Third Sunday after Trinity
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid be defended; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect Source: Sacramentary of Gregory [ca 600AD]. In a 1662 revison the last phrase was added and comforted in all dangers and adversities
1st Saumel xxiv, Psalm xvi, xvii | xviii , 1 St. Peter v. 5 & St. Luke xv. 1.
Homily of Augustine on Psalm XVIII
1st Samuel xxiv
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. more Gen And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. Swear And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.
1 St. Peter v. 5.
ALL of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.St. Luke xv. 1.
THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.Book of Common
Prayer, KJV,
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer
Augustine
Homily
Psalm XVIII
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul:[KJV Preface]
To the end, for the servant of the Lord, David himself.
Notes:
1. That is, for the strong of hand, Christ in His Manhood. [523] "The
words of this song which he spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord
delivered him out of the hands of his enemies, and of the hand of Saul;
and he said, On the day when the Lord delivered him out of the hands of
his enemies and of the hand of Saul:" namely, the king of the Jews,
whom they had demanded for themselves. [524] For as "David" is said to
be by interpretation, strong of hand; so "Saul" is said to be
demanding. Now it is well known, how that People demanded for
themselves a king, and received him for their king, not according to
the will of God, but according to their own will.
2. Christ, then, and the Church, that is, whole Christ, the Head and
the Body, saith here, "I will love Thee, O Lord, My strength" (ver. 1).
I will love Thee, O Lord, by whom I am strong. [525]
3. "O Lord, My stay, and My refuge, and My deliverer" (ver. 2). O Lord,
who hast stayed Me, because I sought refuge with Thee: and I sought
refuge, because Thou hast delivered Me. "My God is My helper; and I
will hope in Him." My God, who hast first afforded me the help of Thy
call, that I might be able to hope in Thee. "My defender, and the horn
of My salvation, and My redeemer." My defender, because I have not
leant upon Myself, lifting up as it were the horn of pride against
Thee; but have found Thee a horn indeed, that is, the sure height of
salvation: and that I might find it, Thou redeemedst Me.
4. "With praise will I call upon the Lord, and I shall be safe from
Mine enemies" (ver. 3). Seeking not My own but the Lord's glory, I will
call upon Him, and there shall be no means whereby the errors of
ungodliness can hurt Me.
5. "The pains of death," that is, of the flesh, have "compassed Me
about. And the overflowings of ungodliness have troubled Me" (ver. 4).
Ungodly troubles [526] stirred up for a time, like torrents of rain
which will soon subside, have come on to trouble Me.
6. "The pains of hell compassed Me about" (ver. 5). Among those that
compassed Me about to destroy Me, were pains of envy, which work death,
and lead on to the hell of sin. "The snares of death prevented Me."
They prevented Me, so that they wished to hurt Me first, which shall
afterwards be recompensed unto them. Now they seize unto destruction
such men as they have evilly persuaded by the boast of righteousness:
in the name but not in the reality of which they glory against the
Gentiles.
7. "And in Mine oppression I called upon the Lord, and cried unto My
God. And He heard My voice from His holy temple" (ver. 6). He heard
from My heart, wherein He dwelleth, My voice. "And My cry in His sight
entered into His ears;" and My cry, which I utter, not in the ears of
men, but inwardly before Him Himself, "entered into His ears."
8. "And the earth was moved and trembled" (ver. 7). When the Son of Man
was thus glorified, sinners were moved and trembled. "And the
foundations of the mountains were troubled." And the hopes of the
proud, which were in this life, were troubled. "And were moved, for God
was wroth with them." That is, that the hope of temporal goods might
have now no more establishment in the hearts of men.
9. "There went up smoke in His wrath" (ver. 8). The tearful
supplication of penitents went up, when they came to know God's
threatenings against the ungodly. "And fire burneth from His face." And
the ardour of love after repentance burns by the knowledge of Him.
"Coals were kindled from Him." They, who were already dead, abandoned
by the fire of good desire and the light of righteousness, and who
remained in coldness and darkness, re-enkindled and enlightened, have
come to life again.
10. "And He bowed the heaven, and came down" (ver. 9). And He humbled
the just One, that He might descend to men's infirmity. "And darkness
under His feet." And the ungodly, who savour of things earthly, in the
darkness of their own malice, knew not Him: for the earth under His
feet is as it were His footstool.
11. "And He mounted above the cherubim, and did fly" (ver. 10). And He
was exalted above the fulness of knowledge, that no man should come to
Him but by love: for "love is the fulfilling of the law." [527] And
full soon He showed to His lovers that He is incomprehensible, lest
they should suppose that He is comprehended by corporeal imaginations.
"He flew above the wings of the winds." But that swiftness, whereby He
showed Himself to be incomprehensible, is above the powers of souls,
whereon as upon wings they raise themselves from earthly fears into the
air of liberty.
12. "And hath made darkness His hiding place" (ver. 11). And hath
settled the obscurity of the Sacraments, and the hidden hope in the
heart of believers, where He may lie hid, and not abandon them. In this
darkness too, wherein "we yet walk by faith, and not by sight," [528]
as long as "we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for
it." [529] "Round about Him is His tabernacle." Yet they that believe
Him turn to Him and encircle Him; for that He is in the midst of them,
since He is equally the friend of all, in whom as in a tabernacle He at
this time dwells. "Dark water in clouds of air." Nor let any one on
this account, if he understand the Scripture, imagine that he is
already in that light, which will be when we shall have come out of
faith into sight: for in the prophets and in all the preachers of the
word of God there is obscure teaching.
13. "In respect of the brightness in His sight" (ver. 12): in
comparison with the brightness, which is in the sight of His
manifestation. "His clouds have passed over." The preachers of His word
are not now bounded by the confines of Judaea, but have passed over to
the Gentiles. "Hail and coals of fire." Reproofs are figured, [530]
whereby, as by hail, the hard hearts are bruised: but if a cultivated
and genial soil, that is, a godly mind, receive them, the hail's
hardness dissolves into water, that is, the terror of the
lightning-charged, [531] and as it were frozen, reproof dissolves into
satisfying doctrine; and hearts kindled by the fire of love revive. All
these things in His clouds have passed over to the Gentiles.
14. "And the Lord hath thundered from heaven" (ver. 13). And in
confidence of the Gospel the Lord hath sounded forth from the heart of
the just One. "And the Highest gave His voice;" that we might entertain
it, and in the depth of human things, might hear things heavenly.
15. "And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them" (ver. 14). And He
sent out Evangelists traversing straight paths on the wings of
strength, not in their own power, but His by whom they were sent. And
"He scattered them," to whom they were sent, that to some of them they
should be "the savour of life unto life, to others the savour of death
unto death." [532] "And He multiplied lightnings, and troubled them."
And He multiplied miracles, and troubled them.
16. "And the fountains of water were seen. And the fountains of water
springing up into everlasting life," [533] which were made in the
preachers, were seen. "And the foundations of the round world were
revealed" (ver. 15). And the Prophets, who were not understood, and
upon whom was to be built the world of believers in the Lord, were
revealed. "At Thy chiding, O Lord:" crying out, "The kingdom of God is
come nigh unto you." [534] "At the blasting of the breath of Thy
displeasure;" saying, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
[535]
17. "He hath sent down from on high, and hath fetched Me (ver. 16): by
calling out of the Gentiles for an inheritance "a glorious Church, not
having spot, or wrinkle." [536] "He hath taken Me out of the multitude
of waters." He hath taken Me out of the multitude of peoples.
18. "He hath delivered Me from My strongest enemies" (ver. 17). He hath
delivered Me from Mine enemies, who prevailed to the afflicting and
overturning of this temporal life of Mine. "And from them which hate
Me; for they are too strong for Me:" as long as I am under them knowing
not God.
19. "They have prevented Me in the day of My affliction" (ver. 18).
They have first injured Me, in the time when I am bearing a mortal and
toilsome body. "And the Lord hath become My stay." And since the stay
of earthly pleasure was disturbed and torn up by the bitterness of
misery, the Lord hath become My stay.
20. "And hath brought Me forth into a broad place" (ver. 19). And since
I was enduring the straits of the flesh, He brought Me forth into the
spiritual breadth of faith. "He hath delivered Me, because He desired
Me." Before that I desired Him, He delivered Me from My most powerful
enemies (who were envious of Me when I once desired Him), and from them
that hated Me, because I do desire Him.
21. "And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness" (ver.
20). And the Lord shall reward Me according to the righteousness of My
good will, who first showed mercy, before that I had the good will.
"And according to the cleanness of My hands He will recompense Me." And
according to the cleanness of My deeds He will recompense Me, who hath
given Me to do well by bringing Me forth into the broad place of faith.
22. "Because I have kept the ways of the Lord" (ver. 21). That the
breadth of good works, that are by faith, and the long-suffering of
perseverance should follow after.
23. "Nor have I walked impiously apart from My God." "For all His
judgments are [537] in My sight" (ver. 22). "For" with persevering
contemplation I weigh "all His judgments," that is, the rewards of the
righteous, and the punishments of the ungodly, and the scourges of such
as are to be chastened, and the trials of such as are to be proved.
"And I have not cast out His righteousness from Me:" as they do that
faint under their burden of them, and return to their own vomit.
24. "And I shall be undefiled with Him, and I shall keep Myself from
Mine iniquity" (ver. 23).
25. "And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness (ver.
24). Accordingly not only for the breadth of faith, which worketh by
love; but also for the length of perseverance, will the Lord reward Me
according to My righteousness. "And according to the cleanness of My
hands in the sight of His eyes." Not as men see, but "in the sight of
His eyes." For "the things that are seen are temporal; but the things
that are not seen are eternal:" [538] whereto the height of hope
appertains.
26. "With the holy Thou shalt be holy" (ver. 25). There is a hidden
depth also, wherein Thou art known to be holy with the holy, for that
Thou makest holy. "And with the harmless Thou shalt be harmless." For
Thou harmest no man, but each one is bound by the bands of his own
sins. [539]
27. "And with the chosen Thou shalt be chosen." (ver. 26). And by him
whom Thou choosest, Thou art chosen. "And with the froward Thou shalt
be froward." And with the froward Thou seemest froward: for they say,
"The way of the Lord is not right:" [540] and their way is not right.
28. "For Thou wilt make whole the humble people" (ver. 27). Now this
seems froward to the froward, that Thou wilt make them whole that
confess their sins. "And Thou wilt humble the eyes of the proud." But
them that are "ignorant of God's righteousness, and seek to establish
their own," [541] Thou wilt humble.
29. "For thou wilt light My candle, O Lord" (ver. 28). For our light is
not from ourselves; but "Thou wilt light my candle, O Lord. O my God,
Thou wilt enlighten my darkness." For we through our sins are darkness;
but "Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness."
30. "For by Thee shall I be delivered from temptation" (ver. 29). For
not by myself, but by Thee, shall I be delivered from temptation. "And
in my God shall I leap over the wall." And not in myself, but in my God
shall I leap over the wall, which sin has raised between men and the
heavenly Jerusalem.
31. "My God, His way is undefiled" (ver. 30). My God cometh not unto
men, except they shall have purified the way of faith, whereby He may
come to them; for that "His way is undefiled." "The words of the Lord
have been proved by fire." The words of the Lord are tried by the fire
of tribulation. "He is the Protector of them that hope in Him." And all
that hope not in themselves, but in Him, are not consumed by that same
tribulation. For hope followeth faith.
32. "For who is God, but the Lord?" (ver. 31) whom we serve. "And who
God, but our God?" And who is God, but the Lord? whom after good
service we sons shall possess as the hoped-for inheritance.
33. "God, who hath girded me with strength" (ver. 32). God, who hath
girded me that I might be strong, lest the loosely flowing folds of
desire hinder my deeds and steps. "And hath made my way undefiled." And
hath made the way of love, whereby I may come to Him, undefiled, as the
way of faith is undefiled, whereby He comes to me.
34. "Who hath made my feet perfect like harts' feet" (ver. 33). Who
hath made my love perfect to surmount the thorny and dark entanglements
of this world. "And will set me up on high." And will fix my aim on the
heavenly habitation, that "I may be filled with all the fulness of
God." [542]
35. "Who teacheth my hands for battle" (ver. 34). Who teacheth me to
work for the overthrow of mine enemies, who strive to shut the kingdom
of heaven against us. "And Thou hast made mine arms as a bow of steel."
And Thou hast made my earnest striving after good works unwearied.
36. "And Thou hast given me the defence of my salvation, and Thy right
hand hath held me up" (ver. 35). And the favour of Thy grace hath held
me up. "And Thy discipline hath directed me to the end." And Thy
correction, not suffering me to wander from the way, hath directed me
that whatsoever I do, I refer to that end, whereby I may cleave to
Thee. "And this Thy discipline, it shall teach me." And that same
correction of Thine shall teach me to attain to that, whereunto it hath
directed me.
37. "Thou hast enlarged my steps under me" (ver. 36). Nor shall the
straits of the flesh hinder me; for Thou hast enlarged my love, working
in gladness even with these mortal things and members which are under
me. "And my footsteps have not been weakened." And either my goings, or
the marks which I have imprinted for the imitation of those that
follow, have not been weakened.
38. "I will follow up mine enemies, and seize them" (ver. 37). I will
follow up my carnal affections, and will not be seized by them, but
will seize them, so that they may be consumed. "And I will not turn,
till they fail." And from this purpose I will not turn myself to rest,
till they fail who make a tumult about me.
39. "I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand" (ver. 38):
and they shall not hold out against me. "They shall fall under my
feet." When they are cast down, I will place before me the loves [543]
whereby I walk for evermore.
40. "And Thou hast girded me with strength to the war" (ver. 39). And
the loose desires of my flesh hast Thou bound up with strength, that in
such a fight I may not be encumbered. "Thou hast supplanted under me
them that rose up against me." Thou hast caused them to be deceived,
who followed upon me, that they should be brought under me, who desired
to be over me.
41. "And thou hast given mine enemies the back to me" (ver. 40). And
thou hast turned mine enemies, and hast made them to be a back to me,
that is, to follow me. "And Thou hast destroyed them that hate me." But
such other of them as have persisted in hatred, Thou hast destroyed.
42. "They have cried out, and there was none to save them" (ver. 41).
For who can save them, whom Thou wouldest not save? "To the Lord, and
He did not hear them." Nor did they cry out to any chance one, but to
the Lord: and He did not judge them worthy of being heard, who depart
not from their wickedness.
43. "And I will beat them as small as dust before the face of the wind"
(ver. 42). And I will beat them small; for dry they are, receiving not
the shower of God's mercy; that borne aloft and puffed up with pride
they may be hurried along from firm and unshaken hope, and as it were
from the earth's solidity and stability. "As the clay of the streets I
will destroy them." In their wanton and loose course along the broad
ways of perdition, which many walk, will I destroy them.
44. "Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of the people" (ver.
43). Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of them who said, "If
we send Him away, all the world will go after Him." [544]
45. "Thou shalt make Me the head of the Gentiles. A people whom I have
not known have served Me." The people of the Gentiles, whom in bodily
presence I have not visited, have served Me. "At the hearing of the ear
they have obeyed Me" (ver. 44). They have not seen Me with the eye:
but, receiving my preachers, at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed
Me.
46. "The strange children have lied unto Me." Children, not to be
called Mine, but rather strange children, to whom it is rightly said,
"Ye are of your father the devil," [545] have lied unto Me. "The
strange children have waxen old" (ver. 45). The strange children, to
whom for their renovation I brought the new Testament, have remained in
the old man. "And they have halted from their own paths." And like
those that are weak in one foot, for holding the old they have rejected
the new Testament, they have become halt, even in their old Law, rather
following their own traditions, than God's. For they brought frivolous
charges of unwashen hands, [546] because such were the paths, which
themselves had made and worn by long use, in wandering from the ways of
God's commands.
47. "The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God." "But to be carnally
minded is death:" [547] for "the Lord liveth, and blessed be my God.
And let the God of my salvation be exalted" (ver. 46). And let me not
think after an earthly fashion of the God of my salvation; nor look
from Him for this earthly salvation, but that on high.
48. "O God, who givest Me vengeance, and subduest the people under Me"
(ver. 47). O God, who avengest Me by subduing the people under Me. "My
Deliverer from My angry enemies:" the Jews crying out, "Crucify Him,
Crucify Him." [548]
49. "From them that rise up against Me Thou wilt exalt Me" (ver. 48).
From the Jews that rise up against Me in My passion, Thou wilt exalt Me
in My resurrection. "From the unjust man Thou wilt deliver Me." From
their unjust rule Thou wilt deliver Me.
50. "For this cause will I confess to Thee among the Gentiles, O Lord"
(ver. 49). For this cause shall the Gentiles confess to Thee through
Me, O Lord. "And I will sing unto Thy Name." And Thou shalt be more
widely known by My good deeds.
51. "Magnifying the salvation of His King" (ver. 50). God, who
magnifieth, so as to make wonderful, the salvation, which His Son
giveth to believers. [549] "And showing mercy to His Christ:" God, who
showeth mercy to His Christ: "To David and to His seed for evermore:"
to the Deliverer Himself strong of hand, who hath overcome this world;
and to them whom, as believers in the Gospel, He hath begotten for
evermore. What things soever are spoken in this Psalm which cannot
apply to the Lord Himself personally, that is to the Head of the
Church, must be referred to the Church. For whole Christ speaks here,
in whom are all His members.
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
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[522] Lat. XVII.
[523] Secundum Hominem.
[524] 1 Sam. viii. 5.
[525] [2 Sam. xxii.--C.]
[526] Or, "crowds."
[527] Rom. xiii. 10.
[528] 2 Cor. v. 7.
[529] Rom. viii. 25.
[530] Read "full lightning-charged reproofs."
[531] Fulguratae.
[532] 2 Cor. ii. 16.
[533] John iv. 14.
[534] Luke x. 9.
[535] Luke xiii. 5.
[536] Eph. v. 27.
[537] Oxford mss. "are always."
[538] 2 Cor. iv. 18.
[539] Prov. v. 22.
[540] Ezek. xviii. 25.
[541] Rom. x. 3.
[542] Eph. iii. 19.
[543] See p. 37. "The foot of sinners; that is, their love."
[544] John xi. 48, xii. 19.
[545] John viii. 44.
[546] Matt. xv. 2.
[547] Rom. viii. 6.
[548] John xix. 6.
[549] [The epigraph of this Psalm in 2 Sam. xxiii. 1-5 seems to connect
with Isa. lv. 3, and so with Acts xiii. 34.--C.]
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