But what is
promised
to us?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
The latter part of the Volume is trans lated by the Rev.
H.
M.
Wilkins, M.
A.
Fellow of Merton College, Oxford.
The last Volumes of St.
Chrysostom on St.
MAtthew, and on St.
John, are in the Press, and like wise St.
Chrysostom on the Acts, the Original of which is also preparing for Publication.
The Greek Text of St.
Chrysostom on the Epistles to the GAlAtiAns and
EphesiAns, and of Theodoret on the RomAns, &c. may be expected in the course of next year.
Advent, 1850.
C. M.
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD
WILLIAM
LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
PRIMATE OF All ENGlAND,
FORMERLY REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OxFORD, THIS LIBRARY
or
ancient bishops, fAthers, doctors, mArtyrs, confessors,
of Christ's holy cAtholic church,
UNDERTAKEN AMID HIS ENCOURAGEMENT, AND ,
CARRIED ON FOR TWElVE YEARS UNDER HIS SANCTION,
UNTIl HIS DEPARTURE HENCE IN PEACE, is
GRATEFUllY AND REVERENTlY INSCRIBED.
ST. AUGUSTINE ON
THE PSALMS.
PSALM LXXVI. EXPOSITION.
lLat;
Sermon to the Commonalty, wherein he iliiputeth against the Donatists, and treateth ofvows,
1. The enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, known unto all men, the Jews, are wont to glory in this Psalm which we have sung, saying, Known in Judtsa is God, in Israel great is the name of Him : and to revile the Gentiles to whom God is not known, and to say that to themselves alone God is known ; seeing that the Prophet saith, Known in Judcea is
God : in other places therefore He is unknown. But God
is known in very deed in Judaea, if they understand what is Judaea. For indeed God is not known except in Judsa. Behold even we say this, that except a person shall have
been in Judeea, known to him God cannot be. But what
saith the Apostle ? He that in secret is a Jew, he that is so Eom. 2, in circumcision of the heart, not in letter but in spirit. 29' There are therefore Jews in circumcision of the flesh, and
there are Jews in circumcision of the heart. Many of our holy fathers had both the circumcision of the flesh, for a seal of the faith, and circumcision of the heart, for the faith itself. From these fathers these men degenerating, who now
VOL. IV. B
2 Meaning of JtuLea. The twelve tribes of Israel.
Psalm in the name do glory, and have lost their deeds ; from these A"! ! -fathers, I say, degenerating, they have remained in flesh Jews, in heart Heathens. For these are Jews, who are oat of Abraham, from whom Isaac was born, and out of him Gen. 21 , Jacob, and out of Jacob the twelve Patriarchs, and out of the twelve Patriarchs the whole people of the Jews. But they 32. Sec. were generally called Jews for this reason, that Judas was
one of the twelve sons of Jacob, a Patriarch among the twelve, and from his stock the Royalty came among the Jews. For all this people after the number of the twelve sons of Jacob, had twelve tribes. What we call tribes are as were distinct houses and congregations of people. That people, say, had twelve tribes, out of which twelve
tribes one tribe was Judah, out of which were the kings and there was another tribe, Levi, out of which were the priests. But because to the priests serving the temple no
- land was allotted, but was necessary that among twelve tribes all the Land of promise should be shared: there having been therefore taken out one tribe of higher dignity, the tribe of Levi, which was of the priests, there would
have remained eleven, unless by the adoption of the two sons of Joseph the number twelve were completed.
What this is, observe. One of the twelve sons of Jacob was Joseph. It that Joseph whom his brethren sold into Egypt, and who there on account of his chastity was raised
to an exalted station, and God was with him in all his work and he received his brethren, by whom he had been sold, and his father, weighed down with famine and for the sake of bread going down into Egypt. This Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasse. Jacob, dying, as though will, received those his grandsons into the number of sons, and
Gen. 48, said to his son Joseph, Hie rest that are born shall be to thee but these to me, and they shall divide the land with their brethren. As yet there had not been given nor divided the land of promise, but he was speaking in the Spirit prophesying. The two sons therefore of Joseph being added, there were made up nevertheless twelve tribes, since now there are thirteen. For instead of one tribe of Joseph, two were added, and there were made thirteen. There being taken out then the tribe of Levi, that tribe of priests which
2^
Numb,
;
it
by
;
;
is
I it
'
229
The Jews forfeited their name in renouncing their King. 3
did serve the Temple, and lived by the tithes of all the rest Vrr. unto whom the land was divided, there remain twelve. In ----- these twelve was the tribe of Juda, whence the kings were.
For at first from another tribe was given King Saul, and he l Sam. was rejected as being an evil king; after there was given9'1- from the tribe of Judah King David, and out of him from
the tribe of Judah were the Kings. But Jacob had spoken l Sam. of this, when he blessed his sons, there shall not fail a prince 6^49 out of Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there corner-
He to Whom the promise hath been made. But from the
tribe of Judah there came Our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is,
as the Scripture saith, and as ye have but now heard, out 2 Tim. of the seed of David born of Mary. But as regardeth the2'8' Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein He is equal with the Father, He isnotonly before the Jews, but also before Abraham John 8, himself; nor only before Abraham, but also before Adam;88'
nor only before Adam, but also before Heaven and earth and
before ages : for all things by Himself were made, and without g? hn 1 , Him there was made nothing. Because therefore in prophecy
hath been said, there shall not fail a prince out of Judah, Gen. 49, nor a leaderfrom his thighs, until there come He for Whom 10-
the promise hath been made : former times are examined,
and we find that the Jews always had their kings of the
tribe of Judah, and had no foreign king before that Herod
who was king when the Lord was born. Thence began Luke 3, foreign kings, from Herod. Before Herod all were of the ' tribe of Judah, but only until there should come He to Whom the promise had been made. Therefore when the
Lord Himself came, the kingdom of the Jews was overthrown,
and removed from the Jews. Now they have no king ; be
cause they will not acknowledge the true King. See now whether they must be called Jews. Now ye do see that they
must not be called Jews. They have themselves with their
own voice resigned that name, so that ihey are not worthy
to be called Jews, except only in the flesh. When did they
sever themselves from that name ? They said -- (they were
raging against Christ, that is, the race of Judah was raging against the Iseed of David. And Pilate sailh to them, Your John 19,
--
crucify? ) they said, I say, We have no king15,
King shall
but Ccesar. O ye who are called Jews and are not, if ye
B2
Psalm
4 The true royalty of David is in Christ.
have no king but Caesar, there hath failed a Prince of Judah: there hath come then He to Whom the promise hath been made. They then are more truly Jews, who have been made Christians out of Jews : the rest of the Jews, who in Christ have not believed, have deserved to lose even the very name. The true Judaea, then, is the Church of Christ, believing in that King, Who hath come out of the tribe of Judah through the Virgin Mary; believing in Him of Whom the Apostle was
2 Tim. just now speaking, in writing to Timothy, Be thou mindful
2' 8'
ihat Jesus Christ hath risen from the dead, of the seed of David, after my Gospel. For of Judah is David, and out of David is the Lord Jesus Christ. We believing in Christ do belong to Judah : and we acknowledge Christ. We, that with eyes have not seen, in faith do keep Him. Let not therefore the Jews revile, who are no longer Jews. They
John19, said themselves, We have no king but Ccesar. For better
16-
were it for them that their king should be Christ, of the seed of David, of the tribe of Judah. Nevertheless because Christ Himself is of the seed of David after the flesh, but
Bom. 9, God above all things blessed for ever, He is Himself our
5'
King and our God ; our King, inasmuch as born of the tribe of Judah, after the flesh, was Christ the Lord, the Saviour; but our God, Who is before Judah, and before
John l, Heaven and earth, by Whom were made all things, both
3'
spiritual and corporal. For if all things by Himself were made ; even Mary herself, out of whom He was born, by Himself was made. How then could He have been born like the rest of mankind, who made unto Himself a mother out of whom He might be born ? Therefore He is Himself the Lord : the Apostle saying, when he was speaking of the
Bom. 9, Jews, of whom are the fathers, and out of whom is Christ 5' after the flesh; Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Because then the Jews saw Christ and crucified Him, they saw not God : but the Gentiles because they saw not and
believed, have perceived God. Therefore if there appeared
i Cor. 6, to them God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and
19'
they crucified Him because they perceived not God hidden in flesh : begone that which is called Judaea and is not; and let there draw near the true Judaea, to whom is said, Draw ye near to Him and be ye enlightened, and your faces shall not
lie is known as God to the true Judah and Israel. 5 blush. The faces of the true Judaea shall not be put to con- Ver'
--
fusion. For they have heard and have believed, and the Church hath become the true Judaea, where Christ is known, Who being Man of the seed of David, is God above David.
2. Known in Judcea is God, in Israel great is the Name of Him. Concerning Israel also we ought so to take it as wo have concerning Judaea: as they were not the true Jews, so neither was that the true Israel. For what is Israel said to be ? One seeing God. And how have they seen God, among whom He walked in the flesh ; and while they supposed Him to be man, they slew Him ? Rising again He appeared as God to all to whom He willed to manifest Himself. They
then are worthy to be called Israel, who merited to perceive Christ, as God clothed in flesh, so that they despised not that which they saw, but adored that which they saw not. For though not seen to the eyes, the Gentiles with humble mind have perceived Him Whom they saw not, and in faith have retained Him. Again, they that in hands held Him, slew Him ; they that in faith held Him, adored. In Israel
great is His Name. Wilt thou be Israel ? Observe that man concerning whom the Lord saith, Behold an Israelite indeed, John 1, in whom guile is not. If a true Israelite is he in whom guile
is not, the guileful and lying are not true Israelites. Let
them not say then, that with them is God, and great is His
name in Israel. Let them prove themselves Israelites, and
I grant that in Israel great is His Name.
3. Ver. 2. And there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His habitation is in Sion. Again, Sion is as it were the country of the Jews; the true Sion is the Church of Christians. But the interpretation of the Hebrew names is
thus handed down to us : Judaea is interpreted confession, Israel, one seeing God. After Judaea is Israel : so it hath been placed here, Known in Judcea is God, in Israel great is His Name. Wilt thou see God ? First do thou confess, and then in thyself there is made a place for God; because there
hath been made in peace a placefor Him. So long as then thou confessest not thy sins, in a manner thou art quarrelling with God. For how art thou not disputing with Him, who art praising that which displeaseth Him ? He punisheth a thief, thou dost praise theft : He doth punish a drunken man,
6 Inward peace God's dwelling. Beginning of confession.
Psalm thou dost praise drunkenness. Thou art disputing with God, lxxVI'thou hast not made for Him a place in thy heart: because in peace is His place. And how dost thou begin to have
peace with God ? Thou beginnest with Him in confession. Ps. U7, There, is a voice of a Psalm, saying, Begin ye to the Lord in confession. What is, Begin ye to the Lord in confession f Begin ye to be joined to the Lord. In what manner? So that the same thing may displease you as displeaseth Him. There displeaseth Him thy evil life ; if it please thyself, thou art disunited from Him ; if it displease thee, through confession to Him thou art united. See in how great
measure thou art unlike Him, since indeed on account of that very unlikeness thou art displeasing to Him. Thou hast been made, O man, after the image of God : but through thy life being perverse and evil thou hast disturbed in thee and hast banished in thee the image of thy Creator. Having become unlike, thou lookest unto thyself and thou
now from this time thou beginnest to become like, because the same thing is displeasing to thee
as is displeasing to God also.
4. But how am I like, sayest thou, when I am still dis
pleasing to myself? Therefore there hath been said, begin. Ps. 147, Begin thou to the Lord in confession: thou wilt be made
7-
perfect in peace. For as yet thou hast war against thee.
displeasest thyself:
There is enjoined then a war, not only against the sug- Ephet. gestions of the devil, against the prince of the power of this
6' 1 '
air, who worketh in the sons of unbelief, against the devil and his angels, the spiritual things of naughtiness ; not only therefore against them war is enjoined thee, but against thyself. How against thyself ? Against thy evil habit, against the oldness of thy evil life, which draweth thee to thy wonted life, and withholdeth thee from the new. For there is en joined upon thee a kind of new life, and thou art old. By the joy of that newness thou art held aloft, by the burden of the oldness thou art weighed down : there beginneth to be war for thee against thyself. But by the part wherein thou art displeased with thyself thou art being united to God; and by that part whereby thou art now being joined to God, thou wilt be meet to conquer thyself ; because He is with thee Who overcometh all things. Observe what the Apostle
In what sense the flesh still serves sin. 7
saith : With the mind I serve the law of God, but with the Ver. flesh the law of sin. How with mind ? Because thy evil Ro^' - '
life is displeasing to thee. How with flesh ? Because there 26. are not wanting evil suggestions and affections of pleasure ; but in that with mind thou art united with God, thou art conquering in thyself that which in thyself is not willing to follow. For thou hast gone before in part, and in part thou art held back.
upward. With
weighed down :
who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Who 24, shall deliver me from that wherewith I am being weighed
down? For the body which is corrupted doth weigh downVTM. 9,
Draw thyself to Him, Who is raising thee a sort of weight of o kin ess thou art Ibeing
cry out and say, Unhappy man tftat
am, Rom.
7,
suffer thee long time to contend with thyself, until there be swallowed up all evil desires ? In order that thou mayest
in thyself thy penance. In thee from thyself is thy rod: let thy strife be with thyself. Thus vengeance is taken upon a rebel against God, in such sort that he is himself a war unto himself, who would not have peace with God. But keep thy members against thy evil desires. There hath sprung up wrath, refrain thy hand, taking part with God. It might have arisen, but it hath found no weapons. In thy wrath is the onset, in thyself are the weapons : be the onset without weapons, and it leameth no longer to rise, which hath risen in vain.
5. But this I say, dearly beloved, lest perchance because
we have said, But with flesh to the law of sin, ye may R0m. 7, think that ye ought to consent to your carnal desires. 25- Though there cannot now but be carnal desires, we must
not consent to them. Therefore the Apostle hath not said,
Be there not sin in your mortal body. For he knoweth
that so long as it is mortal, there is there sin. But he saith
what? Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. Rom. 6, What is, Let it not reign ? He hath himself explained : 12'
to obey, he saith, the desires thereof. There are desires,
there arise desires, thou dost not obey thy desires, dost not
follow the same desires, dost not consent to them : there is
in thee sin, but it hath lost its reign, now that in thee there
the souL Who, I say, shall deliver me? The grace
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But why doth He26.
perceive
of^m 7
8 After Resurrection the flesh will tempt no more.
Psai. m reigneth not sin, hereafter the last enemy shall be destroyed, iT5o7~ death.
But what is promised to us? For it hath been said, 16, 26. With mind 1 serve the law of God, but with flesh the law of ^? m- 7' sin. Hear the promise, that there will not always be in the
flesh unlawful desires. For it will rise again, and it will be changed: and when this mortal flesh shall have been changed into a spiritual body, then no more with any earthly delights shall it allure the soul, nor shall divert it from the contem plation of God. There is then done in her that whereof the
Rom. 8, Apostle speaketh, The body indeed is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if He that hath raised up Jesus from the dead doth dwell in you; He that hath raised %ip Jesus Christ from the dead shall
bring to life also your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit Which dweUeth in you. When our bodies then have been brought to life, there will be true peace, where there is a place for God: but let confession go before. Known in
Judcea is God: confess thou therefore first. In Israel great is His Name: not yet thou seest in form, see thou by faith ; and there shall be made in thee that which followeth : and there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion. Sion is interpreted contemplation". What is
l Cor. contemplation ? For we shall contemplate God face to face. 13' 12' He is promised to us, in Whom now not seeing we believe.
How shall we rejoice when we shall have seen Him ! Brethren, if now so great joy the promise doth work in us, how great joy will the performance work ? For there will be rendered to us that which He hath promised P And what hath He promised? Himself, so that in His face and in the con templation of Him we may rejoice : and not any other object will delight us, because nothing is better than He that hath made all things which delight. There hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion: that is, in a kind of contemplation and speculation, there hath
been made a dwelling for Him, in Sion.
6. Ver. 3. There He hath broken the strength of bows, and
the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Where hath He
broken ? In that eternal peace, in that perfect peace. And
? Oxf. Mss. and some others, ' we brethren whom we see present also to- naid it already yesterday, and some day heard, what is contemplation. '
The spiritual mountains made eternal by grace. 9
now, my brethren, they that have rightly believed see that Ver. they ought not to rely on themselves : and all the might of ----- their own menaces, and whatsoever is in them whetted for mischief, this they break in pieces ; and whatsoever they
deem of great virtue wherewith to protect themselves tempo rally, and the war which they were waging against God by defending their sins, all these things He hath broken there.
7. Ver. 4. Thou enlightening marvellously from the eternal mountains. What are the eternal mountains? Those which He hath Himself made eternal ; which are the great moun tains, the preachers of truth. Thou dost enlighten, but from the eternal mountains : the great mountains are first to re ceive Thy light, and from Thy light which the mountains receive, the earth also is clothed. But those great mountains the Apostles have received, the Apostles have received as it were the first streaks of the risinglight. Did they by any means
keep to themselves that which they received ? No. Lest
there should be said to them, Servant naughty and slothful, Mat. 26, thou shouldest have given my money to the usurers. Since 26' then that which they received they kept not to themselves,
but they preached it to all the round world ; Thou enlight
ening marvellously from the eternal mountains. By those
which Thou hast made eternal, by the same Thou hast pro
mised life eternal to the rest also. Thou enlightening mar vellously from the eternal mountains. Admirably with force
hath been said Thou : that no one may suppose that the mountains enlighten him. For many thinking that they were enlightened by the mere mountains, made to themselves
parties from the mountains; and the very mountains have
fallen downb, and they have been themselves broken in pieces.
Some have made for themselves a Donatus, some have Against made for themselves a Maximianus, some have made for*et? t? - themselves this or that teacher. Why do they count their salvation to be in men, not in God? O man, there hath come
to thee light through the mountains : but God doth enlighten
thee, not the mountains.
Thou, not the mountains.
b So Mss. according to Ben. without
Tariation, Ben. reads, ' ipsos montes which is not so good sense, ccncidetunt,' the very mountains they
Thou enlightening, he saith : Thou enlightening : from the
have cut away, or ' cut in pieces,'
10 None, however great, to be followed by himself.
Psalm eternal mountains indeed; but, Thou enlightening. Where- P^x'121forea*so'*Danot^erplace,aPsalmsaithwhat? /havelifted
1.
2.
'up mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come help to me. What then, in the mountains is thy hope, and from thence to thee shall there come help? Hast thou stayed at the mountains ? Take heed what thou doest.
There is something above the mountains : above the moun tains is He at Whom the mountains tremble. / hare lifted up, he saith, mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come help to me. But what followeth ? My help, he saith, is from the Lord, who hath made Heaven and earth. Unto the mountains indeed I have lifted up eyes, because through the mountains to me the Scriptures were displayed : but 1 have my heart in Him that doth enlighten all moun tains.
8. Therefore, brethren, for this purpose it hath been said, that no one of you should will to set his hope on man. Man is something, so long as he adhereth to Him by Whom man was made. For departing from Him, man is nothing, even when he adhereth to those (mountains). Do thou so take counsel through man, as that thou mayest consider Him that doth enlighten man. For even thou art able to draw near to Him, that doth speak to thee through man : for it is not so, that He hath made him to draw near unto Himself, and
rejecteth thee. And he that hath truly so drawn near unto God, that God dwelleth in him, is displeased with all those that do not set their hope on Him. Therefore there hath been given a sort of example. When men divided among themselves theIvery Apostles, and they fell Iunto schisms who
Apollos,
12- is, of Peter--over these the Apostle doth mourn, and he saith
Ibid. 13. to them,/* Christ divided? and he singled out himself to make light of among them ; Hath Paul been crucified for you, or in the name of Paul have ye been baptized? Behold a good mountain, seeking glory, not for himself, but for Him by Whom the mountains are enlightened. He was not willing to rely on himself; but upon Him on Whom he had over himself relied. Whosoever therefore shall have willed so to recommend himself to the people, as that if there shall have chanced for him any tumult, he brcaketh
am of Paul, I
l Cor. l, were saying, of
of
Cephas, that
up the people to
The true mountains refuse to stand by themselves. 1 1
follow after him, and divideth the Church Catholic for his Ver. own sake, is not of those mountains which the Most ----
But what is such an one ? One darkened by himself, not enlightened by the Lord. But
have been divided. But they have been divided? ; when
the people withdrew from the whole world and followed
after their name, they rejoiced, were elated, and were thrown down. They should have been humbled, and they would have been exalted: in like manner as the Apostle was
High doth enlighten.
how are these mountains proved? If there shall perchance have fallen out any tumult against the mountains in the Church, either by means of the popular seditions of carnal men, or by means of any false suspicions of men, a good mountain doth drive away from itself all them that for its own sake will to withdraw from unity. For thus it will remain in unity, if for its own sake unity herself shall not
Iath Paid been crucified for you? And humbled, saying, H
in another place, watered, but God hath 1 Cor. 3, planted, Apollos
given the increase. Tiierefore, neither he that planteth is any 6- thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.
were humble, in God were exalted. But they that in themselves are exalted, by God
are humbled. For he that exalteth himself shall be humbled; LukeU, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Therefore11,
such men as regard their own pride are bitterly hostile to 1J"*1? *- peaceful men in the Church. These are willing to cement
peace, those stir up dissension among themselves. And what
saith another Psalm regarding them ? They that are bitter Ps. 66,7.
9. Ver. 5. There have been troubled all the unwise in
heart. There hath been preached the truth, there hath been declared life eternal ; it hath been declared that there is another life, which is not of this earth : men have despised the present life, and have loved the future life when enlight ened by the enlightened mountains. But the unwise in
c 4 Mw. ap. Ben. (and Oxf. ) have rejoiced.
Such mountains in themselves
shall not be exalted in themselves.
serve this,) Thou marvellously from the eternal mountains.
Thou enlightening, (ob
How have they been troubled ?
heart have been troubled.
When the Gospel is preached. And what is life eternal ?
And who is He that hath risen from the dead? The Athe- *ct"17'
12 The rich of this world at last find their hands empty.
Psalm njan8 wondered, when the Apostle Paul spake of the resur- -rectum of the dead, and thought that he spake but fables.
) Cor. 2, jlu(. because he said that there was another life which neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it gone up into the heart of man, therefore the unwise in heart were troubled. But what hath befallen them ? They have slept their sleep, and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands. They have loved things present, and have gone to sleep in the midst of things present: and so these very present things have become to them delightful : just as he that seeth in a dream himself to have found treasure, is so long rich as he waketh not. The dream hath made him rich, waking hath made him poor. Sleep perchance hath held him slumbering on the earth, and lying on the hard ground, poor and perchance a beggar; in sleep he hath seen himself to lie on an ivory or golden bed, and on feathers
1many
not understood how much of good might be done therewith. For if they had known of another life, there they would have laid up unto themselves the treasure which here was doomed to perish : like as Zacchaeus, the chief of the Publicans, saw that good1 when he received the LIord Jesus in his house, an(i ne saith, Tlie my goods
heaped up ; so long as he is sleeping, he is sleeping well, waking he hath found himself on the hard ground, whereon sleep had taken him. Such men also are these too : they have come into this life, and through temporal desires, they have as it were slumbered here ; and them riches, and vain pomps that fly away, have taken, and they have passed away : they have
Ior, if restore. This man was not in the emptiness of men dreaming, but in
'good. '
Luke19, t0 amj man
give to the and
I halfof po
have done any wrong,
fourfold
the faith of men awake. Therefore because the Lord had
come in as a Physician to a sick man, He hath proclaimed ibid. >>. 9. his salvation, and saith, To-day salvation to this house hath come, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. In order
that ye might know how we by imitating his faith are the sons of Abraham : but the Jews who glory because of the flesh from the faith have degenerated. Therefore the men of riches have slept their sleep, and they have found nothing in their hands. They have slept in their desires, there delighteth them and passeth away that sleep, there passeth
They that 'mount horses' in pride, ' sleep' through judgment. 13
away this life, and they find nothing in their hands, because Vkr.
--
they have put nothing in the hand of Christ. Wilt thou
find any thing in thy hands hereafter? Despise not now the
hand of the poor man ; and have regard to empty hands, if
thou wilt have full hands. For the Lord hath said, IwasM*t. 25,
hungry, and ye gave Me to eat; I
Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in, and the like. And they, When saw we Thee hungry, thirsty, or a stranger' ? And He saith to them, Inasmuch as to one of My least ones ye have done to Me ye have done it. To hunger in the
poor He hath willed, That rich in Heaven and thou man to man dost hesitate to give, although thou knowest that thou art giving to Christ that which thou givest, from Whom thou hast received whatever thou givest But they have slept their sleep, and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands.
10. Ver. 6. By Thy chiding, God of Jacob, there ha ve slept all men that have mounted horses. Who are they that have mounted horses They that would not be humble. To sit on horseback no sin but sin to lift up the neck of power against God, and to deem one's self to be in
was thirsty, and ye gave
some distinction. Because thou art rich, thou hast mounted;
God doth chide, and thou sleepest. Great the anger of
Him chiding, great the anger. Let your Love observe tho terrible thing. Chiding hath noise, the noise wont to make men wake. So great the force of God chiding, that
he said, By Thy chiding, God of Jacob, there have slept
all men that have mounted horses. Behold what sleep
that Pharaoh slept who mounted horses. For he was not awake in heart, because against chiding he had his heart Exod. hardened. For hardness of heart slumber. ask you, 14>> 8- my brethren, how they sleep, who, while the Gospel sounding, and the Amen, and the Hallelujah, throughout the whole world, yet will not condemn their old life, and wake
up unto new life. There was the Scripture of God in Judaea only, now throughout the whole world sung. In that one nation one God Who made all things was spoken of, as to be adored and worshipped; now where He unsaid? Christ hath risen again, though derided on the Cross that
Oxf. Mss. and minittered unto Thee. '
d
it,
?
is ? 0 is
is ;
it is
is I is
; ?
a
is
it
a is
a
;
O
is a
is
14 Men still sleep in spite of general warnings.
Psalm very Cross whereon He was derided, He hath now imprinted lxxyr. on the Drows of kingS: and men yet sleep. Better have we heard Him that saith, Arise thou that art sleeping, and rise up from the dead, and there shall enlighten thee Christ.
But who do hear Him? They that do not mount horses. Who are they that do not mount horses? They that do not boast and exalt themselves, as if on their honours and powers. By Thy chiding, O God ofJacob, there have slumbered they that have mounted horses.
11. Ver. 7. Thou art terrible, and who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger ? Now they sleep, and perceive not Thee angry ; but for cause that they should sleep, He was angry. Now that which sleeping they perceived not, at the end they shall perceive. For there shall appear the Judge of quick and dead. And who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger?
EphesiAns, and of Theodoret on the RomAns, &c. may be expected in the course of next year.
Advent, 1850.
C. M.
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD
WILLIAM
LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
PRIMATE OF All ENGlAND,
FORMERLY REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OxFORD, THIS LIBRARY
or
ancient bishops, fAthers, doctors, mArtyrs, confessors,
of Christ's holy cAtholic church,
UNDERTAKEN AMID HIS ENCOURAGEMENT, AND ,
CARRIED ON FOR TWElVE YEARS UNDER HIS SANCTION,
UNTIl HIS DEPARTURE HENCE IN PEACE, is
GRATEFUllY AND REVERENTlY INSCRIBED.
ST. AUGUSTINE ON
THE PSALMS.
PSALM LXXVI. EXPOSITION.
lLat;
Sermon to the Commonalty, wherein he iliiputeth against the Donatists, and treateth ofvows,
1. The enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, known unto all men, the Jews, are wont to glory in this Psalm which we have sung, saying, Known in Judtsa is God, in Israel great is the name of Him : and to revile the Gentiles to whom God is not known, and to say that to themselves alone God is known ; seeing that the Prophet saith, Known in Judcea is
God : in other places therefore He is unknown. But God
is known in very deed in Judaea, if they understand what is Judaea. For indeed God is not known except in Judsa. Behold even we say this, that except a person shall have
been in Judeea, known to him God cannot be. But what
saith the Apostle ? He that in secret is a Jew, he that is so Eom. 2, in circumcision of the heart, not in letter but in spirit. 29' There are therefore Jews in circumcision of the flesh, and
there are Jews in circumcision of the heart. Many of our holy fathers had both the circumcision of the flesh, for a seal of the faith, and circumcision of the heart, for the faith itself. From these fathers these men degenerating, who now
VOL. IV. B
2 Meaning of JtuLea. The twelve tribes of Israel.
Psalm in the name do glory, and have lost their deeds ; from these A"! ! -fathers, I say, degenerating, they have remained in flesh Jews, in heart Heathens. For these are Jews, who are oat of Abraham, from whom Isaac was born, and out of him Gen. 21 , Jacob, and out of Jacob the twelve Patriarchs, and out of the twelve Patriarchs the whole people of the Jews. But they 32. Sec. were generally called Jews for this reason, that Judas was
one of the twelve sons of Jacob, a Patriarch among the twelve, and from his stock the Royalty came among the Jews. For all this people after the number of the twelve sons of Jacob, had twelve tribes. What we call tribes are as were distinct houses and congregations of people. That people, say, had twelve tribes, out of which twelve
tribes one tribe was Judah, out of which were the kings and there was another tribe, Levi, out of which were the priests. But because to the priests serving the temple no
- land was allotted, but was necessary that among twelve tribes all the Land of promise should be shared: there having been therefore taken out one tribe of higher dignity, the tribe of Levi, which was of the priests, there would
have remained eleven, unless by the adoption of the two sons of Joseph the number twelve were completed.
What this is, observe. One of the twelve sons of Jacob was Joseph. It that Joseph whom his brethren sold into Egypt, and who there on account of his chastity was raised
to an exalted station, and God was with him in all his work and he received his brethren, by whom he had been sold, and his father, weighed down with famine and for the sake of bread going down into Egypt. This Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasse. Jacob, dying, as though will, received those his grandsons into the number of sons, and
Gen. 48, said to his son Joseph, Hie rest that are born shall be to thee but these to me, and they shall divide the land with their brethren. As yet there had not been given nor divided the land of promise, but he was speaking in the Spirit prophesying. The two sons therefore of Joseph being added, there were made up nevertheless twelve tribes, since now there are thirteen. For instead of one tribe of Joseph, two were added, and there were made thirteen. There being taken out then the tribe of Levi, that tribe of priests which
2^
Numb,
;
it
by
;
;
is
I it
'
229
The Jews forfeited their name in renouncing their King. 3
did serve the Temple, and lived by the tithes of all the rest Vrr. unto whom the land was divided, there remain twelve. In ----- these twelve was the tribe of Juda, whence the kings were.
For at first from another tribe was given King Saul, and he l Sam. was rejected as being an evil king; after there was given9'1- from the tribe of Judah King David, and out of him from
the tribe of Judah were the Kings. But Jacob had spoken l Sam. of this, when he blessed his sons, there shall not fail a prince 6^49 out of Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until there corner-
He to Whom the promise hath been made. But from the
tribe of Judah there came Our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is,
as the Scripture saith, and as ye have but now heard, out 2 Tim. of the seed of David born of Mary. But as regardeth the2'8' Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein He is equal with the Father, He isnotonly before the Jews, but also before Abraham John 8, himself; nor only before Abraham, but also before Adam;88'
nor only before Adam, but also before Heaven and earth and
before ages : for all things by Himself were made, and without g? hn 1 , Him there was made nothing. Because therefore in prophecy
hath been said, there shall not fail a prince out of Judah, Gen. 49, nor a leaderfrom his thighs, until there come He for Whom 10-
the promise hath been made : former times are examined,
and we find that the Jews always had their kings of the
tribe of Judah, and had no foreign king before that Herod
who was king when the Lord was born. Thence began Luke 3, foreign kings, from Herod. Before Herod all were of the ' tribe of Judah, but only until there should come He to Whom the promise had been made. Therefore when the
Lord Himself came, the kingdom of the Jews was overthrown,
and removed from the Jews. Now they have no king ; be
cause they will not acknowledge the true King. See now whether they must be called Jews. Now ye do see that they
must not be called Jews. They have themselves with their
own voice resigned that name, so that ihey are not worthy
to be called Jews, except only in the flesh. When did they
sever themselves from that name ? They said -- (they were
raging against Christ, that is, the race of Judah was raging against the Iseed of David. And Pilate sailh to them, Your John 19,
--
crucify? ) they said, I say, We have no king15,
King shall
but Ccesar. O ye who are called Jews and are not, if ye
B2
Psalm
4 The true royalty of David is in Christ.
have no king but Caesar, there hath failed a Prince of Judah: there hath come then He to Whom the promise hath been made. They then are more truly Jews, who have been made Christians out of Jews : the rest of the Jews, who in Christ have not believed, have deserved to lose even the very name. The true Judaea, then, is the Church of Christ, believing in that King, Who hath come out of the tribe of Judah through the Virgin Mary; believing in Him of Whom the Apostle was
2 Tim. just now speaking, in writing to Timothy, Be thou mindful
2' 8'
ihat Jesus Christ hath risen from the dead, of the seed of David, after my Gospel. For of Judah is David, and out of David is the Lord Jesus Christ. We believing in Christ do belong to Judah : and we acknowledge Christ. We, that with eyes have not seen, in faith do keep Him. Let not therefore the Jews revile, who are no longer Jews. They
John19, said themselves, We have no king but Ccesar. For better
16-
were it for them that their king should be Christ, of the seed of David, of the tribe of Judah. Nevertheless because Christ Himself is of the seed of David after the flesh, but
Bom. 9, God above all things blessed for ever, He is Himself our
5'
King and our God ; our King, inasmuch as born of the tribe of Judah, after the flesh, was Christ the Lord, the Saviour; but our God, Who is before Judah, and before
John l, Heaven and earth, by Whom were made all things, both
3'
spiritual and corporal. For if all things by Himself were made ; even Mary herself, out of whom He was born, by Himself was made. How then could He have been born like the rest of mankind, who made unto Himself a mother out of whom He might be born ? Therefore He is Himself the Lord : the Apostle saying, when he was speaking of the
Bom. 9, Jews, of whom are the fathers, and out of whom is Christ 5' after the flesh; Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Because then the Jews saw Christ and crucified Him, they saw not God : but the Gentiles because they saw not and
believed, have perceived God. Therefore if there appeared
i Cor. 6, to them God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and
19'
they crucified Him because they perceived not God hidden in flesh : begone that which is called Judaea and is not; and let there draw near the true Judaea, to whom is said, Draw ye near to Him and be ye enlightened, and your faces shall not
lie is known as God to the true Judah and Israel. 5 blush. The faces of the true Judaea shall not be put to con- Ver'
--
fusion. For they have heard and have believed, and the Church hath become the true Judaea, where Christ is known, Who being Man of the seed of David, is God above David.
2. Known in Judcea is God, in Israel great is the Name of Him. Concerning Israel also we ought so to take it as wo have concerning Judaea: as they were not the true Jews, so neither was that the true Israel. For what is Israel said to be ? One seeing God. And how have they seen God, among whom He walked in the flesh ; and while they supposed Him to be man, they slew Him ? Rising again He appeared as God to all to whom He willed to manifest Himself. They
then are worthy to be called Israel, who merited to perceive Christ, as God clothed in flesh, so that they despised not that which they saw, but adored that which they saw not. For though not seen to the eyes, the Gentiles with humble mind have perceived Him Whom they saw not, and in faith have retained Him. Again, they that in hands held Him, slew Him ; they that in faith held Him, adored. In Israel
great is His Name. Wilt thou be Israel ? Observe that man concerning whom the Lord saith, Behold an Israelite indeed, John 1, in whom guile is not. If a true Israelite is he in whom guile
is not, the guileful and lying are not true Israelites. Let
them not say then, that with them is God, and great is His
name in Israel. Let them prove themselves Israelites, and
I grant that in Israel great is His Name.
3. Ver. 2. And there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His habitation is in Sion. Again, Sion is as it were the country of the Jews; the true Sion is the Church of Christians. But the interpretation of the Hebrew names is
thus handed down to us : Judaea is interpreted confession, Israel, one seeing God. After Judaea is Israel : so it hath been placed here, Known in Judcea is God, in Israel great is His Name. Wilt thou see God ? First do thou confess, and then in thyself there is made a place for God; because there
hath been made in peace a placefor Him. So long as then thou confessest not thy sins, in a manner thou art quarrelling with God. For how art thou not disputing with Him, who art praising that which displeaseth Him ? He punisheth a thief, thou dost praise theft : He doth punish a drunken man,
6 Inward peace God's dwelling. Beginning of confession.
Psalm thou dost praise drunkenness. Thou art disputing with God, lxxVI'thou hast not made for Him a place in thy heart: because in peace is His place. And how dost thou begin to have
peace with God ? Thou beginnest with Him in confession. Ps. U7, There, is a voice of a Psalm, saying, Begin ye to the Lord in confession. What is, Begin ye to the Lord in confession f Begin ye to be joined to the Lord. In what manner? So that the same thing may displease you as displeaseth Him. There displeaseth Him thy evil life ; if it please thyself, thou art disunited from Him ; if it displease thee, through confession to Him thou art united. See in how great
measure thou art unlike Him, since indeed on account of that very unlikeness thou art displeasing to Him. Thou hast been made, O man, after the image of God : but through thy life being perverse and evil thou hast disturbed in thee and hast banished in thee the image of thy Creator. Having become unlike, thou lookest unto thyself and thou
now from this time thou beginnest to become like, because the same thing is displeasing to thee
as is displeasing to God also.
4. But how am I like, sayest thou, when I am still dis
pleasing to myself? Therefore there hath been said, begin. Ps. 147, Begin thou to the Lord in confession: thou wilt be made
7-
perfect in peace. For as yet thou hast war against thee.
displeasest thyself:
There is enjoined then a war, not only against the sug- Ephet. gestions of the devil, against the prince of the power of this
6' 1 '
air, who worketh in the sons of unbelief, against the devil and his angels, the spiritual things of naughtiness ; not only therefore against them war is enjoined thee, but against thyself. How against thyself ? Against thy evil habit, against the oldness of thy evil life, which draweth thee to thy wonted life, and withholdeth thee from the new. For there is en joined upon thee a kind of new life, and thou art old. By the joy of that newness thou art held aloft, by the burden of the oldness thou art weighed down : there beginneth to be war for thee against thyself. But by the part wherein thou art displeased with thyself thou art being united to God; and by that part whereby thou art now being joined to God, thou wilt be meet to conquer thyself ; because He is with thee Who overcometh all things. Observe what the Apostle
In what sense the flesh still serves sin. 7
saith : With the mind I serve the law of God, but with the Ver. flesh the law of sin. How with mind ? Because thy evil Ro^' - '
life is displeasing to thee. How with flesh ? Because there 26. are not wanting evil suggestions and affections of pleasure ; but in that with mind thou art united with God, thou art conquering in thyself that which in thyself is not willing to follow. For thou hast gone before in part, and in part thou art held back.
upward. With
weighed down :
who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Who 24, shall deliver me from that wherewith I am being weighed
down? For the body which is corrupted doth weigh downVTM. 9,
Draw thyself to Him, Who is raising thee a sort of weight of o kin ess thou art Ibeing
cry out and say, Unhappy man tftat
am, Rom.
7,
suffer thee long time to contend with thyself, until there be swallowed up all evil desires ? In order that thou mayest
in thyself thy penance. In thee from thyself is thy rod: let thy strife be with thyself. Thus vengeance is taken upon a rebel against God, in such sort that he is himself a war unto himself, who would not have peace with God. But keep thy members against thy evil desires. There hath sprung up wrath, refrain thy hand, taking part with God. It might have arisen, but it hath found no weapons. In thy wrath is the onset, in thyself are the weapons : be the onset without weapons, and it leameth no longer to rise, which hath risen in vain.
5. But this I say, dearly beloved, lest perchance because
we have said, But with flesh to the law of sin, ye may R0m. 7, think that ye ought to consent to your carnal desires. 25- Though there cannot now but be carnal desires, we must
not consent to them. Therefore the Apostle hath not said,
Be there not sin in your mortal body. For he knoweth
that so long as it is mortal, there is there sin. But he saith
what? Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. Rom. 6, What is, Let it not reign ? He hath himself explained : 12'
to obey, he saith, the desires thereof. There are desires,
there arise desires, thou dost not obey thy desires, dost not
follow the same desires, dost not consent to them : there is
in thee sin, but it hath lost its reign, now that in thee there
the souL Who, I say, shall deliver me? The grace
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But why doth He26.
perceive
of^m 7
8 After Resurrection the flesh will tempt no more.
Psai. m reigneth not sin, hereafter the last enemy shall be destroyed, iT5o7~ death.
But what is promised to us? For it hath been said, 16, 26. With mind 1 serve the law of God, but with flesh the law of ^? m- 7' sin. Hear the promise, that there will not always be in the
flesh unlawful desires. For it will rise again, and it will be changed: and when this mortal flesh shall have been changed into a spiritual body, then no more with any earthly delights shall it allure the soul, nor shall divert it from the contem plation of God. There is then done in her that whereof the
Rom. 8, Apostle speaketh, The body indeed is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if He that hath raised up Jesus from the dead doth dwell in you; He that hath raised %ip Jesus Christ from the dead shall
bring to life also your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit Which dweUeth in you. When our bodies then have been brought to life, there will be true peace, where there is a place for God: but let confession go before. Known in
Judcea is God: confess thou therefore first. In Israel great is His Name: not yet thou seest in form, see thou by faith ; and there shall be made in thee that which followeth : and there hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion. Sion is interpreted contemplation". What is
l Cor. contemplation ? For we shall contemplate God face to face. 13' 12' He is promised to us, in Whom now not seeing we believe.
How shall we rejoice when we shall have seen Him ! Brethren, if now so great joy the promise doth work in us, how great joy will the performance work ? For there will be rendered to us that which He hath promised P And what hath He promised? Himself, so that in His face and in the con templation of Him we may rejoice : and not any other object will delight us, because nothing is better than He that hath made all things which delight. There hath been made in peace a place for Him, and His dwelling is in Sion: that is, in a kind of contemplation and speculation, there hath
been made a dwelling for Him, in Sion.
6. Ver. 3. There He hath broken the strength of bows, and
the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Where hath He
broken ? In that eternal peace, in that perfect peace. And
? Oxf. Mss. and some others, ' we brethren whom we see present also to- naid it already yesterday, and some day heard, what is contemplation. '
The spiritual mountains made eternal by grace. 9
now, my brethren, they that have rightly believed see that Ver. they ought not to rely on themselves : and all the might of ----- their own menaces, and whatsoever is in them whetted for mischief, this they break in pieces ; and whatsoever they
deem of great virtue wherewith to protect themselves tempo rally, and the war which they were waging against God by defending their sins, all these things He hath broken there.
7. Ver. 4. Thou enlightening marvellously from the eternal mountains. What are the eternal mountains? Those which He hath Himself made eternal ; which are the great moun tains, the preachers of truth. Thou dost enlighten, but from the eternal mountains : the great mountains are first to re ceive Thy light, and from Thy light which the mountains receive, the earth also is clothed. But those great mountains the Apostles have received, the Apostles have received as it were the first streaks of the risinglight. Did they by any means
keep to themselves that which they received ? No. Lest
there should be said to them, Servant naughty and slothful, Mat. 26, thou shouldest have given my money to the usurers. Since 26' then that which they received they kept not to themselves,
but they preached it to all the round world ; Thou enlight
ening marvellously from the eternal mountains. By those
which Thou hast made eternal, by the same Thou hast pro
mised life eternal to the rest also. Thou enlightening mar vellously from the eternal mountains. Admirably with force
hath been said Thou : that no one may suppose that the mountains enlighten him. For many thinking that they were enlightened by the mere mountains, made to themselves
parties from the mountains; and the very mountains have
fallen downb, and they have been themselves broken in pieces.
Some have made for themselves a Donatus, some have Against made for themselves a Maximianus, some have made for*et? t? - themselves this or that teacher. Why do they count their salvation to be in men, not in God? O man, there hath come
to thee light through the mountains : but God doth enlighten
thee, not the mountains.
Thou, not the mountains.
b So Mss. according to Ben. without
Tariation, Ben. reads, ' ipsos montes which is not so good sense, ccncidetunt,' the very mountains they
Thou enlightening, he saith : Thou enlightening : from the
have cut away, or ' cut in pieces,'
10 None, however great, to be followed by himself.
Psalm eternal mountains indeed; but, Thou enlightening. Where- P^x'121forea*so'*Danot^erplace,aPsalmsaithwhat? /havelifted
1.
2.
'up mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come help to me. What then, in the mountains is thy hope, and from thence to thee shall there come help? Hast thou stayed at the mountains ? Take heed what thou doest.
There is something above the mountains : above the moun tains is He at Whom the mountains tremble. / hare lifted up, he saith, mine eyes unto the mountains, whence there shall come help to me. But what followeth ? My help, he saith, is from the Lord, who hath made Heaven and earth. Unto the mountains indeed I have lifted up eyes, because through the mountains to me the Scriptures were displayed : but 1 have my heart in Him that doth enlighten all moun tains.
8. Therefore, brethren, for this purpose it hath been said, that no one of you should will to set his hope on man. Man is something, so long as he adhereth to Him by Whom man was made. For departing from Him, man is nothing, even when he adhereth to those (mountains). Do thou so take counsel through man, as that thou mayest consider Him that doth enlighten man. For even thou art able to draw near to Him, that doth speak to thee through man : for it is not so, that He hath made him to draw near unto Himself, and
rejecteth thee. And he that hath truly so drawn near unto God, that God dwelleth in him, is displeased with all those that do not set their hope on Him. Therefore there hath been given a sort of example. When men divided among themselves theIvery Apostles, and they fell Iunto schisms who
Apollos,
12- is, of Peter--over these the Apostle doth mourn, and he saith
Ibid. 13. to them,/* Christ divided? and he singled out himself to make light of among them ; Hath Paul been crucified for you, or in the name of Paul have ye been baptized? Behold a good mountain, seeking glory, not for himself, but for Him by Whom the mountains are enlightened. He was not willing to rely on himself; but upon Him on Whom he had over himself relied. Whosoever therefore shall have willed so to recommend himself to the people, as that if there shall have chanced for him any tumult, he brcaketh
am of Paul, I
l Cor. l, were saying, of
of
Cephas, that
up the people to
The true mountains refuse to stand by themselves. 1 1
follow after him, and divideth the Church Catholic for his Ver. own sake, is not of those mountains which the Most ----
But what is such an one ? One darkened by himself, not enlightened by the Lord. But
have been divided. But they have been divided? ; when
the people withdrew from the whole world and followed
after their name, they rejoiced, were elated, and were thrown down. They should have been humbled, and they would have been exalted: in like manner as the Apostle was
High doth enlighten.
how are these mountains proved? If there shall perchance have fallen out any tumult against the mountains in the Church, either by means of the popular seditions of carnal men, or by means of any false suspicions of men, a good mountain doth drive away from itself all them that for its own sake will to withdraw from unity. For thus it will remain in unity, if for its own sake unity herself shall not
Iath Paid been crucified for you? And humbled, saying, H
in another place, watered, but God hath 1 Cor. 3, planted, Apollos
given the increase. Tiierefore, neither he that planteth is any 6- thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.
were humble, in God were exalted. But they that in themselves are exalted, by God
are humbled. For he that exalteth himself shall be humbled; LukeU, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Therefore11,
such men as regard their own pride are bitterly hostile to 1J"*1? *- peaceful men in the Church. These are willing to cement
peace, those stir up dissension among themselves. And what
saith another Psalm regarding them ? They that are bitter Ps. 66,7.
9. Ver. 5. There have been troubled all the unwise in
heart. There hath been preached the truth, there hath been declared life eternal ; it hath been declared that there is another life, which is not of this earth : men have despised the present life, and have loved the future life when enlight ened by the enlightened mountains. But the unwise in
c 4 Mw. ap. Ben. (and Oxf. ) have rejoiced.
Such mountains in themselves
shall not be exalted in themselves.
serve this,) Thou marvellously from the eternal mountains.
Thou enlightening, (ob
How have they been troubled ?
heart have been troubled.
When the Gospel is preached. And what is life eternal ?
And who is He that hath risen from the dead? The Athe- *ct"17'
12 The rich of this world at last find their hands empty.
Psalm njan8 wondered, when the Apostle Paul spake of the resur- -rectum of the dead, and thought that he spake but fables.
) Cor. 2, jlu(. because he said that there was another life which neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it gone up into the heart of man, therefore the unwise in heart were troubled. But what hath befallen them ? They have slept their sleep, and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands. They have loved things present, and have gone to sleep in the midst of things present: and so these very present things have become to them delightful : just as he that seeth in a dream himself to have found treasure, is so long rich as he waketh not. The dream hath made him rich, waking hath made him poor. Sleep perchance hath held him slumbering on the earth, and lying on the hard ground, poor and perchance a beggar; in sleep he hath seen himself to lie on an ivory or golden bed, and on feathers
1many
not understood how much of good might be done therewith. For if they had known of another life, there they would have laid up unto themselves the treasure which here was doomed to perish : like as Zacchaeus, the chief of the Publicans, saw that good1 when he received the LIord Jesus in his house, an(i ne saith, Tlie my goods
heaped up ; so long as he is sleeping, he is sleeping well, waking he hath found himself on the hard ground, whereon sleep had taken him. Such men also are these too : they have come into this life, and through temporal desires, they have as it were slumbered here ; and them riches, and vain pomps that fly away, have taken, and they have passed away : they have
Ior, if restore. This man was not in the emptiness of men dreaming, but in
'good. '
Luke19, t0 amj man
give to the and
I halfof po
have done any wrong,
fourfold
the faith of men awake. Therefore because the Lord had
come in as a Physician to a sick man, He hath proclaimed ibid. >>. 9. his salvation, and saith, To-day salvation to this house hath come, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. In order
that ye might know how we by imitating his faith are the sons of Abraham : but the Jews who glory because of the flesh from the faith have degenerated. Therefore the men of riches have slept their sleep, and they have found nothing in their hands. They have slept in their desires, there delighteth them and passeth away that sleep, there passeth
They that 'mount horses' in pride, ' sleep' through judgment. 13
away this life, and they find nothing in their hands, because Vkr.
--
they have put nothing in the hand of Christ. Wilt thou
find any thing in thy hands hereafter? Despise not now the
hand of the poor man ; and have regard to empty hands, if
thou wilt have full hands. For the Lord hath said, IwasM*t. 25,
hungry, and ye gave Me to eat; I
Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in, and the like. And they, When saw we Thee hungry, thirsty, or a stranger' ? And He saith to them, Inasmuch as to one of My least ones ye have done to Me ye have done it. To hunger in the
poor He hath willed, That rich in Heaven and thou man to man dost hesitate to give, although thou knowest that thou art giving to Christ that which thou givest, from Whom thou hast received whatever thou givest But they have slept their sleep, and all men of riches have found nothing in their hands.
10. Ver. 6. By Thy chiding, God of Jacob, there ha ve slept all men that have mounted horses. Who are they that have mounted horses They that would not be humble. To sit on horseback no sin but sin to lift up the neck of power against God, and to deem one's self to be in
was thirsty, and ye gave
some distinction. Because thou art rich, thou hast mounted;
God doth chide, and thou sleepest. Great the anger of
Him chiding, great the anger. Let your Love observe tho terrible thing. Chiding hath noise, the noise wont to make men wake. So great the force of God chiding, that
he said, By Thy chiding, God of Jacob, there have slept
all men that have mounted horses. Behold what sleep
that Pharaoh slept who mounted horses. For he was not awake in heart, because against chiding he had his heart Exod. hardened. For hardness of heart slumber. ask you, 14>> 8- my brethren, how they sleep, who, while the Gospel sounding, and the Amen, and the Hallelujah, throughout the whole world, yet will not condemn their old life, and wake
up unto new life. There was the Scripture of God in Judaea only, now throughout the whole world sung. In that one nation one God Who made all things was spoken of, as to be adored and worshipped; now where He unsaid? Christ hath risen again, though derided on the Cross that
Oxf. Mss. and minittered unto Thee. '
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14 Men still sleep in spite of general warnings.
Psalm very Cross whereon He was derided, He hath now imprinted lxxyr. on the Drows of kingS: and men yet sleep. Better have we heard Him that saith, Arise thou that art sleeping, and rise up from the dead, and there shall enlighten thee Christ.
But who do hear Him? They that do not mount horses. Who are they that do not mount horses? They that do not boast and exalt themselves, as if on their honours and powers. By Thy chiding, O God ofJacob, there have slumbered they that have mounted horses.
11. Ver. 7. Thou art terrible, and who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger ? Now they sleep, and perceive not Thee angry ; but for cause that they should sleep, He was angry. Now that which sleeping they perceived not, at the end they shall perceive. For there shall appear the Judge of quick and dead. And who shall withstand Thee at that time by Thine anger?
