For what the Psalmist began with, saying, Praise the Lord in His saints, that he carrieth out,
signifying
in various ways these same saints of His.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
P1.
111 The beginning then is bonds of iron, the end a collar of10' gold.
For it is said of wisdom, a collar of gold around thy Eccius.
neck.
She would not put on thee a collar of gold, unless6'24' first she had bound thee in bonds of iron.
Thou beginnest
with fear, thou attainest at last to wisdom. How many are
there, who are unwilling to do evil because they fear hell, because they fear torment. As yet they love not righteous
ness. If they were promised impunity, and it were said
to them, ' Do what ye will without fear, ye shall not be punished for it,' they would let loose their lust, to run
on into all that is most vile. And especially so, my brethren, specially kings and nobles, to whom it is not
easily said, What hast thou done ? For the poor man, though he fear not God, yet because he hath no strength, nought to rely on, lest when he proceed to act he be hurried to punishment, ceaseth through fear of man, though
not of God. But the powerful of the world, kings and nobles, if they fear not God, what shall they fear ? But the
Word is preached to them, and they are smitten with the
sword twice sharpened. It is said to them, that there is One
Who setteth some on His right hand, others on His left,
that He may say to those who are on the left, Go ye into Mat. 25, everlasting fire, that is prepared for the devil and his angels.
As yet they love not righteousness, but they fear punish
ment, and fearing punishment, they have already received
fetters, and are being disciplined in bonds of iron. There cometh to us a man powerful in this world, his wife offendeth him, and perhaps he hath desired another man's
wife who is more beautiful, or another woman w ho is richer,
he wisheth to put away the one he hath, yet he doeth it not.
He heareth the words of the servant of God, he heareth the Prophet, he heareth the Apostle, and he doeth it not;
he is told by one in whose hands is a sword twice sharpened,
' Thou shalt not do it: it is not lawful for thee: God
448 God's commands, ' bonds of iron. '
Psalm allowetb. thee not to put away thy wife, save for the cause of
He heareth this, he feareth, and doeth it not 32. His slippery feet were already beginning to slide ; they are held with fetters; he hath bonds of iron, he feareth God. It is said to him, 'God will condemn thee if thou doestit: He is a Judge above all, He heareth the groanings of thy
wife ; thou wilt be held guilty in His sight. ' On one side lust allureth, on the other fear deterreth. He would go on to consent to an evil desire, were it not that bonds of iron held him back. Now further, if he were to say, ' I desire now to be continent, I would have no wife,' this is impossible. What if thou wishest, and she be unwilling ? Should she by thy continence be made to commit fornication? If she
Rom. 7, marry another while thou art alive, she shall be an adulteress.
g? l,a 'fornication.
'
God willeth not to purchase such a gain by such a loss. Pay that which is due : though thou exactest not what is thy due, yet pay. God will reckon it unto thee for perfect sauctification, if thou exactest not what she owes to thee, and yet payest what is due to her. Thou fearest; thou doest it not ; thy bonds are shaken. Hear that thou art
l Cor. 7, bound with bonds of iron: Art thou bound unto a wife, seek not to be freed. It is a hard bond, it is of iron. For when the Lord saith this, He sheweth that it is a bond of iron. Listen, young men ; the bonds are of iron, seek not to set your feet within them ; if ye do, ye shall be bound more tightly with fetters. Such fetters the hands of the Bishop make strong for you. Do not men who are thus fettered fly to the Church, and are here loosed ? Men do fly hither, desiring to be rid of their wives : here they are
Mat. i9, more tightly bound: no man looseth these fetters. What
6-
God joined together, let not man put asunder. But these bonds are hard. Who but knows it? This hardness the ib. io. Apostles grieved at, and said, If this be the case with a wife, it is not good to marry. If the bonds be of iron, it is not good to set our feet within them. And the Lord said, ib. li. All men cannot receive this saying, but let him that can receive it, receive it. Art thou bound unto a wife ? seek not to be freed, for thou art bound with bonds of iron. Art
thou free from a wife, seek not a wife; bind not thyself with bonds of iron.
-
The mystical number of the Psalms. 449
15. To do in them the judgment that is written. This Ver. is the judgment which the saints do throughout all nations, ^rif- Wherefore written? Because these things were before written, and now are fulfilled. Behold now they are being
done: erst they were read, and were not done. An J he
hath concluded thus, this glory have all His saints. Throughout the whole world, throughout entire nations, this
the saints do, thus are they glorified, thus do they exalt
God with their mouths, thus do they rejoice in their beds,
thus do they exult in their glory, thus are they lifted up
in salvation, thus do they sing a new song, thus in heart
and voice and life they say Halleluia. Amen.
PSALM CL. EXPOSITION.
Lat. Cl.
1. Although the arrangement of the Psalms, which seems to me to contain the secret of a mighty mystery, hath not yet been revealed unto me, yet, by the fact that they in all amount to one hundred and fifty, they suggest somewhat even to us, who have not as yet pierced with the eye of our
mind the depth of their entire arrangement, whereon we may without being over bold, so far as God giveth, be able to speak. Firstly, the number fifteen, whereof it is a multiple; (for one hundred and fifty is of the same value in the order of tens, as fifteen is in the order of units, for it is made up of fifteen times ten ; and the same is the value of one thousand five hundred in the order of hundreds, for it is fifteen times one hundred ; and of fifteen thousand in the order of thousands, for it is fifteen times one thousand ;) this number fifteen, I say, signifieth the agreement of the two Testaments. For in the former is observed the Sabbath, which signifieth rest; in the latter the Lord's
Day, which signifieth resurrection. The Sabbath is the seventh day, but the Lord's Day, coming after the seventh, must needs be the eighth, and is also to be reckoned the
first. For it is called the first day of the week', and so 'una
VOL. VI. G g
Sabbati
450 The mystical meaning of the number fifty .
Psalm from it are reckoned the second, third, fourth, and so on to
cl"
the seventh day of the week, which is the Sabbath. But from Lord's Day to Lord's Day is eight days, wherein is declared the revelation of the New Testament, which in the Old was as it were veiled under earthly promises. Further, seven and eight make fifteen. Of the same number too are the Psalms which are called ' of the steps,' because that was the number of the steps of the Temple. Further too, the number fifty in itself also containeth a great mystery. For it consisteth of a week of weeks, with the addition of one as an eighth to complete the number of fifty. For seven times seven make forty-nine, whereto one is added to make fifty. And this number fifty is of so great meaning, that it was after the completion of that number of days from the Lord's Resurrection, that, on the fiftieth day exactly, the Holy Spirit came upon those who were gathered together in Christ. And this Holy Spirit is in Scripture especially spoken of by the number seven, whether in
Isaiah or in the Apocalypse, where the seven Spirits of Rev. 1, God are most directly mentioned, on account of the seven-
20"
Ps. 19, Lord, which is clean, and endureth for ever. But perfect i John4 love casicth out slavish fear, and maketh us free, so that we 18. do no servile works, which are forbidden on the Sabbath :
Rom. 5, and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
fold operation of one and the self-same Spirit. And this Is. 11, 2. sevenfold operation is thus mentioned in Isaiah : Hie Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit oftrisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of strength, the Spirit of knowledge and of goodness, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. By this should be understood the fear of the
5.
Holy Spirit Which is given us. Hence also the Holy Spirit is spoken of under the number seven. But this period of fifty the Lord divided into forty and ten : for on the fortieth day after His Resurrection He ascended into heaven, and then after ten days were completed He sent the Holy Spirit : under the number forty setting forth to us the period of temporal sojourn in this world. For the number four prevaileth in forty ; and the world and the year have each four parts; and by the addition of the number ten, as a sort of reward added for the fulfilment of
Can the Psalms be divided into books ?
451
the law in good works, eternity itself is figured. The Ver. number one hundred and fifty containeth this fifty three ----
times, as though it were multiplied by the Trinity. Where fore for this reason too we make out that this number of the Psalm is not unsuitable. For in the number of the fishes too which were caught in the nets which were let down after the Resurrection, by the adding of three to one hundred and fifty, we seem to have a kind of suggestion given us,
into how many parts that number ought to be divided,
namely, that it should contain three fifties.
is another account too of that number of fishes, one much more deep and pleasing, namely, that we arrive at that same number, by setting down seventeen in a column, and adding all the numbers from one to seventeen together. But in
the number ten is signified the Law, in seven, Grace ; for nought fulfilleth the Law save love spread abroad in our Rom. 5, hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who is set forth under the5, number seven.
2. Now in that some have believed that the Psalms are divided into five books, they have been led by the fact, that so often at the end of Psalms are the words, so be it, so be it. But when I endeavoured to make out the principle of
this division, I was not able ; for neither are the five parts equal one to another, neither in quantity of contents, nor yet even in number of Psalms, so as for each to contain thirty. And if each book end with, so be it, so be it, we may reasonably ask, why the fifth and last book hath not the same conclusion. We however, following the authority of
canonical Scripture, where it is said, For it is written in Acts 1, the book of Psalms, know that there is but one book of20' Psalms. And I see indeed how this can be true, and yet
the other be true also, without contravening it. For it may
be that there was some custom in Hebrew literature, whereby that is called one book which yet consists of
more than one, just as of many churches one church con- sisteth, and of many heavens one heaven, (for he passed not
over any of the heavens, who said, My help is in the Name Vs. 121,
and2,
of the Lord, Who hath made heaven and earth:
again, although Scripture saith, And God called the firma- Gen. 1, menl heaven, and bade the waters to be above the firma-
og2
Though there
45-2 The Psalms one book in their entire unity.
Psalm merit, that is, above the heaven, yet the same Scripture is Pa? i4ti not vvron8 when it saith, And let the waters that are 4. 'above the heavens praise the Name of the Lord, in not
above heaven,) and one land of many lands. For it is our everv-day habit to say, 'the globe* of the earth,' and 'the globe of the lands. ' And when it is said, it is written in the book of Psalms, though the customary way of speaking is such that he seem to have wished to suggest that there is but one book, yet to this it may be answered, that the words mean ' in a book of the Psalms,' that is, ' in any one of those five books. ' And this is in common language so unprecedented, or at least so rare, that we are
only convinced that the twelve Prophets make one book, Acts 7, because we read in like manner, As it is written in the
saying,
42.
book of the Prophets. There are some too who call all the canonical Scriptures together one book, because they agree in a very wondrous and divine unity ; and they say, that
Pa. 40,8. this is why it Iis said, In the head of the book it is written
should do Thy Will; that so it may be understood that it was by the Son that the Father made
of Me, that
the world, Whose creation is the beginning of Scripture in the book of Genesis, or rather because it seems to be pro phecy, not relating things done, but foreannouncing things to come, (for HeI saith not, that I
have done, but, that I should do, Thy Will,) this passage should be referred to that which is written in the first part of the
may do, or, that
Gen. 2, same book, they twain shall be in one flesh ; which the Apostle saith a great mystery, in Christ and the Church. 22. However, this book of the Psalms may be understood to be meant, when said, In the head of the book written
of Me, that should do Thy Will for goeth on, My Ps. 40,9. God, am willing, and Thy Law within My Heart. For
the very first Psalm, which stands in the head this book, understood to be prophecy of Him; Blessed the
Man that hath not gone away in the counsel the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of pestilence but in the Law of the Lord His Will, and in His Law will He exercise Himself day and night: so that this what meant by, My God, am willing,
Orbera terra,' and orbem terrarum. '
Pa. 1,1.
a is '
Iit is is
'
: is
a
I
is of it
of
is
is
is
I
is
:
it
|. 4ph 5
The succession of the books of the Psalms.
453
and Thy Law is in the midst of My Heart : but that Ver. which comes next, / have declared the good tidings of"Thy p~40 Righteousness in the great congregation, is more suitably 10. referred to the other passage, they shall be twain in one
flesh.
3. Whichever then of these is understood by the words, in
the head of the book, this book of the Psalms, in its parts of fifty Psalms each, if it be questioned by these very divisions of fifties,
gives an answer important and very worthy of consideration.
For it seems to me not without significance, that the fiftieth
is of penitence, the hundredth of mercy and judgment, the hundred and fiftieth of the praise of God in His saints.
For thus do we advance to an everlasting life of happiness,
first by condemning our own sins, then by living aright,
that, having condemned our ill life, and lived a good life,
we may attain to everlasting life. For God, according to
the purpose of His hidden righteousness and goodness,
whom He predestined, them He also called; and whom He Rom. 8, called, them He also justified ; and whom He justified,30' them He also glorified. Our predestination is not wrought
in ourselves, but in secret with Him, in His foreknowledge. But the three which remain are wrought in us, calling,
justifying, glorifying. We are called by the preaching of repentance ; for thus began the Lord to preach the Gospel, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We are Matt. 4,
justified in the calling of mercy and fear of judgment,
hence it is said, Save me, O God, in Thy Name, and judge Pa. 54,1. me in Thy strength. He feareth not judgment, who hath previously attained salvation. Being called, we renounce
the devil by repentance, that we may not continue under
his yoke : being justified, we are healed by mercy, that we
may not fear judgment : being glorified, we pass into ever
lasting life, where we praise God without end. I Hereto,
I think, belongeth what the Lord saith, Behold,
cast out devilIs, and work cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third
am perfected. And this He also shewed in the three days of His passion, His sleeping, His awakening. For He was crucified, buried, rose again. On the cross He trinmphed over principalities and powers, in the tomb He rested, in His resurrection He exulted. Penitence cruci-
day
454 God praised in His Saints.
Psalm fieth, righteousness soothed, life eternal glorifieth. The P? ~jj voice. of penitence is, Have mercy upon me, O God, after' Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy
compassions do away mine iniquity: penitence offereth to ib. 17. God as a sacrifice a broken spirit, a contrite and humbled heart. The voice of the righteousness of Christ in His
judgment; I will sing, and understand in the undefiled way, when Thou shalt come unto me. For by mercy we are aided to do righteousness, that we may come without fear to judgment, where are destroyed out of the city of the Lord all who work iniquity. The verse wherewith this Psalm concludeth is the voice of life everlasting,
4. Praise the Lord in His saints, that is, in those whom
He hath glorified : praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him in His deeds of strength ; or, as others have explained in His deeds of power: praise Him according to the multitude His greatness. All these His
Fa. 101, elect is this; /will sing unto Thee, O Lord, of mercy and
! '2'
ib. 8.
ver. 1. ver. 2.
21 '
righteousness of God in Him. If then they be the righte ousness of God, which He hath wrought in them, why are they not also the strength of Christ which He hath wrought in them, that they should rise again from the dead For in Christ's resurrection, strength especially set forth to us, for in His Passion was weakness, as the Apostle saith,
Cor. saints are; as the Apostle saith, But we may be the
2Cnr. 13, though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth
Phil. io.
Uom. ''
the power of God and in another place, to know Him, and the power of His resurrection. And well doth say, the firmament His power. For the firmament of His
power that He dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. Why should not they also be called the works
God's strength, which He hath done in them yea rather, they themselves are the works of His strength just as
said, We are the righteousness of God in Him. For what more powerful than that He should reign for ever, with all His enemies put under His feet? Why should not they also be the multitude of His greatness? not that whereby He great, but whereby He hath made them great, many as they are, that is, thousands of thousands. Just as righteousness too understood in two ways, that whereby
is
of
:
it,
is
;
:
6,3 5, of
it it
?
is
it is
is
2
of
The mystical meaning of the instruments of music. 455
He is righteous, and that which He worketh in us, so as to Vre.
'
make us His righteousness.
5. These same saints are signified by all the musical
instruments in succession, to praise God in.
For what the Psalmist began with, saying, Praise the Lord in His saints, that he carrieth out, signifying in various ways these same saints of His.
6. Praise Him in the sound of the trumpet: on account
3. of the surpassing clearness of note of their praise. Praise Him in the psaltery and harp. The psaltery praiseth God
from things above, the harp praiseth God from things below ; I mean, from things in heaven, and things in earth,
as He Who made heaven and earth. We have already
in another Psalm1, explained that the psaltery hath that^. board, whereon the series of strings rests that it may give a 312. better sound, above, whereas the harp has it below.
7. Praise Him in the timbrel and choir. The timbreher. 4. praiseth God when the flesh is now changed, so that there is
in it no weakness of earthly corruption. For the timbrel is made of leather dried and strengthened. The choir praiseth
God when society made peaceful praiseth Him. Praise
Him on the strings and organ. Both psaltery and harp, which have been mentioned above, have strings. But organ is a general name for all instruments of music, although usage has now obtained that those are specially called organ which are inflated with bellows : but I do not think that this kind is meant here. For since organ is a Greek word, applied generally, as I have said, to all musical instruments, this instrument, to which bellows are applied,
is called by the Greeks by another name: but it being called organ is rather a Latin and conversational usage. When then he saith, on the strings and organ, he seemeth to
me to have intended to signify some instrument which hath strings. For it is not psalteries and harps only that have strings : but, because in the psaltery and harp, on account
of the sound from things below and things above, somewhat has been found which can be understood after this dis tinction, he hath suggested to us to seek some other meaning in the strings themselves : for they too are flesh, but flesh now set free from corruption. And to those, it may be,
456 God to be praised by all.
Psai"m he added the organ, to signify that they sound not each
--
cor. is. 41
ver. fi.
separately, but sound together in most harmonious diversity, just as they are arranged in a musical instrument. For even then the saints of God will have their differences,
accordant, not discordant, that agreeing, not disagreeing, just as sweetest harmony arises from sounds differing indeed, but not opposed to one another: for one star differeth from another star in glory: so also is the resur
rection the dead.
Praise Him on the well-sounding cymbals, praise Him
on cymbals ofjubilation. Cymbals touch one another in order to sound, and therefore are by some compared to our
But think better to understand that God in a manner praised on the cymbal, when each honoured by his neighbour, not by himself, and then honouring one another, they give praise to God. But lest any should understand such cymbals as sound without life, therefore
think he added, on cymbals of jubilation. For jubilation, that unspeakable praise, proceedeth not, save from life. Nor do think that should pass over what musicians say, that there are three kinds of sounds, by voice, by breath, by striking: by voice, uttered by throat and windpipe, when man singeth without any instrument by breath, as by pipe, or any thing of that sort by striking, as by harp, or any thing of that kind. None then of these kinds omitted here for there voice in the choir, breath in the trumpet, striking in the harp, representing mind, spirit, body, but by similitudes, not in the proper sense of the words. When then he proposed, Praise God in His saints, to whom said he this, save to themselves And in whom are they to praise God, save in themselves For ye, saith he, are His saints ye are His strength, but that which He wrought in you ye are
His mighty works, and the multitude His greatness, which He hath wrought and set forth in you. Ye are trumpet, psaltery, harp, timbrel, choir, strings, and organ, cymbals jubilation sounding well, because sounding in harmony. All these are ye let nought that vile, nought that transitory, nought that ludicrous, be here thought
lips.
ver. 6. of. And since to savour of the flesh death, let every spirit praise the Lord.
is
of
:
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8.
of
: is
is,
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of
;
;
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is
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i ?
St. Augustine's Prayer. 457
PRAYER OF ST. AUGUSTINE,
Which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to Him, so far as our meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying His exceeding kindness, that of His good pleasure He would deign to hear our prayers, that by HisPower He would drive out the enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that He would increase our faith, guide our understandings, give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to His bliss, through Jesus Christ His Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
INDEX.
A. Achish, mystical meaning of David's treatment of him, i. 342, &c.
'
Abba, means father,' iv. 87. why both Adam and Christ contrasted, i. 414.
words used by St. Paul, v. 190. Abel, the first inhabitant of the city of God, vi. 280. the firstfruits of the
Church, v. 447. How his blood cries
from the ground, ii. 146.
Abimelech, meaning of the name, i. 344,
353, 392. why put instead of Achish,
i. 343, 392.
Abraham, justified by faith, i. 280. vi.
432. his works without faith would have availed nothing, i. 281. humble in midst of riches, iv. 187. his faith in sacrificing his son, i. 259. the mystical meaning thereof, ib. of his sacrifice and vision, v. 104. of his making his servant put his hand under his thigh, ii. 240.
Abraham's teed, faithful Christians, iv. 168; v. 150, 275; vi. 432. the Jews not Abraham's seed, ii. 283. lost it by unbelief, vi. 432.
Absalom, the meaning of the name, i. 9, 44. a type of Judas, and of other false brethren, ib. vi. 282.
Absolution, given by the Church, v. 21.
Abundance, man's now of sorrow and pain, i. 229. the rich have none, ib. our true, v. 505.
Adam in Christ and Christ in Adam, v. 6. Adam a type of Christ, Eve of the Church, ii. 174. his sleep a type of Christ's death on the Cross, iii. 88 ; v. 133. his name signifies the four quarters of the world, iv. 412. the command not to take of the tree his trial, iii. 440. his fall the cause of Christ's coming, v. 460. a warning to us to save us from falling, ii. 296. Job on the dunghill resisted better than Adam in Paradise, i. 222. all born of him partake of his sinful nature, vi. 119. (see Sacraments, Christ, Sin. )
Adder, its natural qualities, iii. 106, 109. is a type of the spiritually deaf, ib. Adoration, due to Christ, present in the
Holy Eucharist, iv. 454.
Advent, (see Christ, Judgment. )
Adversity, (see Tribulation. )
A5man, meaning of, iv. 226.
JEthan, the Israelite, his name means
' strong,' iv. 240.
Afflictions, (see Tribulation. )
&yav and atp6Spa, the difference be
tween, v. 228, 325.
Agonistics, the name of Donatist monks,
vi. 115.
Abyss, [or Deep,] used for man's heart, Ahab, punished by means of an evil
ii. 193; iv. 39; vi. 140. for the sin into which those sink whom God gives over, i. 412.
Accusation, self, (see Confession. ) false, the devil the great false ac
cuser, iii. 454. may injure us before a man as judge, but not before God, v. 436. the Church prays against, ib. false accusers often entangled in their own snares, iii. 66. calumnies of heathens and heretics against the Catholic Church, v. 429, 430.
To accuse in others what a man does himself, for the sake of appear ance, a sin in God's sight, iii. 292.
spirit, iv. 71.
Ahitophel, meaning of, i. 44.
Allegory, what, v. 81. the meaning of,
to be agreeable to the context, i. 71. Almsgiving, the duty and blessing of, ii. 113,256; iv. 13; vi. 393. one of
the two wings of prayer, ii. 208. ap plies riches to save the soul, ii. 311 ; v. 50. stows our money in safety with Christ, ii. 115,315; v. 266; vi. 169. is really restitution, since what we give is God's, iv. 412 ; vi. 393. Christ claims it of us, vi. 375.
We should set a fixed sum aside for vi. 376. tenth no more than
it,
a
4(i0 INDEX.
Pharisees gave, vi. 377. even the poor can give alms, ii. 29; vi. 13. alms acceptable whatever their amount, if they come from the heart, vi. 6. God rewardeth the will if there be no power to give, v. 88.
God's, His punishing wickedness, iv.
with fear, thou attainest at last to wisdom. How many are
there, who are unwilling to do evil because they fear hell, because they fear torment. As yet they love not righteous
ness. If they were promised impunity, and it were said
to them, ' Do what ye will without fear, ye shall not be punished for it,' they would let loose their lust, to run
on into all that is most vile. And especially so, my brethren, specially kings and nobles, to whom it is not
easily said, What hast thou done ? For the poor man, though he fear not God, yet because he hath no strength, nought to rely on, lest when he proceed to act he be hurried to punishment, ceaseth through fear of man, though
not of God. But the powerful of the world, kings and nobles, if they fear not God, what shall they fear ? But the
Word is preached to them, and they are smitten with the
sword twice sharpened. It is said to them, that there is One
Who setteth some on His right hand, others on His left,
that He may say to those who are on the left, Go ye into Mat. 25, everlasting fire, that is prepared for the devil and his angels.
As yet they love not righteousness, but they fear punish
ment, and fearing punishment, they have already received
fetters, and are being disciplined in bonds of iron. There cometh to us a man powerful in this world, his wife offendeth him, and perhaps he hath desired another man's
wife who is more beautiful, or another woman w ho is richer,
he wisheth to put away the one he hath, yet he doeth it not.
He heareth the words of the servant of God, he heareth the Prophet, he heareth the Apostle, and he doeth it not;
he is told by one in whose hands is a sword twice sharpened,
' Thou shalt not do it: it is not lawful for thee: God
448 God's commands, ' bonds of iron. '
Psalm allowetb. thee not to put away thy wife, save for the cause of
He heareth this, he feareth, and doeth it not 32. His slippery feet were already beginning to slide ; they are held with fetters; he hath bonds of iron, he feareth God. It is said to him, 'God will condemn thee if thou doestit: He is a Judge above all, He heareth the groanings of thy
wife ; thou wilt be held guilty in His sight. ' On one side lust allureth, on the other fear deterreth. He would go on to consent to an evil desire, were it not that bonds of iron held him back. Now further, if he were to say, ' I desire now to be continent, I would have no wife,' this is impossible. What if thou wishest, and she be unwilling ? Should she by thy continence be made to commit fornication? If she
Rom. 7, marry another while thou art alive, she shall be an adulteress.
g? l,a 'fornication.
'
God willeth not to purchase such a gain by such a loss. Pay that which is due : though thou exactest not what is thy due, yet pay. God will reckon it unto thee for perfect sauctification, if thou exactest not what she owes to thee, and yet payest what is due to her. Thou fearest; thou doest it not ; thy bonds are shaken. Hear that thou art
l Cor. 7, bound with bonds of iron: Art thou bound unto a wife, seek not to be freed. It is a hard bond, it is of iron. For when the Lord saith this, He sheweth that it is a bond of iron. Listen, young men ; the bonds are of iron, seek not to set your feet within them ; if ye do, ye shall be bound more tightly with fetters. Such fetters the hands of the Bishop make strong for you. Do not men who are thus fettered fly to the Church, and are here loosed ? Men do fly hither, desiring to be rid of their wives : here they are
Mat. i9, more tightly bound: no man looseth these fetters. What
6-
God joined together, let not man put asunder. But these bonds are hard. Who but knows it? This hardness the ib. io. Apostles grieved at, and said, If this be the case with a wife, it is not good to marry. If the bonds be of iron, it is not good to set our feet within them. And the Lord said, ib. li. All men cannot receive this saying, but let him that can receive it, receive it. Art thou bound unto a wife ? seek not to be freed, for thou art bound with bonds of iron. Art
thou free from a wife, seek not a wife; bind not thyself with bonds of iron.
-
The mystical number of the Psalms. 449
15. To do in them the judgment that is written. This Ver. is the judgment which the saints do throughout all nations, ^rif- Wherefore written? Because these things were before written, and now are fulfilled. Behold now they are being
done: erst they were read, and were not done. An J he
hath concluded thus, this glory have all His saints. Throughout the whole world, throughout entire nations, this
the saints do, thus are they glorified, thus do they exalt
God with their mouths, thus do they rejoice in their beds,
thus do they exult in their glory, thus are they lifted up
in salvation, thus do they sing a new song, thus in heart
and voice and life they say Halleluia. Amen.
PSALM CL. EXPOSITION.
Lat. Cl.
1. Although the arrangement of the Psalms, which seems to me to contain the secret of a mighty mystery, hath not yet been revealed unto me, yet, by the fact that they in all amount to one hundred and fifty, they suggest somewhat even to us, who have not as yet pierced with the eye of our
mind the depth of their entire arrangement, whereon we may without being over bold, so far as God giveth, be able to speak. Firstly, the number fifteen, whereof it is a multiple; (for one hundred and fifty is of the same value in the order of tens, as fifteen is in the order of units, for it is made up of fifteen times ten ; and the same is the value of one thousand five hundred in the order of hundreds, for it is fifteen times one hundred ; and of fifteen thousand in the order of thousands, for it is fifteen times one thousand ;) this number fifteen, I say, signifieth the agreement of the two Testaments. For in the former is observed the Sabbath, which signifieth rest; in the latter the Lord's
Day, which signifieth resurrection. The Sabbath is the seventh day, but the Lord's Day, coming after the seventh, must needs be the eighth, and is also to be reckoned the
first. For it is called the first day of the week', and so 'una
VOL. VI. G g
Sabbati
450 The mystical meaning of the number fifty .
Psalm from it are reckoned the second, third, fourth, and so on to
cl"
the seventh day of the week, which is the Sabbath. But from Lord's Day to Lord's Day is eight days, wherein is declared the revelation of the New Testament, which in the Old was as it were veiled under earthly promises. Further, seven and eight make fifteen. Of the same number too are the Psalms which are called ' of the steps,' because that was the number of the steps of the Temple. Further too, the number fifty in itself also containeth a great mystery. For it consisteth of a week of weeks, with the addition of one as an eighth to complete the number of fifty. For seven times seven make forty-nine, whereto one is added to make fifty. And this number fifty is of so great meaning, that it was after the completion of that number of days from the Lord's Resurrection, that, on the fiftieth day exactly, the Holy Spirit came upon those who were gathered together in Christ. And this Holy Spirit is in Scripture especially spoken of by the number seven, whether in
Isaiah or in the Apocalypse, where the seven Spirits of Rev. 1, God are most directly mentioned, on account of the seven-
20"
Ps. 19, Lord, which is clean, and endureth for ever. But perfect i John4 love casicth out slavish fear, and maketh us free, so that we 18. do no servile works, which are forbidden on the Sabbath :
Rom. 5, and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
fold operation of one and the self-same Spirit. And this Is. 11, 2. sevenfold operation is thus mentioned in Isaiah : Hie Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit oftrisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of strength, the Spirit of knowledge and of goodness, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. By this should be understood the fear of the
5.
Holy Spirit Which is given us. Hence also the Holy Spirit is spoken of under the number seven. But this period of fifty the Lord divided into forty and ten : for on the fortieth day after His Resurrection He ascended into heaven, and then after ten days were completed He sent the Holy Spirit : under the number forty setting forth to us the period of temporal sojourn in this world. For the number four prevaileth in forty ; and the world and the year have each four parts; and by the addition of the number ten, as a sort of reward added for the fulfilment of
Can the Psalms be divided into books ?
451
the law in good works, eternity itself is figured. The Ver. number one hundred and fifty containeth this fifty three ----
times, as though it were multiplied by the Trinity. Where fore for this reason too we make out that this number of the Psalm is not unsuitable. For in the number of the fishes too which were caught in the nets which were let down after the Resurrection, by the adding of three to one hundred and fifty, we seem to have a kind of suggestion given us,
into how many parts that number ought to be divided,
namely, that it should contain three fifties.
is another account too of that number of fishes, one much more deep and pleasing, namely, that we arrive at that same number, by setting down seventeen in a column, and adding all the numbers from one to seventeen together. But in
the number ten is signified the Law, in seven, Grace ; for nought fulfilleth the Law save love spread abroad in our Rom. 5, hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who is set forth under the5, number seven.
2. Now in that some have believed that the Psalms are divided into five books, they have been led by the fact, that so often at the end of Psalms are the words, so be it, so be it. But when I endeavoured to make out the principle of
this division, I was not able ; for neither are the five parts equal one to another, neither in quantity of contents, nor yet even in number of Psalms, so as for each to contain thirty. And if each book end with, so be it, so be it, we may reasonably ask, why the fifth and last book hath not the same conclusion. We however, following the authority of
canonical Scripture, where it is said, For it is written in Acts 1, the book of Psalms, know that there is but one book of20' Psalms. And I see indeed how this can be true, and yet
the other be true also, without contravening it. For it may
be that there was some custom in Hebrew literature, whereby that is called one book which yet consists of
more than one, just as of many churches one church con- sisteth, and of many heavens one heaven, (for he passed not
over any of the heavens, who said, My help is in the Name Vs. 121,
and2,
of the Lord, Who hath made heaven and earth:
again, although Scripture saith, And God called the firma- Gen. 1, menl heaven, and bade the waters to be above the firma-
og2
Though there
45-2 The Psalms one book in their entire unity.
Psalm merit, that is, above the heaven, yet the same Scripture is Pa? i4ti not vvron8 when it saith, And let the waters that are 4. 'above the heavens praise the Name of the Lord, in not
above heaven,) and one land of many lands. For it is our everv-day habit to say, 'the globe* of the earth,' and 'the globe of the lands. ' And when it is said, it is written in the book of Psalms, though the customary way of speaking is such that he seem to have wished to suggest that there is but one book, yet to this it may be answered, that the words mean ' in a book of the Psalms,' that is, ' in any one of those five books. ' And this is in common language so unprecedented, or at least so rare, that we are
only convinced that the twelve Prophets make one book, Acts 7, because we read in like manner, As it is written in the
saying,
42.
book of the Prophets. There are some too who call all the canonical Scriptures together one book, because they agree in a very wondrous and divine unity ; and they say, that
Pa. 40,8. this is why it Iis said, In the head of the book it is written
should do Thy Will; that so it may be understood that it was by the Son that the Father made
of Me, that
the world, Whose creation is the beginning of Scripture in the book of Genesis, or rather because it seems to be pro phecy, not relating things done, but foreannouncing things to come, (for HeI saith not, that I
have done, but, that I should do, Thy Will,) this passage should be referred to that which is written in the first part of the
may do, or, that
Gen. 2, same book, they twain shall be in one flesh ; which the Apostle saith a great mystery, in Christ and the Church. 22. However, this book of the Psalms may be understood to be meant, when said, In the head of the book written
of Me, that should do Thy Will for goeth on, My Ps. 40,9. God, am willing, and Thy Law within My Heart. For
the very first Psalm, which stands in the head this book, understood to be prophecy of Him; Blessed the
Man that hath not gone away in the counsel the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of pestilence but in the Law of the Lord His Will, and in His Law will He exercise Himself day and night: so that this what meant by, My God, am willing,
Orbera terra,' and orbem terrarum. '
Pa. 1,1.
a is '
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'
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The succession of the books of the Psalms.
453
and Thy Law is in the midst of My Heart : but that Ver. which comes next, / have declared the good tidings of"Thy p~40 Righteousness in the great congregation, is more suitably 10. referred to the other passage, they shall be twain in one
flesh.
3. Whichever then of these is understood by the words, in
the head of the book, this book of the Psalms, in its parts of fifty Psalms each, if it be questioned by these very divisions of fifties,
gives an answer important and very worthy of consideration.
For it seems to me not without significance, that the fiftieth
is of penitence, the hundredth of mercy and judgment, the hundred and fiftieth of the praise of God in His saints.
For thus do we advance to an everlasting life of happiness,
first by condemning our own sins, then by living aright,
that, having condemned our ill life, and lived a good life,
we may attain to everlasting life. For God, according to
the purpose of His hidden righteousness and goodness,
whom He predestined, them He also called; and whom He Rom. 8, called, them He also justified ; and whom He justified,30' them He also glorified. Our predestination is not wrought
in ourselves, but in secret with Him, in His foreknowledge. But the three which remain are wrought in us, calling,
justifying, glorifying. We are called by the preaching of repentance ; for thus began the Lord to preach the Gospel, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We are Matt. 4,
justified in the calling of mercy and fear of judgment,
hence it is said, Save me, O God, in Thy Name, and judge Pa. 54,1. me in Thy strength. He feareth not judgment, who hath previously attained salvation. Being called, we renounce
the devil by repentance, that we may not continue under
his yoke : being justified, we are healed by mercy, that we
may not fear judgment : being glorified, we pass into ever
lasting life, where we praise God without end. I Hereto,
I think, belongeth what the Lord saith, Behold,
cast out devilIs, and work cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third
am perfected. And this He also shewed in the three days of His passion, His sleeping, His awakening. For He was crucified, buried, rose again. On the cross He trinmphed over principalities and powers, in the tomb He rested, in His resurrection He exulted. Penitence cruci-
day
454 God praised in His Saints.
Psalm fieth, righteousness soothed, life eternal glorifieth. The P? ~jj voice. of penitence is, Have mercy upon me, O God, after' Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy
compassions do away mine iniquity: penitence offereth to ib. 17. God as a sacrifice a broken spirit, a contrite and humbled heart. The voice of the righteousness of Christ in His
judgment; I will sing, and understand in the undefiled way, when Thou shalt come unto me. For by mercy we are aided to do righteousness, that we may come without fear to judgment, where are destroyed out of the city of the Lord all who work iniquity. The verse wherewith this Psalm concludeth is the voice of life everlasting,
4. Praise the Lord in His saints, that is, in those whom
He hath glorified : praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him in His deeds of strength ; or, as others have explained in His deeds of power: praise Him according to the multitude His greatness. All these His
Fa. 101, elect is this; /will sing unto Thee, O Lord, of mercy and
! '2'
ib. 8.
ver. 1. ver. 2.
21 '
righteousness of God in Him. If then they be the righte ousness of God, which He hath wrought in them, why are they not also the strength of Christ which He hath wrought in them, that they should rise again from the dead For in Christ's resurrection, strength especially set forth to us, for in His Passion was weakness, as the Apostle saith,
Cor. saints are; as the Apostle saith, But we may be the
2Cnr. 13, though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth
Phil. io.
Uom. ''
the power of God and in another place, to know Him, and the power of His resurrection. And well doth say, the firmament His power. For the firmament of His
power that He dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. Why should not they also be called the works
God's strength, which He hath done in them yea rather, they themselves are the works of His strength just as
said, We are the righteousness of God in Him. For what more powerful than that He should reign for ever, with all His enemies put under His feet? Why should not they also be the multitude of His greatness? not that whereby He great, but whereby He hath made them great, many as they are, that is, thousands of thousands. Just as righteousness too understood in two ways, that whereby
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The mystical meaning of the instruments of music. 455
He is righteous, and that which He worketh in us, so as to Vre.
'
make us His righteousness.
5. These same saints are signified by all the musical
instruments in succession, to praise God in.
For what the Psalmist began with, saying, Praise the Lord in His saints, that he carrieth out, signifying in various ways these same saints of His.
6. Praise Him in the sound of the trumpet: on account
3. of the surpassing clearness of note of their praise. Praise Him in the psaltery and harp. The psaltery praiseth God
from things above, the harp praiseth God from things below ; I mean, from things in heaven, and things in earth,
as He Who made heaven and earth. We have already
in another Psalm1, explained that the psaltery hath that^. board, whereon the series of strings rests that it may give a 312. better sound, above, whereas the harp has it below.
7. Praise Him in the timbrel and choir. The timbreher. 4. praiseth God when the flesh is now changed, so that there is
in it no weakness of earthly corruption. For the timbrel is made of leather dried and strengthened. The choir praiseth
God when society made peaceful praiseth Him. Praise
Him on the strings and organ. Both psaltery and harp, which have been mentioned above, have strings. But organ is a general name for all instruments of music, although usage has now obtained that those are specially called organ which are inflated with bellows : but I do not think that this kind is meant here. For since organ is a Greek word, applied generally, as I have said, to all musical instruments, this instrument, to which bellows are applied,
is called by the Greeks by another name: but it being called organ is rather a Latin and conversational usage. When then he saith, on the strings and organ, he seemeth to
me to have intended to signify some instrument which hath strings. For it is not psalteries and harps only that have strings : but, because in the psaltery and harp, on account
of the sound from things below and things above, somewhat has been found which can be understood after this dis tinction, he hath suggested to us to seek some other meaning in the strings themselves : for they too are flesh, but flesh now set free from corruption. And to those, it may be,
456 God to be praised by all.
Psai"m he added the organ, to signify that they sound not each
--
cor. is. 41
ver. fi.
separately, but sound together in most harmonious diversity, just as they are arranged in a musical instrument. For even then the saints of God will have their differences,
accordant, not discordant, that agreeing, not disagreeing, just as sweetest harmony arises from sounds differing indeed, but not opposed to one another: for one star differeth from another star in glory: so also is the resur
rection the dead.
Praise Him on the well-sounding cymbals, praise Him
on cymbals ofjubilation. Cymbals touch one another in order to sound, and therefore are by some compared to our
But think better to understand that God in a manner praised on the cymbal, when each honoured by his neighbour, not by himself, and then honouring one another, they give praise to God. But lest any should understand such cymbals as sound without life, therefore
think he added, on cymbals of jubilation. For jubilation, that unspeakable praise, proceedeth not, save from life. Nor do think that should pass over what musicians say, that there are three kinds of sounds, by voice, by breath, by striking: by voice, uttered by throat and windpipe, when man singeth without any instrument by breath, as by pipe, or any thing of that sort by striking, as by harp, or any thing of that kind. None then of these kinds omitted here for there voice in the choir, breath in the trumpet, striking in the harp, representing mind, spirit, body, but by similitudes, not in the proper sense of the words. When then he proposed, Praise God in His saints, to whom said he this, save to themselves And in whom are they to praise God, save in themselves For ye, saith he, are His saints ye are His strength, but that which He wrought in you ye are
His mighty works, and the multitude His greatness, which He hath wrought and set forth in you. Ye are trumpet, psaltery, harp, timbrel, choir, strings, and organ, cymbals jubilation sounding well, because sounding in harmony. All these are ye let nought that vile, nought that transitory, nought that ludicrous, be here thought
lips.
ver. 6. of. And since to savour of the flesh death, let every spirit praise the Lord.
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St. Augustine's Prayer. 457
PRAYER OF ST. AUGUSTINE,
Which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to Him, so far as our meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying His exceeding kindness, that of His good pleasure He would deign to hear our prayers, that by HisPower He would drive out the enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that He would increase our faith, guide our understandings, give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to His bliss, through Jesus Christ His Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
INDEX.
A. Achish, mystical meaning of David's treatment of him, i. 342, &c.
'
Abba, means father,' iv. 87. why both Adam and Christ contrasted, i. 414.
words used by St. Paul, v. 190. Abel, the first inhabitant of the city of God, vi. 280. the firstfruits of the
Church, v. 447. How his blood cries
from the ground, ii. 146.
Abimelech, meaning of the name, i. 344,
353, 392. why put instead of Achish,
i. 343, 392.
Abraham, justified by faith, i. 280. vi.
432. his works without faith would have availed nothing, i. 281. humble in midst of riches, iv. 187. his faith in sacrificing his son, i. 259. the mystical meaning thereof, ib. of his sacrifice and vision, v. 104. of his making his servant put his hand under his thigh, ii. 240.
Abraham's teed, faithful Christians, iv. 168; v. 150, 275; vi. 432. the Jews not Abraham's seed, ii. 283. lost it by unbelief, vi. 432.
Absalom, the meaning of the name, i. 9, 44. a type of Judas, and of other false brethren, ib. vi. 282.
Absolution, given by the Church, v. 21.
Abundance, man's now of sorrow and pain, i. 229. the rich have none, ib. our true, v. 505.
Adam in Christ and Christ in Adam, v. 6. Adam a type of Christ, Eve of the Church, ii. 174. his sleep a type of Christ's death on the Cross, iii. 88 ; v. 133. his name signifies the four quarters of the world, iv. 412. the command not to take of the tree his trial, iii. 440. his fall the cause of Christ's coming, v. 460. a warning to us to save us from falling, ii. 296. Job on the dunghill resisted better than Adam in Paradise, i. 222. all born of him partake of his sinful nature, vi. 119. (see Sacraments, Christ, Sin. )
Adder, its natural qualities, iii. 106, 109. is a type of the spiritually deaf, ib. Adoration, due to Christ, present in the
Holy Eucharist, iv. 454.
Advent, (see Christ, Judgment. )
Adversity, (see Tribulation. )
A5man, meaning of, iv. 226.
JEthan, the Israelite, his name means
' strong,' iv. 240.
Afflictions, (see Tribulation. )
&yav and atp6Spa, the difference be
tween, v. 228, 325.
Agonistics, the name of Donatist monks,
vi. 115.
Abyss, [or Deep,] used for man's heart, Ahab, punished by means of an evil
ii. 193; iv. 39; vi. 140. for the sin into which those sink whom God gives over, i. 412.
Accusation, self, (see Confession. ) false, the devil the great false ac
cuser, iii. 454. may injure us before a man as judge, but not before God, v. 436. the Church prays against, ib. false accusers often entangled in their own snares, iii. 66. calumnies of heathens and heretics against the Catholic Church, v. 429, 430.
To accuse in others what a man does himself, for the sake of appear ance, a sin in God's sight, iii. 292.
spirit, iv. 71.
Ahitophel, meaning of, i. 44.
Allegory, what, v. 81. the meaning of,
to be agreeable to the context, i. 71. Almsgiving, the duty and blessing of, ii. 113,256; iv. 13; vi. 393. one of
the two wings of prayer, ii. 208. ap plies riches to save the soul, ii. 311 ; v. 50. stows our money in safety with Christ, ii. 115,315; v. 266; vi. 169. is really restitution, since what we give is God's, iv. 412 ; vi. 393. Christ claims it of us, vi. 375.
We should set a fixed sum aside for vi. 376. tenth no more than
it,
a
4(i0 INDEX.
Pharisees gave, vi. 377. even the poor can give alms, ii. 29; vi. 13. alms acceptable whatever their amount, if they come from the heart, vi. 6. God rewardeth the will if there be no power to give, v. 88.
God's, His punishing wickedness, iv.
