OF THE
HUNDREDTH AND NINETEENTH PSALM
HETH
57 Thou art my portion, O Lord, I have determined to keep thy law.
58 I made mine humble petition in thy presence with my whole heart: O be merciful to me according to thy word.
59 I have considered mine own ways: and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and prolonged not the time to keep thy Commandments.
61 The hands of the ungodly have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee: because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and keep thy commandments.
64 The Earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: O teach me thy statutes.
THESE EIGHT VERSES next before contain none other thing but the protestations which David maketh in giving himself wholly to God, and sticking unto his law: except two requests which he maketh in the second verse, and in the last. Now (in the first place) he saith that his sovereign good, and chief felicity was, in that he was resolute to keep the law of God. It is very true, that some do expound this thus, that David calleth God, his inheritance. But when as the matter shall be well weighed and considered, the meaning is this, that he setteth his whole felicity in this, that he is fully determined and resolved (as already hath been touched) to follow that which God had showed and taught him. Now this word
Portion in the Scripture is taken for inheritance: and inheritance is taken for the chiefest and most desired thing that man hath. And so, it is as much as if he had said, That every man might divide it as he would and listed [desired]. As we see the desires of men to be sundry and diverse, one draweth one way, another. And indeed (saith he) every man wisheth as he fantasieth, but as for myself, I desire none other blessedness nor felicity but to content myself with the law of God, and when I have this, I have gotten a good and an excellent inheritance.
And now we see the sum and effect of this first verse, it remaineth that we gather out thereof such Doctrine as is therein contained. For when we hear David speak after this manner, there is no doubt of it, but that the spirit of God declareth unto us where it is, that every of us must fully and wholly assure himself. And this to do, we must have regard to the desires
wherewith we are allured by nature, for one man is given to be ambitious, another to be covetous, another to be lecherous. In such sort as that men are carried away with their desires, as here before we have declared. It is meet therefore that we retire ourselves from all these vain and perverse desires and lusts and to fight against all whatsoever may hinder us to come unto God: and when we have thus repressed our passions and fleshly lusts, let us then desire nothing else, but that God would draw us unto himself, link us unto him, and grant us the grace to keep his
Commandments.
But we are oftentimes to note, that David speaketh here of a conclusion, which he holdeth for most certain and for no light motion: as when we have sometimes a desire to go unto God, yet it lasteth not long: for the flesh also pricketh us on the other side, and withdraweth us from that good, whereunto we had willingly bent ourselves. It is not enough then to have a little desire, which soon waxeth cold, or rather, which waxeth even dead through contrary temptations: But we must hold a sound and
steadfast conclusion, as David here speaketh, I have fully determined, saith he. He putteth in the word, to promise: But the Hebrews do take it to be fully resolved, to stand firm and constant in a matter, to the end not to vary or change.
Now (in sum) let us note, that so long as men give themselves to worldly things, they do nothing else but wander: they know not wherein their felicity consisteth, but we must come to this conclusion here set down
unto us, to keep the Commandments of God: and then shall we never have occasion to have a desire to these miserable foolish worldly things, which fly about in the air, which suffer themselves to be carried after their frivolous and vain desires. For we shall be assured to choose a good portion, when as we shall be so united to God, by the bond of his word.
Now as we have already touched, the second verse containeth a request which David saith he continually made:
I made my humble petition in thy presence with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.
Now in saying, that he continually prayed unto God, herein he showeth us what the manner is to pray well: that we should be constant to follow it, and not to be weary, not that God needeth to be importunately urged, but it is to exercise our faith, and the better to try us, whether we seek all our felicity in him or not. For it is so, that the holy scripture requireth
constancy in our prayers, especially and above all other things, and not to pray unto God this day, and quite forget him tomorrow, but we must continue, if we will be heard. And lo wherein we must show ourselves to have trusted in God, that is, that although it seemeth to us that he hath stopped his ears, yet for all that we must not cease to go continually unto him, and pray unto him an hundred times as much as we did before:
knowing it to be no superfluous labor, when as we have thus prayed. Lo here as touching the perseverance whereof David in this place speaketh:
Now let us see what the substance of his prayer is, O Lord (saith he) be merciful unto me according to thy word.
The request is general: But David showeth the very springhead [source, cause] of all the benefits which we are to crave of God, and which also he liberally bestoweth upon us, as well for our souls as for our bodies: to wit, that he is merciful unto us. For God oweth us nothing, neither can we bring anything with us whereby we may be able to say that we can provoke ourselves to do well: But this is the whole sum, that he useth it towards us of his mere and free liberality. Let us then mark that David his meaning is to show, that when God reacheth forth his hand, liberally to bestow upon us so many benefits as we receive of him: that the same proceedeth and cometh even from his mere goodness. Lo why he saith, O Lord be merciful unto me. Wherefore, whatsoever thing we desire of God we must always come with this mind to trust in his goodness. As how? we must desire
God to pardon our offenses, and to assist us with his holy spirit: we must beseech him that we be not overcome with temptations: that he will give us his grace, whereof we are empty and naked: that he will feed us: that he will heal us when we are sick, that he will keep us out of danger: or we may make any other or particular prayers whatsoever. All these requests must be drawn out of the Springhead [Source]: to wit, that he giveth us this of his own goodness, and that we know why it is that God giveth us so many benefits, as well for this present life, as also for the health of our souls: to wit, because he hath pity and compassion upon us, and that we are miserable and poor Creatures, without he inclined himself to be merciful unto us.
To be short, before we enter into all the particular prayers which we make unto God, let us begin at this end, and let it be the foundation whereon we must build: That God hath pity and compassion upon us. Now because we should be assured in our prayers, David addeth this which he already before said: to wit, according to thy word: For if we desire of God that which seemeth good in our own eyes, and that we have not his promise, that he will hear us, this cometh of presumption: and therefore we must come humbly and soberly with our Prayers, and not after a wandering and careless manner, neither must we come before God with a shameless face, and boldlier than we would come before men: but to come unto him in such modest and sober manner: as that nothing escape our mouths without good warrant, which thing we are not able to do, except we be assured that all our Prayers are according to his heart’s desire, and that he alloweth, and ratifieth them. And how shall this be done? When as he shall have said, that we should not follow our own brain, giving the reins to our own wits:
but that when God shall say, Lo what I would have you to crave of me, come unto me, and make your requests in this sort: O, according to those promises of God, we may assure ourselves to come unto him after the example of David and say, O Lord be merciful unto me according to thy word. And this is an holy presumption, and such one, as God alloweth.
Now we ought the better to note this doctrine, when we see that it hath not only been obscured and darkened in the world, but also utterly made void: As at this day it is in Popery, for when they pray unto God, they pray at all adventure. And especially, this is one of the points that the Papists strive most about, that we must not assure ourselves (when we pray unto God) that he heareth us: but remain in suspense. Forsooth [in
truth], but the scripture telleth us that it is not possible that the man which is thus floating, as the waves which are tossed with the wind and tempest, should obtain anything. It telleth us that when we come unto God, that we must come with faith, hope and boldness.
And so then, (as I have already touched) this is an holy and a
commendable presumption, that when we stay ourselves upon the word of God, to set down in sum that he will accomplish that which he hath
promised us: For we hold him as one bound unto us: not that he is
anything in our debt: but because that of his mere liberality, he stoopeth so low, as to declare unto us that he would, that we should have this liberty and leave to present ourselves so before him, with such boldness, and assurance, as already I have declared. And thus much for the second verse.
In the third it followeth:
I have considered mine own ways: and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies.
This protestation is worth the noting: For we are admonished, why it is that men so greatly flatter themselves in their own follies and devices, and make themselves believe, that they will make their Prayers unto God albeit they rest not upon him, trust not unto him, neither yet follow that which he hath commanded them, but only their own imaginations.
And that forsooth [in truth] in such sort, as that they think a man should offer them great wrong, if he said, that all is lost labor which they have bestowed: and that they greatly tormented themselves to no purpose, except they did know that God heard them. It is most true, that everyone will say, And how so I beseech you? wherefore will not God think well of that which I do, since it is my final intent to serve him? no, no, God forceth not of all this. And what is the cause that men so arrogantly strive and spurn against God? It is because they call not their ways to
remembrance: For if they had this consideration and wisdom, to look narrowly unto their doings, and to think thus with themselves. How shall I do? In what case am I? I must not go astray, but keep a sure and certain way and good mean: and to consider how to live: and above all, I must do thus much, as that God be not disappointed of the sovereignty which he hath over his.
So then, when as men look well to their ways, it is very certain and sure, that they will wholly give themselves to follow the word of God, and
therein take all their delight. And this is it that he saith on the contrary part, that he would turn his feet to the testimonies of God. Wherein he showeth to all men by his example, that they should walk as God hath commanded them, and not to be ruled after their own head and brain. For see from whence this madness cometh, which possesseth as it were all the whole world, that every man will serve God as he thinketh best: It is because we turn not our feet unto his Testimonies.
Now we ought so much the more to practice this which is here declared: to wit, to look to our ways: that we should know that seeing that God hath placed us here in this world, that he hath not done it to that end that we should do whatsoever our senses would lead us unto: But our life must be ordered and ruled. And whence must we have this rule? Even from the word of God. And when as we shall be so careful as to order and rule our life, there remaineth no more for us to do, but to follow even whither our God calleth us. Lo the testimonies of God, lo his truth which he hath declared unto us: Lo, there must we place and set ourselves. We must never hereafter make any more question to wander any longer, and to discourse and say, why should not this be good and commendable? No forsooth [in truth], not so, let not us follow our own fantasies, neither let us be wise in our own conceits: but let us consider with ourselves to hear our God, and obey him, lo then the effect of this third verse, where it is said, That David looked unto his ways, and that he turned his feet to the testimonies of God: to wit, to the law, where God hath declared his will.
Now he addeth:
I made haste and prolonged not the time: to keep thy Commandments.
He continueth his purpose: but he showeth that this his affection was not slow, I made haste (saith he) yea and that without delay. Now it is not without cause, that David putteth to this: for we see how straightly we ought to deal against our own appetites: yea even they I say, who are best affected to serve god, do yet come as it were halting [waivering], trailing either an arm or a leg after them, as we commonly say. And what is the cause hereof? We carry about with us such a number of corruptions, as that the very weight of them maketh us to go exceeding slowly so that we have much to do to go on. And we know, and have too great experience how weak our nature is, when as we intend to do well.
Let us then understand and know these two things, and we shall never think it strange, that we are so slow and slack to follow God as indeed we are: yea even these two things (I say. ) For behold, Satan will never cease craftily to go about to imagine whatsoever he possibly can to cause us to draw back, he will set bars and pitch Hays before us, he will lay Bushes, Thorns and evil favored stumbling blocks whatsoever which any way may hinder and let us: that if we mean to march on but only three paces, we shall be violently carried away to turn on this side and on that, not knowing what shall become of us. Again, we shall be solicited and moved by our inordinate appetites, to draw us clean awry. For if we will wholly put our trust in God, the Devil will draw us to the contrary and make us to give ourselves up to this worldly pelf [property, riches], and so
consequently to all the rest. Seeing then, that we are drawn and haled with so many Cart ropes, yea and are of ourselves so feeble to do good, even burning after wickedness: Alas, no marvel though we be slow to follow God, but yet for all that we must needs fight. It is no question but that we flatter ourselves, when as we see such slackness in ourselves and say, indeed it is very true such is the state and condition of our nature, and again our infirmities are so great as that it is an impossible thing for any man to discharge himself as he ought. O dear brethren, let us not build upon such a foundation, but let us fight against our vices, and take and get unto us strength and courage, against all the stumbling blocks and
ambushes which Satan shall lay against us, that we may break all the bands and Cords wherewith he holdeth us bound. See I say how we ought to do in this case. For, let us not think but that David was a man, passionate as we are, and felt in himself great infirmities: neither made he protestation of this in vain, when he saith, that he hasted and made no delay to do the Commandments of God. And so let us haste, after his example, when God speaketh, and let us bow down our ears to hear him, and lift up our foot to obey that which he shall say unto us.
Lo then what David meaneth to declare unto us in this place: to wit, what readiness ought to be in all the children of God, to hear his word, and to receive it, and not to defer from day to day: For we know not what time God will give us the grace to offer his word unto us. They which in such sort delay the time, do make their account that God is greatly bound and beholden to attend upon them. Now we see how he scorneth such our arrogancy, when as we pray unto him with such terms and conditions.