See how small a price do we give ; as it were, a single grain of pulse to receive eternal treasures ; a single mite of toil, for a rest which is beyond
our conception, according to what is said, it worketh for us,after an incredible measure and to an incredible measure, an eternal weight of glory.
our conception, according to what is said, it worketh for us,after an incredible measure and to an incredible measure, an eternal weight of glory.
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v4
sleep : when the Gospel saith, Jesus ate, that He did not f^6]4' eat: the worm of corruption hath thus crept in, and left*c.
nothing whole.
So that it may be said, that He had not a
VOL. iv. B b
glory!
Tim. , '''
370 God's long-suffering is for a good end.
Psalm true body, and had not a true flesh. Whatever therefore is XCIV 'written of Him, brethren, really happened, and is true. Was He therefore sorrowful ? Assuredly sorrowful, but with sorrow
taken of His own free will, even as He assumed the flesh of His own will; as He of His own will took upon Him true flesh, so did He of His own will take upon Him true sorrow. Thus also of His own will hath He shewn in Himself, that if
some weakness hath come over thee, and thou hast begun to wish otherwise than God dolh will, thou mayest see how thine own heart hath turned itself aside from the straight rule, thou mayest fix thy heart after the rule, and thy heart which in the man had begun to be crooked, may
be directed after God. Thus then the Lord, as a guide to Mat. 26,thee, saith: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: and, O
38'
ib. 42.
perchance
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. But say then at once what He said, that He might teach thee:
I will, but as Nevertheless, not as Thou,
Father, wilt. For
if ye follow righ teousness, your heart is right ; if your heart be right, that
if ye do this, ye will have righteousness :
which now endureth, will turn again unto judgment, and afterwards, when thy Lord judgeth, thou shalt not only not dread evils, but shalt also glory in thy crown.
Then shalt thou see how the longsuffering of God hath pro fited, either for their punishment or for thy crown : at present thou seest not : believe what thou seest not as yet, lest thou be ashamed when thou shalt see. Until righteousness turn again unto judgment: all such as have it are right in heart.
20. Ver. 16. Who will rise up for me against the wicked? or who will take my part against the evil doers? Many
us to divers evils : the serpent ceaseth not to whisper to thee to work iniquity : whichever way thou shalt turn, if perchance thou hast done well, thou seekest to live well with some one, and thou hardly findest any one ; many wicked men surround thee, for there are few grains of wheat, and much chaff. This floor hath its grains of corn, but as yet they suffer. Therefore the whole mass of the wheat, when separated from the chaff, will be great : the grains are few, but when compared with the chaff, still many in them selves. When therefore the wicked cry out on every side, and say, Why livest thou thus? Art thou the only Christian?
righteousness,
persuade
Temptation through evil Christians. 371
Why dost thou not do, what others also do ? Why dost thou Ver. not frequent the theatres, as others do ? Why dost thou -17'
not use charms and amulets?
astrologers and soothsayers, even as others do ? And thou
Why dost thou not consult
crossest1 thyself, and sayest, I am a Christian, that
mayest repel them, whosoever they are; but the enemy s,gnast' presses on, urges his attacks ; what is worse, by the example
of Christians he choketh Christians.
midst of heat : the Christian soul suffereth tribulation : yet
it hath power to conquer: hath it such power of itself?
For this reason remark what he saith. For he answereth,
What doth it profit me that I now find charms for myself,
I
repair unto my Lord, Who shall send me into the flames ;
because I have preferred a few days to life eternal, He shall send me into hell. What hell? That of the eternal judg
and gain a few days ?
depart
hence from
this life, and
thou'. Ett? They toil on, in the
ment of God. Is it really so,
unless indeed thou really believest that God carelh how men live ? And perhaps it is not an acquaintance who speaketh thus to thee in the street, but thy wife at home, or possibly the husband to the faithful and holy wife, her deceiver. If it be the woman to her husband, she is as Eve unto him ; if as the husband unto the wife, he is as the devil unto her: either she is herself as Eve unto thee, or thou art a serpent unto her. Sometimes the father would incline his thoughts to his son, and findeth him wicked, utterly depraved : he is in a fever of misery, he wavers, he seeketh how to subdue him, he is almost drawn
in, and consenteth: but may God be *near him. Hear*al- therefore the Psalm : Who will rise up for me against the wicked ? So many are there; wherever I look round, they meet my eyes. Who shall withstand the devil, the prince of iniquity, and bis angels, and the men that have been seduced
by him?
21. Ver. 17. 1/ the Lord, he saith, had not helped me :
within a little my soul had dwelt in hell. I had almost plunged into that pit which is preparing for sinners : that is, my soul had dwelt in hell. Because he already began to waver, and nearly to consent, he looked back unto the Lord. Suppose, for example's sake, he was insulted to
Bb2
(the enemy answereth,)
372 Insults of the proud. The feet near slippiug.
PsAt. M tempt him to iniquity. For sometimes the wicked flock
28'
come imto Thee on the water. He in His own power, Peter by His order; bid me, he saith, come unto Thee. He answered, Come. For the Church also trampleth on the
if they are more in number, and if they have taken him alone, as there is often much chaff about one grain of wheat; (though there
will not be when the heap hath been fanned ;) he is then taken among many wicked ones, is insulted, and surrounded; they wish to place themselves over him, they torment him
-C1V- together, and insult the good ; especially
A great Apostle! say they ; Thou hast flown into heaven, as Elias did ! Men do these things, so that sometime, when he listeneth to the tongue of men, he is ashamed to be good among the wicked. Let him therefore resist the evil; but not of his
own strength, lest he become proud, and when he wishes to escape the proud, himself increase their number. But what should he say ? Who will rise up for me against the wicked: or who will take my part against the evil-doers?
If the Lord had not helped me, within a little my soul had
dwelt in hell. // / said, My fool hath dipt; Thy -2-2. Ver. 18, 19.
O Lord, held me up. See how God loveth con fession. Thy foot hath slipt, and thou sayest not, my foot hath slipt ; but thou sayest thou art firm, when thou art slipping. The moment thou beginnest to slip or waver, confess thou that slip, that thou mayest not bewail thy total fall ; that He may help, so that thy soul be not in bell.
God loveth confession, loveth humility. Thou hast slipped, as a man ; God helpeth thee, nevertheless : yet say, Myfoot hath slipt. Why dost thou slip, and yet sayest, I am firm ?
and insult him for his very righteousness.
mercy,
When
foot
I said, My
hath slipt, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath held me up. Just as Peter presumed, but not in strength
of his own. The Lord was seen to walk upon the sea, trampling on the heads of all the proud in this life. In walking upon the foaming waves, He figured His own course when He trampleth on the heads of the proud. The Church too doth trample upon them : for Peter is the Church Her
self. Nevertheless, Peter dared not by himself walk upon
Mat. M, the waters; but what said he? Lord, if it be Thou, bid me
cI
Trial drives us to God, and teaches Wisdom.
373
heads of the proud; but since it is the Church, and hath Vrr.
human weakness, that these words might be fulfilled, //. .
0 ' J 20'
/ said, My foot hath slipt, Peter tottered on the sea, and lb. 30.
put, If perish. And what is here, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath held me up,
ried out, Lord, save me! and so what is here
said, My hath slipt, is foot
put
there, Lord,
I
is there put, And immediately Jesus stretched forth His ib. 31. hand, saying, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? It is wonderful how God proveth men: our very ^ ,
dangers render Him Who rescueth us sweeteI
^
For see what followeth : because he said, If
foot hath slipt, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath , held me up. The Lord hath become especially sweet unto him, in rescuing
him from danger ; and thus speaking of this very sweetness of the Lord, he exclaimeth I and saith, O Lord, in the multi
he addeth this testimony : For if the righteous scarcely be i peter
How4'1^-18, then shall the wicked be with Thee, if Thou dost not even pr0v.
saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?
spare Thy faithful, in order that Thou mayest exercise and 11>>31- teach them ? But as He spareth them not, for this reason,
that He may teach them : he saith, For Tliou makest sorrow
r unto us.
\ said,
comforts
My
had in my heart, Thy
tude of the sorrows that
have refreshed my soul. Many sorrows, but many con solations : bitter wounds, and sweet remedies.
23. Ver. 20. Wilt Thou have any thing to do with the stool of iniquity, Who makest sorrow in learning? He hath said this, No wicked man sitteth with Thee, nor shalt Thou have any thing to do with the stool of iniquity. And he giveth an account whereof he understandeth this, For
Thou makest sorrow in learning. For from this, because Thou hast not spared us, do I understand that Thou hast nothing to do with the stool of iniquity. Thou hast this in the Epistle of the Apostle Peter, and for this reason he hath adduced a testimony from the Scripture : for the time is come, he saith, that judgment must begin at the house of God; that is, the time is come for the judgment of those who belong to the house of God. If sons are scourged, what must the most wicked slaves expect ? For which reason he added : And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Goopel of God? To which
374 Gods ' making' is like the 'potter's. '
Psalm in learning. Makest, that formest from whence comes XCIV' the word figulus (from fingo), and a potter's vessel called
fictile not in the meaning offiction, as a falsehood, but of
forming so as to give any thing being and some sort of form ? er. 9. as before he said, He that fabricated (finxit) the eye, shall He not see Is that, fabricated the eye' a falsehood? Nay, understood He fashioned the eye, made the eye. And
He not a potter when He makes men frail, weak, earthly Hear the Apostle We have this treasure in earthen vessels. But perhaps some one else made these vessels for us Hear him speaking: What art thou, man, who answerest against God Can the vessel say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me so Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make one vessel to honour, another to dishonour Behold our Lord Himself, how He sheweth Himself a potter. Because He had made man of clay, He anointed him with
clay, for whom He had not made eyes in the womb. And so when he sailh, Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of wickedness, Who makest grief in learning? let us say in this sense Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of wickedness, Who makest grief in learning Makest, he saith, grief in learning, that is, out of grief makest learning for us, so that grief itself becomes our instruction. How sorrow our learning? When He scourgeth thee Who died for thee, and Who doth not promise bliss in this life, and Who cannot deceive, and when He giveth not here what thou seekest. What will He give when will He give how much will He give, Who giveth not here, Who here teacheth, Who maketh sorrow in learning? Thy labour here, and rest promised thee. Thou takest thought that thou hast toil here: but take thought what sort of rest He promiseth. Canst thou conceive it? If thou couldest, thou
wouldest see that thy toil here nothing toward an equivalent.
Hear one who had seen in part, who said, Now know in
which for the present, and temporal, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, after an in credible measure, and to an incredible measure. What the, worketh for us afar more exceeding and eternal weight ofglory? For when doth work? while we look not at the
Cor. '
Bom.
Cor.
13 12' part. What saith this Apostle? For our light affliction,
Cor.
it
it
is
is,
2'1 '2
4,
4, ?
is it is
is
is
? :
?
?
I
isis? is I;
;
?
it
?
O
?
is
'
:
:
God gives rest at the price of toil. 375 things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : Ver.
- 20'
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Be not slothful in thy toil for a short space : and thou shalt rejoice without ceasing. God will give thee eternal life : consider with how much toil it should be purchased.
24. Attend, brethren ; it is for sale. What I have is for sale, saith God unto thee, buy it. What hath He for sale ? I have rest for sale; buy it by thy toil. Attend, that we may be in Christ's name brave Christians : the remainder of the Psalm is but a little, let us not be weary. For how can he be strong in doing, who faileth in hearing? The Lord will help us to expound unto you the remainder. Attend
then: God hath, as it were, proclaimed the kingdom of heaven for sale. Thou sayest unto Him, What is its value? The price is toil : if He were to say, its price is gold, it would not suffice to say this only, but thou wouldest seek to know how much gold ; for there is a mass of gold, and half an ounce, and a pound, and the like. He said price, that thou mightest not be at pains to enquire, how long thou shouldest find it. The price of the commodity is toil: how much
toil is it ? Now seek how much thou shouldest toil for it.
Thou art not as yet told how great that toil is doomed to be,
or how much toil is required of thee : God saith this unto
thee, I shew thee how great that rest will be ; do thou judge
with what measure of toil it should be bought. Let God therefore say how great that rest is destined to be : Blessed Ps. 84,4. are they that dwell in thy house: they will be for ever praising thee. This is eternal rest : this rest will be without
end ; this joy will be without end, this pleasure will be without end, this incorruptibility will be without end ; thou shalt have eternal life ; a rest which is without end. What toil is that rest worth which hath no end? If thou wish- est to make a true judgment, surely eternal rest is rightly purchased by eternal toil. This is true : but do not fear : God is merciful. For if thou hadst eternal toil, thou wouldest never reach eternal rest. Always toiling, when wouldest thou reach that which worthily indeed would be the price of eternal toil, because the rest is eter nal ? Make the price an equivalent : surely eternal rest
is worthy of comparison with eternal toil ! But if thou
376 God's reward incomparably exceeds our toils.
Psalm didst always toil, thou wouldest never reach eternal rest. - That thou mayest therefore at some time gain what thou buyest, thou must not toil for ever: not that it is not of so much value, but that what is bought may be possessed. It is indeed worthy of being bought by perpetual toil ; but it
is necessary that it be bought by temporary toil. Certainly it ought to be so much, that is, eternal labour for eternal rest. What is the value of a million of years in toil? A million of years have an end : what I will give thee, saith God, shall not have an end. What then is the mercy of God? He saith not, toil for a million of years: he saith not, toil even for a thousand years: not, toil for five hundred years: toil while thou dost live, for a few years ; thence shall thy rest commence, and be without end. HeIar what followeth: Lord, in the multitude of sorrows that
comforts have refreshed my soul. Thou toilest not only a few years, but in those very years, consolation is not wanting, daily joys are not wanting. But rejoice not in the world : rejoice in Christ, rejoice in His word, rejoice in His law. What I am speaking of, what ye are listening to, belongeth to these very joys. How great then are those consolations amid so great toils ? True, there is what the Apostle saith,
2 Cor. For our light affliction, which is but for a time, after an
*' 17'
incredible measure and to an incredible measure, worketh for us an eternal weight of glory.
See how small a price do we give ; as it were, a single grain of pulse to receive eternal treasures ; a single mite of toil, for a rest which is beyond
our conception, according to what is said, it worketh for us,after an incredible measure and to an incredible measure, an eternal weight of glory. Thou rejoicest for a season: trust not therein ; thou art sorrowful for a season : do not despair. Let not prosperity corrupt thee, nor adversity break thee down : lest perchance thou mayest say in thy mind, it cannot be that God, Who chasteneth even the righteous that He may save them, that He may teach them,
ProT. can admit unto Himself the wicked. For if the righteous 11,3 ' scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? I Pet. 4, Hast Tltou any thing to do with the stool of iniquity ? that
is, Dost Thou share the seat of the wicked? Thou Who makest sorrow in learning ; Who hast chosen thus to try these Thy children, and to teach them thus, to give them
had in heart, Thy my
What it is that we learn by trials and dangers. 377
such lessons, as to leave them still in fear, lest they should Ver. love something else, and forget Thee their true good
God is good : but if He were to cease, and not to mingle bitternesses with our temporal bliss, we should forget
Him.
25. But where the anguish of trouble raiseth waves in the
soul, then that faith, which was sleeping there, is aroused.
For it was calm, when Christ was asleep on the sea : while
He was sleeping, a storm arose, and they began to be in danger. Both tranquillity then and peace will be in the Christian's heart : but as long as our faith is on the watch :
but if our faith sleepeth, we are in danger. For Christ sleeping signifietl), that some forget their faith, and are in , danger. But as when that ship was tossing on the waves,
Christ was aroused by the tossed crew, who cried, Lord, we Matt. 8,
perish ! He arose, and commanded the winds, commanded 26
the waves, and it became calm ; thus when evil lusts, evil persuasions, disturb thee, they are waves, they will be calmed.
Thou dost now despair, and believest that thou dost not belong unto the Lord : let thy faith awake : awake Christ in
thy heart ; when faith riseth, thou recognisest where thou
art : and if perchance the waves of lust tempt thee, thou beholdest what God hath promised ; and the sweetness of
His promises will make thee a despiser of the sweetnesses of
the world ; and if perchance many threats of the powerful wicked oppress thee, and drive thee from righteousness,
thou listenest to the threat of God, Go into everlasting Mat. 25,
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, and thou dost not41- leave thy righteousness : in fear therefore of eternal fire thou despisest temporal pain : and for the promises of God, thou scornest temporal happiness. He promised rest : 'suffer trouble. He threateneth etemal fire ; despise temporal pains : and while Christ doth watch, let thy heart be calmed, that thou also mayest reach the harbour. For He would not fail to prepare a harbour, Who provided a vessel. Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of iniquity, Tfwu Who makest sorrow in learning ? He trieth us with the wicked, and by their persecution He teacheth us. By means of the malice
of the wicked the good is scourged, through the slave the son is chastened : thus is learning taught by sorrow. What
\
378 It is good to learn to have Godfor our refuge.
Psalm God alloweth them power to do, that do wicked men, whom XCIV- He spareth for a season, do.
26. Ver. 21. For what followeth ? They will be captious against the soul of the righteous. Why will they be captious? Because they can find no true ground of accusation. For how were they captious against our Lord ? They made up
Mat. 26, false accusations, because they could not find true ones.
69'
And will condemn the innocent blood. Why all this taketh place, he will shew in the sequel.
27. Ver. 22. And the Lord is become my refuge, he saith. Thou wouldest not seek such a refuge, if thou wert not in danger: but thou hast therefore been in danger, that thou mightest seek for it: for He teacheth us by sorrow. He causeth me tribulation from the malice of the wicked: pricked with that tribulation, I begin to seek a refuge which I had ceased to seek for in that worldly prosperity. For who, that is always prosperous, and rejoiceth in present hopes, findeth it easy to remember God ? Let the hope of this life give
way, and the hope of God advance ; that thou mayest say, And the Lord is become my refuge: may I sorrow for this end that the Lord may become my refuge ! And my God
the help of my hope. For as yet the Lord is our hope, since as long as we are here, we are in hope, and not in possession. But lest we fail in hope, there is near us a provision to encourage us, and to mitigate those very evils which we suffer. For it is not said in vain, God is faithful, who will
1 Cor.
10' 13- not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will
ver. 3.
with the temptation alio make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it : who will so put us into that furnace of tribulation, that the vessel may be hardened, but not broken. And the Lord is become my refuge: and my God the help of my hope. Why then did He seem to thee to be as it were un just, in that He spareth the evil ? Sue then how the Psalm is now set right, and be thou set right together with the Psalm : for, for this reason the Psalm contained thy words,
What words ? Lord, how long shall the ungodly, how long shall the ungodly trinmph ? The Psalm just now used thy words : use therefore thyself the Psalm's words in thy turn. What are these words of the Psalm ? And the Lord is become my refuge : and my God the help of my hope.
The tricked punished, though made means ofgood. 379
28. Ver. 23. And the Lord shall recompense them according Ver.
23'
to their works, and after their own malice ; the Lord our
God shall destroy them. The words, after their own malice,
are not said without meaning. I am benefitted - through
them : and yet it is said to be their malice, and not their benefits. For assuredly He trieth us, scourgeth us, by means of the wicked. To prepare us for what doth He scourge us ? Confessedly for the kingdom of heaven. For Heb. 12, He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth ; for what son is '
he whom the father chasteneth not? and when God doth this, He is teaching us in order to an eternal heritage : and this learning He often giveth us by means of wicked men, through whom He trieth and perfecteth our love, which He doth will to be extended even to our enemies. For the love of a Christian is not perfect, unless it fulfil the precept of Christ, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Hence is
Matt. 6,
the devil himself conquered ; hence the crown of victory is gained. Behold how great blessings doth God bestow upon
us through the ungodly : and yet He recompenseth them,
not according to what He giveth us through them, but after their own malice. For see what blessings He hath heaped upon us, even by means of the enormous iniquity of Judas
the betrayer. For Judas betrayed unto the cross the Son of God, by Whose suffering all nations are redeemed unto salvation : and yet for the salvation of nations no reward
was given unto Judas, but for his own malice a due punish
ment hath been dealt unto him. For if the betrayal of Christ, and not the intention of the betrayer, is to be considered, Judas did what God the Father did, of Whom
it is written, that He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Judas did that, which our Lord Christ ^? m-
Himself did, of Whom it is written, Who hath given Him- Ephes. self for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet 6' 2- smelling savour: and again, Even as Christ loved the'^. 25.
8,
Church, and gave Himself for it. And yet we offer thanks givings unto God the Father, in that He spared not His only Son, but delivered Him for us ; we offer thanksgivings unto the Sou Himself, Who delivered
up Himself for us, and in that very act fulfilled His Father's will: and we
-
'great a blessing upon us; and we rightly say, God hath recompensed him after his iniquity . ' and in his malice hath He destroyed him. For he delivered not Christ np for us, but for the silver for which he sold Him ; although the betrayal of Christ be our recovery ; and his fall be our redemption. Thus also they who persecuted the Martyrs, by persecuting them on earth, sent them into heaven : knowingly they caused them the loss of the present life, while unconsciously they were bestowing upon them the gain of a future life : but, nevertheless, unto all who per severed in their wicked hatred of the righteous, will God
380 Evil report our arms on the left hand.
Psai. m execrate Judas, through whose deed God hath conferred so XC1V .
after their own iniquities, and in their own malice w ill He destroy them. For as the goodness of the righteous is hurtful unto the wicked, so is the iniquity of the wicked beneficial unto the righteous. For our Lord
recompense
John 9, saith, / am come into this world, that they which see not
might see ; and that they which see might be made blind ; and the Apostle, To the one we are the savour of death unto death ; and to the other, the savour of life unto life. But the malice of the wicked is the left hand aras of the righteous ; as the same Apostle saith, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that is, by honour and dishonour ; and he then severally recounteth the other points, shewing what were their right hand arms, viz. the glory of God, good report, truth by which it was known of them that they lived, that they were not brought to death, that they rejoiced, that they enriched many, that they possessed all things ; and that their left hand arms were, that they were held in dis
honour, of evil report, that they were thought deceivers, that
were unknown, slain, imprisoned, made sorrowful, seemed to be in want, and to have nothing. And what wonder is it^if the soldiers of Christ overpower the devil at
Luke 2, once by left and right hand weapons ? But as peace cometh
3S>-
2 Cor. 2, 16-
lb. 6, 7' 8-
i4'
unto men of good will, even when they are unto others a savour of death unto death ; so doth destruction come unto men of ill-will, even wheu they are the left hand weapons of the righteous towards their salvation. He will therefore
they
recompense
them not according to the profit we derive from
Bear with the ungodly in faith and charity. 381
them ; but after their own iniquity, by loving which they Ver. hate their own souls ; and not according to the blessings ------ which through them He doth dispense unto us, doth He honour them, He Who maketh a good use even of the wicked ; but after their own malice shall the Lord our God destroy them.
29. Let therefore the righteous bear with the ungodly ;
let the temporal suffering of the righteous bear with the temporal impunity of the wicked; for the just shall live Bom. 1, by faith. For there is no righteousness of man in this
life except to live by faith, which worketh by love. ButGa1-6i if he liveth by faith, let him believe both that he will himself inherit rest after his present toil, and that they
will suffer eternal torments after their present exultation.
And if faith worketh by love, let him love his enemies
also, and, as far as in him lies, have the will to profit
them ; for thus he will prevent their injuring him when
they have the will. And whenever perchance they have received power to hurt and tyrannise ; let him lift his heart
above, where no man hurteth him, well taught and chastened
in the law of God, that he may have patience given him in
the days of adversity, until the pit be digged up for the ungodly. For if his delight is in the law of God, and in i7Ps,1,2- he will exercise himself day and night, whose conversation Phil. 3, is in heaven; he shineth over the earth from the firmament
above ; whence this Psalm hath received its title from the
fourth day of the week, when the heavenly bodies were made; so that we may do all things without murmuring, Ptil. 2,
~~
holding the word of life in a nation crooked and perverse.
For as the night doth not extinguish the stars in heaven ;
so iniquity overcometh not the minds of the faithful, when
fixed in the firmament of God's Scriptures. And this very
fact, that our earthly possessions are sometimes given into
the power of the wicked, not only pertaineth unto our learning, so that God may become our refuge, and the help
of our hope ; bnt also profiteth towards the very pit of the ungodly, of whom it is said in another Psalm, He will be Pfc I0' bent down and fall, when he shall have mastery of the poor.
30. Possibly the length of this discourse hath been tedious to you : although this doth not appear amid the eagerness
382 Eagerness of hearers. A song of praise.
Psalm of your attention. But though it be so, forgive me : first,
-'because I did so by command; the Lord our God having J7?
see on
Ps. 89. ordered me through those Brethren, in whom He dwelleth.
lafj. 8. Por God doth not command, save from His own throne. Secondly, as you have been so eager toward us, so, we confess, have we been toward you. May our God therefore console us for this toil, so that it may result in your advancement unto salvation, not in a testimony to accuse
you. This I say, brethren, that ye may profit from what ye have heard, and ruminate within yourselves: permit not yourselves to forget, not only by thinking over again upon these subjects, and discoursing upon them, but also by so living. For a good life which is led after God's commands, is like a pen, because it is heard writing in our hearts. If it were written on wax, it would easily be blotted out : write it in your hearts, in your character, and it shall never be blotted out.
PSALM XCV. ?
1. Ver. 1. I could wish, brethren, thai we were rather listening to our father: but even this is a good thing, to obey our father. Since therefore he who deigneth to pray for us, hath ordered us, I will speak unto you, beloved, what from the present Psalm Jesus Christ our common Lord shall deign to give us. Now the title of the Psalm is David's Song of praise. The Song of praise signlfieth both cheer fulness, in that it is a song; and devotion, for it is praise. For what ought a man to praise more than that which pleaseth him so, that it is impossible that it can displease him ? In the praising of God therefore we praise with security. There he who praiseth is safe, where he feareth not lest he be ashamed for the object of his praise. Let us therefore both praise and sing ; that is, let us praise with cheerfulness and joy. But what we are about to praise, this Psalm in the following verses sheweth us.
? A Discourse delivered at the bid- and consequently either before or shortly ding of Aurelius Bp. of Carthage, or after St. Augustine was consecrated perhaps of Valerius Bp. of Hippo, Bishop.
How men are near to God, or far from Him. 383
2. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. He calleth us to Ver. a great banquet of joy, not one of this world, but in the ------ Lord. For if there were not in this life a wicked joy which
is to be distinguished from a righteous joy, it would be enough to say, Come, let us rejoice; but he has briefly dis tinguished it. What is it to rejoice aright ? To rejoice in
the Lord. Thou shouldest piously joy in the Lord, if thou
dost wish safely to trample upon the world. But what is
the word, Come ? Whence doth He call them to come, with
whom he wisheth to rejoice in the Lord ; except that, while
they are afar, they may by coming draw nearer, by drawing
nearer they may approach, and by approaching rejoice ?
But whence are they afar? Can a man be locally distant
from Him who is every where? Dost thou wish to be far
from Him ? Where wilt thou go, that thou mayest be far
from Him ? For a certain sinner indeed, but yet penitent with the hope of salvation and sorrowing for his sins, and fearing the anger of God, and wishing to appeIase Him,
go then Ps. 139,
'
Ier shall this in another Psalm, Whith
speaketh
from Thy SpirI from
it? or whither shall
climb up into heaven, Thou art there.
presence? If
What remaineth then ? For if he climb up into heaven, and there find God : whither shall he go, that he may fly far from God ? See what he saith, If I go down to hell, Thou art there also? If therefore by climbing into heaven, he there findeth God ; if by going down into hell, he escapeth Him not; whither shall he go, whither shall he fly, from that angry God, unless unto Himself appeased? And yet, though no man could possibly fly from Him who is every
where ; unless some were far from God, it would not be written, This people do honour Me with their lips, but their ls. 29, heart isfarfrom Me. It is not therefore by place, but by 13' being unlike Him, that a man is afar from God. What is to
be unlike Him ? it meaneth, a bad life, bad habits; for if by
good habits we approach God, by bad habits we recede from
God. One then and the same man standing bodily in the same
spot, by loving God doth approach Him, and by loving iniquity doth recede from Him : he no where moveth his feet, 1 see on and yet he can both approach and recede. For our affections 1 ^injg6. are our feet in this journey, according as each man hath? -12 &0
go then Thy
384 Likeness to God is nearness to Hint.
Psalm affection, according as each hath love, so doth he either approach or recede from God. Do we not usually say, when we find any things unlike, This is far from that ? When we are comparing any two men, two horses, two garments, and some one saith, This garment is like, it is such as that; or, This man is such as that man ; what doth he say who con tradicts it? It is no such thing: it is far from it. What meaneth, It is far from it? It is unlike it. They stand close together: and yet this man is far from that. But two un godly men, alike in life and habits, if one be in the east, the other in the west, are near each other. In the same way two righteous men, one in the east, the other in the west, are with one another, since they are in God. On the other hand, one righteous, and one ungodly man, even though they be bound with one chain, yet are widely separated from one another. If therefore by unlikeness we recede from God, by likeness we approach unto God. What likeness ? That after which we were created, which by sinning we had corrupted in ourselves, which we have received again through the remission of sins, which is renewed in us in the mind within, that it may be engraved a second time as if on coin, that is, the image of our God upon our soul, and that we may return to His treasures. For what was the reason, brethren, that our Saviour chose to discover to His tempters, from a piece of money, what God demandeth ? For when they resolved, by way of seeking a pretext of false accusation, to question the Master of Truth respecting the tribute paid to Caesar, and by consulting Him to tempt Him as to whether it were lawful to pay tribute unto Caesar; what answered He?
VOL. iv. B b
glory!
Tim. , '''
370 God's long-suffering is for a good end.
Psalm true body, and had not a true flesh. Whatever therefore is XCIV 'written of Him, brethren, really happened, and is true. Was He therefore sorrowful ? Assuredly sorrowful, but with sorrow
taken of His own free will, even as He assumed the flesh of His own will; as He of His own will took upon Him true flesh, so did He of His own will take upon Him true sorrow. Thus also of His own will hath He shewn in Himself, that if
some weakness hath come over thee, and thou hast begun to wish otherwise than God dolh will, thou mayest see how thine own heart hath turned itself aside from the straight rule, thou mayest fix thy heart after the rule, and thy heart which in the man had begun to be crooked, may
be directed after God. Thus then the Lord, as a guide to Mat. 26,thee, saith: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: and, O
38'
ib. 42.
perchance
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. But say then at once what He said, that He might teach thee:
I will, but as Nevertheless, not as Thou,
Father, wilt. For
if ye follow righ teousness, your heart is right ; if your heart be right, that
if ye do this, ye will have righteousness :
which now endureth, will turn again unto judgment, and afterwards, when thy Lord judgeth, thou shalt not only not dread evils, but shalt also glory in thy crown.
Then shalt thou see how the longsuffering of God hath pro fited, either for their punishment or for thy crown : at present thou seest not : believe what thou seest not as yet, lest thou be ashamed when thou shalt see. Until righteousness turn again unto judgment: all such as have it are right in heart.
20. Ver. 16. Who will rise up for me against the wicked? or who will take my part against the evil doers? Many
us to divers evils : the serpent ceaseth not to whisper to thee to work iniquity : whichever way thou shalt turn, if perchance thou hast done well, thou seekest to live well with some one, and thou hardly findest any one ; many wicked men surround thee, for there are few grains of wheat, and much chaff. This floor hath its grains of corn, but as yet they suffer. Therefore the whole mass of the wheat, when separated from the chaff, will be great : the grains are few, but when compared with the chaff, still many in them selves. When therefore the wicked cry out on every side, and say, Why livest thou thus? Art thou the only Christian?
righteousness,
persuade
Temptation through evil Christians. 371
Why dost thou not do, what others also do ? Why dost thou Ver. not frequent the theatres, as others do ? Why dost thou -17'
not use charms and amulets?
astrologers and soothsayers, even as others do ? And thou
Why dost thou not consult
crossest1 thyself, and sayest, I am a Christian, that
mayest repel them, whosoever they are; but the enemy s,gnast' presses on, urges his attacks ; what is worse, by the example
of Christians he choketh Christians.
midst of heat : the Christian soul suffereth tribulation : yet
it hath power to conquer: hath it such power of itself?
For this reason remark what he saith. For he answereth,
What doth it profit me that I now find charms for myself,
I
repair unto my Lord, Who shall send me into the flames ;
because I have preferred a few days to life eternal, He shall send me into hell. What hell? That of the eternal judg
and gain a few days ?
depart
hence from
this life, and
thou'. Ett? They toil on, in the
ment of God. Is it really so,
unless indeed thou really believest that God carelh how men live ? And perhaps it is not an acquaintance who speaketh thus to thee in the street, but thy wife at home, or possibly the husband to the faithful and holy wife, her deceiver. If it be the woman to her husband, she is as Eve unto him ; if as the husband unto the wife, he is as the devil unto her: either she is herself as Eve unto thee, or thou art a serpent unto her. Sometimes the father would incline his thoughts to his son, and findeth him wicked, utterly depraved : he is in a fever of misery, he wavers, he seeketh how to subdue him, he is almost drawn
in, and consenteth: but may God be *near him. Hear*al- therefore the Psalm : Who will rise up for me against the wicked ? So many are there; wherever I look round, they meet my eyes. Who shall withstand the devil, the prince of iniquity, and bis angels, and the men that have been seduced
by him?
21. Ver. 17. 1/ the Lord, he saith, had not helped me :
within a little my soul had dwelt in hell. I had almost plunged into that pit which is preparing for sinners : that is, my soul had dwelt in hell. Because he already began to waver, and nearly to consent, he looked back unto the Lord. Suppose, for example's sake, he was insulted to
Bb2
(the enemy answereth,)
372 Insults of the proud. The feet near slippiug.
PsAt. M tempt him to iniquity. For sometimes the wicked flock
28'
come imto Thee on the water. He in His own power, Peter by His order; bid me, he saith, come unto Thee. He answered, Come. For the Church also trampleth on the
if they are more in number, and if they have taken him alone, as there is often much chaff about one grain of wheat; (though there
will not be when the heap hath been fanned ;) he is then taken among many wicked ones, is insulted, and surrounded; they wish to place themselves over him, they torment him
-C1V- together, and insult the good ; especially
A great Apostle! say they ; Thou hast flown into heaven, as Elias did ! Men do these things, so that sometime, when he listeneth to the tongue of men, he is ashamed to be good among the wicked. Let him therefore resist the evil; but not of his
own strength, lest he become proud, and when he wishes to escape the proud, himself increase their number. But what should he say ? Who will rise up for me against the wicked: or who will take my part against the evil-doers?
If the Lord had not helped me, within a little my soul had
dwelt in hell. // / said, My fool hath dipt; Thy -2-2. Ver. 18, 19.
O Lord, held me up. See how God loveth con fession. Thy foot hath slipt, and thou sayest not, my foot hath slipt ; but thou sayest thou art firm, when thou art slipping. The moment thou beginnest to slip or waver, confess thou that slip, that thou mayest not bewail thy total fall ; that He may help, so that thy soul be not in bell.
God loveth confession, loveth humility. Thou hast slipped, as a man ; God helpeth thee, nevertheless : yet say, Myfoot hath slipt. Why dost thou slip, and yet sayest, I am firm ?
and insult him for his very righteousness.
mercy,
When
foot
I said, My
hath slipt, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath held me up. Just as Peter presumed, but not in strength
of his own. The Lord was seen to walk upon the sea, trampling on the heads of all the proud in this life. In walking upon the foaming waves, He figured His own course when He trampleth on the heads of the proud. The Church too doth trample upon them : for Peter is the Church Her
self. Nevertheless, Peter dared not by himself walk upon
Mat. M, the waters; but what said he? Lord, if it be Thou, bid me
cI
Trial drives us to God, and teaches Wisdom.
373
heads of the proud; but since it is the Church, and hath Vrr.
human weakness, that these words might be fulfilled, //. .
0 ' J 20'
/ said, My foot hath slipt, Peter tottered on the sea, and lb. 30.
put, If perish. And what is here, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath held me up,
ried out, Lord, save me! and so what is here
said, My hath slipt, is foot
put
there, Lord,
I
is there put, And immediately Jesus stretched forth His ib. 31. hand, saying, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? It is wonderful how God proveth men: our very ^ ,
dangers render Him Who rescueth us sweeteI
^
For see what followeth : because he said, If
foot hath slipt, Thy mercy, O Lord, hath , held me up. The Lord hath become especially sweet unto him, in rescuing
him from danger ; and thus speaking of this very sweetness of the Lord, he exclaimeth I and saith, O Lord, in the multi
he addeth this testimony : For if the righteous scarcely be i peter
How4'1^-18, then shall the wicked be with Thee, if Thou dost not even pr0v.
saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?
spare Thy faithful, in order that Thou mayest exercise and 11>>31- teach them ? But as He spareth them not, for this reason,
that He may teach them : he saith, For Tliou makest sorrow
r unto us.
\ said,
comforts
My
had in my heart, Thy
tude of the sorrows that
have refreshed my soul. Many sorrows, but many con solations : bitter wounds, and sweet remedies.
23. Ver. 20. Wilt Thou have any thing to do with the stool of iniquity, Who makest sorrow in learning? He hath said this, No wicked man sitteth with Thee, nor shalt Thou have any thing to do with the stool of iniquity. And he giveth an account whereof he understandeth this, For
Thou makest sorrow in learning. For from this, because Thou hast not spared us, do I understand that Thou hast nothing to do with the stool of iniquity. Thou hast this in the Epistle of the Apostle Peter, and for this reason he hath adduced a testimony from the Scripture : for the time is come, he saith, that judgment must begin at the house of God; that is, the time is come for the judgment of those who belong to the house of God. If sons are scourged, what must the most wicked slaves expect ? For which reason he added : And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Goopel of God? To which
374 Gods ' making' is like the 'potter's. '
Psalm in learning. Makest, that formest from whence comes XCIV' the word figulus (from fingo), and a potter's vessel called
fictile not in the meaning offiction, as a falsehood, but of
forming so as to give any thing being and some sort of form ? er. 9. as before he said, He that fabricated (finxit) the eye, shall He not see Is that, fabricated the eye' a falsehood? Nay, understood He fashioned the eye, made the eye. And
He not a potter when He makes men frail, weak, earthly Hear the Apostle We have this treasure in earthen vessels. But perhaps some one else made these vessels for us Hear him speaking: What art thou, man, who answerest against God Can the vessel say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me so Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make one vessel to honour, another to dishonour Behold our Lord Himself, how He sheweth Himself a potter. Because He had made man of clay, He anointed him with
clay, for whom He had not made eyes in the womb. And so when he sailh, Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of wickedness, Who makest grief in learning? let us say in this sense Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of wickedness, Who makest grief in learning Makest, he saith, grief in learning, that is, out of grief makest learning for us, so that grief itself becomes our instruction. How sorrow our learning? When He scourgeth thee Who died for thee, and Who doth not promise bliss in this life, and Who cannot deceive, and when He giveth not here what thou seekest. What will He give when will He give how much will He give, Who giveth not here, Who here teacheth, Who maketh sorrow in learning? Thy labour here, and rest promised thee. Thou takest thought that thou hast toil here: but take thought what sort of rest He promiseth. Canst thou conceive it? If thou couldest, thou
wouldest see that thy toil here nothing toward an equivalent.
Hear one who had seen in part, who said, Now know in
which for the present, and temporal, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, after an in credible measure, and to an incredible measure. What the, worketh for us afar more exceeding and eternal weight ofglory? For when doth work? while we look not at the
Cor. '
Bom.
Cor.
13 12' part. What saith this Apostle? For our light affliction,
Cor.
it
it
is
is,
2'1 '2
4,
4, ?
is it is
is
is
? :
?
?
I
isis? is I;
;
?
it
?
O
?
is
'
:
:
God gives rest at the price of toil. 375 things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : Ver.
- 20'
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Be not slothful in thy toil for a short space : and thou shalt rejoice without ceasing. God will give thee eternal life : consider with how much toil it should be purchased.
24. Attend, brethren ; it is for sale. What I have is for sale, saith God unto thee, buy it. What hath He for sale ? I have rest for sale; buy it by thy toil. Attend, that we may be in Christ's name brave Christians : the remainder of the Psalm is but a little, let us not be weary. For how can he be strong in doing, who faileth in hearing? The Lord will help us to expound unto you the remainder. Attend
then: God hath, as it were, proclaimed the kingdom of heaven for sale. Thou sayest unto Him, What is its value? The price is toil : if He were to say, its price is gold, it would not suffice to say this only, but thou wouldest seek to know how much gold ; for there is a mass of gold, and half an ounce, and a pound, and the like. He said price, that thou mightest not be at pains to enquire, how long thou shouldest find it. The price of the commodity is toil: how much
toil is it ? Now seek how much thou shouldest toil for it.
Thou art not as yet told how great that toil is doomed to be,
or how much toil is required of thee : God saith this unto
thee, I shew thee how great that rest will be ; do thou judge
with what measure of toil it should be bought. Let God therefore say how great that rest is destined to be : Blessed Ps. 84,4. are they that dwell in thy house: they will be for ever praising thee. This is eternal rest : this rest will be without
end ; this joy will be without end, this pleasure will be without end, this incorruptibility will be without end ; thou shalt have eternal life ; a rest which is without end. What toil is that rest worth which hath no end? If thou wish- est to make a true judgment, surely eternal rest is rightly purchased by eternal toil. This is true : but do not fear : God is merciful. For if thou hadst eternal toil, thou wouldest never reach eternal rest. Always toiling, when wouldest thou reach that which worthily indeed would be the price of eternal toil, because the rest is eter nal ? Make the price an equivalent : surely eternal rest
is worthy of comparison with eternal toil ! But if thou
376 God's reward incomparably exceeds our toils.
Psalm didst always toil, thou wouldest never reach eternal rest. - That thou mayest therefore at some time gain what thou buyest, thou must not toil for ever: not that it is not of so much value, but that what is bought may be possessed. It is indeed worthy of being bought by perpetual toil ; but it
is necessary that it be bought by temporary toil. Certainly it ought to be so much, that is, eternal labour for eternal rest. What is the value of a million of years in toil? A million of years have an end : what I will give thee, saith God, shall not have an end. What then is the mercy of God? He saith not, toil for a million of years: he saith not, toil even for a thousand years: not, toil for five hundred years: toil while thou dost live, for a few years ; thence shall thy rest commence, and be without end. HeIar what followeth: Lord, in the multitude of sorrows that
comforts have refreshed my soul. Thou toilest not only a few years, but in those very years, consolation is not wanting, daily joys are not wanting. But rejoice not in the world : rejoice in Christ, rejoice in His word, rejoice in His law. What I am speaking of, what ye are listening to, belongeth to these very joys. How great then are those consolations amid so great toils ? True, there is what the Apostle saith,
2 Cor. For our light affliction, which is but for a time, after an
*' 17'
incredible measure and to an incredible measure, worketh for us an eternal weight of glory.
See how small a price do we give ; as it were, a single grain of pulse to receive eternal treasures ; a single mite of toil, for a rest which is beyond
our conception, according to what is said, it worketh for us,after an incredible measure and to an incredible measure, an eternal weight of glory. Thou rejoicest for a season: trust not therein ; thou art sorrowful for a season : do not despair. Let not prosperity corrupt thee, nor adversity break thee down : lest perchance thou mayest say in thy mind, it cannot be that God, Who chasteneth even the righteous that He may save them, that He may teach them,
ProT. can admit unto Himself the wicked. For if the righteous 11,3 ' scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? I Pet. 4, Hast Tltou any thing to do with the stool of iniquity ? that
is, Dost Thou share the seat of the wicked? Thou Who makest sorrow in learning ; Who hast chosen thus to try these Thy children, and to teach them thus, to give them
had in heart, Thy my
What it is that we learn by trials and dangers. 377
such lessons, as to leave them still in fear, lest they should Ver. love something else, and forget Thee their true good
God is good : but if He were to cease, and not to mingle bitternesses with our temporal bliss, we should forget
Him.
25. But where the anguish of trouble raiseth waves in the
soul, then that faith, which was sleeping there, is aroused.
For it was calm, when Christ was asleep on the sea : while
He was sleeping, a storm arose, and they began to be in danger. Both tranquillity then and peace will be in the Christian's heart : but as long as our faith is on the watch :
but if our faith sleepeth, we are in danger. For Christ sleeping signifietl), that some forget their faith, and are in , danger. But as when that ship was tossing on the waves,
Christ was aroused by the tossed crew, who cried, Lord, we Matt. 8,
perish ! He arose, and commanded the winds, commanded 26
the waves, and it became calm ; thus when evil lusts, evil persuasions, disturb thee, they are waves, they will be calmed.
Thou dost now despair, and believest that thou dost not belong unto the Lord : let thy faith awake : awake Christ in
thy heart ; when faith riseth, thou recognisest where thou
art : and if perchance the waves of lust tempt thee, thou beholdest what God hath promised ; and the sweetness of
His promises will make thee a despiser of the sweetnesses of
the world ; and if perchance many threats of the powerful wicked oppress thee, and drive thee from righteousness,
thou listenest to the threat of God, Go into everlasting Mat. 25,
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, and thou dost not41- leave thy righteousness : in fear therefore of eternal fire thou despisest temporal pain : and for the promises of God, thou scornest temporal happiness. He promised rest : 'suffer trouble. He threateneth etemal fire ; despise temporal pains : and while Christ doth watch, let thy heart be calmed, that thou also mayest reach the harbour. For He would not fail to prepare a harbour, Who provided a vessel. Hast Thou any thing to do with the stool of iniquity, Tfwu Who makest sorrow in learning ? He trieth us with the wicked, and by their persecution He teacheth us. By means of the malice
of the wicked the good is scourged, through the slave the son is chastened : thus is learning taught by sorrow. What
\
378 It is good to learn to have Godfor our refuge.
Psalm God alloweth them power to do, that do wicked men, whom XCIV- He spareth for a season, do.
26. Ver. 21. For what followeth ? They will be captious against the soul of the righteous. Why will they be captious? Because they can find no true ground of accusation. For how were they captious against our Lord ? They made up
Mat. 26, false accusations, because they could not find true ones.
69'
And will condemn the innocent blood. Why all this taketh place, he will shew in the sequel.
27. Ver. 22. And the Lord is become my refuge, he saith. Thou wouldest not seek such a refuge, if thou wert not in danger: but thou hast therefore been in danger, that thou mightest seek for it: for He teacheth us by sorrow. He causeth me tribulation from the malice of the wicked: pricked with that tribulation, I begin to seek a refuge which I had ceased to seek for in that worldly prosperity. For who, that is always prosperous, and rejoiceth in present hopes, findeth it easy to remember God ? Let the hope of this life give
way, and the hope of God advance ; that thou mayest say, And the Lord is become my refuge: may I sorrow for this end that the Lord may become my refuge ! And my God
the help of my hope. For as yet the Lord is our hope, since as long as we are here, we are in hope, and not in possession. But lest we fail in hope, there is near us a provision to encourage us, and to mitigate those very evils which we suffer. For it is not said in vain, God is faithful, who will
1 Cor.
10' 13- not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will
ver. 3.
with the temptation alio make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it : who will so put us into that furnace of tribulation, that the vessel may be hardened, but not broken. And the Lord is become my refuge: and my God the help of my hope. Why then did He seem to thee to be as it were un just, in that He spareth the evil ? Sue then how the Psalm is now set right, and be thou set right together with the Psalm : for, for this reason the Psalm contained thy words,
What words ? Lord, how long shall the ungodly, how long shall the ungodly trinmph ? The Psalm just now used thy words : use therefore thyself the Psalm's words in thy turn. What are these words of the Psalm ? And the Lord is become my refuge : and my God the help of my hope.
The tricked punished, though made means ofgood. 379
28. Ver. 23. And the Lord shall recompense them according Ver.
23'
to their works, and after their own malice ; the Lord our
God shall destroy them. The words, after their own malice,
are not said without meaning. I am benefitted - through
them : and yet it is said to be their malice, and not their benefits. For assuredly He trieth us, scourgeth us, by means of the wicked. To prepare us for what doth He scourge us ? Confessedly for the kingdom of heaven. For Heb. 12, He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth ; for what son is '
he whom the father chasteneth not? and when God doth this, He is teaching us in order to an eternal heritage : and this learning He often giveth us by means of wicked men, through whom He trieth and perfecteth our love, which He doth will to be extended even to our enemies. For the love of a Christian is not perfect, unless it fulfil the precept of Christ, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Hence is
Matt. 6,
the devil himself conquered ; hence the crown of victory is gained. Behold how great blessings doth God bestow upon
us through the ungodly : and yet He recompenseth them,
not according to what He giveth us through them, but after their own malice. For see what blessings He hath heaped upon us, even by means of the enormous iniquity of Judas
the betrayer. For Judas betrayed unto the cross the Son of God, by Whose suffering all nations are redeemed unto salvation : and yet for the salvation of nations no reward
was given unto Judas, but for his own malice a due punish
ment hath been dealt unto him. For if the betrayal of Christ, and not the intention of the betrayer, is to be considered, Judas did what God the Father did, of Whom
it is written, that He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Judas did that, which our Lord Christ ^? m-
Himself did, of Whom it is written, Who hath given Him- Ephes. self for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet 6' 2- smelling savour: and again, Even as Christ loved the'^. 25.
8,
Church, and gave Himself for it. And yet we offer thanks givings unto God the Father, in that He spared not His only Son, but delivered Him for us ; we offer thanksgivings unto the Sou Himself, Who delivered
up Himself for us, and in that very act fulfilled His Father's will: and we
-
'great a blessing upon us; and we rightly say, God hath recompensed him after his iniquity . ' and in his malice hath He destroyed him. For he delivered not Christ np for us, but for the silver for which he sold Him ; although the betrayal of Christ be our recovery ; and his fall be our redemption. Thus also they who persecuted the Martyrs, by persecuting them on earth, sent them into heaven : knowingly they caused them the loss of the present life, while unconsciously they were bestowing upon them the gain of a future life : but, nevertheless, unto all who per severed in their wicked hatred of the righteous, will God
380 Evil report our arms on the left hand.
Psai. m execrate Judas, through whose deed God hath conferred so XC1V .
after their own iniquities, and in their own malice w ill He destroy them. For as the goodness of the righteous is hurtful unto the wicked, so is the iniquity of the wicked beneficial unto the righteous. For our Lord
recompense
John 9, saith, / am come into this world, that they which see not
might see ; and that they which see might be made blind ; and the Apostle, To the one we are the savour of death unto death ; and to the other, the savour of life unto life. But the malice of the wicked is the left hand aras of the righteous ; as the same Apostle saith, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that is, by honour and dishonour ; and he then severally recounteth the other points, shewing what were their right hand arms, viz. the glory of God, good report, truth by which it was known of them that they lived, that they were not brought to death, that they rejoiced, that they enriched many, that they possessed all things ; and that their left hand arms were, that they were held in dis
honour, of evil report, that they were thought deceivers, that
were unknown, slain, imprisoned, made sorrowful, seemed to be in want, and to have nothing. And what wonder is it^if the soldiers of Christ overpower the devil at
Luke 2, once by left and right hand weapons ? But as peace cometh
3S>-
2 Cor. 2, 16-
lb. 6, 7' 8-
i4'
unto men of good will, even when they are unto others a savour of death unto death ; so doth destruction come unto men of ill-will, even wheu they are the left hand weapons of the righteous towards their salvation. He will therefore
they
recompense
them not according to the profit we derive from
Bear with the ungodly in faith and charity. 381
them ; but after their own iniquity, by loving which they Ver. hate their own souls ; and not according to the blessings ------ which through them He doth dispense unto us, doth He honour them, He Who maketh a good use even of the wicked ; but after their own malice shall the Lord our God destroy them.
29. Let therefore the righteous bear with the ungodly ;
let the temporal suffering of the righteous bear with the temporal impunity of the wicked; for the just shall live Bom. 1, by faith. For there is no righteousness of man in this
life except to live by faith, which worketh by love. ButGa1-6i if he liveth by faith, let him believe both that he will himself inherit rest after his present toil, and that they
will suffer eternal torments after their present exultation.
And if faith worketh by love, let him love his enemies
also, and, as far as in him lies, have the will to profit
them ; for thus he will prevent their injuring him when
they have the will. And whenever perchance they have received power to hurt and tyrannise ; let him lift his heart
above, where no man hurteth him, well taught and chastened
in the law of God, that he may have patience given him in
the days of adversity, until the pit be digged up for the ungodly. For if his delight is in the law of God, and in i7Ps,1,2- he will exercise himself day and night, whose conversation Phil. 3, is in heaven; he shineth over the earth from the firmament
above ; whence this Psalm hath received its title from the
fourth day of the week, when the heavenly bodies were made; so that we may do all things without murmuring, Ptil. 2,
~~
holding the word of life in a nation crooked and perverse.
For as the night doth not extinguish the stars in heaven ;
so iniquity overcometh not the minds of the faithful, when
fixed in the firmament of God's Scriptures. And this very
fact, that our earthly possessions are sometimes given into
the power of the wicked, not only pertaineth unto our learning, so that God may become our refuge, and the help
of our hope ; bnt also profiteth towards the very pit of the ungodly, of whom it is said in another Psalm, He will be Pfc I0' bent down and fall, when he shall have mastery of the poor.
30. Possibly the length of this discourse hath been tedious to you : although this doth not appear amid the eagerness
382 Eagerness of hearers. A song of praise.
Psalm of your attention. But though it be so, forgive me : first,
-'because I did so by command; the Lord our God having J7?
see on
Ps. 89. ordered me through those Brethren, in whom He dwelleth.
lafj. 8. Por God doth not command, save from His own throne. Secondly, as you have been so eager toward us, so, we confess, have we been toward you. May our God therefore console us for this toil, so that it may result in your advancement unto salvation, not in a testimony to accuse
you. This I say, brethren, that ye may profit from what ye have heard, and ruminate within yourselves: permit not yourselves to forget, not only by thinking over again upon these subjects, and discoursing upon them, but also by so living. For a good life which is led after God's commands, is like a pen, because it is heard writing in our hearts. If it were written on wax, it would easily be blotted out : write it in your hearts, in your character, and it shall never be blotted out.
PSALM XCV. ?
1. Ver. 1. I could wish, brethren, thai we were rather listening to our father: but even this is a good thing, to obey our father. Since therefore he who deigneth to pray for us, hath ordered us, I will speak unto you, beloved, what from the present Psalm Jesus Christ our common Lord shall deign to give us. Now the title of the Psalm is David's Song of praise. The Song of praise signlfieth both cheer fulness, in that it is a song; and devotion, for it is praise. For what ought a man to praise more than that which pleaseth him so, that it is impossible that it can displease him ? In the praising of God therefore we praise with security. There he who praiseth is safe, where he feareth not lest he be ashamed for the object of his praise. Let us therefore both praise and sing ; that is, let us praise with cheerfulness and joy. But what we are about to praise, this Psalm in the following verses sheweth us.
? A Discourse delivered at the bid- and consequently either before or shortly ding of Aurelius Bp. of Carthage, or after St. Augustine was consecrated perhaps of Valerius Bp. of Hippo, Bishop.
How men are near to God, or far from Him. 383
2. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. He calleth us to Ver. a great banquet of joy, not one of this world, but in the ------ Lord. For if there were not in this life a wicked joy which
is to be distinguished from a righteous joy, it would be enough to say, Come, let us rejoice; but he has briefly dis tinguished it. What is it to rejoice aright ? To rejoice in
the Lord. Thou shouldest piously joy in the Lord, if thou
dost wish safely to trample upon the world. But what is
the word, Come ? Whence doth He call them to come, with
whom he wisheth to rejoice in the Lord ; except that, while
they are afar, they may by coming draw nearer, by drawing
nearer they may approach, and by approaching rejoice ?
But whence are they afar? Can a man be locally distant
from Him who is every where? Dost thou wish to be far
from Him ? Where wilt thou go, that thou mayest be far
from Him ? For a certain sinner indeed, but yet penitent with the hope of salvation and sorrowing for his sins, and fearing the anger of God, and wishing to appeIase Him,
go then Ps. 139,
'
Ier shall this in another Psalm, Whith
speaketh
from Thy SpirI from
it? or whither shall
climb up into heaven, Thou art there.
presence? If
What remaineth then ? For if he climb up into heaven, and there find God : whither shall he go, that he may fly far from God ? See what he saith, If I go down to hell, Thou art there also? If therefore by climbing into heaven, he there findeth God ; if by going down into hell, he escapeth Him not; whither shall he go, whither shall he fly, from that angry God, unless unto Himself appeased? And yet, though no man could possibly fly from Him who is every
where ; unless some were far from God, it would not be written, This people do honour Me with their lips, but their ls. 29, heart isfarfrom Me. It is not therefore by place, but by 13' being unlike Him, that a man is afar from God. What is to
be unlike Him ? it meaneth, a bad life, bad habits; for if by
good habits we approach God, by bad habits we recede from
God. One then and the same man standing bodily in the same
spot, by loving God doth approach Him, and by loving iniquity doth recede from Him : he no where moveth his feet, 1 see on and yet he can both approach and recede. For our affections 1 ^injg6. are our feet in this journey, according as each man hath? -12 &0
go then Thy
384 Likeness to God is nearness to Hint.
Psalm affection, according as each hath love, so doth he either approach or recede from God. Do we not usually say, when we find any things unlike, This is far from that ? When we are comparing any two men, two horses, two garments, and some one saith, This garment is like, it is such as that; or, This man is such as that man ; what doth he say who con tradicts it? It is no such thing: it is far from it. What meaneth, It is far from it? It is unlike it. They stand close together: and yet this man is far from that. But two un godly men, alike in life and habits, if one be in the east, the other in the west, are near each other. In the same way two righteous men, one in the east, the other in the west, are with one another, since they are in God. On the other hand, one righteous, and one ungodly man, even though they be bound with one chain, yet are widely separated from one another. If therefore by unlikeness we recede from God, by likeness we approach unto God. What likeness ? That after which we were created, which by sinning we had corrupted in ourselves, which we have received again through the remission of sins, which is renewed in us in the mind within, that it may be engraved a second time as if on coin, that is, the image of our God upon our soul, and that we may return to His treasures. For what was the reason, brethren, that our Saviour chose to discover to His tempters, from a piece of money, what God demandeth ? For when they resolved, by way of seeking a pretext of false accusation, to question the Master of Truth respecting the tribute paid to Caesar, and by consulting Him to tempt Him as to whether it were lawful to pay tribute unto Caesar; what answered He?
