Psalms 12 · The Lantern

Help me, Lord, for there is not one godly man left: for the faithful are minished from among the children of men.

They talk of vanity every one with his neighbour: they do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart.

First the righteous fail, then the truth is diminished. Not only is there no truth among the righteous, there is no holiness among honest people. Now, since the righteous have failed, truth is diminished. Perhaps the poverty of righteous people is the reason why so many heresies have shot up.

Regard for truth is in danger of being snuffed out, with everyone, you might say, suffering from distrust in one another.… They pretend friendship and perform the actions of enemies.… Some use their lips to direct falsehood into their neighbor's heart; others return the compliment.

Then when he says, "vain things," he sets forth the sign of the failure of holiness; and it is twofold, namely vanity and deceitfulness. The first sign of failure is vanity; and with regard to this he says, "they have spoken vain things," etc. That is vain which has no substance. True things, therefore, under which no vanity lies, are firm. Hence 1 Tim.

The Lord shall root out all deceitful lips: and the tongue that speaketh proud things;

Which have said, With our tongue will we prevail: we are they that ought to speak, who is lord over us?

Now for the comfortless trouble's sake of the needy: and because of the deep sighing of the poor,

"Because of the wretchedness of the needy and the sighing of the poor, now I will arise, saith the Lord" [Psalm 12:5]. For so the Lord Himself in the Gospel pitied His people, because they had no ruler, when they could well obey.

"I will arise" is a metaphor to indicate that the one who is not familiar with the human need to lie down out of weakness does in fact rise up. But he says I will arise, I will appear and be manifest in the Son. For the strength and majesty of the Father and of the Son are one and undivided.

"Because of." Here, third, he sets forth the hearing of the prayer. And first he sets it forth; second, he establishes its certainty, at "the words of the Lord"; third, he sets forth his own belief, at "you, O Lord." He says therefore, "because of the misery," that is, the manifold need, "of the needy," that is, of those lacking resources, "and the groaning," that is, the sighs…

I will up, saith the Lord: and will help every one from him that swelleth against him, and will set him at rest.

Although they may be beautiful, the words of those who stand apart from Christ are not pure but interspersed with innumerable lies; the words of the Lord alone are pure, in which there is no lie mixed, and they are true as silver purged and proven in the furnace. When anything is declared with them, it is never to be rejected in doubt.

Since he said that the Lord's sayings are pure and unmixed with falsehood, he goes on to say that as silver brought into contact with fire is found to be purified of every defilement, so also such commands of God emerge sincere and unaffected by falsehood. The phrase "seven times" means repeatedly, his meaning being that it is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood.

Then he sets forth the certainty of the promise: "the words of the Lord are pure words" -- not adulterated by admixture of anything foreign; or purified of superfluity; or incorrupt, because one is called chaste before experience, but continent after. Not vain, but firm. Mt.

The words of the Lord are pure words: even as the silver, which from the earth is tried, and purified seven times in the fire.

Thou shalt keep them, O Lord: thou shalt preserve him from this generation for ever.

The ungodly walk on every side: when they are exalted, the children of men are put to rebuke.

Psalms12