Psalms 140 · The Lantern

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: and preserve me from the wicked man.

Who imagine mischief in their hearts: and stir up strife all the day long.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: adders poison is under their lips.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The venom of asps is under their lips. For they seem to have words of friendship, yet they are full of death-dealing poison.

"They have sharpened their tongues like serpents" [Psalm 140:3]. If still thou seekest to make out the man, behold a comparison. In the serpent above all beasts is there cunning and craft to hurt; for therefore does it creep. It hath not even feet, so that its footsteps when it cometh may be heard.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly; preserve me from the Wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings.

The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net abroad with cords: yea, and set traps in my way.

Now these demons, if they see all Christians—and especially monks—joyfully laboring and making progress, first attack by attempting to place stumbling blocks in their way. Their "stumbling blocks" are filthy thoughts. But there is no need for us to fear the things they throw at us; through prayer and fasting and faith in the Lord the demons immediately fall.

Beside the path they have set a stumbling-block for me. That is: by bringing forward testimonies from the Scriptures, which seemed to have some semblance of reason, they were trying to deceive me.

"The proud have hidden a trap for me" (ver. 5). He hath briefly described the whole body of the devil, when he saith, "the proud." Hence is it that for the most part they call themselves righteous when they are unrighteous. Hence is it that nothing is so grievous to them as to confess their sins. They are men who, being falsely righteous, must needs envy the truly righteous.

I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.

O Lord God, thou strength of my health: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Let not the ungodly have his desire, O Lord: let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud.

Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them: that compass me about.

Let hot burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire and into the pit, that they never rise up again.

A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth: evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him,

Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the cause of the helpless.

The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy Name: and the just shall continue in thy sight.

Psalms140