The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^25. And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness. Accordingly not only for the breadth of faith, which works by love; but also for the length of perseverance, will the Lord reward Me according to My righteousness. “And according to the cleanness of My hands in the sight of His eyes.” Not as men see, but “in the sight of His eyes.” For “the things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal:” whereto the height of hope appertains.

26. “With the holy You shall be holy”. There is a hidden depth also, wherein You are known to be holy with the holy, for that You make holy. “And with the harmless You shall be harmless.” For Thou harmest no man, but each one is bound by the bands of his own sins.

27. “And with the chosen You shall be chosen.”. And by him whom You choose, You are chosen. “And with the froward You shall be froward.” And with the froward Thou seemest froward: for they say, “The way of the Lord is not right:” and their way is not right.

28. “For You will make whole the humble people”. Now this seems froward to the froward, that You will make whole those who confess their sins. “And You will humble the eyes of the proud.” But them that are “ignorant of God's righteousness, and seek to establish their own,” You will humble.

29. “For you will light My candle, O Lord”. For our light is not from ourselves; but “You will light my candle, O Lord. O my God, You will enlighten my darkness.” For we through our sins are darkness; but “You, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness.”

30. “For by You shall I be delivered from temptation”. For not by myself, but by You, shall I be delivered from temptation. “And in my God shall I leap over the wall.” And not in myself, but in my God shall I leap over the wall, which sin has raised between men and the heavenly Jerusalem.

31. “My God, His way is undefiled”. My God comes not unto men, except they shall have purified the way of faith, whereby He may come to them; for that “His way is undefiled.” “The words of the Lord have been proved by fire.” The words of the Lord are tried by the fire of tribulation. “He is the Protector of them that hope in Him.” And all that hope not in themselves, but in Him, are not consumed by that same tribulation. For hope follows faith.

32. “For who is God, but the Lord?” whom we serve. “And who God, but our God?” And who is God, but the Lord? Whom after good service we sons shall possess as the hoped-for inheritance.

33. “God, who has girded me with strength”. God, who has girded me that I might be strong, lest the loosely flowing folds of desire hinder my deeds and steps. “And has made my way undefiled.” And has made the way of love, whereby I may come to Him, undefiled, as the way of faith is undefiled, whereby He comes to me.

34. “Who has made my feet perfect like harts' feet”. Who has made my love perfect to surmount the thorny and dark entanglements of this world. “And will set me up on high.” And will fix my aim on the heavenly habitation, that “I may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

35. “Who teaches my hands for battle”. Who teaches me to work for the overthrow of mine enemies, who strive to shut the kingdom of heaven against us. “And You have made mine arms as a bow of steel.” And You have made my earnest striving after good works unwearied.

36. “And You have given me the defence of my salvation, and Your right hand has held me up”. And the favour of Your grace has held me up. “And Your discipline has directed me to the end.” And Your correction, not suffering me to wander from the way, has directed me that whatsoever I do, I refer to that end, whereby I may cleave to You. “And this Your discipline, it shall teach me.” And that same correction of Yours shall teach me to attain to that, whereunto it has directed me.

37. “You have enlarged my steps under me”. Nor shall the straits of the flesh hinder me; for You have enlarged my love, working in gladness even with these mortal things and members which are under me. “And my footsteps have not been weakened.” And either my goings, or the marks which I have imprinted for the imitation of those that follow, have not been weakened.

38. “I will follow up mine enemies, and seize them”. I will follow up my carnal affections, and will not be seized by them, but will seize them, so that they may be consumed. “And I will not turn, till they fail.” And from this purpose I will not turn myself to rest, till they fail who make a tumult about me.

39. “I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand”: and they shall not hold out against me. “They shall fall under my feet.” When they are cast down, I will place before me the loves whereby I walk for evermore.

40. “And You have girded me with strength to the war”. And the loose desires of my flesh have You bound up with strength, that in such a fight I may not be encumbered. “You have supplanted under me them that rose up against me.” You have caused them to be deceived, who followed upon me, that they should be brought under me, who desired to be over me.

41. “And you have given mine enemies the back to me”. And you have turned mine enemies, and hast made them to be a back to me, that is, to follow me. “And You have destroyed them that hate me.” But such other of them as have persisted in hatred, You have destroyed.

42. “They have cried out, and there was none to save them”. For who can save them, whom You would not save? “To the Lord, and He did not hear them.” Nor did they cry out to any chance one, but to the Lord: and He did not judge them worthy of being heard, who depart not from their wickedness.

43. “And I will beat them as small as dust before the face of the wind”. And I will beat them small; for dry they are, receiving not the shower of God's mercy; that borne aloft and puffed up with pride they may be hurried along from firm and unshaken hope, and as it were from the earth's solidity and stability. “As the clay of the streets I will destroy them.” In their wanton and loose course along the broad ways of perdition, which many walk, will I destroy them.

44. “You will deliver Me from the contradictions of the people”. You will deliver Me from the contradictions of them who said, “If we send Him away, all the world will go after Him.”

45. “You shall make Me the head of the Gentiles. A people whom I have not known have served Me.” The people of the Gentiles, whom in bodily presence I have not visited, have served Me. “At the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me”. They have not seen Me with the eye: but, receiving my preachers, at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me.

46. “The strange children have lied unto Me.” Children, not to be called Mine, but rather strange children, to whom it is rightly said, “You are of your father the devil,” have lied unto Me. “The strange children have waxen old”. The strange children, to whom for their renovation I brought the new Testament, have remained in the old man. “And they have halted from their own paths.” And like those that are weak in one foot, for holding the old they have rejected the new Testament, they have become halt, even in their old Law, rather following their own traditions, than God's. For they brought frivolous charges of unwashen hands, because such were the paths, which themselves had made and worn by long use, in wandering from the ways of God's commands.

47. “The Lord lives, and blessed be my God.” “But to be carnally minded is death:” for “the Lord lives, and blessed be my God. And let the God of my salvation be exalted”. And let me not think after an earthly fashion of the God of my salvation; nor look from Him for this earthly salvation, but that on high.