The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

⁹ “Wherewithal shall a young man correct his way? Even by keeping Your words”. He questions himself, and answers himself. “Wherewithal?” So far it is a question: next comes the answer, “even by keeping Your words.” But in this place the keeping of the words of God, must be understood as the obeying His commandments in deed: for they are kept in memory in vain, if they are not kept in life also. But what is meant by “young man” here? For he might have said, wherewithal shall any one (homo) correct his way? Or, wherewithal shall a man (vir) correct his way? Which is usually put by the Scriptures in such a way, that the whole human race is understood....But in this passage he says neither any one, nor a man, but, “a young man.” Is then an old man to be despaired of? Or does an old man correct his way by any other means than by ruling himself after God's word? Or is it perhaps an admonition at what age we ought chiefly to correct our way; according to what is elsewhere written, “My son, gather instruction from your youth up: so shall you find wisdom till your gray hairs.” There is another mode of interpreting it, by recognising in the expression the younger son in the Gospel, who returned to himself, and said, “I will arise and go to my father.” Wherewithal did he correct his way, save by ruling himself after the words of God, which he desired as one longing for his father's bread....

10. “With my whole heart,” he says, “have I sought you; O repel me not from Your commandments”. Behold, he prays that he may be aided to keep the words of God, wherewith he had said that the young man corrected his way. For this is the meaning of the words, “O repel me not from Your commandments:” for what is it to be repelled of God, save not to be aided? For human infirmity is not equal to obeying His righteous and exalted commandments, unless His love does prevent and aid. But those whom He aids not, these He is justly said to repel....

11. “Your words have I hid within my heart, that I may not sin against You”. He at once sought the Divine aid, lest the words of God might be hidden without fruit in his heart, unless works of righteousness followed. For after saying this, he added, “Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your righteousnesses”. “Teach me,” he says, as they learn who do them; not as they who merely remember them, that they may have somewhat to speak of. Why then does he say, “Teach me Your righteousnesses,” save because he wishes to learn them by deeds, not by speaking or retaining them in his memory? Since then, as it is read in another Psalm, “He shall give blessing, who gave the law;” therefore, “Blessed are You, O Lord,” he says, “O teach me Your righteousness.” For because I have hidden Your words in my heart, that I may not sin against You, You have given a law; give also the blessing of Your grace, that by doing right I may learn what Thou by teaching hast commanded....

12. “With my lips have I been telling of all the judgments of Your mouth”; that is, I have kept silent nothing of Your judgments, which Thou willed should become known to me through Your words, but I have been telling of all of them without exception with my lips. This he seems to me to signify, since he says not, all Your judgments, but, “all the judgments of Your mouth;” that is, which You have revealed unto me: that by His mouth we may understand His word, which He has discovered unto us in many revelations of the Saints, and in the two Testaments; all which judgments the Church ceases not to declare at all times with her lips.

13. “I have had as great delight in the way Your testimonies, as in all manner of riches”. We understand that there is no more speedy, no more sure, no shorter, no higher way of the testimonies of God than Christ, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Thence he says that he has had as great delight in this way, as in all riches. Those are the testimonies, by which He deigns to prove unto us how much He loves us....

14. “I will talk of Your commandments, and have respect unto Your ways”. And thus the Church does exercise herself in the commandments of God, by speaking in the copious disputations of the learned against all the enemies of the Christian and Catholic faith; which are fruitful to those who compose them, if nothing but the ways of the Lord is regarded in them; but “All the ways of the Lord are,” as it is written, “mercy and truth;” the fullness of which both is found in Christ. Through this sweet exercise is gained also what he subjoins: “My meditation shall be in Your statutes, and I will not forget Your word”. “My meditation” shall be therein, that I may not forget them. Thus the blessed man in the first Psalm “shall meditate in the law” of the Lord “day and night.”...