The Second Sunday after
Trinity
Homily of Augustine on Psalm X
Trinity Home
LORD, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name: for thou never failest to help and govern them whom thou doest bring up in thy stedfast love. Grant this, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Collect source: Sacrementary of Gelasius, Bishop of Rome [ca 494AD]. The orginal Latin has a play upon words that is lost in translation
Psalms 12, 13 | 10, 11 ; 1 St. John iii. 13 & St. Luke xiv. 16
1 St. John iii. 13
MARVEL not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.St. Luke xiv. 16.
A CERTAIN man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.HOMILY
Augustine
Homily on Psalm X
Psalm X. [382]
"Why, O Lord," saith he, "hast Thou withdrawn afar off?" (ver. 1). Then
he who thus inquired, as if all on a sudden he understood, or as if he
asked, though he knew, that he might teach, adds, "Thou despisest in
due seasons, in tribulations:" that is, Thou despisest seasonably, and
causest tribulations to inflame men's minds with longing for Thy
coming. For that fountain of life is sweeter to them that have much
thirst. Therefore he hints the reason of the delay, saying, "Whilst the
ungodly vaunteth himself, the poor man is inflamed" (ver. 2). Wondrous
it is and true with what earnestness of good hope the little ones are
inflamed unto an upright living by comparison with sinners. In which
mystery it comes to pass, that even heresies are permitted to exist;
not that heretics themselves wish this, but because Divine Providence
worketh this result from their sins, which both maketh and ordaineth
the light; but ordereth only the darkness, that by comparison therewith
the light may be more pleasant, as by comparison with heretics the
discovery of truth is more sweet. For so, by this comparison, the
approved, who are known to God, are made manifest among men.
1. "They are taken in their thoughts, which they think:" that is, their
evil thoughts become chains to them. But how become they chains? "For
the sinner is praised," saith he, "in the desires of his soul" (ver.
3). The tongues of flatterers bind souls in sin. For there is pleasure
in doing those things, in which not only is no reprover feared, but
even an approver heard. "And he that does unrighteous deeds is
blessed." Hence "are they taken in their thoughts, which they think."
2. "The sinner hath angered the Lord" (ver. 4). Let no one congratulate
the man that prospers in his way, to whose sins no avenger is nigh, and
an approver is by. This is the greater anger of the Lord. For the
sinner hath angered the Lord, that he should suffer these things, that
is, should not suffer the scourging of correction. "The sinner hath
angered the Lord: according to the multitude of His anger He will not
search it out." Great is His anger, when He searcheth not out, when He
as it were forgetteth and marketh not sin, and by fraud and wickedness
man attains to riches and honours: which will especially be the case in
that Antichrist, who will seem to man blessed to that degree, that he
will even be thought God. [383] But how great this anger of God is, we
are taught by what follows.
3. "God is not in his sight, his ways are polluted in all time" (ver.
5). He that knows what in the soul gives joy and gladness, knows how
great an ill it is to be abandoned by the light of truth: since a great
ill do men reckon the blindness of their bodily eyes, whereby this
light is withdrawn. How great then the punishment he endures, who
through the prosperous issue of his sins is brought to that pass, that
God is not in his sight, and that his ways are polluted in all time,
that is, his thoughts and counsels are unclean! "Thy judgments are
taken away from his face." For the mind conscious of evil, whilst it
seems to itself to suffer no punishment, believes that God doth not
judge, and so are God's judgments taken away from its face; while this
very thing is great condemnation. "And he shall have dominion over all
his enemies." For so is it delivered, that he will overcome all kings,
and alone obtain the kingdom; since too according to the Apostle, who
preaches concerning him, "He shall sit in the temple of God, exalting
himself above all that is worshipped and that is called God." [384]
4. And seeing that being delivered over to the lust of his own heart,
and predestinated to extreme [385] condemnation, he is to come, by
wicked arts, to that vain and empty height and rule; therefore it
follows, "For he hath said in his heart, I shall not move from
generation to generation without evil" (ver. 6): that is, my fame and
my name will not pass from this generation to the generation of
posterity, unless by evil arts I acquire so lofty a principality, that
posterity cannot be silent concerning it. For a mind abandoned and void
of good arts, and estranged from the light of righteousness, by bad
arts devises a passage for itself to a fame so lasting, as is
celebrated even in posterity. And they that cannot be known for good,
desire that men should speak of them even for ill, provided that their
name spread far and wide. And this I think is here meant, "I shall not
move from generation to generation without evil." There is too another
interpretation, if a mind vain and full of error supposes that it
cannot come from the mortal generation to the generation of eternity,
but by bad arts: which indeed was also reported of Simon, when he
thought that he would gain heaven by wicked arts, and pass from the
human generation to the generation divine by magic. [386] Where then is
the wonder, if that man of sin too, who is to fill up all the
wickedness and ungodliness, which all false prophets have begun, and to
do such "great signs; that, if it were possible, he should deceive the
very elect," [387] shall say in his heart, "I shall not move from
generation to generation without evil"?
5. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit" (ver. 7).
For it is a great curse to seek heaven by such abominable arts, and to
get together such earnings for acquiring the eternal seat. But of this
cursing his mouth is full. For this desire shall not take effect, but
within his mouth only will avail to destroy him, who dared promise
himself such things with bitterness and deceit, that is, with anger and
insidiousness, whereby he is to bring over the multitude to his side.
"Under his tongue is toil and grief." Nothing is more toilsome than
unrighteousness and ungodliness: upon which toil follows grief; for
that the toil is not only without fruit, but even unto destruction.
Which toil and grief refer to that which he hath said in his heart, "I
shall not be moved from generation to generation without evil." And
therefore, "under his tongue," not on his tongue, because he will
devise these things in silence, and to men will speak other things,
that he may appear good and just, and a son of God.
6. "He lieth in ambush with the rich" (ver. 8). What rich, but those
whom he will load with this world's gifts? And he is therefore said to
lie in ambush with them, because he will display their false happiness
to deceive men; who, when with a perverted will they desire to be such
as they, and seek not the good things eternal, will fall into his
snares. "That in the dark he may kill the innocent." "In the dark,"
[388] I suppose, is said, where it is not easily understood what should
be sought, or what avoided. Now to kill the innocent, is of an innocent
to make one guilty.
7. "His eyes look against the poor," for he is chiefly to persecute the
righteous, of whom it is said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven" [389] (ver. 9). "He lieth in wait in a
secret place, as a lion in his den." By a lion in a den, he means one
in whom both violence and deceit will work. For the first persecution
of the Church was violent, when by proscriptions, by torments, by
murders, the Christians were compelled to sacrifice: another
persecution is crafty, which is now conducted by heretics of any kind
and false brethren: there remains a third, which is to come by
Antichrist, than which there is nothing more perilous; for it will be
at once violent and crafty. Violence he will exert in empire, craft in
miracles. To the violence, the word "lion" refers; to craft, the words
"in his den." And these are again repeated with a change of order. "He
lieth in wait," he says, "that he may catch the poor;" this hath
reference to craft: but what follows, "To catch the poor whilst he
draweth him," is put to the score of violence. For "draweth" means, he
bringeth him to himself by violence, by whatever tortures he can.
8. Again, the two which follow are the same. "In his snare he will
humble him," is craft (ver. 10). "He shall decline and fall, whilst he
shall have domination over the poor," is violence. For a "snare"
naturally points to "lying in wait:" but domination most openly conveys
the idea of terror. And well does he say, "He will humble him in his
snare." For when he shall begin to do those signs, the more wonderful
they shall appear to men, the more those Saints that shall be then will
be despised, and, as it were, set at nought: he, whom they shall resist
by righteousness and innocence, shall seem to overcome by the marvels
that he does. But "he shall decline and fall, whilst he shall have
domination over the poor;" that is, whilst he shall inflict whatsoever
punishments he will upon the servants of God that resist him.
9. But how shall he decline, and fall? "For he hath said in his heart,
God hath forgotten; He turneth away His face, that He see not unto the
end" (ver. 11). This is declining, and the most wretched fall, while
the mind of a man prospers as it were in its iniquities, and thinks
that it is spared; when it is being blinded, and kept for an extreme
and timely vengeance: of which the Psalmist now speaks: "Arise, O Lord
God, let Thine hand be exalted" (ver. 12): that is, let Thy power be
made manifest. Now he had said above, "Arise, O Lord, let not man
prevail, let the heathen be judged in Thy sight:" [390] that is, in
secret, where God alone seeth. This comes to pass when the ungodly have
arrived at what seems great happiness to men: over whom is placed a
lawgiver, such as they had deserved to have, of whom it is said, "Place
a lawgiver over them, O Lord, let the heathen know that they are men."
[391] But now after that hidden punishment and vengeance it is said,
"Arise, O Lord God, let Thine hand be exalted;" not of course in
secret, but now in glory most manifest. "That Thou forget not the poor
unto the end;" that is, as the ungodly think, who say, "God hath
forgotten, He turneth away His face, that He should not see unto the
end." Now they deny that God seeth unto the end, who say that He careth
not for things human and earthly, for the earth is as it were the end
of things; in that it is the last element, in which men labour in most
orderly sort, but they cannot see the order of their labours, which
specially belongs to the hidden things of the Son. The Church then
labouring in such times, like a ship in great waves and tempests,
awaketh the Lord as if He were sleeping, that He should command the
winds, and calm should be restored. [392] He says therefore, "Arise, O
Lord God, let Thine hand be exalted, that Thou forget not the poor unto
the end."
10. Accordingly understanding now the manifest judgment, and in
exultation at it, they say, "Wherefore hath the ungodly angered God?"
(ver. 13); that is, what hath it profited him to do so great evil? "For
he said in his heart, He will not require it." Then follows, "For Thou
seest toil and considerest anger, to deliver them into Thine hands"
(ver. 14). This sentence looks for distinct explanation, wherein if
there shall be error it becomes obscure. For thus has the ungodly said
in his heart, God will not require it, as though God regarded toil and
anger, to deliver them into His hands; that is, as though He feared
toil and anger, and for this reason would spare them, lest their
punishment be too burdensome to Him, or lest He should be disturbed by
the storm of anger: as men generally act, excusing themselves of
vengeance, to avoid toil or anger.
11. "The poor hath been left unto Thee." For therefore is he poor, that
is, hath despised all the temporal goods of this world, that Thou only
mayest be his hope. "Thou wilt be a helper to the orphan," that is, to
him to whom his father this world, by whom he was born after the flesh,
dies, and who can already say, "The world hath been crucified unto me,
and I unto the world." [393] For of such orphans God becomes the
Father. The Lord teaches us in truth that His disciples do become
orphans, to whom He saith, "Call no man father on earth." [394] Of
which He first Himself gave an example in saying, "Who is my mother,
and who my brethren?" [395] Whence some most mischievous heretics [396]
would assert that He had no mother; and they do not see that it follows
from this, if they pay attention to these words, that neither had His
disciples fathers. For as He said, "Who is my mother?" so He taught
them, when He said, "Call no man your father on earth."
12. "Break the arm of the sinner and of the malicious" (ver. 15); of
him, namely, of whom it was said above, "He shall have dominion over
all his enemies." He called his power then, his arm; to which Christ's
power is opposed, of which it is said, "Arise, O Lord God, let Thine
hand be exalted. His fault shall be required, and he shall not be found
because of it;" [397] that is he shall be judged for his sins, and
himself shall perish because of his sin. After this, what wonder if
there follow, "The Lord shall reign for ever and world without end; ye
heathen shall perish out of His earth"? (ver. 16). He uses heathen for
sinners and ungodly.
13. "The Lord hath heard the longing of the poor" (ver. 17): that
longing wherewith they were burning, when in the straits and
tribulations of this world they desired the day of the Lord. "Thine ear
hath heard the preparation of their heart." This is the preparation of
the heart, of which it is sung in another Psalm, "My heart is prepared,
O God, my heart is prepared:" [398] of which the Apostle says, "But if
we hope for what we see not, we do with patience wait for it." [399]
Now, by the ear of God, we ought, according to a general rule of
interpretation, to understand not a bodily member, but the power
whereby He heareth; and so (not to repeat this often) by whatever
members of His are mentioned, which in us are visible and bodily, must
be understood powers of operation. For we must not suppose it anything
bodily, in that [400] the Lord God hears not the sound of the voice,
but the preparation of the heart.
14. "To judge for the orphan and the humble" (ver. 18): that is, not
for him who is conformed to this world, nor for the proud. For it is
one thing to judge the orphan, another to judge for the orphan. He
judges the orphan even, who condemns him; but he judges for the orphan,
who delivers sentence for him. "That man add not further to magnify
himself upon earth." For they are men, of whom it was said, "Place a
lawgiver over them, O Lord: let the heathen know that they are men."
[401] But he too, who in this same passage is understood to be placed
over them, will be man, of whom it is now said, "That man add not
further to magnify himself upon earth:" namely, when the Son of Man
shall come to judge for the orphan, who hath put off from himself the
old man, and thus, as it were, buried his father.
15. After the hidden things then of the Son, of which, in this Psalm,
many things have been said, will come the manifest things of the Son,
of which a little has been now said at the end of the same Psalm. But
the title is given from the former, which here occupy the larger
portion. Indeed, the very day of the Lord's advent may be rightly
numbered among the hidden things of the Son, although the very presence
of the Lord itself will be manifest. For of that day it is said, that
no man knoweth it, neither angels, nor powers, nor the Son of man.
[402] What then so hidden, as that which is said to be hidden even to
the Judge Himself, not as regards knowledge, but disclosure? But
concerning the hidden things of the Son, even if any one would not wish
to understand the Son of God, but of David himself, to whose name the
whole Psalter is attributed, for the Psalms we know are called the
Psalms of David, let him give ear to those words in which it is said to
the Lord, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David:" [403] and so even in this
manner let him understand the same Lord Christ, concerning whose hidden
things is the inscription of this Psalm. For so likewise is it said by
the Angel: "God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David."
[404] Nor to this understanding of it is the sentence opposed in which
the same Lord asks of the Jews, "If Christ be the Son of David, how
then doth he in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit Thou on my right hand, until I put Thine enemies under Thy
feet." [405] For it was said to the unskilled, who although they looked
for Christ's coming, yet expected Him as man, not as the Power and
Wisdom of God. He teacheth then, in that place, the most true and pure
faith, that He is both the Lord of king David, in that He is the Word
in the beginning, God with God, [406] by which all things were made;
and Son, in that He was made to him of the seed of David according to
the flesh. For He doth not say, Christ is not David's Son, but if ye
already hold that He is his Son, learn how He is his Lord: and do not
hold in respect of Christ that He is the Son of Man, for so is He
David's Son; [407] and leave out that He is the Son of God, for so is
He David's Lord. [408]
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
[382] The two Psalms are combined in the Vulgate. But here the verses begin again, treating this as "Ps. x. secundum Hebraeos." [And so our English version.--C.] [383] [Compare Hippolytus, A.N.F. vol. v. pp. 205-219.--C.] [384] 2 Thess. ii. 4. [385] Ultimae. [386] Acts viii. 9. [387] Matt. xxiv. 24. [388] In occultis. [389] Matt. v. 3. [390] Ps. ix. 19. [391] Ps. ix. 20. [392] Matt. viii. 24-26. [393] Gal. vi. 14. [394] Matt. xxiii. 9. [395] Matt. xii. 48. [396] [Manichees. See A.N.F. vol. vi. p. 252.--C.] [397] LXX. var. lect. di' auten, "because of it." These words should be marked as part of the text, as some mss. are pointed. [398] Ps. lvii. 7. [399] Rom. viii. 25. [400] Al. wherewith. [401] Ps. ix. 20. [402] Mark xiii. 32. [403] Matt. xx. 30. [404] Luke i. 32. [405] Matt. xxii. 43, 44. [406] John i. 1. [407] Rom. i. 3. [408] [On the "hidden things" compare Isa. xlv. 15 with 1 Pet. i. 10-12.--C.]
Gelasius Sacramentary Latin Collect....
Sancti nominis tui, Domine, timorem pariter et amorem fac nos habere perpetuum; quia nunquam tus gubernatione destituis, quos in soliditate tuae dilectionis instituis. Per Dominum.
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This transaltion offered by Edward Goulburn in his work The Collects of the Day.
LORD, make us to have concurrently a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name: for thou never failest to pilot them whom thou doest bring up in thy stedfast love. Grant this, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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