OF THE
HUNDREDTH AND NINETEENTH PSALM
MEM
97 O Lord, what love have I unto thy law? all the day long is my study in it.
98 Thou through thy commandments that made me wiser then mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
99 I have had more understanding then all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my study.
100 I understood more then the aged: because I keep thy commandments.
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way: that I might keep thy word.
102 I have not declined from thy judgments: for thou diddest teach me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my throat: yea, sweeter then honey unto my mouth.
104 Through thy commandments I get understanding: therefore I hate all the ways of falsehood.
WE SHALL SEE in this behalf a great many which will not stick to brag, and say, that they have greatly profited in the word of God: but yet if we look into their lives, we shall see and find that they have profited as much, as if they had never read, nor heard, one word of the holy scripture. Moreover, all the goodly and gay protestations which they shall make, tend to none other end but to get themselves estimation and credit: there is none other thing in them, but a foolish and vainglorious show, that is, they desire to be commended and praised, as though they were the most able and worthy people of all others. Now when we will say that we have profited in the school of God, first of all we ought to show by our life and conversation
whether it be so or no. For this is the true testimony whereunto we must hold us. God teacheth us not to the end we should do nothing else but prattle and babble: but he instructeth us in what manner we ought to live.
He then which shall lead a dissolute and wanton life, declareth manifestly, that he never knew either God or his truth. Moreover, the meaning is not that we should set forth ourselves, to be had in estimation of men, or to get us reputation and credit: but we ought rather to glorify God, knowing that we are so much the more beholden and bound unto him, in that it hath pleased him to bestow such his grace and favor upon us, as that we
surmount others in learning, for that cometh not unto us by reason that we are sharper witted, or that we have gotten it through our own industry: to know, I say, the way of salvation, but it is a free gift which cometh unto us from above. Furthermore, when we shall acknowledge this to come from God, it is then great reason that we should draw our neighbors with us, and like as we are in a good way, even so ought we to be desirous to have everyone to follow us.
Lo to what intent David declareth in this place, that he hath loved the word of God above all, and that by it he hath been so well taught, as that he surpassed his masters, and enemies, and all those which were in great reputation and credit. Very certain it is, that David is not here led by an ambitious or highminded spirit, meaning to be coyed [soothed] and clawed, and looking to be thought to have greater understanding than others: but desireth none other thing, save that the profit which he had received by the law of God, might be thoroughly engrafted in all men, and that it might be a thing common unto everyone. In very deed, since that we are all members of one body: we ought continually to labor and travail for the upholding and maintaining of it one with another: neither ought any of us to serve himself, and his own particular profit, but we ought rather to desire to have the graces of God to abound in all our neighbors, that every of them might have a feeling of them, and that when as we shall have enjoyed this common salvation, that we might all with one accord, and as it were with one mouth, glorify him. And besides, David showeth soon after, that he was no babbling scholar, to show it only in mouth, to have many times turned over the leaves of the law of God, and to have very well understood it: but showeth his life to be agreeing to his speech: and that God hath given him grace to walk according to his will. A great deal the rather ought we then thoroughly to consider of the order that is here set down in the
first verse: he saith, O Lord, what love have I unto thy law: all the day long is my study in it. The saying which David here useth, signifieth speech and meditation. And the verb whereof it cometh, signifieth, to speak, to devise, to talk, or rather to apply his mind to anything, to be therein exercised, and studied. Now there is no doubt, but that David spake here of a matter which is conjoined with meditation. For (as before we have said) it is not meant by them which make some certain show at their tongue’s end, and yet to have nothing to be found in their life and conversation of the thing whereof they babble. He then was exercised in the word of God, and that not only for his own particular use, but to the end also to instruct his neighbors, and to communicate to them the matter which he had heard and learned. Now we see the sum and effect of this first verse. He protesteth that he hath loved the word of God, and that not after a common manner, but with a vehement zeal, in such sort as that it hath been his whole
purpose and drift: as when we have liking of any one thing, we cannot hold from talking thereof, and continually to be thinking of it. As we shall see a miserable covetous man, never but hunting after his wealth: occupied about his lands, possessions, merchandise, and cattle: and must make provision for this and that, In like sort also is it with the whoremonger, and the glutton: and accordingly as every man’s desire leadeth him, so must the tongue speak, and everyone apply himself wholly to that. See wherefore David addeth, that he was continually exercised in the word of God:
meaning thereby to show, how greatly he hath loved it, as he hath indeed said. And now we see what the example is which is here set down before us: for David speaketh not this for himself, but telleth us what we ought to be, if we will have God to instruct us, and to have him to make us
partakers of his truth, wherein consisteth our whole felicity and welfare:
for if we wax cold, and make no accompt [account] of the word of God, we are not worthy that he should give us the least taste thereof. And for this cause, we must not marvel much, though so small a number at this day have profited in the scripture. Although every man desireth to be praised and esteemed amongst men to be very able and sufficient, yet for all that we see what ignorance is in the greater number. And therefore it is good reason that God should shut the gate upon us, so that we might not have so much as the least entrance into his word. And why so? For where is the love and desire that David here maketh mention of? Now when we shall know such a vice to be within us, we ought by and by to seek to amend it, and beseech God to put this coldness from out of our hearts, and that it
would please him to enflame us in such sort, as that we might learn to prefer his word before all our fleshly desires: that we be no more so much given to all these vain follies of the world, but that we may look unto the principal thing. Let us now come to that which followeth. He saith, Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies, teachers, and ancients.
He setteth down here three sorts of people, with whom he compareth himself, and saith, that God hath bestowed this grace upon him to surpass them all. Now here David showeth unto us, what profit shall redound unto us, when as we shall read the word of God, after his example: to wit, that we shall get thereby such wisdom as shall defend us from our enemies to be better learned than our teachers, and those which otherwise should have been instead of our instructors. To be short, that all the men of the world shall not have that which we shall find there, and that all the wisdom which is in all the creatures of God, deserveth not to be equal and
comparable to it. Lo here in effect, that which he meaneth. Now we ought always to call to mind that which we have already touched. When as David here setteth down himself in the first rank, and saith, that he hath
surpassed his enemies, teachers, and those which were the most wise, and of greatest understanding, that this is not to attribute anything unto himself, and to his own person: but to the end that God might be glorified in him: and that we might know what profit shall redound unto us by the word of God, when as we shall give ourselves unto it. We see then that David had no regard to himself, but meaneth rather to give us occasion to glorify God. And besides his purpose is to stir us up to the love, as we have already touched, which he had to the word of God: knowing the same to be so profitable for us. For what is the cause that we are so very
negligent, as indeed we are, in giving ourselves to the study of the holy scripture: that we think it to be even labor and time lost if we only spend but one hour of the day therein? What is the cause of such contempt?
Verily because we know not the profit that might come unto us thereby:
for if we were thus persuaded that all our wisdom is and consisteth in the word of GOD, and that without it we are like unto miserable beasts: so that Satan hath caught and holdeth us fast bound in his grinnes [noose-like traps] and snares, and that we cannot err in all the whole course of our life if we know this: and again that it is sufficient that God hath taught us, and so have thereby such clear light, as that will never fail us, that we be fenced
against all the ambushes of Satan, and against all the villainies and deceits of the world: if then we were thus thoroughly persuaded that the word of God were sufficient against all this, it is most certain that we should be a great deal more in love, without all comparison with the study thereof, than now we are.
And therefore, let us well record this lesson, which is here set down unto us by David: to wit, that in the first place, we shall be wiser than all our enemies, if that we have the word of God always remaining with us.
Now when he saith, that he was made wiser and had more understanding than his enemies, he meaneth that he had so excellent a knowledge, as that God would not suffer him to fall into the ambushes and privy engines which the ungodly had laid for him, suddenly to be entrapped and caught by their subtle traines [scheming lures, traps] and policies. Lo already a wonderful profit which we receive by the word of God, that although we be encompassed with the wicked which seek nothing but our destruction, when as we do think that we should perish every minute of an hour, yet that we shall be guarded from all whatsoever, that they may any way attempt and privily lay in wait against us, so that we be instructed in the word of God.
Lo, say I, an inestimable treasure: but we must consider who they be that are our enemies. For we have not only to do with men which seek our hurt, dishonor, or that which might grieve us as touching this present life: but we have Satan, and all his favorers and maintainers, which are deadly enemies to our souls, who seek nothing else but our destruction: yea, not only as concerning the world, but to withdraw us clean away from the kingdom of God. Now it is very sure, that when the word of God shall remain and continue with us, that we shall have wisdom enough to defend and keep us from all such enemies. We are then thoroughly to weigh this saying: to wit, that if we apply the word of God to our own use, after that we have been instructed therein, we may be sure to walk in safety and without danger. And how so? Because God will preserve us against all our enemies: for although Satan pitcheth his nets to take us, notwithstanding all the marvelous policies of men, yea notwithstanding all our own crafts and deceits whereunto we are sufficiently enough inclined of ourselves, yet cannot we be assailed nor shaken, either on the one side or on the other:
but shall be well fenced, when as God shall hold us with his hand, and that
we suffer ourselves to be governed by him. And besides our souls shall not only be preserved, but also whatsoever we have to do in this world:
neither shall our enemies be ever able to hurt us, when as we shall have been thoroughly instructed. It is very true, it shall not be otherwise, but that they will molest us: as we see the faithful to be greatly troubled and vexed through the wicked and ungodly: but what cometh of it? We see that God in the end turneth all to their profit, and to the confusion of those which persecute them. Moreover, let us mark, when David saith, that he was made wiser than all his enemies, he very well showeth that there were a great many of people, which sought nothing else but to destroy him:
nevertheless he speaketh not so much for himself, as he seeketh to show a common example appertaining [pertains] to all the faithful. And this ought the more to increase our courage, to be more careful to profit in the word of God. And why so? we had need to be very well advised, and of good understanding, because we are continually to fight against Satan, and his companions, which will never cease to lie in privy wait for us. And since we see that the wicked are as hungerstarved dogs, and ravening wolves against us, their cruelty is insatiable.
Seeing then we see by experience, that the children of God must needs be compassed with enemies, and that there are many ambushes laid, and many wicked treacheries practiced against them: so much the more ought we to have our refuge to this word, which can only keep and defend us, in such sort as that our enemies can do nothing against us, but that we may be assured, as David here maketh mention. But we must note that which he saith, that he hath had the word of God continually with him: for so he useth to say, And that is to signify unto us that we ought never to depart from that which God hath once declared unto us, and not to be so fitching [fidgety], as the more part of us is accustomed to be. And there is not that he amongst us, which is not infected with such a vice: that although the word of God hath taken root in us, yet can we not hold ourselves from howling as the wolves do (as we commonly say) when as we shall be vexed with any temptation. But see how David showeth us, that he abode steadfast and constant, whatsoever came of it, although he had a number of enemies which sought nothing else but to oppress and assault him with horrible temptations, he notwithstanding held the word of God forever:
and whatsoever vexing and turmoiling he saw on the other side, he still held him to it. It followeth, That he was wiser than his teachers: yea because,
saith he, that upon that was my whole talk, or, meditation, as the
testimonies of God. In this, and in the verse following, David meaneth, that there is no worldly wisdom, nor doctrine, which is worthy to be compared with that which we learn in the school of God. It is very true that we may well study the doctrines of men, and attain thereby unto some judgment, as ye know that learning doth fine a natural man’s wit: but what shall it be, if we were the most perfect that is possible to be spoken of in all such knowledge: to wit, in whatsoever man can teach us? It is all but an ABC.
For we come never a whit the sooner to heaven by it, but it abideth still in this present life. So that, as our life is transitory, and less than nothing:
even so also must we confess, that all the sciences which men teach us, are no better than smoke: it is a transitory thing which is soon vanished. And as there is nothing everlasting but the kingdom of God, so also is there but one only truth which is a wisdom everlasting, and hath a sure and ever continuing foundation. See then what David his meaning is here to show us, that men may very well teach us, yea, but that shall be but as an ABC until such time as we are come to the school of God.
It cannot be denied, but that God teacheth us very well by the means of men, as indeed it cometh from him which we learn, when as men make plain unto us his truth, and lead us in the right way of the Scripture: but here, David speaketh of that, which might be taught him, without this doctrine which he hath learned of GOD, when as he hath been enlightened by the holy Ghost, and hath known what the secrets of the law are. When then he hath had this spiritual knowledge, he saith that all whatsoever he had learned of men, was nothing in comparison. Now he addeth for confirmation,
That he was wiser than his enemies.
Here, he doth not only declare, that the word of God instructeth us more perfectly, than all the Sciences in the world are able to do, but also scorneth the usage, experience, and subtlety of all whatsoever that may any way come from men, saying that it is all nothing in respect of this wisdom which we learn in the school of God.
Lo here a place right worthy to be noted and imprinted in our memories.
For we see how men extoll and magnify themselves, when they have attained to any knowledge, to get themselves credit and estimation. For if a man be eloquent, and can speak gallantly, and write excellently, or that he