Psalms 101 · The Lantern

My song shall be of mercy and judgement: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

O let me have understanding: in the way of godliness.

When wilt thou come unto me: I will walk in my house with a perfect heart.

I will take no wicked thing in hand; I hate the sins of unfaithfulness: there shall no such cleave unto me.

A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

And Jezebel was able to injure the most religious Naboth by her false accusations; but then it was the wicked and apostate Ahab who listened to her. But the most holy David, whose example you ought to follow, as all pray that you may, does not favor such people but was apt to turn away from them and avoid them, as raging dogs.

With the proud of eye and the insatiable of heart, with such a one I did not eat. If anyone was proud or greedy, with such a one I did not eat at all.

He [Poemen] also said, "If a monk hates two things, he is able to free himself from the world, and these are," he said, "the gratifications of the body and vainglory."The same old man also said, "Wrath is a natural thing in a person, it is his nature, but it must be used to cut off evil passions.

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour: him will I destroy.

Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach: I will not suffer him.

Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land: that they may dwell with me.

Now if these words in the law, "Thou shalt have dominion over many nations, and no one shall rule over thee," were simply a promise to them of dominion, and if they contain no deeper meaning than this, then it is certain that the people would have had still stronger grounds for despising the promises of the law.

In the mornings I slew all the sinners of the earth. Well did he say, the sinners of the earth: for sinners are earthly. This is what he means, that the promptings of the devil, which he was suggesting to me, I cast out of my heart, and did not take up. For when evil thoughts are cast out, the demons are slain.

"In the morning I destroyed all the ungodly that were in the land. That I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord" [Psalm 101:8]. This is obscure. There are then wicked doers in the city of the Lord, and they at present, seemingly, spared. Why so?

Whoso leadeth a godly life: he shall be my servant.

There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land: that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

Psalms101