Psalms 52, 53 | 93, 94 , 1 Corinthians iv. 1 & St. Matthew xi. 2
Homily of Augustine on Psalm LIII
Psalm for Morning and Evening 52,53 | 93, 94
1 Corinthians iv. 1
LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.St. Matthew xi. 2
NOW when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Scripture from 1928 Book of Common Praye
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer
Augustine
Psalm LIII
1. Of this Psalm we undertake to treat with you, as far as the Lord
supplieth us. A brother biddeth us [1926] that we may have the will,
and prayeth that we may have the power. If anything in haste perchance
I shall have passed over, He that even to us deigneth to give what we
shall be enabled to say, will supply it in you. The title of it is: "At
the end, for Maeleth, understanding to David himself." "For Maeleth,"
as we find in interpretations of Hebrew names, seemeth to say, For one
travailing, or in pain. But who there is in this world that travaileth
and is in pain, the faithful acknowledge, because thereof they are.
Christ here travaileth, Christ here is in pain: the Head is above, the
members below. For one not travailing nor in pain would not say, "Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me?" [1927] Him, with whom when persecuting
He was travailing, being converted, He made to travail. For he also was
himself afterwards enlightened, and grafted on those members which he
used to persecute; being pregnant with the same love, he said, "My
little children, of whom again I travail, until Christ be formed in
you." [1928] For the members therefore of Christ, for His Body which is
the Church, [1929] for that same One Man, that is, for that very unity,
whereof the Head is above, this Psalm is sung....Who are they, then,
amid whom we travail and groan, if in the Body of Christ we are, if
under Him, the Head, we live, if amongst His members we are counted?
Who they are, hear ye.
2. "The unwise man hath said in his heart, There is no God" (ver. 1).
Such sort is it of men amid whom is pained and groaneth the Body of
Christ. If such is this sort of men, of not many do we travail; as far
as seemeth to occur to our thoughts, very few there are; and a
difficult thing it is to meet with a man that saith in his heart,
"There is no God;" [1930] nevertheless, so few there are, that, fearing
amid the many to say this, in their heart they say it, for that with
mouth to say it they dare not. Not much then is that which we are bid
to endure, hardly is it found: uncommon is that sort of men that say in
their heart, "There is no God." But, if it be examined in another
sense, is not that found to be in more men, which we supposed to be in
men few and uncommon, and almost in none? Let them come forth into the
midst that live evil lives, let us look into the doings of profligate,
daring, and wicked men, of whom there is a great multitude; who foster
day by day their sins, who, their acts having been changed into habit,
have even lost sense of shame: this is so great a multitude of men,
that the Body of Christ, set amid them, scarce dareth to censure that
which it is not constrained to commit, and deemeth it a great matter
for itself that the integrity of innocence be preserved in not doing
that which now, by habit, either it doth not dare to blame, or if it
[1931] shall have dared, there breaketh out the censure and
recrimination of them that live evil lives, more readily than the free
voice of them that live good lives. And those men are such as say in
their heart, "There is no God." Such men I am confuting. Whence
confuting? That their doings please God, they judge. He doth not
therefore affirm, "some say," but "The unwise man hath said in his
heart, There is no God." Which men do so far believe there is a God,
that the same God they judge with what they do to be pleased. But if
thou being wise dost perceive, how "the unwise man hath said in his
heart, There is no God," if thou give heed, if thou understand, if thou
examine; he that thinketh that evil doings please God, Him he doth not
think to be God. For if God is, He is just; if He is just, injustice
displeaseth Him, iniquity displeaseth. But thou, when thou thinkest
that iniquity pleaseth Him, dost deny God. For if God is one Whom
iniquity displeaseth, but God seemeth not to thee to be one whom
iniquity displeaseth, and there is no God but one whom iniquity
displeaseth, then when thou sayest in thy heart, God doth countenance
my iniquities, thou sayest nothing else than, "There is no God."
3. Let us advert also to that sense, which concerning Christ our Lord
Himself, our Head Himself, doth present itself. For when Himself in
form of a servant [1932] appeared on earth, they that crucified Him
said, "He is not God." Because Son of God He was, truly God He was. But
they that are corrupted and have become abominable said what? "He is
not God:" let us slay Him, "He is not God." Thou hast the voice of
these very men in the book of Wisdom. [1933] For after there had gone
before the verse, "The unwise man hath said in his heart, There is no
God;" as if reasons were required why the unwise man could say this, he
hath subjoined, "Corrupted they are, and abominable have become in
their iniquities" (ver. 2). Hear ye those corrupted men. "For they have
said with themselves, not rightly thinking:" [1934] corruption
beginneth with evil belief, thence it proceedeth to depraved morals,
thence to the most flagrant iniquities, these are the grades. But what
with themselves said they, thinking not rightly? "A small thing and
with tediousness is our life." [1935] From this evil belief followeth
that which also the Apostle hath spoken of, "Let us eat and drink, for
to-morrow we shall die." [1936] But in the former passage more
diffusely luxury itself is described: "Let us crown us with roses,
before they be withered; in every place let us leave the tokens of our
gladness." [1937] After the more diffuse description of that luxury,
what followeth? "Let us slay the poor just man:" [1938] this is
therefore saying, "He is not God." Soft words they seemed but now to
say: "Let us crown us with roses, before they be withered." What more
delicate, what more soft? Wouldest thou expect, out of this softness,
Crosses, swords? Wonder not, soft are even the roots of brambles; if
any one handle them, he is not pricked: but that wherewith thou shalt
be pricked from thence hath birth. "Corrupted," therefore, are those
men, "and abominable have become in their iniquities." They say, "If
Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross." [1939] Behold them
openly saying, "He is not God."...
4. "The Lord from Heaven hath looked forth upon the sons of men, that
He might see if there is one understanding and seeking after God" (ver.
3). What is this? "Corrupted they are," all these that say, "There is
no God"? And what? Did it escape God, that they were become such? Or
indeed to us would their inward thought be opened, except by Him it
were told? If then He understood, if then He knew, what is this which
hath been said, "that He might see"? For the words are of one
inquiring, of one not knowing. "God from Heaven hath looked forth,"
etc. And as though He had found what He sought by looking upon, and by
looking down from Heaven, He giveth sentence: "All men have gone aside,
together useless they have become: there is not one that doeth good,
not so much as one" (ver. 4). Two questions arise somewhat difficult:
for if God looketh out from Heaven, in order that He may see if there
is one understanding or seeking after God; there stealeth upon an
unwise man the thought, that God knoweth not all things. This is one
question: what is the other? If there is not one that doeth good, is
not so much as one; who is he that travaileth amid bad men? The former
question then is solved as followeth: ofttimes the Scripture speaketh
in such manner, that what by the gift of God a creature doth, God is
said to do....For hence has been said the following also, "For the
Spirit searcheth all things, even the depth of God;" [1940] not because
He that knoweth all things searcheth, but because to thee hath been
given the Spirit, which maketh thee also to search: and that which by
His own gift thou doest, He is said to do; because without Him thou
wouldest not do it: therefore God is said to do, when thou doest....And
because this by the gift of God thou doest, God from heaven is "looking
forth upon the sons of men." The former question then, according to our
measure, thus hath been solved.
5. What is that which looking forth we acknowledge? What is that which
looking forth God acknowledgeth? What (because here He giveth it) doth
He acknowledge? Hear what it is; that "All have gone aside, together
useless they have become: there is not one that doeth good, there is
not so much as one." What then is that other question, but the same
whereof a little before I have made mention? If, "There is not one that
doeth good, is not so much as one," no one remaineth to groan amid evil
men. Stay, saith the Lord, do not hastily give judgment. I have given
to men to do well; but of Me, He saith, not of themselves: for of
themselves evil they are: sons of men they are, when they do evil; when
well, My sons. For this thing God doth, out of sons of men He maketh
sons of God: because out of Son of God He hath made Son of Man. See
what this participation is: there hath been promised to us a
participation of Divinity: He lieth that hath promised, if He is not
first made partaker of mortality. For the Son of God hath been made
partaker of mortality, in order that mortal man may be made partaker of
divinity. He that hath promised that His good is to be shared with
thee, first with thee hath shared thy evil: He that to thee hath
promised divinity, showeth in thee love. Therefore take away that men
are sons of God, there remaineth that they are sons of men: "There is
none that doeth good, is not so much as one."
6. "Shall not all know that work iniquity, that devour My people for
the food of bread"? (ver. 5)....There is therefore here a people of God
that is being devoured. Nay, "There is not one that doeth good, there
is not so much as one." We reply by the rule above. But this people
that is devoured, this people that suffereth evil men, this that
groaneth and travaileth amid evil men, now out of sons of men have been
made sons of God: therefore are they devoured. For, "The counsel of the
needy man thou hast confounded, because the Lord is his hope." [1941]
For ofttimes, in order that the people of God may be devoured, this
very thing in it is despised, that it is the people of God. I will
pillage, he saith, and despoil; if he is a Christian, what will he do
to me?...But what followeth? "I will convince thee, and will set thee
before thy face." Thou wilt not now know so as thou shouldest be
displeasing to thyself, thou shalt know so as thou mayest mourn. For
God cannot but show to the unrighteous their iniquity. If He is not to
show, who will they be that are to say, "What hath profited us pride,
and what hath boasting of riches bestowed upon us?" [1942] For then
shall they know, that now will not know. "Shall not all know?" etc. Why
hath He added, "for the food of bread"? As it were as bread, they eat
My people. For all other things which we eat, we can eat now these, now
those; not always this vegetable, not always this flesh, not always
these apples: but always bread. What is then, "Devour My people for the
food of bread"? Without intermission, without cessation they devour.
7. "On God they have not called." He is comforting the man that
groaneth, and chiefly by an admonition, lest by imitating evil men, who
ofttimes prosper, they delight in evil doing. There is kept for thee
that which to thee hath been promised: their hope is present, thine is
future, but theirs is transient, thine sure; theirs false, thine true.
For they "upon God have not called." Do not daily such men ask of God?
They do "not" ask of God. Give heed, if I am able to say this by the
aid of God Himself. God gratuitously will have Himself to be
worshipped, gratuitously will have Himself to be loved, that is
chastely to be loved; not Himself to be loved for the reason that He
giveth anything besides Himself, but because He giveth Himself. He then
that calleth upon God in order that He may be made rich, on God doth
not call: for upon that He calleth which to himself he willeth to
come....But now thou wouldest have coffer full, and conscience void:
God filleth not coffer, but breast. What do outward riches profit thee,
if inward need presseth thee? Therefore those men that for the sake of
worldly comforts, that for the sake of earthly good things, that for
the sake of present life and earthly felicity, call upon God, do not
call upon God.
8. For this reason what followeth concerning them? "There have they
feared with fear, where there was no fear" (ver. 6). For is there fear,
if a man lose riches? There is no fear there, and yet in that case men
are afraid. But if a man lose wisdom, truly there is fear, and in that
case he is not afraid....Thou hast feared to give back money, and hast
willed to lose fidelity. The Martyrs took not away property of other
persons, but even their own they despised that they might not lose
fidelity: and it was too little to lose money, when they were
proscribed; they took also their life when they suffered: they lost
life, in order that unto everlasting life they might find it. [1943]
Therefore there they feared, where they ought to have been afraid. But
they that of Christ have said, "He is not God," have there feared where
was no fear. For they said, "If we shall have let Him go, there will
come the Romans, and will take away from us both place and kingdom."
[1944] O folly and imprudence saying in its heart, "He is not God"!
Thou hast feared to lose earth, thou hast lost Heaven: thou hast feared
lest there should come the Romans, and take away from thee place and
kingdom! Could they take away from thee God? What then remaineth? what
but that thou confess, that thou hast willed to keep, and by keeping
ill hast lost? For thou hast lost both place and nation by slaying
Christ. For ye did will rather to slay Christ, than to lose place; and
ye have lost place, and nation, and Christ. In fearing, they have slain
Christ: but wherefore this? "For God hath scattered the bones of them
that please men." [1945] Willing to please men, they feared to lose
their place. But Christ Himself, of whom they said, "He is not God,"
willed rather to displease such men, as they were: sons of men, not
sons of God, He willed rather to displease. Thence were scattered their
bones, His bones no one hath broken. "They were confounded, for God
hath despised them." In very deed, brethren, as far as regardeth them,
great confusion hath come to them. In the place where they crucified
the Lord, whom for this cause they crucified, that they might not lose
both place and nation, the Jews are not. "God," therefore, "hath
despised them:" and yet in despising He warned them to be converted.
Let them now confess Christ, and say, He is God, of whom they said, "He
is not God." Let them return to the inheritance of their fathers, to
the inheritance of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, let them possess
with these very persons life eternal: though they have lost life
temporal. Wherefore this? Because out of sons of men have been made
sons of God. For so long as they remain, and will not, there is not one
that doeth good, there is not so much as one. "They were confounded,
for God hath despised them." And as though to these very persons He
were turned, He saith, "Who shall give out of Sion salvation to
Israel?" (ver. 7). O ye fools, ye revile, insult, buffet, besmear with
spittings, with thorns ye crown, upon the Cross ye lift up; whom? "Who
shall give out of Sion salvation to Israel?" Shall not That Same of
whom ye have said, "He is not God"? "In God's turning away the
captivity of His people." For there turneth away the captivity of His
people, no one but He that hath willed to be a captive in your own
hands. But what men shall understand this thing? "Jacob shall exult,
and Israel shall rejoice." "Israel;" the true Jacob, and the true
Israel, that younger, to whom the elder was servant, [1946] shall
himself exult, for he shall himself understand.
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
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[1925] Lat. LII. From a sermon preached to the people at the request of
some one, perhaps of a bishop.--Ben.
[1926] Al. "Bid us, brethren,...pray for us."
[1927] Acts ix. 4.
[1928] Gal. iv. 19.
[1929] Col. i. 24.
[1930] Ps. xiv. 1.
[1931] So Oxf. mss. (ausum); Ben. ausus, "one."
[1932] Phil. ii. 7.
[1933] Wisd. ii. 18-20. [See p. 172, supra.--C.]
[1934] Wisd. ii. 1.
[1935] Wisd. ii. 1.
[1936] 1 Cor. xv. 32.
[1937] Wisd. ii. 8, 9.
[1938] Wisd. ii. 10.
[1939] Matt. xxvii. 40.
[1940] 1 Cor. ii. 10.
[1941] Ps. xiv. 6.
[1942] Wisd. v. 8.
[1943] Matt. x. 39.
[1944] John xi. 48.
[1945] E.V. "that encamp against thee."
[1946] Gen. xxv. 23.
Finis
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