5. "Shall not all, who work iniquity, know?" (ver. 4). He threatens the judgment. "Who devour My people as the food of bread: " that is, daily. For the food of bread is daily food. Now they devour the people, who serve their own ends out of them, not referring their minis- try to the glory of God, and the salvation of those over whom they are.
6. "They have not called upon the Lord." For he doth not really call upon Him, who longs for such things as are displeasing to Him. " There they trembled for fear, where no fear was" (ver. 5): that is, for the loss of things temporal. For they said, " If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him; and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation." 2 They feared to lose an earthly kingdom, where no fear was; and they lost the kingdom of heaven, which they ought to have feared. And this must be understood of all temporal goods, the loss of which when men fear, they come not to things eternal.
7. " For God is in the just generation." It refers to what went before, so that the sense is, " shall not all they that work iniquity know that the Lord is in the just generation; " 3 that is, He is not in them who love the world. For it is unjust to leave the Maker of the worlds, and " serve the creature more than the Creator." 4 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, for the Lord is his hope " (ver. 6): that is, ye have despised the humble coming of the Son of God, because ye saw not in Him the pomp of the world: that they, whom he was calling, should put their hope in God alone, not in the things that pass away.
8. " Who will give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" (ver. 7). Who but He whose humilia- tion ye have despised? is understood. For He will come in glory to the judgment of the quick and the dead, and the kingdom of the just: that, forasmuch as in that humble coming " blindness hath happened in part unto Israel, that the ful- ness of the Gentiles might enter in," 5 in that 1 Matt. xi. 28-30. 2 John xi. 48.
3 Thus far the sentence is quoted from the Oxford MSS.
other should happen what follows, " and so all Israel should be saved." For the Apostle too takes that testimony of Isaiah, where it is said, "There shall come out of Sion He who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: " 6 for the Jews, as it is here, " Who shall give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" "When the Lord shall turn away the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." » It is a repetition, as is usual: for I suppose, " Israel shall be glad," is the same as, "Jacob shall rejoice."
PSALM XV.8 A PSALM OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. Touching this title there is no question. " O Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle? " (ver. 1). Although tabernacle be sometimes used even for an everlasting habitation: yet when tabernacle is taken in its proper meaning, it is a thing of war. Hence soldiers are called tent-fellows,9 as having their tents together. This sense is assisted by the words, " Who shall so- journ? " For we war with the devil for a time, and then we need a tabernacle wherein we may refresh ourselves. Which specially points out the faith of the temporal Dispensation, which was wrought for us in time through the Incarna- tion of the Ix>rd. " And who shall rest in Thy holy mountain?" Here perhaps he signifies at once the eternal habitation itself,'" that we should understand by " mountain " the supereminence of the love of Christ in life eternal."
2. " He who walketh without stain, and work- eth righteousness" (ver. 2). Here he has laid down the proposition; in what follows he sets it forth in detail.
3. " Who speaketh the truth in his heart." For some have truth on their lips, and not in their heart. As if one should deceitfully point out a road, knowing that there were robbers there, and should say, If you go this way, you will be safe from robbers; and it should turn out that in fact there were no robbers found there: he has spoken the truth, but not in his heart. For he supposed it to be otherwise, and spoke the truth in ignorance. Therefore it is not enough to speak the truth, unless it be so also in heart. " Who hath practised no deceit in his tongue " (ver. 3). Deceit is practised with the tongue, when one thing is professed with the mouth, another concealed in the breast. " Nor clone evil to his neighbour." It is well known that by " neighbour," every man should be un- 6 Isa. lix. 20.
7 [A prophetic protysis of the Captivity; but stretching forward to the final restoration, in our author's view. — C] 11 [This Psalm is called by some of the Fathers M the Ladder of Jacob," by which the righteous ascend to God. It is the octave of Ps. viii., which is appropriate to the ascension of humanity in Christ. -C] 48 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XVI.
derstood. " And hath not entertained slander against his neighbour," that is, hath not readily or rashly given credence to an accuser.
4. " The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight" ' (ver. 4). This is perfec- tion, that the malicious one have no force against a man; and that this be " in his sight; " that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form2 of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. " But those that fear the Lord, He glorifieth: " the Lord Himself, that is. Now " the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." 3 As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.
5. " Who sweareth unto his neighbour, and deceiveth him not." " Who hath not given his money upon usury, and hath not taken rewards against the innocent" (ver. 5). These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, " yea, yea; nay, nay; " 4 and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one hath been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, " Whoso doeth these things shall not be moved for ever: " that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, "The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight: " but here, "shall not be moved for ever."
PSALM XVI.s THE INSCRIPTION OF THE TITLE, OF DAVID HIMSELF.6 i. Our King in this Psalm speaks in the character of the human » nature He assumed, of whom the royal title at the time of His pas- sion was eminently set forth.
2. Now He saith as follows; "Preserve me, O Lord, for in Thee have I hoped" (ver. 1): " I have said to the Lord, Thou art my God, for" Thou requirest not my goods" (ver. 2): for « [Malignut in the Vulgate, which the Anglican Psalter does not follow here. — C] * V* Micktam of David," which Bishop Wordsworth derives from Ca/Aam, and illustrates by Job xix. 33. — C.J 7 Sutctptionis kumana.
with my goods Thou dost not look to be made blessed.
3. "To the saints who are on His earth" (ver. 3): to the saints who have placed their hope in the land of the living, the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose spiritual conver- sation is, by the anchor of hope, fixed in that country, which is rightly called God's earth; although as yet in this earth too they be con- versant in the flesh. " He hath wonderfully ful- filled all My wishes in them." To those saints then He hath wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in their advancement, whereby they have per- ceived, how both the humanity of My divinity hath profited them that I might die, and the divinity of the humanity that I might rise again.
4. " Their infirmities have been multiplied " 8 (ver. 4): their infirmities have been multiplied not for their destruction, but that they might long for the Physician. " Afterwards they made haste." Accordingly after infirmities multiplied they made haste, that they might be healed. " I will not gather together their assemblies by blood." For their assemblies shall not be car- nal, nor will I gather them together as one pro- pitiated by the blood of cattle.? " Nor will I be mindful of their names within My lips." But by a spiritual change what they have been shall be forgotten; nor by Me shall they be any more called either sinners, or enemies, or men; but righteous, and My brethren, and sons of God through My peace.
5. "The Lord is the portion of Mine inherit- ance, and of My cup" (ver. 5). For together with Me they shall possess the inheritance, the Lord Himself. Let others choose for them- selves portions, earthly and temporal, to enjoy: the portion of the Saints is the Lord eternal. Let others drink of deadly pleasures, the por- tion of My cup is the Lord. In that I say, " Mine," I include the Church: for where the Head is, there is the body also. For into the inheritance will I gather together their assem- blies, and by the inebriation of the cup I will forget their old names. " Thou art He who will restore to Me My inheritance: " that to these too, whom I free, may be known "the glory wherein I was with Thee before the world was made." IO For Thou wilt not restore to Me that which I never lost, but Thou wilt restore to these, who have lost it, the knowledge of that glory: in whom because I am, Thou wilt restore to Me.
6. " The lines have fallen to me in glorious places" (ver. 6). The boundaries of my pos- session have fallen in Thy glory as it were by lot, like as God is the possession of the Priests and Levites." " For Mine inheritance is glorious 8 So Oxford mss. 11 Numb, xviii. ao.
9 Isa. i. ii, 12.
10 John xvii. 5.
Psalm XVII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
49 to Me." " For Mine inheritance is glorious," not to all, but to them that see; in whom be- cause I am, "it is to Me."
7. " I will bless the Lord, who hath given Me understanding " (ver. 7): whereby this in- heritance may be seen and possessed. " Yea moreover too even unto night my reins have chastened Me." Yea besides understanding, even unto death, My inferior part, the assump- tion of flesh, hath instructed Me, that I might experience the darkness of mortality, which that understanding hath not.
8. " I foresaw the Lord in My sight always " (ver. 8). But coming into things that pass away, I removed not Mine eye from Him who abideth ever, foreseeing this, that to Him I should return after passing through the things temporal. " For He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved." For He favoureth Me, that I should abide fixedly in Him.
9. " Wherefore My heart was glad, and My tongue exulted" (ver. 9). Wherefore both in My thoughts is gladness, and in my words exul- tation. " Moreover too My flesh shall rest in hope." Moreover too My flesh shall not fail unto destruction, but shall sleep in hope of the resurrection.
10. "For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell" (ver. 10). For Thou wilt neither give My soul for a possession to those parts below. " Neither wilt Thou grant Thine Holy One to see corruption." Neither wilt Thou suffer that sanctified body, whereby others are to be also sanctified, to see corruption. " Thou hast made known to Me the paths of life" (ver. 11). Thou hast made known through Me the paths of humiliation, that ' men might return to life, from whence they fell through pride; in whom because I am, "Thou hast made known to Me." " Thou wilt fill Me with joy with Thy counte- nance." Thou wilt fill them with joy, that they should seek nothing further, when they shall see Thee " face to face; " in whom because I am, "Thou wilt fill Me." " Pleasure is at Thy right hand even to the end." Pleasure is in Thy favour and mercy in this life's journey, leading on even to the end of the glory of Thy coun- tenance.2 PSALM XVII.3 A PRAYER OF DAVID HIMSELF.
i. This prayer must be assigned to the Per- son of the Lord, with the addition of the Church, which is His body.
2. " Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication" (ver. 1). "Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips: " not going 1 Oxford mss. " that by it."
3 Lat. XVI.
forth to Thee in deceitful lips. " Let My judg- ment from Thy countenance go forth " (ver. 2). From the enlightening of the knowledge of Thee, let Me judge truth. Or at least, let My judg- ment go forth, not in deceitful lips, from Thy countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter aught else than I understand in Thee. " Let Mine eyes see equity: " the eyes, of course, of the heart.
3. " Thou hast proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season" (ver. 3). For this Mine heart hath been proved by the visitation of tribu- lation. " Thou hast examined Me by fire, and iniquity hath not been found in Me." Now not night only, in that it is wont to disturb, but fire also, in that it burns, is this tribulation to be called; whereby when I was examined I was found righteous.
4. " That My mouth may not speak the works of men" (ver. 4). That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Thy glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Thy will. " Because of the words of Thy lips." 4 Because of the words of Thy peace, or of Thy prophets. " I have kept hard ways." I have kept the toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering.
5. " To perfect My steps in Thy paths " (ver. 5). That the love of the Church might be per- fected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at Thy rest. " That My footsteps be not moved." That the signs of My way, which, like footsteps, have been imprinted on the Sacraments and Apostolical writings, be not moved, that they may mark them who would follow Me. Or at least, that I may still abide fixedly in eternity, after that I have accomplished the hard ways, and have finished My steps in the straits of Thy paths.
6. " I have cried out, for Thou hast heard Me, O God" (ver. 6). With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto Thee: for that I might have this power, Thou hast heard Me when praying more weakly. " Incline Thine ear to Me, and hear My words." Let not Thy hearing forsake My humiliation.
7. " Make Thy mercies marvellous" (ver. 7). Let not Thy mercies be disesteemed, lest they be loved too little.
8. " Who savest them that hope in Thee from such as resist Thy right hand: " from such as resist the favour, whereby Thou favourest Me. " Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye " (ver. 8): which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is Jistinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judg- ment s distinguishing between the righteous and * See on Ps. xlv. 2: " the word of grace, the kiss of grace." 3 At. " the judgment of Godhead."
5<> THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XVIH.
sinners. " In the covering of Thy wings protect Me." In the defence of Thy love and mercy protect Me. " From the face of the ungodly who have troubled Me " (ver. 9).
9. " Mine enemies have compassed about My soul; " " they have shut up their own fat " (ver. 10). They have been covered wiih their own gross joy, after that their desire hath been sati- ated with wickedness. " Their mouth hath spoken pride." And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," ' and other like words.
10. " Casting Me forth they have now com- passed Me about" (ver. n). Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on the Cross. " Their eyes they have de- termined to turn down on the earth." The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a mighty evil, and themselves, that slew Him, none.
11. " As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me" (ver. 12). They have taken Me, like that adversary who " walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 2 " And as a lion's whelp dwelling in secret places." And as his whelp, the people to whom it was said, " Ye are of your father the devil: " ' meditating on the snares, whereby they might circumvent and destroy the just One.
12. "Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down" (ver. 13). Arise, O Lord, Thou whom they suppose to be asleep, and regardless of men's iniquities; be they blinded before by their own malice, that vengeance may prevent their deed; and so cast them down.
13. "Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. " Thy weapon: from the enemies of Thine hand " (ver. 14). For My soul is Thy weapon, which Thy hand, that is, Thy eternal Power, hath taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then " deliver from the enemies of Thine hand," that is, of Thy Power, that is, from Mine enemies. " Destroy them, O Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life." O Lord, de- stroy them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout the world in this life, which only they think their life, who * despair of life eternal. " And by Thy hidden things their belly hath been filled." Now not only this visi- ble punishment shall overtake them, but also their memory hath been filled with sins, which as darkness are hidden from the light of Thy truth, that they should forget God. " They have been filled with swine's flesh." They have been filled with uncleanness, treading under foot the pearls of God's words. " And they have left the rest to their babes: " crying out, " This sin be upon us and upon our children." 5 14. " But I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight" (ver. 15). But I, Who have not appeared to them that, with their filthy and darkened heart, cannot see the light of wisdom, " shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight." " I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested." And when they have been satiated with their uncleanness, that they could not know Me, I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested, in them that know Me. In that verse indeed where it is said, " filled with swine's flesh," some copies have, " filled with children: " for from the ambiguity of the Greek6 a double interpretation has resulted. Now by " children " we understand works; and as by good children, good works, so by evil, evil.
TO THE END, PSALM XVIII.7 FOR THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, DAVID HIMSELF.
1 Matt, xxvii. ao.
* Al. " because they."
1 1 Pet. v. 8.
1 John 1 1. That is, for the strong of hand, Christ in His Manhood.8 " The words of this song which he spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him out of the hands of his enemies, and of the hand of Saul; and he said, On the day when the Lord delivered him out of the hands of his enemies and of the hand of Saul: " namely, the king of the Jews, whom they had demanded for themselves.' For as " David " is said to be by interpretation, strong of hand; so " Saul " is said to be demanding. Now it is well known, how that People demanded for them- selves a king, and received him for their king, not according to the will of God, but according to their own will.
2. Christ, then, and the Church, that is, whole Christ, the Head and the Body, saith here, " I will love Thee, O Lord, My strength " (ver. 1). I will love Thee, O Lord, by whom I am strong.10 3. " O Lord, My stay, and My refuge, and My deliverer" (ver. 2). O Lord, who hast stayed Me, because I sought refuge with Thee: and I sought refuge, because Thou hast delivered Me. " My God is My helper; and I will hope in Him." My God, who hast first afforded me the help of Thy call, that I might be able to hope in Thee. " My defender, and the horn of My salvation, and My redeemer." My defender, because I have not leant upon Myself, lifting up as it were the horn of pride against Thee; but have found Thee a horn indeed, that is, the sure 5 Matt, xxvii. 25.
6 viiay, ii "v, ueiW, various readings. — Ben.
Psalm XVIII.]
ON THE PSALMS.
51 height of salvation: and that I might find it, Thou redeemedst Me.
4. " With praise will I call upon the Lord, and I shall be safe from Mine enemies" (ver. 3). Seeking not My own but the Lord's glory, I will call upon Him, and there shall be no means whereby the errors of ungodliness can hurt Me.
5. " The pains of death," that is, of the flesh, have " compassed Me about. And the over- flowings of ungodliness have troubled Me " (ver. 4). Ungodly troubles' stirred up for a time, like torrents of rain which will soon sub- side, have come on to trouble Me.
6. " The pains of hell compassed Me about " (ver. 5). Among those that compassed Me about to destroy Me, were pains of envy, which work death, and lead on to the hell of sin. " The snares of death prevented Me." They prevented Me, so that they wished to hurt Me first, which shall afterwards be recompensed unto them. Now they seize unto destruction such men as they have evilly persuaded by the boast of righteousness: in the name but not in the reality of which they glory against the Gentiles.
7. " And in Mine oppression I called upon the Lord, and cried unto My God. And He heard My voice from His holy temple " (ver. 6). He heard from My heart, wherein He dwelleth, My voice. " And My cry in His sight entered into His ears; " and My cry, which I utter, not in the ears of men, but inwardly before Him Himself, " entered into His ears."
8. " And the earth was moved and trembled " (ver. 7). When the Son of Man was thus glori- fied, sinners were moved and trembled. " And the foundations of the mountains were troubled." And the hopes of the proud, which were in this life, were troubled. " And were moved, for God was wroth with them." That is, that the hope of temporal goods might have now no more establishment in the hearts of men.
9. "There went up smoke in His wrath" (ver. 8). The tearful supplication of penitents went up, when they came to know God's threat- enings against the ungodly. " And fire burneth from His face." And the ardour of love after repentance burns by the knowledge of Him. "Coals were kindled from Him." They, who were already dead, abandoned by the fire of good desire and the light of righteousness, and who remained in coldness and darkness, re- enkindled and enlightened, have come to life again.
10. "And He bowed the heaven, and came down" (ver. 9). And He humbled the just One, that He might descend to men's infirmity. "And darkness under His feet." And the un- 1 Or, " crowds."
godly, who savour of things earthly, in the darkness of their own malice, knew not Him: for the earth under His feet is as it were His footstool.
11. "And He mounted above the cherubim, and did fly" (ver. 10). And He was exalted above the fulness of knowledge, that no man should come to Him but by love: for " love is the fulfilling of the law." 2 And full soon He showed to His lovers that He is incomprehen- sible, lest they should suppose that He is com- prehended by corporeal imaginations. " He flew above the wings of the winds." But that swiftness, whereby He showed Himself to be incomprehensible, is above the powers of souls, whereon as upon wings they raise themselves from earthly fears into the air of liberty.
12. "And hath made darkness His hiding place" (ver. n). And hath settled the ob- scurity of the Sacraments, and the hidden hope in the heart of believers, where He may lie hid, and not abandon them. In this darkness too, wherein "we yet walk by faith, and not by sight," 3 as long as " we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for it."4 Round about Him is His tabernacle." Yet they that believe Him turn to Him and encircle Him; for that He is in the midst of them, since He is equally the friend of all, in whom as in a taber- nacle He at this time dwells. " Dark water in clouds of air." Nor let any one on this account, if he understand the Scripture, imagine that he is already in that light, which will be when we shall have come out of faith into sight: for in the prophets and in all the preachers of the word of God there is obscure teaching.
13. "In respect of the brightness in His sight" (ver. 12): in comparison with the bright- ness, which is in the sight of His manifestation. " His clouds have passed over." The preach- ers of His word are not now bounded by the confines of Judaea, but have passed over to the Gentiles. " Hail and coals of fire." Reproofs are figured,5 whereby, as by hail, the hard hearts are bruised: but if a cultivated and genial soil, that is, a godly mind, receive them, the hail's hardness dissolves into water, that is, the terror of the lightning-charged,6 and as it were frozen, reproof dissolves into satisfying doctrine; and hearts kindled by the fire of love revive. All these things in His clouds have passed over to the Gentiles.
14. " And the Lord hath thundered from heaven" (ver. 13). And in confidence of the Gospel the Lord hath sounded forth from the heart of the just One. " And the Highest gave His voice; " that we might entertain it, and in 3 Read " full lightning-charged reproofe." 6 Fulgurata.
52 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Psalm XVIII.
the depth of human things, might hear things heavenly.
15. "And He sent out His arrows, and scat- tered them" (ver. 14). And He sent out Evangelists traversing straight paths on the wings of strength, not in their own power, but His by whom they were sent. And " He scattered them," to whom they were sent, that to some of them they should be " the savour of life unto life, to others the savour of death unto death." « "And He multiplied lightnings, and troubled them." And He multiplied miracles, and troubled them.
16. "And the fountains of water were seen. And the fountains of water springing up into everlasting life,"2 which were made in the preachers, were seen. " And the foundations of the round world were revealed" (ver. 15). And the Prophets, who were not understood, and upon whom was to be built the world of believers in the Lord, were revealed. " At Thy chiding, O Lord: " crying out, " The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." 3 " At the blast- ing of the breath of Thy displeasure; " saying, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." 4 1 7. " He hath sent down from on high, and hath fetched Me" (ver. 16): by calling out of the Gentiles for an inheritance " a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle." s •' He hath taken Me out of the multitude of waters." He hath taken Me out of the multitude of peoples.
18. " He hath delivered Me from My strongest enemies" (ver. 17). He hath delivered Me from Mine enemies, who prevailed to the afflict- ing and overturning of this temporal life of Mine. " And from them which hate Me; for they are too strong for Me: " as long as I am under them knowing not God.
19. "They have prevented Me in the day of My affliction" (ver. 18). They have first in- jured Me, in the time when I am bearing a mortal and toilsome body. " And the Lord hath become My stay." And since the stay of earthly pleasure was disturbed and torn up by the bitterness of misery, the Lord hath become My stay.
20. " And hath brought Me forth into a broad place" (ver. 19). And since I was enduring the straits of the flesh, He brought Me forth into the spiritual breadth of faith. " He hath delivered Me, because He desired Me." Before that I desired Him, He delivered Me from My most powerful enemies (who were envious of Me when I once desired Him), and from them that hated Me, because I do desire Him.
21. "And the Lord shall reward Me accord- ing to My righteousness " (ver. 20). And the 1 2 Cor. ii. 16.
* Luke xiii. 5.
9 Luke x. 9.
Lord shall reward Me according to the righteous- ness of My good will, who first showed mercy, before that I had the good will. " And accord- ing to the cleanness of My hands He will rec- ompense Me." And according to the cleanness of My deeds He will recompense Me, who hath given Me to do well by bringing Me forth into the broad place of faith.
22. "Because I have kept the ways of the Lord " (ver. 21). That the breadth of good works, that are by faith, and the long-suffering of perseverance should follow after.
23.;< Nor have I walked impiously apart from My God." " For all His judgments are6 in My sight " (ver. 22). " For" with persevering con- templation I weigh " all His judgments," that is, the rewards of the righteous, and the punish- ments of the ungodly, and the scourges of such as are to be chastened, and the trials of such as are to be proved. " And I have not cast out His righteousness from Me: " as they do that faint under their burden of them, and return to their own vomit.
24. " And I shall be undefiled with Him, and I shall keep Myself from Mine iniquity" (ver. 23).