_The safety of such as trust in God.—A prayer for the godly, and
against the wicked._
A Song of degrees.
They that trust in the LORD _shall be_ as mount Zion, _which_ cannot
be removed, _but_ abideth for ever.
_As_ the mountains _are_ round about Jerusalem, so the LORD _is_ round
about his people from henceforth, even for ever.
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the
righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Do good, O LORD, unto _those that be_ good, and to _them that are_
upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead
them forth with the workers of iniquity: _but_ peace _shall be_ upon
Israel.
This also is a Psalm of thanksgiving containing the feelings of an
exercised faith: thanking God, that, although he sometimes permits
false prophets and fanatical spirits to prevail, as if they would
possess all things (which thing God often does so permit to be, as a
punishment for the ingratitude of his people, who value not the
blessing of the word;) yet he visits such with the more terrible
judgment, and suffers them not to prevail in all things against the
righteous, lest the righteous, being entirely broken by too great
afflictions and sorrows, should, through discouragement and despair,
fall away from the word unto ungodliness and sin.
For the final end of all false teachers and blasphemers ever
is,—confusion, terrible judgment, and destruction; “And their glory,”
as the apostle saith, “is turned into shame.” But the end of the poor
flock of God, even though the church be proved and tried by a thousand
fires and deaths, though it appear a thousand times over to be
oppressed, destroyed and extirpated is,—eternal life, eternal
consolation, eternal glory! This is what the Psalmist means, when he
says, “The Lord doth good to them that be good, and to them that are
upright in their hearts: but as for them that turn aside unto their
crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the evil doers, but
peace shall be upon Israel.”