Expositions on the Book of Psalms (continued)
PsaLM CXIX.] ON THE PSALMS. 569 of the Martyrs might not faint ; and who by the presence of His Spirit gave strength to them in their toils, that they me escape from the snare of the fowlers.* es by themselves they cannot be righteous, "justifications.' 7 But what meaneth, ''This was made unto me"? What is "This"? It is perhaps the law? as he had said, "and I have kept Thy law ;" to which he subjoins, 'This was made unto me," meaning, "This was made my law." We must therefore enquire first what was thus made unto him, next in what manner, whatever it may have been, was made unto him. "This," he saith, "was made unto me:"' not "This law," for the Greek, as I have said, refuseth this sense. Perhaps then, "This night:"' since the preceding sentence stands thus: "I have thought upon Thy Name, O Lord, in the night-season:"' and the next words are, 'This was made unto me: " since then it is not the law, it must truly be the night which is thus spoken of. What then meaneth, "I had the night-season: for I have sought out Thy righteousnesses"'? Rather light had come unto him than night, since he sought out the righteousnesses of God. And it is thus rightly understood, "It was made unto me," as if it were said, It became night for my sake, that is, that it might profit me. For that low estate of mortality is not absurdly understood as night, where the hearts of mortals are hid to one another, so that from such darkness innumerable and heavy temptations arise... .
53- "For I was " mindful of Thy judgments from the beginning of the world, O Lord, and received comfort" (ver. 52) ; or, as other copies have it, "and I was exhorted," that is, I received exhortation. For either might be rendered for the Greek zapexdyn Oyv. "From the beginning of the world," that is, from the birth of the human race, "I was mindful of Thy judgments " upon the vessels of wrath, which are fitted unto perdition: "and I received comfort,"' since through these also hast Thou shown the riches of Thy glory on the vessels of Thy mercy."
54. " Weariness hath held me ; for the ungodly that forsake Thy law" (ver. 53). "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage'' (ver. 54). 'This is the low estate, in the house of mortality, of the man who sojourneth away from Paradise and the Jerusalem above, whence one going down to Jericho fell among robbers; but, in consequence of the deed of mercy which was done him by that Samaritan,3 the statutes of God became his song in the house of his pilgrimage ; although he was weary for the ungodly that forsook the law of God, since he was compelled to converse with them for a season in this life, until the floor be threshed. But these two verses may be adapted to the two clauses of the preceding verse, respectively.
Cheth.
57. Let us hear what followeth ; " I have promised to keep Thy law." What meaneth, " My portion, O Lord: I have promised to keep Thy law'"' (ver. 57) ; save because the Lord will be each man's portion then, when he hath kept His law? Consider therefore what he subjoineth: "T entreated Thy face, with my whole heart: " and saying in what manner he prayed: "O be merciful," he saith, "unto me, according to Thy word" (ver. 58). And as if he had been heard and aided by Him whom he prayed unto, "T thought," he saith, "on mine own ways, and turned away my feet unto Thy testimonies"
55. "I have thought upon Thy Name, O Lord, in the night-season, and have kept Thy law"
(ver. 55). Night is that low estate wherein is the trouble of mortality ; night is in the proud who deal exceeding wickedly ; night is the fear for the ungodly who forsake the law of the Lord ; night is, lastly, the house of this pilgrimage, "until the Lord come, and bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God." 4 In this night, therefore, man ought to remember the Name of the Lord ; "'So that he who glorieth, may glory in the Lord." 5
(ver. 59). That is, I turned them away from mine own ways, which displeased me, that they might follow Thy testimonies, and there might find a path. For most of the copies have not, " Because I thought," as is read in some; but only, "I thought." But what is here written, "and I turned away my feet:" some read, " Because I thought, Thou also hast turned away my feet:'' that this may rather be ascribed to the grace of God, according to the Apostle's words, " For it is God who worketh in us."° . .
56. Considering this, he addeth, "This was made unto me, because I sought out Thy righteousnesses"' (ver. 56). "Thy" righteousnesses, whereby Thou dost justify the ungodly ; not mine, which never make mé godly, but proud. For this man was not one of those who, " ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Others have better interpreted these righteousnesses, as those whereby men are justified for nought through God's grace, though
Als says: * Since the Greek hath not dtxacdcvvar, that is, acts of righteousness; but dtxauuara, acts of justification. . . . For the Greek words whence these Latin words have been translated, sufficiently declare that it could not have been said of the law, for the word iw is in Greek of the masculine gender, and the feminine pronoun is used in the Greek text as well." —C.]
2 Rom. ix. 22, 23. 3 Luke x. 30, 37. 5 x Cor. i, 31. 6 Rom, x. 3. 1 Ps, cxxiv. 2. 4 1 Cor. iv. 5.
8 Philip. ii, 13.