The Second Sunday after Christmas
Autustine on Psalm LXXXV
Christmas 2 Home
ALMIGHTY God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word; Grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah lxi. 1, Psalms LXXXV, LXXXVII | XC, XCI
& St. Matthew ii. 19
Homilies
Isaiah lxi. 1
THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.Psalms LXXXV, LXXXVII | XC, XCI
St. Matthew ii. 19
WHEN Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.Augustine
Psalm LXXXV
1. ...Its title is, "A Psalm for the end, to the sons of Core." [3915]
Let us understand no other end than that of which the Apostle speaks:
for, "Christ is the end of the law." [3916] Therefore when at the head
of the title of the Psalm he placed the words, "for the end," he
directed our heart to Christ. If we fix our gaze on Him, we shall not
stray: for He is Himself the Truth unto which we are eager to arrive,
and He Himself the Way [3917] by which we run....
2. The Prophet singeth to Him of the future, and useth words as it were
of past time: he speaks of things future as if already done, because
with God that which is future has already taken place...."Lord, Thou
hast been favourable unto Thy land" (ver. 1); as if He had already done
so. "Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob." His ancient people
of Jacob, the people of Israel, born of Abraham's seed, in the promise
to become one day the heir of God. That was indeed a real people, to
whom the Old Testament was given; but in the Old Testament the New was
figured: that was the figure, this the truth expressed. In that figure,
by a kind of foretelling of the future, there was given to that people
a certain land of promise, in a region where the people of the Jews
abode; where also is the city of Jerusalem, whose name we have all
heard of. When this people had received possession of this land, they
suffered many troubles from their neighbouring enemies who surrounded
them: and when they sinned against their God, they were given into
captivity, not for destruction, but for discipline; their Father not
condemning, but scourging them. And after being seized on, they were
set free, and many times were both made captives, and set free; and
they are now in captivity, and that for a great sin, even because they
crucified their Lord. What then are we to understand them to mean by
the words, "Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob"?...This Psalm
hath prophesied in song. "Thou hast turned away the captivity of
Jacob." To whom did it speak? To Christ; for it said, "for the end, for
the sons of Core:" for He hath turned away the captivity of Jacob. Hear
Paul himself confessing: "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death?" He asked who it should be, and
straightway it occurred to him, "The grace of God through Jesus Christ
our Lord." [3918] Of this grace of God the Prophet speaketh to our Lord
Jesus Christ, "Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob." Attend to
the captivity of Jacob, attend, and see that it is this: Thou hast
turned away our captivity, not by setting us free from the barbarians,
with whom we had not met, but by setting us free from bad works, from
our sins, by which Satan held sway over us. For if any one has been set
free from his sins, the prince of sinners hath not whence he may hold
sway over him.
3. For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See, how that that
setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. "Thou hast
forgiven," he saith, "the iniquity of Thy people: Thou hast covered all
their sins" (ver. 2). Behold how He hath turned away their captivity,
in that He hath remitted iniquity: iniquity held them captive; thy
iniquity forgiven, thou art freed. Confess therefore that thou art in
captivity, that thou mayest be worthy to be freed: for he that knoweth
not of his enemy, how can he invoke the liberator? "Thou hast covered
all their sins." What is, "Thou hast covered"? So as not to see them.
How didst Thou not see them? So as not to take vengeance on them. Thou
wast unwilling to see our sins: and therefore sawest Thou them not,
because Thou wouldest not see them: "Thou hast covered all their sins."
"Thou hast appeased all Thy anger: Thou hast turned Thyself from Thy
wrathful indignation" (ver. 3).
4. And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the
words is past, it follows: "Turn us, O God of our salvation" (ver. 4).
That which he had just related as if it were done, how prayeth he that
it may be done, except because he wished to show that he had spoken as
if of the past in prophecy? But that it was not yet done which he had
said was done he showeth by this, that he prayeth that it may be done:
"Turn us, O God of our salvation, and turn away Thine anger from us."
Didst thou not say before: "Thou hast appeased all Thy anger, Thou has
turned Thyself from Thy wrathful indignation"? How then now sayest
thou, "And turn away Thine anger from us"? The Prophet answereth: These
things I speak of as done, because I see them about to be done: but
because they are not yet done, I pray that they may come, which I have
already seen.
5. "Be not angry with us for ever" (ver. 5). For by the anger of God we
are subject to death, and by the anger of God we eat bread on this
earth in want, and in the sweat of our face. [3919] This was Adam's
sentence when he sinned: and that Adam was every one of us, for "in
Adam all die;" [3920] the sentence passed on him hath taken effect
after him on us. For we were not yet ourselves, but we were in Adam:
therefore whatever happened to Adam himself took effect on us also, so
that we should die: for we all were in him....So far as this the sin of
thy father hurts thee not, if thou hast changed thyself, even as it
would not hurt thy father if he had changed himself. But that which our
stock hath received unto its subjection to death, it hath derived from
Adam. What hath it so derived? That frailty of the flesh, this torture
of pains, this house of poverty, this chain of death, and snares of
temptations; all these things we carry about in this flesh; and this is
the anger of God, because it is the vengeance of God. But because it
was so to be, that we should be regenerated, and by believing should be
made new, and all that mortality was to be removed in our resurrection,
and the whole man was to be restored in newness; "For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive;" [3921] seeing this the
Prophet saith, "Be not angry with us for ever, nor stretch out Thy
wrath from one generation to another." The first generation was mortal
by Thy wrath: the second generation shall be immortal by Thy mercy....
6. "O God, Thou shalt turn us again, and make us alive" (ver. 6). Not
as if we ourselves of our own accord, without Thy mercy, turn unto
Thee, and then Thou shalt make us alive: but so that not only our being
made alive is from Thee, but our very conversion, that we may be made
alive. "And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee." To their own evil they
shall rejoice in themselves: to their own good they shall rejoice in
Thee. For when they wished to have joy of themselves, they found in
themselves woe: but now because God is all our joy, he that will
rejoice securely, let him rejoice in Him who cannot perish. For why, my
brethren, will ye rejoice in silver? Either thy silver perisheth, or
thou: and no one knows which first: yet this is certain, that both
shall perish; which first, is uncertain. For neither can man remain
here always, nor can silver remain here always: so too gold, so
garments, so houses, so money, so broad lands, so, lastly, this light
itself. Be not thou willing then to rejoice in these: but rejoice in
that light which hath no setting: rejoice in that dawn which no
yesterday precedes, which no to-morrow follows. What light is that?
"I," saith He, "am the Light of the world." [3922] He who saith unto
thee, "I am the Light of the world," calls thee to Himself. When He
calls thee, He converts thee: when He converts thee, He healeth thee:
when He hath healed thee, thou shalt see thy Converter, unto whom it is
said, "Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation" (ver. 7):
Thy salvation, that is, Thy Christ. [3923] Happy is he unto whom God
showeth His mercy. He it is who cannot indulge in pride, unto whom God
showeth His mercy. For by showing him His salvation He persuadeth him
that whatever good man has, he hath not but from Him who is all our
good. And when a man has seen that whatever good he has he hath not
from himself, but from his God; he sees that everything which is
praised in him is of the mercy of God, not of his own deserving; and
seeing this, he is not proud; not being proud, he is not lifted up; not
lifting himself up, he falleth not; not falling, he standeth; standing,
he clingeth fast; clinging fast, he abideth; abiding, he enjoyeth, and
rejoiceth in the Lord his God. He who made him shall be unto him a
delight: and his delight no one spoileth, no one interrupteth, no one
taketh away....Therefore, what saith John in his Epistle? "Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be."
[3924] Who would not rejoice, if suddenly while he was wandering
abroad, ignorant of his descent, suffering want, and in a state of
misery and toil, it were announced, Thou art the son of a senator: thy
father enjoys an ample patrimony on your family estate; I bid thee
return to thy father: how would he rejoice, if this were said to him by
some one whose promise he could trust? One whom we can trust, an
Apostle of Christ, hath come and said to us, Ye have a father, ye have
a country, ye have an inheritance. Who is that father? "Beloved, we are
the sons of God." [3925] ...Therefore He [3926] promised us to show
Himself unto us. Think, my brethren, what His beauty is. All those
beautiful things which ye see, which ye love, He made. If these are
beautiful, what is He Himself? If these are great, how great is He?
Therefore from these things which we love here, let us the more long
for Him: and despising these things, let us love Him: that by that very
love we may by faith purify our hearts, and His vision, when it cometh,
may find our heart purified. The light which shall be shown unto us
ought to find us whole: this is the work of faith now. This is what we
have spoken here: "And grant us Thy salvation:" grant us Thy Christ,
that we may know Thy Christ, see Thy Christ; not as the Jews saw Him
and crucified Him, but as the Angels see Him, and rejoice.
7. "I will hearken" (ver. 8). The Prophet spoke: God spoke within in
him, and the world made a noise without. Therefore, retiring for a
little from the noise of the world, and turning himself back upon
himself, and from himself upon Him whose voice he heard within; sealing
up his ears, as it were, against the tumultuous disquietude of this
life, and against the soul weighed down by the corruptible body, and
against the imagination, that through the earthly tabernacle pressing
down, [3927] thinketh on many things, [3928] he saith, "I will hearken
what the Lord God speaketh in me;" and he heard, what? "For He shall
speak peace unto His people." The voice of Christ, then, the voice of
God, is peace: it calleth unto peace. Ho! it saith, whosoever are not
yet in peace, love ye peace: for what can ye find better from Me than
peace? What is peace? Where there is no war. What is this, where there
is no war? Where there is no contradiction, where there is no
resistance, nothing to oppose. Consider if we are yet there: consider
if there is not now a conflict with the devil, if all the saints and
faithful ones wrestle not with the prince of demons. And how do they
wrestle with him whom they see not? They wrestle with their own
desires, by which he suggests unto them sins: and by not consenting to
what he suggests, though they are not conquered, yet they fight.
Therefore there is not yet peace where there is fighting....Whatever we
provide for our refreshment, there again we find weariness. Art thou
hungry? one asks thee: thou answerest, I am. He places food before thee
for thy refreshment; continue thou to use it, for thou hadst need of
it; yet in continuing that which thou needest for refreshment, therein
findest thou weariness. By long sitting thou wast tired; thou risest
and refreshest thyself by walking; continue that relief, and by much
walking thou art wearied; again thou wouldest sit down. Find me
anything by which thou art refreshed, wherein if thou continue thou
dost not again become weary. What peace then is that which men have
here, opposed by so many troubles, desires, wants, wearinesses? This is
no true, no perfect peace. What will be perfect peace? "This
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality." [3929] ...Persevere in eating much; this itself will kill
thee: persevere in fasting much, by this thou wilt die: sit
continually, being resolved not to rise up, by this thou wilt die: be
always walking so as never to take rest, by this thou wilt die; watch
continually, taking no sleep, by this thou wilt die; sleep continually,
never watching, thus too thou wilt die. When therefore death shall be
swallowed up in victory, these things shall no longer be: there will be
full and eternal peace. We shall be in a City, of which, brethren, when
I speak I find it hard to leave off, especially when offences wax
common. Who would not long for that City whence no friend goeth out,
whither no enemy entereth, [3930] where is no tempter, no seditious
person, no one dividing God's people, no one wearying the Church in the
service of the devil; since the prince himself of all such is cast into
eternal fire, and with him those who consent unto him, and who have no
will to retire from him? There shall be peace made pure in the sons of
God, all loving one another, seeing one another full of God, since God
shall be all in all. [3931] We shall have God as our common object of
vision, God as our common possession, God as our common peace. For
whatever there is which He now giveth unto us, He Himself shall be unto
us instead of His gifts; this will be full and perfect peace. This He
speaketh unto His people: this it was which he would hearken unto who
said, "I will hearken what the Lord God will say unto me: for He shall
speak peace unto His people, and to His saints, and unto those who turn
their hearts unto Him." Lo, my brethren, do ye wish that unto you
should belong that peace which God uttereth? Turn your heart unto Him:
not unto me, or unto that one, or unto any man. For whatever man would
turn unto himself the hearts of men, he falleth with them. Which is
better, that thou fall with him unto whom thou turnest thyself, or that
thou stand with Him with whom thou turnest thyself? Our joy, our peace,
our rest, the end of all troubles, is none but God: blessed are "they
that turn their hearts unto Him."
8. "Nevertheless, His salvation is nigh them that fear Him" (ver. 9).
There were some even then who feared Him in the Jewish people.
Everywhere throughout the earth idols were worshipped: devils were
feared, not God: in that nation God was feared. But why was He feared?
In the Old Testament He was feared, lest He should give them up to
captivity, lest He should take away their land from them, lest He
should destroy their vines with hail, lest He should make their wives
barren, lest He should take away their children from them. For these
carnal promises of God captivated their minds, which as yet were of
small growth, and for these things God was feared: but He was near unto
them who even for these things feared Him. The Pagan prayed for land to
the devil: the Jew prayed for land to God: it was the same thing which
they prayed for, but not the same to whom they prayed. The latter,
though seeking what the Pagan sought, yet was distinguished from the
Pagan; for he sought it of Him who had made all things. And God, who
was far [3932] from the Gentiles, was near [3933] unto them: yet He had
regard even to those who were afar off, and to those who were near, as
the Apostle said: "And He came and preached peace to you who were afar
off, and to them that were near." [3934] Whom did He mean by those
near? The Jews, because they [3935] worshipped one God. Whom by those
who were afar off? The Gentiles, because they had left Him by whom they
were made and worshipped things which themselves had made. For it is
not in space that any one is far from God, but in affections. Thou
lovest God, thou art near unto Him. Thou hatest God, thou art far off.
Thou art standing in the same place, both while thou art near and far
off. This it was, my brethren, which the Prophet had regard to:
although he saw the mercy of God extending over all, yet he saw
something especial and peculiar shown toward the Jews, and he saith,
"Nevertheless, I will hearken what the Lord God shall say unto me: for
He shall speak peace unto His people;" and His people shall be, not
Judaea only, but it shall be gathered together out of all nations: "For
He shall speak peace unto His Saints, and to those who turn their
hearts unto Him," and to all who shall turn their hearts unto Him from
the whole world. "Nevertheless, His salvation shall be nigh them that
fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land:" that is, in that land in
which the Prophet was born, greater glory shall dwell, because Christ
began to be preached from thence. Thence were the Apostles, and thither
first they were sent; from thence were the Prophets, there first was
the Temple, there sacrifice was made to God, there were the Patriarchs,
there He Himself came of the seed of Abraham, there Christ was
manifested, there Christ appeared; for from thence was the Virgin Mary
who bore Christ. There He walked with His feet, there He worked
miracles. Thirdly, He ascribed so great honour to that nation, that
when a certain Canaanitish woman interrupted Him, praying for the
healing of her daughter, He said unto her, "I am not sent but unto the
lost sheep of the house of Israel." [3936] Seeing this, the Prophet
saith, "that glory may dwell in our land."
9. "Mercy and truth have met together" (ver. 10). "Truth in our land,"
in a Jewish person, "mercy" in the land of the Gentiles. For where was
truth? Where the utterances of God were. Where was mercy? On those who
had left their God, and turned themselves unto devils. Did He look down
[3937] also upon them? Yea, as if He said, Call those who are fugitives
afar off, who have departed far from Me: call them, let them find Me
who seek them, since they themselves would not seek Me. Therefore,
"Mercy and truth have met together: righteousness and peace have kissed
each other." Do righteousness, and thou shalt have peace; that
righteousness and peace may kiss each other. For if thou love not
righteousness, thou shalt not have peace; for those two, righteousness
and peace, love one another, and kiss one another: that he who hath
done righteousness may find peace kissing righteousness. They two are
friends: thou perhaps willest the one, and not the other: for there is
no one who wills not peace: but all will not work righteousness. Ask
all men, Willest thou peace? With one mouth the whole race of man
answers thee, I wish, I desire, I will, I love it. Love also
righteousness: for these two, righteousness and peace, are friends;
they kiss one another: if thou love not the friend of peace, peace
itself will not love thee, nor come unto thee. For what great thing is
it to desire peace? Every bad man longeth for peace. For peace is a
good thing. But do righteousness, for righteousness and peace kiss one
another, they quarrel not together....
10. "Truth hath sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked
down from heaven" (ver. 11). "Truth hath sprung out of the earth:"
Christ is born of a woman. The Son of God hath come forth of the flesh.
What is truth? The Son of God. What is the earth? Flesh. Ask whence
Christ was born, and thou seest that "Truth is sprung out of the
earth." But the Truth which sprang out of the earth was before the
earth, and by It the heaven and the earth were made: but in order that
righteousness might look down from heaven, that is, in order that men
might be justified by Divine grace, Truth was born of the Virgin Mary;
that He might be able to offer a sacrifice to justify them, the
sacrifice of suffering, the sacrifice of the Cross. And how could He
offer a sacrifice for our sins, except He died? How could He die,
except He received from us that wherein He might die; that is, unless
He received from us mortal flesh, Christ could not have died: because
the Word of God dieth not, Godhead dieth not, the Virtue and Wisdom of
God doth not die. How should He offer a sacrifice, a healing victim, if
He died not? How should He die, unless He clothed Himself with flesh?
How should He put on flesh, except truth sprang out of the earth?
11. On the same passage we may mention another meaning. "Truth is
sprung out of the earth:" confession from man. For thou, O man, wast a
sinner. O earth, who when thou hadst sinned didst hear the sentence,
"Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return," [3938] from thee
let truth spring, that righteousness may look down from heaven. How
doth truth spring from thee, whilst thou art a sinner, whilst thou art
unrighteous? Confess thy sins, and truth shall spring out of thee. For
if whilst thou art unrighteous, thou callest thyself just, how can
truth spring out of thee? But if being unrighteous thou dost confess
thyself to be so, "truth hath sprung out of the earth."...What
"righteousness hath looked down from heaven"? It is that of God, as
though He said: Let us spare this man, for he spareth not himself: let
us pardon him, for he himself confesseth. He is changed so as to punish
his sin: I too will change, so as to set him free.
12. "For the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her
increase" (ver. 12)....He will give unto thee the sweetness of working
righteousness, so that righteousness shall begin to delight thee, whom
before unrighteousness delighted: so that thou who at first didst
delight in drunkenness, shall rejoice in sobriety: and thou who didst
at first rejoice in theft, so as to take from another man what thou
hadst not, shalt seek to give to him that hath not that which thou
hast: and thou who didst take delight in robbing, shalt delight now in
giving: thou whom shows delighted, shalt delight in prayer; thou who
didst delight in trifling and lascivious songs, shalt now delight in
singing hymns to God; in running to church, thou who at first didst run
to the theatre. Whence is that sweetness born to thee, except from
this, that "God giveth sweetness"? For, behold, ye see what I mean:
behold, I have spoken unto you the word of God, I have sown seed in
your devout hearts, finding your souls furrowed, as it were, with the
plough of confession: with devout attention ye have received the seed;
think now upon the word which ye have heard, like those who break up
the clouds, lest the fowls should carry away the seed, that what is
sown may be able to spring up there: and unless God rain upon it, what
profits it that it is sown? This is what is meant by "our land shall
give her increase." May He with His visitations, in leisure, in
business, in your house, in your bed, at meal-time, in conversation, in
walks, visit your hearts, when we are not by. May the rain of God come
and make to sprout what is sown there: and when we are not by, and are
resting quietly, or otherwise employed, may God give increase to the
seeds which we have sown, that remarking afterwards your improved
characters, we too may rejoice for your fruit.
13. "For righteousness shall go before him, and he shall direct his
steps in the way" (ver. 14): that righteousness, namely, which consists
in confession of sins: for this is truth itself. For thou oughtest to
be righteous towards thyself, and to punish thyself: for this is the
beginning of man's righteousness, that thou shouldest punish thyself,
who art evil, and God should make thee good. Therefore since this is
the beginning of man's righteousness, this becomes a way for God, that
God may come unto thee: there make for Him a way, in confession of
sins. Therefore John too, when he was baptizing in the water of
repentance, and would have men come to him repenting of their former
deeds, spoke thus: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths
straight." [3939] Thou didst please thyself in thy sins, O man: let
that which thou wast displease thee, that thou mayest be able to become
what thou wast not. Prepare the way of the Lord: let that righteousness
go before, of confession of sins: He will come and visit thee, for now
He hath where to place His steps, He hath whereby He may come to thee.
Before thou didst confess thy sins, thou hadst shut up the way of God:
there was no way by which He might come unto thee. Confess thy past
life, and thou openest a way; and Christ shall come unto thee, and
"shall place His steps in the way," that He may guide thee with His own
footsteps.
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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[3914] Lat. LXXXIV. A sermon to the people.
[3915] [He repeats the former comment on this. See pp. 132, 400,
supra.--C.]
[3916] Rom. x. 4.
[3917] John xiv. 6.
[3918] Rom. vii. 24, 25.
[3919] Gen. iii. 19.
[3920] 1 Cor. xv. 22.
[3921] 1 Cor. xv. 22.
[3922] John viii. 12.
[3923] [i.e., Thy Joshua, which is inwoven with the idea of salvation
everywhere in the Old Testament (see Gen. xlix. 18), till all is fixed
in Christ, the true Joshua. Matt. i. 21.--C.]
[3924] 1 John iii. 2.
[3925] 1 John iii. 2.
[3926] Oxf. mss. "Therefore if He has."
[3927] Oxf. mss. deprimente.
[3928] Wisd. ix. 15.
[3929] 1 Cor. xv. 53.
[3930] [This exquisite passage, adopted by Bishop Horne in his precious
illustrations of the Psalter, reads in the original as follows: unde
amicus non exit, quo inimicus non intrat.--C.]
[3931] 1 Cor. xv. 28.
[3932] Oxf. mss. "near," "nearer."
[3933] Oxf. mss. "near," "nearer."
[3934] Eph. ii. 17.
[3935] Oxf. mss. "who."
[3936] Matt. xv. 24.
[3937] Despexit; one ms. dispexit.
[3938] Gen. iii. 19.
[3939] Matt. iii. 3
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