Psalm 143 [MT 144]

Let then our Lord speak; let Christ with us, whole Christ, speak. "Lord, hear my prayer, receive with Your ears my entreaty" [Psalm 143:1]. "Hear" and "receive with ears" are the same thing. It is repetition, it is confirmation. "In Your truth hear me, in Your righteousness." Take it not without emphasis when it is said, "in Your righteousness." For it is a commendation of grace, that none of us think his righteousness his own. For this is the righteousness of God, which God has given you to possess. For what says the Apostle of them, who would boast of their own righteousness? Speaking of the Jews, he says, "they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." [Romans 10:2] ...You are perverse, because you impute what you have done ill to God, what well to yourself: you will be right, when you impute what you have done ill to yourself, what well to God....Behold, "in Your righteousness hear me." For when I look upon myself, nought else do I find my own, save sin.

Exposition on Psalm 143

It is clear from all this that there are two kinds of perfections in holy Scripture, and two kinds of justices and two kinds of fears. The first kind of perfection, and its comparable truth, and perfect justice and fear, which is the beginning of wisdom, are compatible with the virtues of God; but the second kind of perfection, which befits not only human beings but also every living creature, and our weakness, according to what is said in the Psalms: “In your sight no one living shall be justified,” is the kind of justice that is called perfect, not in comparison with God but according to the knowledge of God. Job, Zachariah and Elizabeth are called just, according to this latter type of perfection, which can change on occasions into injustice, and not according to the former type, which can never change, of which it is said, “I am God, and I change not.”

Against the Pelagians 1.15

Atticus: From this it is clear that people are called righteous and said to be without fault; but that, if negligence comes over them, they may fall. [It is also clear] that a person always occupies a middle place, so that he may slip from the height of virtue into vice or may rise from vice to virtue. He is never safe but must dread shipwreck even in fair weather. Therefore, a person cannot be without sin. Solomon says, “There is not a righteous person on earth that does good and sins not.” Likewise in the book of Kings [2 Chronicles]: “There is no one that sins not.” So, also, the blessed David says, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from hidden faults, and keep back your servant from presumptuous sins.” And again, “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified.” Holy Scripture is full of passages to the same effect.

Against the Pelagians 1.12

"And enter not into judgment with Your servant" [Psalm 143:2]. Who are willing to enter into judgment with Him, save they who, "being ignorant of the righteousness of God, go about to establish their own?" "Wherefore have we fasted, and You have not seen; wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and You take no knowledge?" [Isaiah 58:3] As though they would say, "We have done what You have commanded, why do You not render to us what You have promised?" God answers you: I will give to you to receive what I have promised: I have given you that you should do that whereby you may receive. Finally, to such proud ones the Prophet speaks; "Wherefore will you plead with Me? You have all transgressed against Me, says the Lord." [Jeremiah 2:29] Why will you enter into judgment with Me, and recount your own righteousnesses?..."For before You every one living shall not be justified." "Every one living;" living, that is, here, living in the flesh, living in expectation of death; born a man; deriving his life of man; sprung from Adam, a living Adam; every one thus living may perhaps be justified before himself, but not before You. How before himself? By pleasing himself, displeasing You. Enter not then into judgment with me, O Lord my God. How straight soever I seem to myself, You bring forth a standard from Your store-house, Thou fittest me to it, and I am found crooked. Well is it said, "with Your servant." It is unworthy of You to enter into judgment with Your servant, or even with Your friend. [Matthew 5:40] ...What of the Apostles themselves?...That ye may perceive it at once, they learned to pray what we pray: to them was given the pattern of prayer by the heavenly Counsellor. "After this manner," says He, "pray ye." [Matthew 6:9] And having set down certain things first, He laid down this too to be said by the leaders of the sheep, the chief members of the Shepherd and Gatherer of the one flock; even they learned to say, "Forgive us our debts." [Matthew 6:12] They said not, "Thanks be to You, who hast forgiven us our debts, as we too forgive our debtors," but, "Forgive, as we forgive." But surely the faithful prayed then, surely the Apostles prayed then, for this Lord's Prayer was given rather to the faithful. If those debts only were meant which are forgiven by Baptism, it would befit catechumens rather to say, "Forgive us our debts." Let the Apostles then say, yea let them say, "Forgive us our debts." And when it is said to them, "Wherefore say ye this? What are your debts?" let them answer, "for in Your sight every one living shall not be justified."

Exposition on Psalm 143

And so, my glory and my life, God of my heart, I will lay aside for a while all the good deeds that my mother did. For them I thank you, but now I pray to you for her sins. Hear me through your Son, who hung on the cross and now “sits at your right hand and pleads for us,” for he is the true medicine of our wounds. I know that my mother always acted with mercy and that she forgave others with all her heart when they trespassed against her. Forgive her too, O Lord, if ever she trespassed against you in all the long years of her life after baptism. Forgive her, I beseech you; “do not call her to account.” “Let your mercy give your judgment an honorable welcome,” for your words are true and you have promised mercy to the merciful. If they are merciful, it is by your gift; and “you will show pity on those whom you pity; you will show mercy where you are merciful.”

Confessions 9.13

And now, to summarize briefly and comprehensively the idea I have of the virtue that belongs to right living: that virtue is charity by means of which we love what we should love. This is greater in some, less in others, lacking in still others; its fullest measure, beyond which there is no increase, is found in no one as long as he lives the life of a human being. As long as it is subject to increase, the defect by which it is less than it ought to be is accounted as vice; by reason of this vice “there is no just person on earth who will do good and sin not”; because of this vice, “no one living shall be justified in the sight of God”; because of this vice, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us"; because of it, also, however much progress we have made, we still have to say, “Forgive us our debts,” even though in baptism all our words, deeds, thoughts have been forgiven. Therefore, he who sees rightly sees where and when and whence that perfection is to be hoped for, to which no addition is possible. But, if there were no commandments, there would certainly be no norm by which a person might look into himself and see what he should avoid, what he should strive after, what he should rejoice in, what he should pray for. Commandments, then, are highly useful, if only because free will is thereby given the opportunity of doing greater honor to the grace of God.

Letter 167:15

Whether in this world there has ever been or could be anyone living so just a life as to be entirely without sin can be a subject of some discussion among true and pious Christians. Nevertheless, if anyone doubts that such a person surely can exist after this life, he lacks good sense. But, for my part, I do not wish to argue the point even as it concerns this life. For although it appears to me that one cannot understand otherwise the passage of Scripture that reads, “In your sight no one living shall be justified,” and other similar passages, still I would that it were possible to show either that such testimonies could be understood more favorably or that a complete and perfect justice, to which it would be impossible to add anything, had in the past been realized in someone while he lived in this body, is presently being realized and will be realized in the future. But even so, there are far more who, while not doubting it is necessary for them up to the last day of their life to say, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors,” still confess that in Christ and his promises they have a true, certain and firm hope. At all events, there is no other way than the helping grace of the Savior, Christ crucified, and the gift of his Spirit, by which any persons, whoever they be, can arrive at absolute perfection or by which anyone can attain the slightest progress to true and holy justice—whoever denies this, I question whether he can be counted in the number of true Christians of any sort.

On Nature and Grace 60:70

In another way tears flow, proceeding without any consciousness of deadly sin, yet still from the fear of hell and an awareness of that terrible judgment. With such terror, the prophet was struck and prayed to God, saying: “Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified.”

Conference 9:29

But if someone asks why God predicted all the things predestined and still did not promise all the predestined things, we answer that it cannot be called a promise unless when it is predicted that something is going to be done, what is done can be of use to the one to whom it is promised. What is promised is always something of a gift but not always something of a judgment, since the gift of what is promised always brings happiness while the severity of a judgment sometimes saddens.As the prophet, fearing something of this sort, pours out his prayer to God: “Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.” For he knew that all would have to be restrained by the equal chain of punishment unless God, in those whom he willed, made mercy surpass judgment. Justification and glorification that do not exist in a human being from a human being, but from God, have been both predicted and promised because they were to be of great benefit to the saints.

Letter to Monimus 1:25.1-2

[Nearly always the Psalmist is the indignant plaintiff, sure that his own hands are clean.] There are, indeed, some passages in which the Psalmists approach to Christian humility and wisely lose their self-confidence. Thus in Psalm 50 (one of the finest) God is the accuser (6–21); and in 143:2, we have the words which most Christians often repeat—"Enter not into judgement with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." But these are exceptional. Nearly always the Psalmist is the indignant plaintiff.

Reflections on the Psalms, Chapter 2: Judgement in the Psalms

"For the enemy has persecuted my soul: he has humbled my life on the earth" [Psalm 143:3]. Here we speak, here our Head speaks for us. Manifestly both the devil persecuted the Soul of Christ and Judas the Soul of his Master: and now too the same devil remains to persecute the Body of Christ, and one Judas succeeds another. There lacks not then of whom the Body too may say, "For the enemy has persecuted my soul." For what does each one who persecutes us endeavour save to make us abandon our heavenly hope, and savour of the earth, yield to our persecutor, and love earthly things? "They have laid me in dark places, as the dead of the world." This ye hear more readily from the Head; this ye perceive more readily in the Head. For He died indeed for us, yet was He not one of the "dead of the world." For who are the "dead of the world"? And how was not He one of the "dead of the world"? "The dead of the world" are those who have died of their own desert, receiving the reward of iniquity, deriving death from the sin transmissed to them; according as it is said, "For I was conceived in iniquity.". ..In dying, says He, I do the will of My Father, but I am not deserving of death. Nought have I done wherefore I should die, yet is it My own doing that I die, that by the death of an innocent One, they may be freed who had wherefore they should die. "They set me in places," as though in Hades, as though in the tomb, as though in His very Passion, "as the dead of the world."

Exposition on Psalm 143

Let that foe of yours upbraid you, but do you not upbraid him. Regard his words as a training ground in which to exercise philosophy. If you have not been pierced, you are still unwounded, and, if your spirit suffers some injury, confine the hurt within yourself; for the psalmist says, “my heart within me is troubled,” that is, he gave no outward expression of his feelings but repressed them, as a wave that breaks against the shore and subsides. Quiet your heart, I beg you, when it howls and rages. Make your passions honor your reason, as an unruly boy respects the presence of a venerable man.

Homily

"And My Spirit within me," says He, "suffered weariness" [Psalm 143:4]. Remember, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." [Matthew 26:38] Here we see one voice. Do we not see plainly the transition from the Head to the members, from the members to the Head?...

Exposition on Psalm 143

But we too were there. He goes to the members. "I have called to mind the days of old" [Psalm 143:5]. Did He "call to mind the days of old," by whom every day was made? No, but the body speaks, each one who has been justified by His grace, who dwells in Him in love and devout humility, speaks and says, "I have meditated upon all Your works:" plainly because You have made all things good, and nothing would have stood fast, which was not established by You. Your creation is made a spectacle unto me: I have sought in the work the Artificer, in all that is made the Maker. Wherefore this, to what purpose this, save that he might understand, that whatever there was of good in himself was made by Him....Look back then upon the Framer of your life, the Author of your substance, of your righteousness, and of your salvation: "meditate upon the works of His hands," for the righteousness too which is in you, you will find to pertain to His hand. Hear the Apostle teaching you this, "not of works," he says, "lest any should boast." Have we no good works? Plainly we have: but see what follows; "for we are His workmanship," [Ephesians 2:9-10] says he. "We are His workmanship:" perhaps in thus speaking of workmanship, he meant to mention the nature whereby we are men? Evidently not: he was speaking of works. But let us not make conjectures; let the text go on, "for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Think not then that you yourself doest anything, save in so far as you are evil...."Work out your own salvation," says the Apostle, "with fear and trembling." [Philippians 2:12-13] If we do work out our own salvation, wherefore with fear, wherefore with trembling, when what we work is in our own power? Hear wherefore with fear and trembling: "for it is God that works in you both to will and to do, of His good pleasure." Therefore "with fear and trembling," that it may delight our Maker to work in the lowly valley....

Exposition on Psalm 143

"I stretched forth," says he, "my hands to You: my soul is as a land without water to You" [Psalm 143:6]. Rain upon me, says he, to bring forth from me good fruit. "For the Lord shall give sweetness, that our land may give her fruit." "I have stretched forth my hands to You; my soul is as a land without water," not to me, but "to You." I can thirst for You, I cannot water myself.

Exposition on Psalm 143

Put two people together; one wants to go to the show, the other to church. They are joined in body, separated by their desires. The first is like the salt water, the second appears as dry land. How can we prove that this land is dry, which signifies people desiring good things? The psalmist says to God, “My soul is like land without water to you.” My soul has thirsted for you; it is thirsty, it is dry, it is segregated from the waters of the sea. It must not bother about not yet being segregated in the body; its desire has already made the separation. Some desire God, others desire the world.

Sermon 229S

"Speedily hear me, Lord" [Psalm 143:7]. For what need of delay to inflame my thirst, when already I thirst so eagerly? You delayed the rain, that I might drink and imbibe, not reject, Your inflowing. If then Thou for this cause delayed, now give; for "my spirit has failed." Let Your Spirit fill me. This is the reason why You should speedily hear me. I am now become "poor in spirit," make Thou me "blessed in the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:3] For he in whom his own spirit lives, is proud, is puffed up with his own spirit against God....

Exposition on Psalm 143

"Make me to hear in the morning Your mercy, for in You have I hoped" [Psalm 143:8]. Behold, I am in the night, yet "in You have I hoped," until the iniquity of the night pass away. "For we have," as Peter says, "a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts." "Morning" then he calls the time after the end of the world, when we shall see what in this world we believe. But what here, until the morning come? For it is not enough to hope for the morning; we must do somewhat. Why do somewhat? God is to be sought with the hands in the night. What is, "with the hands"? By good works. Since then we must thus hope for the morning, and bear this night, and persevere in this patience until the day dawn, what meanwhile must we do here? Lest perchance thou think that you will do anything of yourself, whereby you may earn to be brought to the morning. "Make known to me, O Lord, the way wherein I must walk." Therefore did He kindle the lamp of prophecy, therefore did He send the Lord in the vessel, as it were, of the flesh, who should even say, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd." Walk by prophecy, walk by the lamp of future things predicted, walk by the word of God....

Exposition on Psalm 143

"Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord, for unto You have I fled for refuge" [Psalm 143:9]. I who once fled from You, now flee to You. For Adam fled from the Face of God, and hid himself among the trees of Paradise, so that of him was said in the Book of Job, "As a servant that flees from his Lord, and finds a shadow." He fled from the Face of his Lord, and found a shadow. Woe to him, if he continue in the shade, lest it be said afterward, "All things are passed away like a shadow." [Wisdom 5:9] The rulers of this world, of this darkness, the rulers of the wicked; against these ye wrestle. Great is your conflict, not to see your enemies, and yet to conquer. Against the rulers of this world, of this darkness, the devil, that is, and his angels; not the rulers of that world, whereof is said, "the world was made by Him," but that world whereof is said, "the world knew Him not." [John 1:10] "For unto You have I fled for refuge."...Whither should I flee? "Whither shall I go from Your Spirit?"

Exposition on Psalm 143

It can be proved, too, that just as the Father is good and the Son is good, so the Holy Spirit is good. Of the Father, the Only-Begotten speaks in the Gospel: “One there is who is good, that is God.” Of himself he says, “I am the good Shepherd.” So, too, of the Holy Spirit, David in his psalms says to the Lord, “Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land.” Just as it is said of the Son, “The word of the Lord is right,” so of the Holy Spirit it is said, “Renew a right spirit within [me].”

The Power of the Holy Spirit 14

"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God" [Psalm 143:10]. Glorious confession! glorious rule! "For Thou," says he, "art my God." To another will I hasten to be re-made, if by another I was made. You are my all, "for You are my God." Shall I seek a father to get an inheritance? "You are my God," not only the Giver of mine inheritance, but mine Inheritance itself. "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance." Shall I seek a patron, to obtain redemption? "You are my God." Lastly, having been created, do I desire to be re-created? "You are my God," my Creator, who hast created me by Your Word, and re-created me by Your Word. "Teach Thou me:" for it cannot be that You are my God, and yet I am to be my own master. See how grace is commended to us. This hold fast, this drink in, this let none drive out of your hearts, lest you have "a zeal, of God, but not according to knowledge." [Romans 10:2] Say then this: "Your good Spirit," not my bad one, "Your good Spirit shall lead me into the right land." For my bad spirit has led me into a crooked land. And what have I deserved? What can be reckoned as my good works without Your aid, through which I might obtain and be worthy to be led by Your Spirit into the right land?

Exposition on Psalm 143

Let us entreat the help of the grace of this Spirit in all our actions, dearly beloved. Let us all, individually and collectively, say to the Lord, “Let your good Spirit lead me in the right way.” And so it will come to pass that the one who came down on the apostles and declared to them the things that were to come may disclose also to our minds the joys of the life to come. May he kindly set us on fire to seek these joys, with the cooperation of the one who is accustomed both to promise and to give him to his faithful, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Homilies on the Gospels 2:11

Listen, then, with all your power, to the commendation of Grace, whereby you are saved without price. "For Your Name's sake, O Lord, You shall quicken me in Your righteousness" [Psalm 143:11]; not in my own: not because I have deserved, but because You have mercy. For were I to show my own desert, nought should I deserve of You, save punishment. You have pruned off from me my own merits; You have grafted in Your own gifts. "You shall bring forth my soul out of tribulation."

Exposition on Psalm 143

"And in your mercy shall bring mine enemies to destruction: and you shall destroy all them that afflict my soul; for I am Your servant" [Psalm 143:12].

Exposition on Psalm 143

The examples which (in me at any rate) can hardly fail to produce a smile may occur most disquietingly in Psalms we love; 143, after proceeding for eleven verses in a strain that brings tears to the eyes, adds in the twelfth, almost like an afterthought, "and of thy goodness slay mine enemies".

Reflections on the Psalms, Chapter 3: The Cursings