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to oppose them. Of which we have said much before, and the scripture is full of it.

And David very appropriately said, 'the eyes or looks of the proud,' not, the proud.' For the great vice of the proud is in their eyes; because they mind high things, and see those great things in themselves which have no existence. So that there is no necessity for talking about humbling those things in which the proud pride and boast themselves, because they have no existence it is only requisite to bring down their eyes and looks, by which they look with contempt upon the humble, and admire themselves. Hence, Prov. xxx. 13, "There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes, and their eye-lids lifted up." On the other hand, Paul says, Rom. xii. 16, " Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate." And Job xxii. 29, "When men are cast down, then thou shalt say there is a lifting up; and he shall save the humble person." Thus the ungodly have their eyes lifted up to their virtue, righteousness, and wisdom; but the humble have their eyes cast down to their infirmity, sin, and foolishness. Therefore, a bringing down shall attend the proud, and glory shall be the portion of the humble: as we have it, Prov. xxix. 23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." And we have the same, Prov. xvi. 18. O what words! O what weighty scriptures!

Ver. 28. For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will lighten my darkness.

It is quite clear that this also pertains to the people of Christ; for Christ himself has no darkness that wants lightening. What David says is this, Those proud ones, O Lord, have lofty eyes; and every proud one is to himself a light and a guide; he hears no one, he believes no one, not even God himself, whom, together with all those who are his, he perverts. But thy people are made hey may be wise; and, despairing of themive all glory unto thee, and subject themgovernment, willing and wishing to be

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directed by thy light: as it is said, Psalm lxxxix. "They Pealmixxxix. shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.' And Psalm iv. " Lord, lift up the light of thy coun tenance upon us." And again, Psalm xxxii. 8, "I will guide thee with mine eve."

And this the prefigurative journey of the children of Israel sets forth in Exodus; where they are said to have passed through a horrible desert, in which there were fiery serpents, scorpions, and vipers: as we have i Det vill where it is said, that the es creu A. Izol were ant led to their ons k plar of fre brights that a

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have enlightened by the light of the Word; the meaning of which, he who is in the midst of temptations easily receives and understands. For such an one knows, that universal reason can give him no counsel at all. Nay, he knows that the wiser any one is, the greater fool he is when in the midst of perils. It is the Word of God only that sustains a man and tells him what to do,namely, that he is to trust in God, and to expect deliverance and salvation from him. As it now follows,

Ver. 29.-For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation: and by my God have I leaped over the wall.

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By thee," not by myself; by thee, as my guide and illuminator, not by myself as a runner or a worker, shall I escape out of temptations; knowing, that all things are in thy hands, and that counsel is to be expected from thee: so we have it, Psalm xliv. 34, "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my king, O God, command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me," &c. Here, behold! the church of Christ knows nothing of the secular arm, which the ungodly and impious popes have recourse to and embrace at this day, and which they call in to their own aid, and fear it when they see it in the hands of others." How far do their lives and opinions agree with the holy scriptures! A pretty harmony, truly!

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Hieronymus, 2 Sam. xxii. renders it, For by thee I shall run armed: and by my God I shall leap over the wall.' He takes this metaphor from courageous soldiers in battle. For this word accinctus, armed' or 'girded about,' which in the Hebrew is GEDUD, is rendered, 2 Kings xxiv. latrunculus, 'a little robber,' which we render soldiers,' or 'bands.' For it is there said, ver.2, "And the Lord sent against him bands (latrunculos) of

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the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon." David means to say, therefore, By the confidence communicated by thy illumination I shall fear the attack of no one, I shall fight against every kind of enemies, I shall leap over the wall, and shall surmount every difficulty that may be thrown in my way, that is, I who am weak in myself shall be mighty and invincible in thee: and as Paul glories, Philip. iv. 13, "I can do all things, through Christ that strengtheneth me." And again, 2 Cor. ii. 14, "Thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ."

Hence" a wall" does not in this place signify sins, or at least not sins only, but also the power of any enemy; against which the church of Christ fights by faith in God; just as in circumstances of war we fight against the wall of the enemy. And towers and walls in the scripture signify the leaders, defenders, elders of the people as in Psalm cxxii. 7, "Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy towers:" that is, in the rulers and elders of the church. And Isaiah xlix. 16, Thy walls are continually before me." And so here, David says" the wall," for walls: that is, all the power of this world: in which that strong man armed keeps his palace in peace, until a stronger than he come and cast him out.

And he expressively says, "I shall leap over." He does not say I shall lay waste or destroy: because, the power of this is not taken away by the word of faith, but only overcome. So Christ did not take away the kingdom of Cæsar, but erected only a more sublime kingdom of truth. And Paul says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers:" that is, as to the flesh : for the same Apostle asserts that all believers, according to the Spirit, are free in Christ. And in like manner, Peter, 2 Epist. chap. ii. rebukes all despisers of dominions and dignities: and yet, he declares openly the liberty of a Christian. Thus, we overcome all things; and then most especially, when we feel ourselves the most oppressed.

Ver. 30.-As for my God, his way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

This pronoun "my" is not in the Hebrew, it is only "God:" which is the idiom of the Hebrew, and is the same as if we said God's way is perfect:' for the Hebrew expression is, as if we should say in Latin, Dei impolluta via ejus.

David here goes on with a sweet affection (because he is happy in God) to commend the words of God also, just as he had hitherto commended his works; and this he does both against the works and the words of the ungodly and the proud. For when God shews himself holy with the holy, and strengthens those who trust in him, he does this by giving them a pure conscience. And a pure conscience is joyful and happy. And it is rendered thus pure, not by any works or docrines of men, but by the law of God and the ways of God: as we have it, Psalm xix. 7, "The law of the Lord is pure, converting the soul." And such as the Word of God is, such is the way of God: that is, a life according to his Word: and such as this life is, such is the man's conscience. And the Word of God is like silver tried in the fire, purified seven times; as we have it Psalm xii. And this makes it impossible for the ungodly to rejoice in God: for all things are to them perverse, because their ways are defiled, in which they walk at all times according to the doctrines and commandments of men, and please themselves therein, and ever wrest and drag over the Word of God to these their opinions.

Here, therefore, we are to observe the comparison where the church compares herself with the synagogue throughout, rejoicing in God, who not only approves all the works of the church, but gives unto her the all-pure doctrine of the Word, according to which she lives holy, innocent, and elect. On the other hand, the ungodly synagogue is polluted, and all the words it speaks, and the works it does, are defiled, how different soever things

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