its way through poverty, evil report, the cross, death, and hell, and, in the midst of adversities, shines the brightest. And this "will" springs from faith in God through Jesus Christ. Whereas, that will which is extorted by the fear of punishment, is servile and violently forced and that which is drawn forth by a desire after the reward, is mercenary and feigned. But this, is a free, spontaneous, and happy will. And hence it is that the people of Christ are called in the Hebrew NEDABOTH, that is, spontaneous, voluntary, and free.'

From all which things it is manifest, that this Psalm is to be understood of Christ only. He is the mark and the goal to which the man that is "blessed' is to direct all his aims: for there is no one in this life who does not want something of this "will," on account of the law and will in his members, which are contrary to it; as the apostle saith (Rom. vii. 23); which latter will, according to true theology, is to be crucified; but which, according to philosophy, is to be accounted a virtue.

To "meditate," as it is generally understood, signifies to discuss, to dispute; and its meaning is always, confined to a being employed in words: as in Psalm xxxvii. 30, "The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom." Hence Augustine has, in his translation, "chatter:" and a beautiful metaphor it is,--as chattering is the employment of birds, so a continual conversing in the law of the Lord, (for talking is peculiar to man,) ought to be the employment of man.-But I cannot worthily and fully set forth the gracious meaning and force of this word: for this meditating consists first in an intent observing of the words of the law, and then in a comparing of the different scriptures: which is a certain delightful hunting, nay, rather a playing with stags in a forest, where the Lord furnishes us with the stags, and opens to us their secret coverts. And from this kind of employment, there comes forth at length a man well instructed in the law of the Lord to speak unto the people.

For instance: "Thou shalt not kill," if you pass it

over in a cursory manner, is a frigid sentence: by which, according to the sound of its letters, you merely understand that the act of murder is prohibited. But stop and meditate a little. It is not said, Thy hand shall not steal, but Thou shalt not steal. And what art thou? soul and body; and having many members and faculties in each; hand, eyes, tongue, mind, will, &c. When, therefore, thou art forbidden to kill, art thou not thereby forbidden to kill either with thy hand, or thy tongue, or thy will? for which soever of these shall kill, it is Thou that killest. Therefore, we are not to be angry, we are not to wish evil, we are not to speak evil, we are not to calunniate, we are not to turn away our face, we are not to despise, we are not to injure, we are not to wish to injure: but, on the other hand, we are to love, to bless, to do good. What then is the purport of this scripture, Thou shalt, not kill? Why this, that thou art not to be bitter and angry with, but kind and gentle to, thy neighbour. Therefore, look into what the scriptures teach concerning love, kindness, suavity, benevolence, goodness, and tenderness; and when thou hast collected and compared them all, hast thou not then well chattered and meditated in the law of the Lord?

With respect to "day and night," whether you understand them literally, or figuratively for assiduously, or allegorically for in adversity and prosperity, it matters not at all: for the righteous man, even when sleeping, loves and thinks upon the law of the Lord.

David saith then of this man that is "blessed," that his "will" will be in the law of the Lord. He will neither look at, nor love, nor hate any created thing whatever, either good or evil, but will, by this "will," be entirely raised above all things that are created. What wonder therefore is it, that such a man should be blessed, who, being endowed with this heavenly will, has no taste whatever for those things by which the ignorant judges of blessedness are dashed to and fro. Moreover, as such an one is by this his will now made one with the Word of God, (for love always unites the lover and the object loved,) he must of necessity taste how good,

sweet, and pure the holy and wonderful Word of God is, that it is the greatest of all good! But this they cannot taste, who have their hand or their tongue only in the law, while their will is immersed in the filth of the things of this world. For there are many prating ones who talk much about the law of the Lord, and pretend much and think much about it, but who do not yet love it. But David does not say, Blessed is the man whose tongue is in the law of the Lord, nor whose hand, nor whose mind and speculations are in it; for by these things men are only puffed up, and bless themselves, as if they were already sainsts and saved.

Moreover, this "will" comprehends the whole life of man. For if the man has his will, which is the fountain-spring of his life, and his head, in the law, there is no fear that he will keep any other member out of it. For wherever love leads, the whole heart and body follow it. And herein observe thou the different conversation of the godly and the ungodly.--The ungodly begin their righteousness from without, and then go on to that which is within. They first feign works, and then words; and then they go on to the exercising of thoughts; and this is the greatest height to which they attain. And here, they begin to be teachers of others; and whatever they think, say, or do, they will have to be holy and divine; yet, after all, they never attain unto this secret "will." But the godly begin within from this holy will," then follows "meditation," and then the external work, and afterwards, the teaching of others as we shall see hereafter.

66

And in his law will he meditate day and night.

Meditation is not without damnation, unless there be first the "will:" but the love will of itself lead to meditation. And this "will" is to be sought by us from heaven, (as I have said,) by humble faith in Christ; when we are brought to despair of all strength in ourselves. And mark this well. It is the manner and nature of all lovers to talk freely, to sing, to write, to compose, and to amuse their thoughts, on their loves; and

to hear the same things. And so also this lover, this man that is "blessed," has his love, the law of the Lord, always in his mouth, always in his heart, and always (if he can) in his ear. For "he that is of God heareth God's words," John viii. 47. "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage," Psalm cxix. 54. And again "I will meditate always in thy statutes," ver. 48.

And thinkest thou that they are blessed men, who turn over swine's husks, and who talk day and night about natural things, about the opinions of men, about prebendaries, dignities, and the power and privileges of churches, and a thousand other vanities of the same kind? No! They are far more miserable than those who talk about the loves of maidens and the fables of the poets. For the latter know that they are acting foolishly, and can sometimes repent of what they have done. But the former, thinking that they are all the while acting wisely and holily, die in their ungodliness; and too late repent, that the laws which they have made have only heaped destruction and ungodliness on their own heads, because they meditated not on the law of the Lord.

VERSE 3.

And he shall be like wood planted by the rivers of waters, that shall give forth his fruit in his season.

I have said, that the blessedness of this man is hidden in the Spirit in God; so that it cannot be known but by faith and experience. And that this is true thou shalt clearly see. If thou look at his "will," in which alone his blessedness consists, it does not stand in his riches, nor in his honours, nor in his righteousnesses and virtues, nor, in a word, in any good that can be mentioned, (excepting this will in the law itself,) either in or out of the man. Nay rather, it is found in the midst of the contraries, in poverty, in contempt, in foolishness, in all the evils that can be mentioned either within or without the man. So that the man whom the

prophet here calls "blessed," is hated by the whole world together, and they all judge him to be the most miserable of mortals. And this Isaiah saw in Christ, the head and pattern of all these blessed ones; and therefore said, "He is despised and rejected of men," chap. liii. 3. For the world and its prince cannot endure that man who desires to be blessed with this "will," but despises all his blessedness together. And therefore it is, that David, contemplating the fewness of such men, breaks out, O! blessed is the man, who,' &c.

Having thus described the "blessed" man in his own proper definition, he goes on to set forth the same by a similitude no less beautiful. The definition, indeed, was perfect, representing him as free from all evil, and filled with all good; (which is what the generality of men call blessedness; but their blessedness stands in present things, while this man's blessedness stands in faith.) And so also the similitude proves him to be free from all the same evil, and full of the same good. And since this "blessed" man that is hidden in faith, could not be set clearly forth to view by any farther definition, David, as it becomes all definers to do, sets him forth under the similitude of a visible thing. And since we know that he is describing a righteous man under a figure, we are not to quarrel about terms.

I however believe, that it is the palm-tree that is alluded to in the figurative description: for it is said in another Psalm, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree, he shall increase like a cedar of Lebanon,' Psalm xcii. 12. And what is there briefly alluded to, is here more fully enlarged upon. For the palm-tree loves the rivers of water, (as Pliny says,) and drinks all the year round, and is always green, and brings forth most sweet fruits. And perhaps David took this similitude from those palms on the Jordan near Jericho, which were so much celebrated: for Jericho is on that account called the "city of palms :" and the Jordan is in many other places in the scriptures spoken of mystically. Hence we have this passage, "A well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon," Song iv. 15.