The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
Then let him look upon His Church, joined to her so great Husband
in spiritual marriage and divine love, of which it is said in
these words which follow, "The queen stood upon Thy right hand in
gold-embroidered vestments, girded about with variety. Hearken, O
daughter, and look, and incline thine ear; forget also thy people,
and thy father's house. Because the King hath greatly desired thy
beauty; for He is the Lord thy God. And the daughters of Tyre shall
worship Him with gifts; the rich among the people shall entreat Thy
face. The daughter of the King has all her glory within, in golden
fringes, girded about with variety. The virgins shall be brought
after her to the King: her neighbours shall be brought to Thee.
They shall be brought with gladness and exultation: they shall be
led into the temple of the King. Instead of thy fathers, sons shall
be born to thee: thou shalt establish them as princes over all the
earth. They shall be mindful of thy name in every generation and
descent. Therefore shall the people acknowledge thee for evermore,
even for ever and ever."[447] I do not think any one is so stupid
as to believe that some poor woman is here praised and described,
as the spouse, to wit, of Him to whom it is said, "Thy throne, O
God, is for ever and ever: a rod of direction is the rod of Thy
kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity: therefore
God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of exultation above
Thy fellows;"[448] that is, plainly, Christ above Christians. For
these are His fellows, out of the unity and concord of whom in all
nations that queen is formed, as it is said of her in another psalm,
"The city of the great King."[449] The same is Sion spiritually,
which name in Latin is interpreted _speculatio_ (discovery); for
she descries the great good of the world to come, because her
attention is directed thither. In the same way she is also Jerusalem
spiritually, of which we have already said many things. Her enemy is
the city of the devil, Babylon, which is interpreted "confusion."
Yet out of this Babylon this queen is in all nations set free by
regeneration, and passes from the worst to the best King,--that is,
from the devil to Christ. Wherefore it is said to her, "Forget thy
people and thy father's house." Of this impious city those also are
a portion who are Israelites only in the flesh and not by faith,
enemies also of this great King Himself, and of His queen. For
Christ, having come to them, and been slain by them, has the more
become the King of others, whom He did not see in the flesh. Whence
our King Himself says through the prophecy of a certain psalm, "Thou
wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people; Thou wilt make
me head of the nations. A people whom I have not known hath served
me: in the hearing of the ear it hath obeyed me."[450] Therefore
this people of the nations, which Christ did not know in His bodily
presence, yet has believed in that Christ as announced to it; so that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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