Speaker 1: Some one hundred and nineteen Discourse twenty nine of Exposition
Speaker 1: on the Book of Psalms, Volume five. This is a
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Speaker 1: Exposition on the Book of Psalms, Volume five by Saint
Speaker 1: Augustin of Hippo, p. One hundred and nineteen, Discourse twenty nine,
Speaker 1: Verse one hundred and forty five. Who can doubt that
Speaker 1: cries unto the Lord made in prayer, if uttered only
Speaker 1: from the mouth of the body, and not with the
Speaker 1: heart fixed upon God, sound in vain. But if they
Speaker 1: proceed from the heart, though the voice of the body
Speaker 1: be silent, they may escape any other man, whomsoever, but
Speaker 1: not God. Whether then we cry unto the Lord when
Speaker 1: we pray with our fleshly voices, when there is occasion
Speaker 1: for them, or in silence we must cry from the heart.
Speaker 1: Now the cry of the heart is a solemn, earnestness
Speaker 1: of thought, which, when ventured in prayer, doth express a
Speaker 1: deep longing and affection of Him that prayeth, so that
Speaker 1: he despareth not of success. Then also we cry with
Speaker 1: thee whole heart when we have no thoughts elsewhere. Such
Speaker 1: prayers are rare among the many, frequent among the few.
Speaker 1: Whether all are such with any one person, I know not.
Speaker 1: He who singeth this sum mentioneth such a prayer of
Speaker 1: his own. I have called with my whole heart. Hear me,
Speaker 1: O Lord, for to what end his cry profiteth? He addeth,
Speaker 1: I will search out thy righteousness for this purpose. Then
Speaker 1: he hath called with his whole heart, and hath longed
Speaker 1: that this might be given him by the Lord listening
Speaker 1: unto him, that he may search out his righteousness. That therefore,
Speaker 1: which we are commanded to do. We pray that we
Speaker 1: may search out how far is he who seeketh from
Speaker 1: him that doeth. For it doth not follow that he
Speaker 1: who seeketh should find, or that he who findeth should do.
Speaker 1: But he cannot do unless he hath found, nor find
Speaker 1: unless he hath soret. But our Lord Jesus, inspite great hope,
Speaker 1: by saying seek and ye shall find. But again wisdom,
Speaker 1: And what is this save himself saith the wicked shall
Speaker 1: seek me and shall not find me. It is not
Speaker 1: said therefore to the wicked, but to the good seek
Speaker 1: and ye shall find. Nay, but it is said to
Speaker 1: those to whom it is said a little after in
Speaker 1: the same passage. If then, ye, being evil, know how
Speaker 1: to give good gifts unto your children, How then is
Speaker 1: it said to the wicked seek and ye shall find
Speaker 1: And again said the wicked shall seek me and shall
Speaker 1: not find me. Did the Lord wish them to seek
Speaker 1: anything save wisdom when he promised that they should find
Speaker 1: it if they would seek it. For in it are
Speaker 1: all things which are to be sought by those who
Speaker 1: wish to be happy. The righteousnesses of God therefore are
Speaker 1: there also. It remaineth therefore for us to understand, not
Speaker 1: that all wicked men do not find wisdom if they
Speaker 1: seek it, but those who are so far evil as
Speaker 1: to hate it. For thus he hath said, the wicked
Speaker 1: shall seek me and shall not find me, for they
Speaker 1: hate wisdom. They fail to find it, then because they
Speaker 1: hate it. But again, if they hate it, why do
Speaker 1: they seek it? Say because they do not seek it
Speaker 1: on its own account, but for the sake of something
Speaker 1: which the wicked love and think they will more readily
Speaker 1: arrive at through wisdom. For there are many who most
Speaker 1: studiously examine into the words of Wisdom, and wish to
Speaker 1: have it in doctrine, not in life, not so that
Speaker 1: they may reach the light of God, which is Wisdom herself,
Speaker 1: by means of the conduct which Wisdom prescribes, but that
Speaker 1: by means of the discourses which she yieldeth, they may
Speaker 1: reach the praise of men, which is vainglory. They do
Speaker 1: not therefore seek Wisdom even when they are seeking her,
Speaker 1: because they do not seek her for her own sake.
Speaker 1: Otherwise they would live according to her. But they wish
Speaker 1: to be puffed up with her words. And the more
Speaker 1: they are puffed up, the further they are placed without
Speaker 1: her pale. Whereas the Psalmist seeking this very thing of
Speaker 1: the Lord, which the Lord commanded him to do, that
Speaker 1: he may work in him what he commandeth. For it
Speaker 1: is God who worketh in us, both to will and
Speaker 1: to do of his good pleasure. Saith, I have called
Speaker 1: with my whole heart. Hear me, O, Lord, I will
Speaker 1: search out thy righteousnesses to do them, not merely to
Speaker 1: know them, that I may not become like that stiff
Speaker 1: necked servant, who, although he understand, will not obey. Thus
Speaker 1: one hundred and forty six I have called save me,
Speaker 1: whereas some copies, both Greek and Latin, have it. I
Speaker 1: have called to THEE. But what is I have called
Speaker 1: to THEE? Save that by calling I have invoked THEE.
Speaker 1: But when he had said save me, what did he add?
Speaker 1: And I will keep thy testimonies? That is that I
Speaker 1: may not, through infirmity deny THEE. For the health of
Speaker 1: the soul causeth that to be done, which is known
Speaker 1: to be our duty to do. And thus, in striving
Speaker 1: even to the death of the body, if the extremity
Speaker 1: of temptation, demand this in defense of the truth of
Speaker 1: the divine testimonies. But where there is not health of
Speaker 1: the soul, weakness yieldeth and truth deserted Verse one hundred
Speaker 1: and forty seven. But what follows contains something obscure, which
Speaker 1: must be explained at somewhat greater length. I have prevented
Speaker 1: in the night watches in them beestda nocte. Many copies
Speaker 1: have not in them bestda nocte, but imatur rita at
Speaker 1: an unreasonable time, But hardly one is found which has
Speaker 1: the preposition doubled in I maturida de imaturtas means in
Speaker 1: this passage a season at night which is not mature,
Speaker 1: that is opportune for anything being done waking. Just what
Speaker 1: is commonly called an unseasonable hour night is also called
Speaker 1: in tempesta, that is, midnight when we ought to be
Speaker 1: at rest, because it is in opportune for the actions
Speaker 1: of men awake. For by them bestivum the ancients meant opportune,
Speaker 1: and by in tempestivum in opportune, the word being derived
Speaker 1: from dembus time, from that sense of tempestas, which according
Speaker 1: to the custom of the Latin language, signifies a storm
Speaker 1: in the sky, although historians willingly use this word ea
Speaker 1: tempestat for eotempore, and the words of a great master
Speaker 1: of expression on the haik tam clara repente tempestas. Whence
Speaker 1: on a sudden this so bright tempestas a sky disturbed
Speaker 1: with clouds and winds, is not meant but one raffulgent,
Speaker 1: with a sudden and splendid serenity, what therefore is called
Speaker 1: in Greek an auria, not in one word, but in two,
Speaker 1: that is a proposition and a noun. This some of
Speaker 1: our translators have rendered by in tempesta nocte more by
Speaker 1: ima dorietate, not two words but one. The nominative of
Speaker 1: which is ematurtas, some again by two words, like the
Speaker 1: Greek in ema dorritate, for auria is imaturitas, en auria
Speaker 1: is in imatrtat as. Though he also who said in
Speaker 1: Tempesta nocte, wished to double the proposition, and said in
Speaker 1: in Tempesta, so that one proposition might signify in such
Speaker 1: a time the other might belong to the composition of
Speaker 1: the wood. It matters nothing to the sense whether anyone
Speaker 1: say he did something galicando or in galicando, And so
Speaker 1: it would matter nothing whether he said that he cried
Speaker 1: forth in Tempesta or in indempesta nocte, that is, in
Speaker 1: nocte in Tempesta. Yet the Greek said in nocte in Tempesta,
Speaker 1: which would mean the same if it were expressed by
Speaker 1: in imaturritat, that is, at an unseasonable time of night.
Speaker 1: So far we have discoursed on an obscure word. Now
Speaker 1: let us see what the sense itself is. I have
Speaker 1: prevented in midnight he saith and have cried in thy words?
Speaker 1: Have I trust if we refer this to each of
Speaker 1: the faithful, and to the literal character of the act,
Speaker 1: it oft happeneth that the love of God is awake
Speaker 1: in that hour of the night, and the love of
Speaker 1: prayer strongly urging us. The time of prayer, which is
Speaker 1: wont to be after the crowing of the cock, is
Speaker 1: not awaited, but prevented. But if we understand knight of
Speaker 1: the whole of this world's duration, we indeed cry under
Speaker 1: God at midnight and prevent the fullness of time in
Speaker 1: which He will restore us what he hath promised. As
Speaker 1: is elsewhere read, let us prevent his presence with confession.
Speaker 1: Although if we choose to understand the unripe season of
Speaker 1: this night before the fullness of time had come, that
Speaker 1: is the ripe season when Christ should be manifested in
Speaker 1: the flesh. Neither was the Church then silent by preventing
Speaker 1: this fullness of time. In Prophecy cried out and trusted
Speaker 1: in the words of God, who was able to do
Speaker 1: what he promised that in the seed of Abraham all
Speaker 1: nations should be blessed. Thus one hundred and forty eight
Speaker 1: the Church saith also, what followeth mine eyes have d
Speaker 1: to the morning watch, that I might meditate on Thy words.
Speaker 1: Let us suppose the morning to mean thee season when
Speaker 1: a light arose for them that sat in the shadow
Speaker 1: of death. Did not the eyes of the church prevent
Speaker 1: this morning? Watch in those saints who before were on earth,
Speaker 1: because they foresaw beforehand that this would come to pass,
Speaker 1: so that they meditated on the words of God which
Speaker 1: then were and announced these things to be destined in
Speaker 1: the Law and the prophets Verse one hundred and forty nine.
Speaker 1: Hear my voice, O Lord, according to thy loving mercy,
Speaker 1: and quicken thou me according to thy judgment. For first, God,
Speaker 1: according to his loving mercy, taketh away punishment from sinners,
Speaker 1: and will give them life afterwards, when righteous, according to
Speaker 1: his judgment. For it is not without a meaning that
Speaker 1: it is said unto him, my song shall be of
Speaker 1: mercy and judgment unto thee, O Lord, in this order
Speaker 1: of the terms, although the season of mercy itself be
Speaker 1: not without judgment, whereof the apostle saith. If we would
Speaker 1: judge ourselves, we should not be judged of the Lord.
Speaker 1: But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord,
Speaker 1: that we should not be condemned with the world and
Speaker 1: his fellow apostle. The time is come that judgment must
Speaker 1: begin at the house of God. And if it first
Speaker 1: begin at us, what shall the end of them be
Speaker 1: that obey not the gospel of God? And the final
Speaker 1: season of judgment shall not be without mercy, since as
Speaker 1: the Psalm saith, he crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness.
Speaker 1: But judgment shall be without mercy. But unto those on
Speaker 1: the left who have not dealt mercy, those one hundred
Speaker 1: and fifty, they draw nigh that of malice persecute me,
Speaker 1: Or as some copies read maliciously, then they that persecute
Speaker 1: draw nigh when they go the length of torturing and
Speaker 1: destroying the flesh. Whence the twenty first sum wherein the
Speaker 1: Lord's passion is prophesied, saith, oh, go not from me,
Speaker 1: for trouble is hard at hand, where those things are
Speaker 1: spoken of which he suffered when his passion was not
Speaker 1: imminent upon him, but actually realized. But by trouble being
Speaker 1: nigh at hand, he meant that which took place in
Speaker 1: the flesh, For there is nothing nearer to the soul
Speaker 1: than the flesh which it weareth. The persecutors therefore drew
Speaker 1: near by, afflicting their flesh whom they persecuted, But heed
Speaker 1: what followeth, and are far from Thy law. The nearer
Speaker 1: they drew to the persecuting their righteous, so much the
Speaker 1: Father were they from righteousness? But what harm did they
Speaker 1: do unto those to whom they drew near by persecution?
Speaker 1: Since the approach of their Lord is nearer unto their souls,
Speaker 1: by whom they no wise are forsaken those one hundred
Speaker 1: and fifty one. Lastly, it followeth thou art nigh at hand,
Speaker 1: o Lord, and all thy ways are truth, even in
Speaker 1: their troubles. It hath been a wonted confession of the
Speaker 1: saints to ascribe truth unto God, because they suffer them
Speaker 1: not undeservedly. So did Queen Esther, so did Holy Daniel,
Speaker 1: so did the three men in the furnace. So do
Speaker 1: other associates, in their sanctity confess. But it may be
Speaker 1: asked in what sense it is here said all thy
Speaker 1: ways are truth, since in another psalm it is read,
Speaker 1: all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth.
Speaker 1: But towards the Saints, all the ways of the Lord
Speaker 1: are at once mercy and truth, since he aideth them
Speaker 1: even in judgment, and thus mercy is not wanting, and
Speaker 1: in having mercy upon them he performeth that which he
Speaker 1: hath promised. So the truth is not wanting, but towards all,
Speaker 1: both those whom he freeth and those whom he condemneth.
Speaker 1: All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth,
Speaker 1: because where he doth not show mercy, the truth of
Speaker 1: his vengeance is displayed. For he freeth many who have
Speaker 1: not deserved, but he condemneth none who hath not deserved it.
Speaker 1: Those one hundred and fifty two. From the beginning, I
Speaker 1: have known he saith as concerning thy testimonies, that thou
Speaker 1: hast grounded them for ever. The Greek word katarkas hath
Speaker 1: been variously rendered by the Latin translators by Abnitzio, Innitzio,
Speaker 1: and in initzis. Those who render it in the plural
Speaker 1: have followed the Greek, but it is more usual in
Speaker 1: the Latin tongue to express the idea conveyed by katarkas,
Speaker 1: which in Greek is used in the plural or adverbially
Speaker 1: by the words abnitzio or innitzio. Just as with us,
Speaker 1: when we say otherwise, I do this alias hoko fasio,
Speaker 1: we seem to be using the plural of the feminine gender,
Speaker 1: whereas the word is an adverb and signifies at another time,
Speaker 1: what then meaneth from the beginning have I known, as
Speaker 1: concerning thy testimonies, that thou hast grounded them forever? He
Speaker 1: saith that the testimonies of the Lord were grounded by
Speaker 1: him forever. And he testifieth that he knew this from
Speaker 1: the beginning, and knew it from no other source than
Speaker 1: from those very testimonies. What are these testimonies save those
Speaker 1: wherein God hath declared that he will give an everlasting
Speaker 1: kingdom unto his sons. And since he hath declared that
Speaker 1: he will give this in his only begotten son, of
Speaker 1: whom it is said of his kingdom, there shall be
Speaker 1: no end. He said that the testimonies themselves were grounded forever,
Speaker 1: since that which God hath promised through them was everlasting.
Speaker 1: For the testimonies will not of themselves be needful when
Speaker 1: the reality for the sake of the belief in which
Speaker 1: testimonies are now required shall be displayed. And for this
Speaker 1: reason the words thou hast grounded them are rightly thus understood,
Speaker 1: because they are shown to be true in Christ. For
Speaker 1: no man can lay any other foundation than that which
Speaker 1: is laid which is Christ Jesus. Whence then did the
Speaker 1: psalmust know this in the beginning, save because the Church speaketh,
Speaker 1: which was not wanting to the oath from the commencement
Speaker 1: of the human race the first fruits, whereof was the
Speaker 1: Holy Able himself sacrificed in testimony of the future blood
Speaker 1: of the Mediator that should be shed by a wicked brother.
Speaker 1: For this also was at the beginning. They too shall
Speaker 1: be one flesh, which great mystery. The apostle Paul, expounding
Speaker 1: saith I speak concerning Christ and the Church, end of
Speaker 1: some one hundred and nineteen Discourse twenty nine