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<v Speaker 1>Psalm one hundred nineteen, Discourse thirty two of Expositions on

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<v Speaker 1>the Book of Psalms, Volume five. This is a LibriVox recording.

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<v Speaker 1>All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more

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<v Speaker 1>information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Expositions

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<v Speaker 1>on the Book of Psalms, Volume five by Saint Augustine

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<v Speaker 1>of Hippo Psalm one hundred nineteen, Discourse thirty two, Verse

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred sixty nine. Let us now hear the words

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<v Speaker 1>of one praying, since we know who is praying, and

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<v Speaker 1>we recognize ourselves, if we be not reprobate among the

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<v Speaker 1>members of this one praying, Let my prayer come near

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<v Speaker 1>in thy sight, O Lord, for the Lord is nighing

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<v Speaker 1>to them that of a contrite heart. Give me understanding

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<v Speaker 1>according to thy word. He claimeth a promise, for he

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<v Speaker 1>saith according to thy word, which is to say, according

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<v Speaker 1>to thy promise. For the Lord promised this when he

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<v Speaker 1>said I will inform thee verse one hundred seventy. Let

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<v Speaker 1>my request come before thy presence, O Lord, deliver me

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<v Speaker 1>according to thy word. He repeateth what he hath asked

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<v Speaker 1>for his former words. Let my prayer come near in

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<v Speaker 1>thy presence, O Lord, are like unto what he saith.

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<v Speaker 1>Let my request come before thy presence, O Lord, and

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<v Speaker 1>the words give me understanding according to thy word. Agree

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<v Speaker 1>with these, deliver me according to thy word. For by

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<v Speaker 1>receiving understanding, he is delivered, who of himself, through want

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<v Speaker 1>of understanding, is deceived Verse one hundred seventy one. My

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<v Speaker 1>lips shall burst forth praise. When thou hast taught me

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<v Speaker 1>thy righteousnesses. We know how God teacheth those who are

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<v Speaker 1>docile unto God. For every one who hath heard from

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<v Speaker 1>the Father and hath learned, comes unto him who justifieth

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<v Speaker 1>the ungodly, so that he may keep the righteousnesses of God,

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<v Speaker 1>not only by retaining them in his memory, but also

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<v Speaker 1>by doing them. Thus doth he who glorieth glory not

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<v Speaker 1>in himself, but in the Lord, and burst forth praise

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<v Speaker 1>Verse one hundred seventy two. But as he hath now

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<v Speaker 1>learned and praised God his teacher, he next wisheth to

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<v Speaker 1>teach yea my tongue shall declare thy word, for all

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<v Speaker 1>thy commandments are righteousness. When he seeth that he will

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<v Speaker 1>declare these things, he becometh a minister of the word.

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<v Speaker 1>For though God teach within, nevertheless faith cometh from hearing.

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<v Speaker 1>And how do they hear without a preacher? For because

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<v Speaker 1>God giveth the increase, is no reason why we need

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<v Speaker 1>not plant and water Verses one hundred seventy three and

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred seventy four. But He is aware what perils

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<v Speaker 1>will follow from the adversaries and persecutors when he shall

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<v Speaker 1>become a declarer of God's words. Wherefore he hath added,

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<v Speaker 1>let thy hand be stretched forth, feart be made to

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<v Speaker 1>save me. For I have chosen thy commandments that I

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<v Speaker 1>might not fear, and that not only might my heart

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<v Speaker 1>hold fast, but my tongue also utter thy words. I

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<v Speaker 1>have chosen thy commandments and have stifled fear with love.

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<v Speaker 1>Let thy hand therefore be stretched forth to save me

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<v Speaker 1>from another's hand. Thus God saved the martyrs when he

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<v Speaker 1>permitted them not to be slain in their souls, For

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<v Speaker 1>reign is the safety of man in the flesh. The

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<v Speaker 1>words let thy hand be made may also be taken

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<v Speaker 1>to mean Christ the hand of God, in the sense

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<v Speaker 1>of those words of Isaiah, and whom hath the arm

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<v Speaker 1>of the Lord been revealed, For the only begotten was

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<v Speaker 1>not created, since by him were all things created. But

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<v Speaker 1>he was made of the seat of David, that he

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<v Speaker 1>might be Jesus, that is, the Savior, who was already

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<v Speaker 1>the creator. But as these are familiar scriptural phrases, let

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<v Speaker 1>thy hand be stretched forth, literally made, and the hand

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<v Speaker 1>of the Lord was made. I know not whether this

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<v Speaker 1>sense can be found in all these passages. Certainly where

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<v Speaker 1>we read the following words verse one hundred seventy four,

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<v Speaker 1>I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord, even if

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<v Speaker 1>all our foes be reluctant, Let Christ, the salvation of

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<v Speaker 1>God occur to us. The righteous men of old confess

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<v Speaker 1>that they longed for him. The Church longed for his

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<v Speaker 1>destined coming from his mother's womb. The Church longeth for

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<v Speaker 1>his coming at his father's right hand. Subjoin to this

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<v Speaker 1>sentence are the words, and Thy law is my meditation.

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<v Speaker 1>For the law. Giveth testimony unto Christ Verse one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>seventy five. But in this faith, while with the heart

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<v Speaker 1>we believe unto righteousness, and do it the mouth, confession

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<v Speaker 1>is made unto salvation. Though the heathen rage furiously, and

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<v Speaker 1>do people imagine a vain thing, though the flesh be

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<v Speaker 1>slain while it preacheth Thee, my soul shall live and

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<v Speaker 1>shall praise THEE. And thy judgments shall help me. These

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<v Speaker 1>are those judgments which it was time should begin at

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<v Speaker 1>the house of the Lord. But they will help me.

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<v Speaker 1>He saith, and who cannot see how much the blood

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<v Speaker 1>of the Church hath aided the Church, how great a

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<v Speaker 1>harvest hath arisen in the whole world from that sowing

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<v Speaker 1>verse one hundred seventy six. At length he open himself

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<v Speaker 1>completely and show with what person was speaking throughout the

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<v Speaker 1>whole Psalm, I have gone astray, He saith, like a

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<v Speaker 1>sheep that is lost. Oh, seek thy servant, for I

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<v Speaker 1>do not forget thy commandments. Some copies have not seek,

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<v Speaker 1>but quickened, For there is a difference only of one

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<v Speaker 1>syllable between the corresponding Greek words z zone and z tisone.

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<v Speaker 1>Whence the Greek copies themselves derive the variation. But whichever

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<v Speaker 1>of these be right, Let the lost sheep be sought,

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<v Speaker 1>Let the lost sheep be quickened, for whose sake its

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<v Speaker 1>shepherd left the ninety nine in the wilderness, and while

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<v Speaker 1>seeking it was torn by Jewish thorns. But it is

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<v Speaker 1>still being sought. Let it still be sought, partly found,

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<v Speaker 1>Let it still be sought. For as to that company

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<v Speaker 1>among whom the Psalmist saith, I do not forget thy commandments,

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<v Speaker 1>it hath been found. But through those who choose the

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<v Speaker 1>commandments of God, gathered them together, love them. It is

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<v Speaker 1>still sought, and by means of the blood of its

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<v Speaker 1>shepherd shed and sprinkled abroad. It is found in all nations.

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<v Speaker 1>As far as I have been able, as far as

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<v Speaker 1>I have been aided by the Lord, I have treated

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<v Speaker 1>throughout and expounded this great Psalm, a task which more

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<v Speaker 1>able and learned expositors have performed, or will perform better. Nevertheless,

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<v Speaker 1>my services were not to be withheld from it on

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<v Speaker 1>that account, when my brethren earnestly required it of me,

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<v Speaker 1>to whom I owed this office. That I have said

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<v Speaker 1>nothing of the Hebrew alphabet, in which every eight verses

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<v Speaker 1>are ranged under a particular letter, and the whole Psalm

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<v Speaker 1>arranged in this manner. Let no one wonder since I

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<v Speaker 1>found nothing that related especially to this psalm, for it

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<v Speaker 1>is not the only one which have these letters. Let

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<v Speaker 1>those who cannot find it in the Latin and Greek versions,

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<v Speaker 1>since it is not adopted there, know that every set

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<v Speaker 1>of eight verses in the Hebrew copies beginneth with that

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<v Speaker 1>letter which is prefixed to them, as is indicated to

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<v Speaker 1>us by those who are acquainted with the Hebrew tongue.

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<v Speaker 1>This is done with much more care than our writers

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<v Speaker 1>have shown in their Latin or Punic compositions of Psalms,

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<v Speaker 1>which they style a bsidiary, For they do not begin

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<v Speaker 1>all the verses down to the close of a period,

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<v Speaker 1>but the first only with that same letter, which they

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<v Speaker 1>prefix to it. End of Psalm one hundred nineteen discords

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<v Speaker 1>thirty two end of Psalm one hundred nineteen