truth, will not be content with the
Catholic faith ; which is the only safety to babes, and by which milk alone they can arrive in assured strength at the
firm support of more solid food. Whichever then of these
two opinions be the true, the moon in allegory is fitly under
stood as the Church. Or if in such difficulties as these, troublesome rather than edifying, there be either no satis faction or no leisure to exercise the mind, or if the mind
itself be not capable of sufficient to regard the moon
with ordinary1 eyes, and not to seek out obscure causes, but1 pppu- with all men to perceive her increasings and fulnesses and wanings and she wanes to the end that she may be renewed, even to this rude multitude she sets forth the image
of the Church, in which the resurrection of the dead believed.
4. Next we must enquire, what in this Psalm meant by, the obscure moon, in which sinners have prepared to shoot at the upright in heart For not in one way only may the moon be said to be obscure: for when her monthly course finished, and when her brightness interrupted by a cloud, and when she eclipsed at the full, the moon may be called obscure. It may then be understood first of the persecutors of the Martyrs, for that they wished in the obscure moon to shoot at the upright in heart whether be yet in the time of the Church's youth, because she had not yet shone forth in greatness on the earth, and conquered the darkness of heathen superstitions or by the tongues of blasphemers and such as defame the Christian name, when the earth was as were beclouded, the moon, that is, the Church, could not be clearly seen or when by the slaughter of the Martyrs themselves and so great effusion of blood, as by that eclipse and obscuration, wherein the moon seems to exhibit bloody face, the weak were deterred from the Christian name; in which terror sinners shot out words crafty and sacrilegious
to pervert even the upright in heart. And secondly, can be understood of these sinners, whom the Church contains, because at that time, taking the opportunity of this moon's obscurity, they committed many crimes, which are now tauntingly objected to us by the heretics, whereas their
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96 Donatists trust in man, but claim sanctity falsely.
Psalm founders are said to have been guilty of themb. But how- --j_ soever that be which was done in the obscure moon, now that the Catholic name is spread and celebrated throughout the whole world, what concern of minIe is it to be disturbed by trust ; nor do I listen to them that say to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow. For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart. Or if the
things unknown ? For in the Lord
'soOxf. moon seem even1 now obscure to them, because they would make it uncertain which is the Catholic Church, and they strive to convict her by the sins of those many carnal men whom she contains; what concern is this to him, who says in truth, In
the Lord I
is himself wheat, and endures the chaff with patience unto
trust ? By which word every one shews that he
the time of winnowing.
5. In the Lord, therefore,
/ trust. Let them fear who trust in man, and cannot deny that they are of man's party, by whose grey hairs they swear ; and when in conversation
it is demanded of them, of what communion they are, unless they say that they are of his party, they cannot be recognised. Tell me, what do they do, when the so numberless and daily sins and crimes of those, of whom that society is full, are recounted to them ? Can they say, In the Lord I trust ,- how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ? For they do not trust in the Lord, who say that the Sacraments are then holy, if they be administered by holy men. Accordingly when it is demanded of them, who are holy, they are ashamed to say, We are. Moreover if they are not ashamed to say so, the hearers are ashamed for them. So then they force those who receive the Sacraments
Jer. 17, to put their hope in man, whose heart they cannot see. And
5'
cursed is every one that putteth his hope in man. For what
is it to say, What /
What if you are not holy ? Or shew your heart. But if you cannot do this, how shall I see that you are holy ? Or per-
give is holy, but, Put your hope in me ?
Matt. 7, haps you will say that it is written, Ye shall know them by
b He alludes to the charge of having he says, 'that those were rather the surrendered the Holy Scriptures al- betrayers, who condemned Cieeilianus leged by the Donatists as the ground (Bp. of Carthage) and his companions of their separation. See Ep. 76. ? . 2. on a false charge of betrayal ;' referring and 105. 2. We would prove to you,' to the Municipal records. Ben.
Si. '
Catholics receive the Sacraments from God, notfrom men. 97
their works ? I see indeed marvellous works, the daily Ver. 8. violences of the Circumcelliones, with the bishops and presbyters for their leaders, flying about in every direction,
and calling their terrible clubs ' Israels ;' which men now
living daily see and feel. But for the limes of Macarius*, respecting which they raise an invidious cry1, most menidequi. have not seen them, and no one sees them now : and any dj^fal Catholic who saw them could say, if he wished to be admit. servant of God, In the Lord I
says now, when he sees many things in the Church which
he would not, who perceives that he as yet swims within
those nets full of fish good aud bad, until all arrive at the Mat. 13,
"
end of the sea, where the bad are separated from the good. But these, what do they answer, if he whom they baptize say to one of them, How would you have me feel confidence ? For if it be the desert of both the giver and the receiver, be it of God the giver and of my conscience the receiver: for these two, His goodness and my own faith, are not doubtful to me. Why do you interpose yourself, of whom I can know nothing certain ? Allow me to say, In the Lord I trust. For if I trust in you, how can I trust that you have done no evil this night ? Lastly, if you would have me believe you, can
trust. Which indeed he
I do more than believe respecting yourself? How then can I
trust in those with whom you communicated yesterday, and communicate to-day, and will communicate to-morrow, as to whether even in these three days they have not committed
aught of evil ? But if what we do not know defileth neither
you or me, what cause is there for rebaptizing those who
have known nothing of the times of the surrender of the books22 tradi- and of the Macarian cry 3 ? What cause that thou shouldestri? ";^ dare to rebaptize Christians coming from Mesopotamia,
who never even heard the name of Caecilianus and Donatus,
and deny that they are Christians ? But if other men's sins,
which they know not of, defile them, whatever is each day committed, on your side, without your knowledge, makes you
guilty, who vainly object the imperial constitutions toofHo- Catholics, whilst private clubs and fires rage as they do in ^""405.
Ben.
?
Of the mission of Macarius and cution,seeS. Optatus,lib. 3. andS. Aug. Paulus into Africa by Constant), abt. Ep. 44. &c. Ben.
A. D. 348, and the complaint of penc il
98 Schismatics mar God's work. Christ used Judas' ministry.
i. e. if
Psalm your own camp. See whcreunto they have fallen, who -- when they saw sinners in the Catholic Church could not say,
lies
trust; ' how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a
In the Lord I
Which they would most certainly say, if they were not themselves, or even if themselves were such as they supposed them to be, from whom with sacrilegious pride they pretended
trust ; and have placed their hope in man.
? " lnat they wisned to separate themselves. I though 6. Let the Catholic soul then say, In the Lord
For, lo, the sinners hare bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart: and from them let her turn her speech to the Lord, and say, (ver. 3. )
For they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected. And this let her say not against these only, but against all heretics. For they have all, as far as in them lies, destroyed
sparrow?
Ps. 8, 2. the praise which God hath perfected out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, when they disturb the little ones with vain and scrupulous questions, and suffer them not to be nourished with the milk of faith. As if then it were said to this soul, why do they say to you, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow; why do they frighten you with sinners, who have bent the bow, to shoot in the obscure moon at the upright in heart? She answers, Therefore it is they frighten me, because they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected. Where but in their conventicles, where they nourish not with milk, but kill with poison the babes and ignorant of the interior light. But what hath the Just done? IfMacarius, if Caecilianus, offenId you, what hath Christ dIone to you, Who
~"
What hath Christ done to you? Who with such exceeding
Luke22, patience endured His betrayer, as to give to him, as to the
,confe'e- other Apostles, the first Eucharist consecrated ' with His own
called a devil, who before betraying the Lord could not 6. 'shew good faith even to the Lord's purse, with the other Mat. lo, disciples to preach the kingdom of heaven ; that He might
shew that the gifts of God come to those that with faith
JoiinH. said, My peace
'?
give unto you, My peace
which ye with your abominable dissensions have violated?
hands, and blessed with His own mouth. What hath Christ
tam.
John 6 done to you? Who sent this same betrayer, whom He
leave with
you;
God's Temple holy. His eyes, open or closed, try men. 99
receive them, though he, through whom they receive them, Ver. a. be such as Judas was.
7. Ver. 4. The Lord is in His holy temple, yea in such
wise as the Apostle saith, For the temple of God is holy, i Cor. 3, which temple ye are. Now if any man shall violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. He violateth the temple of God, who violateth unity : for he holdeth not the Col. 2, head, from which the whole body fitly joined together
compacted by that which every joint supplieth* according to 16.
the working after the measure ofevery part maketh increase
of the body to the edifying of itself in love. The Lord is in
this His holy temple; which consisteth of His many mem
bers, fulfilling each his own separate duties, by love built up
into one building. Which temple he violateth, who for the
sake of his own preeminence separateth himself from the Catholic society. The Lord is in His holy temple; the
Lord, His seat is in heaven. If you take heaven to be the
just man, as you take the earth to be the sinner, to whom it
was said, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou go; Gen. 3, the words, The Lord is in His holy temple you will under- 19- stand to be repeated, whilst it is said, The Lord, His seat is
in heaven.
8. His eyes look upon the poor. His to Whom thePs. 10, poor man hath been left, and Who hath been made a refuge Ps' 9 9 to the poor. And therefore all the seditions and tumults Mat 13 within these nets, until they be drawn to shore, concerning 47. which heretics upbraid us to their own ruin and our cor rection, are caused by those men, who will not be Christ's poor.
But do they turn away God's eyes from such as would be
so ? For His eyes look upon the poor. Is it to be feared
lest, in the crowd of the rich, He may not be able to see the
few poor, whom He brings up in safe keeping in the bosom
of the Catholic Church ? His eyelids question the sons of
men. Here by that rule I would wish to take the sons of
men b of those that from old men have been regenerated by
? >;<< riir. i ifm r<< inx'(<iyM(. mindful of him; or the son of man, per omnem tactum snbministrationis. that Thou visitest him f And Ps. 9, b Cf. S. Aug. Ps. 8, 4. ? . 10. on 20. ? . 19. on the words, Let the
the words, What is man, that Thou art heathen know that they are men. h2
ond^\ t
100 Rain of teaching, fruitful to righteous, ensnares sinners. Psalm faith. For these, by certain obscure passages of Scripture, as it
X*.
were the closed eyes of God, are exercised that they may seek: and again, by certain clear passages, as it were the open eyes of God, are enlightened that they may rejoice. And this frequent closing and opening in the holy Books are as it were the eyelids of God ; which question, that which try the sons of men;' who are neither wearied with the obscurity of the matter, but exercised; nor puffed up by knowledge, but confirmed.
9. Ver. 5. The Lord questioneth the righteous and ungodly. Why then do we fear lest the ungodly should be any hurt to us, so be they do with insincere heart share the sacraments with us, seeing that He questioneth the righteous and the ungodly. But whoso loveth iniquity, kaleth his own soul: that is, not him who believeth God, and putteth not his hope in man, but only his own soul doth the lover of iniquity hurt.
10. Ver. 6. He shall rain snares upon the sinners. If by clouds are understood prophets generally, whether good Mat. 21, or bad, who are also called false prophets false prophets
Cor. '"
Eph.
Eph. 32.
are so ordered by the Lord God, that by them He may rain snares upon sinners. For no one, but the sinner, falls into following of them, whether by way of preparation for the last punishment, he shall choose to persevere in sin; or to dissuade from pride, in time he shall come to seek God with more sincere intent. But by clouds are understood
good and true prophets only by these too clear that God raineth snares upon sinners, although by them He watereth also the godly unto fruitfulncss. To some, saith the Apostle, we are the savour of life unto life; to some the savour of death unto death. For not prophets only, but all who with the word of God water souls, may be called clouds. Who when they are understood amiss, God raineth snares upon sinners; but when they are understood aright, He maketh the hearts of the godly and believing fruitful. As, for instance, the passage, and they two shall be in one flesh, one inter- pret with an eye to lust, He raineth snare upon the sinner. But you understand as he who says, But speak concerning Christ and the Church, He raineth a shower on the fertile soil. Now both are effected
by the
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51
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if
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God righteous in judgment. The Moon may be the Synagogue. 101
same cloud, that is, holy Scripture. Again the Lord says, Ver. 7. Not that which goeth into your mouth defileth you, but that^iatA5^ which cometh out. The sinner hears this, and makes ready
his palate for gluttony: the righteous hears and guarded against the superstitious distinction in meats. Here then
also out of the same cloud of Scripture, according to the several desert of each, upon the sinner the rain of snares, upon the righteous the rain of fruitfulness, poured.
11. Fire and brimstone and the blast of the tempest is the portion of their cup. This their punishment and end, by whom the name of God blasphemed; that first they should
be wasted by the fire of their own lusts, then by the ill savour of their evil deeds cast off from the company of the blessed, at last carried away and overwhelmed suffer penalties unspeak able. For this the portion of their cup as of the righteous,
Thy cup inebriating how excellent is for they shall be ine briated with the richness of Thine house. Now suppose cup mentioned for this reason, that we should not suppose that any thing done by God's providence, even in the very
punishments of sinners, beyond moderation and measure. And therefore as he were giving reason why this should be, he added, (ver. 7. ) For the Lord righteous, and hath loved righteousnesses. The plural not without meaning, but only because he speaks of men, as that righteousnesses be understood to be used for righteous men. For in many righteous men there seem, so to say, to be righteousnesses, whereas there one only righteousness of God whereof they all participate. Like as when one face looks upon many mirrors, what in
Ps. 36,8.
one only, by those many mirrors Wherefore he recurs to the singular, seen equity. Perhaps, His face hath were said, Equity hath been seen in
reflected manifoldly.
saying, His face hath
seen equity, as
His face, that is, in knowledge of Him. For God's face is the power by which He made known to them that are worthy. Or at least, Hisface hath seen equity, because He doth not allow Himself to be known by the evil, but by the good and this equity.
12. But any one would understand the . moon of the synagogue, let him refer the Psalm to the Lord's passion, and of the Jews say, For they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected and of the Lord Himself, But what hath the
ver. 3.
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102 Ps. XI. applied to the Passion. Truth Jailing on earth.
Psalm Just done? Whom they accused as the destroyer of the ----- Law: Whose precepts, by their corrupt living, and by
them, and by setting up their own, they had destroyed, so that the Lord Himself may speak as Man, as He is wont, saying, In the Lord I trust; how say ye to my
ver. i. soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow? by reason, that is, of the fear of those, who desired to apprehend and crucify Him. Since the interpretation is not unreasonable
ver. 2. of sinners wishing to shoot at the upright in heart, that is, those who believed in Christ, in the obscure moon, that is, the Synagogue filled with sinners. To this too the words,
rer. 4. The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord, His seat is in heaven, are suitable ; that the Word in Man, or the very
John 13,
Son of Man Who in heaven. His eyes look upon the poor either on Him whom He assumed as God, or for whom He suffered as Man. His eyelids question the sons of men. The closing and opening of the eyes, which probably meant by the word eyelids, we may take to be His death
and ver. 5.
ver. 6.
xi! '
Why
despising
resurrection, whereby He tried the sons of men His disciples, terrified at His passion, and gladdened by the resurrection. The Lord questioneth the righteous and ungodly, even now from out of Heaven governing the Church. But whoso loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul.
so, what follows teaches us. For He shall rain snares upon the sinners which to be taken accord ing to the exposition above given, and so on with all the rest to the end of the Psalm.
PSALM XII.
To the end, for the eighth, a Psalm of David.
. It has been said on the sixth Psalm, that the eighth' may be taken as the day of judgment. For the eighth may also be taken for the eternal age for that after the time present, which cycle of seven days, shall be given to the Saints.
2. Ver. Save me, Lord, for the holy hath failed; that is, not found as we speak when we say, Corn fails, or, Money fails. For the truths have been minished from among the sons of men. The truth one, whereby holy
souls are enlightened but forasmuch as there are many
:
:
O
is
is
is is 1. a
'
it is
1
;' : it
is,
'
is
3,
is
;
Men's evil working. Need of the Poor supplied in Christ. 103
souls, there may be said in them to be many truths : in mirrors there are seen many reflections from one face.
3. Ver. 2. He hath talked vanity each man to his neigh bour. By neighbour we must understand every man : for
that there is no one with whom we should work evil; a<<rfRom. l3, the love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Deceitful lips, 10" with a heart and a heart they have spoken evil things. LXX. The repetition, with a heart and a heart, signifies a double al" *"""' heart.
4. Ver. 3. May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips. He
says all, that no one may suppose himself excepted : as the Apostle says, Upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Rom. 2, Jew first, and of the Greek.
tence looks for distinct explanation, wherein there shall be error becomes obscure. For thus has the ungodly said in his heart, God will not require as though God regarded toil and anger, to deliver them into His hands; that as though He feared toil and anger, and for this reason would spare them, lest their punishment be too burdensome to Him, or lest
Heshonld be disturbed by the storm of anger: as men generally act, excusing themselves of vengeance, to avoid toil or anger. 31. The poor hath been left unto Thee. For therefore
is he poor, that is, hath despised all the temporal goods of this world, that Thou only mayest be his hope. Thou will
is,
is
is,
it,
it
if
it
?
it, ?
it is
if
8,
it a
90 God a Father to the world's orphans. He * hears' man's lunging. Psalm be a helper to the orphan, that to him to whom his father
lX.
Gal. 14,
Matt. 33
Matt.
Ps. 57,
Rom 25.
this world, by whom he was born after the flesh, dies, and who can already say, The world hath been crucified unto me, and unto the world. For of such orphans God becomes the Father. The Lord teaches us in truth that His disciples do become orphans, to whom He saith, Call no man father on earth. Of which He first Himself gave an example in saying, Who my mother, and who my brethren? Whence
' some most mischievous heretics would assert that He had no mother and they do not see that follows from this, they pay attention to these words, that neither had His
disciples fathers. For as He said, Who is my mother? so He taught them, when He said, Call no man your father on earth.
32. Ver. 15. Break the arm of the sinner and of the malicious; of him, namely, of whom was said above, He shall have dominion over all his enemies. He called his power then, his arm to which Christ's power opposed, of which said, Arise, Lord God, let Thine hand be ex alted. His fault shall be required, and he shall not be found because of' it' that he shall be judged for his sins, and himself shall perish because of his sin. After this, what wonder there follow, (ver. 16. ) The Lord shall reign for ever and world without end; ye heathen shall perish out of
His earth He uses heathen for sinners and ungodly.
33. Ver. 17. The Lord hath heard the longing of the poor: that longing wherewith they were burning, when in the straits and tribulations of this world they desired the
day of the Lord. Thine ear hath heard the preparation their heart. This the preparation of the heart, of which sung in another Psalm, My heart prepared, God, my heart ** prepared: of which the Apostle says, But we hope for what we see not, we do with patience wait for it. Now, by the ear of God, we ought, according to general rule of interpretation, to understand not bodily member, but the power whereby He heareth and so, (not to repeat this often,) by whatever members of His are mentioned, which in
us are visible and bodily, must be understood powers of
* LXX. var. lect. <<Jt*>, because part of the text, as some Mss. are of it,' these words should be marked as pointed.
of
V '
is
is,
; O
;
is,
a
it it
8
it I is
a
if 0
if
is
if ?
it ; ;is is
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', 9.
6,
Open judgmentfor the humble, by the Son of God or of David. 91
operation. For we must not suppose it any thing bodily, Ver. in that1 the Lord God hears not the sound of the voice, but----'
. . .
, al.
the preparation of the heart. << where-
34. Ver. 18. To judge for the orphan and the humble : Wlth"' that is, not for him who is conformed to this world, nor for
the proud. For it is one thing to judge the orphan, another
to judge for the orphan. He judges the orphan even, who
condemns him ; but he judges for the orphan, who delivers sentence for him. That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth. For they are men, of whom it was said,
Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord: let the heathen know Ps. 9,20.
that they are men. But he too, who in this same passage is understood to be placed over them, will be man, of whom it is now said, That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth: namely, when the Son of Man shall come to judge for the orphan, who hath put off from himself the old man, and
thus, as it were, buried his father.
35. After the hidden things then of the Son, of which, in
this Psalm, many things have been said, will come the mani fest things of the Son, of which a little has been now said at the end of the same Psalm. But the title is given from the former, which here occupy the larger portion. Indeed, the
very day of the Lord's advent may be rightly numbered among the hidden things of the Son, although the very presence of the Lord itself will be manifest. For of that day Mark it is said, that no man knoweth neither angels, nor powers, 13' 32. nor the Son of man. What then so hidden, as that which
said to be hidden even to the Judge Himself, not as regards knowledge, but disclosure But concerning the hidden things of the Son, even any one would not wish to under stand the Son of God, but of David himself, to whose name the whole Psalter attributed, for the Psalms we know are
called the Psalms of David, let him give ear to those words
in which said to the Lord, Have mercy on us, Soti ofmm.
David: and so even in this manner let him understand the same Lord Christ, concerning Whose hidden things the inscription of this Psalm. For so likewise said by the
'
Angel: God shall give unto Him the throne of His father Luke David. Nor to this understanding of the sentence opposed in which the same Lord asks of the Jews, Christ
If
0 is
it is
is it
'
' l,
it is
is
if
?
is
it,
92 David's Son his Lord. Christ the Mountain.
Psalm be the Son of David, how then doth he in spirit call Him
place, the most true and pure faith, that He is both the Lord John l, of king David, in that He is the Word in the beginning, God with God, by Which all things were made; and Son, in
that He was made to him of the seed of David according to Rom. l, the flesh. For He doth not say, Christ is not David's Son, but if ye already hold that He is his Son, learn how He is his Lord : and do not hold in respect of Christ that He is the Son of Man, for so is He David's Son ; and leave
out that He is the Sou of God, for so is He David's Lord.
? Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on my
Mat. 22,
43. 44. right hand, until Iput Thine enemies under Thy
For it was said to the unskilled, who although they looked for Christ's coming, yet expected Him as man, not as the Power and Wisdom of God. He teacheth then, in that
1. This title does not require a fresh consideration: for See on the meaning of, to the end, has already been sufficiently handled. Let us then look to the text itself of the Psalm,
1 Dona- which to me appears to be sung against the heretics1, who, by rehearsing and exaggerating the sins of many in the Church, as if either all or the majority among themselves were righteous, strive to turn and snatch us away from the
breasts of the one True Mother Church : affirming that Christ is with them, and warning us as if with piety and earnestness, that by passing over to them we may go over to Christ, Whom they falsely declare they have. Now it is known that in prophecy Christ, among the many names in
See on which notice of Him is conveyed in allegory, is also called Ps. 3, 3. a mountain. We must accordingly answer these people and say, (ver. 1. ) / trust in the Lord: how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ? I keep to one mountain wherein I trust, how say ye that I should pass
over to you, as if there were many Christs ? Or if through pride you say that you are mountains, I had indeed need to be a sparrow winged with the powers and commandments
feet.
at. X.
PSALM XI.
To the end, a Psalm of David himself.
Call to false mountains. The Moon a type of the Church. 93
of God : but these very things hinder my flying to these Ver. 2. mountains, and placing my trust in proud men. I have a
house where I may rest, in that I trust in the Lord. For
even the sparrow hath found her a house, and, The Lord Ps. 84,3. hath become a refuge to the poor. Let us say then with all "' ' " confidence, lest while weIseek Christ among heretics we
2. Ver. 2. For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart. These be the
terrors of those who threaten us as touching sinners, that we may pass over to them as the righteous. Lo, they say, the sinners have bent the bow: the Scriptures, I suppose, by carnal interpretation of which they emit envenomed sen tences from them. They have prepared their arrows in the quiver: the same words that is, which they will shoot out on the authority of Scripture, they have prepared in the secret place of the heart. That they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart: that when they see, from the Church's light being obscured by the multitude of the un learned and the carnal, that they cannot be convicted, they
lose Him, In the Lord
Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ?
trust: how say ye to my soul,
may corrupt good manners by evil communicatioIns. But l Cor.
against all these terrors we must say, In the Lord
3. Now I remember that I promised to consider in this
Psalm with what suitableness the moon signifies the Church. There are two probable opinions concerning the moon : but^PTM of these which is the true, I suppose it either impossible or very difficult for a man to decide. For when we ask whence
the moon has her light, some say that it is her own, but
that of her globe half is bright, and half dark : and when she
revolves in her own orbit, that part wherein she is bright gradually turns towards the earth, so as that it may be seen by us ; and that therefore at first her appearance is as
if she were horned. For if you make a ball half white and half dark ; if you have the dark part before your eyes, you see none of the white: and when you begin turning that white part to your eyes, if you do it gradually, at first you
will see horns of whiteness ; afterwards it increases gradually, until the whole white part is brought opposite to the eye,
trust.
'
94 The Church part light, part dark--lighted by the Sun.
Psalm and none of the other dark part is visible : but if you con- -- tinue still gradually turning, the darkness begins to appear and the whiteness to diminish, until it returns again to horns, and is at last wholly removed from the eye, and again that dark part alone can be seen, which they say takes place,
when the light of the moon seems to increase up to the fifteenth day, and again diminishes up to the thirtieth, and returns to horns, until no light at all appears in it. Ac cording to this opinion the moon in allegory signifies the Church, because in its spiritual part the Church is bright, but in its carnal part is dark : and sometimes the spiritual part is seen by good works, but sometimes it lies hid in the conscience, and is known to God alone, since in the body alone is it seen by men. As happens, when we pray in heart, and as it were seem to be doing nothing, whilst we are enjoined to have our hearts upward, not to the earth, but toward the Lord. But others say that the moon has no light of her own, but is lighted by the sun: but that when she is with she keeps that part in which she not lighted towards us, and therefore there no light visible in her: but when she begins to recede from the sun, she lighted in that part also, which towards the earth
and that she necessarily begins with horns, until on the fifteenth day she becomes opposite the sun (for then she rises when the sun sets, so that whosoever shall observe the sun setting, he turn to the east as he first loses sight of it, may see the moon rising;) and thenceforward when she begins to approach him on the other side, she turns towards us that part, in which she not lighted, till she returns to horns, and afterwards altogether vanishes because then the part which lighted on high towards the heaven, but towards the earth the part which the sun cannot irradiate. Therefore according to this opinion also the moon under
stood to be the Church, because she has no light of her own, but lighted by the only-begotten Son of God, Who in
many places of holy Scripture allegorically called the Sun. "Whom certain heretics being ignorant of, and not able to discern Him, endeavour to turn away the minds of the simple to this corporeal and visible sun, which the com mon light of the flesh of men and flies, and some they do
Mai. 2. &c.
chees
is
4,
is
is
is
it,
is
is
is
:
if
;
is
is is
; is
The Moon wanes to be renewed. The Church when obscured. 95 pervert, who as long as they cannot behold with the mind the Ver.
2-
inner light of truth, will not be content with the
Catholic faith ; which is the only safety to babes, and by which milk alone they can arrive in assured strength at the
firm support of more solid food. Whichever then of these
two opinions be the true, the moon in allegory is fitly under
stood as the Church. Or if in such difficulties as these, troublesome rather than edifying, there be either no satis faction or no leisure to exercise the mind, or if the mind
itself be not capable of sufficient to regard the moon
with ordinary1 eyes, and not to seek out obscure causes, but1 pppu- with all men to perceive her increasings and fulnesses and wanings and she wanes to the end that she may be renewed, even to this rude multitude she sets forth the image
of the Church, in which the resurrection of the dead believed.
4. Next we must enquire, what in this Psalm meant by, the obscure moon, in which sinners have prepared to shoot at the upright in heart For not in one way only may the moon be said to be obscure: for when her monthly course finished, and when her brightness interrupted by a cloud, and when she eclipsed at the full, the moon may be called obscure. It may then be understood first of the persecutors of the Martyrs, for that they wished in the obscure moon to shoot at the upright in heart whether be yet in the time of the Church's youth, because she had not yet shone forth in greatness on the earth, and conquered the darkness of heathen superstitions or by the tongues of blasphemers and such as defame the Christian name, when the earth was as were beclouded, the moon, that is, the Church, could not be clearly seen or when by the slaughter of the Martyrs themselves and so great effusion of blood, as by that eclipse and obscuration, wherein the moon seems to exhibit bloody face, the weak were deterred from the Christian name; in which terror sinners shot out words crafty and sacrilegious
to pervert even the upright in heart. And secondly, can be understood of these sinners, whom the Church contains, because at that time, taking the opportunity of this moon's obscurity, they committed many crimes, which are now tauntingly objected to us by the heretics, whereas their
simple
it
;
;
is
?
if
a it
is is
;
it, it is
is it
is
;
96 Donatists trust in man, but claim sanctity falsely.
Psalm founders are said to have been guilty of themb. But how- --j_ soever that be which was done in the obscure moon, now that the Catholic name is spread and celebrated throughout the whole world, what concern of minIe is it to be disturbed by trust ; nor do I listen to them that say to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow. For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart. Or if the
things unknown ? For in the Lord
'soOxf. moon seem even1 now obscure to them, because they would make it uncertain which is the Catholic Church, and they strive to convict her by the sins of those many carnal men whom she contains; what concern is this to him, who says in truth, In
the Lord I
is himself wheat, and endures the chaff with patience unto
trust ? By which word every one shews that he
the time of winnowing.
5. In the Lord, therefore,
/ trust. Let them fear who trust in man, and cannot deny that they are of man's party, by whose grey hairs they swear ; and when in conversation
it is demanded of them, of what communion they are, unless they say that they are of his party, they cannot be recognised. Tell me, what do they do, when the so numberless and daily sins and crimes of those, of whom that society is full, are recounted to them ? Can they say, In the Lord I trust ,- how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow ? For they do not trust in the Lord, who say that the Sacraments are then holy, if they be administered by holy men. Accordingly when it is demanded of them, who are holy, they are ashamed to say, We are. Moreover if they are not ashamed to say so, the hearers are ashamed for them. So then they force those who receive the Sacraments
Jer. 17, to put their hope in man, whose heart they cannot see. And
5'
cursed is every one that putteth his hope in man. For what
is it to say, What /
What if you are not holy ? Or shew your heart. But if you cannot do this, how shall I see that you are holy ? Or per-
give is holy, but, Put your hope in me ?
Matt. 7, haps you will say that it is written, Ye shall know them by
b He alludes to the charge of having he says, 'that those were rather the surrendered the Holy Scriptures al- betrayers, who condemned Cieeilianus leged by the Donatists as the ground (Bp. of Carthage) and his companions of their separation. See Ep. 76. ? . 2. on a false charge of betrayal ;' referring and 105. 2. We would prove to you,' to the Municipal records. Ben.
Si. '
Catholics receive the Sacraments from God, notfrom men. 97
their works ? I see indeed marvellous works, the daily Ver. 8. violences of the Circumcelliones, with the bishops and presbyters for their leaders, flying about in every direction,
and calling their terrible clubs ' Israels ;' which men now
living daily see and feel. But for the limes of Macarius*, respecting which they raise an invidious cry1, most menidequi. have not seen them, and no one sees them now : and any dj^fal Catholic who saw them could say, if he wished to be admit. servant of God, In the Lord I
says now, when he sees many things in the Church which
he would not, who perceives that he as yet swims within
those nets full of fish good aud bad, until all arrive at the Mat. 13,
"
end of the sea, where the bad are separated from the good. But these, what do they answer, if he whom they baptize say to one of them, How would you have me feel confidence ? For if it be the desert of both the giver and the receiver, be it of God the giver and of my conscience the receiver: for these two, His goodness and my own faith, are not doubtful to me. Why do you interpose yourself, of whom I can know nothing certain ? Allow me to say, In the Lord I trust. For if I trust in you, how can I trust that you have done no evil this night ? Lastly, if you would have me believe you, can
trust. Which indeed he
I do more than believe respecting yourself? How then can I
trust in those with whom you communicated yesterday, and communicate to-day, and will communicate to-morrow, as to whether even in these three days they have not committed
aught of evil ? But if what we do not know defileth neither
you or me, what cause is there for rebaptizing those who
have known nothing of the times of the surrender of the books22 tradi- and of the Macarian cry 3 ? What cause that thou shouldestri? ";^ dare to rebaptize Christians coming from Mesopotamia,
who never even heard the name of Caecilianus and Donatus,
and deny that they are Christians ? But if other men's sins,
which they know not of, defile them, whatever is each day committed, on your side, without your knowledge, makes you
guilty, who vainly object the imperial constitutions toofHo- Catholics, whilst private clubs and fires rage as they do in ^""405.
Ben.
?
Of the mission of Macarius and cution,seeS. Optatus,lib. 3. andS. Aug. Paulus into Africa by Constant), abt. Ep. 44. &c. Ben.
A. D. 348, and the complaint of penc il
98 Schismatics mar God's work. Christ used Judas' ministry.
i. e. if
Psalm your own camp. See whcreunto they have fallen, who -- when they saw sinners in the Catholic Church could not say,
lies
trust; ' how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a
In the Lord I
Which they would most certainly say, if they were not themselves, or even if themselves were such as they supposed them to be, from whom with sacrilegious pride they pretended
trust ; and have placed their hope in man.
? " lnat they wisned to separate themselves. I though 6. Let the Catholic soul then say, In the Lord
For, lo, the sinners hare bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart: and from them let her turn her speech to the Lord, and say, (ver. 3. )
For they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected. And this let her say not against these only, but against all heretics. For they have all, as far as in them lies, destroyed
sparrow?
Ps. 8, 2. the praise which God hath perfected out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, when they disturb the little ones with vain and scrupulous questions, and suffer them not to be nourished with the milk of faith. As if then it were said to this soul, why do they say to you, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow; why do they frighten you with sinners, who have bent the bow, to shoot in the obscure moon at the upright in heart? She answers, Therefore it is they frighten me, because they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected. Where but in their conventicles, where they nourish not with milk, but kill with poison the babes and ignorant of the interior light. But what hath the Just done? IfMacarius, if Caecilianus, offenId you, what hath Christ dIone to you, Who
~"
What hath Christ done to you? Who with such exceeding
Luke22, patience endured His betrayer, as to give to him, as to the
,confe'e- other Apostles, the first Eucharist consecrated ' with His own
called a devil, who before betraying the Lord could not 6. 'shew good faith even to the Lord's purse, with the other Mat. lo, disciples to preach the kingdom of heaven ; that He might
shew that the gifts of God come to those that with faith
JoiinH. said, My peace
'?
give unto you, My peace
which ye with your abominable dissensions have violated?
hands, and blessed with His own mouth. What hath Christ
tam.
John 6 done to you? Who sent this same betrayer, whom He
leave with
you;
God's Temple holy. His eyes, open or closed, try men. 99
receive them, though he, through whom they receive them, Ver. a. be such as Judas was.
7. Ver. 4. The Lord is in His holy temple, yea in such
wise as the Apostle saith, For the temple of God is holy, i Cor. 3, which temple ye are. Now if any man shall violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. He violateth the temple of God, who violateth unity : for he holdeth not the Col. 2, head, from which the whole body fitly joined together
compacted by that which every joint supplieth* according to 16.
the working after the measure ofevery part maketh increase
of the body to the edifying of itself in love. The Lord is in
this His holy temple; which consisteth of His many mem
bers, fulfilling each his own separate duties, by love built up
into one building. Which temple he violateth, who for the
sake of his own preeminence separateth himself from the Catholic society. The Lord is in His holy temple; the
Lord, His seat is in heaven. If you take heaven to be the
just man, as you take the earth to be the sinner, to whom it
was said, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou go; Gen. 3, the words, The Lord is in His holy temple you will under- 19- stand to be repeated, whilst it is said, The Lord, His seat is
in heaven.
8. His eyes look upon the poor. His to Whom thePs. 10, poor man hath been left, and Who hath been made a refuge Ps' 9 9 to the poor. And therefore all the seditions and tumults Mat 13 within these nets, until they be drawn to shore, concerning 47. which heretics upbraid us to their own ruin and our cor rection, are caused by those men, who will not be Christ's poor.
But do they turn away God's eyes from such as would be
so ? For His eyes look upon the poor. Is it to be feared
lest, in the crowd of the rich, He may not be able to see the
few poor, whom He brings up in safe keeping in the bosom
of the Catholic Church ? His eyelids question the sons of
men. Here by that rule I would wish to take the sons of
men b of those that from old men have been regenerated by
? >;<< riir. i ifm r<< inx'(<iyM(. mindful of him; or the son of man, per omnem tactum snbministrationis. that Thou visitest him f And Ps. 9, b Cf. S. Aug. Ps. 8, 4. ? . 10. on 20. ? . 19. on the words, Let the
the words, What is man, that Thou art heathen know that they are men. h2
ond^\ t
100 Rain of teaching, fruitful to righteous, ensnares sinners. Psalm faith. For these, by certain obscure passages of Scripture, as it
X*.
were the closed eyes of God, are exercised that they may seek: and again, by certain clear passages, as it were the open eyes of God, are enlightened that they may rejoice. And this frequent closing and opening in the holy Books are as it were the eyelids of God ; which question, that which try the sons of men;' who are neither wearied with the obscurity of the matter, but exercised; nor puffed up by knowledge, but confirmed.
9. Ver. 5. The Lord questioneth the righteous and ungodly. Why then do we fear lest the ungodly should be any hurt to us, so be they do with insincere heart share the sacraments with us, seeing that He questioneth the righteous and the ungodly. But whoso loveth iniquity, kaleth his own soul: that is, not him who believeth God, and putteth not his hope in man, but only his own soul doth the lover of iniquity hurt.
10. Ver. 6. He shall rain snares upon the sinners. If by clouds are understood prophets generally, whether good Mat. 21, or bad, who are also called false prophets false prophets
Cor. '"
Eph.
Eph. 32.
are so ordered by the Lord God, that by them He may rain snares upon sinners. For no one, but the sinner, falls into following of them, whether by way of preparation for the last punishment, he shall choose to persevere in sin; or to dissuade from pride, in time he shall come to seek God with more sincere intent. But by clouds are understood
good and true prophets only by these too clear that God raineth snares upon sinners, although by them He watereth also the godly unto fruitfulncss. To some, saith the Apostle, we are the savour of life unto life; to some the savour of death unto death. For not prophets only, but all who with the word of God water souls, may be called clouds. Who when they are understood amiss, God raineth snares upon sinners; but when they are understood aright, He maketh the hearts of the godly and believing fruitful. As, for instance, the passage, and they two shall be in one flesh, one inter- pret with an eye to lust, He raineth snare upon the sinner. But you understand as he who says, But speak concerning Christ and the Church, He raineth a shower on the fertile soil. Now both are effected
by the
5,
5,
2,
it if
a a
it,
a
;
if
I
is,
51
2
if
it is
if if
if
:
'
God righteous in judgment. The Moon may be the Synagogue. 101
same cloud, that is, holy Scripture. Again the Lord says, Ver. 7. Not that which goeth into your mouth defileth you, but that^iatA5^ which cometh out. The sinner hears this, and makes ready
his palate for gluttony: the righteous hears and guarded against the superstitious distinction in meats. Here then
also out of the same cloud of Scripture, according to the several desert of each, upon the sinner the rain of snares, upon the righteous the rain of fruitfulness, poured.
11. Fire and brimstone and the blast of the tempest is the portion of their cup. This their punishment and end, by whom the name of God blasphemed; that first they should
be wasted by the fire of their own lusts, then by the ill savour of their evil deeds cast off from the company of the blessed, at last carried away and overwhelmed suffer penalties unspeak able. For this the portion of their cup as of the righteous,
Thy cup inebriating how excellent is for they shall be ine briated with the richness of Thine house. Now suppose cup mentioned for this reason, that we should not suppose that any thing done by God's providence, even in the very
punishments of sinners, beyond moderation and measure. And therefore as he were giving reason why this should be, he added, (ver. 7. ) For the Lord righteous, and hath loved righteousnesses. The plural not without meaning, but only because he speaks of men, as that righteousnesses be understood to be used for righteous men. For in many righteous men there seem, so to say, to be righteousnesses, whereas there one only righteousness of God whereof they all participate. Like as when one face looks upon many mirrors, what in
Ps. 36,8.
one only, by those many mirrors Wherefore he recurs to the singular, seen equity. Perhaps, His face hath were said, Equity hath been seen in
reflected manifoldly.
saying, His face hath
seen equity, as
His face, that is, in knowledge of Him. For God's face is the power by which He made known to them that are worthy. Or at least, Hisface hath seen equity, because He doth not allow Himself to be known by the evil, but by the good and this equity.
12. But any one would understand the . moon of the synagogue, let him refer the Psalm to the Lord's passion, and of the Jews say, For they have destroyed what Thou hast perfected and of the Lord Himself, But what hath the
ver. 3.
;
if
is
is
is
is
is
;
is
is
is
if
if
it it is
is
is
a
it is I
:
is
I a
is
is
it,
102 Ps. XI. applied to the Passion. Truth Jailing on earth.
Psalm Just done? Whom they accused as the destroyer of the ----- Law: Whose precepts, by their corrupt living, and by
them, and by setting up their own, they had destroyed, so that the Lord Himself may speak as Man, as He is wont, saying, In the Lord I trust; how say ye to my
ver. i. soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow? by reason, that is, of the fear of those, who desired to apprehend and crucify Him. Since the interpretation is not unreasonable
ver. 2. of sinners wishing to shoot at the upright in heart, that is, those who believed in Christ, in the obscure moon, that is, the Synagogue filled with sinners. To this too the words,
rer. 4. The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord, His seat is in heaven, are suitable ; that the Word in Man, or the very
John 13,
Son of Man Who in heaven. His eyes look upon the poor either on Him whom He assumed as God, or for whom He suffered as Man. His eyelids question the sons of men. The closing and opening of the eyes, which probably meant by the word eyelids, we may take to be His death
and ver. 5.
ver. 6.
xi! '
Why
despising
resurrection, whereby He tried the sons of men His disciples, terrified at His passion, and gladdened by the resurrection. The Lord questioneth the righteous and ungodly, even now from out of Heaven governing the Church. But whoso loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul.
so, what follows teaches us. For He shall rain snares upon the sinners which to be taken accord ing to the exposition above given, and so on with all the rest to the end of the Psalm.
PSALM XII.
To the end, for the eighth, a Psalm of David.
. It has been said on the sixth Psalm, that the eighth' may be taken as the day of judgment. For the eighth may also be taken for the eternal age for that after the time present, which cycle of seven days, shall be given to the Saints.
2. Ver. Save me, Lord, for the holy hath failed; that is, not found as we speak when we say, Corn fails, or, Money fails. For the truths have been minished from among the sons of men. The truth one, whereby holy
souls are enlightened but forasmuch as there are many
:
:
O
is
is
is is 1. a
'
it is
1
;' : it
is,
'
is
3,
is
;
Men's evil working. Need of the Poor supplied in Christ. 103
souls, there may be said in them to be many truths : in mirrors there are seen many reflections from one face.
3. Ver. 2. He hath talked vanity each man to his neigh bour. By neighbour we must understand every man : for
that there is no one with whom we should work evil; a<<rfRom. l3, the love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Deceitful lips, 10" with a heart and a heart they have spoken evil things. LXX. The repetition, with a heart and a heart, signifies a double al" *"""' heart.
4. Ver. 3. May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips. He
says all, that no one may suppose himself excepted : as the Apostle says, Upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Rom. 2, Jew first, and of the Greek.
