OF THE
HUNDREDTH AND NINETEENTH PSALM
VAV
41 And let thy loving kindness come unto me, O Lord: and thy salvation according to thy promise.
42 So shall I make answer unto my blasphemers: for my truth is in thy word.
43 And take not the word of thy truth utterly out of my mouth:
for I wait for thy judgments.
44 So shall I always keep thy law: yea for ever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy commandments. 46 I will speak of thy testimonies also even before kings: and will
not be ashamed.
47 And my delight shall be in thy commandments: which I have loved.
48 M y hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved: and my study shall be in thy statutes.
THE BEGINNING of these eight verses contain a request which David made unto God, that he felt the accomplishment and performance of the
promises which god granted unto him, and after which he hoped. As if he should have said, O Lord, declare unto me, that the promise which thou hast made unto me to do me so much good, be not in vain, but that thou wilt make me feel indeed, that thy word and promise is most certain and true. Now, that he founded himself upon the promises of God, appeareth by his thus saying:
And let thy loving kindness come unto me, O Lord: and thy salvation, according to thy promise.
So shall I make answer unto my blasphemers: for my trust is in thy word.
Wherein also we see that Satan craftily goeth about to overthrow his faith, as if God had made it nothing worth. So then, First of all we are to note, that David feeling himself pressed down, runneth unto the promises of God. And this is a point very profitable for us. For behold how we must put the word of God in practice, when as we have learned it, that when we come to the fight, and Satan assaileth us on every side, in such sort as that it might seem that all the world had conspired against us, and that we see nothing but destruction round about: Even then, I say, must we run unto the promises which God hath made us, and make account of them, and so apply them to our own use, that then we may feel the power and strength of them. Now it shall be an easy matter for us, when as we are at rest and quiet, to receive whatsoever God hath said unto us. And why so? Because our Faith all that while shall not be exercised and troubled, so that we shall never be able to feel whether we have believed in good earnest, until such time as we are tried. Lo, Why I have said that this place is worthy the marking, that David speaketh not without cause when he saith, So shall I make answer unto those that go about to shame me. For by these words he protesteth, that the wicked contemned, despised and mocked him, as if he had been a very fool, in trusting so much unto God, but yet for that, his faith was not shaken. And see how Satan assaileth us with temptations, when as the wicked and ungodly speak reproachful words of us: insomuch as we have thought it to be wonderful strange gear [talk], because that we having heard the so honorable and excellent promises of God, thought ourselves straightways to be rapt and carried above the clouds, and yet this same our persuasion proved nothing at all so, as it made a show to the outward appearance: Even so likewise came it to pass in David, as we may especially see in the twenty and two Psalm.
And our Savior Christ also, who is the very true pattern and mirror of all the Children of God hath sustained and abiden [endured] such combats.
Very well (said they unto him) he trusteth in God, Let him now see whether God will hear him or not. Let us then note, that David hath not devised and made here any vain speculations, as an idle body might do, which never had been tempted nor distressed. But being so mocked by his enemies, that his faith seemed to be overthrown, and he himself in great hazard utterly to be destroyed, then came he for refuge to the promises of God, saying: My God, thou hast given me thy word, which cannot fail me:
Lo wherein is all hope and trust. Even so also ought we to follow this
doctrine, to wit, when the world on the one side shall deride and scorn us, because we have overlightly credited God, and that Satan shall travail all he can to turn us clean away from the certainty which we have had: yet let us not cease to say, O Lord, it is thou which hast spoken, and in thee is all our hope and trust.
Moreover, as we are to call to mind the promises of God, when as we are assailed by Satan and the ungodly: Let us also note (as hath been
heretofore treated of) that this is it whereon we must build all our requests:
For if we will earnestly pray unto God, and obtain that which we pray for, we must not pray in the air, and say, O Lord I pray unto thee for such a thing, and I would it might so come to pass. For this were overrash and too great boldness to think to make God subject to our wills, to bridle him as we list [desire], and to desire him to grant us whatsoever shall please our appetites: but it is his word that must lead us, and be our Cresset [lantern, illuminating iron vessel]: and we must refer ourselves wholly to it, and altogether rest thereon. Behold, say I, after what sort our prayers are allowed, to wit, when as we pray not to God for that which seemeth best in our own eyes, but when as we be fenced with that which he hath promised us.
And this is it, wherein we differ from the Painims [pagans, heathens] and Infidels. For we see that the Turks and Idolaters do greatly pray unto God.
But after what manner pray they? Forsooth [in truth] even at all
adventure: so that they know not what they do. But contrariwise we must pray unto him, with full assurance that he will hear us. But from whence shall this certainty proceed, if we have not the truth to go before us, and say: behold the Lord, who calleth us unto him? And then when we come unto him, this is no foolish presumption: But we come in such sort unto him, as he hath commanded us.
Let us then see what we have yet to note in this place, when David setteth down here the promises of God, by which he is bound unto him: O Lord, saith he, let it be done unto me according to thy word. Now here is a very profitable point to be considered of: to wit, after that we are once assured, that God hath promised to do that for us which we shall ask of him, we must no more doubt, that it shall be so: but that the thing is fully concluded upon, so that we are ever sure and certain thereof. For when God speaketh unto us, we are very sure, that he will not deceive us: he will
not give us fair words, and then deceive us, as men many times do, dealing very liberally with their tongues, but yet notwithstanding very close fisted: But God dealeth not in such sort. Let us then come before him without distrust, Have we his word? Let us then hold the thing as already performed. And so when David saith, according to thy word, he signifieth unto us, that he was not only assured, that God is faithful and liberal, that he meaneth not to abuse us when as we trust to him: but showeth us, that this certainty which we have of the truth of God, should not make us weary, to say, that we be as it were even overwhelmed. But we must rather be careful and diligent to pray unto him.
There are some men which will indeed say, that they believe the promises of GOD, but since, say they, he knoweth what we have need of, what need we to be importune upon him.
Now these men indeed, very well declare that they never understood what faith and hope are. For if we received the promises of God without
hypocrisy we ought to be thus earnest and zealous, to pray, and have recourse unto him, saying, O Lord God, when as thou hast assured me of thy bounty and mercy, it is to this end, that I should call upon thee in my need. And that I see the necessity which urgeth and presseth me, I must needs come unto thee as thou hast called me by thy word. Behold then, that all the promises of God should serve us instead of so many spurs to prick us forward, in making our prayers unto him. Let us now come to the words of David.
Let thy loving mercies, or thy graces, come unto me O Lord, and thy salvation.
After that he hath laid his foundation whereupon to build, he desireth one selfsame thing in two words, which to the outward appearance are divers and sundry: to wit, the graces of God, and his salvation. And yet
notwithstanding David meaneth nothing else, but that god would show himself to be his Savior. Neither is there anything here spoken
superfluously: For it is as much as if he had said, O my God, I beseech thee that according to thy promise, thou wilt make me feel thee to be my savior and father. But yet in the meanwhile, he expresseth unto us whence this salvation which we must wait for, and which God hath promised us cometh, and that is, of his mere good will. For men cannot otherwise choose: but that they will ever wrongfully take upon them something or
other, which appertaineth [pertains] nothing unto them, and always to be foolishly and arrogantly bound unto themselves. Now David, clean contrary, showeth here, that all the salvation which he hopeth after and desireth, cometh from another springhead [source, cause], than from the virtue and dignity of men: to wit, even from the mere goodness of God. So then we see, that as before he hath spoken of the promise, even so also he here addeth and expresseth the cause, which moved God to bind himself so unto us: to wit, his mere mercy.
By this we are admonished, that when we are to call upon God, we should always have regard unto these two things: to wit, the grace of God and his free mercy, and after that his promise. God is good and liberal, and see why it is, that he with pity looketh upon us: and beholding us with his eyes of compassion, vouchsafeth [condescends] to receive us, yea and calleth and allureth us unto him, and also emboldeneth us to crave of him, to the end he would help and succor [aid] us in all our needs and
necessities. Now this goodness should lie hidden in God, were it not that he made us to feel it by his promise: For God showeth himself unto us, to be such a one as indeed he is, he layeth his heart wide open, when he rendereth us a testimony of the love he beareth us.
Lo here why I have said, that in all our prayers we ought to have these two considerations: The one is, that God is so good and loving, that although we be poor and miserable creatures, and nothing else but dung and stench, yet for all that he ceaseth not to love us, and to have great care of our salvation. And since we are come to the promise, which is a sure
testimony that God is such one we should no more doubt what affection he beareth us, whether he be our friend or enemy, seeing it is so that he is very well willing to be bound unto us, in declaring unto us that he is our father, and taketh us to be his Children.
Now David maketh such a request as we have already touched, to the end he might answer those which wrought him shame. Although he saith word for word, To the end I may answer these which work me shame. Here David declareth, that when God shall have aided him, that then he shall be able to withstand all his enemies, put by all the injuries and scorns of the unbelievers and faithless which they did lay before him, to the end to shake and crush the faithful and to destroy them, yea and utterly to make their faith nothing worth, if it were possible for them to do it. By this we
are let [made] to understand, that if we make our prayers to God, whensoever it shall happen all the world to assail us, and that it might seem we should be plunged in hell an hundred thousand times, yet we might stand sure against all our enemies: yea verily, for God will never fail us, whensoever we shall desire and pray him to perform his promises unto us, and make us feel his goodness for our salvation. Moreover if we have wherewithal to resist the wicked and ungodly which come upon us to daunt and quail our faith, we shall have also wherewith to withstand Satan.
For when men shall persecute us, or deride the promises of God, and labor all they may to turn us away from them, it cometh not of themselves, but it is the Devil which pusheth them forward. Even so then, we may fight and win the victory against all the combats of Satan, if we will pray unto God, after the example of David.
This is also to be considered and noted which here he addeth, when he saith, My delight is in thy word. He declareth what signs and tokens he desired of God here before, that he would do unto him as he had promised.
For I have delight therein, saith he, would we then have God his promises to take place in us, to open the gate that we might come unto him, that they might be as keys to give us an entry, to the end our requests and petitions might be received? we must then join hope therewith. And lo what is the cause why we feel not the power of the promises of God as we ought: the reason is, for that we have no hope nor trust in them. It is most true, that god for his part is always true of his word: and although we are miserable faithless people, yet will he never falsify his faith which he hath given to us. But what? Surely we are unworthy ones to feel such a
pleasure. In very deed, god hath promised to pour his grace upon us, as also he offereth it unto us: But yet are we utterly unworthy thereof, without we believe his promises, would we that god should do unto us according to his word? we must then receive his word, and embrace it by faith: as also the Apostle(<580402>
Hebrews 4:2) treateth thereof. And thus much as touching these two first verses.
Now it followeth: Take not the word of thy truth utterly out of my mouth:
for I wait for thy judgments.
When David saith, O take not the word of thy truth out of my mouth: He meaneth not, that it sufficeth to magnify God with his tongue: and to make many goodly protestations before the world: but he presupposeth, that
when he hath witnessed of the truth of God with his mouth, that it must also be grafted within his heart. And indeed, David speaketh not here like an hypocrite, as they do which would seem to make a goodly show before him: and think themselves well enough and in good case, when as they are openly supposed to be very faithful, well thought of, and taken to be very honest men, this think they is all that is to be required. But David hath not proceeded after this manner: For when he saith, Take not the word of thy truth out of my mouth, O Lord: It is as much as if he had said, O Lord, do me not only this grace, that I trust secretly in thee, that I stay me upon thy promises, that I stand sure against all the assaults of mine enemies, but namely and chiefly even before the face of men: that my faith might declare itself, that by this means I might guide and instruct all those which would come unto thee: and contrariwise that I might withstand all those which shall go about to overthrow this spiritual hope of mine, which I have in thee and in thy truth. And when thou O Lord, shalt have deeply rooted thy word in mine heart, let it also be oftentimes in my mouth, that I may magnify thy name before men.
We have then to learn out of this place, that in the first place we must be assured of the truth of God, yea although that men perceive it not in us:
And again although every man would keep it so secret to himself, as that no man in all the world knew thereof, yet GOD and his Angels do know, how true and certain we esteem it to be, and also how we yield thereto, the honor which unto it appertaineth [pertains], and to be such indeed as deserveth to be holden for true and faithful. And thus much for the first point. Now for the second, Let us advisedly consider to edify our
neighbors, that they might be confirmed by our example, and all with one accord to trust in God, that the wicked and ungodly might be ashamed that we might vex them, that we have wherein to glory, notwithstanding all their windlasses, privy devices, and whatsoever mischief else they are any way able to imagine against us, and thinking to make us as profane as themselves, yet that we may be able to cast them off, after the example of David. Lo then, the word which he desireth to have always in his mouth, to confirm all those which would trust in God, and to confound all them which deride and scorn his word and truth. But what meaneth he by this saying, Forever? That is, that he being as it were forsaken of God in all his afflictions, was as one that were dumb and could not speak, as he
complaineth in another place. And indeed, so long as God showeth unto us