How ' night
declareth
to night.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
8.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.
All the statutes of the Lord are right in Him
* Vid. in Psalm 58. (59. E. V. ) Enarrat. 10.
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Holy fear. Judgments of God, clearing from earth, desired. 127
Who taught not what He did not ; that they who should Ver. imitate Him might rejoice in heart, in those things which 9' 10" they should do freely with love, not slavishly with fear. The commandment of the Lord is lucid, enlightening the eyes.
The commandment of the Lord is lucid, with no veil of
carnal observances, enlightening the sight of the inner man.
10. Ver. 9. The fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring for
ever. The fear of the Lord; not that distressing1 fear under ? poenalis the law, dreading exceedingly the withdrawal of temporal goods, by the love of which the soul commits fornication ;
but that chaste fear wherewith the Church, the more ardently
she loves her Spouse, the more carefully does she take heed
of offending Him, and therefore, perfect love casteth not out 1 John
this fear, but it endureth for ever.
1 1 . The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together.
The judgments of Him, Who judgeth no man, but hath John 5,
"
committed alljudgment unto the Son, are justified in truth unchangeably. For neither in His threatenings or His promises doth God deceive any man, nor can any withdraw either from the ungodly His punishment, or from the godly His reward. (Ver. 10. ) To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone. Whether it be gold and stone itself much, or much precious, or much to be desired; still, the judgments of God are to be desired more than the pomp
of this world ; by desire of which it is brought to pass that the judgments of God are not desired, but feared, or despised, or not believed. But if any be himself gold and precious stone, that he may not be consumed by fire, but received into the treasury of God, more than himself does he desire the judgments of God, Whose will he prcferreth to his own. And sweeter than honey and the honey comb. And
whether one be even now honey, who, disenthralled already from the chains of this life, is awaiting the day, when he may come up to God's feast ; or whether he be yet as the honey comb, wrapped about with this life as it were with wax, not mixed and become one with but filling needing some pressure of God's hand, not oppressing but expressing whereby from life temporal may be strained out into life
eternal to such an one the judgments of God are sweeter,
?
:
it
it,
it,
it,
128 Joy in obeying. Sources of sin. Pride the ' great offence. '1 Psalm than he himself is to himself, for that they are sweeter than
x and the honey comb. Exp. \'honey
12. Ver. 11. For Thy servant keepeth them. For to him who keepeth them not the day of the Lord is bitter. In keeping them there is great reward. Not in any external benefit, but in the thing itself, that God's judgments are kept, is there great reward; great because one rejoiceth therein.
13. Ver. 12. Who understandeth sins? But what sort of sweetness can there be in sins, where there is no under
s
Vir
For who can understand sins, which close the very eye, to which truth is pleasant, to which the judgments of God are desirable and sweet ? yea, as darkness closes the eye, so do sins the mind, and suffer it not to see either the light, or itself.
14. Cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret faults. From the
lusts which lie hid in me, cleanse me, O Lord.
And from the faults of others preserve Thy servant. Let me not be led astray by others. For he is not a prey to the faults of others, who is cleansed from his own. Preserve therefore from the lusts of others, not the proud man, and him who would be his own master, but, ThyI servant.
standing?
they get not the dominion over me, then shall
If neither my own secret sins, nor those of others, get the dominion over me, then shall I be undefiled. For there is no third source of sin, but one's own secret sin, by which the devil fell, and another's sin, by which manI is seduced, so as by consenting to make it his own. And
be
Ecclus. greater than apostacy from God, which is the beginning of 10,12. n,e pride of man. And he shall indeed be undefiled, who is free from this offence also ; for this is the last to them who
are returning to God, which was the first as they departed from Him.
15. Ver. 14. And the words of my mouth shall be pleasing, and the meditation of my heart is always in Thy sight. The meditation of my heart is not after the vain glory of pleasing men, for now there is pride no more, but in Thy sight alway, Who regardest a pure conscience. O Lord, my Helper, and my Redeemer. O Lord, my Helper, in my
shall be cleansed from the great offence. What but pride ? for there is none
"(Ver. 13. )
If
undefiled.
Conversion is of grace. Singing toith understanding. 129
approach to Thee ; for Thou art my Redeemer, that I might Ver. set out unto Thee : lest any attributing to his own wisdom --'-- his conversion to Thee, or to his own strength his attaining
to Thee, should be rather driven back by Thee, who resistest the proud ; for he is not cleansed from the great
offence, nor pleasing in Thy sight, Who redeemest us that we may be converted, and helpest us that we may attain unto Thee.
PSALM XIX. SECOND EXPOSITION.
xvii'i.
1. As we have intreated the Lord to cleanse us from our own secret faults, and preserve His servants from those of others, we ought to understand the meaning of this, that we may sing with man's intelligence, and not as it were with the voice of birds. For black-birds, and parrots, and ravens, and magpies, and such like birds, are often taught by men to utter they know not what. But to sing with under
standing has been granted by the divine will to human kind. And how many bad and dissipated men thus sing what is worthy of their ears and hearts, we well know and we deplore. For they are so much the worse, as they cannot be ignorant of what they sing. For they know that their songs are impure, and yet the greater the impurity
the greater their readiness to sing, for they think themselves the more joyous in proportion as they are more unclean. But we who, in the Church, have learnt to sing the oracles of God, should at the same time be instant to be that which
is written, Blessed is the people that understand the joyful ps. 8,
sound. Therefore, dearest brethren, what we have
with accordant voice, we ought also with an undisturbed
heart to know and understand. For each one of us has
in this canticle prayed unto the Lord, and said unto God, Cleanse Thou me from my secret faults, and preserve Thy ver. i^
servant from those qf others. I If they shall not get the l3'
dominion over me, then shall K
be undefiled, and
cleansed
sung15-
130 Glory offree Grace declared by the spiritual Heavens.
Now that we may well understand what this is, and the nature of let us, as the Lord shall help us, shortly run over the contents of this
Psalm.
2. For the canticle of Christ, as evidently appears
from that passage where written, He as a Bridegroom coming forth out of His chamber. For who the Bride groom, but He to whom has been betrothed by the Apostle that virgin, for whom the chaste friend of the bridegroom
Psalm from the great offence.
^p^i ---
ver. 5.
Cor. chastely fears, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
u,s.
John grace resides, of which the Apostle John saith, And ire u. beheld His glory, the glory as the only-begotten of the
Father,ful ofgrace and truth.
Ver. This glory the heavens declare. The heavens are
Saints, raised up from the earth, bearing the Lord. Although the visible heaven also, in some sort, hath declared the glory of Christ. When? When, at the same Lord's nativity, new
But,
nevertheless, these are truer and higher heavens, of which is ver. 3,4. said in the following verses of the Psalm, There is no speech,
subtilty, so this virgin's mind, the Bride of Christ, should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ In this our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, therefore, abundant and full
Kom. 23 U
Titus 5'
nor language, in which their voices are not heard. Their sound gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Whose words but the heavens'? Whose then but the Apostles' It they declare unto us
the glory of God, residing in Jesus Christ through grace for the remission of sins. For all have sinned, and want the glory of God, being justified gratuitously His Blood. Because gratuitously, therefore grace. For grace no grace be
star, which had never before been seen, appeared.
Because we had before done no good thing, whereby we might deserve such gifts, rather in that punish
ment was, not for nothing, to be inflicted, therefore was the boon for nothing accorded. Nothing had gone before in our deserts but what would entitle us to condemnation. But He, not for our righteousness, but His own mercy,
hath saved us by the later regeneration. This, say, is
God; this have the heavens declared. This, God's glory, not thine. For no good hast thou
not gratuitous.
the glory say,
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No glory due to us. All things the work of God's Hands. 131
done, and yet so great good hast thou received. If, therefore, Ver. i. thou attainest unto the glory which the heavens have de
clared, say unto the Lord thy God, My God, His mercy ps. 59, shall prevent me. For it hath prevented thee; of course it10. hath prevented thee, for that it found no good in thee.
Thou preventedst His punishment by thy pride; He pre
vented thy punishment by effacing thy sins. For as of a
sinner justified, of ungodly made godly, of one condemned received into the kingdom, say thou unto the Lord thy God,
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name ji'cePs. 115, the glory. Say we not unto us. For unto whom, if as unto
us? Say we, I repeat, not unto us; for if He were so to deal with us, He could only inflict punishment upon us. Not unto us, but unto His own Name let Him give the glory, because He hath not dealt with us according to our iniquities. Not therefore unto us, O Lord, not unto us. The repetition is confirmation ; Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the glory. This those heavens knew, which declared the glory of God.
3. And the firmament sheweth the works of His hands. What was before said, the glory of God, is here repeated, the works of His hands. What are the works of His hands? It is not, as some think, that God made all things by the Word, and man, as more excellent than all other things, He made by His Own Hands. We must not think this; this is a weak and inexact notion ; for He made all things by the
Word. For although diverse works of God are mentioned, among which He made man after His own image, yet all^oha 1, things were made by Him, and without Him was not any
thing made. But as respects the Hands of God, it is said
of the heavens too, And the heavens are the works ofThuP*. 102,
? 25 Hands. And that you might not suppose that saints arc in
that place called heavens, he added, They shall perish, but Thou abidest. Therefore not man only, but the heavens also, that shall perish, did God make with His Hands, to Whom
it is said, The heavens are the works of Thy Hands. And of
the earth is this self-same said, For the sea is His and He Ps. 95,5. made it, and His Hands laid the foundations of the dry land. Therefore, if He made the heavens with His Hands, and
the earth with His Hands, He made not man alone with
k2
132 Figures in speaking ofGod. Mart's unworthiness ; His Glory.
Psalm His hands ; and if by the Word He made the heavens, and
Exp. ii. hy the Word the earth, therefore by the Word man too.
What by the Word that by the hand, what by the hand that
by the Word. For the stature of God is not marked out by
human members, Who is wholly every where, and is no
where contained. What therefore He made by the Word,
He made by the Wisdom, and what He made by the Hand
l Cor. I, he did by the Power; now Christ is the Power of God, and
John l H'c Wisdom of God, and all things were made by Him, and
3.
without Him was not any thing made. The heavens have declared, do declare, will declare, the glory of God. The heavens, I say, that is, the Saints will declare the glory of God ; raised aloft from earth, bearing God, thundering with precepts, lightening with Wisdom, will declare that glory of God, as I said, whereby we that are saved are unworthy of it. This unworthiness, that is, wherein we were unworthy, the younger son acknowledges when straitened by want; this unworthiness, I say, the younger son acknow ledges, far from his father's home, a worshipper of demons, as it were a feeder of swine ; he acknowledges the glory of God, but when straitened by want. And since by that glory of God we have been made what we were not worthy of, he
Lukei5, says to his father, / am not worthy to be called thy son.
3.
4. Ver. 2. Day unto day uttereth a word, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. What is this? Perhaps it is plain
'
Unhappy, he obtains happiness by his lowliness, and shews himself worthy in the confession of his unworthiness. This glory of God the heavens declare, and the firmament sheweth the works of His hands. The heavens, the firmament, are a firm heart, a fearless heart. For these things are shewn among the ungodly, among the enemies of God, among the lovers of the world, and the persecutors of the righteous; iu the midst of a violent world are these things shewn. But what could the violence of the world effect, when the firma ment shewed these things? Thefirmament sheweth; what? the works of His hands. What are the works of His hands?
Eph. 2, That glory of God, whereby we are saved, whereby we are created in good works. For we are His work, created in Christ Jesus in good works. For He not only made us men,
Ps. 100, but righteous men too, if so we be, and not we ourselves.
Many senses in Holy Writ.
How ' night declareth to night. '' 1 33
and evident what day unto day uttereth a word evident Ver.
2. 3'
and plain as by day. But what night unto night sheircth knowledge is, obscure as by night. Day unto day, saints unto saints, Apostles unto believers, Christ Himself unto Apostles, to whom He said, Ye are the light of the Matt. world. This seems plain, and easy of apprehension. But
how doth night unto night shew knowledge Some have understood these words simply, and perhaps may be so, considering the meaning of this sentence to be, that what the Apostles heard in our Lord Jesus Christ's time, during His converse on earth, this has been passed on to posterity as from time to time; day unto day, night unto night, the former day unto the latter day, the former night unto the latter night, for that this doctrine preached day and
night. Let this simple interpretation suffice him whom will suffice. But some words in Scripture have from their obscurity this advantage, that ihey give birth to many inter pretations. Accordingly had this been plain, you would have heard some one thing, but as obscurely spoken, you will hear many. There too another interpretation, day unto day, night unto night, that is, spirit unto spirit, flesh unto
flesh. There another, day unto day, spiritual unto spiri tual, night unto night, carnal unto carnal. For both hear, though both do not equally understand. For the one hear
as word uttered, the other as knowledge declared. For what uttered uttered to those present, but what declared declared to those that are far removed. MoreOxf. senses of the word heavens may be discovered, but because
.
if by conjecture, opened. When, they say, the Lord Christ |je? f' talked with the Apostles, day unto day uttered word when Judas betrayed the Lord Christ to the Jews, night unto night declared knowledge.
5. Ver. 3. There is no speech nor language in which
their voices are not heard. Whose, but of those heavens which declare the glory of God There no speech, nor language, in which their voices are not heard. Read the
Acts of the Apostles, how, when the Holy Ghost came uponAots2, them, they were all filled with Him, and spake in the tongues
of the stress of the present time, limit must be imposed, senses
-.
Yet let us mention one more meaning, which certain have, as found
. . . .
^re
. . maybe
is
a ;
it ?
,
is
is a
it ? is
if
a
i
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it
it
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if is
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5,
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134 The Church visible every where. Heretics called to her.
Psalm of all nations, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Lo, there Elcp. ii. JS no speech nor language, in which their voices are not heard. But not there only, where they were filled, was the
sound. (Ver. 4. ) Their sound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. And therefore are we even speaking here. For that sound hath come even unto us, the sound which went forth into all the earth, and the heretic cometh not into the Church ! For this cause hath the sound gone forth into all the earth, that thou mayest enter into heaven. O man full of mischief and strife, most evil and still liking to err, O haughty son, hear thy Father's will. Lo, what can be more plain, what more evident? Their sound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Needs it any interpreter ? Why strivest thou against thyself? Wouldest thou hold a part in dissent, who canst hold the whole in concord ?
6. In the sun hath He set His tabernacle. His Church, that is, in open sight, not in secret, not that it should lie hid, Cant, l, not veiled as it were; lest haply as veiled it should light l'xx. upon the flocks of the heretics. It is said again to one in i2Sa12" holy Scripture, For thou didst this secretly, thou shall suffer
in the sun, that thou didst the evil in secret, thou shalt sufler the punishment in the open sight of all men. In the sun therefore hath He set His tabernacle. Why, heretic, fliest into darkness Art thou Christian Hear Christ. Art thou servant? Hear thy Lord. Art thou a son Hear thy Father; amend thyself, return to life again. Let us say
Lukel5, of thee too, He was dead, and is alive again he was lost, and found. Say not to me, Why dost thou seek me,
am lost? For therefore do seek thee, because thou art lost. Do not seek me, says he. This indeed the wish of ungodliness, whereby we are divided but not of charity,
impro- whereby we are brethren. should not be extravagant1, if were to seek my servant and am called extravagant, because seek my brother Be this his conceit, in whom
brotherly love exists not yet will seek my brother. Let him be even angry, so he be still sought, who appeased when he found. will seek, say, my brother, and appeal to my Lord, not against him, but for him. Nor in my appeal
Lukei2,will say, Lord, speak to my brother, that he divide the
I
is, ?
;
?
I I
I is
is
1
II
I
isI a
;
I
I
;
a
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O ?
Course of Christ on earth. The Holy Ghost, and His Gifts. 135 inheritance with me; but, speak to my brother, that he hold Ver.
the inheritance with me.
Whyflybythe corners?
His tabernacle in the sun.
coming forth out of His chamber, I suppose that thou mayest recognise Him. As a bridegroom coming forth out of His chamber, He rejoiced as a giant to run His course; He hath set His tabernacle in the sun ; that is, as a bridegroom when the Word was made flesh, He found a bridal chamber in the Virgin's womb ; and thence coming out as from a closet of surpassing purity, joined to the nature of man, humble in His mercy below all, strong in His majesty above all. For this He rejoiced as a giant to run His course, He was born, grew up, taught, suffered, rose again, ascended He ran His course, He halted not therein. The self-same bridegroom then Who did all this, He set in the sun, that is, in the open sight of all men, His tabernacle, that is, His holy Church.
7. Now wouldest thou hear what course He swiftly ran (Ver. 6. ) His going forth is from the highest heaven, and His meeting even to the height thereof. But after that
~ ' ,
Why then errest thou, brother ? Whytrytoliehid? Hehasset (Ver. 5. ) And as a bridegroom
He went forth thence, and returned on His backward course, He sent His Spirit. There appeared to them, upon Acts2,3. whom He came, cloven tongues as offire. As fire the Holy
Ghost came, to burn the hay of flesh, to smelt and refine
the gold as fire He came, and therefore follows, and
there is none that can hidefrom the heat thereof.
8. Ver. 7. The law of the Lord is undefiled, converting souls. This the Holy Ghost. The testimony of the Lord is sure, giving wisdom to babes, not to the proud. This the Holy Ghost.
9. Ver. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right, not terri fying, but rejoicing the heart. This the Holy Ghost. The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the
eyes not dulling them, the eyes, not of the flesh, but of the heart, not of the outer, but of the inner man. This the
Holy Ghost. Lord; 10. Ver. 9. The fear of the
not slavish fear, but chaste, loving freely, not fearing to be punished by Him at Whom alarmed, but to be separated from Him
it is
a
is
;
is
; is
;
it
is ?
is,
XIX Exp. il. caste*h
Uohn4,that
18'
Luke23,
because of unity.
11. Ver. 10. To be desired more than gold, and much
precious stone. Either much gold, or much precious, or much to be desired; much any way, with the heretic little. They do not love together with us, yet with us they confess Christ. This same Christ Whom with me thou dost confess, Him love with me. And he, who willeth not together, refuses, resists, rejects, with him there not this desirable ness more than gold, and much precious stone. Listen again, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb. But this all against the wanderer; honey bitter to one in
fever but notwithstanding sweet and acceptable to one restored to health, for to sound health dear. To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb.
12. Ver. 11. For Thy servant also keepeth them. How sweet they are Thy servant proves by keeping them, not by talking. Thy servant keepeth them, for that they are both at present sweet, and healthful for time to come for in keeping them there is great reward. But enamoured of
his strife, the heretic neither sees this briiliaucy, nor tastes the sweetness.
13. Ver. 12. For, Who nn deist an det sins? Fat her, fornive
130 God's judgments not duly loved by those out of Unity.
oul, Dut enduring ever. This is the Holy Ghost, for
Psalm Whom it loves. This is chaste fear, not which perfect love
this fear the Holy Ghost giveth, bringeth, im- The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together, not for the contentions of division, but for the
gathering together of unity. For this together. This the Holy Ghost. Therefore He made them, upon whom He first descended, speak in the tongues of all nations, because He announced that He would gather together the
tongues of all nations into unity. What one man did then on receiving the Holy Ghost, that one should speak in the tongues of all nations, this unity itself now doth, she speaketh in all tongues. And now One Man speaketh in all nations in all tongues, One Man the Head and the Body, One Man Christ and the Church, perfect Man together, the bridegroom
phmteth.
Mat. 19, and the bride. But they two, saith He, shall be one flesh. The judgments of the Lord are true justified together,
h
;
it is
is is
is,
a
is
is
;
is,
Prayer to be cleansed from secret sin, kept from temptation. 137
them,for they know not what they do. Therefore, saith he, Ver. he is a servant1 who keepeth this sweetness, the pleasantness ,--^i- of charity, the love of unity. I, he says, myself who keep Mss. entreat Thee, (for who understandeth sins? ) lest some steal lThere"
over me, man as am, and by some, as man, be first saith entangled. Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins. This^j<<,6'" then we have sung see, to this have come in my dis course. Let us say, and sing with understanding, aud pray
in our song, and by our prayer obtain our petition, let us say, Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins. For, Who understandeth sins If darkness seen, sins are under stood. In fact, when we repent of sin, we are in the light. For whilst one entangled in his sin, with eyes as were darkened and closed, he sees not the sin for so, the eye of thy body be covered, thou canst neither see aught else, nor that by which covered. Therefore say we to God, Who can see what He will purify, who can have an eye on what He will heal say we to Him, Cleanse me, Lord,from my
secret sins, (ver. 13. ) and preserve Thy servant from those of others. My own sins, he says, pollute me, the sins of others afflict me from the one cleanse me, from the other pre serve me. Take away from my heart, pray, the evil thought, keep back from me the evil counsellor, this is, Cleanse me from my secret sins, and preserve Thy servant
from those of others. For these two kinds of faults, both
our own and those of others, appeared even from the very first in the beginning. The devil fell by his own sin, he degraded Adam by another's sin. This same servant of God <? en. who keepeth the judgments of God in which there great
reward, in another Psalm too prays thus, Let not the foot of? *. 36, pride come unto me, and let not the hand of the wicked
move me. Let not the foot of pride come unto me, that is,
Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins and let not the hand of the wicked move me, that is, Preserve Thy servant
from the sins others.
14. Ifthey get not the dominion over me, then shall be
If they get not the dominion over me, mine own
secret sins and the sins of others, then shall be undefiled ^s0xf" This no daring reliance on his own strength, but he entreats the Lord to fulfil to Whom said in another
undefiled.
it
it is
;; IIO
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138 Danger our own making. Pride the ' great offence?
Psalm Psalm, Order my ways according to Thy word, and let no
ExJ/ii iniquity have dominion over me. If thou art a Christian,
Ps. 119, fear not the dominion of any man without; the Lord thy
133,
God fear alway. Fear the evil in thyself, that is, thy lust,
not what God made in thee, but what thou hast made for
Eccles. thine own self. The Lord made thee a good servant, thou 7 29. .
hast created in thine own heart an evil lord for thine own self. Justly wilt thou be subject to iniquity, justly wilt thou be subject to the lord, whom thou hast made for thine own self; since thou wouldest not be subject to Him Who made thee.
15. But if, he says, they get not the dominion over me,
then shall I
offence.
be undefiled, and cleansed the great from
What offence, do we suppose ? What is that great
offence ? Perchance it is other than that I am about to
mention, yet 1 will not conceal what I think. I deem the
1I'
Oxf.
* Vid. in Psalm 58. (59. E. V. ) Enarrat. 10.
TMe
4,
2
j*j
i. ; ? .
;
5,
1,
is is
of a
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Holy fear. Judgments of God, clearing from earth, desired. 127
Who taught not what He did not ; that they who should Ver. imitate Him might rejoice in heart, in those things which 9' 10" they should do freely with love, not slavishly with fear. The commandment of the Lord is lucid, enlightening the eyes.
The commandment of the Lord is lucid, with no veil of
carnal observances, enlightening the sight of the inner man.
10. Ver. 9. The fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring for
ever. The fear of the Lord; not that distressing1 fear under ? poenalis the law, dreading exceedingly the withdrawal of temporal goods, by the love of which the soul commits fornication ;
but that chaste fear wherewith the Church, the more ardently
she loves her Spouse, the more carefully does she take heed
of offending Him, and therefore, perfect love casteth not out 1 John
this fear, but it endureth for ever.
1 1 . The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together.
The judgments of Him, Who judgeth no man, but hath John 5,
"
committed alljudgment unto the Son, are justified in truth unchangeably. For neither in His threatenings or His promises doth God deceive any man, nor can any withdraw either from the ungodly His punishment, or from the godly His reward. (Ver. 10. ) To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone. Whether it be gold and stone itself much, or much precious, or much to be desired; still, the judgments of God are to be desired more than the pomp
of this world ; by desire of which it is brought to pass that the judgments of God are not desired, but feared, or despised, or not believed. But if any be himself gold and precious stone, that he may not be consumed by fire, but received into the treasury of God, more than himself does he desire the judgments of God, Whose will he prcferreth to his own. And sweeter than honey and the honey comb. And
whether one be even now honey, who, disenthralled already from the chains of this life, is awaiting the day, when he may come up to God's feast ; or whether he be yet as the honey comb, wrapped about with this life as it were with wax, not mixed and become one with but filling needing some pressure of God's hand, not oppressing but expressing whereby from life temporal may be strained out into life
eternal to such an one the judgments of God are sweeter,
?
:
it
it,
it,
it,
128 Joy in obeying. Sources of sin. Pride the ' great offence. '1 Psalm than he himself is to himself, for that they are sweeter than
x and the honey comb. Exp. \'honey
12. Ver. 11. For Thy servant keepeth them. For to him who keepeth them not the day of the Lord is bitter. In keeping them there is great reward. Not in any external benefit, but in the thing itself, that God's judgments are kept, is there great reward; great because one rejoiceth therein.
13. Ver. 12. Who understandeth sins? But what sort of sweetness can there be in sins, where there is no under
s
Vir
For who can understand sins, which close the very eye, to which truth is pleasant, to which the judgments of God are desirable and sweet ? yea, as darkness closes the eye, so do sins the mind, and suffer it not to see either the light, or itself.
14. Cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret faults. From the
lusts which lie hid in me, cleanse me, O Lord.
And from the faults of others preserve Thy servant. Let me not be led astray by others. For he is not a prey to the faults of others, who is cleansed from his own. Preserve therefore from the lusts of others, not the proud man, and him who would be his own master, but, ThyI servant.
standing?
they get not the dominion over me, then shall
If neither my own secret sins, nor those of others, get the dominion over me, then shall I be undefiled. For there is no third source of sin, but one's own secret sin, by which the devil fell, and another's sin, by which manI is seduced, so as by consenting to make it his own. And
be
Ecclus. greater than apostacy from God, which is the beginning of 10,12. n,e pride of man. And he shall indeed be undefiled, who is free from this offence also ; for this is the last to them who
are returning to God, which was the first as they departed from Him.
15. Ver. 14. And the words of my mouth shall be pleasing, and the meditation of my heart is always in Thy sight. The meditation of my heart is not after the vain glory of pleasing men, for now there is pride no more, but in Thy sight alway, Who regardest a pure conscience. O Lord, my Helper, and my Redeemer. O Lord, my Helper, in my
shall be cleansed from the great offence. What but pride ? for there is none
"(Ver. 13. )
If
undefiled.
Conversion is of grace. Singing toith understanding. 129
approach to Thee ; for Thou art my Redeemer, that I might Ver. set out unto Thee : lest any attributing to his own wisdom --'-- his conversion to Thee, or to his own strength his attaining
to Thee, should be rather driven back by Thee, who resistest the proud ; for he is not cleansed from the great
offence, nor pleasing in Thy sight, Who redeemest us that we may be converted, and helpest us that we may attain unto Thee.
PSALM XIX. SECOND EXPOSITION.
xvii'i.
1. As we have intreated the Lord to cleanse us from our own secret faults, and preserve His servants from those of others, we ought to understand the meaning of this, that we may sing with man's intelligence, and not as it were with the voice of birds. For black-birds, and parrots, and ravens, and magpies, and such like birds, are often taught by men to utter they know not what. But to sing with under
standing has been granted by the divine will to human kind. And how many bad and dissipated men thus sing what is worthy of their ears and hearts, we well know and we deplore. For they are so much the worse, as they cannot be ignorant of what they sing. For they know that their songs are impure, and yet the greater the impurity
the greater their readiness to sing, for they think themselves the more joyous in proportion as they are more unclean. But we who, in the Church, have learnt to sing the oracles of God, should at the same time be instant to be that which
is written, Blessed is the people that understand the joyful ps. 8,
sound. Therefore, dearest brethren, what we have
with accordant voice, we ought also with an undisturbed
heart to know and understand. For each one of us has
in this canticle prayed unto the Lord, and said unto God, Cleanse Thou me from my secret faults, and preserve Thy ver. i^
servant from those qf others. I If they shall not get the l3'
dominion over me, then shall K
be undefiled, and
cleansed
sung15-
130 Glory offree Grace declared by the spiritual Heavens.
Now that we may well understand what this is, and the nature of let us, as the Lord shall help us, shortly run over the contents of this
Psalm.
2. For the canticle of Christ, as evidently appears
from that passage where written, He as a Bridegroom coming forth out of His chamber. For who the Bride groom, but He to whom has been betrothed by the Apostle that virgin, for whom the chaste friend of the bridegroom
Psalm from the great offence.
^p^i ---
ver. 5.
Cor. chastely fears, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
u,s.
John grace resides, of which the Apostle John saith, And ire u. beheld His glory, the glory as the only-begotten of the
Father,ful ofgrace and truth.
Ver. This glory the heavens declare. The heavens are
Saints, raised up from the earth, bearing the Lord. Although the visible heaven also, in some sort, hath declared the glory of Christ. When? When, at the same Lord's nativity, new
But,
nevertheless, these are truer and higher heavens, of which is ver. 3,4. said in the following verses of the Psalm, There is no speech,
subtilty, so this virgin's mind, the Bride of Christ, should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ In this our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, therefore, abundant and full
Kom. 23 U
Titus 5'
nor language, in which their voices are not heard. Their sound gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Whose words but the heavens'? Whose then but the Apostles' It they declare unto us
the glory of God, residing in Jesus Christ through grace for the remission of sins. For all have sinned, and want the glory of God, being justified gratuitously His Blood. Because gratuitously, therefore grace. For grace no grace be
star, which had never before been seen, appeared.
Because we had before done no good thing, whereby we might deserve such gifts, rather in that punish
ment was, not for nothing, to be inflicted, therefore was the boon for nothing accorded. Nothing had gone before in our deserts but what would entitle us to condemnation. But He, not for our righteousness, but His own mercy,
hath saved us by the later regeneration. This, say, is
God; this have the heavens declared. This, God's glory, not thine. For no good hast thou
not gratuitous.
the glory say,
I
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1.
of
it is is
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3,
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by is
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No glory due to us. All things the work of God's Hands. 131
done, and yet so great good hast thou received. If, therefore, Ver. i. thou attainest unto the glory which the heavens have de
clared, say unto the Lord thy God, My God, His mercy ps. 59, shall prevent me. For it hath prevented thee; of course it10. hath prevented thee, for that it found no good in thee.
Thou preventedst His punishment by thy pride; He pre
vented thy punishment by effacing thy sins. For as of a
sinner justified, of ungodly made godly, of one condemned received into the kingdom, say thou unto the Lord thy God,
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name ji'cePs. 115, the glory. Say we not unto us. For unto whom, if as unto
us? Say we, I repeat, not unto us; for if He were so to deal with us, He could only inflict punishment upon us. Not unto us, but unto His own Name let Him give the glory, because He hath not dealt with us according to our iniquities. Not therefore unto us, O Lord, not unto us. The repetition is confirmation ; Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the glory. This those heavens knew, which declared the glory of God.
3. And the firmament sheweth the works of His hands. What was before said, the glory of God, is here repeated, the works of His hands. What are the works of His hands? It is not, as some think, that God made all things by the Word, and man, as more excellent than all other things, He made by His Own Hands. We must not think this; this is a weak and inexact notion ; for He made all things by the
Word. For although diverse works of God are mentioned, among which He made man after His own image, yet all^oha 1, things were made by Him, and without Him was not any
thing made. But as respects the Hands of God, it is said
of the heavens too, And the heavens are the works ofThuP*. 102,
? 25 Hands. And that you might not suppose that saints arc in
that place called heavens, he added, They shall perish, but Thou abidest. Therefore not man only, but the heavens also, that shall perish, did God make with His Hands, to Whom
it is said, The heavens are the works of Thy Hands. And of
the earth is this self-same said, For the sea is His and He Ps. 95,5. made it, and His Hands laid the foundations of the dry land. Therefore, if He made the heavens with His Hands, and
the earth with His Hands, He made not man alone with
k2
132 Figures in speaking ofGod. Mart's unworthiness ; His Glory.
Psalm His hands ; and if by the Word He made the heavens, and
Exp. ii. hy the Word the earth, therefore by the Word man too.
What by the Word that by the hand, what by the hand that
by the Word. For the stature of God is not marked out by
human members, Who is wholly every where, and is no
where contained. What therefore He made by the Word,
He made by the Wisdom, and what He made by the Hand
l Cor. I, he did by the Power; now Christ is the Power of God, and
John l H'c Wisdom of God, and all things were made by Him, and
3.
without Him was not any thing made. The heavens have declared, do declare, will declare, the glory of God. The heavens, I say, that is, the Saints will declare the glory of God ; raised aloft from earth, bearing God, thundering with precepts, lightening with Wisdom, will declare that glory of God, as I said, whereby we that are saved are unworthy of it. This unworthiness, that is, wherein we were unworthy, the younger son acknowledges when straitened by want; this unworthiness, I say, the younger son acknow ledges, far from his father's home, a worshipper of demons, as it were a feeder of swine ; he acknowledges the glory of God, but when straitened by want. And since by that glory of God we have been made what we were not worthy of, he
Lukei5, says to his father, / am not worthy to be called thy son.
3.
4. Ver. 2. Day unto day uttereth a word, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. What is this? Perhaps it is plain
'
Unhappy, he obtains happiness by his lowliness, and shews himself worthy in the confession of his unworthiness. This glory of God the heavens declare, and the firmament sheweth the works of His hands. The heavens, the firmament, are a firm heart, a fearless heart. For these things are shewn among the ungodly, among the enemies of God, among the lovers of the world, and the persecutors of the righteous; iu the midst of a violent world are these things shewn. But what could the violence of the world effect, when the firma ment shewed these things? Thefirmament sheweth; what? the works of His hands. What are the works of His hands?
Eph. 2, That glory of God, whereby we are saved, whereby we are created in good works. For we are His work, created in Christ Jesus in good works. For He not only made us men,
Ps. 100, but righteous men too, if so we be, and not we ourselves.
Many senses in Holy Writ.
How ' night declareth to night. '' 1 33
and evident what day unto day uttereth a word evident Ver.
2. 3'
and plain as by day. But what night unto night sheircth knowledge is, obscure as by night. Day unto day, saints unto saints, Apostles unto believers, Christ Himself unto Apostles, to whom He said, Ye are the light of the Matt. world. This seems plain, and easy of apprehension. But
how doth night unto night shew knowledge Some have understood these words simply, and perhaps may be so, considering the meaning of this sentence to be, that what the Apostles heard in our Lord Jesus Christ's time, during His converse on earth, this has been passed on to posterity as from time to time; day unto day, night unto night, the former day unto the latter day, the former night unto the latter night, for that this doctrine preached day and
night. Let this simple interpretation suffice him whom will suffice. But some words in Scripture have from their obscurity this advantage, that ihey give birth to many inter pretations. Accordingly had this been plain, you would have heard some one thing, but as obscurely spoken, you will hear many. There too another interpretation, day unto day, night unto night, that is, spirit unto spirit, flesh unto
flesh. There another, day unto day, spiritual unto spiri tual, night unto night, carnal unto carnal. For both hear, though both do not equally understand. For the one hear
as word uttered, the other as knowledge declared. For what uttered uttered to those present, but what declared declared to those that are far removed. MoreOxf. senses of the word heavens may be discovered, but because
.
if by conjecture, opened. When, they say, the Lord Christ |je? f' talked with the Apostles, day unto day uttered word when Judas betrayed the Lord Christ to the Jews, night unto night declared knowledge.
5. Ver. 3. There is no speech nor language in which
their voices are not heard. Whose, but of those heavens which declare the glory of God There no speech, nor language, in which their voices are not heard. Read the
Acts of the Apostles, how, when the Holy Ghost came uponAots2, them, they were all filled with Him, and spake in the tongues
of the stress of the present time, limit must be imposed, senses
-.
Yet let us mention one more meaning, which certain have, as found
. . . .
^re
. . maybe
is
a ;
it ?
,
is
is a
it ? is
if
a
i
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it
it
is is
if is
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5,
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134 The Church visible every where. Heretics called to her.
Psalm of all nations, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Lo, there Elcp. ii. JS no speech nor language, in which their voices are not heard. But not there only, where they were filled, was the
sound. (Ver. 4. ) Their sound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. And therefore are we even speaking here. For that sound hath come even unto us, the sound which went forth into all the earth, and the heretic cometh not into the Church ! For this cause hath the sound gone forth into all the earth, that thou mayest enter into heaven. O man full of mischief and strife, most evil and still liking to err, O haughty son, hear thy Father's will. Lo, what can be more plain, what more evident? Their sound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Needs it any interpreter ? Why strivest thou against thyself? Wouldest thou hold a part in dissent, who canst hold the whole in concord ?
6. In the sun hath He set His tabernacle. His Church, that is, in open sight, not in secret, not that it should lie hid, Cant, l, not veiled as it were; lest haply as veiled it should light l'xx. upon the flocks of the heretics. It is said again to one in i2Sa12" holy Scripture, For thou didst this secretly, thou shall suffer
in the sun, that thou didst the evil in secret, thou shalt sufler the punishment in the open sight of all men. In the sun therefore hath He set His tabernacle. Why, heretic, fliest into darkness Art thou Christian Hear Christ. Art thou servant? Hear thy Lord. Art thou a son Hear thy Father; amend thyself, return to life again. Let us say
Lukel5, of thee too, He was dead, and is alive again he was lost, and found. Say not to me, Why dost thou seek me,
am lost? For therefore do seek thee, because thou art lost. Do not seek me, says he. This indeed the wish of ungodliness, whereby we are divided but not of charity,
impro- whereby we are brethren. should not be extravagant1, if were to seek my servant and am called extravagant, because seek my brother Be this his conceit, in whom
brotherly love exists not yet will seek my brother. Let him be even angry, so he be still sought, who appeased when he found. will seek, say, my brother, and appeal to my Lord, not against him, but for him. Nor in my appeal
Lukei2,will say, Lord, speak to my brother, that he divide the
I
is, ?
;
?
I I
I is
is
1
II
I
isI a
;
I
I
;
a
is
if
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Course of Christ on earth. The Holy Ghost, and His Gifts. 135 inheritance with me; but, speak to my brother, that he hold Ver.
the inheritance with me.
Whyflybythe corners?
His tabernacle in the sun.
coming forth out of His chamber, I suppose that thou mayest recognise Him. As a bridegroom coming forth out of His chamber, He rejoiced as a giant to run His course; He hath set His tabernacle in the sun ; that is, as a bridegroom when the Word was made flesh, He found a bridal chamber in the Virgin's womb ; and thence coming out as from a closet of surpassing purity, joined to the nature of man, humble in His mercy below all, strong in His majesty above all. For this He rejoiced as a giant to run His course, He was born, grew up, taught, suffered, rose again, ascended He ran His course, He halted not therein. The self-same bridegroom then Who did all this, He set in the sun, that is, in the open sight of all men, His tabernacle, that is, His holy Church.
7. Now wouldest thou hear what course He swiftly ran (Ver. 6. ) His going forth is from the highest heaven, and His meeting even to the height thereof. But after that
~ ' ,
Why then errest thou, brother ? Whytrytoliehid? Hehasset (Ver. 5. ) And as a bridegroom
He went forth thence, and returned on His backward course, He sent His Spirit. There appeared to them, upon Acts2,3. whom He came, cloven tongues as offire. As fire the Holy
Ghost came, to burn the hay of flesh, to smelt and refine
the gold as fire He came, and therefore follows, and
there is none that can hidefrom the heat thereof.
8. Ver. 7. The law of the Lord is undefiled, converting souls. This the Holy Ghost. The testimony of the Lord is sure, giving wisdom to babes, not to the proud. This the Holy Ghost.
9. Ver. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right, not terri fying, but rejoicing the heart. This the Holy Ghost. The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the
eyes not dulling them, the eyes, not of the flesh, but of the heart, not of the outer, but of the inner man. This the
Holy Ghost. Lord; 10. Ver. 9. The fear of the
not slavish fear, but chaste, loving freely, not fearing to be punished by Him at Whom alarmed, but to be separated from Him
it is
a
is
;
is
; is
;
it
is ?
is,
XIX Exp. il. caste*h
Uohn4,that
18'
Luke23,
because of unity.
11. Ver. 10. To be desired more than gold, and much
precious stone. Either much gold, or much precious, or much to be desired; much any way, with the heretic little. They do not love together with us, yet with us they confess Christ. This same Christ Whom with me thou dost confess, Him love with me. And he, who willeth not together, refuses, resists, rejects, with him there not this desirable ness more than gold, and much precious stone. Listen again, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb. But this all against the wanderer; honey bitter to one in
fever but notwithstanding sweet and acceptable to one restored to health, for to sound health dear. To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb.
12. Ver. 11. For Thy servant also keepeth them. How sweet they are Thy servant proves by keeping them, not by talking. Thy servant keepeth them, for that they are both at present sweet, and healthful for time to come for in keeping them there is great reward. But enamoured of
his strife, the heretic neither sees this briiliaucy, nor tastes the sweetness.
13. Ver. 12. For, Who nn deist an det sins? Fat her, fornive
130 God's judgments not duly loved by those out of Unity.
oul, Dut enduring ever. This is the Holy Ghost, for
Psalm Whom it loves. This is chaste fear, not which perfect love
this fear the Holy Ghost giveth, bringeth, im- The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together, not for the contentions of division, but for the
gathering together of unity. For this together. This the Holy Ghost. Therefore He made them, upon whom He first descended, speak in the tongues of all nations, because He announced that He would gather together the
tongues of all nations into unity. What one man did then on receiving the Holy Ghost, that one should speak in the tongues of all nations, this unity itself now doth, she speaketh in all tongues. And now One Man speaketh in all nations in all tongues, One Man the Head and the Body, One Man Christ and the Church, perfect Man together, the bridegroom
phmteth.
Mat. 19, and the bride. But they two, saith He, shall be one flesh. The judgments of the Lord are true justified together,
h
;
it is
is is
is,
a
is
is
;
is,
Prayer to be cleansed from secret sin, kept from temptation. 137
them,for they know not what they do. Therefore, saith he, Ver. he is a servant1 who keepeth this sweetness, the pleasantness ,--^i- of charity, the love of unity. I, he says, myself who keep Mss. entreat Thee, (for who understandeth sins? ) lest some steal lThere"
over me, man as am, and by some, as man, be first saith entangled. Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins. This^j<<,6'" then we have sung see, to this have come in my dis course. Let us say, and sing with understanding, aud pray
in our song, and by our prayer obtain our petition, let us say, Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins. For, Who understandeth sins If darkness seen, sins are under stood. In fact, when we repent of sin, we are in the light. For whilst one entangled in his sin, with eyes as were darkened and closed, he sees not the sin for so, the eye of thy body be covered, thou canst neither see aught else, nor that by which covered. Therefore say we to God, Who can see what He will purify, who can have an eye on what He will heal say we to Him, Cleanse me, Lord,from my
secret sins, (ver. 13. ) and preserve Thy servant from those of others. My own sins, he says, pollute me, the sins of others afflict me from the one cleanse me, from the other pre serve me. Take away from my heart, pray, the evil thought, keep back from me the evil counsellor, this is, Cleanse me from my secret sins, and preserve Thy servant
from those of others. For these two kinds of faults, both
our own and those of others, appeared even from the very first in the beginning. The devil fell by his own sin, he degraded Adam by another's sin. This same servant of God <? en. who keepeth the judgments of God in which there great
reward, in another Psalm too prays thus, Let not the foot of? *. 36, pride come unto me, and let not the hand of the wicked
move me. Let not the foot of pride come unto me, that is,
Cleanse me, Lord,from my secret sins and let not the hand of the wicked move me, that is, Preserve Thy servant
from the sins others.
14. Ifthey get not the dominion over me, then shall be
If they get not the dominion over me, mine own
secret sins and the sins of others, then shall be undefiled ^s0xf" This no daring reliance on his own strength, but he entreats the Lord to fulfil to Whom said in another
undefiled.
it
it is
;; IIO
is
of
O
;
;
I ;O
I s.
is
,
if
it
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3,
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is
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138 Danger our own making. Pride the ' great offence?
Psalm Psalm, Order my ways according to Thy word, and let no
ExJ/ii iniquity have dominion over me. If thou art a Christian,
Ps. 119, fear not the dominion of any man without; the Lord thy
133,
God fear alway. Fear the evil in thyself, that is, thy lust,
not what God made in thee, but what thou hast made for
Eccles. thine own self. The Lord made thee a good servant, thou 7 29. .
hast created in thine own heart an evil lord for thine own self. Justly wilt thou be subject to iniquity, justly wilt thou be subject to the lord, whom thou hast made for thine own self; since thou wouldest not be subject to Him Who made thee.
15. But if, he says, they get not the dominion over me,
then shall I
offence.
be undefiled, and cleansed the great from
What offence, do we suppose ? What is that great
offence ? Perchance it is other than that I am about to
mention, yet 1 will not conceal what I think. I deem the
1I'
Oxf.
