whereof he maketh open profession; or he boasteth that he will
accomplish his wicked designs; or glorieth that he hath already
accomplished them. Or it may be understood that he commendeth others who
are according to the desires of his own soul; that is, he respecteth or
honoureth none but such as are like him, and them only he esteemeth.
Psalm xxxvi. 4, and xlix. 18; Rom. i. 32.—_John Diodati, 1648._
_Verse 3.—“The wicked ... blesseth the covetous.”_ Like will to like, as
the common proverb is. Such as altogether neglect the Lord’s
commandments not only commit divers gross sins, but commend those who in
sinning are like themselves. For in their affections they allow them, in
their speeches they flatter and extol them, and in their deeds they join
with them and maintain them.—_Peter Muffet, 1594._
_Verse 3.—“The covetous.”_ Covetousness is the desire of possessing that
which we have not, and attaining unto great riches and worldly
possessions. And whether this be not the character of trade and
merchandise and traffic of every kind, the great source of those evils
of over-trading which are everywhere complained of, I refer to the
judgment of the men around me, who are engaged in the commerce and
business of life. Compared with the regular and quiet diligence of our
fathers, and their contentment with small but sure returns, the wild and
widespread speculation for great gains, the rash and hasty adventures
which are daily made, and the desperate gamester-like risks which are
run, do reveal fully surely that a spirit of covetousness hath been
poured out upon men within the last thirty or forty years. And the
providence of God corresponding thereto, by wonderful and unexpected
revolutions, by numerous inventions for manufacturing the productions of
the earth, in order to lead men into temptation, hath impressed upon the
whole face of human affairs, a stamp of earnest worldliness not known to
our fathers: insomuch that our youth do enter life no longer with the
ambition of providing things honest in the sight of men, keeping their
credit, bringing up their family, and realising a competency, if the
Lord prosper them, but with the ambition of making a fortune, retiring
to their ease, and enjoying the luxuries of the present life. Against
which crying sin of covetousness, dearly beloved brethren, I do most
earnestly call upon you to wage a good warfare. This place is its seat,
its stronghold, even this metropolitan city of Christian Britain; and ye
who are called by the grace of God out of the great thoroughfare of
Mammon, are so elected for the express purpose of testifying against
this and all other the backslidings of the church planted here; and
especially against this, as being in my opinion, one of the most evident
and the most common of them all. For who hath not been snared in the
snare of covetousness?—_Edward Irving, 1828._
_Verse 3.—“The covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.”_ Christ knew what he
spake when he said, “No man can serve two masters.” Matt. vi. 24.
Meaning God and the world, because each would have all. As the angel and
the devil strove for the body of Moses (Jude 9), not who should have a
part, but who should have the whole, so they strive still for our souls,
who shall have all. Therefore, the apostle saith, “The love of this
world is enmity to God” (James iv. 4), signifying such emulation between
these two, that God cannot abide the world should have a part, and the
world cannot abide that God should have a part. Therefore, the love of
the world must needs be enmity to God, and therefore the lovers of the
world must needs be enemies to God, and so no covetous man is God’s
servant, but God’s enemy. For this cause covetousness is called idolatry
(Eph. v. 5), which is the most contrary sin to God, because as treason
sets up another king in the king’s place, so idolatry sets up another
god in God’s place.—_Henry Smith._
_Verse 4.—“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God.”_ He is judged a proud man (without a jury sitting on
him), who when condemned will not submit, will not stoop so low as to
accept of a pardon. I must indeed correct myself, men are willing to be
justified, but they would have their duties to purchase their peace and
the favour of God. Thousands will die and be damned rather than they
will have a pardon upon the sole account of Christ’s merits and
obedience. Oh, the cursed pride of the heart! When will men cease to be
wiser than God? To limit God? When will men be contented with God’s way
of saving them by the blood of the everlasting covenant? How dare men
thus to prescribe to the infinitely wise God? Is it not enough for thee
that thy destruction is of thyself? But must thy salvation be of thyself
too? Is it not enough that thou hast wounded thyself, but wilt thou die
for ever, rather than be beholden to a plaister of free grace? Wilt be
damned unless thou mayest be thine own Saviour? God is willing (“God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son”), art thou so proud as that
thou wilt not be beholden to God? Thou wilt deserve, or have nothing.
What shall I say? Poor thou art, and yet proud; thou hast nothing but
wretchedness and misery, and yet thou art talking of a purchase. This is
a provocation. “God resisteth the proud,” especially the spiritually
proud. He that is proud of his clothes and parentage, is not so
contemptible in God’s eyes as he that is proud of his abilities, and so
scorns to submit to God’s methods for his salvation by Christ, and by
his righteousness alone.—_Lewis Stuckley._
_Verse 4.—“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God.”_ The pride of the wicked is the principal reason why
they will not seek after the knowledge of God. This knowledge it
prevents them from seeking in various ways. In the first place, it
renders God a disagreeable object of contemplation to the wicked, and a
knowledge of him as undesirable. Pride consists in an unduly exalted
opinion of one’s self. It is, therefore, impatient of a rival, hates a
superior, and cannot endure a master. In proportion as it prevails in
the heart, it makes us wish to see nothing above us, to acknowledge no
law but our own wills, to follow no rule but our own inclinations. Thus
it led Satan to rebel against his Creator, and our first parents to
desire to be as gods. Since such are the effects of pride, it is evident
that nothing can be more painful to a proud heart than the thoughts of
such a being as God; one who is infinitely powerful, just and holy; who
can neither be resisted, deceived, nor deluded; who disposes, according
to his own sovereign pleasure, of all creatures and events; and who, in
an especial manner, hates pride, and is determined to abase and punish
it. Such a being pride can contemplate only with feelings of dread,
aversion, and abhorrence. It must look upon him as its natural enemy,
the great enemy, whom it has to fear. But the knowledge of God directly
tends to bring this infinite, irresistible, irreconcilable enemy full to
the view of the proud man. It teaches him that he has a superior, a
master, from whose authority he cannot escape, whose power he cannot
resist, and whose will he must obey, or be crushed before him, and be
rendered miserable for ever. It shows him what he hates to see, that, in
despite of his opposition, God’s counsel shall stand, that he will do
all his pleasure, and that in all things wherein men deal proudly, God
is above them. These truths torture the proud unhumbled hearts of the
wicked, and hence they hate that knowledge of God which teaches these
truths, and will not seek it. On the contrary, they wish to remain
ignorant of such a being, and to banish all thoughts of him from their
minds. With this view, they neglect, pervert, or explain away those
passages of revelation which describe God’s true character, and
endeavour to believe that he is altogether such a one as themselves.
How foolish, how absurd, how ruinous, how blindly destructive of its own
object, does pride appear! By attempting to soar, it only plunges itself
in the mire; and while endeavouring to erect for itself a throne, it
undermines the ground on which it stands, and digs its own grave. It
plunged Satan from heaven into hell; it banished our first parents from
paradise; and it will, in a similar manner, ruin all who indulge in it.
It keeps us in ignorance of God, shuts us out from his favour, prevents
us from resembling him, deprives us in this world of all the honour and
happiness which communion with him would confer; and in the next, unless
previously hated, repented of, and renounced, will bar for ever against
us the door of heaven, and close upon us the gates of hell. O then, my
friends, beware, above all things, beware of pride! Beware, lest you
indulge it imperceptibly, for it is perhaps, of all sins, the most
secret, subtle, and insinuating.—_Edward Payson, D.D., 1783-1827._
_Verse 4._—David speaks in Psalm x. of great and potent oppressors and
politicians, who see none on earth greater than themselves, none higher
than they, and think therefore that they may impunè prey upon the
smaller, as beasts use to do; and in the fourth verse this is made the
root and ground of all, that God is not in all his thoughts. “_The
wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts._” The words are diversely read, and all
make for this sense. Some read it, “No God in all his crafty
presumptuous purposes;” others, “All his thoughts are, there is no God.”
The meaning whereof is not only that among the swarm and crowd of
thoughts that fill his mind, the thought of God is seldom to be found,
and comes not in among the rest, which yet is enough for the purpose in
hand; but further, that in all his projects and plots, and consultations
of his heart (the first reading of the words intends), whereby he
contrives and lays the plot, form, and draught of all his actions, he
never takes God or his will into consideration or consultation, to
square and frame all accordingly, but proceeds and goes on in all, and
carries on all as if there were no God to be consulted with. He takes
not him along with him, no more than if he were no God; the thoughts of
him and his will sway him not. As you use to say, when a combination of
men leave out some one they should advise with, that such a one is not
of their counsel, is not in the plot; so nor is God in their purposes
and advisings, they do all without him. But this is not all the meaning,
but farther, all their thought is, that there is no God. This is there
made the bottom, the foundation, the groundwork and reason of all their
wicked plots and injurious projects, and deceitful carriages and
proceedings, that seeing there is no God or power above them to take
notice of it, to regard or requite them, therefore they may be bold to
go on.—_Thomas Goodwin._
_Verse 4.—“Of his countenance.”_ Which pride he carrieth engraven in his
very countenance and forehead, and makes it known in all his carriages
and gestures. “_Will not seek_,” namely, he contemneth all divine and
human laws, he feareth not, respecteth not God’s judgments; he careth
for nothing, so he may fulfil his desires; enquires after, nor examines
nothing; all things are indifferent to him.—_John Diodati._
_Verse 4._—“_All his thoughts are_, there is _no God_;” thus some read
the passage. Seneca says, there are no atheists, though there would be
some; if any say there is no God, they lie; though they say it in the
day time, yet in the night when they are alone they deny it; howsoever
some desperately harden themselves, yet if God doth but show himself
terrible to them, they confess him. Many of the heathens and others,
have denied that there is a God, yet when they were in distress, they
did fall down and confess him, as Diagoras, that grand atheist, when he
was troubled with the strangullion, acknowledged a deity which he had
denied. These kind of atheists I leave to the tender mercies of God, of
which I doubt it whether there be any for them.—_Richard Stock._
_Verse 4.—“God is not in all his thoughts.”_ It is the black work of an
ungodly man or an atheist, that God is not in all his thoughts. What
comfort can be had in the being of God without thinking of him with
reverence and delight? A God forgotten is as good as no God to
us.—_Stephen Charnock._
_Verse 4._—Trifles possess us, but “_God is not in all our thoughts_,”
seldom the sole object of them. We have durable thoughts of transitory
things, and flitting thoughts of a durable and eternal good. The
covenant of grace engageth the whole heart to God, and bars anything
else from engrossing it; but what strangers are God and the souls of
most men! Though we have the knowledge of him by creation, yet he is for
the most part an unknown God in the relations wherein he stands to us,
because a God undelighted in. Hence it is, as one observes, that because
we observe not the ways of God’s wisdom, conceive not of him in his vast
perfections, nor are stricken with an admiration of his goodness, that
we have fewer good sacred poems than of any other kind. The wits of men
hang the wing when they come to exercise their reasons and fancies about
God. Parts and strength are given us, as well as corn and wine to the
Israelites, for the service of God, but those are consecrated to some
cursed Baal, Hosea ii. 8. Like Venus in the poet, we forsake heaven to
follow some Adonis.—_Stephen Charnock._
_Verses 4, 5._—The world hath a spiritual fascination and witchcraft, by
which, where it hath once prevailed, men are enchanted to an utter
forgetfulness of themselves and God, and being drunk with pleasures,
they are easily engaged to a madness and height of folly. Some, like
foolish children, are made to keep a great stir in the world for very
trifles, for a vain show; they think themselves great, honourable,
excellent, and for this make a great bustle, when the world hath not
added one cubit to their stature of real worth. Others are by this Circe
transformed into savage creatures, and act the part of lions and tigers.
Others, like swine, wallow in the lusts of uncleanness. Others are
unmanned, putting off all natural affections, care not who they ride
over, so they may rule over or be made great. Others are taken with
ridiculous frenzies, so that a man that stands in the cool shade of a
sedate composure would judge them out of their wits. It would make a man
admire to read of the frisks of Caius Caligula, Xerxes, Alexander, and
many others, who because they were above many men, thought themselves
above human nature. They forgot they were born and must die, and did
such things as would have made them, but that their greatness overawed
it, a laughing-stock and common scorn to children. Neither must we think
that these were but some few or rare instances of worldly intoxication,
when the Scripture notes it as a general distemper of all that bow down
to worship this idol. They live “without God in the world,” saith the
apostle, that is, they so carry it as if there were no God to take
notice of them to check them for their madness. “_God is not in all his
thoughts._” Verse 4. “_The judgments of God are far above out of his
sight_;” he puffs at his enemies (ver. 5), and saith in his heart, he
“_shall never be moved_.” Verse 6. The whole Psalm describes the
worldling as a man that hath lost all his understanding, and is acting
the part of a frantic bedlam. What then can be a more fit engine for the
devil to work with than the pleasures of the world?—_Richard Gilpin._
_Verse 5._—“_Grievous_,” or troublesome; that is, all his endeavours and
actions aim at nothing but at hurting others. “_Are far above_,” for he
is altogether carnal, he hath not any disposition nor correspondence
with the justice of thy law, which is altogether spiritual; and
therefore cannot lively represent unto himself thy judgments, and the
issue of the wicked according to the said law. Rom. vii. 14; 1 Cor. ii.
14. “_He puffeth_;” he doth most arrogantly despise them, and is
confident he can overthrow them with a puff.—_John Diodati._
_Verse 5.—“Thy judgments are far above out of his sight.”_ Because God
does not immediately visit every sin with punishment, ungodly men do not
see that in due time he judges all the earth. Human tribunals must of
necessity, by promptness and publicity, commend themselves to the common
judgment, but the Lord’s modes of dealing with sin are sublimer and
apparently more tardy, hence the bat’s eyes of godless men cannot see
them, and the grovelling wits of men cannot comprehend them. If God sat
in the gate of every village and held his court there, even fools might
discern his righteousness, but they are not capable of perceiving that
for a matter to be settled in the highest court, even in heaven itself,
is a far more solemn matter. Let believers take heed lest they fall in a
degree into the same error, and begin to criticise the actions of The
Great Supreme, when they are too elevated for human reason to comprehend
them.—_C. H. S._
_Verse 5.—“The judgments of God are far above out of his sight.”_ Out of
his sight, as an eagle at her highest towering so lessons herself to
view, that he sees not the talons, nor fears the grip. Thus man presumes
till he hath sinned, and then despairs as fast afterwards. At first,
“Tush, doth God see it?” At last, “Alas! will God forgive it?” But if a
man will not know his sins, his sins will know him; the eyes which
presumption shuts, commonly despair opens.—_Thomas Adams._
_Verse 5.—“As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.”_ David
describeth a _proud_ man, _puffing at his enemies_: he is puffed up and
swelled with high conceits of himself, as if he had some great matter in
him, and he puffs at others as if he could do some great matter against
them, forgetting that himself is but, as to his being in this world, a
puff of wind which passeth away.—_Joseph Caryl._
_Verse 5._—“_As for all his enemies he puffeth at them_;” literally,
“_He whistles at them_.” He is given over to the dominion of gloomy
indifference, and he cares as little for others as for himself.
Whosoever may be imagined by him to be an enemy he cares not. Contempt
and ridicule are his only weapons; and he has forgotten how to use
others of a more sacred character. His mental habits are marked by
scorn; and he treats with contempt the judgments, opinions, and
practices of the wisest of men.—_John Morison._
_Verse 6.—“He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall
never be in adversity.”_ Carnal security opens the door for all impiety
to enter into the soul. Pompey, when he had in vain assaulted a city,
and could not take it by force, devised this stratagem in way of
agreement; he told them he would leave the siege and make peace with
them, upon condition that they would let in a few weak, sick, and
wounded soldiers among them to be cured. They let in the soldiers, and
when the city was secure, the soldiers let in Pompey’s army. A carnal
settled security will let in a whole army of lusts into the
soul.—_Thomas Brooks._
_Verse 6.—“He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall
never be in adversity.”_ To consider religion always on the comfortable
side; to congratulate one’s self for having obtained the end before we
have made use of the means; to stretch the hands to receive the crown of
righteousness before they have been employed to fight the battle; to be
content with a false peace, and to use no efforts to obtain the graces
to which true consolation is annexed: this is a dreadful calm, like that
which some voyagers describe, and which is a very singular forerunner of
a very terrible event. All on a sudden, in the wide ocean, the sea
becomes calm, the surface of the water clear as a crystal, smooth as
glass—the air serene; the unskilled passenger becomes tranquil and
happy, but the old mariner trembles. In an instant the waves froth, the
winds murmur, the heavens kindle, a thousand gulfs open, a frightful
light inflames the air, and every wave threatens sudden death. This is
an image of many men’s assurance of salvation.—_James Saurin,
1677-1730._
_Verse 7.—“Under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”_ The striking
allusion of this expression is to certain venomous reptiles, which are
said to carry bags of poison under their teeth, and with great subtlety
to inflict the most deadly injuries upon those who come within their
reach. How affectingly does this represent the sad havoc which minds
tainted with infidelity inflict on the community! By their perversions
of truth, and by their immoral sentiments and practices, they are as
injurious to the mind as the deadliest poison can be to the body.—_John
Morison._
_Verse 7._—Cursing men are cursed men.—_John Trapp._
_Verses 7-9._—In Anne Askew’s account of her examination by Bishop
Bonner, we have an instance of the cruel craft of persecutors: “On the
morrow after, my lord of London sent for me at one of the clock, his
hour being appointed at three. And as I came before him, he said he was
very sorry of my trouble, and desired to know my opinion in such matters
as were laid against me. He required me also boldly in any wise to utter
the secrets of my heart; bidding me not to fear in any point, for
whatsoever I did say within his house no man should hurt me for it. I
answered, ‘For so much as your lordship hath appointed three of the
clock, and my friends shall not come till that hour, I desire you to
pardon me of giving answer till they come.’” Upon this Bale remarks: “In
this preventing of the hour may the diligent perceive the greediness of
this Babylon bishop, or bloodthirsty wolf, concerning his prey. ‘Swift
are their feet,’ saith David, ‘in the effusion of innocent blood, which
have fraud in their tongues, venom in their lips, and most cruel
vengeance in their mouths.’ David much marvelleth in the spirit that,
taking upon them the spiritual governance of the people, they can fall
into such frenzy or forgetfulness of themselves, as to believe it lawful
thus to oppress the faithful, and to devour them with as little
compassion as he that greedily devoureth a piece of bread. If such have
read anything of God, they have little minded their true duty therein.
‘More swift,’ saith Jeremy, ‘are our cruel persecutors than the eagles
of the air. They follow upon us over the mountains, and lay privy wait
for us in the wilderness.’ He that will know the crafty hawking of
bishops to bring in their prey, let him learn it here. Judas, I think,
had never the tenth part of their cunning workmanship.’”—_John Bale,
D.D., Bishop of Ossory, 1495-1563, in “Examination of Anne Askew.”
Parker Society’s Publications._
_Verse 8.—“He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages,”_ etc. The
Arab robber lurks like a wolf among these sand-heaps, and often springs
out suddenly upon the solitary traveller, robs him in a trice, and then
plunges again into the wilderness of sand-hills and reedy downs, where
pursuit is fruitless. Our friends are careful not to allow us to
straggle about, or lag behind, and yet it seems absurd to fear a
surprise here—Kaifa before, Acre in the rear, and travellers in sight on
both sides. Robberies, however, do often occur, just where we now are.
Strange country! and it has always been so. There are a hundred
allusions to just such things in the history, the Psalms, and the
prophets of Israel. A whole class of imagery is based upon them. Thus,
in Psalm x. 8-10, “He sits in the lurking places of the villages: in the
secret places doth he murder the innocent: he lieth in wait secretly as
a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the
poor, when he draweth him into his net; he croucheth and humbleth
himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.” And a thousand
rascals, the living originals of this picture, are this day crouching
and lying in wait all over the country to catch poor helpless
travellers. You observe that all these people we meet or pass are armed;
nor would they venture to go from Acre to Kaifa without their musket,
although the cannon of the castles seem to command every foot of the
way. Strange, most strange land! but it tallies wonderfully with its
ancient story.—_W. M. Thomson, D.D., in “The Land and the Book,” 1859._