mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 14.xml

<div2 id="Ps.xv" n="xv" next="Ps.xvi" prev="Ps.xiv" progress="25.92%" title="Chapter XIV">
<h2 id="Ps.xv-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.xv-p0.2">PSALM XIV.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.xv-p1">It does not appear upon what occasion this psalm
was penned nor whether upon any particular occasion. Some say David
penned it when Saul persecuted him; others, when Absalom rebelled
against him. But they are mere conjectures, which have not
certainty enough to warrant us to expound the psalm by them. The
apostle, in quoting part of this psalm (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Rom.3.10" parsed="|Rom|3|10|0|0" passage="Ro 3:10">Rom. iii. 10</scripRef>, &amp;c.) to prove that Jews and
Gentiles are all under sin (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Rom.3.9" parsed="|Rom|3|9|0|0" passage="Ro 3:9">ver.
9</scripRef>) and that all the world is guilty before God
(<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Rom.3.19" parsed="|Rom|3|19|0|0" passage="Ro 3:19">ver. 19</scripRef>), leads us to
understand it, in general, as a description of the depravity of
human nature, the sinfulness of the sin we are conceived and born
in, and the deplorable corruption of a great part of mankind, even
of the world that lies in wickedness, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:1John.5.19" parsed="|1John|5|19|0|0" passage="1Jo 5:19">1 John v. 19</scripRef>. But as in those psalms which
are designed to discover our remedy in Christ there is commonly an
allusion to David himself, yea, and some passages that are to be
understood primarily of him (as in <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.2.1-Ps.2.12 Bible:Ps.16.1-Ps.16.11 Bible:Ps.22.1-Ps.22.31" parsed="|Ps|2|1|2|12;|Ps|16|1|16|11;|Ps|22|1|22|31" passage="Ps 2:1-12,16:1-11,22:1-31">psalm ii., xvi,, xxii.</scripRef>, and
others), so in this psalm, which is designed to discover our wound
by sin, there is an allusion to David's enemies and persecutors,
and other oppressors of good men at that time, to whom some
passages have an immediate reference. In all the psalms from the
3rd to this (except the 8th) David had been complaining of those
that hated and persecuted him, insulted him and abused him; now
here he traces all those bitter streams to the fountain, the
general corruption of nature, and sees that not his enemies only,
but all the children of men, were thus corrupted. Here is, I. A
charge exhibited against a wicked world, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.1" parsed="|Ps|14|1|0|0" passage="Ps 14:1">ver. 1</scripRef>. II. The proof of the charge, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.2-Ps.14.3" parsed="|Ps|14|2|14|3" passage="Ps 14:2,3">ver. 2, 3</scripRef>. III. A serious
expostulation with sinners, especially with persecutors, upon it,
<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.4-Ps.14.6" parsed="|Ps|14|4|14|6" passage="Ps 14:4-6">ver. 4-6</scripRef>. IV. A believing
prayer for the salvation of Israel and a joyful expectation of it,
<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p1.9" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.7" parsed="|Ps|14|7|0|0" passage="Ps 14:7">ver. 7</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.xv-p1.10" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14" parsed="|Ps|14|0|0|0" passage="Ps 14" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.xv-p1.11" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.1-Ps.14.3" parsed="|Ps|14|1|14|3" passage="Ps 14:1-3" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.14.1-Ps.14.3">
<h4 id="Ps.xv-p1.12">Human Depravity.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.xv-p1.13">
<p id="Ps.xv-p2">To the chief musician. A psalm of David.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.xv-p3">1 The fool hath said in his heart, <i>There
is</i> no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
<i>there is</i> none that doeth good.   2 The <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xv-p3.1">Lord</span> looked down from heaven upon the children
of men, to see if there were any that did understand, <i>and</i>
seek God.   3 They are all gone aside, they are <i>all</i>
together become filthy: <i>there is</i> none that doeth good, no,
not one.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p4">If we apply our hearts as Solomon did
(<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Eccl.7.25" parsed="|Eccl|7|25|0|0" passage="Ec 7:25">Eccl. vii. 25</scripRef>) <i>to search
out the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness,</i>
these verses will assist us in the search and will show us that sin
is exceedingly sinful. Sin is the disease of mankind, and it
appears here to be malignant and epidemic.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p5">1. See how malignant it is (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.1" parsed="|Ps|14|1|0|0" passage="Ps 14:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>) in two things:—</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p6">(1.) The contempt it puts upon the honour
of God: for there is something of practical atheism at the bottom
of all sin. <i>The fool hath said in his heart, There is no
God.</i> We are sometimes tempted to think, "Surely there never was
so much atheism and profaneness as there is in our days;" but we
see the former days were no better; even in David's time there were
those who had arrived at such a height of impiety as to deny the
very being of a God and the first and self-evident principles of
religion. Observe, [1.] The sinner here described. He is one that
<i>saith in his heart, There is no God;</i> he is an atheist.
"There is no <i>Elohim,</i> no Judge or governor of the world, no
providence presiding over the affairs of men." They cannot doubt of
the being of God, but will question his dominion. He says this
<i>in his heart;</i> it is not his judgment, but his imagination.
He cannot satisfy himself that there is none, but he wishes there
were none, and pleases himself with the fancy that it is possible
there may be none. He cannot be sure there is one, and therefore he
is willing to think there is none. He dares not speak it out, lest
he be confuted, and so undeceived, but he whispers it secretly
<i>in his heart,</i> for the silencing of the clamours of his
conscience and the emboldening of himself in his evil ways. [2.]
The character of this sinner. He is a fool; he is simple and
unwise, and this is an evidence of it; he is wicked and profane,
and this is the cause of it. Note, Atheistical thoughts are very
foolish wicked thoughts, and they are at the bottom of a great deal
of the wickedness that is in this world. The word of God is a
<i>discerner of these thoughts,</i> and puts a just brand on him
that harbours them. <i>Nabal is his name, and folly is with
him;</i> for he thinks against the clearest light, against his own
knowledge and convictions, and the common sentiments of all the
wise and sober part of mankind. No man will say, <i>There is no
God</i> till he is so hardened in sin that it has become his
interest that there should be none to call him to an account.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p7">(2.) The disgrace and debasement it puts
upon the nature of man. Sinners are corrupt, quite degenerated from
what man was in his innocent estate: <i>They have become filthy</i>
(<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.3" parsed="|Ps|14|3|0|0" passage="Ps 14:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>), putrid. All
their faculties are so disordered that they have become odious to
their Maker and utterly incapable of answering the ends of their
creation. <i>They are corrupt</i> indeed; for, [1.] They do no
good, but are the unprofitable burdens of the earth; they do God no
service, bring him no honour, nor do themselves any real kindness.
[2.] They do a great deal of hurt. <i>They have done abominable
works,</i> for such all sinful works are. Sin is an abomination to
God; it is that <i>abominable thing which he hates</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.44.4" parsed="|Jer|44|4|0|0" passage="Jer 44:4">Jer. xliv. 4</scripRef>), and, sooner or later,
it will be so to the sinner; it will be <i>found to be hateful</i>
(<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.36.2" parsed="|Ps|36|2|0|0" passage="Ps 36:2">Ps. xxxvi. 2</scripRef>), an
<i>abomination of desolation,</i> that is, making desolate,
<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p7.4" osisRef="Bible:Matt.24.15" parsed="|Matt|24|15|0|0" passage="Mt 24:15">Matt. xxiv. 15</scripRef>. This
follows upon their saying, <i>There is no God;</i> for those that
<i>profess they know God, but in works deny him, are abominable,
and to every good work reprobate,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p7.5" osisRef="Bible:Titus.1.16" parsed="|Titus|1|16|0|0" passage="Tit 1:16">Tit. i. 16</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p8">2. See how epidemic this disease is; it has
infected the whole race of mankind. To prove this, God himself is
here brought in for a witness, and he is an eye-witness, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.2-Ps.14.3" parsed="|Ps|14|2|14|3" passage="Ps 14:2,3"><i>v.</i> 2, 3</scripRef>. Observe, (1.) His
enquiry: <i>The Lord looked down from heaven,</i> a place of
prospect, which commands this lower world; thence, with an
all-seeing eye, he took a view of all <i>the children of men,</i>
and the question was, <i>Whether there were any</i> among them
<i>that did understand</i> themselves aright, their duty and
interests, and did seek God and set him before them. He that made
this search was not only one that could find out a good man if he
was to be found, though ever so obscure, but one that would be glad
to find out one, and would be sure to take notice of him, as of
Noah in the old world. (2.) The result of this enquiry, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.3" parsed="|Ps|14|3|0|0" passage="Ps 14:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. Upon search, upon his
search, it appeared, <i>They have all gone aside,</i> the apostasy
is universal, <i>there is none that doeth good, no, not one,</i>
till the free and mighty grace of God has wrought a change.
Whatever good is in any of the children of men, or is done by them,
it is not of themselves; it is God's work in them. When God had
made the world he looked upon his own work, and <i>all was very
good</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Gen.1.31" parsed="|Gen|1|31|0|0" passage="Ge 1:31">Gen. i. 31</scripRef>); but,
some time after, he looked upon man's work, and, behold, all was
very bad (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:Gen.6.5" parsed="|Gen|6|5|0|0" passage="Ge 6:5">Gen. vi. 5</scripRef>), every
operation of the thought of man's heart was evil, only evil, and
that continually. They have gone aside from the right of their
duty, the way that leads to happiness, and have turned into the
paths of the destroyer.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p9">In singing this let us lament the
corruption of our own nature, and see what need we have of the
grace of God; and, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh,
let us not marvel that we are told we must be born again.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ps.xv-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.4-Ps.14.7" parsed="|Ps|14|4|14|7" passage="Ps 14:4-7" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.14.4-Ps.14.7">
<p class="passage" id="Ps.xv-p10">4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?
who eat up my people <i>as</i> they eat bread, and call not upon
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xv-p10.1">Lord</span>.   5 There were they
in great fear: for God <i>is</i> in the generation of the
righteous.   6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xv-p10.2">Lord</span> <i>is</i> his refuge.
  7 Oh that the salvation of Israel <i>were come</i> out of
Zion! when the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.xv-p10.3">Lord</span> bringeth back
the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, <i>and</i> Israel
shall be glad.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p11">In these verses the psalmist
endeavours,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p12">I. To convince sinners of the evil and
danger of the way they are in, how secure soever they are in that
way. Three things he shows them, which, it may be, they are not
very willing to see—their wickedness, their folly, and their
danger, while they are apt to believe themselves very wise, and
good, and safe. See here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p13">1. Their wickedness. This is described in
four instances:—(1.) They are themselves <i>workers of
iniquity;</i> they design it, they practise it, and take as much
pleasure in it as ever any man did in his business. (2.) They
<i>eat up God's people</i> with as much greediness <i>as they eat
bread,</i> such an innate and inveterate enmity they have to them,
and so heartily do they desire their ruin, because they really hate
God, whose people they are. It is meat and drink to persecutors to
be doing mischief; it is as agreeable to them as their necessary
food. They eat up God's people easily, daily, securely, without
either check of conscience when they do it or remorse of conscience
when they have done it; as Joseph's brethren <i>cast him into a
pit</i> and then <i>sat down to eat bread,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.37.24-Gen.37.25" parsed="|Gen|37|24|37|25" passage="Ge 37:24,25">Gen. xxxvii. 24, 25</scripRef>. See <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:Mic.3.2-Mic.3.3" parsed="|Mic|3|2|3|3" passage="Mic 3:2,3">Mic. iii. 2, 3</scripRef>. (3.) They <i>call
not upon the Lord.</i> Note, Those that care not for God's people,
for God's poor, care not for God himself, but live in contempt of
him. The reason why people run into all manner of wickedness, even
the worst, is because they do not call upon God for his grace. What
good can be expected from those that live without prayer? (4.) They
<i>shame the counsel of the poor,</i> and upbraid them with making
God their refuge, as David's enemies upbraided him, <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p13.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.11.1" parsed="|Ps|11|1|0|0" passage="Ps 11:1">Ps. xi. 1</scripRef>. Note, Those are very wicked
indeed, and have a great deal to answer for, who not only shake off
religion, and live without it themselves, but say and do what they
can to put others out of conceit with it that are
well-inclined—with the duties of it, as if they were mean,
melancholy, and unprofitable, and with the privileges of it, as if
they were insufficient to make a man safe and happy. Those that
banter religion and religious people will find, to their cost, it
is ill jesting with edged-tools and dangerous persecuting those
that make God their refuge. <i>Be you not mockers, lest your bands
be made strong.</i> He shows them,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p14">2. Their folly: <i>They have no
knowledge;</i> this is obvious, for if they had any knowledge of
God, if they did rightly understand themselves, and would but
consider things as men, they would not be so abusive and barbarous
as they are to the people of God.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p15">3. Their danger (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.5" parsed="|Ps|14|5|0|0" passage="Ps 14:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>): <i>There were they in great
fear.</i> There, where they ate up God's people, their own
consciences condemned what they did, and filled them with secret
terrors; they sweetly sucked the blood of the saints, but in their
bowels it is turned, and become the gall of asps. Many instances
there have been of proud and cruel persecutors who have been made
like Pashur, <i>Magormissabibs—terrors to themselves</i> and all
about them. Those that will not fear God perhaps may be made to
fear at the shaking of a leaf.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.xv-p16">II. He endeavours to comfort the people of
God, 1. With what they have. They have God's presence (<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.5" parsed="|Ps|14|5|0|0" passage="Ps 14:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>): He <i>is in the
generation of the righteous.</i> They have his protection
(<scripRef id="Ps.xv-p16.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.6" parsed="|Ps|14|6|0|0" passage="Ps 14:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>): <i>The Lord
is their refuge.</i> This is as much their security as it is the
terror of their enemies, who may jeer them for their confidence in
God, but cannot jeer them out of it. In the judgment-day it will
add to the terror and confusion of sinners to see God own the
generation of the righteous, which they have hated and bantered. 2.
With what they hope for; and that is the <i>salvation of
Israel,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p16.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.7" parsed="|Ps|14|7|0|0" passage="Ps 14:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>.
When David was driven out by Absalom and his rebellious
accomplices, he comforted himself with an assurance that god would
in due time <i>turn again his captivity,</i> to the joy of all his
good subjects. But surely this pleasing prospect looks further. He
had, in the beginning of the psalm, lamented the general corruption
of mankind; and, in the melancholy view of that, wishes for the
salvation which should be wrought out by the Redeemer, who was
expected <i>to come to Zion,</i> to <i>turn away ungodliness from
Jacob,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.xv-p16.4" osisRef="Bible:Rom.11.26" parsed="|Rom|11|26|0|0" passage="Ro 11:26">Rom. xi. 26</scripRef>. The
world is bad; O that the Messiah would come and change its
character! There is a universal corruption; O for the times of
reformation! Those will be as joyful times as these are melancholy
ones. Then shall God <i>turn again the captivity of his people;</i>
for the Redeemer shall <i>ascend on high, and lead captivity
captive,</i> and Jacob shall then rejoice. The triumphs of Zion's
King will be the joys of Zion's children. The second coming of
Christ, finally to extinguish the dominion of sin and Satan, will
be the completing of this salvation, which is the hope, and will be
the joy, of every Israelite indeed. With the assurance of that we
should, in singing this, comfort ourselves and one another, with
reference to the present sins of sinners and sufferings of
saints.</p>
</div></div2>