The Voice of the Lord
perfecting
the stags.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v1
He returns to that one petition after these dangers, after toils, after difficulties, amid the hands of them that persecute and trouble him, gasping, panting, travailing, yet stedfast, and assured while He upholdeth, helpeth, guideth, ruleth ; yet, after that going about and rejoicing, in joy exulting, in travails groaning, he sighed at last, and said,
(ver. 13. ) 1 believe to see the good things ofthe Lord in the land of the living. O the good things of the Lord, sweet, immortal, incomparable, eternal, unchangeable ! And when
' ? '
208 True good in the earth of the living. Manly endurance.
Psalm shall I see you, ye good things of the Lord ? Exp. il see you, but not in the earth of the dying. /
the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. The Lord shall deliver me from the earth of the dying, Who for my sake vouchsafed to take upon Himself the earth of the dying, and to die amid the hands of the dying : the Lord
/
to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. Panting he spoke, travailing he spoke, he spoke in peril
shall deliver me from the earth of the dying :
believe
amid a mighty crowd of temptations : but yet wholly de pending on His mercy, to Whom he said, Appoint me a late, O Lord.
23. And what doth He say, Who hath appointed him a law ? Let us hear the Voice of the Lord too exhorting us from on high, consoling us ; His Voice Whom we have for father and mother, who have left us : let us hear His Voice. For He hath heard our groans, He hath seen our deep sighs, He hath beheld our longing ; and our one petition, the one request through Christ our Advocate hath He gladly received ; and until we accomplish this pilgrimage, during which He will defer, not take away, what He hath promised, He hath said unto us, Wait on the Lord. Thou wilt not wait on a false one, not on one that can be deceived, not on one that will not find what to give. The Almighty hath promised, the Sure One hath promised, the True hath promised. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man. Faint not : be not of
Ecclus. them to whom it is said, Woe unto them that have lost
I believe to believe to see
' '
endurance. Wait on the Lord, is said to us all, and to one Man is it said. We are one Man in Christ, we are the Body of Christ, who have that one longing, who make that one petition, who in those days of our evils groan, who believe to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living ; to us all who are one in One it is said, (ver. 14. ) Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man ; and let thy heart be strong, yea, wait on the Lord. What else saith He to thee, than repeat what thou hast heard? Wait on the Lord, quit thyself
like a man. Therefore he who hath lost endurance, hath
become effeminate, hath lost vigour. Let men, let women, Gal. 3, listen to this ; for in the one man is man and woman. Such an one in Christ is neither male, nor female. Wait on the
The Man, Christ, desires not to be as His enemies shall be. 209
Lord, quit thyself like a man ; let thy heart be strong, yea, Ver. wait on the Lord. By waiting on the Lord thou shall - possess Him, thou shalt possess Him on Whom thou shalt
wait. Long for somewhat else, if thou canst find aught greater, better, sweeter.
PSALM XXVIII. Of David himself.
Lat. XXVII.
1. It is the Voice of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand
in the conflict of the Passion. Now what He seems to wish
for against His enemies, is not the wish of malevolence, but
the declaration of their punishment ; as in the Gospel, with Mat. n,
--
the cities, in which though He had performed miracles, yet they had not believed on Him, He doth not wish in any evil will what He saith, but predicteth what is impending over
them. I cried; My God, be 2. Ver. 1. Unto Thee, O Lord, have
not silent from me. Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried ; My God, separate not the unity of Thy Word from that which as Man I am. Lest at any time Thou be silent from me: and L shall be like them that go down into the pit. For from this, that the Eternity of Thy Word ceaseth not to unite Itself to Me, it comes that I am not such a man as the rest of men, who are born into the deep misery of this world: where,
as if Thou art silent, Thy Word is not recognised. Hear, O Lord, theIvoice of my supplication, whilst
'
(Ver. 2. ) I pray
hold up my hands to Thy holy temple. Whilst I am crucified for their salvation, who on believing
become Thy holy temple.
3. Ver. 3. Draw not My Soul away with sinners, and
destroy me not with them that work iniquity, with them that
speak peace with their neighbours. With them that say unto
Me, We know that Thou art a Master come from God. But John 3, evil in their hearts. But they speak evil in their hearts.
4. Ver. 4. Give unto them according to their works. Give
unto Thee, whilst
unto them according to their works, for this is just.
according to the malice of their affections1. For aiming atnum/
^nd^^*^
210 Judgments foretold. God the Helper of His people.
Psalm evil, they cannot discover good. According to the works of '" their hands give Thou unto them. Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto
them according to the works of their wills. Pay them their
Rom.
have been helped. And My Flesh hath flourished again: that and My Flesh hath risen again. And of my will will confess unto Him. Wherefore, the fear
of death being now destroyed, not by the necessity of fear under the Law, but with free will with the Law, shall they who believe on Me, confess unto Him and because am in them, will confess.
8. Ver. 8. The Lord is the strength of His people. Not that people ignorant of the righteousness of God, and willing to establish their own. For they thought not themselves strong in themselves: for the Lord the strength of His
Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.
5. Vef. . 5. For they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord. And whence is it clear that this hath befallen them ? From this forsooth, for they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord. This very thing, in truth, hath been, even now, their recompense, that in Him Whom they tempted with malicious intent as a Man, they should not recognise God, with what design the Father sent Him in the Flesh. And the works of His hands. Nor be moved by those visible works, which are laid out before their very eyes.
Thou shall destroy them, and not build them up. Let them do Me no hurt, nay, nor again in their endeavour to raise engines against My Church, let them aught avail.
6. Ver. 6. Blessed be the Lord, for He hath heard the voice of My prayer.
7- Ver. 7. The Lord My Helper and My Protector. The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. In Him hath My
recompense.
Heart trusted, and I
in this life's difficulties with the devil. And the protector of the salvation of His Christ. That,
having saved them by His Christ, after the strength of war, He may protect them at the last with the immortality of peace.
people, struggling
is
;
I
I
I
a
is,
God glorified in the Church. Effects of His Voice. 211
9. Ver. 9. Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance. Ver. I intercede therefore, after My Flesh hath flourished again,
because Thou hast said, Desire of Me, and
the heathen for Thine inheritance, Save Thy people, and
bless Thine inheritance : for all Mine are Thine. And rule Johnir, them, and set them up even for ever. And rule them in this temporal life, and raise them from hence into life eternal.
PSALM XXIX. Lat. XXVIII.
A Psalm of David himself, of the consummation of the tabernacle.
1. A Psalm of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand, of the perfection of the Church in this world, where she wars in time against the devil.
2. The Prophet speaks, (ver. 1. ) Bring unto the Lord, O ye Sons of God, bring unto the Lord the young of rams. Bring unto the Lord yourselves, whom the Apostles, the
leaders of the flocks, have begotten by the Gospel. (Ver. 2. )i Cor. Bring unto the Lord glory and honour. By your works let '
the Lord be glorified and honoured. Bring unto the Lord
glory to His name. Let Him be made known gloriously throughout the world. Worship the Lord in His holy court. Worship the Lord in your heart enlarged and sanctified. For ye are His regal holy habitation.
3. Ver. 3. The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The Voice of Christ is upon the peoples. The God of majesty hath thundered. The God of majesty, from the cloud of the flesh, hath awfully preached repentance. The Lord is upon many waters. The Lord Jesus Himself, after that He sent forth His Voice upon the peoples, and struck them with awe, converted them to Himself, and dwelt in them.
4. Ver. 4. The Voice of the Lord is in power. The Voice of the Lord now in them themselves, making them powerful. The Voice of the Lord is in great might. The Voice of the
Lord working great things in them.
5. Ver. 5. The Voice of the Lord breaking the cedars.
The Voice of the Lord humbling the proud in brokenness of p2
I will
give
Thee Pa. 2, 8.
212 Voice of God breaks pride and malice, and strengthens His own.
Psalm heart. The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus. The ftXIX. Lord by repentance shall break them that are lifted on high by the splendour of earthly nobility, when to confound them
. . . which to display His Divmity.
6. Ver. 6. And shall bruise them as the calf of Libanus. And when their proud exaltation hath been cut off, He will lay them low after the imitation of His Own humility, Who
l Cor. l. He shall have chosen the base things of this world, in the
28
Is. 53,7. like a calf was led to slaughter by the nobility of this world. Ps. 2,2. For the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers agreed together against the Lord, and against His Christ. And the
Beloved is as the young of the unicorns. For even He the Phil. 2, Beloved, and the Only One of the Father, emptied Himself of His glory ; and was made man, like a child of the Jews,
that were ignorant of God's righteousness, and proudly boast- ing of their own righteousness as peculiarly theirs.
7. Ver. 7. The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of
The Voice of the Lord, without any harm to Himself, passing through all the excited ardour of them that persecute Him, or dividing the furious rage of His persecutors, so
John 7, that some should say, Is not this haply the very Christ ; ' others, Nay; but He deceiveth the people : and so cutting
short their mad tumult, as to pass some over into His love, and leave others in their malice.
8. Ver. 8. The Voice of the Lord moving the wilderness. The Voice of the Lord moving to the faith the Gentiles once Eph. 2, without hope, and without Godin the world; where no prophet,
no preacher of God's word, as it were, no man had dwelt. And the Lord will move the desert of Cades. And then the Lord will cause the holy word of His Scriptures to be fully known, which was abandoned by the Jews who understood it not.
9. Ver. 9.
The Voice of the Lord perfecting the stags. For the Voice of the Lord hath first perfected them that overcame and repelled the envenomed tongues *. And will reveal the woods. And then will He reveal to them the darknesses of the Divine books, and the shadowy depths of the mysteries, where they may feed with freedom. And in His temple doth
36.
Rom. ' '
fire.
" Plin. Hist. Nat. viii. 32. and x xviii. theirholes with theirbreath,and kill and
9. says, that they bring serpents out of eat them. See S. Greg. Mor. ik.
The Lord in the Tent now, in the House hereafter. 213
every man speak of His glory. And in His Church all born Ver. again to an eternal hope praise God, each for His own gift, 10' ll. ? which He hath received from the Holy Spirit.
10. Ver. 10. The Lord inhabiteth the deluge. The Lord therefore first inhabiteth the deluge of this world in His Saints, kept safely in the Church, as in the ark. And the Lord shall sit a King for ever. And afterward He will sit reigning in them for ever.
11. Ver. 11. The Lord will give strength to His people.
For the Lord will give strength to His people fighting against
the storms and whirlwinds of this world, for peace in this
world He hath not promised them. The Lord will bless His Johnl6,
people in peace. And the same Lord will bless His33, peopleI, affording them peace in Himself; for, saith He, My John 14,
peace
leave with
you, peace you.
give unto My I
27.
xxix.
PSALM XXX. FIRST EXPOSITION.
To the end, the Psalm of the Canticle of the Dedication of the House, of David himself.
1. To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the former Psalm the tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting.
2. It is then whole Christ Who speaketh. (Ver. 1. ) / wilt exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up. I will praise Thy high Majesty, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up.
Thou hast not made Mine enemies to rejoice over Me. And those, who have so often endeavoured to oppress Me with various persecutions throughout the world, Thou hast not made to rejoice over Me. I
have cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed Me. O Lord, My God, I have cried unto
3. Ver. 2. O Lord, My God,
Q 1 4 Praise to God in prophecy of resurrection and revival.
Psalm Thee, and I no longer bear about a body enfeebled and sick Exp. I. by mortality.
4. Ver. 3. O Lord, Thou hast brought back My Soul from hell, and Thou hast saved Me from them that go down into the pit. Thou hast saved Me from the condition of profound darkness, and the lowest slough of corruptible flesh.
5. Ver. 4. Sing to the Lord, 0 ye saints of His. The prophet seeing these future things, rejoiceth, and saith, Sing to the Lord, Oye saints of His. And make confession of the remembrance of His holiness. And make confession to Him, that He hath not forgotten the sanctification, wherewith He hath sanctified you, although all this intermediate period be long to your desires.
6. Ver. 5. For in His indignation is wrath. For He hath avenged against you the first sin, for which you have paid by death. And life in His will And life eternal, whercnnto you could not return by any strength of your own, hath He given, because He so would. In the evening weep ing uill tairy. Evening began, when the light of wisdom withdrew from sinful man, when he was condemned to death: from this evening weeping will tarry, as long as God's people are, amid labours and temptations, awaiting the day of the Lord. And exultation in the morning. Even to the morn ing, when there will be the exultation of the resurrection, which hath shone forth by anticipation in the morning resurrection of the ILord. I
shall not be moved for ever. But I, that people which was speaking from the first, sIaid in mine abundance, suffering now no
7. Ver. 6. But
said in my abundance,
shall not be moved ever. for
more any want,
8. Ver. 7. O Lord, in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength
unto my beauty. But that this my abundance, O Lord, is not of myself, but that in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty, I have learnt from this, Thou
furnedst away Thy Face from me, and I
became troubled; for Thou hast sometimes turned away Thy Face from the sinner, and I became troubled, when the illumination of Thy
knowledge withdrew from me.
9. Ver. 8. Unto Thee, O Lord, will Icry, and unto my
God uill T pray. And bringing to mind that time of my
The Church savedfrom sin, sorrow, and fear. 215
trouble and misery, and as it were established therein, I Ver. hear the voice of Thy First-Begotten, my Head, about to die --1 '
for me, and saying, Unto Thee, 0 Lord, will I
cry, and unto
I
10. Ver. 9. What profit is there in My blood, whilst
My God will
pray.
I down to corruption ? What profit is there in the shedding of
My blood, whilst I go down to corruption ? Shall dust confess unto Thee? For if I shall not rise immediately, and My body shall become corrupt, shall dust confess unto Thee ? that is, the crowd of the ungodly, whom I shall justify by My resurrection ? Or declare Thy truth ? Or for the salvation of the rest declare Thy truth ?
1 1. Ver. 10. The Lord hath heard, and had mercy on Me,
the Lord hath become My helper. Nor did He suffer His Ps. 16, holy One to see corruption.
12. Ver. 11. Thou hast turned My mourning into joy
to Me. Whom I, the Church, having received, the First- Begotten from the dead, now in the dedication of Thine Rev. l, house, say, Thou hast turned my mourning into joy to me. 5'
Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with glad ness. Thou hast torn off the veil of my sins, the sadness of my mortality ; and hast girded me with the first robe, with immortal gladness. I
13. Ver. 12. That my glory should sing unto Thee, and should not be pricked. That now, not my humiliation, but my glory should not lament, but should sing unto Thee, for that now out of humiliation Thou hast exalted me ; and that I should not be pricked with the consciousness of sin, with the fear of death, with the fear of judgment. 0 Lord, my
God,
glory, O Lord, my God, that I should confess unto Thee for
ever, that I have nothing of myself, but that all my good is i Cor.
of Thee, Who art God, All in all.
PSALM XXX. SECOND EXPOSITION.
1. This truly have we sung: (ver. I. ) Iwill magnify Thee, 0 Lord, for Thou hast taken me up, and hast not
,5, 28.
go
I will unto Thee ever. And this is my confess for
216 Christ prayed as Man, not in His Godhead.
Psalm made mine enemies to rejoice over me. If we shall know XXX
Exp. ii. from tne holy Scriptures who our enemies are, we recognise ~ the truth of this Canticle : but if the wisdom of the flesh Eph. 6, deceive uS, so tnat we recognise not against whom our
wrestling is, in the very commencement of this Psalm we find a difficulty, which we cannot solve. For whose voice do we suppose his to be, who praiseth God, and giveth thanks, and rejoiceth, and sailh, /will magnify Thee, 0 Lord, for Thou hast taken me up, and hast not made mine enemies to rejoice over me ? First let us consider the Lord Himself, Who in that He vouchsafed to be Man, could by a prophecy going before apply these words not unsuitably to Himself. For wherein He was Man, therein also was He weak : wherein weak, therein also praying. For as we have
just now heard, when the Gospel was being read, how He even retired into the desert from His disciples, whither they followed and found Him : but He retiring thither prayed,
****1, and it was said by His disciples who found Him, Men seek
Thee. But He answered, Let us go to oIther places and
come. If thou dost consider the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is it that prays ? to Whom doth He pray ? why doth He pray ? doth God pray ? doth He pray to One Equal to Him ? But what occasion for prayer hath the ever Blessed, the ever
Almighty, the ever Unchangeable, the Eternal and Coeternal
with the Father? Regarding then what Himself hath thun John l, dered forth by John, as (so to say) by a cloud of His, saying, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the Same was in the beginning with God: all things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made : what was made in Him is Life, and the Life was the Light ofmen, and the
Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Reading thus far we find no prayer, nor cause for praying, no occasion for praying, no disposition for praying.
John 1, But since ne saitn a little afterwards, And the Word was madeflesh, and dwelt in us, thou hast the Majesty to which to pray, thou hast the Humanity to pray for thee. For it was said by the Apostle, even after the resurrection of our Lord
^im8, Jesus Christ; Who sitteth, saith he, at the right hand of
teu"
villages1 also to preach; for therefore have
The Word made Flesh. Mediator between God and men.
God, Who also maketh intercession for us. Why doth He Ver. make intercession for us ? Because He vouchsafed to be a ^-- Mediator. What is it to be a Mediator between God and lTim. 2, men ? Not between the Father and men, but between GodS'
and men. What is God? Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
What are men ? Sinners, ungodly, mortals. Between that Trinity, and the weakness and wickedness of men, Man was
made Mediator, not wicked but yet weak ; that inasmuch as
He was not wicked He might join thee to God, inasmuch as
He was weak He might draw near unto thee: and so, that
there might be a Mediator between man and God, the Word
was made Flesh, that is, the Word was made Man. For
men are called by the name of flesh. Hence, And all flesh Luke 3,
shall see the salvation of God. By all flesh is meant all men. 6' And the Apostle, We wrestle not against flesh and blood,EPh. 6, (that is, against men,) but against princes and powers, and12' the rulers of the world, of this darkness: of which we will speak, if God help us, in what follows. For this distinction
bears upon the exposition of the Psalm, which we have undertaken in the Name of the Lord to unfold to you, holy Brethren. Yet I have mentioned these examples for this reason, that ye may know that men are called flesh, and
understand that by the saying, And the Word was made Flesh, is meant, And the Word was made Man.
2. Nor have I said this without reason. Ye should know,
holy Brethren, that there existed a certain heresy, or haply
that the remains are still found of certain men, who were
called Apollinarians. For some of them said that the Man ', i homi- which the Wisdom of God assumed, (and in which He mani- nem. fasted forth His Person, not as in other men, but as it is said
in the Psalm, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with Ps. 45,8. the oil of gladness above Thy fellows, that is, more than Thy fellows : that it should not be supposed that Christ was anointed as other men, as other righteous men, as the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, and whatsoever
there is great among mankind. Since among mankind there
hath not appeared aught greater than John the Baptist, neither hath risen among them that are born of women. Mat. i1, If thou lookest for excellency in man, John the Baptist is it.
But He, of Whom John saith that he is not worthy to unloose Mark l, 7.
217
218 Apollinarians held the Soul of Christ not rational.
Psalm the latchet of His shoes, what was He but greater than other Ejtp. ll. men ? Even in His very Manhood greater than other men. For as to His being God, and as to His Divinity, and as to
His being in the beginning the Word, and the Word being with the Father, and the Word being God, He is above every creature, equal to the Father: but we speak of His Manhood. Perhaps some one of you, Brethren, may imagine, that the Man assumed by the Wisdom of God, was equal to other men. If in the members there be great distinction between the head and the rest of the members, undoubtedly all the members make one body, yet there is great difference between the head, and the rest of the members. For in the other members thou hast only perception by touch ; by touching thou hast perception in the other members ; but in the head thou both seest, and hearest, and smellest, and tastest, and touchest: if the excellence of the head as com pared with the rest of the members be so great, how great is the excellence of the Head of the Church universal, that is, of that Man, Whom God hath willed to be the Mediator between God and men?
(ver. 13. ) 1 believe to see the good things ofthe Lord in the land of the living. O the good things of the Lord, sweet, immortal, incomparable, eternal, unchangeable ! And when
' ? '
208 True good in the earth of the living. Manly endurance.
Psalm shall I see you, ye good things of the Lord ? Exp. il see you, but not in the earth of the dying. /
the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. The Lord shall deliver me from the earth of the dying, Who for my sake vouchsafed to take upon Himself the earth of the dying, and to die amid the hands of the dying : the Lord
/
to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living. Panting he spoke, travailing he spoke, he spoke in peril
shall deliver me from the earth of the dying :
believe
amid a mighty crowd of temptations : but yet wholly de pending on His mercy, to Whom he said, Appoint me a late, O Lord.
23. And what doth He say, Who hath appointed him a law ? Let us hear the Voice of the Lord too exhorting us from on high, consoling us ; His Voice Whom we have for father and mother, who have left us : let us hear His Voice. For He hath heard our groans, He hath seen our deep sighs, He hath beheld our longing ; and our one petition, the one request through Christ our Advocate hath He gladly received ; and until we accomplish this pilgrimage, during which He will defer, not take away, what He hath promised, He hath said unto us, Wait on the Lord. Thou wilt not wait on a false one, not on one that can be deceived, not on one that will not find what to give. The Almighty hath promised, the Sure One hath promised, the True hath promised. Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man. Faint not : be not of
Ecclus. them to whom it is said, Woe unto them that have lost
I believe to believe to see
' '
endurance. Wait on the Lord, is said to us all, and to one Man is it said. We are one Man in Christ, we are the Body of Christ, who have that one longing, who make that one petition, who in those days of our evils groan, who believe to see the good things of the Lord in the earth of the living ; to us all who are one in One it is said, (ver. 14. ) Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man ; and let thy heart be strong, yea, wait on the Lord. What else saith He to thee, than repeat what thou hast heard? Wait on the Lord, quit thyself
like a man. Therefore he who hath lost endurance, hath
become effeminate, hath lost vigour. Let men, let women, Gal. 3, listen to this ; for in the one man is man and woman. Such an one in Christ is neither male, nor female. Wait on the
The Man, Christ, desires not to be as His enemies shall be. 209
Lord, quit thyself like a man ; let thy heart be strong, yea, Ver. wait on the Lord. By waiting on the Lord thou shall - possess Him, thou shalt possess Him on Whom thou shalt
wait. Long for somewhat else, if thou canst find aught greater, better, sweeter.
PSALM XXVIII. Of David himself.
Lat. XXVII.
1. It is the Voice of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand
in the conflict of the Passion. Now what He seems to wish
for against His enemies, is not the wish of malevolence, but
the declaration of their punishment ; as in the Gospel, with Mat. n,
--
the cities, in which though He had performed miracles, yet they had not believed on Him, He doth not wish in any evil will what He saith, but predicteth what is impending over
them. I cried; My God, be 2. Ver. 1. Unto Thee, O Lord, have
not silent from me. Unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried ; My God, separate not the unity of Thy Word from that which as Man I am. Lest at any time Thou be silent from me: and L shall be like them that go down into the pit. For from this, that the Eternity of Thy Word ceaseth not to unite Itself to Me, it comes that I am not such a man as the rest of men, who are born into the deep misery of this world: where,
as if Thou art silent, Thy Word is not recognised. Hear, O Lord, theIvoice of my supplication, whilst
'
(Ver. 2. ) I pray
hold up my hands to Thy holy temple. Whilst I am crucified for their salvation, who on believing
become Thy holy temple.
3. Ver. 3. Draw not My Soul away with sinners, and
destroy me not with them that work iniquity, with them that
speak peace with their neighbours. With them that say unto
Me, We know that Thou art a Master come from God. But John 3, evil in their hearts. But they speak evil in their hearts.
4. Ver. 4. Give unto them according to their works. Give
unto Thee, whilst
unto them according to their works, for this is just.
according to the malice of their affections1. For aiming atnum/
^nd^^*^
210 Judgments foretold. God the Helper of His people.
Psalm evil, they cannot discover good. According to the works of '" their hands give Thou unto them. Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto
them according to the works of their wills. Pay them their
Rom.
have been helped. And My Flesh hath flourished again: that and My Flesh hath risen again. And of my will will confess unto Him. Wherefore, the fear
of death being now destroyed, not by the necessity of fear under the Law, but with free will with the Law, shall they who believe on Me, confess unto Him and because am in them, will confess.
8. Ver. 8. The Lord is the strength of His people. Not that people ignorant of the righteousness of God, and willing to establish their own. For they thought not themselves strong in themselves: for the Lord the strength of His
Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.
5. Vef. . 5. For they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord. And whence is it clear that this hath befallen them ? From this forsooth, for they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord. This very thing, in truth, hath been, even now, their recompense, that in Him Whom they tempted with malicious intent as a Man, they should not recognise God, with what design the Father sent Him in the Flesh. And the works of His hands. Nor be moved by those visible works, which are laid out before their very eyes.
Thou shall destroy them, and not build them up. Let them do Me no hurt, nay, nor again in their endeavour to raise engines against My Church, let them aught avail.
6. Ver. 6. Blessed be the Lord, for He hath heard the voice of My prayer.
7- Ver. 7. The Lord My Helper and My Protector. The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. In Him hath My
recompense.
Heart trusted, and I
in this life's difficulties with the devil. And the protector of the salvation of His Christ. That,
having saved them by His Christ, after the strength of war, He may protect them at the last with the immortality of peace.
people, struggling
is
;
I
I
I
a
is,
God glorified in the Church. Effects of His Voice. 211
9. Ver. 9. Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance. Ver. I intercede therefore, after My Flesh hath flourished again,
because Thou hast said, Desire of Me, and
the heathen for Thine inheritance, Save Thy people, and
bless Thine inheritance : for all Mine are Thine. And rule Johnir, them, and set them up even for ever. And rule them in this temporal life, and raise them from hence into life eternal.
PSALM XXIX. Lat. XXVIII.
A Psalm of David himself, of the consummation of the tabernacle.
1. A Psalm of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand, of the perfection of the Church in this world, where she wars in time against the devil.
2. The Prophet speaks, (ver. 1. ) Bring unto the Lord, O ye Sons of God, bring unto the Lord the young of rams. Bring unto the Lord yourselves, whom the Apostles, the
leaders of the flocks, have begotten by the Gospel. (Ver. 2. )i Cor. Bring unto the Lord glory and honour. By your works let '
the Lord be glorified and honoured. Bring unto the Lord
glory to His name. Let Him be made known gloriously throughout the world. Worship the Lord in His holy court. Worship the Lord in your heart enlarged and sanctified. For ye are His regal holy habitation.
3. Ver. 3. The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The Voice of Christ is upon the peoples. The God of majesty hath thundered. The God of majesty, from the cloud of the flesh, hath awfully preached repentance. The Lord is upon many waters. The Lord Jesus Himself, after that He sent forth His Voice upon the peoples, and struck them with awe, converted them to Himself, and dwelt in them.
4. Ver. 4. The Voice of the Lord is in power. The Voice of the Lord now in them themselves, making them powerful. The Voice of the Lord is in great might. The Voice of the
Lord working great things in them.
5. Ver. 5. The Voice of the Lord breaking the cedars.
The Voice of the Lord humbling the proud in brokenness of p2
I will
give
Thee Pa. 2, 8.
212 Voice of God breaks pride and malice, and strengthens His own.
Psalm heart. The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus. The ftXIX. Lord by repentance shall break them that are lifted on high by the splendour of earthly nobility, when to confound them
. . . which to display His Divmity.
6. Ver. 6. And shall bruise them as the calf of Libanus. And when their proud exaltation hath been cut off, He will lay them low after the imitation of His Own humility, Who
l Cor. l. He shall have chosen the base things of this world, in the
28
Is. 53,7. like a calf was led to slaughter by the nobility of this world. Ps. 2,2. For the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers agreed together against the Lord, and against His Christ. And the
Beloved is as the young of the unicorns. For even He the Phil. 2, Beloved, and the Only One of the Father, emptied Himself of His glory ; and was made man, like a child of the Jews,
that were ignorant of God's righteousness, and proudly boast- ing of their own righteousness as peculiarly theirs.
7. Ver. 7. The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of
The Voice of the Lord, without any harm to Himself, passing through all the excited ardour of them that persecute Him, or dividing the furious rage of His persecutors, so
John 7, that some should say, Is not this haply the very Christ ; ' others, Nay; but He deceiveth the people : and so cutting
short their mad tumult, as to pass some over into His love, and leave others in their malice.
8. Ver. 8. The Voice of the Lord moving the wilderness. The Voice of the Lord moving to the faith the Gentiles once Eph. 2, without hope, and without Godin the world; where no prophet,
no preacher of God's word, as it were, no man had dwelt. And the Lord will move the desert of Cades. And then the Lord will cause the holy word of His Scriptures to be fully known, which was abandoned by the Jews who understood it not.
9. Ver. 9.
The Voice of the Lord perfecting the stags. For the Voice of the Lord hath first perfected them that overcame and repelled the envenomed tongues *. And will reveal the woods. And then will He reveal to them the darknesses of the Divine books, and the shadowy depths of the mysteries, where they may feed with freedom. And in His temple doth
36.
Rom. ' '
fire.
" Plin. Hist. Nat. viii. 32. and x xviii. theirholes with theirbreath,and kill and
9. says, that they bring serpents out of eat them. See S. Greg. Mor. ik.
The Lord in the Tent now, in the House hereafter. 213
every man speak of His glory. And in His Church all born Ver. again to an eternal hope praise God, each for His own gift, 10' ll. ? which He hath received from the Holy Spirit.
10. Ver. 10. The Lord inhabiteth the deluge. The Lord therefore first inhabiteth the deluge of this world in His Saints, kept safely in the Church, as in the ark. And the Lord shall sit a King for ever. And afterward He will sit reigning in them for ever.
11. Ver. 11. The Lord will give strength to His people.
For the Lord will give strength to His people fighting against
the storms and whirlwinds of this world, for peace in this
world He hath not promised them. The Lord will bless His Johnl6,
people in peace. And the same Lord will bless His33, peopleI, affording them peace in Himself; for, saith He, My John 14,
peace
leave with
you, peace you.
give unto My I
27.
xxix.
PSALM XXX. FIRST EXPOSITION.
To the end, the Psalm of the Canticle of the Dedication of the House, of David himself.
1. To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the former Psalm the tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting.
2. It is then whole Christ Who speaketh. (Ver. 1. ) / wilt exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up. I will praise Thy high Majesty, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up.
Thou hast not made Mine enemies to rejoice over Me. And those, who have so often endeavoured to oppress Me with various persecutions throughout the world, Thou hast not made to rejoice over Me. I
have cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed Me. O Lord, My God, I have cried unto
3. Ver. 2. O Lord, My God,
Q 1 4 Praise to God in prophecy of resurrection and revival.
Psalm Thee, and I no longer bear about a body enfeebled and sick Exp. I. by mortality.
4. Ver. 3. O Lord, Thou hast brought back My Soul from hell, and Thou hast saved Me from them that go down into the pit. Thou hast saved Me from the condition of profound darkness, and the lowest slough of corruptible flesh.
5. Ver. 4. Sing to the Lord, 0 ye saints of His. The prophet seeing these future things, rejoiceth, and saith, Sing to the Lord, Oye saints of His. And make confession of the remembrance of His holiness. And make confession to Him, that He hath not forgotten the sanctification, wherewith He hath sanctified you, although all this intermediate period be long to your desires.
6. Ver. 5. For in His indignation is wrath. For He hath avenged against you the first sin, for which you have paid by death. And life in His will And life eternal, whercnnto you could not return by any strength of your own, hath He given, because He so would. In the evening weep ing uill tairy. Evening began, when the light of wisdom withdrew from sinful man, when he was condemned to death: from this evening weeping will tarry, as long as God's people are, amid labours and temptations, awaiting the day of the Lord. And exultation in the morning. Even to the morn ing, when there will be the exultation of the resurrection, which hath shone forth by anticipation in the morning resurrection of the ILord. I
shall not be moved for ever. But I, that people which was speaking from the first, sIaid in mine abundance, suffering now no
7. Ver. 6. But
said in my abundance,
shall not be moved ever. for
more any want,
8. Ver. 7. O Lord, in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength
unto my beauty. But that this my abundance, O Lord, is not of myself, but that in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty, I have learnt from this, Thou
furnedst away Thy Face from me, and I
became troubled; for Thou hast sometimes turned away Thy Face from the sinner, and I became troubled, when the illumination of Thy
knowledge withdrew from me.
9. Ver. 8. Unto Thee, O Lord, will Icry, and unto my
God uill T pray. And bringing to mind that time of my
The Church savedfrom sin, sorrow, and fear. 215
trouble and misery, and as it were established therein, I Ver. hear the voice of Thy First-Begotten, my Head, about to die --1 '
for me, and saying, Unto Thee, 0 Lord, will I
cry, and unto
I
10. Ver. 9. What profit is there in My blood, whilst
My God will
pray.
I down to corruption ? What profit is there in the shedding of
My blood, whilst I go down to corruption ? Shall dust confess unto Thee? For if I shall not rise immediately, and My body shall become corrupt, shall dust confess unto Thee ? that is, the crowd of the ungodly, whom I shall justify by My resurrection ? Or declare Thy truth ? Or for the salvation of the rest declare Thy truth ?
1 1. Ver. 10. The Lord hath heard, and had mercy on Me,
the Lord hath become My helper. Nor did He suffer His Ps. 16, holy One to see corruption.
12. Ver. 11. Thou hast turned My mourning into joy
to Me. Whom I, the Church, having received, the First- Begotten from the dead, now in the dedication of Thine Rev. l, house, say, Thou hast turned my mourning into joy to me. 5'
Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with glad ness. Thou hast torn off the veil of my sins, the sadness of my mortality ; and hast girded me with the first robe, with immortal gladness. I
13. Ver. 12. That my glory should sing unto Thee, and should not be pricked. That now, not my humiliation, but my glory should not lament, but should sing unto Thee, for that now out of humiliation Thou hast exalted me ; and that I should not be pricked with the consciousness of sin, with the fear of death, with the fear of judgment. 0 Lord, my
God,
glory, O Lord, my God, that I should confess unto Thee for
ever, that I have nothing of myself, but that all my good is i Cor.
of Thee, Who art God, All in all.
PSALM XXX. SECOND EXPOSITION.
1. This truly have we sung: (ver. I. ) Iwill magnify Thee, 0 Lord, for Thou hast taken me up, and hast not
,5, 28.
go
I will unto Thee ever. And this is my confess for
216 Christ prayed as Man, not in His Godhead.
Psalm made mine enemies to rejoice over me. If we shall know XXX
Exp. ii. from tne holy Scriptures who our enemies are, we recognise ~ the truth of this Canticle : but if the wisdom of the flesh Eph. 6, deceive uS, so tnat we recognise not against whom our
wrestling is, in the very commencement of this Psalm we find a difficulty, which we cannot solve. For whose voice do we suppose his to be, who praiseth God, and giveth thanks, and rejoiceth, and sailh, /will magnify Thee, 0 Lord, for Thou hast taken me up, and hast not made mine enemies to rejoice over me ? First let us consider the Lord Himself, Who in that He vouchsafed to be Man, could by a prophecy going before apply these words not unsuitably to Himself. For wherein He was Man, therein also was He weak : wherein weak, therein also praying. For as we have
just now heard, when the Gospel was being read, how He even retired into the desert from His disciples, whither they followed and found Him : but He retiring thither prayed,
****1, and it was said by His disciples who found Him, Men seek
Thee. But He answered, Let us go to oIther places and
come. If thou dost consider the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is it that prays ? to Whom doth He pray ? why doth He pray ? doth God pray ? doth He pray to One Equal to Him ? But what occasion for prayer hath the ever Blessed, the ever
Almighty, the ever Unchangeable, the Eternal and Coeternal
with the Father? Regarding then what Himself hath thun John l, dered forth by John, as (so to say) by a cloud of His, saying, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the Same was in the beginning with God: all things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made : what was made in Him is Life, and the Life was the Light ofmen, and the
Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Reading thus far we find no prayer, nor cause for praying, no occasion for praying, no disposition for praying.
John 1, But since ne saitn a little afterwards, And the Word was madeflesh, and dwelt in us, thou hast the Majesty to which to pray, thou hast the Humanity to pray for thee. For it was said by the Apostle, even after the resurrection of our Lord
^im8, Jesus Christ; Who sitteth, saith he, at the right hand of
teu"
villages1 also to preach; for therefore have
The Word made Flesh. Mediator between God and men.
God, Who also maketh intercession for us. Why doth He Ver. make intercession for us ? Because He vouchsafed to be a ^-- Mediator. What is it to be a Mediator between God and lTim. 2, men ? Not between the Father and men, but between GodS'
and men. What is God? Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
What are men ? Sinners, ungodly, mortals. Between that Trinity, and the weakness and wickedness of men, Man was
made Mediator, not wicked but yet weak ; that inasmuch as
He was not wicked He might join thee to God, inasmuch as
He was weak He might draw near unto thee: and so, that
there might be a Mediator between man and God, the Word
was made Flesh, that is, the Word was made Man. For
men are called by the name of flesh. Hence, And all flesh Luke 3,
shall see the salvation of God. By all flesh is meant all men. 6' And the Apostle, We wrestle not against flesh and blood,EPh. 6, (that is, against men,) but against princes and powers, and12' the rulers of the world, of this darkness: of which we will speak, if God help us, in what follows. For this distinction
bears upon the exposition of the Psalm, which we have undertaken in the Name of the Lord to unfold to you, holy Brethren. Yet I have mentioned these examples for this reason, that ye may know that men are called flesh, and
understand that by the saying, And the Word was made Flesh, is meant, And the Word was made Man.
2. Nor have I said this without reason. Ye should know,
holy Brethren, that there existed a certain heresy, or haply
that the remains are still found of certain men, who were
called Apollinarians. For some of them said that the Man ', i homi- which the Wisdom of God assumed, (and in which He mani- nem. fasted forth His Person, not as in other men, but as it is said
in the Psalm, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with Ps. 45,8. the oil of gladness above Thy fellows, that is, more than Thy fellows : that it should not be supposed that Christ was anointed as other men, as other righteous men, as the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, and whatsoever
there is great among mankind. Since among mankind there
hath not appeared aught greater than John the Baptist, neither hath risen among them that are born of women. Mat. i1, If thou lookest for excellency in man, John the Baptist is it.
But He, of Whom John saith that he is not worthy to unloose Mark l, 7.
217
218 Apollinarians held the Soul of Christ not rational.
Psalm the latchet of His shoes, what was He but greater than other Ejtp. ll. men ? Even in His very Manhood greater than other men. For as to His being God, and as to His Divinity, and as to
His being in the beginning the Word, and the Word being with the Father, and the Word being God, He is above every creature, equal to the Father: but we speak of His Manhood. Perhaps some one of you, Brethren, may imagine, that the Man assumed by the Wisdom of God, was equal to other men. If in the members there be great distinction between the head and the rest of the members, undoubtedly all the members make one body, yet there is great difference between the head, and the rest of the members. For in the other members thou hast only perception by touch ; by touching thou hast perception in the other members ; but in the head thou both seest, and hearest, and smellest, and tastest, and touchest: if the excellence of the head as com pared with the rest of the members be so great, how great is the excellence of the Head of the Church universal, that is, of that Man, Whom God hath willed to be the Mediator between God and men?
