St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Another verse of the former Psalme, and the persons to whome it belongeth. CHAP. 12.

THE residue of this Psalme, in these wordes: Lord where are thy olde * 1.1 mercies which thou sworest vnto Dauid in thy truth? Lord remember the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of thy seruants, (by many nations that haue scorned them,) because they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…oached the foote-steps of thine annointed: whether it haue reference 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Israelites that expected this promise made vnto Dauid, or to the spiri∣•…•… •…•…sraelites the Christians, it is a question worth deciding. This was

written or spoaken in the time of Ethan, whose name the title of the Psalme beareth: which was also in Dauids reigne, so that these words: Lord where are thine old mercies which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth, could not then bee spoaken, but that the Prophet bare a type of some-what long after to en∣sue, to wit at such time as the time of Dauid wherein those mercies were pro∣mised, might seeme ancient. It may further bee vnderstood, (b) because that many nations, that persecuted the Christians, cast them in the teeth with the passion of Christ, which hee calleth his change, to witte beeing made immortall by death.

Christs change also in this respect may bee a reproach vnto the Israe∣lites, because they expected him, and the nations onely receiued him, and this the beleeuers of the New Testament reproche them for, who continue in the Olde: so that the Prophet may say, Lord remember the reproache of thy ser∣uants, because heere-after (GOD not forgetting to pitty them) they shall beleeue also. But I like the former meaning better: for the words, LORD remember the reproach of thy seruants, &c. cannot bee sayd of the enemies of CHRIST, to whome it is a reproche, that CHRIST left them and came to the nations: (Such Iewes are no seruants of GOD) but of them onely, who hauing endured great persecutions for the name of CHRIST, can remember that high kingdome promised vnto Dauids seede, and say in desire thereof, knocking, seeking, and asking, Where are thine olde mercies Lord which thou swaredst vnto thy seruant Dauid? Lord remember, &c. because thine enemies haue held thy change a destruction, and vpbraided it in thine annointed.

And what is, Lord remember, but Lord haue mercy, and for my paci∣ence, giue mee that height which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth? If wee make the Iewes speake this, it must bee those seruants of GOD, that suf∣fered the captiuity in Babilon, before CHRISTS comming, and knew what the change of CHRIST was, and that there was no earthly nor transitory fe∣licitie to bee expected by it, such as Salomon had for a few yeares, but that eternall and spirituall kingdome, which the Infidell nations not apprehend∣ing as then, cast the change of the annointed in their dishes, but vnknowing∣lie, and vnto those that knew it. And therefore that last verse of the Psalme, (Blessed bee the Lord for euer-more, Amen, Amen:) agreeth fitly inough with the people of the celestiall Hierusalem: place them as you please, hidden in the Old Testament, before the reuelation of the New, or manifested in the New, when it was fully reuealed. For GODS blessing vpon the seede of Dauid, is not to bee expected onely for a while, as Salomon had it, but for euer, and therefore followeth, Amen, Amen. The hope confirmed, the worde is doubled.

This Dauid vnderstanding in the second of the Kings, (whence wee digres∣sed in this Psalme) saith: Thou hast spoken of thy seruants house for a great while. And then a little after: Now therefore begin & blesse the house of thy seruant * 1.2 for euer, &c. because then hee was to beget a sonne, by whome his progenie should descend vnto Christ, in whome his house and the house of God should bee one, and that eternall. It is Dauids house, because of Dauids seede, and the same is Gods house, because of his Temple, built of soules and not of stones, wherein Gods people may dwell for euer, in, & with him, and he for euer

in, and with them, he filling them, and they being full of him: God being all in all, their reward in peace and their fortitude in warre: And whereas Nathan had said before: thus saith the Lord, shalt thou beuild me an house? now Dauid saith vpon that: thou O Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, hast reuealed vnto thy seruant saying, I will build thee an house. This house do wee build, by liuing well, and the Lord by giuing vs power to liue well, for, vnlesse the Lord build the house, their labour is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lost that build it. And at the last dedication of this house, shall the word of the Lord bee fulfilled, that Nathan spoke saying: I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, and it shall dwell by it selfe, and be no more moued, nor shall the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 people trouble it any more, as it hath done since the time that I appoynted Iudge•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…y people Israel.

L. VIVES.

THe time of (a) Ethan.] Ethan, and Asaph were players vpon the brazen Cymballs before * 1.3 the Arke, in Dauids time 1. Chronicles. 15. the Greeke and the Latine call Ethan an Israe∣•…•…, but I thinke he was rather an Iezraelite, of the towne of Iezrael in the tribe of Iudah and the borders of Isacher betweene Scythopolis, and the Legion, or an Ezraite, of Ezran in the trib•…•… of Assur. Howsoeuer he was, Hierome out of the Hebrew, calleth him an Ezrait. But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 question he was not called an Israelite, for no man hath any such peculiar name from his generall nation. (b) Because that many.] There is a diuersity of reading in some other bookes, but not so good as this we follow.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 89, 49 50. 51.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 7. 19.
• * 1.3

  Ethan.