Salmos 101
Augustine of Hippo · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Salmos 101:1
In this Psalm, we ought to seek in the whole body of it what we find in the first verse: "Mercy and judgment will I sing unto You, O Lord" [Psalm 101:1]. Let no man flatter himself that he will never be punished through God's mercy; for there is judgment also; and let no man who has been changed for the better dread the Lord's judgment, seeing that mercy goes before it. For when men judge, sometimes overcome by mercy, they act against justice; and mercy, but not justice, seems to be in them: while sometimes, when they wish to enforce a rigid judgment, they lose mercy. But God neither loses the severity of judgment in the bounty of mercy, nor in judging with severity loses the bounty of mercy. Suppose we distinguish these two, mercy and judgment, by time; for possibly, they are not placed in this order without a meaning, so that he said not "judgment and mercy," but "mercy and judgment:" so that if we distinguish them by succession in time, perhaps we find that the present is the season for mercy, the future for judgment. How is it that the season of mercy comes first? Consider first how it is with God, that you also may imitate the Father, in so far as He shall permit you...."He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Behold mercy. When you see the just and the unjust behold the same sun, enjoy the same light, drink from the same founts, satisfied with the same rain, blessed with the same fruits of the earth, inhale this air in the same way, possess equally the world's goods; think not that God is unjust, who gives these things equally to the just and the unjust. It is the season of mercy, not as yet of judgment. For unless God spared at first through mercy, He would not find those whom He could crown through judgment. There is therefore a season for mercy, when the long-suffering of God calls sinners to repentance. — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:1
In fact, to that prepared feast of which the Lord speaks in the Gospel, not all who were called wanted to come, nor could those come who did come except they were called. Accordingly neither should those who came give themselves the credit, for they came by invitation, nor should those who did not want to come blame it on another, but only on themselves, for they had been invited to come of their free will. Therefore, before merit, the calling determines the will. For this reason, even if someone called takes the credit for coming, he cannot take the credit for being called. And as for him who is called and does not come, just as his calling was not a deserved reward, so his neglecting to come when called lays the foundation for a deserved punishment. There will thus be the following two things: "Of your mercy and judgment will I sing, O Lord." To mercy belongs the calling; to judgment belongs the blessedness of those who did not want to come. — ON EIGHTY-THREE VARIED QUESTIONS 68:5
Salmos 101:1
Christ has come, but first to save, afterwards to judge, by pronouncing punishment for those who were unwilling to be saved and by leading those to life, who, by believing, did not spurn salvation. Thus the first dispensation of our Lord Jesus Christ is medicinal, not judicial; for if he had come first to judge, he would have found no one to whom to grant the rewards of justice. Therefore, because he saw that all were sinners and that no one at all was free from the death of sin, his mercy first had to be bestowed and his judgment shown later. For the psalm had sung about him, "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, Lord." It does not say judgment and mercy. For if judgment were first, there would be no mercy; but mercy first, judgment afterwards. — TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 36:4.3
Salmos 101:1
While the reprobate angels and people continue in eternal punishment, the saints will have fuller knowledge of the good conferred on them by grace. Then, through the very facts themselves they will gain a clearer understanding of what is written in the psalm: "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord," for it is only through unmerited mercy that anyone is freed and only through deserved judgment that anyone is condemned. Then will be clear what now is dark: When one of two children is through his mercy chosen by God for himself, while the other through his judgment is to be abandoned (the one chosen knowing what would have been his due through judgment had not mercy come to his aid), why the one rather than the other is chosen, when the condition of the two was the same? Or again, why miracles were not worked in the presence of some people who, had they been worked, would have done penance, while miracles were worked in the presence of those who were not going to believe anyway? For this is the Lord's very clear statement: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon had been worked the miracles that have been worked in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." And surely there was no injustice in God's not willing that they be saved, though they could have been saved if he had so willed it. — Enchiridion 24:94-95
Salmos 101:1
But, inasmuch as "Christ has died for the wicked," what person has been found good by the Lord? He therefore found all trees bad, but, to those who believe in his name, "he gave the power of becoming children of God." Hence, whoever is now a good person (that is to say, a good tree) was found bad and has been made good. If the Lord had willed to root up the bad trees when he came, what tree would have been left that would not deserve to be rooted up? But he came to dispense mercy beforehand, so that he might afterwards dispense justice, for he is the Lord to whom the psalmist says, "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord." He therefore gave remission of sins to those who believe. Of them, he would not even demand an accounting of previous decrees. He gave remission of sins; he made the trees good. He delayed the axe; he removed the threat. — SERMON 72:2
Salmos 101:1
Obviously, it is just that those who have pardoned should receive pardon and that it should be given to those who give. It is natural that there should be in God both mercy for him that judges and judgment for him that shows mercy. That is why we say to him, "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord." Whoever, presuming on his own justice, expects judgment with mercy as if he were secure provokes the most just anger, of which the psalmist said in fear, "Enter not into judgment with your servant." Therefore, God says to his perverse people, "Why will you contend with me in judgment?" For when "the just king shall sit on his throne, who will boast that he has a chaste heart, or who will boast that he is pure of sin?" What hope is there, then, unless "mercy exalts itself above judgment," but only toward those who have shown mercy by saying sincerely, "Forgive us as we forgive" and by giving without protest? "For God loves a cheerful giver." Finally, in order to comfort those in whom the former sentence had roused extreme fear, James in the sequence to that passage speaks of the works of mercy, when he points out how even daily sins, without which there is no living in this world, are expiated by daily remedies. Without these, the person who becomes guilty of all by offending in one point and by offending in many—"because in many things we all offend"—would drag with him to the judgment seat of the great judge a mighty load of guilt, gathered up bit by bit, and would not find the mercy that he had not shown. By forgiving and giving, he deserves to have his debts forgiven and the promised reward given to him. — LETTER 167:20
Salmos 101:2
"I will sing to the harp, and will have understanding, in the spotless way. When Thou shall come unto me" (ver. 2). Except in the spotless way, thou canst neither sing to the harp, nor understand. If thou dost wish to understand, sing in the spotless way, that is, work with cheerfulness before thy God. What is the spotless way? Hear what followeth: "I walked in innocence, in the midst of my house." This spotless way beginneth from innocence, and it endeth also in innocence. Why seek many words? Be innocent: and thou hast perfected righteousness. ...But who is innocent? He who while he hurteth not another, injureth not himself. For he who hurteth himself, is not innocent. Some one saith: Lo, I have not robbed any one, I have not oppressed any one: I will live happily on my own substance, the fruits of my virtuous toil; I wish to have fine banquets, I wish to spend as much as pleaseth me, to drink with those whom I like as much as I please; whom have I robbed, whom have I oppressed, who hath complained of me? He seemeth innocent. But if he corrupt himself, if he overthrow the temple of God within himself, why hope that he will act with mercy toward others, and spare the wretched? Can that man be merciful to others, who unto himself is cruel? The whole of righteousness, therefore, is reduced to the one word, innocence. But the lover of iniquity, hateth his own soul. When he loved iniquity, he fancied he was injuring others. But consider whether he was injuring others: "He who loveth iniquity," he saith, "hateth his own soul." He therefore who wishes to injure another, first injureth himself; nor doth he walk, since there is no room. For all wickedness suffereth from narrowness: innocence alone is broad enough to walk in. "I walked in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of my house." By the middle of his house, he either signifieth the Church herself; for Christ walketh in her: or his own heart; for our inner house is our heart: as he hath explained in the above words, "in the innocence of my heart." What is the innocence of the heart? The middle of his house? Whoever hath a bad house in this, is driven out of doors. For whoever is oppressed within his heart by a bad conscience, just as any man in consequence of the overflow of a waterspout or of smoke goeth out of his house, suffereth not himself to dwell therein; so he who hath not a quiet heart, cannot happily dwell in his heart. Such men go out of themselves in the bent of their mind, and delight themselves with things without, that affect the body; they seek repose in trifles, in spectacles, in luxuries, in all evils. Wherefore do they wish themselves well without? Because it is not well with them within, so that they may rejoice in a good conscience. ... — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:2
I have become deaf and humbled - this follows - and I have remained silent about good things. I became deaf: I did not listen to him speaking. How much has that soul progressed, which rejoices internally in the error of a brother and the security of its own conscience, that it does not know what is barked outside! What kind of soul is that, how secure, how joyful! This is the one which says to God: I walked in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of your house. Burglar doors were pounding, but the house was adequate. I became deaf and humbled, I did not become arrogant against him. And humbled, I was silent about good things. For it was not the time to say something good. For it is the time to be silent now. After he has purified, speak, then he will understand. — Sermon 16A
Salmos 101:3
"I set no wicked thing before my eyes" (ver. 3). ...I did love no wicked thing. And he explaineth this same wicked thing: "I hated them that do unfaithfulness." Attend, my brethren. If ye walk with Christ in the midst of His house, that is, if either in your heart ye have a good repose, or in the Church herself proceed on a good journey in the way of godliness; ye ought not to hate those unfaithful only who are without, but whomsoever also ye may have found within. Who are the unfaithful? They who hate the law of God; who hear, and do it not, are called unfaithful. Hate the doers of unfaithfulness, repel them from thee. But thou shouldest hate the unfaithful, not men: one man who is unfaithful, hath, ye see, two names, man, and unfaithful: God made him man, he made himself unfaithful; love in him what God made, persecute in him what he made himself. For when thou shalt have persecuted his unfaithfulness, thou killest the work of man, and freest the work of God. "I hated the doers of unfaithfulness." — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:4
"When the wicked man departed from me, I knew him not" [Psalm 101:4]. I approved him not, I praised him not, he pleased me not. For we find the word "to know" occasionally used in Scripture, in the sense of "to be pleased." For what is hidden from God, brethren? Does He know the just, and does He not know the unjust? What do you think of, that He does not know? I say not, what do you think; but what will you ever think, that He will not have seen beforehand? God knows all things, then; and yet in the end, that is in judgment after mercy, He says of some persons: "I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." [Matthew 7:23] Was there any one He did not know? But what means, "I never knew you"? I acknowledge you not in My rule. For I know the rule of My righteousness: ye agree not with it, you have turned aside from it, you are crooked. Therefore He said here also: "When the wicked man departed from Me, I knew him not."...Therefore, "when the wicked man departed from me," that is, when the wicked man was unlike me, and was unwilling to imitate my paths, was unwilling in his wickedness to live as I had proposed myself for his imitation; "I knew him not." What means, "I knew him not"? Not that I was ignorant of him, but that I did not approve him. — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:5
"Whoso privily slandered his neighbour, him I persecuted" [Psalm 101:5]. Behold the righteous persecutor, not of the man, but of the sin. "With the proud eye, and the insatiable heart, I did not feed." What means, "I did not feed with"? I did not eat in common with such. Attend, beloved; since you are about to hear something wonderful. If he did not feed with this man, he did not eat with him; for to feed is to eat; how is it then that we find our Lord Himself eating with the proud? It was not only with those publicans and sinners, for they were humble: for they acknowledged their weakness, and asked for the physician. We find that He ate with the proud Pharisees themselves. A certain proud man had invited Him: it was the same who was displeased because a sinning woman, one of ill repute in the city, approached the feet of our Lord....That Pharisee was proud: the Lord ate with him; what is it therefore that he says? "With such an one I did not eat." How does He enjoin unto us what He has not done Himself? He exhorts us to imitate Himself: we see that He ate with the proud; how does He forbid us to eat with the proud? We indeed, brethren, for the sake of reproof, abstain from communion with our brethren, and do not eat with them, that they may be reformed? We rather eat with strangers, with Pagans, than with those who hold with us, if we have seen that they live wickedly, that they may be ashamed, and amend; as the Apostle says, "And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." [2 Thessalonians 3:14] For the sake of healing others we usually do this; but nevertheless we often eat with many strangers and ungodly men. — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:5
If it were always praiseworthy to suffer persecution, it would have been enough for the Lord to say, "Blessed are they that suffer persecution," without adding "for justice sake." Similarly, if it were always blameworthy to persecute, it would not be written in the sacred Books: "The one that in private speaks ill of his neighbor, him did I persecute." Sometimes, then, the one who suffers persecution is unjust, and the one who persecutes is just. It is clear that the bad have always persecuted the good and the good have persecuted the bad; the former to do harm unjustly, the latter to bring about amendment by punishment; the one without limits, the other within bounds; those as slaves of passion, these out of love. The one who kills does not mind how he butchers his victim, but the one who cures watches carefully how he cuts; he has health as his aim, the other destruction. Impious people killed the prophets; the prophets also killed impious people. The Jews scourged Christ, and Christ scourged the Jews. The apostles were delivered up by people to the civil rulers, and the apostles delivered up people to the power of Satan. In all these cases, what else is to be noted except to ask which of them served the cause of truth, which that of sin; which one wished to injure, which one wished to convert? — LETTER 93
Salmos 101:6
And whence wast thou fed? And what pleased thee, when he did not eat with thee? "Mine eyes," he saith, "were upon such as are faithful in the land, that they might sit with me" (ver. 6). That is, that with Me they might be seated. In what sense are they "to sit"? "Ye shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The faithful of the earth judge, for to them it is said, "Know ye not, that we shall judge angels?" "Whoso walketh in a spotless way, he ministered unto me." To "Me," he saith, not to himself. For many minister the Gospel, but unto themselves; because they seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ. ... — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:7
"The proud man has not dwelt in the midst of my house" [Psalm 101:7]. Understand this of the heart. The proud did not dwell in my heart: no such dwelt in my heart: for he hurried away from me. None but the meek and peaceful dwelt in my heart; the proud dwelt not there, for the unrighteous one dwells not in the heart of the righteous. Let the righteous be distant from you, I know not how many miles and stations: ye dwell together, if you have one heart. "The proud doer has not dwelt in the midst of my house: he that speaks unjust things has not directed in the sight of my eyes." This is the spotless way, where we understand when the Lord comes unto us. — Exposition on Psalm 101
Salmos 101:8
"In the morning I destroyed all the ungodly that were in the land. That I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord" [Psalm 101:8]. This is obscure. There are then wicked doers in the city of the Lord, and they at present, seemingly, spared. Why so? Because it is the season of mercy: but that of judgment will come; for the Psalm thus began, "Of mercy and judgment will I sing unto Thee, O Lord." ...He at present spareth, He will then judge. But when will He judge? When night shall have passed away. For this reason He hath said: "In the morning." When the day shall at last have arrived, night having passed by. Why doth He spare them until the dawn? Because it was night. What meaneth, it was night? Because it was the season for mercy: He was merciful, while the hearts of men were hidden. Thou seest some one living ill; thou endurest him: for thou knowest not of what sort he will prove to be; since it is night; whether he who to-day liveth ill, to-morrow may live well; and whether he who to-day liveth well, to-morrow may be wicked. For it is night, and God endureth all men, since He is of long-suffering: He endureth them, that sinners may be converted unto Him. But they who shall not have reformed themselves in that season of mercy, shall be slain. And wherefore? That they may be scattered abroad from the city of the Lord, from the fellowship of Jerusalem, from the fellowship of the Saints, from the fellowship of the Church. But when shall they be slain? "At dawn." What meaneth, "at dawn"? When night shall have passed away. Wherefore now doth he spare? Because it is the season of mercy. Why doth He not always spare? Because, "Mercy and judgment will I sing unto Thee, O Lord." Brethren, let no man flatter himself: all the doers of iniquity shall be slain; Christ shall slay them at the dawn, and shall destroy them from His city. But now while it is the time of mercy, let them hear Him. Everywhere He crieth out by the Law, by the Prophets, by the Psalms, by the Epistles, by the Gospels: see that He is not silent; that He spareth; that He granteth mercy; but beware, for the judgment will come. — Exposition on Psalm 101