The Fourth Sunday in Advent
Augustine on Psalm XCVIII
Advent Four Home
O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
Source: Bishop Gelasius of Rome Sacramentary [464 AD]. The 1662 edition added the "running the race that is before us" "Succor" is to run to help, while "sore let" is to thwart, hinder
Philippians iv. 4, Psalms 98, 99 | 101, 103 & St. John i. 19.
Philippians iv. 4
REJOICE in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Psalms for Morning and Evening 98, 99 | 101, 103
St. John i. 19.
THIS is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that
prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an
answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why
baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John
answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know
not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not
worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was
baptizing.
HOMILY
1. "O sing unto the Lord a new song" (ver. 1). The new man knoweth
this, the old man knoweth it not. The old man is the old life, and the
new man the new life: the old life is derived from Adam, the new life
is formed in Christ. But in this Psalm, the whole world is enjoined to
sing a new song. More openly elsewhere the words are these: "O sing
unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth;"
[4495] that they who cut themselves off from the communion of the whole
earth, [4496] may understand that they cannot sing the new song,
because it is sung in the whole, and not in a part of it. Attend here
also, and see that this is said. And when the whole earth is enjoined
to sing a new song, it is meant, that peace singeth a new song. "For He
hath done marvelous things." What marvelous things? Behold, the Gospel
was just now being read, and we heard the marvellous things of the
Lord. The only son of his mother, who was a widow, was being carried
out dead: the Lord, in compassion, made them stand still; they laid him
down, and the Lord said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." [4497]
..."The Lord hath done marvellous things." What marvellous things?
Hear: "His own right hand, and His holy arm, hath healed for Him." What
is the Lord's holy Arm? Our Lord Jesus Christ. Hear Isaiah: "Who hath
believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"
[4498] His holy arm then, and His own right hand, is Himself. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is therefore the arm of God, and the right hand of God;
for this reason is it said, "hath He healed for Him." It is not said
only, "His right hand hath healed the world," but "hath healed for
Him." For many are healed for themselves, not for Him. Behold how many
long for that bodily health, and receive it from Him: they are healed
by Him, but not for Him. How are they healed by Him, and not for Him?
When they have received health, they become wanton: they who when sick
were chaste, when cured become adulterers: they who when in illness
injured no man, on the recovery of their strength attack and crush the
innocent: they are healed, but not unto Him. Who is he who is healed
unto Him? He who is healed inwardly. Who is he that is healed inwardly?
He who trusteth in Him, that when he shall have been healed inwardly,
reformed into a new man, afterwards this mortal flesh too, which doth
languish for a time, may in the end itself even recover its most
perfect health. Let us therefore be healed for Him. But that we may be
healed for Him, let us believe in His right hand.
Augustine
Psalm XCVIII
2. "The Lord hath made known His salvation" (ver. 2). This very right
hand, this very arm, this very salvation, is our Lord Jesus Christ of
whom it is said, "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God;" [4499]
of whom also that Simeon who embraced the Infant in his arms, spoke,
"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have
seen Thy salvation." [4500] "The Lord hath made known His salvation."
To whom did He make it known? To a part, or to the whole? Not to any
part specially. Let no man betray, no man deceive, no man say, "Lo,
here is Christ, or there:" [4501] the man who saith, Lo, He is here, or
there, pointeth to some particular spots. To whom "hath the Lord
declared His salvation"? Hear what followeth: "His righteousness hath
He openly showed in the sight of the heathen." Our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ is the right hand of God, the arm of God, the salvation of
God, and the righteousness of God.
3. "He hath remembered His mercy to Jacob, and His truth unto the house
of Israel" (ver. 3). What meaneth this, "He hath remembered His mercy
and truth"? He hath pitied, so that He promised; because He promised
and showed His mercy, truth hath followed: mercy hath gone before
promise, promise hath been fulfilled in truth....
"And His truth unto the house of Israel." Who is this Israel? That ye
may not perchance think of one nation of the Jews, hear what followeth:
"All the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God." It is
not said, all the earth: but, "all the ends of the world:" as it is
said, from one end to the other. Let no man cut this down, let no man
scatter it abroad; strong is the unity of Christ. He who gave so great
a price, hath bought the whole: "All the ends of the world."
4. Because they have seen, then, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,
all ye lands" (ver. 4). Ye already know what it is to make a joyful
noise. Rejoice, and speak. If ye cannot express your joy, shout ye; let
the shout manifest your joy, if your speech cannot: yet let not joy be
mute; let not your heart be silent respecting its God, let it not be
mute concerning His gifts. If thou speakest to thyself, unto thyself
art thou healed; if His right hand hath healed thee for Him, speak thou
unto Him for whom thou hast been healed. "Sing, rejoice, and make
melody."
5. "Make melody unto the Lord upon the harp: on the harp and with the
voice of a Psalm" (ver. 5). Praise Him not with the voice only; take up
works, that ye may not only sing, but work also. He who singeth and
worketh, maketh melody with psaltery and upon the harp. Now see what
sort of instruments are next spoken of, in figure: "With ductile
trumpets also, and the sound of the pipe of horn" (ver. 6). What are
ductile trumpets, and pipes of horn? Ductile trumpets are of brass:
they are drawn out by hammering; if by hammering, by being beaten, ye
shall be ductile trumpets, drawn out unto the praise of God, if ye
improve when in tribulation: tribulation is hammering, improvement is
the being drawn out. Job was a ductile trumpet, when suddenly assailed
by the heaviest losses, and the death of his sons, become like a
ductile trumpet by the beating of so heavy tribulation, he sounded
thus: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name
of the Lord." [4502] How did he sound? How pleasantly doth his voice
sound? This ductile trumpet is still under the hammer....We have heard
how he was hammered; let us hear how he soundeth: let us, if it please
you, hear the sweet sound of this ductile trumpet: "What! shall we
receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" O
courageous, O sweet sound! whom will not that sound awake from sleep?
whom will not confidence in God awake, to march to battle fearlessly
against the devil; not to struggle with his own strength, but His who
proveth him. For He it is who hammereth: for the hammer could not do so
of itself....See how (I dare so speak, my brethren) even the Apostle
was beaten with this very hammer: he saith, "there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me." [4503]
Behold he is under the hammer: let us hear how he speaketh of it: "For
this thing," he saith, "I besought the Lord thrice, that it might
depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for My strength is made perfect in weakness." I, saith His Maker, wish
to make this trumpet perfect; I cannot do so unless I hammer it; in
weakness is strength made perfect. Hear now the ductile trumpet itself
sounding as it should: "When I am weak, then am I strong."...
6. The voice of the pipe of horn, what is it? The horn riseth above the
flesh: in rising above the flesh it needs must be solid so as to last,
and able to speak. And whence this? Because it hath surpassed the
flesh. He who wisheth to be a horn trumpet, let him overcome the flesh.
What meaneth this, let him overcome the flesh? Let him surpass the
desires, let him conquer the lusts of the flesh. Hear the horn
trumpets....What meaneth this, "Set your affection on things above"? It
meaneth, Rise above the flesh, think not of carnal things. They were
not yet horn trumpets, to whom he now spoke thus: "I could not speak
unto you, brethren, as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it: neither yet now are ye able. For
ye are yet carnal." [4504] They were not therefore horn trumpets,
because they had not risen above the flesh. Horn both adhereth to the
flesh, and riseth above the flesh; and although it springeth from the
flesh, yet it surpasseth it. If therefore thou art spiritual, when
before thou wast carnal; as yet thou art treading the earth in the
flesh, but in spirit thou art rising into heaven; for though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war after the flesh....Brethren, do not reproach
brethren whom the mercy of God hath not yet converted; know that as
long as ye do this, ye savour of the flesh. That is not a trumpet which
pleaseth the ears of God: the trumpet of boastfulness maketh the war
fruitless. Let the horn trumpet raise thy courage against the devil;
let not the fleshly trumpet raise thy pride against thy brother. "Make
a joyful noise in the sight of the Lord the King."
7. While ye are rejoicing, and delighted with the ductile trumpets, and
the voice of the horn, what followeth? "Let the sea be stirred up, and
the fulness thereof" (ver. 7). Brethren, when the Apostles, like
ductile trumpets and horns, were preaching the truth, the sea was
stirred up, its waves arose, tempests increased, persecutions of the
Church took place. Whence hath the sea been stirred up? When a joyful
noise was made, when Psalms of thanksgiving were being sung before God:
the ears of God were pleased, the waves of the sea were raised. "Let
the sea be stirred up, and the fulness thereof: the round world, and
all that dwell therein." Let the sea be stirred up in its persecutions.
"Let the floods clap their hands together" (ver. 8). Let the sea be
aroused, and the floods clap their hands together; persecutions arise,
and the saints rejoice in God. Whence shall the floods clap their
hands? What is to clap their hands? To rejoice in works. To clap hands,
is to rejoice; hands, mean works. What floods? Those whom God hath made
floods, by giving them that Water, the Holy Spirit. "If any man
thirst," saith He, "let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth
on Me, out of his bosom shall flow rivers of living water." [4505]
These rivers clapped their hands, these rivers rejoiced in works, and
blessed God. "The hills shall be joyful together."
8. "Before the Lord, for He is come; for He is come to judge the earth"
(ver. 9). "The hills" signify the great. The Lord cometh to judge the
earth, and they rejoice. But there are hills, who, when the Lord is
coming to judge the earth, shall tremble. There are therefore good and
evil hills; the good hills, are spiritual greatness; the bad hills, are
the swelling of pride. "Let the hills be joyful together before the
Lord, for He is come; for He is come to judge the earth." Wherefore
shall He come, and how shall He come? "With righteousness shall He
judge the world, and the people with equity" (ver. 10). Let the hills
therefore rejoice; for He shall not judge unrighteously. When some man
is coming as a judge, to whom the conscience cannot lie open, even
innocent men may tremble, if from him they expect a reward for virtue,
or fear the penalty of condemnation; when He shall come who cannot be
deceived, let the hills rejoice, let them rejoice fearlessly; they
shall be enlightened by Him, not condemned; let them rejoice, because
the Lord will come to judge the world with equity; and if the righteous
hills rejoice, let the unrighteous tremble. But behold, He hath not yet
come: what need is there they should tremble? Let them mend their ways,
and rejoice. It is in thy power in what way thou willest to await the
coming of Christ. For this reason He delayeth to come, that when He
cometh He may not condemn thee. Lo, He hath not yet come: He is in
heaven, thou on earth: He delayeth His coming, do not thou delay
wisdom. His coming is hard to the hard of heart, soft to the pious. See
therefore even now what thou art: if hard of heart, thou canst soften;
if thou art soft, even now rejoice that He will come. For thou art a
Christian. Yea, thou sayest. I believe that thou prayest, and sayest,
"Thy kingdom come." [4506] Thou desirest Him to come, whose coming thou
fearest. Reform thyself, that thou mayest not pray against thyself.
Let us pray in the words of Augustine.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to him, so far as our
meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying his exceeding kindness, that of
his good pleasure he would deign to hear our prayers, that by his Power he would drive out the
enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that he would increase our faith, guide our understandings,
give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his bliss, through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[A prayer which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.]
NPNF (V1-08) St. Augustine
Notes
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[4494] Lat. XCVII. A discourse to the people.
[4495] Ps. xcvi. 1.
[4496] Donatists.
[4497] Luke vii. 12-14.
[4498] Isa. liii. 1.
[4499] Luke iii. 6.
[4500] Luke ii. 28-30.
[4501] Matt. xxiv. 23.
[4502] Job i. 21.
[4503] 2 Cor. xii. 7-10.
[4504] 1 Cor. i. 12, iii. 1-4.
[4505] John vii. 37-39.
[4506] Matt. vi. 10.
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