The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
Trinity 18 Home
LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source Bishop Gelasians Sacrmentary [494] where appointed for the Sunday before Ember Days in the Autumn. Ember days were for penitence, fasting, and the Saturday for ordinations in Rome. The 1662 added temptations of the world, the flesh One is reminded of the Lord's prayer and of 2 Peter 2:9
They have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto
Psalm CVI
Exodus xxxii
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1 Corinthians i. 4.
I THANK my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.St. Matthew xxii. 34
WHEN the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
An Exposition of the Psalms
Psalm CVI
1. This Psalm also hath the title Allelujah prefixed to it: and this
twice. But some say, that one Allelujah belongeth to the end of the
former Psalm, the other to the beginning of this. And they assert, that
all the Psalms bearing this title have Allelujah at the end, but not
all at the beginning; so that they will not allow any Psalm which hath
not Allelujah at the end, to have it at the beginning; supposing that
what seemeth to belong to the commencement, really belongeth to the end
of the former Psalm. But until they persuade us by some sure proofs
that this is true, we will follow the general custom, which, whenever
it findeth Allelujah, attributes it to the same Psalm, at the head of
which it is found. For there are very few copies (and I have found this
in none of the Greek copies, which I have been able to inspect) which
have Allelujah at the end of the CL^th Psalm; after which there is no
other which belongeth to the same canon. But not even this could
outweigh custom, although all the copies had it so. For it might be
that, with some reference to the praise of God, the whole book of
Psalms, which is said to consist of five books (for they say that the
books severally end where it is written Amen, Amen), might be closed
with this last Allelujah, after all that hath been sung; nor, on
account of the end of the CL^th Psalm, do I see that it is necessary
that all the Psalms entitled Allelujah, should have Allelujah at the
end. But when there is a double Allelujah at the head of a Psalm, why
as our Lord sometimes once, sometimes twice over, saith Amen, in the
same way Allelujah may not sometimes be used once, sometimes twice, I
know not: especially, since as in this CV^th, both the Allelujahs are
placed after the mark by which the number of the Psalm is described,
whereas the one, if it belonged to the end of the former Psalm, ought
to have been placed before the number; and the Allelujah which belonged
to the Psalm of this number, should have been written after the number.
But perhaps even in this an ignorant habit hath prevailed, and some
reason may be assigned of which we are as yet uninformed, so that the
judgment of truth ought rather to be our guide than the prejudice of
custom. In the mean time, before we are fully instructed in this
matter, whenever we find Allelujah written, whether once or twice,
after the number of the Psalm, according to the most usual custom of
the Church, we will ascribe it to that Psalm to which the same number
is prefixed; confessing that we both believe the mysteries of all the
titles in the Psalms, and of the order of the same Psalms, to be
important, and that we have not yet been able, as we wish, to penetrate
them.
2. But I find these two Psalms, the CV^th and CVI^th so connected, that
in one of them, the first, the people of God is praised in the person
of the elect, of whom there is no complaint, whom I imagine to have
been there in those with whom God was well pleased; [4815] but in the
following Psalm those are mentioned among the same people who have
provoked God; though the mercy of God was not wanting even to
these....This Psalm therefore beginneth like the former; "Confess ye
unto the Lord." But in that Psalm these words follow: "And call upon
His Name:" whereas here, it is as follows, "For He is gracious, and His
mercy endureth for ever" (ver. 1). Wherefore in this passage a
confession of sins may be understood; for after a few verses we read,
"We have sinned with our fathers, we have done amiss, and dealt
wickedly;" but in the words, "For He is gracious, [4816] and His mercy
endureth for ever," there is chiefly the praise of God, and in His
praise confession. Although when any one confesses his sins, he ought
to do so with praise of God; nor is a confession of sins a pious one,
unless it be without despair, and with calling upon the mercy of God.
It therefore doth contain His praise, whether in words, when it calleth
Him gracious and merciful, or in the feeling only, when he believeth
this....If that mercy be here understood, in respect of which no man
can be happy without God; we may render it better, "for ever:" but if
it be that mercy which is shown to the wretched, that they may either
be consoled in misery, or even freed from it; it is better construed,
"to the end of the world," in which there will never be wanting
wretched persons to whom that mercy may be shown. Unless indeed any man
ventured to say, that some mercy of God will not be wanting even to
those who shall be condemned with the devil and his angels; not a mercy
by which they may be freed from that condemnation, but that it may be
in some degree softened for them: and that thus the mercy of God may be
styled eternal, as exercised over their eternal misery. [4817] ...
3. "Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord?" (ver. 2). Full of the
consideration of the Divine works, while he entreateth His mercy,
"Who," he saith, "can express the mighty acts of the Lord, or make all
His praises heard?" We must supply what was said above, to make the
sense complete here, thus, "Who shall make all His praises heard?" that
is, who is sufficient to make all His praises heard? "Shall make" them
"heard," he saith; that is, cause that they be heard; showing, that the
mighty acts of the Lord and His praises are so to be spoken of, that
they may be preached to those who hear them. But who can make "all,"
heard? Is it that as the next words are, "Blessed are they that alway
keep judgment, and do righteousness in every time" (ver. 3); he perhaps
meant those praises of His, which are understood as His works in His
commandments? "For it is God," saith the Apostle, "who worketh in you,"
[4818] ...since He worketh in these things in a manner that cannot be
spoken. "Who will do all His praises heard?" that is, who, when he hath
heard them, doth all His praises? which are the works of His
commandments. As far as they are done, although all which are heard are
not performed, He is to be praised, who "worketh in us both to will and
to do of His good pleasure." [4819] For this reason, while he might
have said, all His commandments, or, all the works of His commandments;
he preferred saying, "His praises."...
4. But unless there were some difference between judgment and
righteousness, we should not read in another Psalm, "Until
righteousness turn again unto judgment." [4820] The Scripture, indeed,
loveth to place these two words together; as, "Righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of His seat;" [4821] and this, "He shall
make thy righteousness as clear as the light, and thy judgment as the
noon-day;" [4822] where there is apparently a repetition of the same
sentiment. And perhaps on account of the resemblance of signification
one may be put for the other, either judgment for righteousness, or
righteousness for judgment: yet, if they be spoken of in their proper
sense, I doubt not that there is some difference; viz. that he is said
to keep judgment who judgeth rightly, but he to do righteousness who
acts righteously. And I think that the verse, "Until righteousness turn
again unto judgment," may not absurdly be understood in this sense:
that here also those are called blessed, who keep judgment in faith,
and do righteousness in deed....
5. Next, since God justifieth, that is, maketh men righteous, by
healing them from their iniquities, a prayer followeth: "Remember me, O
Lord, according to the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people" (ver.
4): that is, that we may be among those with whom Thou art well
pleased; since God is not well pleased with them all. "O visit me with
Thy salvation." This is the Saviour Himself, in whom sins are forgiven,
and souls healed, that they may be able to keep judgment, and do
righteousness; and since they who here speak know such men to be
blessed, they pray for this themselves...."Visit us," then, "with Thy
salvation," that is, with Thy Christ. "To see the felicity of Thy
chosen, and to rejoice in the gladness of Thy people" (ver. 5): that
is, visit us for this reason with Thy salvation, that we may see the
felicity of Thy chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of Thy people. For
"felicity" [4823] some copies read "sweetness;" as in the former
passage, "For He is gracious;" where others read, "for He is sweet."
And it is the same word in the Greek, as is elsewhere read, "The Lord
shall show sweetness:" [4824] which some have translated "felicity,"
others "bounty." But what meaneth, "Visit us to see the felicity of Thy
chosen:" that is, that happiness which Thou givest to Thine elect:
except that we may not remain blind, as those unto whom it is said,
"But now ye say we see: therefore your sin remaineth." [4825] For the
Lord giveth sight to the blind, [4826] not by their own merits, but in
the felicity He giveth to His chosen, which is the meaning of "the
felicity of Thy chosen:" as, the help of my countenance, is not of
myself, but is my God. [4827] And we speak of our daily bread, as ours,
but we add, Give unto us. [4828] ..."That Thou mayest be praised with
Thine inheritance." I wonder this verse hath been so interpreted in
many copies, since the Greek phrase is one and the same in these three
verses....But since this seemeth a doubtful expression, if that sense
be true according to which interpreters have preferred, "That Thou
mayest be praised," the two preceding verses also must be so
understood, because, as I have said, there is one Greek expression in
these three verses; so that the whole should be thus understood, "Visit
us with Thy salvation, that Thou mayest see the felicity of Thy
chosen;" that is, visit us for this purpose, that Thou mayest cause us
to be there, and mayest see us there; that "Thou mayest rejoice in the
gladness of Thy people," that is, that Thou mayest be said to rejoice,
since they rejoice in Thee; that "Thou mayest be praised with Thine
inheritance," that is, mayest be praised with it, since it may not be
praised save for Thy sake....
6. But let us hear what they next confess: "we have sinned with our
fathers: we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly" (ver. 6). What meaneth
"with our fathers"?..."Our fathers," he saith, "regarded not Thy
wonders in Egypt" (ver. 7); and many other things also, he doth relate
of their sins. Or is, "we have sinned with our fathers," to be
understood as meaning, we have sinned like our fathers, that is, by
imitating their sins? If it be so, it should be supported by some
example of this mode of expression: which did not occur to me when I
sought on this occasion an instance of any one saying that he had
sinned, or done anything, with another, whom he had imitated by a
similar act after a long interval of time. What meaneth then, "Our
fathers understood not Thy wonders;" save this, they did not know what
Thou didst wish to convince them of by these miracles? What indeed,
save life eternal, [4829] and a good, not temporal, but immutable,
which is waited for only through endurance? For this reason they
impatiently murmured, and provoked, and they asked to be blessed with
present and fugitive blessings, "Neither were they mindful of the
greatness of Thy mercy." He reproveth both their understanding and
memory. Understanding there was need of, that they might meditate unto
what eternal blessings God was calling them through these temporal
ones; and of memory, that at least they might not forget the temporal
wonders which had been wrought, and might faithfully believe, that by
the same power which they had already experienced, God would free them
from the persecutions of their enemies; whereas they forgot the aid
which He had given them in Egypt, by means of such wonders, to crush
their enemies. "And they provoked, as they went up to the sea, even to
the Red Sea." [4830] We ought especially to notice how the Scripture
doth censure the not understanding that which ought to have been
understood, and the not remembering that which ought to have been
remembered; which men are unwilling to have ascribed to their own
fault, for no other reason than that they may pray less, and be less
humble unto God, in whose sight they should confess what they are, and
might by praying for His aid, become what they are not. For it is
better to accuse even the sins of ignorance and negligence, that they
may be done away with, than to excuse them, so that they remain; and it
is better to clear them off by calling upon God, than to clench them by
provoking Him.
He addeth, that God acted not according to their unbelief.
"Nevertheless," he saith, "He saved them for His Name's sake: that He
might make His power to be known" (ver. 8): not on account of any
deservings of their own.
7. "He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up" (ver. 9). We do
not read that any voice was sent forth from Heaven to rebuke the sea;
but he hath called the Divine Power by which this was effected, a
rebuke: unless indeed any one may choose to say, that the sea was
secretly rebuked, so that the waters might hear, and yet men could not.
The power by which God acteth is very abstruse and mysterious, a power
which He causeth that even things devoid of sense instantly obey at His
will. "So He led them through the deeps, as through a wilderness." He
calleth a multitude of waters the deeps. For some wishing to give the
sense of this whole verse, have translated, "So He led them forth amid
many waters." What then doth "through the deeps, as through a
wilderness," mean, except that that had become as a wilderness from its
dryness, where before had been the watery deeps?
8. "And He saved them from the hating ones" [4831] (ver. 10). Some
translators, in order to avoid an expression unusual in Latin, have
rendered the word, by a circumlocution, "And He saved them from the
hand of those that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the
enemy." What price was given in this redemption? Is it a prophecy,
since this deed was a figure of Baptism, wherein we are redeemed from
the hand of the devil at a great price, which price is the Blood of
Christ? whence this is more consistently figured forth, not by any sea
indiscriminately, but by the Red Sea; since blood hath a red colour.
9. "As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them: there
was not one of them left" (ver. 11); not of all the Egyptians, but of
those who pursued the departing Israelites, desirous either of taking
or of killing them.
10. "Then believed they in His words" (ver. 12). The expression seemeth
barely Latin, for he saith not "believed His word," [4832] or "on His
words," [4833] but "in His words;" [4834] yet it is very frequent in
Scripture. "And praised praise unto Him;" such an expression as when we
say, "This servitude he served," "such a life he lived." He is here
alluding to that well-known hymn, commencing, "I will sing unto the
Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and the rider hath He
thrown into the sea." [4835]
11. "They acted hastily: they forgot His works" (ver. 13): other copies
read more intelligibly, "They hastened, they forgot His works, and
would not abide His counsel." For they ought to have thought, that so
great works of God towards themselves were not without a purpose, but
that they invited them to some endless happiness, which was to be
waited for with patience; but they hastened to make themselves happy
with temporal things, which give no man true happiness, because they do
not quench insatiable longing: for "whosoever," saith our Lord, "shall
drink of this water, shall thirst again." [4836]
12. Lastly, "And they lusted a lust in the wilderness, and they tempted
God in the dry land" (ver. 14). The "dry land," or land without water,
and "desert," are the same: so also are, "they lusted a lust," and,
"they tempted God." The form of speech is the same as above, "they
praised a praise." [4837]
13. "And He gave them their desire, and sent fulness withal into their
souls" (ver. 15). But He did not thus render them happy: for it was not
that fulness of which it is said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and
thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." [4838] In this
passage he doth not speak of the rational soul, but of the soul as
giving animal life to the body; to the substance of which belong meat
and drink, according to what is said in the Gospel, "Is not the soul
more than meat, and the body than raiment?" [4839] as if it belonged to
the soul to eat, to the body to be clothed.
14. "And they angered Moses in the tents, and Aaron the saint of the
Lord" (ver. 16). What angering, or, as some have more literally
rendered it, what provocation, [4840] he speaketh of, the following
words sufficiently show.
15. "The earth opened," he saith, "and swallowed up Dathan, and covered
over the congregation of Abiram" (ver. 17): "swallowed up" answereth to
"covered over." Both Dathan and Abiram were equally concerned in a most
sacrilegious schism. [4841]
16. "And the fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the
sinners" (ver. 18). This word is not in Scripture usually applied to
those, who, although they live righteously, and in a praiseworthy
manner, are not without sin. Rather, as there is a difference between
those who scorn and scorners, between men who murmur and murmurers,
between men who are writing and writers, and so forth; so Scripture is
wont to signify by sinners such as are very wicked, and laden with
heavy loads of sins.
17. "And they made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the graven image"
(ver. 19). "Thus they changed their glory, in the similitude of a calf
that eateth hay" (ver. 20). He saith not "into" the likeness, but "in"
the likeness. It is such a form of speech as where he said "and they
believed in His words." [4842] With great effect in truth he saith not,
they changed the glory of God when they did this; as the Apostle also
saith, "They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man:" [4843] but "their glory." For God was
their glory, if they would abide His counsel, and hasten not....
18. "They forgat God who saved them" (ver. 21). How did He save them?
"Who did so great things in Egypt: Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and fearful things in the Red Sea" (ver. 22). The things that are
wondrous, are also fearful; for there is no wonder without a certain
fear: although these might be called fearful, because they beat down
their adversaries, and showed them what they ought to fear.
19. "So He said, He would have destroyed them" (ver. 23). Since they
forgot Him who saved them, the Worker of wondrous works, and made and
worshipped a graven image, by this atrocious and incredible impiety
they deserved death. "Had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the
breaking." He doth not say, that he stood in the breaking, [4844] as if
to break the wrath of God, but in the way of the breaking, meaning the
stroke which was to strike them: that is, had he not put himself in the
way for them, saying, "Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin;--and if
not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book." Where it is proved how
greatly the intercession of the saints in behalf of others prevaileth
with God. For Moses, fearless in the justice of God, which could not
blot him out, implored mercy, that He would not blot out those whom He
justly might. Thus he "stood before Him in the breaking, to turn away
His wrathful indignation, lest He should destroy them."
20. "Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land" (ver. 24). But had
they seen it? How then could they scorn that which they had not seen,
except as the following words explain, "and believed not in His words."
Indeed, unless that land which was styled the land that flowed with
milk and honey, [4845] signified something great, through which, as by
a visible token, He was leading those who understood His wondrous works
to invisible grace and the kingdom of heaven, they could not be blamed
for scorning that land, whose temporal kingdom we also ought to esteem
as nothing, that we may love that Jerusalem which is free, the mother
of us all, [4846] which is in heaven, and truly to be desired. But
rather unbelief is here reproved, since they gave no credence to the
words of God, who was leading them to great things through small
things, and hastening to bless themselves with temporal things, which
they carnally savoured of, they "abided not His counsel," as is said
above.
21. "But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of
the Lord" (ver. 25); who strongly forbade them to murmur.
22. "Then lift He up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the
wilderness" (ver. 26); "to cast out their seed among the nations: and
to scatter them in the lands" (ver. 27).
23. "They were initiated also unto Baalpeor;" that is, were consecrated
to the Gentile idol; "and ate the offerings of the dead" (ver. 28).
"Thus they provoked Him to anger with their own inventions; and
destruction was multiplied among them" (ver. 29). As if He had deferred
the lifting up of His hand which was to cast them down in the desert,
and to cast out their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in
the lands; as the Apostle saith: "And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient." [4847] "`Destruction,'
therefore, `was multiplied among them,' when they were heavily punished
for their heavy sins."
24. "Then stood up Phineas, and appeased Him, and the shaking ceased"
(ver. 30). He hath related the whole briefly, because he is not here
teaching the ignorant, but reminding those who know the history. The
word "shaking" here is the same as "breaking" before. For it is one
word in the Greek. Lastly, so great was their wickedness, in being
consecrated to the idol, and eating the sacrifices of the dead (that
is, because the Gentiles [4848] sacrificed to dead men as to God), that
God would not be otherwise appeased than as Phineas the Priest appeased
Him, when he slew a man and a woman together whom he found in adultery.
[4849] If he had done this from hatred towards them, and not from love,
while zeal for the house of God devoured him, it would not have been
counted unto him for righteousness....Christ our Lord indeed, when the
New Testament was revealed, chose a milder discipline; but the threat
of hell is more severe, and this we do not read of in those
threatenings held out by God in His temporal government.
25. "And that was counted unto him for righteousness among all
posterities for evermore" (ver. 31). God counted this unto His Priest
for righteousness, not only as long as posterity shall exist, but "for
evermore;" for He who knoweth the heart, knoweth how to weigh with how
much love for the people that deed was done.
26. "And they angered Him at the waters of strife: so that Moses was
vexed for their sakes" (ver. 32); "because they provoked his spirit, so
that he spake doubtfully [4850] with his lips" (ver. 33). What is spake
doubtfully? As if God, who had done so great wonders before, could not
cause water to flow from a rock. For he touched the rock with his rod
with doubt, and thus distinguished this miracle from the rest, in which
he had not doubted. He thus offended, thus deserved to hear that he
should die, without entering into the land of promise. [4851] For being
disturbed by the murmurs of an unbelieving people, he held not fast
that confidence which he ought to have held. Nevertheless, God giveth
unto him, as unto His chosen, a good testimony even after his death, so
that we may see that this wavering of faith was punished with this
penalty only, that he was not allowed to enter that land, whither he
was leading the people....
27. But they of whose iniquities this Psalm speaketh, when they had
entered into that temporal land of promise, "destroyed not the heathen,
which the Lord commanded them" (ver. 34); "but were mingled among the
heathen, and learned their works" (ver. 35). "Insomuch that they
worshipped their idols, which became to them an offence" (ver. 36).
Their not destroying them, but mingling with them, became to them an
offence.
28. "Yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils"
(ver. 37); "and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and
of their daughters, whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan" (ver.
38). That history doth not relate that they offered their sons and
daughters to devils and idols; but neither can that Psalm lie, nor the
Prophets, who assert this in many passages of their rebukes. But the
literature of the Gentiles is not silent respecting this custom of
theirs. But what is it that followeth? "And the land was slain with
bloods." We might suppose that this was a mistake of the writer, and
that he had written interfecta for infecta, were it not for the
goodness of God, who hath willed His Scriptures to be written in many
languages; were it not that we see it written as in the text in many
Greek [4852] copies which we have inspected; "the land was slain with
bloods." What meaneth then, "the land was slain," unless this be
referred to the men who dwelt in the land, by a metaphorical
expression....For they themselves were slaying their own souls when
they offered up their sons, and when they shed the blood of infants who
were far from consent to this crime: whence it is said, "They shed
innocent blood." "The land" therefore "was slain with bloods, and
defiled by their works" (ver. 39), since they themselves were slain in
soul, and defiled by their works; "and they went a whoring after their
own inventions." By inventions are meant what the Greeks call
epitedeumata: for this word doth occur in the Greek copies both in this
and a former passage, where it is said, "They provoked Him to anger
with their own inventions;" "inventions" in both instances signifying
what they had initiated others in. Let no man therefore suppose
inventions to mean what they had of themselves instituted, without any
example before them to imitate. Whence other translators in the Latin
tongue have preferred pursuits, affections, imitations, pleasures, to
inventions: and the very same who here write inventions, have elsewhere
written pursuits. I chose to mention this, lest the word inventions,
applied to what they had not invented, but imitated from others, might
raise a difficulty.
29. "Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His own
people" (ver. 40). Our translators have been unwilling to use the word
anger, for the Greek thumos; though some have used it; while others
translate by "indignation" or "mind." [4853] Whichever of these terms
be adopted, passion doth not affect God; but the power of punishing
hath assumed this name metaphorically from custom.
30. "Insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance; and He gave them
over into the hand of the heathen: and they that hated them were lords
over them" (ver. 41): "and their enemies oppressed them, and they were
brought low under their hands" (ver. 42). Since he hath called them the
inheritance of God, it is clear that He abhorred them, and gave them
over into their enemies' hands, not in order to their perdition, but
for their discipline. Lastly, he saith, "Many a time did He deliver
them." "But they provoked Him with their own counsels" (ver. 43). This
is what he said above, "They did not abide His counsel." Now a man's
counsel is pernicious to himself, when he seeketh those things which
are his own only, not those which are God's. [4854] In whose
inheritance, which inheritance He Himself is to us, when He deigneth
His presence for our enjoyment, being with the Saints, we shall suffer
no straitening from the society, by our love of anything as our own
possession. For that most glorious city, when it hath gained the
promised inheritance, in which none shall die, none shall be born, will
not contain citizens who shall individually rejoice in their own, for
"God shall be all in all." [4855] And whoever in this pilgrimage
faithfully and earnestly doth long for this society, doth accustom
himself to prefer common to private interests, by seeking not his own
things, but Jesus Christ's: lest, by being wise and vigilant in his own
affairs, he provoke God with his own counsel; but, hoping for what he
seeth not, let him not hasten to be blessed with things visible; and,
patiently waiting for that everlasting happiness which he seeth not,
follow His counsel in His promises, whose aid he prayeth for in his
prayers. Thus he will also become humble in his confessions; so as not
to be like those, of whom it is said, "They were brought down in their
wickedness."
31. Nevertheless, God, full of mercy, forsook them not. "And He saw
when they were in adversity, when He heard their complaint" (ver. 44).
"And He thought upon His covenant, and repented, according to the
multitude of His mercies" (ver. 45). He saith, "He repented," because
He changed that wherewith He seemed about to destroy them. With God
indeed all things are arranged and fixed; and when He seemeth to act
upon sudden motive, He doth nothing but what He foreknew that He should
do from eternity; but in the temporal changes of creation, which He
ruleth wonderfully, He, without any temporal change in Himself, is said
to do by a sudden act of will what in the ordained causes of events He
hath arranged in the unchangeableness of His most secret counsel,
according to which He doth everything according to defined seasons,
doing the present, and having already done the future. And who is
capable of comprehending these things? [4856] Let us therefore hear the
Scripture, speaking high things humbly, giving food for the nourishment
of children, and proposing subjects for the research of the older: that
everlasting covenant "which He made with Abraham," not the old which is
abolished, but the new which is hidden even in the old. "And pitied
them," etc. He did that which He had covenanted, but He had foreknown
that He would yield this to them when they prayed in their adversity;
since even their very prayer, when it was not uttered, but was still to
be uttered, undoubtedly was known unto God.
32. So "He gave them unto compassions, in the sight of all that had
taken them captive" (ver. 46). That they might not be vessels of wrath,
but vessels of mercy. [4857] The compassions unto which He gave them
are named in the plural for this reason, I imagine, because each one
hath a gift of his own from God, one in one way, another in another.
[4858] Come then, whosoever readest this, and dost recognise the grace
of God, by which we are redeemed unto eternal life through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by reading in the apostolical writings, and by searching
in the Prophets, and seest the Old Testament revealed in the New, the
New veiled in the Old; remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
where, when He driveth him out of the hearts of the faithful, He saith,
"Now is the prince of this world cast out:" [4859] and again of the
Apostle, when he saith, "Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son."
[4860] Meditate on these and such like things, examine also the Old
Testament, and see what is sung in that Psalm, the title of which is,
When the temple was being built after the captivity: [4861] for there
it is said, "Sing unto the Lord a new song." And, that thou mayest not
think it doth refer to the Jewish people only, he saith, "Sing unto the
Lord, all the whole earth: sing unto the Lord, and praise His Name:
declare," or rather, "give the good news of," or, to transfer the very
word used in the Greek, "evangelize day from day, His salvation." Here
the Gospel (Evangelium) is mentioned, in which is announced the Day
that came from Day, our Lord Christ, the Light from Light, the Son from
the Father. This also is the meaning of His salvation: for Christ is
the Salvation of God, as we have shown above. [4862] ...
33. "Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations
(other copies read, "from the heathen"); that we may give thanks unto
Thy holy Name, and make our boast of Thy praise" (ver. 47). Then he
hath briefly added this very praise, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
from everlasting, and world without end" [4863] (ver. 48): by which we
understand from everlasting to everlasting; because He shall be praised
without end by those of whom it is said, "Blessed are they that dwell
in Thy house: they will be alway praising Thee." [4864] This is the
perfection of the Body of Christ on the third day, when the devils had
been cast out, and cures perfected, even unto the immortality of the
body itself, the everlasting reign of those who perfectly praise Him,
because they perfectly love Him; and perfectly love Him, because they
behold Him face to face. For then shall be completed the prayer at the
commencement of this Psalm: [4865] "Remember us, O Lord, according to
the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people," etc. For from the
Gentiles He doth not gather only the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
[4866] but also those which do not belong to that fold; so that there
is one flock, as is said, and one Shepherd. But when the Jews suppose
that that prophecy belongeth to their visible kingdom, because they
know not how to rejoice in the hope of good things unseen, they are
about to rush into the snares of him, of whom the Lord saith, "I am
come in My Father's Name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come
in his own name, him ye will receive." [4867] Of whom the Apostle Paul
saith: "that Man of Sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition," etc.
And a little after he saith, "Then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy
with the brightness of His coming," etc. [4868] ...Through that
Apostate, through him who exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped, it seemeth to me, that the carnal people of
Israel will suppose that prophecy to be fulfilled, where it is said,
"Deliver us, O Lord, and gather us from among the heathen;" that under
His guidance, before the eyes of their visible enemies, who had visibly
taken them captive, they are to have visible glory. Thus they will
believe a lie, because they have not received the love of truth, that
they might love not carnal, but spiritual blessings....For Christ had
other sheep that were not of this fold: [4869] but the devil and his
angels had taken captive all those sheep, both among the Israelites and
the Gentiles. The power, therefore, of the devil having been cast out
of them, in the sight of the evil spirits who had taken them captive,
their cry in this prophecy is, that they may be saved and perfected for
evermore: "Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the
heathen." Not, as the Jews imagine it, fulfilled through Antichrist,
but through our Lord Christ coming in the name of His Father, "Day from
day, His salvation;" of whom it is here said, "O visit us in Thy
salvation! And let all the people say," the predestined people of the
circumcision and of the uncircumcision, a holy race, an adopted people,
"So be it! So be it!" [4870]
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:
__________________________________________________________________
[4814] Lat. CV.
[4815] 1 Cor. x. 5.
[4816] "Some copies read, `for He is gracious,' others, `for He is
sweet:' one Greek word, chrestos, having been differently translated.
Also in the words, `for His mercy endureth to the end of the world;'
the Greek hath eis ton aiona, which may be interpreted `for ever.'"
[4817] [Luke xii. 47, 48.--C.]
[4818] Philip. ii. 13.
[4819] Philip. ii. 13.
[4820] Ps. xciv. 15.
[4821] Ps. xcvii. 2.
[4822] Ps. xxxvii. 6.
[4823] Bonitate.
[4824] Ps. lxxxv. 13.
[4825] John ix. 41.
[4826] Ps. cxlvi. 8.
[4827] Ps. xliii. 5.
[4828] Matt. vi. 11.
[4829] [A thesis which might be maintained against the brilliant
paradox of Warburton.--C.]
[4830] [The author says, "The copy which I was reading from, had the
passage thus: And a star had been prefixed to these two last words,
`even the Red Sea:' which doth mark those readings which occur in the
Hebrew, and not in the Septuagint translation. But most of the copies,
whether Greek or Latin, which I have been able to inspect, read thus:
`and they provoked,' or, and this is more literally from the Greek,
`and they wrought bitterness, as they went up in the Red Sea.'...The
word, `went up,' is used, from the position of the land being such,
that we speak of going down from the land of Canaan into Egypt, and of
going up from Egypt into it."--C.]
[4831] Odientium.
[4832] Verbis.
[4833] In verba.
[4834] In verbis.
[4835] Exod. xv. 1. [Compare Rev. xv. 3.--C.]
[4836] John iv. 4, 13.
[4837] Ps. cvi. 12.
[4838] Matt. v. 6.
[4839] Matt. vi. 26.
[4840] Amaricationem.
[4841] [Numb. xvi. 1; Jude 11. Dathan and Abiram were laymen; Korah and
others were Levites who presumed to exercise the higher offices of the
priesthood. Numb. xvi. 9, 10. Compare 2 Chron. xxvi. 18.--C.]
[4842] Ps. cvi. 12.
[4843] Rom. i. 23.
[4844] Confractioni.
[4845] Exod. iii. 8.
[4846] Gal. iv. 26.
[4847] Rom. i. 28.
[4848] Oxf. mss. "They like the Gentiles."
[4849] Numb. xxv. 8.
[4850] Distinxit.
[4851] Deut. xxxii. 49-52.
[4852] Infecta, Vulgate; interfecta=ephonoktonethe, Sept.
[4853] [Compare p. 426, S: 6.--C.]
[4854] Philip. ii. 21.
[4855] 1 Cor. xv. 28.
[4856] 2 Cor. ii. 16.
[4857] Rom. ix. 22, 23.
[4858] 1 Cor. vii. 7.
[4859] John xii. 31.
[4860] Col. i. 13.
[4861] See LXX. Ps. xcvi. 1.
[4862] Above, S: 5.
[4863] Oxf. mss. add, "so be it! so be it!"
[4864] Ps. lxxxiv. 4.
[4865] [Vers. 4, 5, p. 527, supra.--C.]
[4866] Matt. xv. 24.
[4867] John v. 24.
[4868] 2 Thess. ii. 3-11.
[4869] John x. 16.
[4870] Oxf. mss. add, "Amen."
HOME