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Ver. 8. Good and upright is the Lord] i.e. Gracious and righteous, or faithful; and hence it is that our God is merciful, as Psalms 116:5; hence it is that we poor creatures are not overwhelmed, aut magnitudine peccatorum, aut mole calamitatum, either with the greatness of our sins, or the multitude of our miseries. Therefore will he teach sinners in the way] i.e. Sensible sinners, meek and mortified, as in the next verse, self-judging, and self-condemned; those will he teach to turn to him, and to walk before him in all well pleasing; and this doctrine of election must needs be good, because he is good; and certain, because he is upright.
Ver. 9. The meek will he guide in judgment] Or, the poor (viz. in spirit) will he make to tread in judgment; to foot it aright, to walk judiciously, to behave themselves wisely, as David did, 1 Samuel 10:14, so that Saul feared him, 1 Samuel 23:22. Natural conscience cannot but stoop to the image of God, shining in the hearts and lives of the really religious. And the meek will he teach his way] Such as lie at his feet, and say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth; such as whose hearts are supple and soluble, tractable and teachable, so as that a little child may lead them, Isaiah 11:6. Austin was such a one, En adsum senex, saith he, a iuvene coepiscopo episcopus tot annorum, a collega nondum anniculo paratus sum discere, i.e. I am here an old man, ready to learn of a young man, my coadjutor in the ministry, who hath scarce been one year in the service (Aug. Epist. 75, ad Arvil. Epis.).
Ver. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth] All the passages and proceedings, both ordinantial and providential, whereby he cometh and communicateth himself to his people, are not only mercy (though that is very sweet), but truth; they come to them in a way of a promise from God, as bound to them by covenant; this is soul-satisfying indeed; this turns all that a man hath to cream, when every mercy is a present sent him from heaven by virtue of a promise. Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies] i.e. His law (that singular testimony of his goodness towards them), called a covenant, because he bargaineth with us, as it were, that we should keep it; which because we can never do, he undertaketh to perform his own part and ours too. Lex iubet, gratis iuvat, he worketh all our works in us, and for us; he giveth us to be what he biddeth us to be: this is the everlasting covenant, and the fruits of it are sure mercies, compassions that fail not.
Ver. 11. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity] Never did prisoner at the bar beg more earnestly for his life than David did for pardon of his great offence, especially in the matter of Uriah; for that lay heaviest. Peccatum cum Bathsheba cuius petit antehac remissionem, et nunc repeto (R. David). Could he but get off the guilt of that, it were an easy matter for him to glory in tribulations with Paul, Romans 5:3, and to cry out, with Luther, Feri Domine, feri; nam a peccatis absolutus sum: Smite, Lord, smite; for I am a pardoned sinner, and therefore all is in mercy, and for good. For it is great] But that is nothing to so great a God, who delightest in mercy, and makest thy power appear in pardoning the many and horrid sins of thy poor penitents. The high heaven covereth as well tall mountains as small mole hills. The vast ocean swalloweth up huge rocks as well as little pebbles. St Paul was (for the first table) a blasphemer, and (for the second table) a persecutor, and injurious; “but I obtained mercy,” saith he; and why? that the grace of our Lord might appear to be exceeding abundant, even to an overflow, 1 Timothy 1:13,14, and that the glory of free grace might be so much the more manifested, Romans 5:20. The more desperate was my disease the greater is the glory of my Physician, who hath fully cured me, said Austin once to one, who upbraided him with his former loose living.
Ver. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord?] This question implieth, first, a paucity of such, as Hosea 14:9; secondly, the felicity of such as, out of a reverential fear of God, sue to him for pardon of sin, and seek to be made his servants. O quanta est felicitas istius viri! Oh the heaped up happiness of such a rare man! (Vatab.) David admireth it here (utitur exclamations Mol.); and well he may, for he hath close communion with God, and sweet communication of Christ’s secrets, as followeth. Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose] i.e. That the good man shall pitch upon. God will direct him in all dealings to make a good choice; and will give good success. This is not in a man’s own power to do, Jeremiah 10:23. But the “steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way,” Psalms 37:23. He was a pillar of fire and cloud to the Israelites, Exodus 14:19, and carefully chose out their way for them; not the nearest alway, but yet the safest.
Ver. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease] Heb. shall lodge in good, even then when his body haply is tossing on his sick bed, and at great unrest, Conquiescet quemadmodum de nocte quiesci solet (Trcmel.). One being asked how he did? answered, My body is weak, my soul is well. He shall be freed from the devil of discontent, and have a blessed self sufficiency; such, and better than he had whom Horace describeth, Epod. 2, Beatus ille qui procul negotiis, &c.; blessed is that man who is far from trouble, such as good Jacob had, when he said, I have enough, my brother, &c. Godliness only hath such a contentedness, 1 Timothy 6:6. And his seed shall inherit the earth] God’s love dieth not with the parents; but reviveth in their posterity, 2 Samuel 7:12. Ευσεβεων παιδεσσι τα λωια, δυσσεβεων δ ου. It would be a great stay of mind to us, if God should say of our children, as once David did of Mephibosheth, and afterwards of Chimham, I will take care of them, and see them well provided for. He doth upon the matter say as much and more to every believer.
Ver. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him] It is neither learning nor labour that can give insight into God’s secrets, those Arcana imperii, Matthew 13:12, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, “the mind of Christ,” 1 Corinthians 2:16; these things come by revelation rather than discourse of reason, and must therefore be obtained by prayer. Those that diligently seek him shall be of his cabinet council, shall know his soul secrets, and be admitted into a gracious familiarity and friendship: John 15:15, “Hence forth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.” And he will show them his covenant] As having no greater secret to impart to them, than by showing them the covenant of grace, his good pleasure and purpose of their eternal salvation; to make them “know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fulness of God,” Ephesians 3:19. The Jews bragged much of God’s covenant, but here they are given to understand, that only such as fear God are covenanters. Acts 13:16, “Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.”
Ver. 15. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord] I look him full in the face, and confidently expect deliverance. This he speaketh, saith one, in reference to the army that he had sent out to meet Absalom, 2 Samuel 18:1, nothing doubting of getting the day. For he shall pluck my feet out of the net] Of evil concupiscence, saith Aben Ezra; rather of my foes, those crafty and cruel fowlers.
Ver. 16. Turn thee unto me] Heb. Face about towards me. And have mercy upon me] There being no such mercy as to have thy favour. This is a voluminous mercy. For I am desolate and afflicted] As all creatures flag and hang the head when the sun is eclipsed. Misery is an object of mercy; as it was to the compassionate Samaritan.
Ver. 17. The troubles of my heart are enlarged] Whereby my heart is sorely straitened, so that I can hardly breathe: Oh, “hide not thine ear at my breathing,” at my cry, Lamentations 3:56. En patet in curas area lata meas; all afflictions enter into mine heart, as by a wide gate (R. Obad.). Cor vix capax tribulationum mearum (Vat.). Out of my distresses] Wherewith I am pent up and pinched; as afterwards Paul was pricked with the messenger of Satan.
Ver. 18. Look upon mine affliction and my pain] My griefs, under which I groan and labour, My concupiscence, saith Aben Ezra, against which I strive, but prevail not. And forgive all my sin] Heb. lift up, take away; lay them on the true scape goat, on that Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world, John 1:29.
Ver. 19. Consider mine enemies, for they are many] This was to David half a promise, and a whole reason that he should be helped; since it was to come to an extremity. If God but look out of the pillar of cloud upon the Egyptian army, it is enough for their utter confusion, Exodus 14:24. And they hate me with cruel hatred] Of their craft he had complained, Psalms 25:15, now of their cruelty. These are never sundered in the Church’s enemies; as the asp, they say, never goeth without his mate. See Isaiah 34:16.
Ver. 20. O keep my soul] The repetition of the self same petition argueth earnestness, and is not always battology. Let me not be ashamed] Rendered scornful and scandalous.
Ver. 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me] Integrity of conscience and uprightness of conversation. For I wait on thee] viz. For the accomplishment of thy promise, That with the upright thou wilt show thyself upright, Psalms 18:25.
Ver. 22. Redeem Israel, &c.] In vita vel post mortem meam, Either while I live, or after my death (R. David). This is every good man’s care and prayer. None is in case to pray for the Church, that hath not first made his own peace with God.