Remember how short my time is: why have you made all men in vain?
Read Chapter 89
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
36. "O remember what my substance is" (ver. 47). That David, who was placed among the Jews in the flesh, in Christ in hope, speaks "Remember what is my substance." For not because the Jews fell away, did my substance fail: for from that people came the Virgin Mary, and from her the flesh of Christ; that Flesh sins not, but purifies sins; there, saith David, is my substance. "O remember what my substance is." For the root has not entirely perished; the seed shall come to whom the promise was made, ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator. "For Thou hast not made all the sons of men for nought" (ver. 47). Lo! all the sons of men have gone into vanity: yet Thou hast not made them for nought. If then all went into vanity, whom Thou hast not made for nought; hast Thou not reserved some instrument to purify them from vanity? This which Thou hast reserved to Thyself to cleanse men from vanity is Thy Holy One, in Him is my substance: for from Him are all, whom Thou hast not made for nought...
Remember what. Hebrew ani, "I. "As this seems odd, Houbigant substitutes, adni, "Lord. "(Berthier)
Substance is. That Christ will assume our nature, (St. Augustine, City of God xvii. 9, 11.) or "how long I shall live. "(Montanus)
Even the world "passes "like a shadow, 1 Corinthians vii. (Amama)
"Be mindful of me from the depth: else why hast thou in vain created the sons of men? "(St. Jerome) (Haydock)
In vain. To spend their days in misery? or rather, "are not all created subject to vanity? "If thou do not succour us, we shall presently perish, and who will glorify thy name on earth? (Psalm cxliii. 4.) (Calmet)
Will thy providence take no care of us? (Berthier)
If the Messias come not, we cannot be saved, and we shall appear to have been created in vain. (Menochius)
