The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^112. “I have hated the unrighteous; and Your law have I loved”. He says not, I hate the wicked, and love the righteous; or, I hate iniquity, and love Your law; but, after saying, “I have hated the unrighteous,” he explains why, by adding, “and Your law have I loved;” to show, that he did not hate human nature in unrighteous men, but their unrighteousness whereby they are foes to the law, which he loves.

113. He next adds: “You are my helper and my taker up”: “my helper,” to do good works: “my taker up,” to escape evil ones. In the next words, “I have hoped more on Your word,” he speaks as a son of promise.

114. But what is the meaning of the following verse: “Away from me, you wicked, and I will search the commandments of my God”?. For he says not, I will perform; but, “I will search.” In order, therefore, that he may diligently and perfectly learn that law, he bids the wicked depart from him, and even forcibly drives them away from his company. For the wicked exercise us in the fulfilment of the commandments, but lead us away from searching into them; not only when they persecute, or wish to litigate with us; but even when they court us, and honour us, and yet expect us to occupy ourselves in aiding their own vicious and busy desire, and to bestow our time upon them; or at least harass the weak, and compel them to bring their causes before us: to whom we dare not say, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” For the Apostle instituted ecclesiastical judges of such causes, forbidding Christians to contend in the forum....Certainly, on account of those who carry on law suits pertinaciously with one another, and, when they harass the good, scorn our judgments, and cause us to lose the time that should be employed upon things divine; surely, I say, on account of these men we also may exclaim in these words of the Body of Christ, “Away from me, you wicked! And I will search the commandments of my God.”

115. “O establish me according to Your word and I shall live: and let me not be disappointed of my hope”. He who had before said, “You are my taker up,” prays that he may be more and more borne up, and be led unto that, for the sake of which he endures so many troubles; trusting that he may there live in a truer sense, than in these dreams of human affairs. For it is said of the future, “and I shall live,” as if we did not live in this dead body. While “we await the redemption of our body, we are saved by hope, and hoping for that we see not, we await with patience.” But hope disappoints not, if the love of God be spread abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. And, as though it were answered him in silence, Thou dost not wish to be disappointed of your hope? Cease not to meditate upon My righteousnesses: and, feeling that this meditation is usually hindered by the weaknesses of the soul, “Help me,” he says, “and I shall be safe; yea, I will meditate in Your righteousnesses always”.

116. “You have scorned all,” or, as it seems more closely translated from the Greek, “You have brought to nought all them that depart from Your righteousnesses: for their thought is unrighteous”. For this reason he exclaimed, “Help Thou me, and I shall be safe; yea, I will meditate in Your righteousnesses always:” because God brings to nought all those who depart from His righteousnesses. But why do they depart? Because “their thought is,” he says, “unrighteous.” They advance in that direction, while they depart from God. All deeds, good or bad, proceed from the thoughts: in his thoughts every man is innocent, in his thoughts every man is guilty....

117. The next words in the Psalm are, “I have counted,” or “thought,” or “esteemed, all the ungodly of the earth as transgressors”. In the Latin version many different renderings are given of the Greek ἐ λογισ·μην; but this passage has a deep meaning. For the following words, “Therefore have I ever loved Your testimonies:” make it far more profound. For the Apostle says, “The law works wrath;” and, explaining these words, he adds, “For where no law is, there is no transgression:” thereby showing that not all are transgressors. For all have not the law. That all have not the law, he declares more explicitly in another passage, “as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law.” What then means, “I have held all the ungodly of the earth as transgressors”? “As transgressors;” or rather “transgressing,” for the Greek says, παραβαίνοντας, not παραβ·τας....“The law entered that sin might abound.” But since all sins are remitted through grace, not only those which are committed without the law, but those also which are committed in the law; he adds, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”...But, indeed, when the Apostle said, “As many as have sinned without law, shall perish without law,” he was speaking of that law which God gave to His people Israel through Moses His servant....For some even Catholic expositors, from a want of sufficient heedfulness, have pronounced contrary to the truth, that those who have sinned without the law perish; and that those who have sinned in the law, are only judged, and do not perish, as if they should be considered destined to be cleansed by means of transitory punishments, as he of whom it is said, “he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”...The Psalmist also has subjoined: “Therefore I loved Your testimonies.” As if he should say: Since the law, whether given in paradise, or implanted by nature, or promulgated in writing, has made all the sinners of the earth transgressors; “Therefore I loved Your testimonies,” which are in Your laws of Your grace; so that not my but Your righteousness is in me. For the law profits unto this end, that it send us forward unto grace. For not only because it testifies towards the manifestation of the righteousness of God, which is without the law; but also in this very point that it renders men transgressors, so that the letter even slays, it drives us to fly unto the quickening Spirit, through whom the whole of our sins may be blotted out, and the love of righteous deeds be inspired....