EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Whole Psalm.—This Psalm is coupled on to the foregoing by thoughts and words. At the close of the foregoing the Psalmist had prayed for integrity (verse 1). Unless this Psalm is regarded as a sequel to the preceding one, it will seem vainglorious; but being combined with the penitential acknowledgments of sin, and with the earnest supplications for pardon and grace, and with the earnest profession of faith that God has heard his prayer, which breathe forth in the foregoing Psalm, it will be seen that the declarations which the Psalmist now makes of integrity, are not assertions of human merit, but acknowledgments of divine mercy. As Augustine says, “Non merita mea, sed misericordia tua, ante oculos meos est.”—Christopher Wordsworth.

Verse 1.—“Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity.”—A good cause, a good conscience, and a good deportment, are good grounds of appeal to God.—Ingram Cobbin.

Verse 1.—“Judge me, O Lord.” Nothing is so pleasing to him that is upright as to know that God knoweth he is so. As it is a small matter with those who are sincere to be condemned by men, so it is not much with them to be commended or approved by them; for indeed neither “he that commendeth himself,” as the apostle speaks (2 Cor. x. 18), nor he that is commended by others, “is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” The testimony, or letters commendatory of all the men in the world will do us no good, unless God give us his also.—Joseph Caryl.

Verse 1.—“Judge me, O Lord.” As an instance of appeal to heaven, we quote that mighty preacher of the Word, George Whitfield. “However some may account me a mountebank and an enthusiast, one that is only going to make you methodically mad; they may breathe out their invectives against me, yet Christ knows all; he takes notice of it, and I shall leave it to him to plead my cause, for he is a gracious Master. I have already found him so, and am sure he will continue so. Vengeance is his, and he will repay it.”—George Whitfield, 1714-1770.

Verse 1.—“Integrity.” תֹּם, or תָּמִים is used of whatever is uninjured, or is free from any spot or blemish; and hence we find the term applied to an unblemished animal offered in sacrifice. Lev. i. 3; iii. 9.—George Phillips.

Verse 1.—“Mine integrity.” There is a force in the possessive pronoun “my,” which must be attended to. The Psalmist intimates that he had proceeded in one uniform course, notwithstanding all the devices of his enemies.—W. Wilson, D.D.

Verse 1.—“I have trusted in the Lord.” Trust in God is the fountain of “integrity.” Whoever places his hope in God need not seek to advance his worldly interests by violating his duty towards his neighbour: he waits for everything from above, and is, at the same time, always determined that he will not be deprived of the favour of his heavenly Father through violating his commandments.—E. W. Hengstenberg.

Verse 1.—“I shall not slide.” It is a striking word, as fully expressive of the completeness of God’s protection and the security of his upholding hand as the Psalmist’s language of the integrity of his walk and trust in God. It is not, as in our Prayer-book version, “I shall not fall,” but it is, “I shall not even slide;” not even make a false step or stumble.—Barton Bouchier.

Verse 2.—The Psalmist uses three words, “examine,” “prove,” “try.” These words are designed to include all the modes in which the reality of anything is tested; and they imply together that he wished the most thorough investigation to be made; he did not shrink from any test.—Albert Barnes.

Verse 2.—“Examine”—“prove”—“try.” As gold, by fire, is severed and parted from dross, so singleness of heart and true Christian simplicity is best seen and made most evident in troubles and afflictions. In prosperity every man will seem godly, but afflictions do draw out of the heart whatsoever is there, whether it be good or bad.—Robert Cawdray.

Verse 2.—“Prove me.” The work of conscience within us doth prove us. God hath set up a light within us, and when this is enlightened by the Word, then it makes a man’s breast full of light. Now a faithful godly man loveth that this should be tender, active, speaking out of God’s Word for every duty, and against every sin. You see the quickness of it in David, when it is said, “His heart smote him;” and 1 John iii., “If thy heart condemn thee, God is greater than thy heart.” Alas! if thou within thy own self judgest thyself to sin thus and thus, God doth much more. Try thy integrity; art thou willing to have a tender conscience, and an informed conscience? Dost thou love to hear what that speaks out of God’s Word? whether peace or duty? this is comfortable. But on the other side, if thou art a man that rebellest against the light of it, wouldst fain put out the sting of it, wouldst be glad to feel no such living thing in thy breast, then thou hast cause to suspect thyself. Oh, it is to be feared that there are many that give themselves to lusts, and carnal pleasures, that so they may put a foggy mist between their conscience and themselves. Others dig into the world, labouring to become senseless, that so there may be an eclipse of this light by the interposition of the earth. Others run to damnable heresies, denying Scriptures, God, heaven, hell; pleading for an universal salvation of all. What are these but refuges of guilty consciences? We must distinguish between our carnal concupiscence, and conscience; between deluded imaginations, and conscience; between an erroneous and scrupulous conscience, and a well-grounded and truly informed conscience; and when we have done so, we must follow conscience as far as that follows the Word.—Anthony Burgess.

Verse 2.—“Reins ... heart.”—The “reins,” as the seat of the lower animal passions; the “heart,” as comprising not only the higher affections, but also the will and the conscience. He thus desires to keep nothing back; he will submit himself to the searching flame of the Great Refiner, that all dross of self-deception may be purged away.—J. J. Stewart Perowne.

Verse 3.—The practical effect of divine goodness is seen in this text. As the chief thing communicated from God is the divine nature, whereby we are made to resemble him, so the promises of God set home upon the soul are the means of communication; they are the milk and honey of the Scripture, which do not cherish the old man, but support the new; they are not pillows for sinful sloth, but spurs to holy diligence. The promises of grace animate the soul to duty; and when we thus see the goodness of the Lord, it encourages our subjection to his government.—Timothy Cruso.

Verses 3, 4.—“I have walked in thy truth, I have not sat with vain persons.” Be as careful as thou canst, that the persons thou choosest for thy companions be such as fear God. The man in the gospel was possessed with the devil, who dwelt amongst the tombs, and conversed with graves and carcases. Thou art far from walking after the good Spirit, if thou choosest to converse with open sepulchres, and such as are dead in sins and trespasses. God will not shake the wicked by the hand, as the Vulgate reads (Job viii. 20), neither must the godly man. David proves the sincerity of his course, by his care to avoid such society: “I have walked in thy truth; I have not sat with vain persons.” There is a twofold “truth.” 1. Truth of doctrine. Thy law is the truth, free from all dross of corruption and falsehood of error. 2. Truth of affection, or of the inward parts. This may be called “thy truth,” or God’s truth, though man be the subject of it, partly because it proceedeth from him, partly because it is so pleasant to him; in which respect a broken heart is called the “sacrifice of God.” Psalm li. 6. As if he had said, I could not have walked in the power of religion, and in integrity, if I had associated with vile and vain company; I could never have walked in thy precepts if I had “sat with vain persons.” Observe the phrase, “I have not sat with vain persons.” 1. Sitting is a posture of choice. It is at a man’s liberty, whether he will sit or stand. 2. Sitting is a posture of pleasure. Men sit for their ease, and with delight; therefore, the glorified are said to “sit in heavenly places.” Eph. ii. 6. 3. Sitting is a posture of staying or abiding. 2 Kings v. 3. Standing is a posture of going, but sitting of staying. The blessed, who shall for ever be with the Lord and his chosen, are mentioned “to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. viii. 11. David in neither of these senses durst sit with vain persons. He might, as his occasions required, use their company, but durst not knowingly choose such company. They could not be the object of his election who were not the object of his affection. “I hate the congregation of evil doers,” saith he. As sitting is a posture of pleasure, he did not sit with vain persons. He was sometimes amongst them to his sorrow, but not to his solace. They were to him, as the Canaanites to the Israelites, pricks in his eyes, and thorns in his sides. “Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!” Psalm cxx. 5. It caused grief, not gladness, that he was forced to be amongst the profane.—George Swinnock.

Verse 4.—“I have not sat with vain persons.” There is a necessary commerce with men in buying and selling, or as the apostle says, “We must needs go out of the world,” but do not voluntarily choose the company of the wicked. 1 Cor. v. 10. “I have written unto you not to keep company,” etc. 1 Cor. v. 11. Do not be too familiar with them. What do Christ’s doves among birds of prey? What do virgins among harlots? The company of the wicked is very defiling, it is like going among them that have the plague. “They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works.” If you mingle bright armour with rusty, the bright armour will not brighten the rusty, but the rusty armour will spoil the bright. Pharaoh taught Joseph to swear, but Joseph did not teach Pharaoh to pray.—Thomas Watson.

Verse 4.—“Neither will I go in with dissemblers.” Chaldee: “I will not go in with those that hide themselves to do evil.” Wickedness is uncandid, and loves concealment, while truth and righteousness are open, and seek scrutiny. Job xxiv. 13-17; John iii. 20, 21. None will deny that the candid man has far fewer troubles with his own conduct than the tortuous and deceitful. The righteous shun the wicked both for the sin and for the misery that are in their ways.—William S. Plumer.

Verse 4.—“Dissemblers.” The hypocrite has much angel without, more devil within. He fries in words, freezes in works; speaks by ells, doth good by inches. He is a stinking dunghill, covered over with snow; a loose-hung mill that keeps great clacking, but grinds no grist; a lying hen that cackles when she hath not laid.—Thomas Adams.

Verse 4.—“Dissemblers.” Perhaps when the bright sunbeams of an early spring have robed all nature in a smiling garb, you have taken your little baskets, and gone in quest of a bank of sweet-smelling modest violets, and you may have found flowers so like them, in form and colour, that you have been deceived, and eagerly grasped your prize; but alas! the sweet odour which should have scented the gale, was found wanting, and betrayed the dog violet. An apt emblem this of those, who, “having the form of godliness, deny the power thereof.” 2 Tim. iii. 5.—Mrs. Rogers, in “The Shepherd King.”

Verses 4, 5.—As rotten apples corrupt those sound ones that do touch them and lie close to them, even so the evil manners and bad conditions of the ungodly do infect those that keep them company.—Robert Cawdray.

Verses 4, 5.—“It is difficult (saith a late ingenious writer) even to a miracle to keep God’s commandments and evil company too.” How suddenly after your soul-refreshments in your closet communion have you lost all your heats and spiritual fervencies, which you had in secret, and have instantly cooled by going forth into cold and corrupt air! When a saint hath been in private ravished with the love of God and the joys of heaven, and afterwards meets with company, which neither doth nor can speak one word of such matters, what a damp is it to him! What a quenching, as it were, of the Spirit of God in him! Nay, is not that true which one saith, that “the people of God do generally lose more by worldly men, that are of a blameless conversation before men, than they lose by wicked and profane men?”—Lewis Stuckley.