God, Who
searcheth
the hearts and reins, directeth the righteous ; but with righteous help maketh He whole the upright in heart.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
et
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. There fore when the Psalmist said in the plural number, Save me
from all them that persecute me: he afterwards introduced the singular, saying, lest at any time he tear my soul as a lion. For he does not say, lest at any time they tear : he knew what enemy and violent adversary of the perfect soul remained. Whilst there be none to redeem, nor to save: that lest he tear me, whilst Thou redeemest not, nor savest. For, God redeem not, nor save, he tears.
3. And that might be clear that the already perfect soul, which to be on her guard against the most insidious snares of the devil only, says this, see what follows, (ver. 3. ) O Lord my God, have done this. What that he calls this Since he does not mention the sin by name, are we to under stand sin generally? If this sense displease us, we may take that to be meant which follows as we had asked, what this that you say, this? He answers, Ifthere be iniquity in my hands. Now then is clear that said of all sin,
If
Matt. Lord says, Be ye perfect, as your Father Which is in heaven
43. 45.
jyfro maIceth His sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and raineth on the just and the unjust. He then who repayeth not them that recompense evil, perfect. When therefore the perfect soul prays for the words Chusi, the son ofJemini, that for the knowledge of that secret and silence, which the Lord, favourable to us and merciful, wrought for our salvation, so as to endure, and with all patience bear, the guiles of this betrayer: as He should say to this perfect soul, explaining the design of this secret, For thee ungodly and sinner, that thine iniquities might be washed away by My blood-shedding, in great silence and great
have repaid them that me evil. recompense
(ver. 4. )
Which none can say with truth, but the perfect. For so the
bore with My betrayer wilt not thou imitate me, that thou too mayest not repay evil for evil? Consider
patience
ing" then, and understanding what the Lord has done for
I
a
is
;
if
if
it
I is,
I
it if
is of
it is
5,
it
; is?
:
is, if
is
Prophetic imprecation on such as return evil. 47
him, and by His example going on to perfection, theVBB. 5. Psalmist says, If I have repaid them that recompense me
evil : that is, if I have not done what Thou hast taught me
by Thy example : may I therefore fall by mine enemies
empty. And he says well, not, If I have repaid them that do me evil ; but, who recompense. For whoso recompenseth, had received somewhat already. Now it is an instance of greater patience, not even to repay him evil, who after receiving benefits returns evil for good, than if without receiving any previous benefit he had had a mind to injure.
/
evil: that is, If I have not imitated Thee in that silence,
If therefore he says,
have repaid them that recompense me
that is, in Thy patience, which Thou hast wrought for me,
I
boaster, who, being himself a man, desires to avenge himself on a man ; and whilst he openly seeks to overcome a man, is secretly himself overcome by the devil, rendered empty by vain and proud joy, because he could not, as it were, be
fall
conquered.
by mine enemies empty. For he is an empty
may
evil, may
therefore fall
ty.
The Psalmist knows then where a greater
victory may be obtained, and where the Father which Matt. 6,
seeth in secret will reward. Lest then he repay them that '
recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another
man, being instructed too by those writings, wherein it is
written, better is heIthat overcometh his anger, than he that Pro'. l6,
If
taketh a ciI
have repaid them that recompense me
by my enemies empty. He seems to swear by way of execration, which is the heaviest kind of oath, as when one says, If I have done so and so, may I
suffer so and so. But swearing in a swearer's mouth is one thing, in a prophet's meaning another. For here he men tions what will really befal men, who repay them that recompense evil; not what, as by an oath, he would imprecate on himself or any other.
4. Ver. 5. Let the enemy therefore persecute my soul and take it. By again naming the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out him, whom he spoke of above as a lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has deceived will take it. For the limit of men's rage the destruction of the body but the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas whatever souls
;
it,
is
48 Emptiness and sad end ofglorying in man's praise.
Psalm the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. '--And let him tread my life upon the earth: that is, by
treading let him make my life earth, that is to say, his food.
For he is not only called a lion, but a serpent too, to whom Gen. 3, it was said, Earth shall thou eat. And to the sinner
"
Apostle, let him glory in the Lord. This solidity is brought down to the dust, ifone through pride despising the secresy of conscience, where God only proves a man, desires to glory before men. Hence comes what the Psalmist elsewhere
was it said, Earth thou art, and into earth shall thou go.
lb. 19.
And let him bring down my glory to the dust. This is
Ps. l,4. that dust, which the wind casteth forth from the face of the earth, to wit, vain and silly boasting of the proud, puffed up, not of solid weight, as a cloud of dust carried away by the wind. Justly then has he here spoken of the glory, which he would not have brought down to dust. For he would have it solidly established in conscience before God,
1 Cor. 1, where there is no boasting. He that glorieth, saith the
Ps. 53,5. says, God shall bruise the bones of them that please men. Now he that has well learnt or experienced the steps in overcoming vices, knows that this vice of empty glory is either alone, or more than all, to be shunned by the perfect. For that by which the soul first fell, she overcomes the last.
^ccl"s. For the beginning of all sin is pride: and again, the begin-
12. '
Acts 7,
ning of man's pride is to depart from God.
5. Ver. 6. Arise, O Lord, in Tliine anger. Why yet does
he, who we say is perfect, incite God to anger? Must we not see, whether he rather be not perfect, who, when he was being stoned, said, O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge? Or does the Psalmist pray thus not against men, but against the devil and his angels, whose possession sinners and the ungodly are ? He then does not pray against him in wrath, but in mercy, whosoever prays that that possession may be
Rom. 4, taken from him by that Lord Who justifieth the ungodly. For when the ungodly is justified, from ungodly he is made
just, and from being the possession of the devil he passes into the temple of God. And since it is a punishment, that a possession, in which one longs to have rule, should be taken away from him : this punishment, that he should cease to possess those whom he now possesses, the Psalmist calls the
Christ exalted ; the People gathered round Him. 49
anger of God against the devil. Arise, O Lord, in Thine Vrr. anger. Arise, (he has used it as "appear,") in words, tW 10.
human and obscure; as though God sleeps, when He unrecognised and hidden in His secret workings. Be exalted in the borders of mine enemies. He means by borders the possession itself, in which he wishes that God should be exalted, that be honoured and glorified, rather than the devil, while the ungodly are justified and praise
God. And arise, Lord my God, in the commandment
that Thou hast given: that is, since Thou hast enjoined humility, appear in humility and first fulfil what Thou hast enjoined; that men by Thy example overcoming pride may
not be possessed of the devil, who against Thy command
ments advised to pride, saying, Eat, and your eyes shall be Gen. 3,5. opened, and ye shall be as Gods.
6. And the congregation of the people shall surround Tliee. This may be understood two ways. For the congre gation of the people can be taken, either of them that believe,
or of them that persecute, both of which took place in the same humiliation of our Lord in contempt of which the multitude of them that persecute surrounded Him con cerning which said, Why have the heathen raged,Ps. and the people meditated vain things But of them
that believe through His humiliation the multitude so sur rounded Him, that could be said with the greatest truth, blindness in part happened unto Israel, that the fulness Rom.
of the Gentiles might come in: and again, Ask of me, and /", trill give Thee the Gentiles for Thine inheritance, and the boundaries the earth for Thy possession. And for their sakes return Thou on high that is, for the sake of this con gregation return Thou on high which He understood to have done by His resurrection and ascension into heaven. For being thus glorified He gave the Holy Ghost, Which
2*?
before His exaltation could not be given, as written in
the Gospel,/or the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because j0hD that Jesus was not yet glorified. Having then returned on 39- high for the sake of the congregation of the people, He sent
the Holy Ghost: by Whom the preachers of the Gospel being filled, filled the whole world with Churches.
7. can be taken also in this sense Arise, Lord, in
E
;
It
:
O
7,
2, i.
is is
?
it
: :
is,
of
is it
it
is O
;
:
is is,
50 Hiding of Christ from sinners, even in His own Church,
Psalm Thine anger, and be exalted in the borders of mine enemies: - that is, arise in Thine anger, and let not mine enemies understand Thee; so that to be exalted, should be this, become high*, that Thou mayest not be understood;
which has reference to the silence spoken of above. For it Ps. 18, is of this exaltation thus said in another Psalm, And He ascended upon Cherubim, and flew: and, He made darkness
His secret place. In which exaltation, or concealment, when for their sins' desert they shall not understand Thee, who shall crucify Thee, the congregation of believers shall surround Thee. For in His very humiliation He was exalted, that was not understood. So that, And arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that Thou hast given:
may have reference to this, that is, when Thou shewest Thyself, be high or deep that mine enemies may not understand Thee. Now sinners are the enemies of the
just man, and the ungodly of the godly man. And the con gregation of the people shall surround Thce: that is, by this very circumstance, that those who crucify Thee under stand Thee not, the Gentiles shall believe on Thee, and so shall the congregation of the people surround Thee. But what follows, this be the true meaning, has in more pain, that begins already to be perceived, than joy that is understood. For follows, and for their sokes return Thou on high, that is, and for the sake of this congregation of the human race, wherewith the Churches are crowded, return Thou on high, that is, again cease to be understood.
What then is, and for their sakes, but that this congregation too will offend Thee, so that Thou mayest most truly foretel
Lukei8,and say, Thinkest Thou when the Son of Man shall come,
8. He trillfindfaith on the earth Again, ofthe false prophets, Mat. 24, who are understood to be heretics, He says, Because of
their iniquity the love many shall wax cold. Since then
even in the Churches, that is, in that
peoples and nations, where the Christian name has most widely spread, there shall be so great abundance of sinners, which already, in great measure, perceived; not that famine of the word here predicted, which has been threat-
Amos
served in translation.
altus. Its twofold meaning of high and deep not capable of being pre
congregation of
is
8, ?
is
it
is
it it
of
?
if it
is,
Our Lord's coming to Judgment longedfor by the upright. 51
ened by another prophet also ? Is it not too for this congre- Vb>>. gation's sake, who, by theirsins,are estranging from themselves 10' - the light of truth, that God returns on high, that so that
faith, pure and cleansed from the corruption of all perverse opinions, held and received, either not at all, or by the
very few of whom was said, Blessed is he that shall Mark endure to the end, the same shall be saved? Not without cause then said, and for the sake this congregation return Thou on high: that is, again withdraw into the depth
of Thy secrecy, even for the sake of this congregation of the peoples, that hath Thy name, and doeth not Thy deeds.
8. But whether the former exposition of this place, or this last be the more suitable, without prejudice to any one better, or equal, or as good, follows very consistently, the
Lord judgeth the people. For whether He returned on
high, when, after the resurrection, He ascended into heaven,
well does follow, The Lord judgeth the people: for that
He will come from thence to judge the quick and the dead.
Or whether He return on high, when the understanding of
the truth leaves sinful Christians, for that of His coming
has been said, Thinkestthou the Son of Man on His coming Lukels, will find faith on the earth The Lord then judgeth the 8.
people. What Lord, but Jesus Christ? For the Father John judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son. Wherefore this soul which prayeth perfectly,
see how she fears not the day of judgment, and with a truly secure longing says in her prayer, Thy kingdom come: judge
me, she says, Lord, according to my righteousness. In
the former Psalm weak one was entreating, imploring rather the mercy of God, than mentioning any desert of his
own since the Son of God came to call sinners to repent- Matt. ance. Therefore he had there said, Save me, O Lord, for p^
But*,
have repaid them that recompense me evil. e2
Thy mercy's sake; that not for my desert's sake.
now, since being called he hath held and kept the command ments which he received, he bold to say, Judge me, Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, that upon me. This true harmlessness, which harms not even an enemy. Accordingly, well does he require to be judged according to his harmlessness, who could
say with truth, If
I
O is a
it
it
is
of
is, is
?
it
:
O it
6
9, 5,
it
is is
'
is,
52 Man's righteousness is by grace. Wickedness consummated.
Psai. m As for what he added, that is upon me, it can refer not only , to harmlessness, but can be understood also with reference to righteousness ; that the sense should be this, Judge me,
0 Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, which righteousness and harmlessness is upon me. By which addition he shews that this very thing, that the soul is righteous and harmless, she has not by herself, but by God Who giveth brightness and light. For of this
Ps. 18, he says in another Psalm, Thou, O Lord, wilt light my
John l 8-
35.
'
candle. And of John it is said, that he was not the light, but bore witness of the light. He was a burning and shining candle. That light then, whence souls, as candles, are kindled, shines forth not with borrowed, but with original, brightness, which light is truth itself. It is then so said, According to my righteousness, and according to my harm lessness, that is upon me, as if a burning and shining candle should say, Judge me acccording to the flame which is upon
1 al. that me, that is, not that wherewith ' I am myself, but that whereby 1 shine enkindled of thee.
9. Ver. 9. But let the wickedness of sinners be con summated. He says, be consummated, be completed, ac- Rev. 22, cording to that in the Apocalypse, Let the righteous become
more righteous, and let the filthy be filthy still. For the wickedness of those men appears consummate, who crucified the Son of God ; but greater is theirs who will not live uprightly, and hate the precepts of truth, for whom the Son of God was crucified. Let the wickedness of sinners, then he says, be consummated, that is, arrive at the height of wickedness, that just judgment may be able to come at once. But since it is not only said, Let the filthy be filthy still ; but it is said also, Let the righteous become more righteous ; he joins on the words, And Thou shalt direct the righteous, 0 God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins. How then can the righteous be directed but in secret? when even by means of those things which, in the commencement of the Christian ages, when as yet the saints were oppressed by the persecu tion of the men of this world, appeared marvellous to men, now that the Christian name has begun to be in such high dignity, hypocrisy, that is pretence, has increased ; of those, 1 mean, who by the Christian profession had rather please
God, searching hearts and reins, guides His oum. His healing. 53
men than God. How then is the righteous man directed in Ver. so great confusion of pretence, save whilst God searcheth the ------ hearts and reins ; seeing all men's thoughts, which are meant
by the word heart ; and their delights, which are understood
by the word reins ? For the delight in things temporal and earthly is rightly ascribed to the reins ; for that it is both the lower part of man, and that region where the pleasure of carnal generation dwells, through which man's nature is transferred into this life of care, and deceiving joy, by the succession of the race. God then, searching our heart, and perceiving that it is there where our treasure is, that is, in heaven ; searching also the reins, and perceiving that we do not assent to flesh and blood, but delight ourselves in the Lord, directs the righteous man in his inward conscience before Him, where no man seeth, but He alone Who per- ceiveth what each man thinketh, and what delighteth each. For delight is the end of care ; because to this end does each man strive by care and thought, that he may attain to his delight. He therefore seeth our cares, Who searcheth the
heart. He seeth too the ends of cares, that is delights, Who narrowly searcheth the reins ; that when He shall find that
our cares incline neither to the lust of the flesh, nor to the l John
O Id lust of the eyes, nor to the pride of life, all which pass away '
as a shadow, but that they are raised upward to the joys of things eternal, which are spoilt by no change, He may direct
the righteous, even He, the God Who searcheth the hearts and reins. For our works, which we do in deeds and words, may be known unto men ; but with what mind they are done, and to what end we would attain by means of them, He alone knoweth, the God Who searcheth the hearts and reins.
10. Ver. 10. My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. The offices of medicine are twofold, one the curing infirmity, the other the preserving health. According to the first it was saidIin the preceding
Psalm, Have mercy on me, O Lord, for
am weak} ac-Ps. 6,2.
I is said in this Psalm, If there be cording to the second it
in my hands, iniquity I if
have repaid them that recompense
therefore ' fall
i
by my enemies empty. For al. de-
me evil, may
there the weak prays that he may be delivered, here one terv^dly already whole that he may not change for the worse. Ac-
54 Preserving mercy for the Righteous. Uprightness in heart.
Psalm cording to the one it is there said, Make me whole for Thy
JJIl mercy's
sake ; according to this other it is here said, Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness. For there he asks for a remedy to escape from disease ; but here for pro tection from falling into disease. According to the former it is said, Make me whole, O Lord, according to Thy mercy : according to the latter it is said, My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. Both the one and the other maketh men whole ; but the former removes them from sickness into health, the latter preserves them in this health. Therefore there the help is merciful, because the sinner hath no desert, who as yet longeth to be
Rom. 4, justified, believing on Him Who justifieth the ungodly ; but here the help is righteous, because it is given to one already righteous. Let the sinner then who said, / am weak, say in the first place, Make me whole, O Lord, for thy mIercy's sake ; and here let the righteous man, who said, If have repaid them that recompense me evil, say, My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. For if he sets forth the medicine, by which we may be healed when weak, how much more that, by which we may be kept
Rom. 5, in health. For if while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, how much more being now justified shall we be kept whole from wrath through Him.
11. My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart.
God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins, directeth the righteous ; but with righteous help maketh He whole the upright in heart. He doth not as He searcheth the hearts and reins, so make whole the upright in heart and reins ; for the thoughts are both bad in a depraved heart, and good in an upright heart ; but delights which are not good belong to the reins, for they are more low and earthly ; but those that are good not to the reins, but to the heart itself. Wherefore men cannot be so called upright in reins, as they are called upright in heart, since where the thought is, there at once the delight is too ; which cannot be, unless when things divine and eternal are
Ps. 4. 7, thought of. Thou hast given, he says, joy in my heart,
*?
when he had said, The light of Thy countenance has been stamped on us, O Lord. For although the phantoms of
Holy delight in overcoming carnal suggestions. God's patience. 55
things temporal, which the mind falsely pictures to itself, Ver. when tossed by vain and mortal hope, to vain imaginations -- oftentimes bring a delirious and maddened joy ; yet this delight must be attributed not to the heart, but to the reins ;
for all these imaginations have been drawn from lower, that
is, earthly and carnal things. Hence it comes, that God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins, and perceiveth in the heart upright thoughts, in the reins no delights, affordeth righteous help to the upright in heart, where ' heavenly 1 ra- delights are coupled with clean thoughts. And therefore when in another Psalm he had said, Moreover even to-night
my reIins have chided me ; he went on to say as touching
thIe Lord alway in my sight, He is on my p>>. foresaw for 16,
help,
right hand, that
he suffered suggestions only from the reins, not delights as well ; for had he suffered these, then he would of course beI moved. But he said, The Lord is on my right hand, that should not be moved; and then he adds, Wherefore was my heart delighted; that the reins should have been able to
7" 8.
should not be moved. Where he shews that
chide, not delight him. The delight accordingly was pro duced not in the reins, but there, where against the chiding of the reins God was foreseen to be on the right hand, that is, in the heart.
12. Ver. 11. God the righteous judge, strong* (in endurance) *foTt\a and long-suffering. What God is judge, but the Lord, Who judgeth the people ? He is righteous ; Who shall render foMat. 16, every man according to his works. He is strong; (in en
Who, being most powerful, for our salvation bore even with ungodly persecutors. He is long-suffering; Who did not immediately, after His resurrection, hurry away to
durance)
Him, but bore with them, that they might at length turn from that ungodliness to salvation : and still He beareth with them, reserving the
last penalty for the last judgment, and up to this present
punishment, even those that persecuted
Not bringing in anger every day. Perhaps bringing in anger is a more significant expression than, being angry ; (and so we find it in the
Greek3 copies;) that the anger, whereby He punishcth,^^^. should not be in Him but in the minds of those ministers ? *','"' who obey the commandments of truth ; through whom orders LXX.
time inviting sinners to repentance.
56 Christ the Sword of God, Apostles arrows from His bow.
Psalm are given even to the lower ministries, who are called angels 1. of wrath, to punish sin : whom even now the punishment of men delights not for justice sake, in which they have
no pleasure, but for malice sake. God then doth not bring in anger every day, that is, He doth not collect His ministers for vengeance every day. For now the patience of God inviteth to repentance : but in the last time, when men
Rom. 2, through their hardness and impenitent heart shall have trea-
5'
sured up for themselves anger in the day of anger, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, then He will brandish His sword.
13. Vcr. 12. Unless ye be converted, He says, He will brandish His sword. The Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His spear, which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hideth as it were in the sheath of humiliation : but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge the quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on His righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other
copies, instead of, He shall brandish His sword, it has been written, He shall make bright His spear : by which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately signified : seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has, Deliver, 0 Lord, my soul from the un- godly, Thy spear from the enemies of Thine hand. He hath bent His bow, and made it ready. The tenses of the words must not be altogether overlooked, how he has spoken
of the sword in the future, He will brandish ; of the bow in the past, He hath bent : and these words of the past tense follow after.
14. Ver. 13. And in it He hath prepared the instruments of death : He hath wrought His arrows for the burning. That bow then I would readily take to be the Holy Scrip ture, in which by the strength of the New Testament, as by a sort of string, the hardness of the Old has been bent and subdued. From thence the Apostles are sent forth like arrows, or divine preachings are shot. Which arrows He has wrought for the burning, arrows, that is, whereby being stricken they might be inflamed with heavenly love. J For by
Ps. 17, 13,
Sol. Song what other arrows was she stricken, who saith, Bring me into 2,4. 5.
Love to Him kindled thereby. Heretics ' instruments ofdeath. "1 57
the house of wine, place me among perfumes, crowd me Ver.
crafty tongues, and to whom it is said, What shall be givenPs. 120, thee, or what added to thee against the crafty tongue r Sharp 3" ' arrows of the mighty, with devastating coals : that is, coals, whereby, when thou art stricken and set on fire, thou mayest
burn with so great love of the kingdom of heaven, as to despise the tongues of all that resist thee, and would recall
thee from thy purpose, and to deride their persecutions, saying, Who shall separate me from the love of Christ ? Rom. 8, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or 39' nakedness, or peril, or sword ? For I am persuaded, he says,
that neither death, nor life, nor angel, nor principality, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor other creature, shall be able to separate me
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus for the burning hath He wrought His arrows. For in the Greek copies it is found thus, He hath wrought His arrows for the burning. But most of the Latin copies have burning arrows. But whether the arrows themselves burn, or make others burn, which of course they cannot do unless they burn themselves, the sense is complete.
15. But since he has said that the Lord has prepared not arrows only, but instruments of death too, in the bow, it may be asked, what are " instruments of death ? " Are they, per- adventure, heretics ? For they too, out of the same bow, that is, out of the same Scriptures, light upon souls not to be inflamed with love, but destroyed with poison : which does not happen but after their deserts: wherefore even this dispensation is to be assigned to the Divine Providence, not that it makes men sinners, but that it orders them after they have sinned. For through sin reaching them with an ill pur pose, they are forced to understand them ill, that this
should be itself the punishment of sin : by whose death, nevertheless, the sons of the Catholic Church are, as it were
by certain thorns, so to say, aroused from slumber, and make progress toward the understanding of the holy Scriptures.
For there must be also heresies, that they which are up- 1 Cor.
among honey, for I
have been wounded with love? By what
-- other arrows is he kindled, who, desirous of returning to God,
and coming back from wandering, asketh for help against
58 Arrows of life and death. Earthly toil conceived bears sin.
Psalm proved, he says, may be made manifest among you : that is, -- among men, seeing they are manifest to God. Or has He haply ordained the same arrows to be at once instruments of death for the destruction of unbelievers, and wrought them burning, or for the burning, for the exercising of the faithful ?
2 Cor.
por t)iat is not false that the Apostle says, To the one we are the savour of life unto life, to the other the savour of death unto death; and who is sufficientfor these things? It is no wonder then if the same Apostles be both instruments of death in those,^from whom they suffered persecution, and fiery arrows to inflame the hearts of believers.
16. Now after this dispensation righteous judgment will come : of which the Psalmist so speaks, as that we may understand that each man's punishment is wrought out of his own sin, and his iniquity turned into vengeance : that we may not suppose that that tranquillity and ineffable light of God brings forth from Itself the means of punishing sin ; but that it so ordereth sins, that what have been delights to man in sinning, should be instruments to the Lord avenging. Behold, he says, he hath travailed with injustice. Now what had he conceived, that he should travail with injustice ? He hath conceived, he says, toil. Hence then comes that,
Gen. 3, In toil shalt thou eat thy bread. Hence too that, Come Mat. ii unto Me all ye that toil and are heavy laden ; for My yoke
is easy, and My burden light. For toil will never cease, except one love that which cannot be taken away against his will. For when those things are loved which we can lose against our will, we must needs toil for them most miserably ; and to obtain them, amid the straightnesses of earthly cares, whilst each desires to snatch them for himself, and to be beforehand with another, or to wrest it from him, must scheme injustice. Duly then, and quite in order, hath he travailed with injustice, who hath conceived toil. Now he bringeth forth what, save that with which he hath travailed, although he has not travailed with that which he conceived ? For that is not born, which is not conceived; but seed is conceived, that which is formed from the seed is born. Toil is then the seed of iniquity, but sin the conception of
Ecclus. toil, that is, that first sin, to depart from God. He then hath
" travailed with injustice, who hath conceived toil. And he
28. 30.
'
The wicked caught in, and enslaved by his own sin. 59
hath brought forth iniquity. Iniquity is the same as injustice : Ve r. he hath brought forth then that, with which he travailed. l5~17. '. What follows next ?
17. Ver. 15. He hath opened a ditch, and digged it. To open a ditch, is, in earthly matters, that is, as it were in the earth, to prepare deceit, that another fall therein, whom the
man wishes to deceive. Now this ditch is opened, when consent is given to the evil suggestion of earthly lusts : but it is digged, when after consent we press
on to actual work of deceit. But how can it be, that iniquity should rather hurt the righteous man against whom it pro
ceeds, than the unrighteous heart whence it proceeds ? Accordingly, the stealer of money, for instance, while he desires to inflict painful harm upon another, is himself maimed
by the wound of avarice. Now who, even out of his right
mind, sees not how great is the difference between these
men, when one suffers the loss of money, the other of inno
cence ? He will fall then into the pit which he hath made.
As it is said in another Psalm, The Lord is known in executing Ps. 9,16.
judgments ; the sinner is caught in the works of his own hands.
18. Ver. 16. His toil shall be turned on his head, and his iniquity shall descend on his pate. For he had no mind
to escape sin: but was brought under sin as a slave, so to
say, as the Lord saith, Whosoever sinneth is a slave. His John 8, iniquity then will be upon him, when he is subject to
his iniquity; for he could not say to the Lord, what the innocent and upright say, My glory, and the lifter up of my Ps. 3,3. head. He then will be in such wise below, as that his iniquity may be above, and descend on him ; for that it weigheth him down and burdens him, and suffers him not
to fly back to the rest of the saints. This occurs, when in
an ill regulated man reason is a slave, and lust hath dominion.
who said above most truly, Ifthere be iniquity in my hands: but it is a confession of God's justice, in which we speak thus, Verily, O Lord, Thou art just, in that Thou both so protectest the just, that Thou enlightenest them by Thy self; and so orderest sinners, that they be punished not by
unrighteous
I will
to the Lord according to His
19. Ver. 17.
justice. This is not the sinner's confession: for he says this,
confess
60 Sin is of the sinner, not of God. All God's work good.
Psalm Thine, but by their own malice. This confession so praises -- the Lord, that the blasphemies of the ungodly can avail
nothing, who, willing to excuse their evil deeds, are un willing to attribute to their own fault that they sin, that is, are unwilling to attribute their fault to their fault. Accord ingly they find either fortune or fate to accuse, or the devil, to whom He Who made us hath willed that it should be in our power to refuse consent: or they bring in another nature, which is not of God: wretched waverers, and erring, rather than confessing to God, that He should pardon them. For it is not fit that any be pardoned, except he say, I have sinned. He, then, that sees the deserts of souls so ordered by God, that while each has his own given him, the fair beauty of the universe is in no part violated, in all things praises God: and this is not the confession of sinners, but of the righteous. For it is not the sinner's confession when the
/
because Tliou hast hid these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes. Likewise in Ecclesiasticus it is
Mat. ll. Lord says,
confess
to Thee, O Lord heaven and earth, of
Ecclus. said, Confess to the Lord in all His works: and in con- 15. ' i6! fusion ye shall say this, All the works of the Lord are exceeding good. Which can be seen in this Psalm, if any
one with a pious mind, by the Lord's help, distinguish between the rewards of the righteous and the penalties of the sinners, how that in these two the whole creation, which God made and rules, is adorned with a beauty wondrous and
Iwill
Lord according to His justice, as one who saw that darkness
known to few. Thus then he says,
confess
to the
was not made by God, but ordered nevertheless. For God Gen. 1, said, Let light be made, and light was made. He did not say, Let darkness be made, and darkness was made : and lb. 4, 5. yet He ordered it. And therefore it is said, God dirided between the light, and the darkness: and God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. This is the distinction, He made the one and ordered it : but the other He made not, but yet He ordered this too. But now that
sins are signified by darkness, so is it seen in the Prophet, ? << ' who says, And thy darkness shall be as the noon day : and 1 John in the Apostle, who says, He that hateth his brother is in
Rom! darkness : and above all that text, Let us cast off the works 13, I2.
Return to darkness. Separation of husks in the Church. 61
of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Not Ver. that there is any nature of darkness. For all nature, in so ---- far as it is nature, is compelled to be. Now being belongs
to light : not-being to darkness. He then that leaves Him,
by Whom he was made, and inclines to that whence he was made, that is, to nothing, is in this sin endarkened : and yet he does not utterly perish, but he is ordered among the lowest things. Therefore after the Psalmist said, /will confess unto the Lord: that we might not understand it of confession of sins, he adds lastly, And I will sing to the name of the Lord most high. Now singing has relation to joy, but repentance of sins to sadness.
20. This Psalm can also be taken in the person of the Lord Man : if only that which is there spoken in humili ation, be referred to our weakness, which He bore.
PSALM VIII.
To the end, for the wine-presses, a Psalm of David himself. See on
1. He seems to say nothing of wine-presses in the text of the Psalm, of which this is the title. By which it appears, that one and the same thing is often signified in Scripture by many and various similitudes. We may then take wine presses to be Churches, on the same principle by which we understand also by a threshing-floor the Church. For whether in the threshing-floor, or in the wine-press, there is nothing else done, but the clearing the produce of its cover ing; which is necessary, both for its first growth, and in crease, and arrival at the maturity either of the harvest or the vintage. Of these coverings or supporters then ; that is, of chaff, on the threshing-floor, the corn ; and of husks, in the presses, the wine is stripped : as in the Churches, from the mul titude of worldly men, which is collected together with the
good, for whose birth and adaptating to the divine word that multitude was necessary, this is effected, that by spiritual love they be separated through the operation of God's ministers. For now so it is that the good are, for a time,
separated from the bad, not in space, but in affection: although they have converse together in the Churches, as far as respects bodily presence. But another time will
62 Wine of the Word. Pressure of Martyrdom.
Psalm come, the corn will be stored up apart in the granaries, and the wine in the cellars. The wheat, saith he, He will lay up
17. 'in garners; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquench able. The same thing may be thus understood in another similitude: the wine He will lay up in cellars, but the husks He will cast forth to cattle: so that by the bellies of the cattle we may be allowed by way of similitude to under stand the pains of hell.
2. There is another interpretation concerning the wine presses, yet still keeping to the meaning of Churches. For even the Divine Word may be understood by the grape: for the Lord even has been called a Cluster of grapes ; Which
Numb. they that were sent before by the people of Israel brought
^
For there the separation is made, that the sound may reach as far as the ear; but knowledge be received in the memory of those that hear, as it were in a sort of vat; whence it passes into discipline of the conversation and habit of mind, as from the vat into the cellar : where if it do not through negligence grow sour, it will acquire soundness by age. For it grew sour among the Jews, and this sour
Johni9, vinegar they gave the Lord to drink. For that wine, which
13,23. fTOm
29"
from the produce of the vine of the New Testament the
la11d of pVomise hanging on a staff, crucified as it were. Accordingly, when the Divine Word maketh use of, by the necessity of declaring Himself, the sound of the voice, whereby to convey Himself to the ears of the hearers ; in the same sound of the voice, as it were in husks, know ledge, like the wine, is enclosed : and so this grape comes into the ears, as into the pressing machines of the wine-
pressers.
Mat 26,Lord is to drink with His saints in the kingdom of His
29,
Father, must needs be most sweet and most sound.
3. " Wine-presses" are also usually taken for martyrdoms, as if when they who have confessed the name of Christ have been trodden down by the blows of persecution, their mortal remains as husks remained on earth, but their souls flowed
forth into the rest of a heavenly habitation. Nor yet by this
do we depart from the fruitfulness of the Churches. It is sung then, for the wine-presses, for the Church's establishment ; when our Lord after His resur rection ascended into heaven.
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. There fore when the Psalmist said in the plural number, Save me
from all them that persecute me: he afterwards introduced the singular, saying, lest at any time he tear my soul as a lion. For he does not say, lest at any time they tear : he knew what enemy and violent adversary of the perfect soul remained. Whilst there be none to redeem, nor to save: that lest he tear me, whilst Thou redeemest not, nor savest. For, God redeem not, nor save, he tears.
3. And that might be clear that the already perfect soul, which to be on her guard against the most insidious snares of the devil only, says this, see what follows, (ver. 3. ) O Lord my God, have done this. What that he calls this Since he does not mention the sin by name, are we to under stand sin generally? If this sense displease us, we may take that to be meant which follows as we had asked, what this that you say, this? He answers, Ifthere be iniquity in my hands. Now then is clear that said of all sin,
If
Matt. Lord says, Be ye perfect, as your Father Which is in heaven
43. 45.
jyfro maIceth His sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and raineth on the just and the unjust. He then who repayeth not them that recompense evil, perfect. When therefore the perfect soul prays for the words Chusi, the son ofJemini, that for the knowledge of that secret and silence, which the Lord, favourable to us and merciful, wrought for our salvation, so as to endure, and with all patience bear, the guiles of this betrayer: as He should say to this perfect soul, explaining the design of this secret, For thee ungodly and sinner, that thine iniquities might be washed away by My blood-shedding, in great silence and great
have repaid them that me evil. recompense
(ver. 4. )
Which none can say with truth, but the perfect. For so the
bore with My betrayer wilt not thou imitate me, that thou too mayest not repay evil for evil? Consider
patience
ing" then, and understanding what the Lord has done for
I
a
is
;
if
if
it
I is,
I
it if
is of
it is
5,
it
; is?
:
is, if
is
Prophetic imprecation on such as return evil. 47
him, and by His example going on to perfection, theVBB. 5. Psalmist says, If I have repaid them that recompense me
evil : that is, if I have not done what Thou hast taught me
by Thy example : may I therefore fall by mine enemies
empty. And he says well, not, If I have repaid them that do me evil ; but, who recompense. For whoso recompenseth, had received somewhat already. Now it is an instance of greater patience, not even to repay him evil, who after receiving benefits returns evil for good, than if without receiving any previous benefit he had had a mind to injure.
/
evil: that is, If I have not imitated Thee in that silence,
If therefore he says,
have repaid them that recompense me
that is, in Thy patience, which Thou hast wrought for me,
I
boaster, who, being himself a man, desires to avenge himself on a man ; and whilst he openly seeks to overcome a man, is secretly himself overcome by the devil, rendered empty by vain and proud joy, because he could not, as it were, be
fall
conquered.
by mine enemies empty. For he is an empty
may
evil, may
therefore fall
ty.
The Psalmist knows then where a greater
victory may be obtained, and where the Father which Matt. 6,
seeth in secret will reward. Lest then he repay them that '
recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another
man, being instructed too by those writings, wherein it is
written, better is heIthat overcometh his anger, than he that Pro'. l6,
If
taketh a ciI
have repaid them that recompense me
by my enemies empty. He seems to swear by way of execration, which is the heaviest kind of oath, as when one says, If I have done so and so, may I
suffer so and so. But swearing in a swearer's mouth is one thing, in a prophet's meaning another. For here he men tions what will really befal men, who repay them that recompense evil; not what, as by an oath, he would imprecate on himself or any other.
4. Ver. 5. Let the enemy therefore persecute my soul and take it. By again naming the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out him, whom he spoke of above as a lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has deceived will take it. For the limit of men's rage the destruction of the body but the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas whatever souls
;
it,
is
48 Emptiness and sad end ofglorying in man's praise.
Psalm the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. '--And let him tread my life upon the earth: that is, by
treading let him make my life earth, that is to say, his food.
For he is not only called a lion, but a serpent too, to whom Gen. 3, it was said, Earth shall thou eat. And to the sinner
"
Apostle, let him glory in the Lord. This solidity is brought down to the dust, ifone through pride despising the secresy of conscience, where God only proves a man, desires to glory before men. Hence comes what the Psalmist elsewhere
was it said, Earth thou art, and into earth shall thou go.
lb. 19.
And let him bring down my glory to the dust. This is
Ps. l,4. that dust, which the wind casteth forth from the face of the earth, to wit, vain and silly boasting of the proud, puffed up, not of solid weight, as a cloud of dust carried away by the wind. Justly then has he here spoken of the glory, which he would not have brought down to dust. For he would have it solidly established in conscience before God,
1 Cor. 1, where there is no boasting. He that glorieth, saith the
Ps. 53,5. says, God shall bruise the bones of them that please men. Now he that has well learnt or experienced the steps in overcoming vices, knows that this vice of empty glory is either alone, or more than all, to be shunned by the perfect. For that by which the soul first fell, she overcomes the last.
^ccl"s. For the beginning of all sin is pride: and again, the begin-
12. '
Acts 7,
ning of man's pride is to depart from God.
5. Ver. 6. Arise, O Lord, in Tliine anger. Why yet does
he, who we say is perfect, incite God to anger? Must we not see, whether he rather be not perfect, who, when he was being stoned, said, O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge? Or does the Psalmist pray thus not against men, but against the devil and his angels, whose possession sinners and the ungodly are ? He then does not pray against him in wrath, but in mercy, whosoever prays that that possession may be
Rom. 4, taken from him by that Lord Who justifieth the ungodly. For when the ungodly is justified, from ungodly he is made
just, and from being the possession of the devil he passes into the temple of God. And since it is a punishment, that a possession, in which one longs to have rule, should be taken away from him : this punishment, that he should cease to possess those whom he now possesses, the Psalmist calls the
Christ exalted ; the People gathered round Him. 49
anger of God against the devil. Arise, O Lord, in Thine Vrr. anger. Arise, (he has used it as "appear,") in words, tW 10.
human and obscure; as though God sleeps, when He unrecognised and hidden in His secret workings. Be exalted in the borders of mine enemies. He means by borders the possession itself, in which he wishes that God should be exalted, that be honoured and glorified, rather than the devil, while the ungodly are justified and praise
God. And arise, Lord my God, in the commandment
that Thou hast given: that is, since Thou hast enjoined humility, appear in humility and first fulfil what Thou hast enjoined; that men by Thy example overcoming pride may
not be possessed of the devil, who against Thy command
ments advised to pride, saying, Eat, and your eyes shall be Gen. 3,5. opened, and ye shall be as Gods.
6. And the congregation of the people shall surround Tliee. This may be understood two ways. For the congre gation of the people can be taken, either of them that believe,
or of them that persecute, both of which took place in the same humiliation of our Lord in contempt of which the multitude of them that persecute surrounded Him con cerning which said, Why have the heathen raged,Ps. and the people meditated vain things But of them
that believe through His humiliation the multitude so sur rounded Him, that could be said with the greatest truth, blindness in part happened unto Israel, that the fulness Rom.
of the Gentiles might come in: and again, Ask of me, and /", trill give Thee the Gentiles for Thine inheritance, and the boundaries the earth for Thy possession. And for their sakes return Thou on high that is, for the sake of this con gregation return Thou on high which He understood to have done by His resurrection and ascension into heaven. For being thus glorified He gave the Holy Ghost, Which
2*?
before His exaltation could not be given, as written in
the Gospel,/or the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because j0hD that Jesus was not yet glorified. Having then returned on 39- high for the sake of the congregation of the people, He sent
the Holy Ghost: by Whom the preachers of the Gospel being filled, filled the whole world with Churches.
7. can be taken also in this sense Arise, Lord, in
E
;
It
:
O
7,
2, i.
is is
?
it
: :
is,
of
is it
it
is O
;
:
is is,
50 Hiding of Christ from sinners, even in His own Church,
Psalm Thine anger, and be exalted in the borders of mine enemies: - that is, arise in Thine anger, and let not mine enemies understand Thee; so that to be exalted, should be this, become high*, that Thou mayest not be understood;
which has reference to the silence spoken of above. For it Ps. 18, is of this exaltation thus said in another Psalm, And He ascended upon Cherubim, and flew: and, He made darkness
His secret place. In which exaltation, or concealment, when for their sins' desert they shall not understand Thee, who shall crucify Thee, the congregation of believers shall surround Thee. For in His very humiliation He was exalted, that was not understood. So that, And arise, O Lord my God, in the commandment that Thou hast given:
may have reference to this, that is, when Thou shewest Thyself, be high or deep that mine enemies may not understand Thee. Now sinners are the enemies of the
just man, and the ungodly of the godly man. And the con gregation of the people shall surround Thce: that is, by this very circumstance, that those who crucify Thee under stand Thee not, the Gentiles shall believe on Thee, and so shall the congregation of the people surround Thee. But what follows, this be the true meaning, has in more pain, that begins already to be perceived, than joy that is understood. For follows, and for their sokes return Thou on high, that is, and for the sake of this congregation of the human race, wherewith the Churches are crowded, return Thou on high, that is, again cease to be understood.
What then is, and for their sakes, but that this congregation too will offend Thee, so that Thou mayest most truly foretel
Lukei8,and say, Thinkest Thou when the Son of Man shall come,
8. He trillfindfaith on the earth Again, ofthe false prophets, Mat. 24, who are understood to be heretics, He says, Because of
their iniquity the love many shall wax cold. Since then
even in the Churches, that is, in that
peoples and nations, where the Christian name has most widely spread, there shall be so great abundance of sinners, which already, in great measure, perceived; not that famine of the word here predicted, which has been threat-
Amos
served in translation.
altus. Its twofold meaning of high and deep not capable of being pre
congregation of
is
8, ?
is
it
is
it it
of
?
if it
is,
Our Lord's coming to Judgment longedfor by the upright. 51
ened by another prophet also ? Is it not too for this congre- Vb>>. gation's sake, who, by theirsins,are estranging from themselves 10' - the light of truth, that God returns on high, that so that
faith, pure and cleansed from the corruption of all perverse opinions, held and received, either not at all, or by the
very few of whom was said, Blessed is he that shall Mark endure to the end, the same shall be saved? Not without cause then said, and for the sake this congregation return Thou on high: that is, again withdraw into the depth
of Thy secrecy, even for the sake of this congregation of the peoples, that hath Thy name, and doeth not Thy deeds.
8. But whether the former exposition of this place, or this last be the more suitable, without prejudice to any one better, or equal, or as good, follows very consistently, the
Lord judgeth the people. For whether He returned on
high, when, after the resurrection, He ascended into heaven,
well does follow, The Lord judgeth the people: for that
He will come from thence to judge the quick and the dead.
Or whether He return on high, when the understanding of
the truth leaves sinful Christians, for that of His coming
has been said, Thinkestthou the Son of Man on His coming Lukels, will find faith on the earth The Lord then judgeth the 8.
people. What Lord, but Jesus Christ? For the Father John judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son. Wherefore this soul which prayeth perfectly,
see how she fears not the day of judgment, and with a truly secure longing says in her prayer, Thy kingdom come: judge
me, she says, Lord, according to my righteousness. In
the former Psalm weak one was entreating, imploring rather the mercy of God, than mentioning any desert of his
own since the Son of God came to call sinners to repent- Matt. ance. Therefore he had there said, Save me, O Lord, for p^
But*,
have repaid them that recompense me evil. e2
Thy mercy's sake; that not for my desert's sake.
now, since being called he hath held and kept the command ments which he received, he bold to say, Judge me, Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, that upon me. This true harmlessness, which harms not even an enemy. Accordingly, well does he require to be judged according to his harmlessness, who could
say with truth, If
I
O is a
it
it
is
of
is, is
?
it
:
O it
6
9, 5,
it
is is
'
is,
52 Man's righteousness is by grace. Wickedness consummated.
Psai. m As for what he added, that is upon me, it can refer not only , to harmlessness, but can be understood also with reference to righteousness ; that the sense should be this, Judge me,
0 Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my harmlessness, which righteousness and harmlessness is upon me. By which addition he shews that this very thing, that the soul is righteous and harmless, she has not by herself, but by God Who giveth brightness and light. For of this
Ps. 18, he says in another Psalm, Thou, O Lord, wilt light my
John l 8-
35.
'
candle. And of John it is said, that he was not the light, but bore witness of the light. He was a burning and shining candle. That light then, whence souls, as candles, are kindled, shines forth not with borrowed, but with original, brightness, which light is truth itself. It is then so said, According to my righteousness, and according to my harm lessness, that is upon me, as if a burning and shining candle should say, Judge me acccording to the flame which is upon
1 al. that me, that is, not that wherewith ' I am myself, but that whereby 1 shine enkindled of thee.
9. Ver. 9. But let the wickedness of sinners be con summated. He says, be consummated, be completed, ac- Rev. 22, cording to that in the Apocalypse, Let the righteous become
more righteous, and let the filthy be filthy still. For the wickedness of those men appears consummate, who crucified the Son of God ; but greater is theirs who will not live uprightly, and hate the precepts of truth, for whom the Son of God was crucified. Let the wickedness of sinners, then he says, be consummated, that is, arrive at the height of wickedness, that just judgment may be able to come at once. But since it is not only said, Let the filthy be filthy still ; but it is said also, Let the righteous become more righteous ; he joins on the words, And Thou shalt direct the righteous, 0 God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins. How then can the righteous be directed but in secret? when even by means of those things which, in the commencement of the Christian ages, when as yet the saints were oppressed by the persecu tion of the men of this world, appeared marvellous to men, now that the Christian name has begun to be in such high dignity, hypocrisy, that is pretence, has increased ; of those, 1 mean, who by the Christian profession had rather please
God, searching hearts and reins, guides His oum. His healing. 53
men than God. How then is the righteous man directed in Ver. so great confusion of pretence, save whilst God searcheth the ------ hearts and reins ; seeing all men's thoughts, which are meant
by the word heart ; and their delights, which are understood
by the word reins ? For the delight in things temporal and earthly is rightly ascribed to the reins ; for that it is both the lower part of man, and that region where the pleasure of carnal generation dwells, through which man's nature is transferred into this life of care, and deceiving joy, by the succession of the race. God then, searching our heart, and perceiving that it is there where our treasure is, that is, in heaven ; searching also the reins, and perceiving that we do not assent to flesh and blood, but delight ourselves in the Lord, directs the righteous man in his inward conscience before Him, where no man seeth, but He alone Who per- ceiveth what each man thinketh, and what delighteth each. For delight is the end of care ; because to this end does each man strive by care and thought, that he may attain to his delight. He therefore seeth our cares, Who searcheth the
heart. He seeth too the ends of cares, that is delights, Who narrowly searcheth the reins ; that when He shall find that
our cares incline neither to the lust of the flesh, nor to the l John
O Id lust of the eyes, nor to the pride of life, all which pass away '
as a shadow, but that they are raised upward to the joys of things eternal, which are spoilt by no change, He may direct
the righteous, even He, the God Who searcheth the hearts and reins. For our works, which we do in deeds and words, may be known unto men ; but with what mind they are done, and to what end we would attain by means of them, He alone knoweth, the God Who searcheth the hearts and reins.
10. Ver. 10. My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. The offices of medicine are twofold, one the curing infirmity, the other the preserving health. According to the first it was saidIin the preceding
Psalm, Have mercy on me, O Lord, for
am weak} ac-Ps. 6,2.
I is said in this Psalm, If there be cording to the second it
in my hands, iniquity I if
have repaid them that recompense
therefore ' fall
i
by my enemies empty. For al. de-
me evil, may
there the weak prays that he may be delivered, here one terv^dly already whole that he may not change for the worse. Ac-
54 Preserving mercy for the Righteous. Uprightness in heart.
Psalm cording to the one it is there said, Make me whole for Thy
JJIl mercy's
sake ; according to this other it is here said, Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness. For there he asks for a remedy to escape from disease ; but here for pro tection from falling into disease. According to the former it is said, Make me whole, O Lord, according to Thy mercy : according to the latter it is said, My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. Both the one and the other maketh men whole ; but the former removes them from sickness into health, the latter preserves them in this health. Therefore there the help is merciful, because the sinner hath no desert, who as yet longeth to be
Rom. 4, justified, believing on Him Who justifieth the ungodly ; but here the help is righteous, because it is given to one already righteous. Let the sinner then who said, / am weak, say in the first place, Make me whole, O Lord, for thy mIercy's sake ; and here let the righteous man, who said, If have repaid them that recompense me evil, say, My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart. For if he sets forth the medicine, by which we may be healed when weak, how much more that, by which we may be kept
Rom. 5, in health. For if while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, how much more being now justified shall we be kept whole from wrath through Him.
11. My righteous help is from the Lord, Who maketh whole the upright in heart.
God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins, directeth the righteous ; but with righteous help maketh He whole the upright in heart. He doth not as He searcheth the hearts and reins, so make whole the upright in heart and reins ; for the thoughts are both bad in a depraved heart, and good in an upright heart ; but delights which are not good belong to the reins, for they are more low and earthly ; but those that are good not to the reins, but to the heart itself. Wherefore men cannot be so called upright in reins, as they are called upright in heart, since where the thought is, there at once the delight is too ; which cannot be, unless when things divine and eternal are
Ps. 4. 7, thought of. Thou hast given, he says, joy in my heart,
*?
when he had said, The light of Thy countenance has been stamped on us, O Lord. For although the phantoms of
Holy delight in overcoming carnal suggestions. God's patience. 55
things temporal, which the mind falsely pictures to itself, Ver. when tossed by vain and mortal hope, to vain imaginations -- oftentimes bring a delirious and maddened joy ; yet this delight must be attributed not to the heart, but to the reins ;
for all these imaginations have been drawn from lower, that
is, earthly and carnal things. Hence it comes, that God, Who searcheth the hearts and reins, and perceiveth in the heart upright thoughts, in the reins no delights, affordeth righteous help to the upright in heart, where ' heavenly 1 ra- delights are coupled with clean thoughts. And therefore when in another Psalm he had said, Moreover even to-night
my reIins have chided me ; he went on to say as touching
thIe Lord alway in my sight, He is on my p>>. foresaw for 16,
help,
right hand, that
he suffered suggestions only from the reins, not delights as well ; for had he suffered these, then he would of course beI moved. But he said, The Lord is on my right hand, that should not be moved; and then he adds, Wherefore was my heart delighted; that the reins should have been able to
7" 8.
should not be moved. Where he shews that
chide, not delight him. The delight accordingly was pro duced not in the reins, but there, where against the chiding of the reins God was foreseen to be on the right hand, that is, in the heart.
12. Ver. 11. God the righteous judge, strong* (in endurance) *foTt\a and long-suffering. What God is judge, but the Lord, Who judgeth the people ? He is righteous ; Who shall render foMat. 16, every man according to his works. He is strong; (in en
Who, being most powerful, for our salvation bore even with ungodly persecutors. He is long-suffering; Who did not immediately, after His resurrection, hurry away to
durance)
Him, but bore with them, that they might at length turn from that ungodliness to salvation : and still He beareth with them, reserving the
last penalty for the last judgment, and up to this present
punishment, even those that persecuted
Not bringing in anger every day. Perhaps bringing in anger is a more significant expression than, being angry ; (and so we find it in the
Greek3 copies;) that the anger, whereby He punishcth,^^^. should not be in Him but in the minds of those ministers ? *','"' who obey the commandments of truth ; through whom orders LXX.
time inviting sinners to repentance.
56 Christ the Sword of God, Apostles arrows from His bow.
Psalm are given even to the lower ministries, who are called angels 1. of wrath, to punish sin : whom even now the punishment of men delights not for justice sake, in which they have
no pleasure, but for malice sake. God then doth not bring in anger every day, that is, He doth not collect His ministers for vengeance every day. For now the patience of God inviteth to repentance : but in the last time, when men
Rom. 2, through their hardness and impenitent heart shall have trea-
5'
sured up for themselves anger in the day of anger, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, then He will brandish His sword.
13. Vcr. 12. Unless ye be converted, He says, He will brandish His sword. The Lord Man Himself may be taken to be God's double-edged sword, that is, His spear, which at His first coming He will not brandish, but hideth as it were in the sheath of humiliation : but He will brandish it, when at the second coming to judge the quick and dead, in the manifest splendour of His glory, He shall flash light on His righteous ones, and terror on the ungodly. For in other
copies, instead of, He shall brandish His sword, it has been written, He shall make bright His spear : by which word I think the last coming of the Lord's glory most appropriately signified : seeing that is understood of His person, which another Psalm has, Deliver, 0 Lord, my soul from the un- godly, Thy spear from the enemies of Thine hand. He hath bent His bow, and made it ready. The tenses of the words must not be altogether overlooked, how he has spoken
of the sword in the future, He will brandish ; of the bow in the past, He hath bent : and these words of the past tense follow after.
14. Ver. 13. And in it He hath prepared the instruments of death : He hath wrought His arrows for the burning. That bow then I would readily take to be the Holy Scrip ture, in which by the strength of the New Testament, as by a sort of string, the hardness of the Old has been bent and subdued. From thence the Apostles are sent forth like arrows, or divine preachings are shot. Which arrows He has wrought for the burning, arrows, that is, whereby being stricken they might be inflamed with heavenly love. J For by
Ps. 17, 13,
Sol. Song what other arrows was she stricken, who saith, Bring me into 2,4. 5.
Love to Him kindled thereby. Heretics ' instruments ofdeath. "1 57
the house of wine, place me among perfumes, crowd me Ver.
crafty tongues, and to whom it is said, What shall be givenPs. 120, thee, or what added to thee against the crafty tongue r Sharp 3" ' arrows of the mighty, with devastating coals : that is, coals, whereby, when thou art stricken and set on fire, thou mayest
burn with so great love of the kingdom of heaven, as to despise the tongues of all that resist thee, and would recall
thee from thy purpose, and to deride their persecutions, saying, Who shall separate me from the love of Christ ? Rom. 8, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or 39' nakedness, or peril, or sword ? For I am persuaded, he says,
that neither death, nor life, nor angel, nor principality, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor other creature, shall be able to separate me
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus for the burning hath He wrought His arrows. For in the Greek copies it is found thus, He hath wrought His arrows for the burning. But most of the Latin copies have burning arrows. But whether the arrows themselves burn, or make others burn, which of course they cannot do unless they burn themselves, the sense is complete.
15. But since he has said that the Lord has prepared not arrows only, but instruments of death too, in the bow, it may be asked, what are " instruments of death ? " Are they, per- adventure, heretics ? For they too, out of the same bow, that is, out of the same Scriptures, light upon souls not to be inflamed with love, but destroyed with poison : which does not happen but after their deserts: wherefore even this dispensation is to be assigned to the Divine Providence, not that it makes men sinners, but that it orders them after they have sinned. For through sin reaching them with an ill pur pose, they are forced to understand them ill, that this
should be itself the punishment of sin : by whose death, nevertheless, the sons of the Catholic Church are, as it were
by certain thorns, so to say, aroused from slumber, and make progress toward the understanding of the holy Scriptures.
For there must be also heresies, that they which are up- 1 Cor.
among honey, for I
have been wounded with love? By what
-- other arrows is he kindled, who, desirous of returning to God,
and coming back from wandering, asketh for help against
58 Arrows of life and death. Earthly toil conceived bears sin.
Psalm proved, he says, may be made manifest among you : that is, -- among men, seeing they are manifest to God. Or has He haply ordained the same arrows to be at once instruments of death for the destruction of unbelievers, and wrought them burning, or for the burning, for the exercising of the faithful ?
2 Cor.
por t)iat is not false that the Apostle says, To the one we are the savour of life unto life, to the other the savour of death unto death; and who is sufficientfor these things? It is no wonder then if the same Apostles be both instruments of death in those,^from whom they suffered persecution, and fiery arrows to inflame the hearts of believers.
16. Now after this dispensation righteous judgment will come : of which the Psalmist so speaks, as that we may understand that each man's punishment is wrought out of his own sin, and his iniquity turned into vengeance : that we may not suppose that that tranquillity and ineffable light of God brings forth from Itself the means of punishing sin ; but that it so ordereth sins, that what have been delights to man in sinning, should be instruments to the Lord avenging. Behold, he says, he hath travailed with injustice. Now what had he conceived, that he should travail with injustice ? He hath conceived, he says, toil. Hence then comes that,
Gen. 3, In toil shalt thou eat thy bread. Hence too that, Come Mat. ii unto Me all ye that toil and are heavy laden ; for My yoke
is easy, and My burden light. For toil will never cease, except one love that which cannot be taken away against his will. For when those things are loved which we can lose against our will, we must needs toil for them most miserably ; and to obtain them, amid the straightnesses of earthly cares, whilst each desires to snatch them for himself, and to be beforehand with another, or to wrest it from him, must scheme injustice. Duly then, and quite in order, hath he travailed with injustice, who hath conceived toil. Now he bringeth forth what, save that with which he hath travailed, although he has not travailed with that which he conceived ? For that is not born, which is not conceived; but seed is conceived, that which is formed from the seed is born. Toil is then the seed of iniquity, but sin the conception of
Ecclus. toil, that is, that first sin, to depart from God. He then hath
" travailed with injustice, who hath conceived toil. And he
28. 30.
'
The wicked caught in, and enslaved by his own sin. 59
hath brought forth iniquity. Iniquity is the same as injustice : Ve r. he hath brought forth then that, with which he travailed. l5~17. '. What follows next ?
17. Ver. 15. He hath opened a ditch, and digged it. To open a ditch, is, in earthly matters, that is, as it were in the earth, to prepare deceit, that another fall therein, whom the
man wishes to deceive. Now this ditch is opened, when consent is given to the evil suggestion of earthly lusts : but it is digged, when after consent we press
on to actual work of deceit. But how can it be, that iniquity should rather hurt the righteous man against whom it pro
ceeds, than the unrighteous heart whence it proceeds ? Accordingly, the stealer of money, for instance, while he desires to inflict painful harm upon another, is himself maimed
by the wound of avarice. Now who, even out of his right
mind, sees not how great is the difference between these
men, when one suffers the loss of money, the other of inno
cence ? He will fall then into the pit which he hath made.
As it is said in another Psalm, The Lord is known in executing Ps. 9,16.
judgments ; the sinner is caught in the works of his own hands.
18. Ver. 16. His toil shall be turned on his head, and his iniquity shall descend on his pate. For he had no mind
to escape sin: but was brought under sin as a slave, so to
say, as the Lord saith, Whosoever sinneth is a slave. His John 8, iniquity then will be upon him, when he is subject to
his iniquity; for he could not say to the Lord, what the innocent and upright say, My glory, and the lifter up of my Ps. 3,3. head. He then will be in such wise below, as that his iniquity may be above, and descend on him ; for that it weigheth him down and burdens him, and suffers him not
to fly back to the rest of the saints. This occurs, when in
an ill regulated man reason is a slave, and lust hath dominion.
who said above most truly, Ifthere be iniquity in my hands: but it is a confession of God's justice, in which we speak thus, Verily, O Lord, Thou art just, in that Thou both so protectest the just, that Thou enlightenest them by Thy self; and so orderest sinners, that they be punished not by
unrighteous
I will
to the Lord according to His
19. Ver. 17.
justice. This is not the sinner's confession: for he says this,
confess
60 Sin is of the sinner, not of God. All God's work good.
Psalm Thine, but by their own malice. This confession so praises -- the Lord, that the blasphemies of the ungodly can avail
nothing, who, willing to excuse their evil deeds, are un willing to attribute to their own fault that they sin, that is, are unwilling to attribute their fault to their fault. Accord ingly they find either fortune or fate to accuse, or the devil, to whom He Who made us hath willed that it should be in our power to refuse consent: or they bring in another nature, which is not of God: wretched waverers, and erring, rather than confessing to God, that He should pardon them. For it is not fit that any be pardoned, except he say, I have sinned. He, then, that sees the deserts of souls so ordered by God, that while each has his own given him, the fair beauty of the universe is in no part violated, in all things praises God: and this is not the confession of sinners, but of the righteous. For it is not the sinner's confession when the
/
because Tliou hast hid these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes. Likewise in Ecclesiasticus it is
Mat. ll. Lord says,
confess
to Thee, O Lord heaven and earth, of
Ecclus. said, Confess to the Lord in all His works: and in con- 15. ' i6! fusion ye shall say this, All the works of the Lord are exceeding good. Which can be seen in this Psalm, if any
one with a pious mind, by the Lord's help, distinguish between the rewards of the righteous and the penalties of the sinners, how that in these two the whole creation, which God made and rules, is adorned with a beauty wondrous and
Iwill
Lord according to His justice, as one who saw that darkness
known to few. Thus then he says,
confess
to the
was not made by God, but ordered nevertheless. For God Gen. 1, said, Let light be made, and light was made. He did not say, Let darkness be made, and darkness was made : and lb. 4, 5. yet He ordered it. And therefore it is said, God dirided between the light, and the darkness: and God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. This is the distinction, He made the one and ordered it : but the other He made not, but yet He ordered this too. But now that
sins are signified by darkness, so is it seen in the Prophet, ? << ' who says, And thy darkness shall be as the noon day : and 1 John in the Apostle, who says, He that hateth his brother is in
Rom! darkness : and above all that text, Let us cast off the works 13, I2.
Return to darkness. Separation of husks in the Church. 61
of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Not Ver. that there is any nature of darkness. For all nature, in so ---- far as it is nature, is compelled to be. Now being belongs
to light : not-being to darkness. He then that leaves Him,
by Whom he was made, and inclines to that whence he was made, that is, to nothing, is in this sin endarkened : and yet he does not utterly perish, but he is ordered among the lowest things. Therefore after the Psalmist said, /will confess unto the Lord: that we might not understand it of confession of sins, he adds lastly, And I will sing to the name of the Lord most high. Now singing has relation to joy, but repentance of sins to sadness.
20. This Psalm can also be taken in the person of the Lord Man : if only that which is there spoken in humili ation, be referred to our weakness, which He bore.
PSALM VIII.
To the end, for the wine-presses, a Psalm of David himself. See on
1. He seems to say nothing of wine-presses in the text of the Psalm, of which this is the title. By which it appears, that one and the same thing is often signified in Scripture by many and various similitudes. We may then take wine presses to be Churches, on the same principle by which we understand also by a threshing-floor the Church. For whether in the threshing-floor, or in the wine-press, there is nothing else done, but the clearing the produce of its cover ing; which is necessary, both for its first growth, and in crease, and arrival at the maturity either of the harvest or the vintage. Of these coverings or supporters then ; that is, of chaff, on the threshing-floor, the corn ; and of husks, in the presses, the wine is stripped : as in the Churches, from the mul titude of worldly men, which is collected together with the
good, for whose birth and adaptating to the divine word that multitude was necessary, this is effected, that by spiritual love they be separated through the operation of God's ministers. For now so it is that the good are, for a time,
separated from the bad, not in space, but in affection: although they have converse together in the Churches, as far as respects bodily presence. But another time will
62 Wine of the Word. Pressure of Martyrdom.
Psalm come, the corn will be stored up apart in the granaries, and the wine in the cellars. The wheat, saith he, He will lay up
17. 'in garners; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquench able. The same thing may be thus understood in another similitude: the wine He will lay up in cellars, but the husks He will cast forth to cattle: so that by the bellies of the cattle we may be allowed by way of similitude to under stand the pains of hell.
2. There is another interpretation concerning the wine presses, yet still keeping to the meaning of Churches. For even the Divine Word may be understood by the grape: for the Lord even has been called a Cluster of grapes ; Which
Numb. they that were sent before by the people of Israel brought
^
For there the separation is made, that the sound may reach as far as the ear; but knowledge be received in the memory of those that hear, as it were in a sort of vat; whence it passes into discipline of the conversation and habit of mind, as from the vat into the cellar : where if it do not through negligence grow sour, it will acquire soundness by age. For it grew sour among the Jews, and this sour
Johni9, vinegar they gave the Lord to drink. For that wine, which
13,23. fTOm
29"
from the produce of the vine of the New Testament the
la11d of pVomise hanging on a staff, crucified as it were. Accordingly, when the Divine Word maketh use of, by the necessity of declaring Himself, the sound of the voice, whereby to convey Himself to the ears of the hearers ; in the same sound of the voice, as it were in husks, know ledge, like the wine, is enclosed : and so this grape comes into the ears, as into the pressing machines of the wine-
pressers.
Mat 26,Lord is to drink with His saints in the kingdom of His
29,
Father, must needs be most sweet and most sound.
3. " Wine-presses" are also usually taken for martyrdoms, as if when they who have confessed the name of Christ have been trodden down by the blows of persecution, their mortal remains as husks remained on earth, but their souls flowed
forth into the rest of a heavenly habitation. Nor yet by this
do we depart from the fruitfulness of the Churches. It is sung then, for the wine-presses, for the Church's establishment ; when our Lord after His resur rection ascended into heaven.
