Chapter 33 of 150

1He changed his countenance. S. Augustine by holy David's changing of his countenance, and by changing the king of Geth his name, who in the book of kings (where the history is recorded) is called Achis, and here Abimelech, gathereth that here is an hidden, and great Mystery. Which he explicateth partly by interpretation of the Hebrew names, but more especially by David's changing of his countenance, which prefigured Christ, eternal God becoming also man, and so making great changes in the world. For as David killed Goliath, and for his good act got envy, so Christ killing the devil, and humility in Christ's members killing pride, are persecuted by the wicked. For Christ was both to the ruin, and Resurrection of many. He changed Sacrifice and Priesthood. The Jews had sacrifice according to the order of Aaron, in victims of cattle, and this was in mystery. For there was not then the Sacrifice of the body and blood of our Lord: which the faithful, and those that have read the Gospel do know, which Sacrifice is now spread in all the round earth. A little after: the Sacrifice of Aaron is taken away, and the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech began to be. He therefore, I know not who, changed his countenance, Let it not be, I know not who, for our Lord Jesus Christ is known. He would have our health to be in his body and blood. From whence did he commend his body and blood? from his humility. For unless he were humble, he would neither be eaten nor drunk. Behold his highness: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and God the word. Lo the everlasting meat, and Angels eat it, supernal powers eat it, celestial spirits eat it, and they eat, and are fatted, and the thing remaineth whole, which satiateth and rejoiceth them. How then hath the wisdom of God fed us with the same bread, the word was made flesh and dwelt in us: It were too long to recite this great Doctor's whole discourse. He further sheweth that Christ dismissed the Jews, and went from them to the Gentiles. Thou seekest now Christ (saith he) among the Jews, and findest him not: because he hath changed his countenance. For they sticking to the sacrifice according to the order of Aaron, held not the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech, and have lost Christ: and the Gentiles have begun to have him. Again this holy father willeth us to remember the Gospel: When our Lord Jesus Christ spake of his body, he said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you: because he had changed his countenance, this seemed as fury, and madness unto them, to give his flesh to be eaten of men, & his blood to be drunken, therefore David was reputed mad before Achis, when he said: you have brought this mad man unto me. Doth it not seem madness: Eat ye my flesh, and drink my blood? He seemed to be mad, thus S. Augustine. Never imagining the figurative interpretation of our new Sacramentaries: who say Christ gave no more but a figure of his body & blood, for then it had been easily understood by the Capharnaites, and no such contradiction, nor murmuring had happened. Yet S. Augustine saith more plainly, if more plain may be. Christ carried himself in his own hands. And how this can be done (brethren) in man, who can understand? For who is carried in his own hands? A man may be carried in the hands of others, no man is carried in his own hands. We find not how it can be understood in David, according to the letter: but in Christ we find it. For Christ was carried in his own hands, when giving his very body, he said: This is my body. for he carried his body in his own hands.He changed his countenance. S. Augustine by holy David's changing of his countenance, and by changing the king of Geth his name, who in the book of kings (where the history is recorded) is called Achis, and here Abimelech, gathereth that here is an hidden, and great Mystery. Which he explicateth partly by interpretation of the Hebrew names, but more especially by David's changing of his countenance, which prefigured Christ, eternal God becoming also man, and so making great changes in the world. For as David killed Goliath, and for his good act got envy, so Christ killing the devil, and humility in Christ's members killing pride, are persecuted by the wicked. For Christ was both to the ruin, and Resurrection of many. He changed Sacrifice and Priesthood. The Jews had sacrifice according to the order of Aaron, in victims of cattle, and this was in mystery. For there was not then the Sacrifice of the body and blood of our Lord: which the faithful, and those that have read the Gospel do know, which Sacrifice is now spread in all the round earth. A little after: the Sacrifice of Aaron is taken away, and the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech began to be. He therefore, I know not who, changed his countenance, Let it not be, I know not who, for our Lord Jesus Christ is known. He would have our health to be in his body and blood. From whence did he commend his body and blood? from his humility. For unless he were humble, he would neither be eaten nor drunk. Behold his highness: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and God the word. Lo the everlasting meat, and Angels eat it, supernal powers eat it, celestial spirits eat it, and they eat, and are fatted, and the thing remaineth whole, which satiateth and rejoiceth them. How then hath the wisdom of God fed us with the same bread, the word was made flesh and dwelt in us: It were too long to recite this great Doctor's whole discourse. He further sheweth that Christ dismissed the Jews, and went from them to the Gentiles. Thou seekest now Christ (saith he) among the Jews, and findest him not: because he hath changed his countenance. For they sticking to the sacrifice according to the order of Aaron, held not the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech, and have lost Christ: and the Gentiles have begun to have him. Again this holy father willeth us to remember the Gospel: When our Lord Jesus Christ spake of his body, he said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you: because he had changed his countenance, this seemed as fury, and madness unto them, to give his flesh to be eaten of men, & his blood to be drunken, therefore David was reputed mad before Achis, when he said: you have brought this mad man unto me. Doth it not seem madness: Eat ye my flesh, and drink my blood? He seemed to be mad, thus S. Augustine. Never imagining the figurative interpretation of our new Sacramentaries: who say Christ gave no more but a figure of his body & blood, for then it had been easily understood by the Capharnaites, and no such contradiction, nor murmuring had happened. Yet S. Augustine saith more plainly, if more plain may be. Christ carried himself in his own hands. And how this can be done (brethren) in man, who can understand? For who is carried in his own hands? A man may be carried in the hands of others, no man is carried in his own hands. We find not how it can be understood in David, according to the letter: but in Christ we find it. For Christ was carried in his own hands, when giving his very body, he said: This is my body. for he carried his body in his own hands.

1415. *Stay thy tongue, &c. Both these verses, and frequent other places in the Psalms, shew plainly that justice consisteth not only in faith, but in abstaining from evil and doing good: yet requiring and presupposing true faith, without which no works are available to justice, nor to everlasting life.15. *Stay thy tongue, &c. Both these verses, and frequent other places in the Psalms, shew plainly that justice consisteth not only in faith, but in abstaining from evil and doing good: yet requiring and presupposing true faith, without which no works are available to justice, nor to everlasting life.