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| What He Found in the Sacred Books Which are Not to Be Found in Plato.
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Chapter XXI.—What He Found in the
Sacred Books Which are Not to Be Found in Plato.
27. Most eagerly, then, did I seize that
venerable writing of Thy Spirit, but more especally the Apostle
Paul;567
| 567 Literally, “The venerable pen of Thy
Spirit (Logos); words which would
seem to imply a belief on Augustin’s part in a verbal inspiration
of Scripture. That he gave Scripture the highest honour as God’s
inspired word is clear not only from this, but other passages in
his works. It is equally clear, however, that he gave full
recognition to the human element in the word. See De Cons.
Evang. ii. 12, where both these aspects are plainly
discoverable. Compare also ibid. c. 24. | and those
difficulties vanished away, in which he at one time appeared to me
to contradict himself, and the text of his discourse not to agree
with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets. And the face of
that pure speech appeared to me one and the same; and I learned to
“rejoice with trembling.”568
So I commenced, and found that
whatsoever truth I had there read was declared here with the
recommendation of Thy grace; that he who sees may not so glory as
if he had not received569
not only that which he sees, but
also that he can see (for what hath he which he hath not
received?); and that he may not only be admonished to see Thee, who
art ever the same, but also may be healed, to hold Thee; and that
he who from afar off is not able to see, may still walk on the way
by which he may reach, behold, and possess Thee. For though a man
“delight in the law of God after the inward man,”570
what shall
he do with that other law in his members which warreth against the
law of his mind, and bringeth him into captivity to the law of sin,
which is in his members?571
For Thou art righteous, O Lord, but
we have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly,572
and Thy hand
is grown heavy upon us, and we are justly delivered over unto that
ancient sinner, the governor of death; for he induced our will to
be like his will, whereby he remained not in Thy truth. What shall
“wretched man” do? “Who shall deliver him from the body of
this death,” but Thy grace only, “through Jesus ‘Christ our
Lord,’”573
whom Thou
hast begotten co-eternal, and createdst574
| 574 Prov. viii. 22, as quoted from the old Italic
version. It must not be understood to teach that the Lord is a
creature. (1) Augustin, as indeed is implied in the
Confessions above, understands the passage of the incarnation
of Christ, and in his De Doct. Christ. i. 38, he distinctly
so applies it: “For Christ…desiring to be Himself the Way to
those who are just setting out, determined to take a fleshly body.
Whence also that expression, ‘The Lord created me in the
beginning of his Way,’—that is, that those who wish to come
might begin their journey in Him.” Again, in a remarkable passage
in his De Trin. i. 24, he makes a similar application of the
words: “According to the form of a servant, it is said, ‘The
Lord created me in the beginning of His ways.’ Because, according
to the form of God, he said, ‘I am the Truth;’ and, according
to the form of a servant, ‘I am the Way.’” (2) Again,
creasti is from the LXX. ἔκτισε, which is that version’s
rendering in this verse of the Hebrew
קָנָנִי. The Vulgate, more correctly translating from
the Hebrew, gives possedit, thus corresponding to our
English version, “The Lord possessed me,” etc. The LXX.
would appear to have made an erroneous rendering here, for κτίζω is generally in that version
the equivalent for בָרָא, “to
create,” while קָגָה is
usually rendered by κτάομαι,
“to possess,” “to acquire.” It is true that Gesenius
supposes that in a few passages, and Prov. viii. 22 among them,
קָנָה should be rendered “to
create;” but these very passages our authorized version renders
“to get,” or “to possess;” and, as Dr. Tregelles observes,
referring to M’Call on the Divine Sonship, “in all passages
cited for that sense, ‘to possess’ appears to be the true
meaning.” | in the beginning of Thy ways, in
whom the Prince of this world found nothing worthy of death,575
yet killed
he Him, and the handwriting which was contrary to us was blotted
out?576
This those
writings contain not. Those pages contain not the expression of
this piety,—the tears of confession, Thy sacrifice, a troubled
spirit, “a broken and a contrite heart,”577
the salvation of the people, the
espoused city,578
the earnest
of the Holy Ghost,579
the cup of our redemption.580
No man sings
there, Shall not my soul be subject unto God? For of Him cometh my
salvation, for He is my God and my salvation, my defender, I shall
not be further moved.581
No one there hears Him calling,
“Come unto me all ye that labour.” They scorn to learn of Him,
because He is meek and lowly of heart;582
for “Thou hast hid those things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”583
For it is
one thing, from the mountain’s wooded summit to see the land of
peace,584
and not to
find the way thither,—in vain to attempt impassable ways, opposed
and waylaid by fugitives and deserters, under their captain the
“lion”585
and the
“dragon;”586
and another
to keep to the way that leads thither, guarded by the host of the
heavenly general, where they rob not who have deserted the heavenly
army, which they shun as torture. These things did in a wonderful
manner sink into my bowels, when I read that “least of Thy
apostles,”587
| 587 1 Cor. xv. 9. In giving an account, remarks
Pusey, of this period to his friend and patron Romanianus, St.
Augustin seems to have blended together this and the history of his
completed conversion, which was also wrought in connection with
words in the same apostle, but the account of which he uniformly
suppresses, for fear, probably, of injuring the individual to whom
he was writing (see on book ix. sec. 4, note, below). “Since that
vehement flame which was about to seize me as yet was not, I
thought that by which I was slowly kindled was the very greatest.
When lo! certain books, when they had distilled a very few drops of
most precious unguent on that tiny flame, it is past belief,
Romanianus, past belief, and perhaps past what even you believe of
me (and what could I say more?), nay, to myself also is it past
belief, what a conflagration of myself they lighted. What ambition,
what human show, what empty love of fame, or, lastly, what
incitement or band of this mortal life could hold me then? I turned
speedily and wholly back into myself. I cast but a glance, I
confess, as one passing on, upon that religion which was implanted
into us as boys, and interwoven with our very inmost selves; but
she drew me unknowing to herself. So then, stumbling, hurrying,
hesitating, I seized the Apostle Paul; ‘for never,’ said I,
‘could they have wrought such things, or lived as it is plain
they did live, if their writings and arguments were opposed to this
so high good.’ I read the whole most intently and carefully. But
then, never so little light having been shed thereon, such a
countenance of wisdom gleamed upon me, that if I could exhibit
it—I say not to you, who ever hungeredst after her, though
unknown—but to your very adversary (see book vi. sec. 24, note,
above), casting aside and abandoning whatever now stimulates him so
keenly to whatsoever pleasures, he would, amazed, panting,
enkindled, fly to her Beauty” (Con. Acad. ii. 5). | and had
reflected upon Thy works, and feared greatly.
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