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But the expressions may be those of one asserting, or of one wishing; in this manner:-Do thou therefore hear us, O Lord, because thou knowest our heart, that there is no deceit in our lips; as we pray with our lips, so do we feel in our hearts; as we teach, so do we live; whereas, on the contrary, these do nothing but dissemble. Or, it may be understood in this manner, in a way of entreaty and wishing,-Hear righteousness, O Lord; and grant, that we may not, like those characters, both pray and teach with feigned lips. So that we see here also, that the zeal and hatred of hypocrisy shines forth which hypocrisy all the saints pray against and attack with utter detestation.

Ver. 2.-Let my judgment come forth from thy presence: let thine eyes behold equities.

I do not consider that "judgment" here signifies that sense or that acuteness of mind by which we judge of all things, either well or ill, as some have thought; but I think it is that cause concerning which the adverse parties are contending, that is here signified: as we have it, Psalm cxl. 12, "I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor. And Job xxxi. 13, 'If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me, it were a crime worthy of death." "And as they said also to Jeremiah, xxvi. 11, 'This crime is worthy of death.'

The sense is, therefore, Let, I pray thee, righteousness, and my cause, and my judgment, come forth from thy presence. Because I know, that before thee` and in thy sight, that is just which is condemned as unjust and impious in the eyes of men. Wherefore, I pray thee, that thou wouldst reveal and make my cause to appear such in the eyes of men as it is in thy sight and in thy judgment. Let not the judgment of my cause continue such as it is when it stands in the sight of men, where it remains condemned: because as it is written Habakkuk i. 4, Wrong judgment proceedeth from thence, and true judgment never goeth forth, because

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the law is slacked.'-These words, therefore, ought to be used in our prayers at this day against these pretended investigators into heretical depravity, and these ecclesiastical tyrants; from whose presence true judgment never proceedeth, but the condemnation of the just cause only. And indeed, there is no other way of resisting these but by prayers of complaint and tears.

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"Let thine eyes behold equities," (or, the things that are equal.)—The Hebrew has here rectitudes,' or that which is right or straight: concerning which, we have spoken at full, Psalm ix. The prophet is here condemning these blood-thirsty hypocrites for their depravity and crooked ways: because, in every cause and case they seek their own only and therefore, they condemn the cause of the just when they seek the things that are of God, in order that they may establish their own depravities. Thus, the Psalmist would say, The eyes of men have respect unto, and look at, their own depraved desires; but as thine eyes, O Lord, behold nothing but what is just, do thou shew forth that before the eyes of all. And this thou wilt do if thou wilt defend my cause and oppress theirs; and until thou do this, they will grow proud, and will boast without end, that thine eyes look only on them and on their depravities, as though they were uprightnesses; and they will neglect and abominate our uprightness as if it were depravity.--The sense of this verse, indeed, is the same as that of Habakkuk i. 13, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" Here again we see that the estimation of God and the estimation of man are two very different things; and that things are judged of differently in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men.

And we may here observe again, that, as I have often said before, we are not to strive with our own powers nor with our own wisdom. For no one ever yet overcame a perverse man by his own words or wisdom: nor did any one ever defend the cause of faith by his own powers and strength. And this is exemplified in

all heretics for neither the prophets, nor the apostles, could overcome their hypocrites: because, these ungodly, though conquered, will not allow themselves to be conquered. What then can we worms be able to do against the Antichrists, those most powerful enemies of the church, if we omit crying and complaining unto God?

Ver. 3.-Thou hast proved mine heart: thou hast visited me in the night: thou hast tried me with fire, and iniquity was not found in me:

Ver. 4.-That my mouth might not speak the works of men; because of the words of thy lips, I have kept the hard ways.

The Hebrew is not very different from this; which Hieronymus renders in this way, Thou hast proved my heart, thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast smelted me (as gold): thou hast not found my thoughts to pass my mouth. As to the works of men, because of the words of thy lips, I have observed the ways of the destroyer.' And, though our translation abounds in its sense and words in the rendering, yet, we shall see how far it accords with the Hebrew. Not that I consider that it is therefore to be condemned, or that I wish that the church should be reproached for having used this translation so long a time. For what harm is it, if the native Hebrew sense be preserved, that it is rendered in awkward and ill-adapted words, if those words be pure and preserve the genuine sense in the church. For there are many things that have been most excellently rendered, and yet the church has not arrived at the full sense and meaning of them,-such as many of the prophecies concerning Christ, and many parts of the Apostles which foretel of things that shall happen in the last times. Who in the church understands all these? And yet, the words are correctly rendered. Nay, who doubts that the church possesses the true meaning of this passage? And this happens in many other passages also. But, what has not that man who has the Spirit of Christ? And yet it is not necessary that that man should know every passage which that Spirit has recorded in the scriptures!

These things I say, in order to meet and oppose those morose ones, who, the moment they find that any thing is, in its true meaning, contrary to that which has hitherto been received in the church, cast a slur upon, and reproach the church. But we praise the industrious labours of others and yet, we ought to think also that we are called to do our part towards the cultivation of the Lord's field, and not to devour the fruits of it only. For it is written in the proverb, 'When the new branches of trees are grown up, the old ones must be cast away.' Our predecessors could not do all things; and therefore, many things were left for us to do. For, if their having taught what they did was enough, why is it not enough for us that they lived well also? If the same words are sufficient, why are not the same works sufficient also and thus, why should we not be content, both with their words and their works?—and if this be the case, let no one teach any more, nor work any more, than Hieronymus taught and wrought!

But let us return to the Psalm.--You may render these two verses in this way, word for word from the Hebrew:

Ver. 3.-Thou hast proved my heart, thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast smelted me (as gold), thou shalt not find. My mouth shall not trangress my thoughts.

Ver. 4.-As to the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have observed the ways of the destroyer.

Now, (to refer to the preceding verse,) he had there begged of the Lord, that he would judge his judgment and his cause, and would look upon his uprightness (or straightness) of walk. And now he shews with what confidence it is that he now dares to pray thus: "Thou hast tried me in various ways (says he) and hast proved me, that thou mightest know whether there were any wicked way in me, (as he says also, Psalm cxxxix. ;) or whether I seek my own; as it is written in the law of Moses, Exod. xvi. 4, " That I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no.' And again, Deut.

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viii. 2, The Lord led thee in the wilderness forty years to humble thee, and to prove thee.'-And yet (saith David)" thou hast found nothing," but I have continued in all things upright before thee, always seeking the things that are thine. Let, therefore, thine eyes condescend to look upon this uprightness, (or straightness); and do thou judge my cause according as it is in thy sight: for all these my enemies, who were never tried nor proved, condemn and persecute me and my cause, for no other reason, than because they do not understand it, being blinded and perverted by their own depravity.

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And this abundance of expression in his prayer, "Thou hast proved my heart,' thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast smelted me (as gold),' does not only signify the temptations of various kinds, but has a peculiar emphasis, and evinces the extent of his feeling; shewing that he was a man that had confidence in God from a pure conscience, having been proved by a long series of temptations, and being now past the possibility of being confounded in his hope, (as we have it expressed Rom. v. ;) and one, who, being wearied by the continued attacks of the adverse party pertinaciously endeavouring to establish their cause against him, and seducing also many thereby, at length begins to justify his cause against them before God, with confidence; saying, Behold, thou knowest, O Lord, that all that I have said and done was right before thee; and yet, these ungodly ones, as if all that I had done was condemned by thee, despise me, and deceive many by their depravities.' And Jeremiah experienced the same things to be practised against himself: and therefore he says, xvii. 16, "As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee." And then, ver. 17, "Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil."

But as all seem to pass by this verse, as to its peculiar and especial signification, I will see what I can find

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