particular master-lust, which is as the viceroy over all the rest of the
sins in the soul, and commands them all as lord paramount, and makes
them all subservient and subordinate unto it; and this is according to
custom, calling, constitution, abilities, relations, and according to
the different administrations of the Spirit of God; for though God be
not the author of sin, yet he is the orderer of sin. So that it is that
way of sin and death that a man chooseth to himself, he having looked
abroad upon all the contentments of the world, his own corrupt
inclination doth choose unto himself to follow with greatest sweetness
and contentment and delight as that wherein the happiness of his life
consists; that as in the body there is in every one some predominant
humour, so there is in the body of sin also; that as in the natural man,
though there be all the faculties, yet some faculties are in some more
lively and vigorous than in others, some are more witty, some are more
strong, some quick of sight, some have a ready ear, and others a nimble
tongue, etc. So it is in the old man also; there is all the power of sin
in an unregenerate man, but in some more dexterous one way than another;
as men in the choice of calling, some have a greater inclination to one
thing than to another, so it is in the choice of contentments also: as
in the appetite for food, so it is in lust, being nothing else but the
appetite of the creature corrupted to some sinful object.—_William
Strong._
_Verse 23.—Growth in mortification...._ Men may deceive themselves when
they estimate their progress herein by having overcome such lusts as
their natures are not so prone unto. The surest way is to take a
judgment of it from the decay of a man’s bosom-sin, even as David did
estimate his uprightness by his “_keeping himself from his iniquity_;”
so a man of his growth in uprightness. When physicians would judge of a
consumption of the whole, they do it not by the falling away of any part
whatever, as of the flesh in the face alone, or any the like; such a
particular abatement of flesh in some one part may come from some other
cause; but they use to judge by the falling away of the brawn of the
hands, or arms and thighs, etc., for these are the more solid parts. The
like judgments do physicians make upon other diseases, and of the
abatement of them from the decrease in such symptoms as are
pathognomical, and proper, and peculiar to them. In like manner also the
estimate of the progress of the victories of a conqueror in an enemy’s
kingdom is not taken from the taking or burning of a few villages or
dorps, but by taking the forts and strongest holds, and by what ground
he hath won upon the chief strength, and by what forces he hath cut off
the main army. Do the like in the decrease of, and victory over, your
lusts.—_Thomas Goodwin._
_Verse 23._—We must always remember that though the grace of God
prevents us, that we may have a good will, and works in us when we have
it, that so we may find success; yet in vain do we expect the
continuance of his help without diligent endeavours. Whilst he assists
our weakness, he does not intend to encourage our laziness, and
therefore we are also “to labour, and strive according to his working,
which worketh in us mightily,” as the apostle expresses it, Col. i.
29.—_Henry Dove._
_Verses 24-26._—As you may see a proportion between sins and punishments
which are the rewards of them, that you can say, Such a sin brought
forth this affliction, it is so like the father; so you might see the
like proportion between your prayers and your walking with God, and
God’s answers to you, and his dealings with you. So did David;
“_According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me_,” etc.
His speech notes some similitude or likeness; as, for example, the more
by-ends or carnal desires you had in praying, and the more you mingled
of these with your holy desires, and the more want of zeal, fervency,
etc., were found in your prayers, the more you shall, it may be, find of
bitterness mingled with the mercy, when it is granted, and so much
imperfection, and want of comfort in it. So says David in this same
Psalm (verses 25, 26), “_With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure._”
Pure prayers have pure blessings; _et è contra_, “_With the froward thou
wilt show thyself froward._” And again, as you in praying sometimes
slackened and grew cold, so you might see the business in like manner to
cool, and cast backward; as, “When Moses’ hands were down, Amalek
prevailed; but when they were lifted up, Israel had the better.” Exod.
xvii. 12. God let him see a proportion, which argued his prayer was the
means of prevailing. A man finds in praying that his suit sometimes
sticks, and goes not on as he expected; this is because he gives not so
good a fee as he was wont, and doth not ply God and solicit him; but on
the contrary, when he was stirred up to pray, then still he found things
to go well. By this a man may clearly see that it was the prayer which
God did hear and regarded. Thus, likewise, when a man see hills and
dales in a business, fair hopes often and then all dashed again, and the
thing in the end brought to pass, let him look back upon his prayers.
Didst not thou in like manner just deal with God? when thou hadst prayed
earnestly, and thought thou hadst even carried it, then dash all again
by interposing some sin, and thus again and again? Herein God would have
you observe a proportion, and it may help you to discern how and when
they are answered and obtained by prayer, because God deals thus with
you therein in such a proportion to your prayers.—_Thomas Goodwin._
_Verses 24-27._—Even as the sun, which, unto eyes being sound and
without disease, is very pleasant and wholesome, but unto the same eyes,
when they are feeble, sore and weak, is very troublesome and hurtful,
yet the sun is ever all one and the selfsame that was before; so God,
who hath ever shown himself benign and bountiful to those who are kind
and tender-hearted towards his saints, and are merciful to those who
show mercy. But unto the same men, when they fall into wickedness and
grow to be full of beastly cruelty, the Lord showeth himself to be very
wrathful and angry, and yet is one and the same immutable God from
everlasting to everlasting.—_Robert Cawdray._
_Verse 25.—“With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an
upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.”_ “_An upright_”—the same
word is oft translated “perfect,” he is good throughout, though not
thoroughly; not one that personates religion, but that is a religious
person. He is perfect, because he would be so. So Noah is termed (Gen.
vi. 9); “Noah was a just man and perfect (_i.e._, upright) in his
generation:” he was a good man in a bad age. He was like a glowing spark
of fire in a sea of water, which is perfect goodness; and therefore the
Holy Ghost doth so hang upon his name, as if he could not give over—it
is an excellent preacher’s observation—verse 8, “But Noah was a just man
and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God. And Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah
begat three sons.” Noah, Noah, Noah, I love the sound of thy name; and
so are all your names precious to God, though hated by men, if the name
of God be dear and sweet to you. ’Tis also sometimes translated “plain.”
Gen. xxv. 27. Jacob was אִישׁ תָּם, “a plain,” that is, an upright man,
“dwelling in tents.” Esau was “_a cunning_ hunter,” but Jacob was a
plain man without welt or gard; you might well know his heart by his
tongue, save once when Rebekah put a cunning trick into his head,
otherwise he was a most “_upright_,” downright man. And the plain
meaning of it is, a simple, cordial, unfeigned, and exact man: this is
the man we are looking for.
“_Man._” This substantive the Hebrews use to drown in the adjective, but
here the Holy Ghost exhibits a word, and a choice one too, signifying a
_strong, valiant man_; the same word (Psalm xlv. 3), “O mighty man!”
that’s meant of our Lord Christ, who was a most strong and valiant man,
that could meet the wrath of God, the malice of the devil, and the sin
of man, in the face, and come off with triumph. And so the Dutch
translate this clause in 2 Sam. xxii.: “With the right valiant person,
thou behavest thyself upright.” In short, if the words were literally
translated, they run thus:—_a man of uprightness_: that is every way you
behold him, an upright man: like an even die, cast him which way you
will he will be found square and right; a stiff and strong man to tread
down both lusts within and temptations without; an _Athanasius contra
mundum_, a _Luther contra Romam_; this is a man of an excellent spirit,
and such is our upright man. “_Thou wilt show thyself upright_,” or,
“wilt be upright with him;” for one word in the Hebrew makes all these
six, “Thou wilt _upright_ it with him.” If men will deal plainly with
God, he will deal plainly with them. He that is upright in performing
his duty shall find God upright in performing his promises. It is God’s
way to carry to men as they carry to him. If thou hast a design to
please him, he will have a design to please thee; if thou wilt echo to
him when he calls, he’ll echo to thee when thou callest. On the other
side; if a man will wrestle with God, he will wrestle with him; if thou
wilt be fast and loose with him, and walk _frowardly_ towards him, thou
shalt have as good as thou bringest; if thou wilt provoke him with
never-ending sins, he will pursue thee with never-ending torments; if
thou wilt sin in _tuo eterno_, thou must suffer in _suo eterno_, and
every man shall find like for like.... An upright heart is _single
without division_. Unto an hypocrite there be “gods many and lords
many,” and he must have an heart for each; but to the _upright_ there is
but one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ, and one heart will
serve them both. He that fixes his heart upon the creatures, for every
creature he must have an heart, and the dividing of his heart destroys
him. Hos. x. 2. Worldly profits knock at the door, he must have an heart
for them; carnal pleasures present themselves, he must have an heart for
them also; sinful preferments appear, they must have an heart
too—_Necessariorum numerus parvus, opinionum nullus_; of necessary
objects the number is few, of needless vanities the number is endless.
The _upright_ man hath made choice of God and hath enough.—_Richard
Steele._
_Verse 25.—“With the merciful,”_ etc. In Jupiter’s hall-floor there are
set two barrels of gifts, the one of good gifts or blessings, the other
of evil gifts or plagues. Thus spake Homer falsely of Jupiter; it may be
truly spoken of the true God, Jehovah; that he hath in his hand two
cups, the one of comforts, the other of crosses, which he poureth out
indifferently for the good and for the bad; “_with the kind (or
merciful) he will shew himself kind, and with the froward, froward_.”
Now this is not to make God the author of evil, but of justice, which is
good; _quorum deus non est author eorum est justus ultor_, saith
Augustine; “God is not the author of sin, but he punisheth the sinner
justly.”—_Miles Smith (Bishop), 1632._
_Verse 26.—“With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure,”_ etc. But doth
the Lord take colour from every one he meets, or change his temper as
the company changes? That’s the weakness of sinful man: he cannot do so
with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of changing. God is pure,
and upright with the unclean and hypocritical, as well as with the pure
and upright, and his actions show him to be so. God shows himself
froward with the froward when he deals with him as he hath said he will
deal with the froward—deny them and reject them. God shows himself pure
with the pure, when he deals with them as he hath said he will—hear them
and accept them. Though there be nothing in purity and sincerity which
deserveth mercy, yet we cannot expect mercy without them. Our comforts
are not grounded upon our graces, but our comforts are the fruits or
consequents of our graces.—_Joseph Caryl._
_Verse 26.—“The froward one.”_ Here, as in the first promise, the two
combatants stand contrasted—the seed of the woman and the serpent—the
benignantly bountiful, perfect, pure One, and the froward one, whose
works he came to destroy, and who made it his great business to
circumvent him whom he feared. The literal meaning of the word is
“tortuous,” or “crooked,” and both the ideas of perversity and cunning
which the figure naturally suggests, are very applicable to “that old
serpent the devil.” From the concluding part of the sentence, I think
there is no doubt that it is the latter idea that is intended to be
conveyed. God cannot deal perversely with any one; but he outwits the
wise, and takes the cunning in their own craftiness.—_John Brown._
_Verse 26.—“With the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.”_ The
Hebrew word in the root signifieth to wrest or writhe a thing, or to
wrest or turn a thing, as wrestlers do their bodies. Hence by a trope,
it is translated often to wrestle, because a cunning man in wrestling,
turneth and windeth his body, and works himself in and out every way, to
get an advantage of his adversary any way; therefore your cunning-headed
men, your crafty men, are fitly presented under this word; they are like
wrestlers who turn and wind themselves in and out, and lie for all
advantages; or as we speak, they “lie at catch.” A man knows not where
to have them, or what they mean when they speak plainest, or swear
solemnest; when we think we see their faces, we see but their vizards;
all their promises and performances too are under a disguise.... And
this word is applied to the Lord himself, “_With the froward thou wilt
shew thyself froward_;” that is, if men will be winding and turning, and
thinking to catch others or over-reach the Lord himself with tricks and
turnings of wit, the Lord will meet and answer them in their own kind;
he can turn as fast as they, he can put himself into such intricate
labyrinths of infinite wisdom and sacred craft, as shall entangle and
ensnare the most cunning wrestler or tumbler of them all. He will
Cretize the Cretians, supplant the supplanters of his people.—_Joseph
Caryl._
_Verse 26.—“Wilt shew thyself froward.”_ It is a similitude taken from
wrestlers, and noteth a writhing of one’s self against an adversary.
Compare herewith Deut. xxxii. 5. “They are a perverse and crooked
generation,” the same two words that are here in this text; the latter
importeth that they wriggled and writhed after the manner of wrestlers
that wave up and down, and wind the other way, when one thinks to have
him here or there. But all will not serve their turn to save them from
punishment. God will be sure to meet with them, his Word will lay hold
on them, and their sin shall find them out.—_John Trapp._
_Verse 27.—“The afflicted people.”_ The word rendered “_afflicted_,”
properly signifies “poor” or “needy.” The persons spoken of are
obviously afflicted ones, for they need to be saved or delivered; but it
is not their affliction, so much as their poverty, that is indicated by
the epithet here given them; and, from the poor being contrasted, not
with the wealthy, but with the proud—for that is the meaning of the
figurative expression, “the man of high looks”—it seems plain that,
though the great body of the class referred to have always been found
among the comparatively “poor in this world,” the reference is to those
poor ones whom our Lord represents as “poor in spirit.”—_John Brown._
_Verse 27._—“_High looks_:” namely, _the proud_; the raising up of the
eyebrows being a natural sign of that vice. Psalm ci. 5; Prov. vi.
17.—_John Diodati._
_Verse 28._—“_For thou wilt light my candle_,” etc. The Psalmist speaks
in this place of artificial light; “_a candle_,” or “lamp;” which has
been supposed to be illustrated by the custom prevailing in Egypt of
never suffering their houses to be without lights, but burning lamps
even through the night, so that the poorest people would rather retrench
part of their food than neglect it. Supposing this to have been the
ancient custom, not only in Egypt, but in the neighbouring countries of
Arabia and Judæa, “the lighting of the lamp” in this passage may have
had a special allusion. In the parallel passage, 2 Sam. xxii. 29,
Jehovah is figuratively styled the “lamp” of the Psalmist, as
above.—_Richard Mant._
_Verse 28 (first clause)._—“_Thou also shalt_”—when none else can. And
notice too, how here, and often elsewhere, the Psalmist begins with
speaking of God, and ends with speaking to him. So the bride in the
Canticles, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love
is better than wine.”—_Dionysius the Carthusian (1471), quoted by J. M.
Neale._
_Verse 29.—“By thee I have run through a troop,”_ etc. David ascribes
his victories to God, declaring that, under his conduct, he _had broken
through the wedges or phalanxes_ of his enemies, and had taken by storm
their fortified cities. Thus we see that, although he was a valiant
warrior, and skilled in arms, he arrogates nothing to himself.—_John
Calvin._
_Verse 29._—“_By my God have I leaped over a wall_;” or, “taken a
fort.”—_Henry Hammond._
_Verse 29._—“_Leaped over a wall._” This probably refers to his having
taken some remarkable town by scaling the ramparts.—_John Kitto, in “The
Pictorial Bible.”_
_Verse 31.—“For who is God save the Lord?”_ Here first in the Psalms,
occurs the name _Eloah_, rendered _God_. It occurs more than _fifty_
times in the Scriptures, but only _four_ times in the Psalms. It is the
singular of Elohim. Many have supposed that this name specially refers
to God as an object of religious worship. That idea may well be
prominent in this place.—_William S. Plumer._
_Verse 32.—“It is God that girdeth me with strength.”_ One of the few
articles of Eastern dress which I wore in the East, was the girdle,
which was of great use as a support to the body in the long and weary
camel-rides through the Desert. The support and _strengthening_ I
received in this way, gave me a clearer idea than I had before the
meaning of the Psalmist.—_John Anderson, in “Bible from Bible Lands,”
1856._
_Verse 33._—“_He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my
high places_:” that is, he doth give swiftness and speed to his church;
as Augustine interpreted it, _transcendendo spinosa, et umbrosa
implicamenta hujus sæculi_, passing lightly through the thorny and shady
incumbrances of this world. “He will make me walk upon my high places.”
David saith, “He setteth me upon high places.” For, consider David, as
he then was, when he composed this Psalm, it was at the time when God
had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of
Saul. For then God set his feet on high places, settling his kingdom,
and establishing him in the place of Saul.—_Edward Marbury._
_Verse 33._—“_He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet_:” מְשַׁוֶּה רַגְלַי
כָּאַיָּלוֹת. Celerity of motion was considered as one of the qualities
of an ancient hero. Achilles is celebrated for being πόδας ὠκύς.
Virgil’s Nisus is hyperbolically described, “_Et ventis et fulminis
ocior alis_;” and the men of God, who came to David, “Men of might, and
men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler,”
are said to have had “faces like the faces of lions,” and to have been
“as swift as the roes upon the mountains.” 1 Chron. xii. 8. Asahel is
described as “light of foot as a wild roe” (2 Sam. ii. 18); and Saul
seems called the _roe_ (in the English translation, “the beauty) of
Israel.” 2 Sam. i. 19. It has been said that the legs of the hind are
straighter than those of the buck, and that _she_ is swifter than _he_
is; but there is no sufficient proof of this. Gataker gives the true
account of it when he says, “The female formula is often used for the
species.” This is not uncommon in Hebrew. The female ass obviously
stands for the ass species. Gen. xii. 16; Job. i. 3; xlii. 12. Some (at
the head of whom is Bochart, _Hierozoicon_, P. i. L. ii. c. 17), have
supposed the reference to be to the peculiar hardness of the hoof of the
roe, which enables it to walk firmly, without danger of falling, on the
roughest and rockiest places. Virgil calls the hind “_æri-pedem_,”
brass-footed. Others suppose the reference to be to its agility and
celerity. There is nothing to prevent our supposing that there is a
reference to both these distinguishing qualities of the hind’s
feet.—_John Brown._
_Verse 33.—“He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet,”_ etc. _He maketh me
able to stand on the sides of mountains and rocks_, which were anciently
used as fastnesses in time of war. The feet of the sheep, the goat, and
the hart are particularly adapted to standing in such places. Mr.
Merrick has here very appositely cited the following passage from
Xenophon; _Lib. de Venatione_: Ἐπισκοπεῖν δεῖ ἔχοντα τὰς κύνας τὰς μὲν
ἐν ὄρεσι ἑστώσας ’λαφους. See also Psalm civ. 18, where the same
property of standing on the rocks and steep cliffs is attributed to the
wild goat.—_Stephen Street, M.A., in loc., 1790._
_Verse 34.—“He teacheth my hands to war,”_ etc. To him I owe all that
military skill, or strength, or courage, which I have. My strength is
sufficient, not only to bend “a _bow of steel_,” but to break
it.—_Matthew Poole._
_Verse 34.—“Steel.”_ The word so rendered in the authorised version,
properly means “copper” (נְחוּשָׁה). It is doubtful if the Hebrews were
acquainted with the process of hardening iron into steel, for though the
“northern iron” of Jer. xv. 12, has been supposed by some to be steel,
this is by no means certain; it may have only been a superior sort of
iron.—_William Lindsay Alexander, in “Kitto’s Cyclopædia.”_
_Verse 34._—The drawing of a mighty bow was a mark of great slaughter
and skill.
“So the great master drew the mighty bow,
And drew with ease. One hand aloft display’d,
The bending horns, and one the string essay’d.”
_Alexander Pope, 1688-1744. [Translation of Homer.]_
_Verses 37, 38_:—
Oh, I have seen the day,
When with a single word,
God helping me to say,
“My trust is in the Lord;”
My soul has quelled a thousand foes,
Fearless of all that could oppose.
_William Cowper, 1731-1800._
_Verse 38.—“I have wounded them,”_ etc. Greater is he that is in us than
he that is against us, and God shall bruise Satan under our feet
shortly. Rom. xv. 20.—_W. Wilson._
_Verses 38-40._—Though passion possess our bodies, let “patience possess
our souls.” The law of our profession binds us to a warfare; _patiendo
vincimus_, our troubles shall end, our victory is eternal. Hear David’s
triumph, “_I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are
fallen under my feet. Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up
against me. Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies_,” etc. They
have wounds for their wounds; and the treaders down of the poor are
trodden down by the poor. The Lord will subdue those to us that would
have subdued us to themselves; and though for a short time they rode
over our heads, yet now at last we shall everlastingly tread upon their
necks. Lo, then, the reward of humble patience and confident
hope!—_Thomas Adams._
_Verse 39._—To be well girt was to be well armed in the Greek and Latin
idioms, as well as in the Hebrew.—_Alexander Geddes, LL.D., 1737-1802._