Augustine of Hippo

"O God, to my aid make speed" [Psalm 70:1]. For need we have for an everlasting aid in this world. But when have we not? Now however being in tribulation, let us especially say, "O God, to my aid make speed." "Let them be confounded and fear that seek my soul." Christ is speaking: whether Head speak or whether Body speak; He is speaking that has said, "Why do you persecute Me?" [Acts 9:4] He is speaking that has said, "Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of Mine, to Me you have done it." [Matthew 25:40] The voice then of this Man is known to be of the whole man, of Head and of Body: that need not often be mentioned, because it is known. "Be they confounded," he says, "and fear that seek my soul." In another Psalm He says, "I was looking unto the right and saw, and there was not one that would know Me: flight has perished from Me, and there is not one to seek out My soul." There of persecutors He says, that there was not one to seek out His soul: but here, "Let them be confounded and fear that seek My soul."...And where is that which you have heard from your Lord, "Love ye your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you"? [Matthew 5:44] Behold you suffer persecution, and cursest them from whom you suffer, how do you imitate the Passions of your Lord that have gone before, hanging on the cross and saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." [Luke 23:34] To persons saying such things the Martyr replies and says, you have set before me the Lord, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do:" understand thou my voice also, in order that it may be yours too: for what have I said concerning mine enemies? "Let them be confounded and fear." Already such vengeance has been taken on the enemies of the Martyrs. That Saul that persecuted Stephen, he was confounded and feared. He was breathing out slaughters, he was seeking some to drag and slay: a voice having been heard from above, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me," [Acts 9:4] he was confounded and laid low, and he was raised up to obedience, that had been inflamed unto persecuting. This then the Martyrs desire for their enemies, "Let them be confounded and fear." For so long as they are not confounded and fear, they must needs defend their actions: glorious they think themselves, because they hold, because they bind, because they scourge, because they kill, because they dance, because they insult, and because of all these doings they be some time confounded and fear. For if they be confounded, they will also be converted: because converted they cannot be, unless they shall have been confounded and shall have feared. Let us then wish these things to our enemies, let us wish them without fear. Behold I have said, and let me have said it with you, may all that still dance and sing and insult the Martyrs "be confounded and fear:" at last within these walls confounded may they beat their breasts!

"Let them be turned away backward and blush that think evil things to me" [Psalm 70:2]. At first there was the assault of them persecuting, now there has remained the malice of them thinking. In fact, there are in the Church distinct seasons of persecutions following one another. There was made an assault on the Church when kings were persecuting: and because kings had been foretold as to persecute and as to believe, when one had been fulfilled the other was to follow. There came to pass also that which was consequent; kings believed, peace was given to the Church, the Church began to be set in the highest place of dignity, even on this earth, even in this life: but there is not wanting the roar of persecutors, they have turned their assaults into thoughts. In these thoughts, as in a bottomless pit, the devil has been bound, he roars and breaks not forth. For it has been said concerning these times of the Church, "The sinner shall see, and shall be angry." And shall do what? That which he did at first? Drag, bind, smite? He does not this. What then? "With his teeth he shall gnash, and shall pine away." And with these men the Martyr is, as it were, angry, and yet for these men the Martyr prays. For in like manner as he has wished well to those men concerning whom he has said, "Let them be confounded and fear that seek my soul:" so also now, "Let them be turned backward, and blush, that think evil things to me." Wherefore? In order that they may not go before, but follow. For he that censures the Christian religion, and on his own system wills to live, wills as it were to go before Christ, as though He indeed had erred and had been weak and infirm, because He either willed to suffer or could suffer in the hands of the Jews; but that he is a clever man for guarding against all these things; in shunning death, even in basely lying to escape death, and slaying his soul that he may live in body, he thinks himself a man of singular and prudent measures. He goes before in censuring Christ, in a manner he outstrips Christ: let him believe in Christ, and follow Christ. For that which had been desired but now for persecutors thinking evil things, the same the Lord Himself said to Peter. Now in a certain place Peter willed to go before the Lord....A little before, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father which is in Heaven:" now in a moment, "Go back behind Me, Satan." [Matthew 16:23] What is, "Go back behind Me"? Follow Me. You will to go before Me, you will to give Me counsel, it is better that thou follow My counsel: this is, "go back," go back behind Me. He is silencing one outstripping, in order that he may go backward; and He is calling him Satan, because he wills to go before the Lord. A little before, "blessed;" now, "Satan." Whence a little before, "blessed"? Because, "to you," He says, "flesh and blood has not revealed it, but My Father which is in Heaven." Whence now, "Satan"? Because "you savour not," He says, "the things which are of God, but the things which are of men." Let us then that would duly celebrate the nativities of the Martyrs, long for the imitation of the Martyrs; let us not wish to go before the Martyrs, and think ourselves to be of better understanding than they, because we shun sufferings in behalf of righteousness and faith which they shunned not. Therefore be they that think evil things, and in wantonness feed their hearts, "turned backward and blush." Let them hear from the Apostle afterwards saying, "But what fruit had ye some time in those things at which you now blush?"

What follows? "Let them be turned away immediately blushing, that say to me, Well, well" [Psalm 70:3]. Two are the kinds of persecutors, revilers and flatterers. The tongue of the flatterer does more persecute than the hand of the slayer: for this also the Scripture has called a furnace. Truly when the Scripture was speaking of persecution, it said, "Like gold in a furnace it has proved them" (speaking of Martyrs being slain), "and as the holocaust's victim it has received them." [Wisdom 3:6] Hear how even the tongue of flatterers is of such sort: "The proving," he says, "of silver and of gold is fire; but a man is proved by the tongue of men praising him." [Proverbs 27:21] That is fire, this also is fire: out of both you ought to go forth safe. The censurer has broken you, you have been broken in the furnace like an earthen vessel. The Word has moulded you, and there has come the trial of tribulation: that which has been formed, must needs be seasoned; if it has been well moulded, there has come the fire to strengthen. Whence He said in the Passion, "Dried up like a potsherd has been My virtue." For Passion and the furnace of tribulation had made Him stronger....

And what comes to pass when they are all turned back and blush, whether it be they that seek my soul, or they that think evil things to me, or they that with perverse and feigned benevolence with tongue would soften the stroke which they inflict, when they shall have been themselves turned away and confounded; there shall come to pass what? "Let them exult and be joyous in You:" not in me, not in this man or in that man; but in whom they have been made light that were darkness. "Let them exult and be joyous in You, all that seek You" [Psalm 70:4]. One thing it is to seek God, another thing to seek man. "Let them be joyous that seek You." They shall not be joyous then that seek themselves, whom You have first sought before they sought You. Not yet did that sheep seek the Shepherd, it had strayed from the flock, and He went down to it; [Luke 15:4] He sought it, and carried it back upon His shoulders. Will He despise you, O sheep, seeking Him, who has first sought you despising Him and not seeking Him? Now then begin thou to seek Him that first has sought you, and has carried you back on His shoulders. Do thou that which He speaks of, "They that are My sheep hear My voice, and follow Me." [John 10:27] If then you seek Him that first has sought you, and hast become a sheep of His, and you hear the voice of your Shepherd, and followest Him; see what He shows to you of Himself, what of His Body, in order that as to Himself you may not err, as to the Church you may not err, that no one may say to you, that is Christ which is not Christ, or that is the Church which is not the Church. For many men have said that Christ had no flesh, and that Christ has not risen in His Body: do not thou follow the voices of them. Hear thou the voice of Himself the Shepherd, that was clothed with flesh, in order that He might seek lost flesh. He has risen again, and He says, "Handle ye and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see Me have." [Luke 24:39] He shows Himself to you, the voice of Him follow thou. He shows also the Church, that no one may deceive you by the name of Church. "It behooved," He says, "Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and that there should be preached repentance and remission of sins through all nations, beginning with Jerusalem." [Luke 24:46-47] You have the voice of Your Shepherd, do not thou follow the voice of strangers: [John 10:5] and a thief you shall not fear, if you shall have followed the voice of the Shepherd. But how shall you follow? If you shall neither have said to any man, as if it were by his own merit, Well, well: nor shall have heard the same with joy, so that your head be not made fat with the oil of a sinner. "Let all them exult and be joyous in You, that seek You; and let them say"— let them say what, that exult? "Be the Lord always magnified!" Let all them say this, that exult and seek You. What? "Be the Lord always magnified; yea, they that love Your salvation." Not only, "Be the Lord magnified;" but also, "alway."...A sinner you are, be He magnified in order that He may call; you confess, be He magnified in order that He may forgive: now you live justly, be He magnified in order that He may direct: you persevere even unto the end, be He magnified in order that He may glorify. "Be the Lord," then, "alway magnified; yea, they love His saving health." For from Him they have salvation, not from themselves. The saving health of the Lord our God, is the Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ: whosoever loves the Saviour, confesses himself to have been made whole; whosoever confesses himself to have been made whole, confesses himself to have been sick. Not their own saving health, as if they could save themselves of themselves: not as it were the saving health of a man, as though by him they could be saved. "Do not," he says, "confide in princes, and in the sons of men, in whom there is no safety." Why so? "Of the Lord is safety, and upon Your people is Your blessing."

Behold, "Be the Lord magnified:" will you never, will you nowhere? In Him was something, in me nothing: but if in Him is whatsoever I am, be He, not I. But thou then what? "But I am needy and poor" [Psalm 70:5]. He is rich, He abounding, He needing nothing. Behold my light, behold whence I am illumined; for I cry, "You shall illumine my candle, O Lord." What then of you? "But I am needy and poor." I am like an orphan, my soul is like a widow destitute and desolate: help I seek, always mine infirmity I confess. There have been forgiven me my sins, now I have begun to follow the commandments of God: still, however, I am needy and poor. Why still needy and poor? Because "I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind." [Romans 7:23] Why needy and poor? Because, "blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness." [Matthew 5:6] Still I hunger, still I thirst: my fullness has been put off, not taken away. "O God, aid me." Most suitably also Lazarus is said to be interpreted, "one aided:" that needy and poor man, that was transported into the bosom of Abraham; [Luke 16:23] and bears the type of the Church, which ought always to confess that she has need of aid. This is true, this is godly. "I have said to the Lord, My God You are." Why? "For my goods You need not." He needs not us, we need Him: therefore He is truly Lord. For you are not the very true Lord of your servant: both are men, both needing God. But if you suppose your servant to need you, in order that you may give him bread; thou also needest your servant, in order that he may aid your labours. Each one of you does need the other. Therefore neither of you is truly lord, and neither of you truly servant. Hear thou the true Lord, of whom you are the true servant: "I have said to the Lord, My God You are." Why are You Lord? "Because my goods You need not"? But what of you? "But I am needy and poor." Behold the needy and poor: may God feed, may God alleviate, may God aid: "O God," he says, "aid me."

"In Your own righteousness deliver me, and save me" [Psalm 71:2]. Not in my own, but in Your own: for if in my own, I shall be one of those whereof he says, "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and their own righteousness willing to establish, to the righteousness of God they were not made subject." [Romans 10:3] Therefore, "in Your own righteousness," not in mine. For mine is what? Iniquity has gone before. And when I shall be righteous, Your own righteousness it will be: for by righteousness given to me by You I shall be righteous; and it shall be so mine, as that it be Yours, that is, given to me by You. For I believe in Him that justifies an ungodly man, so that my faith is counted for righteousness. [Romans 4:5] Even so then the righteousness shall be mine, not however as though my own, not as though by my own self given to myself: as they thought who through the letter made their boast, and rejected grace....It is a small thing then that thou acknowledge the good thing which is in you to be from God, unless also on that account thou exalt not yourself above him that has not yet, who perchance when he shall have received, will outstrip you. For when Saul was a stoner of Stephen, [Acts 7:59] how many were the Christians of whom he was persecutor! Nevertheless, when he was converted, all that had gone before he surpassed. Therefore say thou to God that which you hear in the Psalm, "In You I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for everlasting: in Your own righteousness," not in mine, "deliver me, and save me." "Incline unto me Your ear." This also is a confession of humility. He that says, "Incline unto me," is confessing that he is lying like a sick man laid at the feet of the Physician standing. Lastly, observe that it is a sick man that is speaking: "Incline unto me Your ear, and save me."

"Be Thou unto me for a protecting God" [Psalm 71:3]. Let not the darts of the enemy reach unto me: for I am not able to protect myself. And a small thing is "protecting:" he has added, "and for a walled place, that You may save me." "For a walled place" be Thou to me, be Thou my walled place....Behold, God Himself has become the place of your fleeing unto, who at first was the fearful object of your fleeing from. "For a walled place," he says, be to me, "that You may save me." I shall not be safe except in You: except You shall have been my rest, my sickness shall not be able to be made whole. Lift me from the earth; upon You I will lie, in order that I may rise unto a walled place. What can be better walled? When unto that place you shall have fled for refuge, tell me what adversaries you will dread? Who will lie in wait, and come at you? A certain man is said from the summit of a mountain to have cried out, when an Emperor was passing by, "I speak not of you:" the other is said to have looked back and to have said, "Nor I of you." He had despised an Emperor with glittering arms, with mighty army. From whence? From a strong place. If he was secure on a high spot of earth, how secure are you on Him by whom heaven and earth were made? I, if for myself I shall have chosen another place, shall not be able to be safe. Choose thou indeed, O man, if you shall have found one, a place better walled. There is not then a place whither to flee from Him, except we flee to Him. If you will escape Him angry, flee to Him appeased. "For my firmament and my refuge You are." "My firmament" is what? Through You I am firm, and by You I am firm. "For my firmament and my refuge You are:" in order that I may be made firm by You, in whatever respects I shall have been made infirm in myself, I will flee for refuge unto You. For firm the grace of Christ makes you, and immovable against all temptations of the enemy. But there is there too human frailness, there is there still the first captivity, there is there too the law in the members fighting against the law of the mind, and willing to lead captive in the law of sin: [Romans 7:23] still the body which is corrupt presses down the soul. [Wisdom 9:15] Howsoever firm thou be by the grace of God, so long as thou still bearest an earthly vessel, wherein the treasure of God is, something must be dreaded even from that same vessel of clay. [2 Corinthians 4:7] Therefore "my firmament You are," in order that I may be firm in this world against all temptations. But if many they are, and they trouble me: "my refuge You are." For I will confess mine infirmity, to the end that I may be timid like a "hare," because I am full of thorns like a "hedgehog." And as in another Psalm is said, "The rock is a refuge for the hedgehogs and the hares:" but the Rock was Christ. [1 Corinthians 10:4]

"O God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner" [Psalm 71:4]. Generally, sinners, among whom is toiling he that is now to be delivered from captivity: he that now cries, "Unhappy man I, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 7:24-25] Within is a foe, that law in the members; there are without also enemies: unto what do you cry? Unto Him, to whom has been cried, "From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord, and from strange sins spare Your servant.". ..But these sinners are of two kinds: there are some that have received Law, there are others that have not received: all the heathen have not received Law, all Jews and Christians have received Law. Therefore the general term is sinner; either a transgressor of the Law, if he has received Law; or only unjust without Law, if he has not received the Law. Of both kinds speaks the Apostle, and says, "They that without Law have sinned, without Law shall perish, and they that in the Law have sinned, by the Law shall be judged." [Romans 2:12] But thou that amid both kinds dost groan, say to God that which you hear in the Psalm, "My God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner." Of what sinner? "From the hand of him that transgresses the Law, and of the unjust man." He that transgresses the Law is indeed also unjust; for not unjust he is not, that transgresses the Law: but every one that transgresses the Law is unjust, not every unjust man does transgress the Law. For, "Where there is not a Law," says the Apostle, "neither is there transgression." [Romans 4:15] They then that have not received Law, may be called unjust, transgressors they cannot be called. Both are judged after their deservings. But I that from captivity will to be delivered through Your grace, cry to You, "Deliver me from the hand of the sinner." What is, from the hand of him? From the power of him, that while he is raging, he lead me not unto consenting with him; that while he lies in wait, he persuade not to iniquity. "From the hand of the sinner and of the unjust man."...

Lastly, there follows the reason why I say this: "for You are my patience" [Psalm 71:5]. Now if He is patience rightly, He is that also which follows, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." My patience, because my hope: or rather my hope, because my patience. "Tribulation," says the Apostle, "works patience, patience probation, but probation hope, but hope confounds not." [Romans 5:3-5] With reason in You I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for everlasting. "O Lord, my hope from my youth." From your youth is God your hope? Is He not also from your boyhood, and from your infancy? Certainly, says he. For see what follows, that you may not think that I have said this, "my hope from my youth," as if God noways profited mine infancy or my boyhood; hear what follows: "In You I have been strengthened from the womb." Hear yet: "From the belly of my mother You are my Protector" [Psalm 71:6]. Why then, "from my youth," except it was the period from which I began to hope in You? For before in You I was not hoping, though You were my Protector, that led me safe unto the time, when I learned to hope in You. But from my youth I began in You to hope, from the time when You armed me against the Devil, so that in the girding of Your host being armed with Your faith, love, hope, and the rest of Your gifts, I waged conflict against Your invisible enemies, and heard from the Apostle, "There is not for us a wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and powers," etc. [Ephesians 5:12] There a young man it is that does fight against these things: but though he be a young man, he falls, unless He be the hope of Him to whom he cries, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." "In You is my singing always." Is it only from the time when I began to hope in You until now? Nay, but "alway." What is, "alway"? Not only in the time of faith, but also in the time of sight. For now, "So long as we are in the body we are absent from the Lord: for by faith we walk, not by sight:" [2 Corinthians 5:6] there will be a time when we shall see that which being not seen we believe: but when that has been seen which we believe, we shall rejoice: but when that has been seen which they believed not, ungodly men shall be confounded. Then will come the substance whereof there is now the hope. But, "Hope which is seen is not hope. But if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it." [Romans 8:24] Now then you groan, now unto a place of refuge you run, in order that you may be saved; now being in infirmity you entreat the Physician: what, when you shall have received perfect soundness also, what when you shall have been made "equal to the Angels of God," [Matthew 22:30] will you then perchance forget that grace, whereby you have been delivered? Far be it.

Lastly, there follows the reason why I say this: "for You are my patience" [Psalm 71:5]. Now if He is patience rightly, He is that also which follows, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." My patience, because my hope: or rather my hope, because my patience. "Tribulation," says the Apostle, "works patience, patience probation, but probation hope, but hope confounds not." [Romans 5:3-5] With reason in You I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for everlasting. "O Lord, my hope from my youth." From your youth is God your hope? Is He not also from your boyhood, and from your infancy? Certainly, says he. For see what follows, that you may not think that I have said this, "my hope from my youth," as if God noways profited mine infancy or my boyhood; hear what follows: "In You I have been strengthened from the womb." Hear yet: "From the belly of my mother You are my Protector" [Psalm 71:6]. Why then, "from my youth," except it was the period from which I began to hope in You? For before in You I was not hoping, though You were my Protector, that led me safe unto the time, when I learned to hope in You. But from my youth I began in You to hope, from the time when You armed me against the Devil, so that in the girding of Your host being armed with Your faith, love, hope, and the rest of Your gifts, I waged conflict against Your invisible enemies, and heard from the Apostle, "There is not for us a wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and powers," etc. [Ephesians 5:12] There a young man it is that does fight against these things: but though he be a young man, he falls, unless He be the hope of Him to whom he cries, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." "In You is my singing always." Is it only from the time when I began to hope in You until now? Nay, but "alway." What is, "alway"? Not only in the time of faith, but also in the time of sight. For now, "So long as we are in the body we are absent from the Lord: for by faith we walk, not by sight:" [2 Corinthians 5:6] there will be a time when we shall see that which being not seen we believe: but when that has been seen which we believe, we shall rejoice: but when that has been seen which they believed not, ungodly men shall be confounded. Then will come the substance whereof there is now the hope. But, "Hope which is seen is not hope. But if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it." [Romans 8:24] Now then you groan, now unto a place of refuge you run, in order that you may be saved; now being in infirmity you entreat the Physician: what, when you shall have received perfect soundness also, what when you shall have been made "equal to the Angels of God," [Matthew 22:30] will you then perchance forget that grace, whereby you have been delivered? Far be it.

"As it were a monster I have become unto many" [Psalm 71:7]. Here in time of hope, in time of groaning, in time of humiliation, in time of sorrow, in time of infirmity, in time of the voice from the fetters— here then what? "As it were a monster I have become unto many." Why, "As it were a monster"? Why do they insult me that think me a monster? Because I believe that which I see not. For they being happy in those things which they see, exult in drink, in wantonness, in chamberings, in covetousness, in riches, in robberies, in secular dignities, in the whitening of a mud wall, in these things they exult: but I walk in a different way, contemning those things which are present, and fearing even the prosperous things of the world, and secure in no other thing but the promises of God. And they, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." [1 Corinthians 15:32] What do you say? Repeat it: "let us eat," he says, "and drink." Come now, what have you said afterwards? "for tomorrow we die." You have terrified, not led me astray. Certainly by the very thing which you have said afterwards, you have stricken me with fear to consent with you. "For tomorrow we die," you have said: and there has preceded, "Let us eat and drink." For when you had said, "Let us eat and drink;" you added, "for tomorrow we die." Hear the other side from me, "Yea let us fast and pray, 'for tomorrow we die.'" I keeping this way, strait and narrow, "as it were a monster have become unto many: but You are a strong helper." Be with me, O Lord Jesus, to say to me, faint not in the narrow way, I first have gone along it, I am the way itself, [John 14:6] I lead, in Myself I lead, unto Myself I lead home. Therefore though "a monster I have become unto many;" nevertheless I will not fear, for "You are a strong Helper."