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<v Speaker 1>Psalm one hundred nineteen Discourse twenty eight 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 twenty eight, Verses

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred thirty seven and one hundred thirty eight. He

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<v Speaker 1>who singeth this psalm had said, above, my eyes have

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<v Speaker 1>descended streams of waters, since they have not kept Thy law.

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<v Speaker 1>Where he testify it that he hath wept much for

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<v Speaker 1>his transgression. Thus, then, as if giving a reason why

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<v Speaker 1>he had caused to weep much and to mourn deeply

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<v Speaker 1>for his sin, he saith righteous art Thou, O Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>and true is thy judgment. Thou hast commanded thy testimonies,

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<v Speaker 1>righteousness and thy truth exceedingly. This righteousness of God and

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<v Speaker 1>righteous judgment and truth is to be feared by every sinner,

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<v Speaker 1>for thereby all who are condemned are condemned of God.

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<v Speaker 1>Nor is there one who can righteously complain against the

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<v Speaker 1>righteous God of his own damnation. Therefore, the tears of

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<v Speaker 1>the penitent are needful, since if his impenitent heart were condemned,

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<v Speaker 1>he would be most justly condemned. He indeed calleth the

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<v Speaker 1>testimonies of God righteousness, for He proved himself righteous by

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<v Speaker 1>giving righteous commandments. And this is truth also that God

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<v Speaker 1>may become known by such testimonies Verse one hundred thirty nine.

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<v Speaker 1>But what is it that followeth my zeal hath caused

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<v Speaker 1>me to pine? Or, as other copies read thy zeal?

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<v Speaker 1>Others have also the zeal of thy house, and hath

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<v Speaker 1>eaten me up? Instead, hath caused me to pine. This,

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<v Speaker 1>as it seems to me, has been considered as an

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<v Speaker 1>emendation to be introduced from another Psalm, where it is

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<v Speaker 1>written the zeal of the house hath eaten me up,

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<v Speaker 1>a text quoted also as we know in the Gospel.

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<v Speaker 1>The two words, however, hath caused me to pine and

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<v Speaker 1>hath eaten me up are somewhat like. But the words

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<v Speaker 1>my zeal, which most of the copies read, occasion no dispute.

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<v Speaker 1>For what wonder is it if every man pinteth away

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<v Speaker 1>from his own zeal. The words read in other copies

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<v Speaker 1>thy zeal signify a man zealous for God, not for himself.

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<v Speaker 1>But there is no difficulty in using my in the

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<v Speaker 1>same sense. For what else doth the apostle say, I

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<v Speaker 1>am jealous over you for God, with a godly jealousy.

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<v Speaker 1>In saying I am jealous over you, doth he not

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<v Speaker 1>display a jealousy of his own. But as he said

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<v Speaker 1>for God, that is not for himself, but for God.

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<v Speaker 1>He addeth with a godly jealousy. For God inspireth this

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<v Speaker 1>among his faithful by his own spirit, For it is

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<v Speaker 1>a sign of love, not of envy. For what induced

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<v Speaker 1>the apostle to say this, I have betrothed you, He

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<v Speaker 1>said to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin

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<v Speaker 1>unto Christ. But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled

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<v Speaker 1>Eve through his cunning, so also your minds be corrupted

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<v Speaker 1>from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ. The

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<v Speaker 1>zeal of the House of God devoured him. Yet this

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<v Speaker 1>jealousy he felt for Christ, not for himself. For it

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<v Speaker 1>the bridegroom is jealous of the bride for himself. But

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<v Speaker 1>the friend of the bridegroom should not be jealous of

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<v Speaker 1>her for himself, but for the bridegroom. The psalmist jealousy

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<v Speaker 1>is therefore also to be under stood in a good sense,

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<v Speaker 1>for he addeth the cause and saith, because mine enemies

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<v Speaker 1>have forgotten Thy words. They then were returning evil for God,

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<v Speaker 1>because he was jealous of them for God so vehemently

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<v Speaker 1>and ardently that he said he was wasted with that zeal.

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<v Speaker 1>But they, for this cause carried on hostilities against him,

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<v Speaker 1>because in fact he wished those of whom from love

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<v Speaker 1>he was jealous to love the Lord, for not being

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<v Speaker 1>ungrateful to the grace of God, by which he who

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<v Speaker 1>was before an enemy, had been reconciled to God. He

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<v Speaker 1>too loved his own enemies, and was jealous of them

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<v Speaker 1>for God, grieving and pinding away because they had forgotten

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<v Speaker 1>his word first one hundred forty then, considering with himself

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<v Speaker 1>with what a flame of love he burned for the

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<v Speaker 1>commandments of God, fiery saith is Thy word exceedingly, and

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<v Speaker 1>Thy servant hath loved it justly. Jealous was he of

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<v Speaker 1>the impenitent heart in his enemies who had forgotten God's word,

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<v Speaker 1>for he endeavored to bring them unto that which he

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<v Speaker 1>himself most ardently loved Verse one hundred forty one. I

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<v Speaker 1>am young and of no reputation. Yet do I not

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<v Speaker 1>forget thy righteousnesses, not as my enemies who have forgotten

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<v Speaker 1>thy words. The younger seems to grieve for those older

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<v Speaker 1>than himself who had forgotten the righteousnesses of God, while

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<v Speaker 1>he himself had not forgotten. For what meaneth I am young?

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<v Speaker 1>Yet do I not forget? Save this those older than

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<v Speaker 1>me have forgotten. For the Greek word is neotaros, the

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<v Speaker 1>same as that used in the words above, wherewithal shall

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<v Speaker 1>a young man cleanse his way. This is a compare narrative,

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<v Speaker 1>and is therefore well understood in its relation to some

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<v Speaker 1>one older. Let us therefore here recognize the two nations

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<v Speaker 1>who were striving even in Rebecca's womb, when it was

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<v Speaker 1>said to her, not from works, but of Him, that

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<v Speaker 1>calleth the elder shall serve the younger. But the younger

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<v Speaker 1>saith here that he is of no reputation. For this

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<v Speaker 1>reason he hath become greater. Since God hath chosen the

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<v Speaker 1>base things of the world, and things that are despised yea,

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<v Speaker 1>and things that are not, as though they were to

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<v Speaker 1>bring to naught things that are. And behold they that

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<v Speaker 1>were first or last, and they that were last first

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<v Speaker 1>Verse one hundred forty two. It is no wonder that

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<v Speaker 1>they have forgotten the words of God, who have chosen

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<v Speaker 1>to set up their own righteousness, ignorant of the righteousness

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<v Speaker 1>of God. But he the younger hath not forgotten, for

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<v Speaker 1>he hath not wished to have a righteousness of his own,

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<v Speaker 1>but that of God, of which he now also saith.

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<v Speaker 1>Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is

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<v Speaker 1>the truth. For how is not the law truth through

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<v Speaker 1>which came the knowledge of sin, and that which giveth

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<v Speaker 1>testimony of the righteousness of God. For thus the apostle saith,

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<v Speaker 1>the righteousness of God is manifested, being witnessed by the

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<v Speaker 1>Law and the prophets Verse one hundred forty three. On

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<v Speaker 1>account of this law, the younger suffered persecution from the elder,

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<v Speaker 1>So that the younger saith, what followeth, trouble and hardship

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<v Speaker 1>have taken hold upon me. Yet is my meditation in

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<v Speaker 1>Thy commandments. Let them rage, let them persecute, as long

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<v Speaker 1>as the commandments of God be not abandoned. And after

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<v Speaker 1>those commandments, let even those who rage be loved Verse

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred forty four. Thy testimonies are righteousness unto everlasting. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>grant me understanding, and I shall live. This younger one

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<v Speaker 1>prayeth for understanding, which if he had not he would

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<v Speaker 1>not be wiser than the aged. But he prayeth for

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<v Speaker 1>it in trouble and hardships, that he may thereby understand

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<v Speaker 1>how contemptible is all that his persecuting enemies can take

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<v Speaker 1>from him. By whom he saith, He hath been despised.

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<v Speaker 1>Therefore he hath said, and I shall live, because if

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<v Speaker 1>trouble and heaviness reached such a pitch that his life

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<v Speaker 1>should be terminated by the hands of his persecuting enemies,

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<v Speaker 1>he will live forever. Who preferreth righteousness to temporal things,

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<v Speaker 1>which remaineth forevermore. This righteousness and trouble and hardships are

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<v Speaker 1>the martydia dei, that is, the testimonies of God for

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<v Speaker 1>which martyrs have been crowned. End of Psal one hundred nineteen,

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<v Speaker 1>Discourse twenty eight