EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS (4)

Verse 7.—The law, or doctrine, an orderly manner of instruction, an institution or disposition, called in Hebrew torah, which implies both doctrine and an orderly disposition of the same. Therefore where one prophet, relating David’s words, saith the law of man (2 Sam. vii. 19), another saith, the orderly estate, or, course of man. 1 Cor. xvii. 17. The Holy Ghost, in Greek, calls it Nomos, a law (Heb. viii. 10), from Jer. xxxi. 33. This name is most commonly ascribed to the precepts given by Moses at Mount Sinai (Deut. xxxii. 4; Mal. iv. 4; John i. 17, and vii. 19); it is also largely used for all his writings. For the history of Genesis is called law (Gal. iv. 21), from Gen. xvi. And though sometimes the law be distinguished from the Psalms and Prophets (Luke xvi. 16, and xxiv. 24), yet the other prophets’ books are called law (1 Cor. xiv. 21), from Isa. xxviii. 11; the Psalms are also thus named (John x. 24 and xv. 25), from Psalm lxxxii. 6 and xxxv. 19. Yea, one Psalm is called a law (Psalm lxxviii. 1); and the many branches of Moses’ doctrine as the law of the sin-offering, etc., Lev. vi. 25. And generally it is used for any doctrine, as the law of works, the law of faith, etc. Rom. iii. 27.—Henry Ainsworth.

Verse 7.—“Converting the soul.” This version conveys a sense good and true in itself, but is not in accordance with the design of the Psalmist which is, to express the divine law on the feelings and affections of good men. The Hebrew terms properly mean, “bringing back the spirit,” when it is depressed by adversity, by refreshing and consoling it: like food, it restores the faint, and communicates vigour to the disconsolate.—William Walford, 1837.

Verse 7.—“Converting the soul.” The heart of man is the most free and hard of anything to work upon, and to make an impression and stamp upon this hard heart, this heart that is so stony, adamantine, “harder than the nether millstones,” as the Scripture teacheth. To compel this free-will, this Domina sui actus, the queen in the soul, the empress, it cannot be without a divine power, without a hand that is omnipotent; but the ministers do this by the Word—they mollify, and wound, and break this heart, they incline, and bow, and draw this free-will whither the spirit listeth. And Clemens Alexandrinus is not afraid to say, that if the fables of Orpheus and Amphion were true—that they drew birds, beasts, and stones, with their ravishing melody—yet the harmony of the Word is greater, which translates men from Helicon to Zion, which softens the hard heart of man obdurate against the truth, that “raises up children to Abraham of stones,” that is (as he interprets), of unbelievers, which he calls stocks and stones, that put their trust in stones and stocks; which metamorphoses men that are beastlike, wild birds for their lightness and vanity, serpents for their craft and subtlety, lions for their wrath and cruelty, swine for voluptuousness and luxury, etc.; and charms them so that of wild beasts they become tame men; that makes living stones (as he did others) come of their own accord to the building of the walls of Jerusalem (as he of Thebes), to the building of a living temple to the everliving God. This must needs be a truly persuasive charm, as he speaks.—John Stoughton’s “Choice Sermons,” 1640.

Verse 7.—“Making wise the simple.” The apostle Paul in Eph. i. 8, expresseth conversion, and the whole work inherently wrought in us, by the making of a man wise. It is usual in the Scriptures, and you may ofttimes meet with it: “converting the soul,” “making wise the simple.” The beginning of conversion, and so all along, the increase of all grace to the end, is expressed by wisdom entering into a man’s heart. “If wisdom enter into thy heart,” and so goes on to do more and more; not unto thy head only—a man may have all that, and be a fool in the end, but when it entereth into the heart, and draws all the affections after it, and along with it, “when knowledge is pleasant to thy soul,” then a man is converted; when God breaks open a man’s heart, and makes wisdom fall in, enter in, and make a man wise.—Thomas Goodwin.

Verse 7.—This verse, and the two next following, which treat of God’s law, are in Hebrew, written each of them with ten words, according to the number of the ten commandments, which are called the ten words. Exodus xxxiv. 28.—Henry Ainsworth.

Verses 7, 8.—“The testimony of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes,” revealing the object, ennobling the organ.—Richard Stock.

Verses 7-11.—All of us are by nature the children of wrath; our souls are like the porches of Bethesda (John v.), in which are lodged a great many “sick folk, blind, halt, withered;” and the Scriptures are like the pool of Bethesda, into which whosoever entereth, after God’s Holy Spirit hath a little stirred the water, is “made whole of whatsoever disease he hath.” He that hath anger’s frenzy, being as furious as a lion, by stepping into this pool shall in good time become as gentle as a lamb; he that hath the blindness of intemperance, by washing in this pool shall easily see his folly; he that hath envy’s rust, avarice’s leprosy, luxury’s palsy, shall have means and medicines here for the curing of his maladies. The word of God is like the drug catholicon, that is instead of all purges; and like the herb panaces, that is good for all diseases. Is any man heavy? the statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart: is any man in want? the judgments of the Lord are more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, and by keeping of them there is great reward: is any man ignorant? the testimonies of the Lord give wisdom to the simple, that is, to little ones, both in standing and understanding. In standing, as unto little Daniel, little John the evangelist, little Timothy: to little ones in understanding; for the great philosophers who were the wizards of the world, because they were not acquainted with God’s law became fools while they professed themselves wise. Rom. i. 22. But our prophet saith, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, because thy testimonies are my meditation,” and my study. Psalm cxix. 99. To conclude, whatsoever we are by corruption of nature, God’s law converteth us, and maketh us to speak with new tongues, and to sing new songs unto the Lord, and to become new men and new creatures in Christ. 2 Cor. v. 17.—J. Boys.

Verse 8.—“The statutes.” Many divines and critics, and Castalio in particular, have endeavoured to attach a distinct shade of meaning to the words, law, testimony, the statutes, commandments, fear, judgments, occurring in this context. תּוֹרָה, the law, has been considered to denote the preceptive part of revelation. עֵדוּת, the testimony, has been restricted to the doctrinal part. פִּקּוּדִים, the statutes, has been regarded as relating to such things as have been given in charge. מִצְוָה, the commandment, has been taken to express the general body of the divine law and doctrine. יִרְאָה, religious fear. מִשְׁפָּטִים, the judgments, the civil statutes of the Mosaic law, more particularly the penal sanctions.—John Morison.

Verse 8.—“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” How odious is the profaneness of those Christians who neglect the Holy Scriptures, and give themselves to reading other books! How many precious hours do many spend, and that not only on work days, but holy days, in foolish romances, fabulous histories, lascivious poems! And why this, but that they may be cheered and delighted, when as full joy is only to be had in these holy books. Alas! the joy you find in those writings is perhaps pernicious, such as tickleth your lust, and promoteth contemplative wickedness. At the best it is but vain, such as only pleaseth the fancy and affecteth the wit; whereas these holy writings (to use David’s expression), are “right, rejoicing the heart.” Again, are there not many who more set by Plutarch’s morals, Seneca’s epistles, and such like books, than they do by the Holy Scriptures? It is true, Beloved, there are excellent truths in those moral writings of the heathen, but yet they are far short of these sacred books. Those may comfort against outward trouble, but not against inward fears; they may rejoice the mind, but cannot quiet the conscience; they may kindle some flashy sparkles of joy, but they cannot warm the soul with a lasting fire of solid consolations. And truly, brethren, if ever God give you a spiritual ear to judge of things aright, you will then acknowledge there are no bells like to those of Aaron’s, no harp like to that of David’s, no trumpet like to that of Isaiah’s, no pipes like to those of the apostle’s; and, you will confess with Petrus Damianus, that those writings of heathen orators, philosophers, poets, which formerly were so pleasing, are now dull and harsh in comparison of the comfort of the Scriptures.—Nathanael Hardy, D.D., 1618-1670.

Verse 10.—“Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” Love the word written. Psa. cxix. 97. “Oh, how love I thy law!” “Lord,” said Augustine, “let the holy Scriptures be my chaste delight.” Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a garden, every truth is a fragrant flower, which we should wear, not on our bosom, but in our heart. David counted the word “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” There is that in Scripture which may breed delight. It shows us the way to riches: Deut. xxviii. 5, Prov. iii. 10; to long life: Psa. xxxiv. 12; to a kingdom: Heb. xii. 28. Well, then, may we count those the sweetest hours which are spent in reading the holy Scriptures; well may we say with the prophet (Jer. xv. 16), “Thy words were found and I did eat them; and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”—Thomas Watson.

Verse 10.—“Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” There is no difference made amongst us between the delicacy of honey in the comb and that which is separated from it. From the information of Dr. Halle, concerning the diet of the Moors of Barbary, we learn that they esteem honey a very wholesome breakfast, “and the most delicious that which is in the comb with the young bees in it, before they come out of their cases, whilst they still look milk-white.” (Miscellanea Curiosa, vol. iii. p. 382.) The distinction made by the Psalmist is then perfectly just and conformable to custom and practice, at least of more modern, and probably, equally so of ancient times.—Samuel Burder, A.M., in “Oriental Customs,” 1812.

Verse 11.—“Moreover by them is thy servant warned.” A certain Jew had formed a design to poison Luther, but was disappointed by a faithful friend, who sent Luther a portrait of the man, with a warning against him. By this, Luther knew the murderer and escaped his hands. Thus the word of God, O Christian, shows thee the face of those lusts which Satan employs to destroy thy comforts and poison thy soul.—G. S. Bowes, B.A., in “Illustrative Gatherings for Preachers and Teachers,” 1860.

Verse 11.—“In keeping of them there is great reward.” This “keeping of them” implies great carefulness to know, to remember, and to observe; and the “reward” (lit. “the end”), i.e., the recompense, is far beyond anticipation.—W. Wilson.

Verse 11.—“In keeping of them there is great reward.” Not only for keeping, but in keeping of them, there is great reward. The joy, the rest, the refreshing, the comforts, the contents, the smiles, the incomes that saints now enjoy, in the ways of God, are so precious and glorious in their eyes, that they would not exchange them for ten thousands worlds. Oh! if the vails,[10] be thus sweet and glorious before pay-day comes, what will be that glory that Christ will crown his saints with for cleaving to his service in the face of all difficulties, when he shall say to his Father, “Lo, here am I, and the children which thou hast given me.” Isa. viii. 18. If there be so much to be had in the wilderness, what then shall be had in paradise!—Thomas Brooks.

Verse 11.—“In keeping of them there is great reward.” Not only for keeping but in keeping of them. As every flower hath its sweet smell, so every good action hath its sweet reflection upon the soul: and as Cardan saith, that every precious stone hath some egregious virtue; so here, righteousness is its own reward, though few men think so, and act accordingly. Howbeit, the chief reward is not till the last cast, till we come to heaven. The word here rendered “reward,” signifieth the heel, and by a metaphor, the end of a work, and the reward of it, which is not till the end.—John Trapp.

Verse 11.—“Reward.” Though we should not serve God for a reward, yet we shall have a reward for our service. The time is coming when ungodliness shall be as much prosecuted by justice, as in times past godliness had been persecuted by injustice. Though our reward be not for our good works, yet we shall have our good works rewarded, and have a good reward for our works. Though the best of men (they being at the best but unprofitable servants) deserve nothing at the hands of God, yet they may deserve much at the hands of men; and if they have not the recompense they deserve, yet it is a kind of recompense to have deserved. As he said, and nobly, “I had rather it should be said, Why doth not Cato’s image stand here? than that it should be said, Why doth it stand here?”—Ralph Venning, 1620-1673.