Augustine of Hippo

What follows because the Salvation of God is known in all nations? "Let the peoples confess to You, O God" [Psalm 67:3]; "confess to You," he says, "all peoples." There stands forth a heretic, and he says, In Africa I have peoples: and another from another quarter, And I in Galatia have peoples. You in Africa, he in Galatia: therefore I require one that has them everywhere. You have indeed dared to exult at that voice, when you heard, "Let the peoples confess to You, O God." Hear the following verse, how he speaks not of a part: "Let there confess to You all peoples." Walk ye in the Way together with all nations; walk ye in the Way together with all peoples, O sons of peace, sons of the One Catholic Church, walk ye in the Way, seeing as you walk. Wayfarers do this to beguile their toil. Sing ye in this Way; I implore you by that Same Way, sing ye in this Way: a new song sing ye, let no one there sing old ones: sing ye the love-songs of your fatherland, let no one sing old ones. New Way, new wayfarer, new song. Hear thou the Apostle exhorting you to a new song: "Whatever therefore is in Christ is a new creature; old things have passed away, behold they have been made new." A new song sing ye in the way, which you have learned "on the earth." In what earth? "In all nations." Therefore even the new song does not belong to a part. He that in a part sings, sings an old song: whatever he please to sing, he sings an old song, the old man sings: divided he is, carnal he is. Truly in so far as carnal he is, so far he is old; and in so far as he is spiritual, so far new. See what says the Apostle: "I could not speak to you as if to spiritual, but as if to carnal." [1 Corinthians 3:1] Whence proves he them carnal? "For while one says, I am of Paul; but another, I of Apollos: are you not," he says, "carnal?" [1 Corinthians 3:4] Therefore in the Spirit a new song sing thou in the safe way. Just as wayfarers sing, and ofttimes in the night sing. Awful round about all things do sound, or rather they sound not around, but are still around; and the more still the more awful; nevertheless, even they that fear robbers do sing. How much more safely you sing in Christ! That way has no robber, unless thou by forsaking the way fallest in the hands of a robber....Why fear ye to confess, and in your confession to sing a new song together with all the earth; in all the earth, in Catholic peace, do you fear to confess to God, lest He condemn you that hast confessed? If having not confessed you lie concealed, having confessed you will be condemned. You fear to confess, that by not confessing can not be concealed: you will be condemned if you have held your peace, that might have been delivered, by having confessed. "O God, confess to You all peoples."

And because this confession leads not to punishment, he continues and says, "Let the nations rejoice and exult" [Psalm 67:4]. If robbers after confession made do wail before man, let the faithful after confessing before God rejoice. If a man be judge, the torturer and his fear exact from a robber a confession: yea sometimes fear wrings out confession, pain extorts it: and he that wails in tortures, but fears to be killed if he confess, supports tortures as far as he is able: and if he shall have been overcome by pain, he gives his voice for death. Nowise therefore is he joyful; nowise exulting: before he confesses the claw tears him; when he has confessed, the executioner leads him along a condemned felon: wretched in every case. But "let the nations rejoice and exult." Whence? Through that same confession. Why? Because good He is to whom they confess: He exacts confession, to the end that He may deliver the humble; He condemns one not confessing, to the end that He may punish the proud. Therefore be thou sorrowful before you confess, after having confessed exult, now you will be made whole. Your conscience had gathered up evil humours, with boil it had swollen, it was torturing you, it suffered you not to rest: the Physician applies the fomentations of words, and sometimes He lances it, He applies the surgeon's knife by the chastisement of tribulation: do thou acknowledge the Physician's hand, confess thou, let every evil humour go forth and flow away in confession: now exult, now rejoice, that which remains will be easy to be made whole...."Let the nations rejoice and exult, for You judge the peoples in equity." And that unrighteous men may not fear, he has added, "and the nations on the earth You direct." Depraved were the nations and crooked were the nations, perverse were the nations; for the ill desert of their depravity, and crookedness and perverseness, the Judge's coming they feared: there comes the hand of the same, it is stretched out mercifully to the peoples, they are guided in order that they may walk the straight way; why should they fear the Judge to come, that have first acknowledged Him for a Corrector? To His hand let them give up themselves, Himself guides the nations on the earth. But guided nations are walking in the Truth, are exulting in Him, are doing good works; and if perchance there comes in any water (for on sea they are sailing) through the very small holes, through the crevices into the hold, pumping it out by good works, lest by more and more coming it accumulate, and sink the ship, pumping it out daily, fasting, praying, doing almsdeeds, saying with pure heart, "Forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors" [Matthew 6:12] — saying such words walk thou secure, and exult in the way, sing in the way. Do not fear the Judge: before you were a believer, you found a Saviour. You ungodly He sought out that He might redeem, you redeemed will He forsake so as to destroy? "And the nations on earth You direct."

He exults, rejoices, exhorts, he repeats those same verses in exhortation. "The earth has given her fruit" [Psalm 67:6]. What fruit? "Let all peoples confess to You." Earth it was, of thorns it was full; there came the hand of One rooting them up, there came a calling by His majesty and mercy, the earth began to confess; now the earth gives her fruit. Would she give her fruit unless first she were rained on? Would she give her fruit, unless first the mercy of God had come from above? Let them read to me, you say, how the earth being rained upon gave her fruit. Hear of the Lord raining upon her: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." [Matthew 3:2] He rains, and that same rain is thunder; it terrifies: fear thou Him thundering, and receive Him raining. Behold, after that voice of a thundering and raining God, after that voice let us see something out of the Gospel itself. Behold that harlot of ill fame in the city burst into a strange house into which she had not been invited by the host, but by One invited she had been called; [Luke 7:37] called not with tongue, but by Grace. The sick woman knew that she had there a place, where she was aware that her Physician was sitting at meat. She has gone in, that was a sinner; she dares not draw near save to the feet: she weeps at His feet, she washes with tears, she wipes with hair, she anoints with ointment. Why do you wonder? The earth has given her fruit. This thing, I say, came to pass by the Lord raining there through His own mouth; there came to pass the things whereof we read in the Gospel; and by His raining through His clouds, by the sending of the Apostles and by their preaching the truth, the earth more abundantly has given her fruit, and that crop now has filled the round world.

The fruit of the earth was first in Jerusalem. For from thence began the Church: there came there the Holy Spirit, and filled full the holy men gathered together in one place; miracles were done, with the tongues of all men they spoke. They were filled full of the Spirit of God, the people were converted that were in that place, fearing and receiving the divine shower, by confession they brought forth so much fruit, that all their goods they brought together into a common stock, making distribution to the poor, in order that no one might call anything his own, but all things might be to them in common, and they might have one soul and one heart unto God. [Acts 4:32] For there had been forgiven them the blood which they had shed, it had been forgiven them by the Lord pardoning, in order that now they might even learn to drink that which they had shed. Great in that place is the fruit: the earth has given her fruit, both great fruit, and most excellent fruit. Ought by any means that earth alone to give her fruit? "May there bless us God, our God, may there bless us God" [Psalm 67:7]. Still may He bless us: for blessing in multiplication is wont most chiefly and properly to be perceived. Let us prove this in Genesis; see the works of God: God made light, [Genesis 1:3] and God made a division between light and darkness: the light He called day, and the darkness He called night. It is not said, He blessed the light. For the same light returns and changes by days and nights. He calls the sky the firmament between waters and waters: it is not said, He blessed the sky: He severed the sea from the dry land, and named both, the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters sea: neither here is it said, God blessed....

"Exult ye in the sight of Him," O you to whom has been said, "Sing ye to God, psalm ye to the name of Him, a way make ye to Him that has ascended above the setting," also "exult in the sight of Him:" as if "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." [2 Corinthians 6:10] For while you make a way to Him, while you prepare a way whereby He may come and possess the nations, you are to suffer in the sight of men many sorrowful things. But not only faint not, but even exult, not in the sight of men, but in the sight of God. "In hope rejoicing, in tribulation enduring:" [Romans 12:12] "exult ye in the sight of Him." For they that in the sight of men trouble you, "shall be troubled by the face of Him, the Father of orphans and Judge of widows" [Psalm 68:5]. For desolate they suppose them to be, from whom ofttimes by the sword of the Word of God [Matthew 10:34] both parents from sons, and husbands from wives, are severed: but persons destitute and widowed have the consolation "of the Father of orphans and Judge of widows:" they have the consolation of Him that say to Him, "For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken up me:" and they that have hoped in the Lord, continuing in prayers by night and by day: [1 Timothy 5:5] by whose face those men shall be troubled when they shall have seen themselves prevail nothing, for that the whole world has gone away after Him. [John 12:19] For out of those orphans and widows, that is, persons destitute of partnership in this world's hope, the Lord for Himself does build a Temple: whereof in continuation he says, "The Lord is in His holy place."

For what is His place he has disclosed, when he says, "God that makes to dwell men of one mood in a house" [Psalm 68:6]: men of one mind, of one sentiment: this is the holy place of the Lord. For when he had said, "The Lord is in His holy place:" as though we were inquiring in what place, since He is everywhere wholly, and no place of corporal space contains Him; immediately he has subjoined somewhat, that we should not seek Him apart from ourselves, but rather being of one mood dwelling in a house, we should deserve that He also Himself deign to dwell among us. This is the holy place of the Lord, the thing that most men seek to have, a place where in prayer they may be hearkened unto....For as in a great house of a man, the Lord thereof does not abide in every place whatsoever, but in some place doubtless more private and honourable: so God dwells not in all men that are in His house (for He dwells not in the vessels of dishonour), but His holy place are they whom "He makes to dwell of one mood," or "of one manner, in a house." For what are called τρόποι in Greek, by both modi and mores (moods and manners), in Latin may be interpreted. Nor has the Greek writer, "Who makes to dwell," but only "makes to dwell." "The Lord," then, "is in His holy place."...

"When You went by in the desert, the earth was moved" [Psalm 68:8]. A desert were the nations, which knew not God: a desert they were, where by God Himself no law had been given, where no Prophet had dwelled, and foretold the Lord to come. "When," then, "You went by in the desert," when You were preached in the nations; "the earth was moved," to the faith earthly men were stirred up. But whence was it moved? "For the heavens dropped from the face of God." Perchance here some one calls to mind that time, when in the desert God was going over before His people, before the sons of Israel, by day in the pillar of cloud, by night in the brightness of fire; [Exodus 13:21] and determines that thus it is that "the heavens dropped from the face of God," for manna He rained upon His people: [Exodus 16:15] that the same thing also is that which follows, "Mount Sina from the face of the God of Israel," "with voluntary rain severing God to Your inheritance" [Psalm 68:9], namely, the God that on Mount Sina spoke to Moses, when He gave the Law, so that the manna is the voluntary rain, which God severed for His inheritance, that is, for His people; because them alone He so fed, not the other nations also: so that what next he says, "and it was weakened," is understood of the inheritance being itself weakened; for they murmuring, fastidiously loathed the manna, longing for victuals of flesh, and those things on which they had been accustomed to live in Egypt. [Numbers 11:5-6] ... Lastly, all those men in the desert were stricken down, nor were any of them except two found worthy to go into the land of promise. [Numbers 14:23-24] Although even if in the sons of them that inheritance be said to have been perfected, we ought more readily to hold to a spiritual sense. For all those things in a figure did happen to them; [1 Corinthians 10:11] until the day should break, and the shadows should be removed. [Song of Songs 2:17]

First we had to be persuaded how much God loved us, in case out of sheer despair we lacked the courage to reach up to him. Also we had to be shown what sort of people we are that he loves, in case we should take pride in our own worth and so bounce even further away from him and sink ever more under our own strength. So he dealt with us in such a way that we could progress rather in his strength; he arranged it so that the power of love should be brought to perfection in the weakness of humility. This is the meaning of the psalm where it says, "O God, you are setting apart a voluntary rain for your inheritance, and it has been weakened; but you have perfected it." What he means by voluntary rain is nothing other than grace, which is not paid out as earned but given gratis; that is why it is called grace. He was not obliged to give it because we deserved it; he gave it voluntarily because he wished to. Knowing this, we will put no trust in ourselves, and that is what to be weakened means. He however perfects us—as he said to the apostle Paul, "my grace is enough for you; strength is made perfect in weakness." So we needed to be persuaded how much God loves us, and what sort of people he loves; how much case we despaired, what sort in case we grew proud.

"The Lord shall give the Word" [Psalm 68:11]: to wit, food for His animals which shall dwell therein. But what shall these animals work to whom He shall give the word? What but that which follows? "To them preaching the Gospel in much virtue." With what virtue, but with that strength wherein He leads forth men fettered? Perchance also here he speaks of that virtue, wherewith in preaching the Gospel they wrought wondrous signs. Who then "shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue"? "The King," he says, "of the virtues of the Beloved" [Psalm 68:12]. The Father therefore is King of the virtues of the Son. For the Beloved, when there is not specified any person that is beloved, by a substitution of name, of the Only Son is understood. Is not the Son Himself King of His virtues, to wit of the virtues serving Himself? Because with much virtue the King of Virtues shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel, of Whom it has been said, "The Lord of Virtues, He is the King of Glory?" But his not having said King of Virtues, but "King of the Virtues of the beloved," is a most usual expression in the Scriptures, if any one observe: which thing chiefly appears in those cases where even the person's own name is already expressed, so that it cannot at all be doubted that it is the same person of whom something is said. Of which sort also is that which in the Pentateuch in many passages is found: "And Moses did it, as the Lord commanded Moses." He said not that which is usual in our expressions, And Moses did, as the Lord commanded him; but, "Moses did as the Lord commanded Moses," as if one person were the Moses whom He commanded, and another person the Moses who did, whereas it is the very same. In the New Testament such expressions are most difficult to find. [Romans 1:3-4] ..."The King," therefore, "of the virtues of the Beloved," thus may be understood, as if it were to be said, the King of His virtues, because both King of Virtues is Christ, and the Beloved is the very same Christ. However, this sense has not so great urgency, as that no other can be accepted: because the Father also may be understood as King of the virtues of His Beloved Son, to whom the Beloved Himself says, "All Mine are Yours, and Yours Mine." [John 17:10] But if perchance it is asked, whether God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ can be called King also, I know not whether any one would dare to withhold this name from Him in the passage where the Apostle says, "But to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God." [1 Timothy 1:17] Because even if this be said of the Trinity itself, therein is also God the Father. But if we do not carnally understand, "O God, Your Judgment to the King give Thou, and Your justice to the Son of the King:" I know not whether anything else has been said than, "to Your Son." King therefore is the Father also. Whence that verse of this Psalm, "King of the virtues of the Beloved;" in either way may be understood. When therefore he had said, "The Lord shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue:" because virtue itself by Him is ruled, and serves Him by whom it is given; the Lord Himself, he says, who shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue, is the King of the virtues of the Beloved.

Now in that which follows, he turns himself to address the members themselves, whereof the beauty of the House is composed, saying, "If you sleep in the midst of the lots, wings of a dove silvered, and between the shoulders thereof in the freshness of gold" [Psalm 68:13]. First, we must here examine the order of the words, in what manner the sentence is ended; which certainly awaits, when there is said, "If you sleep:" secondly, in that which he says, namely, "wings of dove silvered," whether in the singular number it must be understood as being, "of this wing" thereof, or in the plural as, "these wings." But the singular number the Greek excludes, where always in the plural we read it written. But still it is uncertain whether it be these wings; or whether, "O you wings," so as that he may seem to speak to the wings themselves. Whether therefore by the words which have preceded, that sentence be ended, so that the order is, "The Lord shall give the Word to men preaching the Gospel with much virtue, if you sleep in the midst of the lots, O you wings of a dove silvered:" or by these which follow, so that the order is, "If you sleep in the midst of the lots, the wings of a dove silvered with snow shall be whitened in Selmon:" that is, the wings themselves shall be whitened, if you sleep in the midst "of the lots:" so that he may be understood to say this to them that are divided to the beauty of the House, as it were spoils; that is, if you sleep in the "midst of the lots," O you that are divided to the beauty of the House, "through the manifestation of the Spirit unto profit," [1 Corinthians 12:7] so that "to one indeed is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge," etc., if then ye sleep in the midst of the lots, then the wings of a dove silvered with snow shall be whitened in Selmon. It may also be thus: "If you being the wings of a dove silvered, sleep in the midst of the lots, with snow they shall be whitened in Selmon," so as that those men be understood who through grace receive remission of sins. Whence also of the Church Herself, is said in the Song of Songs, "Who is She that goes up whitened?" For this promise of God is held out through the Prophet, saying, "If your sins shall have been like scarlet, like snow I will whiten them." It may also thus be understood, so that in that which has been said, "wings of a dove silvered," there be understood, you shall be, so that this is the sense, O you that like as it were spoils to the beauty of the house are divided, if you sleep in the "midst of the lots," wings of a dove silvered you shall be: that is, into higher places you shall be lifted up, adhering however to the bond of the Church. For I think no other dove silvered can be better perceived here, than that whereof has been said, "One is My dove." [Song of Songs 6:9] But silvered She is because with divine sayings she has been instructed: for the sayings of the Lord in another place are called "silver with fire refined, purged sevenfold." Some great good thing therefore it is, to sleep in the midst of the lots, which some would have to be the Two Testaments, so that to "sleep in the midst of the lots" is to rest on the authority of those Testaments, that is, to acquiesce in the testimony of either Testament: so that whenever anything out of them is produced and proved, all strife is ended in peaceful acquiescence....

"While He that is above the heavens distinguishes kings over Her, with snow they shall be made white in Selmon" [Psalm 68:14]. While He "above the heavens," He that ascended over all heavens that He might fulfil all things, "while He distinguishes kings over Her," that is, over that same "Dove silvered." For the Apostle continues and says, and "He has Himself given some for Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers." [Ephesians 4:11] For what other reason is there to distinguish kings over Her, save for the work of the Ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ: when she is indeed Herself the Body of Christ? But they are called kings from ruling: and what more than the lusts of the flesh, that sin may not reign in their mortal body to obey the desires thereof, that they yield not their members instruments of iniquity unto sin, but yield themselves to God, as though from the dead living, and their members instruments of righteousness to God? [Romans 6:12-13] For thus shall the kings be distinguished from foreigners, because they draw not the yoke with unbelievers: secondly, in a peaceful manner being distinguished from one another by their proper gifts. For not all are Apostles, or all Prophets, or all Teachers, or all have gifts of healings, or all with tongues do speak, or all interpret. [1 Corinthians 12:29-30] "But all these things works one and the same Spirit, dividing proper gifts to each one as He wills." [1 Corinthians 12:11] In giving which Spirit He that is above the Heavens distinguishes kings over the Dove silvered. Of which Holy Spirit, when, sent to His Mother full of grace, the Angel was speaking, to her enquiring in what manner it could come to pass that she was announced as going to bear, seeing she knew not a man: [Luke 1:34] ...he says, "The Holy Spirit shall come over upon you, and the virtue of the Most Highest shall overshadow you," that is, shall make a shadow for you, "wherefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of you, shall be called the Son of God." [Luke 1:35] That "shadow" again is understood of a defence against the heat of carnal lusts: whence not in carnal concupiscence, but in spiritual belief, the Virgin conceived Christ. But the shadow consists of light and body: and further, The "Word" that "was in the beginning," [John 1:1] that true Light, [John 1:9] in order that a noonday shadow might be made for us; "the Word," I say, "was made Flesh, and dwelled in us." [John 1:14] ...

But this mountain he calls the "mountain of God, a mountain fruitful, a mountain full of curds" [Psalm 68:15], or "a mountain fat." But here what else would he call fat but fruitful? For there is also a mountain called by that name, that is to say, Selmon. But what mountain ought we to understand by "the mountain of God, a mountain fruitful, a mountain full of curds," but the same Lord Christ? Of whom also another Prophet says, "There shall be manifest in the last times the mountain of the Lord prepared on the top of the mountains"? [Isaiah 2:2] He is Himself the "Mountain full of curds," because of the babes to be fed with grace as though it were with milk; [1 Corinthians 3:1] a mountain rich to strengthen and enrich them by the excellence of the gifts; for even the milk itself whence curd is made, in a wonderful manner signifies grace; for it flows out of the overflowing of the mother's bowels, and of a sweet compassion unto babes freely it is poured forth. But in the Greek the case is doubtful, whether it be the nominative or the accusative: for in that language mountain is of the neuter gender, not of the masculine: therefore some Latin translators have not translated it, "unto the Mountain of God," but, "the Mountain of God." But I think, "unto Selmon the Mountain of God," is better, that is, "unto" the Mountain of God which is called Selmon: according to the interpretation which, as we best could, we have explained above.

Secondly, in the expression, "Mountain of God, Mountain full of curds," Mountain "fruitful," let no one dare from this to compare the Lord Jesus Christ with the rest of the Saints, who are themselves also called mountains of God....For there were not wanting men to call Him, some John Baptist, some Elias, some Jeremias, or one of the Prophets; [Matthew 16:14] He turns to them and says, "Why do ye imagine mountains full of curds, a mountain," he says, "wherein it has pleased God to dwell therein"? [Psalm 68:16]. "Why do ye imagine?" For as they are a light, because to themselves also has been said, "You are the Light of the world," [Matthew 5:14] but something different has been called "the true Light which enlightens every man," [John 1:9] so they are mountains; but far different is the Mountain "prepared on the top of the mountains." [Isaiah 2:2] These mountains therefore in bearing that Mountain are glorious: one of which mountains says, "but from me far be it to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to me the world has been crucified, and I to the world:" [Galatians 6:14] so that "he has glories, not in himself, but in the Lord may glory." [1 Corinthians 1:31] "Why" then "do ye imagine mountains full of curds," that "Mountain wherein it has pleased God to dwell therein"? Not because in other men He dwells not, but because in them through Him. "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead," [Colossians 2:9] not in a shadow, as in the temple made by king Solomon, [1 Kings 8:27] but "bodily," that is, solidly and truly...."For there is One God, and One Mediator of God and men, the Man Christ Jesus," [1 Timothy 2:5] Mountain of mountains, as Saint of saints. Whence He says, "I in them and You in Me." [John 17:23] "Why then do ye imagine mountains full of curds, the mountain wherein it has pleased God to dwell in Him?" For those mountains full of curds that Mountain the Lord shall inhabit even unto the end, that something they may be to whom He says, "for without Me nothing you are able to do." [John 15:5]