What doest thou that thou mayest be
delivered
?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
17.
The tribulations of my heart have been
multiplied. The tribulations of my heart have been multi-
Mat. 34, plied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love.
12,
O bring Thou me out of my necessities. Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessities.
The Church prays to be freed from enemies, and mixture of evil. 173
18. Ver. 18. See my humility and my travail. See iny Vek. humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, ~ break off from unity ; and my travail, wherein 1 bear with
the unruly ones that are mingled with me. And forgive all
my sins. And, propitiated by these sacrifices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before
1 believed, but those also which, living now
I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life.
19. Ver. 19. Consider mine enemies, how they are multi plied. For not only without, but even within, in the Church's very communion, they are not wanting. And with an unrighteous hate they hate me. And they hate me who love them.
they
have put my trust in Thee.
me not be confounded, for
Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me : for not in myself, but in Thee have I put my trust.
same innocence and uprightness cleave to me : for
not fallen away to imitate the evil ; but I have waited for Thee, expecting the winnowing of Thy last harvest.
by faith,
20. Ver. 20. Keep my soul, and deliver me.
soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them ; and draw me out from the confusion wherein I are mingled with me. Let
21. Ver. I21. The innocent and the upright have cleaved
have waited Thee, O Lord. The innocent to me, for for
and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the
22. Ver. 22. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Redeem Thy people, O God, whom Thou hast prepared to see Thee, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within.
PSALM XXVI. Lat. XXV.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself .
1 . It may be attributed to David himself, not the Mediator,
the Man Christ Jesus, but the whole Church now perfectly established in Christ.
Keep my
I have
pracro- gas"'
Thou first shewedst me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof 1 have kept. And trusting in the Lord Ishall not be moved. And yet not even so trusting in my self, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.
3. Ver. 2. Prove me, O Lord, and try me. Lest, however, any of my secret sins should be hid from me, prove me, 0 Lord, and try me, making me known, not to Thee from Whom nothing is hid, but to myself, and to men. Burn my reins and my heart. Apply a remedial purgation, as it were fire, to my pleasures and thoughts. (Ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is before mine eyes. For, that I be not consumed by that fire, not my merits, but Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast brought me on to such a life, is before my eyes. And 1 have been pleasing in Thy truth. And since my own falsehood hath been displeasing to me, but Thy truth pleasing, I have myself been pleasing also with it and in it.
174 Cleansing desired, wickedness renounced, to be with God.
I
'innocence. Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which
2. Ver. 1. Judge me, O Lord, for
have walked in my
/
have not sat with the council
vanity.
4. Ver. 4.
1 have not chosen to give my heart to them who endeavour to provide, what is impossible, how they may be blessed in
Iwill not enter in with them that work wickedly. And since this is the very
the enjoyment of things transitory. And
cause of all wickedness, therefore I will not have my con science hid, with them that work wickedly.
/
evil doers. But to arrive at this council of vanity, congregIations of evil
5. Ver. 5.
have hated the congregation
of
doers are formed, which I have hated. And
with the ungodly. And, therefore, with such a council, with the ungodly, I will not sit, that is, I will not place my consent. And * wiU not sit with the ungodly.
placi-
coUo-n? n cabo.
mia tus. q ? orrf I 7. Ver. 7. That
/ will wash mine hands
I will make clean my works among the innocent : among the innocent will I wash mine hands
6. Ver. 6.
amid the innocent.
will
nubli- brace Thy glorious gifts. And compass Thy altar,
I
all Thy wondrous works. And after I have learnt, I may set
I may learn how to praise Thee. And that forth all Thy wondrous works.
may
declare
I, with which I shall em-
hear the voice That may of Thy praise.
of
will not sit
Holiness, innocencies, and love, in the House of God. 175
8. Ver. 8. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house : Ver. of Thy Church. And the place of the habitation of Thy -- ' '
glory : where Thou dwellest, and art glorified.
9. Ver. 9. Destroy not my soul with the ungodly. De
stroy not then, together with them that hate Thee, my soul, which hath loved the beauty of Thy house. And my life with the men of blood. And with them that hate their neighbour. For Thy house is beautified with the two com mandments.
10. Ver. 10. In whose hands is wickedness. Destroy me
not then with the ungodly and the men of blood, whose
works are wicked. Their right hand is full of gifts. And
that which was given them to obtain eternal salvation, they
have converted into the receiving this world's gifts, supposing iTim. 6, that godliness is a trade.
11. Ver. 11. But I
deliver me, and have mercy on me. Let so great a price of my Lord's Blood avail for my complete deliverance : and in the dangers of this life let not Thy mercy leave me.
have walked in mine innocence:
12. Ver. 12. My foot hath stood in uprightness. My love hIath not withdrawn from Thy righteousness. In the Churches will bless Thee, O Lord. I will not hide Thy blessing, O Lord, from those whom Thou hast called ; for next to the
love of Thee 1 join the love of my neighbour.
PSALM XXVI. SECOND EXPOSITION.
x^
1. When the Apostle Paul was being read, ye heard, as
we did, holy Brethren: As, saith he, the truth is in Jesus,Eph. 4, that ye lay aside after the former conversation the old man,21-24' who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; but be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put ye on the neio
man, which after \God hath been created in righteousness
and holiness of truth. And lest any one should suppose that
any thing material is to be laid aside, as one takes off a coat;
1 76 The Old and New Man. Even Heathens our Neighbours.
Psalm or any thing to be taken from without, as one takes up a Exp. it. garment ; as if putting aside one coat and assuming another;
and this carnal understanding of it should not allow men to carry into action within themselves spiritually what the Apostle enjoined, he went on and explained what it was to put the old man off one, and put on the new. For the rest of this lesson relates to the idea. He speaks as if to one asking, And how am I to put off the old man, or how put on the new ? Am I myself a third person to lay aside the old man, which I have had, and to take a new man, which 1 have not had ? so that three men should be conceived, and he that lays aside the old man and takes the new, should be
between the other two. Lest any one then, hindered by such a carnal thought, should fail to do what is commanded, and excuse himself for not doing it by the obscurity of the lesson,
Ephes. the Apostle says in the following words: Wherefore laying
'
4'
aside lying, speak ye the truth. And, lo, this is the laying
aside the old man, and the putting on the new.
laying aside lying, speak ye the truth, every one with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
2. But let not any one of you, Brethren, imagine that truth must be spoken with a Christian, and falsehood with a pagan. Speak with thy neighbour. He is thy neighbour, who is with thee a child of Adam and Eve. We are all neighbours by the lot of our earthly birth: but brethren after another manner by the hope of an heavenly inheritance. Thou oughtest to deem every man thy neighbour, even
before he be a Christian. For thou knowest not what he is, with God; thou knowest not how God may have foreknown him. Sometimes he, at whom thou scoffest as worshipping stones, is converted, and worshippeth God, perchance more devoutly than thyself, who wast but just now scoffing at him. There are then neighbours of ours lying hid among those, who are not as yet in the Church ; and there are those lying hid in the Church, who are far from us. And therefore let us, who know not things future, regard every one as our neighbour, not only by the lot of human mortality, whereby we came into this world under the same condition ; but also by the hope of that inheritance, since we know not what he is to be, who now is nothing.
Wherefore
Ch risl, our Sun, sets to us when we cherish evil. 177
3. Attend then to what follows in the putting on the new Ver.
26'
with reference to time: because although from the very con
dition of our humanity, and weakness of our mortal nature, which we bear, wrath doth steal upon the Christian, yet it
must not be long retained, nor last to the second day. Cast
it out of the heart, before this visible light go down, lest that
light invisible abandon thee. But, it is also well understood
in another sense, for that Christ, the Truth, is our Sun of Righteousness; not this sun, which is worshipped by Pagans
and Manichaeans, and is seen by sinners even ; but that other
Sun, by Whose truth human nature is enlightened, at Which
the Angels rejoice: but the weakened vision of the heart of
man, although it quails beneath His rays, is purified never
theless to contemplate Him by His commands. When this Sun
hath begun to dwell in a man by faith, let not the wrath, which
is born within thee, so far prevail against thee, that it should
go down upon thy wrath, that is, that Christ should abandon
thy soul ; for Christ will not dwell with thy wrath. For He seemeth as it were to go down from thee, when thou dost
go down from Him : for anger, when it hath become inveterate, becomes hatred; when it hath become hatred, thou art at
once a murderer. For as the Apostle John saith, Whosoever u0hn3, hateth his brother is a murderer. Again he saith, that everyone
that hateth his brother abideth in darkness. And no wonder he abide in darkness, from whom the Sun hath gone down.
4. To this too, perhaps, refers what ye have heard in the Gospel. The ship was in jeopardy in the lake, and Jesuszu\e6, was asleep. We too are sailing through lake, so to say, 3.
and there no want of wind and tempest: our ship almost filled through the daily temptations of this life. And whence comes but because Jesus asleep If Jesus were not asleep within thee, thou wouldest not be exposed to these storms; but wouldest have calm " within, through Jesus watching with thee. But what Jesus sleepeth Thy
N
man, and putting off the old man. Laying aside, saith he, lying, speak ye the truth, every one with his neighbour: for
we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not.
If thou art angry with thy servant, because he hath sinned ;
be angry with thyself, lest thou sin also. Let not the sun go ih,26. doion upon thy wrath. It is understood, Brethren, it is true,
is is
? "
is
it,
is
?
a
if
9. j8.
178 Storms trouble us when our faith in Christ sleeps.
Psalm faith which is of Jesus, hath fallen asleep. The tempests of ExpJL tnis lake arlse, tl1ou seest evu men flourishing lhe good in trouble; it is a temptation, it is a wave. And thy soul saith, O God, is this Thy justice, that the evil should flourish, the good be in trouble? thousayest to God," Is this Thy justice? "
and God to thee, " Is this thy faith? " For have I promised thee this? wertthou made a Christian for this, that thou shouldest flourish in this life ? Art thou tormented, because the evil flourish here, who shall, hereafter, be tormented with the devil ? But why speakest thou thus ? why art thou dis turbed by the waves of the sea, and the storm ? Because Jesus is asleep, that is, because thy faith, which is of Jesus, hath been laid asleep in thine heart.
What doest thou that thou mayest be delivered ? Awake Jesus, and say, Master, we perish. For the doubtful dangers of the deep alarm us, we perish. He will awake, that thy faith will return to thee; and with His help, thou wilt consider in thy soul, that what for a time, given to the evil, will not abide with them. For either will leave them, while they live, or left by them when they die. But what promised to thee, will abide for ever. What granted them for time, soon taken away. For hath flourished as the flower of the
is. 40, grass. For all flesh grass: the grass wither eth, and tfie flower falleth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Turn therefore the back upon that which falleth, and the face to that which abideth. Now that Christ awake, the storm
shall no more shake thy heart, the waves shall not fill thy bark for thy faith commands the winds and the waves, and the danger shall pass away. For to this, Brethren, all that belongs, which the Apostle saith of putting off the old man.
^Ph. 4' Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon 28. your wrath neither give place to the devil. The old man then did give place, let not the new. He that stole, let him steal no more. The old man then did steal, let not the new.
It the same man, one man was Adam, let Christ: was the old man, let be the new; and so on with what follows there.
5. But let us examine the Psalm somewhat more carefully, because when anyone hath made progress in the Church, he must needs endure evil men in the Church. But the man
ib. 24.
be
it
is
:
it
;
is, it
it is
it
: it
is
is,
it
is is
is
is
is
a
The corn hard to see, while mixed with the chaff. 179
who is such does not recognise them, although many evil men Intro. murmur against the evil, just as one man in health bears more
easily with two sick men, than two sick men with one another. Therefore, Brethren, we give this charge,The Church of the time present is a threshing-floor: we have often said we often re
peat it. It contains both chaff and corn. Let no man look for all the chaff to go out thence, save in the time of winnowing. Let no man leave the floor before the time of winnowing, as if in his unwillingness to endure sinners; lest being found without the floor, he be picked up by the birds, before he enter into the barn. Now, Brethren, mark how we would enforce this. When the corn has begun to be threshed, the grains, amidst the chaff, do not touch each other as though they did not know each other, because of the intervention of the chaff. And any one who looks at floor at some little distance, thinks there nothing but chaff; except he look more narrowly, except he put forth his hand, except he make separation by the breath of his mouth, that
by a purifying wind, he hardly attains to distinguish the grains. Therefore sometimes even the very grains are so separated as were from each other, and not touching one another, that any one, when he has made progress, may think
that he alone. This thought, Brethren, tempted Elias, so great man and he said to God, as the Apostle also records, They have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; Rom. and am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith
Kings the answer God to him hate reserved to Myself seven 19, 10.
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. He said not to him, Thou hast two or three others like thyself. Do not deem thyself alone. There are, saith He, seven thousand others and dost thou deem thyself alone Accordingly this briefly we enjoin, as had begun to say. Do ye, holy Brethren, give heed with me, and may God's mercy be with us in our hearts, that may be so understood by you, as to bear fruit, and work in you. Hear briefly: Whosoever still evil, let him not deem that no one good whosoever good, let him not deem that he only good. Do ye apprehend this Lo, repeat mark ye how say: Whosoever evil, let him not in questioning his own con science, and receiving bad report of himself, imagine that
B
is is is of
a? ; is
I 2
? I it
it,
I
a
:
I is is it
: ? i is,
I
is
a
a it
;
it is
it,
180 Desire of the righteous to be separated by judgment.
Psalm no one is good : whosoever is good, let him not imagine that ? XpUhe only is good; and let not the good man fear in the mixture with the evil, for the time will come that he shall be separated from them. For to this end we have sung to-day,
ver. 9, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood. For what is, Destroy not with the ungodly ? Destroy not together. Why doth he fear, lest God should destroy him together? For I see that it is said to God, Because Thou sufferest us now together, destroy not together those whom Thou sufferest together. And this pervades the whole psalm, which I would briefly consider with you, holy Brethren, for it is brief,
'molesta
6. Ver. 1 . Judge me, O Lord. It is a serious 1 and seem ingly perilous wish, which he expresses for himself, that he may be judged. What is to be judged, which he wishes? He wishes to be separated from the evil. In another place
Ps. 43,l. he clearly speaks of this judgment of separation: Judge me, O Lord, and separate my cause from the unholy nation. He shews what he meant by, Judge: lest, as if without
have walked in
judgment, both the good and bad (for both good and bad enter at present into the Church) should go into eternal
fire. Judge me, O Lord. Why? For I
mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord L shall not be moved. What trusting in the Lord? For he stumbles among the evil, who does not trust in the Lord. Hence has come that schisms arose. They trembled among the evil, when they were worse themselves, and were unwilling, as were, to be good among the evil. they were corn, they would endure the chaff in the floor till the time of winnowing. But because they are chaff, the wind hath blown before this winnowing, and hath caught up the chaff from the threshing floor, and cast forth among thorns.
And the chaff' indeed hath been cast forth thence: but is that which remains corn only? It only the chaff that flies away before the winnowing; but there remains both corn and chaff: but the chaff will be winnowed, when the time of winnowing shall come. This the Psalmist meant
have walked in mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord shall not be moved. For shall trust in man, shall see perhaps this man sometime living ill, and not keeping to
I/
if I
isit O! if
I
: it
it
is,
Thoughts and delights of the soul purged withjire. 181
those good ways, which he hath either learnt or teaches in Ver.
the Church, but those which he hath followed under the teaching of the devil; and because my trust shall be in man, when man stumbles my trust stumbles, and when man falls my trust will fall : but, because I trust in the Lord, I shall not be moved.
7. There follows, (ver. 2. ) Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins, and my heart. What is, Burn my reins, and my heart ? Burn my delights, burn my thoughts, (He hath used heart for thoughts, and reins for delights,) lest I should think any evil, lest any evil should delight me. But wherewith wilt Thou burn my reins? With the fire of Thy word. Wherewith wilt Thou burn my heart? With the heat of Thy Spirit. Of which heat it is said elsewhere, And there is none who can hide I the heat Ps.
thereof. And of which fire the Lord saith, Jire on the earth.
*'
8. Therefore there foIllows, (ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is
have been pleasing in Thy truth. That is, I have not been pleasing in man's sight, but I have been pleasing unto Thee within, where Thou seest: and I care not, if 1 be displeasing where men see, as the Apostle
before mine eyes, and
saith, Let every one prove his own work, and then shall he G>>l. 6,
have glory in I alone, and not in another. himself
have not sat, saith he, with the council
9. Ver. 4.
vanity. Give heed, holy Brethren, to what this, / have not
sat, is. According as God seeth, he saith, /
For instance, thou dost not sit in the theatre, but thou 1 S0Ine.
art not there in body. But it may happen, that thou art J^",TM1 held there by some one, and fast bound, or some pious duty t>>st not may make thee sit there. How can this happen? It chances
from some duty of piety, that a necessity may lie on a servant of God to be in the amphitheatre; he wished to deliver some gladiator or other, it might happen that
he was sitting, and waiting, until he whom he was desirous of delivering came out. See ! he hath not sat in the council of vanity, though he was seen sitting there in
have not sat. Sometimesthouartnotinthecoun,cil,. y,etthoustitte,st,there. Oxf.
thinkest on the shows of the the
himself from
19,6. Lukei2,
it ist,mes
. , thou art
,
said, Burn my reins : thou sittest there in heart, though thou in the
atre
against w hic
came to send 49
h
of
182 Innocency for approaching God's altar. Inward hearing.
Psalm body. What is it to sit? To consent unto them who sit XXVI.
Exp. Il! there : which if thou have not done, though present, thou
Heb. 24
hast not sat there : if thou have done though absent, thou hast sat there. And will not enter in with them that work wickedness. (Ver. 5. ) have hated the congregation of evil doers. You see that within, that, And will not sit with the ungodly.
10. Ver. 6. will wash mine hands in innocency not with this visible water. Thou dost wash the hands, when thou dost think piously of thy works, and innocently in God's sight; for there an altar too in God's sight, where- unto the Priest hath entered, Who first offered Himself up
for us. There an heavenly altar, and no man embraceth that altar, but he who washeth his hands in innocency. For many unworthy men touch this altar here, and God endures that his Sacraments should suffer injury for lime. But what my Brethren, will the heavenly Jerusalem be as these walls? You will not be so received with the evil into Abraham's bosom, as you are now received with the evil
within the walls of the Church. Fear not then wash thine hands. And it ill compass the altar of the Lord: where thou offerest vows unto the Lord, where thou pourest forth prayers, where thy conscience pure, where thou dost tell God what thou art; and there be haply aught in thee that displeaseth God, He, to Whom thou dost make confession, taketh care for it. Wash then thine hands in innocency, and compass the altar of the Lord, that thou mayest hear the voice of praise.
11. For this follows, (ver. 7. ) Thai may hear the voice of praise, and declare all Thy wondrous works. What is, 'Iliat may hear the voice of praise? He means, That may understand. For this to hear before God, not as these sounds, which many hear, and many do not. How
many are there hearing now as regards us, who yet are deaf
toward God! How many who have ears, and have not those Mat. i3, ears of which Jesus saith, Who hath ears to hear, let him
then to hear the voice of praise? will can, with the help of the Lord's mercy, and
hear! What
tell you,
your prayers.
inwardly, that whatever of evil from sin in thee, thine
To hear the voice of praise, to understand,
is is is
:
I
I
a
;
I
is
it is
I
if l I
!
is it
is
/
is I
it,
I if /
9,
is
Illumination of the soul is allfrom God. 183
own ; whatever of good in works of righteousness 1, is God's. Ver.
of light, having been
whereunto? unto thyself ?
by conversion to thyself, thou couldest never be in darkness, because thou wouldest ever be with
wert thou illuminated? Because thou turnedst thyself to something else, which thou wert not. What is the something
else which thou wert not ? God is light. For thou wast not 1 John light, becanse thou wast a sinner. For the Apostle saith to ' them, whom he would have hear the voice of praise, For yeEph. b, were sometime darkness, but now are ye light. What is,
Ye were sometime darkness, but the old man ? But now light :
not without a cause are ye light, who were sometime darkness,
but because ye have been illumined. Think not that thou
art thyself light: that is the light, which lighteth every man Johnl, that cometh into this world: but thou by thyself, by evil9.
will, by thy turning away from God, wast in darkness: now
thou art in light. But he immediately subjoined, lest they should be proud to whom it was said, But now light, and added, In the Lord. For thus he saith, Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord. Therefore if without
the Lord, then not light, but if therefore light because
in the Lord, what hast thou that thou hast not received ?
But if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if tho>>i Cor. hadst not received it Y For thus the Apostle himself spake in ' another place to men who bore themselves proudly, and would attribute to themselves what is God's, and glory in good as
So hear the voice of praise, as not to praise thyself even. r. r-- -- , J. . . justm-
when thou art good. For m praismg thyself as good, thoucationi- dost become evil. For humility had made thee good, pride bus" maketh thee evil. Thou wast converted that thou mightest
be illuminated, and by Thy conversion thou wert made full
enlightened by conversion. But If thou couldesj be illuminated
ing, Brethren, (if so be I have explained it, as I wished: I have indeed explained it as far as I could, although not as far as I would,) this is the bearing of the words, / will wash
thyself. Wherefore
if it were their own : he saith to them, For what hast thouiUti. that thou didst not receive? nmo if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? He Who hath given to the humble, taketh away from the proud, because he who gave can take away. This is the bear
184 Judgment to be awaited. Beauty of God's House.
I will compass Thine altar, O
Thy praise: that is, that I may not for this good thing in me rely on myself, but on Thee Who gavest it me, that I should not wish to be praised
I
declare all Thy wondrous works : not mine, but Thine.
12. And now see, Brethren, see that lover of God, who relieth on God, placed among the evil, entreating God that he be not destroyed with the evil, for that God erreth not in
Psalm my hands in innocency, and
Exjai'. Lord, that
I
may hear the voice
for myself in myself, but for Thee in Thee. Therefore there
follows, That
may hear the voice
of
Thy praise, and
For, when thou seest men have entered into one place, thou thinkest their merits equal: but God is not deceived, fear not. By the judgment of the wind thou dost discriminate between the chaff and the wheat: thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee, and thou art not the wind, but thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee : and, when with the winnowing fan thou hast shaken out both chaff and wheat, the wind takes away the light, the heavy remains. Thou dost look then for the wind to judge the floor.
multiplied. The tribulations of my heart have been multi-
Mat. 34, plied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love.
12,
O bring Thou me out of my necessities. Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessities.
The Church prays to be freed from enemies, and mixture of evil. 173
18. Ver. 18. See my humility and my travail. See iny Vek. humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, ~ break off from unity ; and my travail, wherein 1 bear with
the unruly ones that are mingled with me. And forgive all
my sins. And, propitiated by these sacrifices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before
1 believed, but those also which, living now
I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life.
19. Ver. 19. Consider mine enemies, how they are multi plied. For not only without, but even within, in the Church's very communion, they are not wanting. And with an unrighteous hate they hate me. And they hate me who love them.
they
have put my trust in Thee.
me not be confounded, for
Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me : for not in myself, but in Thee have I put my trust.
same innocence and uprightness cleave to me : for
not fallen away to imitate the evil ; but I have waited for Thee, expecting the winnowing of Thy last harvest.
by faith,
20. Ver. 20. Keep my soul, and deliver me.
soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them ; and draw me out from the confusion wherein I are mingled with me. Let
21. Ver. I21. The innocent and the upright have cleaved
have waited Thee, O Lord. The innocent to me, for for
and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the
22. Ver. 22. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Redeem Thy people, O God, whom Thou hast prepared to see Thee, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within.
PSALM XXVI. Lat. XXV.
FIRST EXPOSITION.
Of David himself .
1 . It may be attributed to David himself, not the Mediator,
the Man Christ Jesus, but the whole Church now perfectly established in Christ.
Keep my
I have
pracro- gas"'
Thou first shewedst me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof 1 have kept. And trusting in the Lord Ishall not be moved. And yet not even so trusting in my self, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.
3. Ver. 2. Prove me, O Lord, and try me. Lest, however, any of my secret sins should be hid from me, prove me, 0 Lord, and try me, making me known, not to Thee from Whom nothing is hid, but to myself, and to men. Burn my reins and my heart. Apply a remedial purgation, as it were fire, to my pleasures and thoughts. (Ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is before mine eyes. For, that I be not consumed by that fire, not my merits, but Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast brought me on to such a life, is before my eyes. And 1 have been pleasing in Thy truth. And since my own falsehood hath been displeasing to me, but Thy truth pleasing, I have myself been pleasing also with it and in it.
174 Cleansing desired, wickedness renounced, to be with God.
I
'innocence. Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which
2. Ver. 1. Judge me, O Lord, for
have walked in my
/
have not sat with the council
vanity.
4. Ver. 4.
1 have not chosen to give my heart to them who endeavour to provide, what is impossible, how they may be blessed in
Iwill not enter in with them that work wickedly. And since this is the very
the enjoyment of things transitory. And
cause of all wickedness, therefore I will not have my con science hid, with them that work wickedly.
/
evil doers. But to arrive at this council of vanity, congregIations of evil
5. Ver. 5.
have hated the congregation
of
doers are formed, which I have hated. And
with the ungodly. And, therefore, with such a council, with the ungodly, I will not sit, that is, I will not place my consent. And * wiU not sit with the ungodly.
placi-
coUo-n? n cabo.
mia tus. q ? orrf I 7. Ver. 7. That
/ will wash mine hands
I will make clean my works among the innocent : among the innocent will I wash mine hands
6. Ver. 6.
amid the innocent.
will
nubli- brace Thy glorious gifts. And compass Thy altar,
I
all Thy wondrous works. And after I have learnt, I may set
I may learn how to praise Thee. And that forth all Thy wondrous works.
may
declare
I, with which I shall em-
hear the voice That may of Thy praise.
of
will not sit
Holiness, innocencies, and love, in the House of God. 175
8. Ver. 8. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house : Ver. of Thy Church. And the place of the habitation of Thy -- ' '
glory : where Thou dwellest, and art glorified.
9. Ver. 9. Destroy not my soul with the ungodly. De
stroy not then, together with them that hate Thee, my soul, which hath loved the beauty of Thy house. And my life with the men of blood. And with them that hate their neighbour. For Thy house is beautified with the two com mandments.
10. Ver. 10. In whose hands is wickedness. Destroy me
not then with the ungodly and the men of blood, whose
works are wicked. Their right hand is full of gifts. And
that which was given them to obtain eternal salvation, they
have converted into the receiving this world's gifts, supposing iTim. 6, that godliness is a trade.
11. Ver. 11. But I
deliver me, and have mercy on me. Let so great a price of my Lord's Blood avail for my complete deliverance : and in the dangers of this life let not Thy mercy leave me.
have walked in mine innocence:
12. Ver. 12. My foot hath stood in uprightness. My love hIath not withdrawn from Thy righteousness. In the Churches will bless Thee, O Lord. I will not hide Thy blessing, O Lord, from those whom Thou hast called ; for next to the
love of Thee 1 join the love of my neighbour.
PSALM XXVI. SECOND EXPOSITION.
x^
1. When the Apostle Paul was being read, ye heard, as
we did, holy Brethren: As, saith he, the truth is in Jesus,Eph. 4, that ye lay aside after the former conversation the old man,21-24' who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; but be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put ye on the neio
man, which after \God hath been created in righteousness
and holiness of truth. And lest any one should suppose that
any thing material is to be laid aside, as one takes off a coat;
1 76 The Old and New Man. Even Heathens our Neighbours.
Psalm or any thing to be taken from without, as one takes up a Exp. it. garment ; as if putting aside one coat and assuming another;
and this carnal understanding of it should not allow men to carry into action within themselves spiritually what the Apostle enjoined, he went on and explained what it was to put the old man off one, and put on the new. For the rest of this lesson relates to the idea. He speaks as if to one asking, And how am I to put off the old man, or how put on the new ? Am I myself a third person to lay aside the old man, which I have had, and to take a new man, which 1 have not had ? so that three men should be conceived, and he that lays aside the old man and takes the new, should be
between the other two. Lest any one then, hindered by such a carnal thought, should fail to do what is commanded, and excuse himself for not doing it by the obscurity of the lesson,
Ephes. the Apostle says in the following words: Wherefore laying
'
4'
aside lying, speak ye the truth. And, lo, this is the laying
aside the old man, and the putting on the new.
laying aside lying, speak ye the truth, every one with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
2. But let not any one of you, Brethren, imagine that truth must be spoken with a Christian, and falsehood with a pagan. Speak with thy neighbour. He is thy neighbour, who is with thee a child of Adam and Eve. We are all neighbours by the lot of our earthly birth: but brethren after another manner by the hope of an heavenly inheritance. Thou oughtest to deem every man thy neighbour, even
before he be a Christian. For thou knowest not what he is, with God; thou knowest not how God may have foreknown him. Sometimes he, at whom thou scoffest as worshipping stones, is converted, and worshippeth God, perchance more devoutly than thyself, who wast but just now scoffing at him. There are then neighbours of ours lying hid among those, who are not as yet in the Church ; and there are those lying hid in the Church, who are far from us. And therefore let us, who know not things future, regard every one as our neighbour, not only by the lot of human mortality, whereby we came into this world under the same condition ; but also by the hope of that inheritance, since we know not what he is to be, who now is nothing.
Wherefore
Ch risl, our Sun, sets to us when we cherish evil. 177
3. Attend then to what follows in the putting on the new Ver.
26'
with reference to time: because although from the very con
dition of our humanity, and weakness of our mortal nature, which we bear, wrath doth steal upon the Christian, yet it
must not be long retained, nor last to the second day. Cast
it out of the heart, before this visible light go down, lest that
light invisible abandon thee. But, it is also well understood
in another sense, for that Christ, the Truth, is our Sun of Righteousness; not this sun, which is worshipped by Pagans
and Manichaeans, and is seen by sinners even ; but that other
Sun, by Whose truth human nature is enlightened, at Which
the Angels rejoice: but the weakened vision of the heart of
man, although it quails beneath His rays, is purified never
theless to contemplate Him by His commands. When this Sun
hath begun to dwell in a man by faith, let not the wrath, which
is born within thee, so far prevail against thee, that it should
go down upon thy wrath, that is, that Christ should abandon
thy soul ; for Christ will not dwell with thy wrath. For He seemeth as it were to go down from thee, when thou dost
go down from Him : for anger, when it hath become inveterate, becomes hatred; when it hath become hatred, thou art at
once a murderer. For as the Apostle John saith, Whosoever u0hn3, hateth his brother is a murderer. Again he saith, that everyone
that hateth his brother abideth in darkness. And no wonder he abide in darkness, from whom the Sun hath gone down.
4. To this too, perhaps, refers what ye have heard in the Gospel. The ship was in jeopardy in the lake, and Jesuszu\e6, was asleep. We too are sailing through lake, so to say, 3.
and there no want of wind and tempest: our ship almost filled through the daily temptations of this life. And whence comes but because Jesus asleep If Jesus were not asleep within thee, thou wouldest not be exposed to these storms; but wouldest have calm " within, through Jesus watching with thee. But what Jesus sleepeth Thy
N
man, and putting off the old man. Laying aside, saith he, lying, speak ye the truth, every one with his neighbour: for
we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not.
If thou art angry with thy servant, because he hath sinned ;
be angry with thyself, lest thou sin also. Let not the sun go ih,26. doion upon thy wrath. It is understood, Brethren, it is true,
is is
? "
is
it,
is
?
a
if
9. j8.
178 Storms trouble us when our faith in Christ sleeps.
Psalm faith which is of Jesus, hath fallen asleep. The tempests of ExpJL tnis lake arlse, tl1ou seest evu men flourishing lhe good in trouble; it is a temptation, it is a wave. And thy soul saith, O God, is this Thy justice, that the evil should flourish, the good be in trouble? thousayest to God," Is this Thy justice? "
and God to thee, " Is this thy faith? " For have I promised thee this? wertthou made a Christian for this, that thou shouldest flourish in this life ? Art thou tormented, because the evil flourish here, who shall, hereafter, be tormented with the devil ? But why speakest thou thus ? why art thou dis turbed by the waves of the sea, and the storm ? Because Jesus is asleep, that is, because thy faith, which is of Jesus, hath been laid asleep in thine heart.
What doest thou that thou mayest be delivered ? Awake Jesus, and say, Master, we perish. For the doubtful dangers of the deep alarm us, we perish. He will awake, that thy faith will return to thee; and with His help, thou wilt consider in thy soul, that what for a time, given to the evil, will not abide with them. For either will leave them, while they live, or left by them when they die. But what promised to thee, will abide for ever. What granted them for time, soon taken away. For hath flourished as the flower of the
is. 40, grass. For all flesh grass: the grass wither eth, and tfie flower falleth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Turn therefore the back upon that which falleth, and the face to that which abideth. Now that Christ awake, the storm
shall no more shake thy heart, the waves shall not fill thy bark for thy faith commands the winds and the waves, and the danger shall pass away. For to this, Brethren, all that belongs, which the Apostle saith of putting off the old man.
^Ph. 4' Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon 28. your wrath neither give place to the devil. The old man then did give place, let not the new. He that stole, let him steal no more. The old man then did steal, let not the new.
It the same man, one man was Adam, let Christ: was the old man, let be the new; and so on with what follows there.
5. But let us examine the Psalm somewhat more carefully, because when anyone hath made progress in the Church, he must needs endure evil men in the Church. But the man
ib. 24.
be
it
is
:
it
;
is, it
it is
it
: it
is
is,
it
is is
is
is
is
a
The corn hard to see, while mixed with the chaff. 179
who is such does not recognise them, although many evil men Intro. murmur against the evil, just as one man in health bears more
easily with two sick men, than two sick men with one another. Therefore, Brethren, we give this charge,The Church of the time present is a threshing-floor: we have often said we often re
peat it. It contains both chaff and corn. Let no man look for all the chaff to go out thence, save in the time of winnowing. Let no man leave the floor before the time of winnowing, as if in his unwillingness to endure sinners; lest being found without the floor, he be picked up by the birds, before he enter into the barn. Now, Brethren, mark how we would enforce this. When the corn has begun to be threshed, the grains, amidst the chaff, do not touch each other as though they did not know each other, because of the intervention of the chaff. And any one who looks at floor at some little distance, thinks there nothing but chaff; except he look more narrowly, except he put forth his hand, except he make separation by the breath of his mouth, that
by a purifying wind, he hardly attains to distinguish the grains. Therefore sometimes even the very grains are so separated as were from each other, and not touching one another, that any one, when he has made progress, may think
that he alone. This thought, Brethren, tempted Elias, so great man and he said to God, as the Apostle also records, They have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; Rom. and am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith
Kings the answer God to him hate reserved to Myself seven 19, 10.
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal. He said not to him, Thou hast two or three others like thyself. Do not deem thyself alone. There are, saith He, seven thousand others and dost thou deem thyself alone Accordingly this briefly we enjoin, as had begun to say. Do ye, holy Brethren, give heed with me, and may God's mercy be with us in our hearts, that may be so understood by you, as to bear fruit, and work in you. Hear briefly: Whosoever still evil, let him not deem that no one good whosoever good, let him not deem that he only good. Do ye apprehend this Lo, repeat mark ye how say: Whosoever evil, let him not in questioning his own con science, and receiving bad report of himself, imagine that
B
is is is of
a? ; is
I 2
? I it
it,
I
a
:
I is is it
: ? i is,
I
is
a
a it
;
it is
it,
180 Desire of the righteous to be separated by judgment.
Psalm no one is good : whosoever is good, let him not imagine that ? XpUhe only is good; and let not the good man fear in the mixture with the evil, for the time will come that he shall be separated from them. For to this end we have sung to-day,
ver. 9, Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, and my life with the men of blood. For what is, Destroy not with the ungodly ? Destroy not together. Why doth he fear, lest God should destroy him together? For I see that it is said to God, Because Thou sufferest us now together, destroy not together those whom Thou sufferest together. And this pervades the whole psalm, which I would briefly consider with you, holy Brethren, for it is brief,
'molesta
6. Ver. 1 . Judge me, O Lord. It is a serious 1 and seem ingly perilous wish, which he expresses for himself, that he may be judged. What is to be judged, which he wishes? He wishes to be separated from the evil. In another place
Ps. 43,l. he clearly speaks of this judgment of separation: Judge me, O Lord, and separate my cause from the unholy nation. He shews what he meant by, Judge: lest, as if without
have walked in
judgment, both the good and bad (for both good and bad enter at present into the Church) should go into eternal
fire. Judge me, O Lord. Why? For I
mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord L shall not be moved. What trusting in the Lord? For he stumbles among the evil, who does not trust in the Lord. Hence has come that schisms arose. They trembled among the evil, when they were worse themselves, and were unwilling, as were, to be good among the evil. they were corn, they would endure the chaff in the floor till the time of winnowing. But because they are chaff, the wind hath blown before this winnowing, and hath caught up the chaff from the threshing floor, and cast forth among thorns.
And the chaff' indeed hath been cast forth thence: but is that which remains corn only? It only the chaff that flies away before the winnowing; but there remains both corn and chaff: but the chaff will be winnowed, when the time of winnowing shall come. This the Psalmist meant
have walked in mine innocence, and trusting in the Lord shall not be moved. For shall trust in man, shall see perhaps this man sometime living ill, and not keeping to
I/
if I
isit O! if
I
: it
it
is,
Thoughts and delights of the soul purged withjire. 181
those good ways, which he hath either learnt or teaches in Ver.
the Church, but those which he hath followed under the teaching of the devil; and because my trust shall be in man, when man stumbles my trust stumbles, and when man falls my trust will fall : but, because I trust in the Lord, I shall not be moved.
7. There follows, (ver. 2. ) Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins, and my heart. What is, Burn my reins, and my heart ? Burn my delights, burn my thoughts, (He hath used heart for thoughts, and reins for delights,) lest I should think any evil, lest any evil should delight me. But wherewith wilt Thou burn my reins? With the fire of Thy word. Wherewith wilt Thou burn my heart? With the heat of Thy Spirit. Of which heat it is said elsewhere, And there is none who can hide I the heat Ps.
thereof. And of which fire the Lord saith, Jire on the earth.
*'
8. Therefore there foIllows, (ver. 3. ) For Thy mercy is
have been pleasing in Thy truth. That is, I have not been pleasing in man's sight, but I have been pleasing unto Thee within, where Thou seest: and I care not, if 1 be displeasing where men see, as the Apostle
before mine eyes, and
saith, Let every one prove his own work, and then shall he G>>l. 6,
have glory in I alone, and not in another. himself
have not sat, saith he, with the council
9. Ver. 4.
vanity. Give heed, holy Brethren, to what this, / have not
sat, is. According as God seeth, he saith, /
For instance, thou dost not sit in the theatre, but thou 1 S0Ine.
art not there in body. But it may happen, that thou art J^",TM1 held there by some one, and fast bound, or some pious duty t>>st not may make thee sit there. How can this happen? It chances
from some duty of piety, that a necessity may lie on a servant of God to be in the amphitheatre; he wished to deliver some gladiator or other, it might happen that
he was sitting, and waiting, until he whom he was desirous of delivering came out. See ! he hath not sat in the council of vanity, though he was seen sitting there in
have not sat. Sometimesthouartnotinthecoun,cil,. y,etthoustitte,st,there. Oxf.
thinkest on the shows of the the
himself from
19,6. Lukei2,
it ist,mes
. , thou art
,
said, Burn my reins : thou sittest there in heart, though thou in the
atre
against w hic
came to send 49
h
of
182 Innocency for approaching God's altar. Inward hearing.
Psalm body. What is it to sit? To consent unto them who sit XXVI.
Exp. Il! there : which if thou have not done, though present, thou
Heb. 24
hast not sat there : if thou have done though absent, thou hast sat there. And will not enter in with them that work wickedness. (Ver. 5. ) have hated the congregation of evil doers. You see that within, that, And will not sit with the ungodly.
10. Ver. 6. will wash mine hands in innocency not with this visible water. Thou dost wash the hands, when thou dost think piously of thy works, and innocently in God's sight; for there an altar too in God's sight, where- unto the Priest hath entered, Who first offered Himself up
for us. There an heavenly altar, and no man embraceth that altar, but he who washeth his hands in innocency. For many unworthy men touch this altar here, and God endures that his Sacraments should suffer injury for lime. But what my Brethren, will the heavenly Jerusalem be as these walls? You will not be so received with the evil into Abraham's bosom, as you are now received with the evil
within the walls of the Church. Fear not then wash thine hands. And it ill compass the altar of the Lord: where thou offerest vows unto the Lord, where thou pourest forth prayers, where thy conscience pure, where thou dost tell God what thou art; and there be haply aught in thee that displeaseth God, He, to Whom thou dost make confession, taketh care for it. Wash then thine hands in innocency, and compass the altar of the Lord, that thou mayest hear the voice of praise.
11. For this follows, (ver. 7. ) Thai may hear the voice of praise, and declare all Thy wondrous works. What is, 'Iliat may hear the voice of praise? He means, That may understand. For this to hear before God, not as these sounds, which many hear, and many do not. How
many are there hearing now as regards us, who yet are deaf
toward God! How many who have ears, and have not those Mat. i3, ears of which Jesus saith, Who hath ears to hear, let him
then to hear the voice of praise? will can, with the help of the Lord's mercy, and
hear! What
tell you,
your prayers.
inwardly, that whatever of evil from sin in thee, thine
To hear the voice of praise, to understand,
is is is
:
I
I
a
;
I
is
it is
I
if l I
!
is it
is
/
is I
it,
I if /
9,
is
Illumination of the soul is allfrom God. 183
own ; whatever of good in works of righteousness 1, is God's. Ver.
of light, having been
whereunto? unto thyself ?
by conversion to thyself, thou couldest never be in darkness, because thou wouldest ever be with
wert thou illuminated? Because thou turnedst thyself to something else, which thou wert not. What is the something
else which thou wert not ? God is light. For thou wast not 1 John light, becanse thou wast a sinner. For the Apostle saith to ' them, whom he would have hear the voice of praise, For yeEph. b, were sometime darkness, but now are ye light. What is,
Ye were sometime darkness, but the old man ? But now light :
not without a cause are ye light, who were sometime darkness,
but because ye have been illumined. Think not that thou
art thyself light: that is the light, which lighteth every man Johnl, that cometh into this world: but thou by thyself, by evil9.
will, by thy turning away from God, wast in darkness: now
thou art in light. But he immediately subjoined, lest they should be proud to whom it was said, But now light, and added, In the Lord. For thus he saith, Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord. Therefore if without
the Lord, then not light, but if therefore light because
in the Lord, what hast thou that thou hast not received ?
But if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if tho>>i Cor. hadst not received it Y For thus the Apostle himself spake in ' another place to men who bore themselves proudly, and would attribute to themselves what is God's, and glory in good as
So hear the voice of praise, as not to praise thyself even. r. r-- -- , J. . . justm-
when thou art good. For m praismg thyself as good, thoucationi- dost become evil. For humility had made thee good, pride bus" maketh thee evil. Thou wast converted that thou mightest
be illuminated, and by Thy conversion thou wert made full
enlightened by conversion. But If thou couldesj be illuminated
ing, Brethren, (if so be I have explained it, as I wished: I have indeed explained it as far as I could, although not as far as I would,) this is the bearing of the words, / will wash
thyself. Wherefore
if it were their own : he saith to them, For what hast thouiUti. that thou didst not receive? nmo if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? He Who hath given to the humble, taketh away from the proud, because he who gave can take away. This is the bear
184 Judgment to be awaited. Beauty of God's House.
I will compass Thine altar, O
Thy praise: that is, that I may not for this good thing in me rely on myself, but on Thee Who gavest it me, that I should not wish to be praised
I
declare all Thy wondrous works : not mine, but Thine.
12. And now see, Brethren, see that lover of God, who relieth on God, placed among the evil, entreating God that he be not destroyed with the evil, for that God erreth not in
Psalm my hands in innocency, and
Exjai'. Lord, that
I
may hear the voice
for myself in myself, but for Thee in Thee. Therefore there
follows, That
may hear the voice
of
Thy praise, and
For, when thou seest men have entered into one place, thou thinkest their merits equal: but God is not deceived, fear not. By the judgment of the wind thou dost discriminate between the chaff and the wheat: thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee, and thou art not the wind, but thou dost wish the wind to blow for thee : and, when with the winnowing fan thou hast shaken out both chaff and wheat, the wind takes away the light, the heavy remains. Thou dost look then for the wind to judge the floor.
