Speaker 1: Psalm one hundred nineteen Discourse twenty seven of Expositions on
Speaker 1: the Book of Psalms, Volume five. This is a LibriVox recording.
Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Expositions
Speaker 1: on the Book of Psalms, Volume five by Saint Augustine
Speaker 1: of Hippo, Psalm one hundred nineteen, Discourse twenty seven, Verse
Speaker 1: one hundred twenty nine. The following are the words of
Speaker 1: the Psalm on which, by the Lord's help we are
Speaker 1: about to discourse. Thy testimonies are wonderful. Therefore hath my
Speaker 1: soul searched them who counteth even by their kinds. The
Speaker 1: testimonies of God, heaven and Earth, His visible and invisible
Speaker 1: works declare in some manner the testimony of His goodness
Speaker 1: and greatness, and the very ordinary and accustomed course of nature,
Speaker 1: whereby this seasons are rapidly revolved in all things after
Speaker 1: their kinds, however temporal and perishable, however held cheap through
Speaker 1: our constant experience of them. Give, if a pious thinker,
Speaker 1: give he to them a testimony to the Creator. But
Speaker 1: which of these is not wonderful if we measure each
Speaker 1: not by its habitual presence, but by reason. But if
Speaker 1: we venture to bring all nature within the comprehensive view
Speaker 1: of one act of contemplation, doth not that take place
Speaker 1: in us which the prophet describeth I considered thy works
Speaker 1: and trembled. Yet the Psalmist was not terrified in his
Speaker 1: wonder at creation, but rather said that this was the
Speaker 1: reason that he ought to search it, because it was wonderful.
Speaker 1: For after saying thy testimonies are wonderful, he addeth, therefore
Speaker 1: hath my soul searched them, as if he had become
Speaker 1: more curious us from the difficulty of thoroughly searching them.
Speaker 1: For the more abstruse are the causes of any thing,
Speaker 1: the more wonderful it is. If therefore, we were to
Speaker 1: meet such a man as would say that he searched
Speaker 1: the testimonies of God for this reason, because they are wonderful,
Speaker 1: while the whole creation, both visible and invisible, is full
Speaker 1: of them, should we not restrain him, saying, seek not
Speaker 1: out the things that are too hard for thee, neither
Speaker 1: search the things that are above thy strength, but that
Speaker 1: which the Lord hath commanded thee meditate thereupon always. But
Speaker 1: if he answer us and say, these very commandments of
Speaker 1: the Lord, which ye enjoin me to meditate upon, are
Speaker 1: his wonderful testimonies, since they attest him to be the
Speaker 1: Lord because he commandeth, and to be good and great
Speaker 1: because he commandeth such things. Shall we venture to recall
Speaker 1: the man from surging into such things, and not rather
Speaker 1: exhort him carefully to continue doing so, and to devote
Speaker 1: as much attention as possible to so great a subject.
Speaker 1: Shall we confess that the commandments of God are testimonies
Speaker 1: of his goodness, and yet deny them to be wonderful.
Speaker 1: For what wonder is it if a good Lord giveth
Speaker 1: good commandments? Yea, it is this which is to be
Speaker 1: wondered at, and should have its reasons carefully examined. That
Speaker 1: while a good God hath commanded good things, yet he
Speaker 1: hath given a good law unto them to whom that
Speaker 1: law could not give life, so that there was no
Speaker 1: righteousness to be gained from that good law. For if
Speaker 1: there had been a law given which could have given life,
Speaker 1: verily righteousness should have been by the law. Why then,
Speaker 1: was one given which could not give life, and out
Speaker 1: of which there was no righteousness. We may well wonder
Speaker 1: well feel astonished at this. These then, are the wonderful
Speaker 1: testimonies of God. On this account, this man's soul hath
Speaker 1: searched them, since concerning them, it could not be said
Speaker 1: unto him. Seek not out the things that are too
Speaker 1: hard for THEE, neither search that which is above thy strength,
Speaker 1: but that which has commanded THEE. Meditate thereupon always. These
Speaker 1: very things are the Lord's commandments, and for this reason
Speaker 1: they should ever be meditated upon. Let us therefore, rather
Speaker 1: consider what this man's soul searched, what it discovered Verse
Speaker 1: one hundred thirty. When Thy word goeth forth, he saith
Speaker 1: it giveth light and maketh his little ones to understand.
Speaker 1: What is the little one save the humble and weak.
Speaker 1: Be not proud. Therefore, presume not in thine own strength,
Speaker 1: which is not, And thou wilt understand what a good
Speaker 1: law was given by a good God, though it cannot
Speaker 1: give life. For it was given for this end, that
Speaker 1: it might make THEE a little one instead of great,
Speaker 1: that it might show that thou hadst not strength to
Speaker 1: do the law of thine own power, and that thus
Speaker 1: wanting aid and destitute, thou mightest fly unto grace, saying,
Speaker 1: have mercy upon me, o, Lord, for I am weak
Speaker 1: by searching. Then this little one understood the same that Paul,
Speaker 1: the least, that is, the simplest of the apostles, showeth
Speaker 1: that the law, which could not give life, was given
Speaker 1: because scripture hath concluded all things under sin, that the
Speaker 1: promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to
Speaker 1: all the belief Do thus do thus, Merciful Lord, command
Speaker 1: what cannot be fulfilled. Yea command what cannot save, through
Speaker 1: Thy grace, be fulfilled. That when men have proved incapable
Speaker 1: of fulfilling Thy commandments through their own strength, every mouth
Speaker 1: may be stopped, and no man may seem great unto himself.
Speaker 1: Let all be little ones, and let all the world
Speaker 1: be guilty before thee, because by the deeds of the law,
Speaker 1: there shall no flesh be justified in thy sight. For
Speaker 1: by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now
Speaker 1: thy righteousness without the law is manifested, being witnessed by
Speaker 1: the law and the prophets. These are the wonderful testimonies
Speaker 1: which the soul of this little one hath searched, and
Speaker 1: hath therefore found, because he became humbled and a little one.
Speaker 1: For who doth thy commandments as they ought to be done?
Speaker 1: That is by faith which worketh through love, save love
Speaker 1: itself be shed abroad in his heart through the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1: Ther is one hundred thirty one. This is confessed by
Speaker 1: this little one. I opened my mouth, he saith and
Speaker 1: drew in the spirit. For I longed for Thy commandments.
Speaker 1: What did he long for save to obey the divine commandments?
Speaker 1: But there was no possibility of the weak doing hard things.
Speaker 1: The little one great things. He opened his mouth, confessing
Speaker 1: that he could not do them of himself, and drew
Speaker 1: in power to do them. He opened his mouth by seeking, asking, knocking,
Speaker 1: and a thirst drank in the good spirit, which enabled
Speaker 1: him to do what he could not do by himself.
Speaker 1: The commandment holy and just and good. For if we,
Speaker 1: being evil, know how to give good gifts unto our children,
Speaker 1: how much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy
Speaker 1: Spirit to them that ask him. For not they that
Speaker 1: are led by their own spirit, but as many as
Speaker 1: are led by the spirit of God. These are the
Speaker 1: sons of God. Not that they themselves do nothing, but
Speaker 1: that they may not do nothing good. They are moved
Speaker 1: to act by the good spirit for so much the
Speaker 1: more as every man made a good son in proportion
Speaker 1: as the good spirit is given unto him by the
Speaker 1: Father in a greater measure Verse one hundred thirty two.
Speaker 1: He still prayeth. He hath opened his mouth and drawn
Speaker 1: in the spirit. But he still knocketh in prayer unto
Speaker 1: the Father, and seeketh he drinketh. But the more sweet
Speaker 1: he findeth it, the more eagerly doth he thirst. Hear
Speaker 1: the words of him in his thirst. Oh, look thou
Speaker 1: upon me, he saith, and be merciful unto me according
Speaker 1: to the judgment of those that loved thy name, That is,
Speaker 1: according to the judgment thou hast dealt unto all who
Speaker 1: loved thy name, since thou ust first love them, to
Speaker 1: cause them to love thee. For thus saith the apostle John,
Speaker 1: we love God because he first loved us Verse one
Speaker 1: hundred thirty three. See what the psalmist next, most openly saith,
Speaker 1: order my steps after thy word, and so shall no
Speaker 1: wickedness have dominion over me. Where what else doth he
Speaker 1: say than this? Make me upright and free according to
Speaker 1: thy promise? But so much the more as the love
Speaker 1: of God reigneth in every man, so much the less
Speaker 1: hath wickedness dominion over him. What else then doth he
Speaker 1: seek than that, by the gift of God he may
Speaker 1: love God. For by loving God he loveth himself, so
Speaker 1: that he may healthily love his neighbor, also as himself.
Speaker 1: On which commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Speaker 1: What then doth he pray, save that God may cause
Speaker 1: the fulfillment by his help of those commandments which He
Speaker 1: imposeth by his bidding Verse one hundred thirty four. But
Speaker 1: what meaneth this that He saith O deliver me from
Speaker 1: the calumnies of men? So shall I keep thy commandments?
Speaker 1: If those men impute true charges against him, they do
Speaker 1: not calumniate if false. What reason is there that he
Speaker 1: should long to be delivered from these calumnies, that is,
Speaker 1: from false charges, which cannot injure him. For a false charge,
Speaker 1: that is a calumny. Doth not make a man guilty,
Speaker 1: save before a human judge. But when God is judged,
Speaker 1: no man is injured by a false accusation, because it
Speaker 1: is imputed not to him against whom it is preferred.
Speaker 1: But to him who chargeth. It is the prayer of
Speaker 1: the church here prefigured the prayer of the whole Christian people,
Speaker 1: which was delivered from the calumnies of men, whereby the
Speaker 1: Christians were harassed in every part of the world. But
Speaker 1: doth he on this account keep the commandments of God?
Speaker 1: Did not the Holy people of God much the more
Speaker 1: gloriously keep the commandments among these very calumnies, when they
Speaker 1: were at their hottest, in the midst of tribulations, when
Speaker 1: they yielded not to the persecutors to commit impieties. But
Speaker 1: in truth the meaning of these words, Oh, deliver thou
Speaker 1: me from the calumnies of men, So shall I keep
Speaker 1: thy commandments? Is this do Thou, by pouring upon me
Speaker 1: thy spirit, guard me from being overcome by the terrors
Speaker 1: of human calumny, and from being drawn over to their
Speaker 1: evil deeds, away from thy commandments. For if thou hadst
Speaker 1: thus dealt with me, that is, if thou hast in
Speaker 1: this manner, delivered me, by the gift to patience, from
Speaker 1: their calumnies, so that I fear not the false charges
Speaker 1: they prefer against me. Among those very calumnies, I will
Speaker 1: keep thy commandments first one hundred thirty five. Show the
Speaker 1: light of thy countenance on thy servant, and teach me
Speaker 1: thy statutes, that is, manifest thy presence by succoring and
Speaker 1: aiding me. And teach me thy righteousnesses. Teach me to
Speaker 1: work them, as it is more plainly expressed elsewhere. Teach
Speaker 1: me to do Thy will. For they who hear, although
Speaker 1: they retain in their memories what they hear, are by
Speaker 1: no means to be considered to have learnt unless they do.
Speaker 1: For it is the word of truth. Every man that
Speaker 1: hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me.
Speaker 1: He therefore, who obeyeth not. Indeed, that is, who cometh not,
Speaker 1: hath not learned First one hundred thirty six. The Psalmist,
Speaker 1: recalling to mind his sorrowful penitence for his transgression, saith,
Speaker 1: my eyes have descended streams of waters because they have
Speaker 1: not kept thy law, that is my eyes. For in
Speaker 1: some copies there is this reading, because I have not
Speaker 1: kept Thy law. Streams of waters therefore descended, that is,
Speaker 1: floods of tears. And in the same form of speech,
Speaker 1: as he might say, my feet have descended mountains, without
Speaker 1: saying over mountains or on mountains so we say he
Speaker 1: descended ladders, though one say not by ladders, or he
Speaker 1: went down the well without saying into the well. And
Speaker 1: he rightly said descended, marking the humility of his penitence,
Speaker 1: for his eyes ascended when they were raised aloft and
Speaker 1: elate with contumacious pride, For they seem to themselves to
Speaker 1: be raised on high, when, not knowing the righteousness of God,
Speaker 1: they wished to set up their own. Wherein, being wearied
Speaker 1: and confused by their transgression of the law, they have
Speaker 1: descended from that elevation in tears, that they might rather
Speaker 1: gain the righteousness of God by repentance. There are copies
Speaker 1: which do not read descended, but overpast, meaning that he
Speaker 1: said hyperbolically that in weeping he had overpassed streams of waters,
Speaker 1: that is, by weeping, more than the waters flow in
Speaker 1: their streams. But why doth he thus weep for not
Speaker 1: keeping of the law, save to obtain grace, which blotteth
Speaker 1: out the iniquity of the penitent and aideth the will
Speaker 1: of the believer. End of Psalm one hundred nineteen, Discourse
Speaker 1: twenty seven