The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Augustine on Psalm XXI
GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sacramentary of Leo and Gregory. They faced Goths, Huns and Vandals
2nd Samuel xii. 29 , Psalm 21, 23 | 26, 27 , 1 St. Peter iii. 8 & St. Luke v. 1
Homily of Augustine on Psalm XXI
thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.
2Sam xii 29.
And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
1 St. Peter iii. 8.
BE ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.St. Luke v. 1.
IT came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.Scripture from 1928
Book of Common Prayer
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer
HOMILY
Augustine
Homily
Psalm XXI
To the end, a psalm of David himself.
Notes:
1. The title is a familiar one; the Psalm is of Christ. [585]
2. "O Lord, the King shall rejoice in Thy strength" (ver. 1). O Lord,
in Thy strength, whereby the Word was made flesh, the Man Christ Jesus
shall rejoice. "And shall exult exceedingly in Thy salvation." And in
that, whereby Thou quickenest all things, shall exult exceedingly.
3. "Thou hast given Him the desire of His soul" (ver. 2). He desired to
eat the Passover, [586] and to lay down His life when He would, and
again when He would to take it; and Thou hast given it to Him. [587]
"And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips." "My
peace," saith He, "I leave with you:" [588] and it was done.
4. "For Thou hast presented Him with the blessings of sweetness" (ver.
3). Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Thy sweetness, the
gall of our sins did not hurt Him. "Diapsalma. Thou hast set a crown of
precious stone on His Head." [589] At the beginning of His discoursing
precious stones were brought, and compassed Him about; [590] His
disciples, from whom the commencement of His preaching should be made.
5. "He asked life; and Thou gavest Him:" He asked a resurrection,
saying, "Father, glorify Thy Son;" [591] and Thou gavest it Him,
"Length of days for ever and ever" (ver. 4). The prolonged ages of this
world which the Church was to have, and after them an eternity, world
without end.
6. "His glory is great in Thy salvation" (ver. 5). Great indeed is His
glory in the salvation, whereby Thou hast raised Him up again. "Glory
and great honour shalt Thou lay upon Him." But Thou shalt yet add unto
Him glory and great honour, when Thou shalt place Him in heaven at Thy
right hand.
7. "For Thou shalt give Him blessing for ever and ever." This is the
blessing which Thou shalt give Him for ever and ever: "Thou shalt make
Him glad in joy together with Thy countenance" (ver. 6). According to
His manhood, Thou shalt make Him glad together with Thy countenance,
which He lifted up to Thee.
8. "For the King hopeth in the Lord." For the King is not proud, but
humble in heart, he hopeth in the Lord. "And in the mercy of the Most
Highest He shall not be moved" (ver. 7). And in the mercy of the Most
Highest His obedience even unto the death of the Cross shall not
disturb His humility.
9. "Let Thy hand be found by all Thine enemies." Be Thy power, O King,
when Thou comest to judgment, found by all Thine enemies; who in Thy
humiliation discerned it not. "Let Thy right hand find out all that
hate Thee" (ver. 8). Let the glory, wherein Thou reignest at the right
hand of the Father, find out for punishment in the day of judgment all
that hate Thee; for that now they have not found it.
10. "Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven:" Thou shalt make them on
fire within, by the consciousness of their ungodliness: "In the time of
Thy countenance:" in the time of Thy manifestation. "The Lord shall
trouble them in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them" (ver. 9).
And then, being troubled by the vengeance of the Lord, after the
accusation of their conscience, they shall be given up to eternal fire,
to be devoured.
11. "Their fruit shalt Thou destroy out of the earth." Their fruit,
because it is earthly, shalt Thou destroy out of the earth. "And their
seed from the sons of men" (ver. 10). And their works; or, whomsoever
they have seduced, Thou shalt not reckon among the sons of men, whom
Thou hast called into the everlasting inheritance.
12. "Because they turned evils against Thee." Now this punishment shall
be recompensed to them, because the evils which they supposed to hang
over them by Thy reign, they turned against Thee to Thy death. "They
imagined a device, which they were not able to establish" (ver. 11).
They imagined a device, saying, "It is expedient that one die for all:"
[592] which they were not able to establish, not knowing what they
said.
13. "For Thou shalt set them low." For Thou shalt rank them among those
from whom in degradation and contempt Thou wilt turn away. "In Thy
leavings [593] Thou shalt make ready their countenance" (ver. 12). And
in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an
earthly kingdom, Thou shalt make ready their shamelessness for Thy
passion.
14. "Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength" (ver. 13). Be Thou,
Lord, whom in humiliation they did not discern, exalted in Thy
strength, which they thought weakness. "We will sing and praise Thy
power." In heart and in deed we will celebrate and make known Thy
marvels.
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
[584] Lat. XX.
[585] [Prophetic of His ascension.--C.]
[586] Luke xxii. 15.
[587] John x. 18.
[588] John xiv. 27.
[589] [Rev. xix. 12. Our author agrees with the Septuagint and the
Vulgate here, as to "precious stone." Jerome gives coronam obrizam. Gr.
obruzon.--C.]
[590] Matt. v. 1. [Compare Mal. iii. 17.--C.]
[591] John xvii. 1.
[592] John xi. 50.
[593] [In reliquiis tuis. So Vulgate.--C.]
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