Psalms 69 · The Lantern

To him that excelleth upon Shoshannim. A Psalme of David. Save mee, O God: for the waters are entred euen to my soule.

I sticke fast in the deepe myre, where no staie is: I am come into deepe waters, and the streames runne ouer me.

I am wearie of crying: my throte is drie: mine eyes faile, whiles I waite for my God.

They that hate mee without a cause, are moe then the heares of mine heade: they that would destroy mee, and are mine enemies falsly, are mightie, so that I restored that which I tooke not.

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.

Thus "there have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they that hate Me gratis." How multiplied? So as that they might add to themselves even one out of the twelve. "There have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they that hate Me for nought." With the hairs of His head He hath compared His enemies.

The honor taken from God through pride and disobedience with respect to a thing to which man was bound is in no way better restored than through humiliation and obedience to that thing to which one was in no way obligated.

O God, thou knowest my foolishnesse, and my fautes are not hid from thee.

Let not them that trust in thee, O Lord God of hostes, be ashamed for me: let not those that seeke thee, be confounded through mee, O God of Israel.

For thy sake haue I suffred reproofe: shame hath couered my face.

I am become a stranger vnto my brethren, euen an aliant vnto my mothers sonnes.

For the zeale of thine house hath eaten mee, and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee, are fallen vpon me.

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

However, we must know that Psalm 68 [LXX], which contains the statement, "The zeal of your house has devoured me," and a little later "They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink," both having been recorded in the Gospels, is placed in the mouth of Christ, indicating no change in the person of the speaker.

"And the disciples remembered that it was written, 'The zeal for your house has eaten me up.' " For by zeal for the house of God the Lord cast those men out of the temple. Brothers, let each and every Christian in the members of Christ be consumed with zeal for God's house. Who is consumed with zeal for God's house?

I wept and my soule fasted, but that was to my reproofe.

"And I have covered in fasting My Soul, and it became to Me for a reviling" [Psalm 69:10]. His fasting was, when there fell away all they that had believed in Him; because also it was His hunger, that men should believe in Him: because also it was His thirst, when He said to the woman, I thirst, "give Me to drink:" [John 4:7] yea for her faith He was thirsting.

And again David saith, "I have humbled my soul in fasting, and I have become unto them a reproach. I have made sackcloth my clothing, and I have become unto them a byword": and by this he teacheth us that he not only endured the labour of good deeds, but that he also heard reproaches and indignant words because thereof, and endured them patiently; from which thou also mayest le…

The phrase "It was made a reproach against me" follows. The good are always a reproach to the wicked, because the good by no means acquiesce to the crimes of the wicked and withdraw from them and are not joined them by any association.

I put on a sacke also: and I became a prouerbe vnto them.

They that sate in the gate, spake of mee, and the drunkards sang of me.

But Lord, I make my praier vnto thee in an acceptable time, euen in the multitude of thy mercie: O God, heare me in the trueth of thy saluation.

Deliuer mee out of the myre, that I sinke not: let me be deliuered from them that hate me, and out of the deepe waters.

Let not the water flood drowne mee, neither let the deepe swallowe me vp: and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me.

Heare me, O Lord, for thy louing kindnes is good: turne vnto me according to ye multitude of thy tender mercies.

And hide not thy face from thy seruant, for I am in trouble: make haste and heare me.

Draw neere vnto my soule and redeeme it: deliuer me because of mine enemies.

Thou hast knowen my reproofe and my shame, and my dishonour: all mine aduersaries are before thee.

Rebuke hath broken mine heart, and I am full of heauinesse, and I looked for some to haue pitie on me, but there was none: and for comforters, but I found none.

Since the holy God has promised those who hope in him a means of escape from every affliction, we, even if we have been cut off in the midst of a sea of evils and are racked by the mighty waves stirred up against us by the spirits of wickedness, nevertheless endure in Christ who strengthens us, and we have not slackened the intensity of our zeal for the churches, nor do we, as…

"In Your sight are all they that trouble Me" [Psalm 69:20]. Why I have reproach, You know; why confusion, You know; why shame, You know: therefore deliver me because of mine enemies, because You know these things of me, they know not; and thus, because they are themselves in Your sight, not knowing these things, they will not be able to be either confounded or corrected, unless…

For they gaue me gall in my meate, and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke.

A second time, in fact, let us show that Christ has already come, [as foretold] through the prophets, and has suffered, and has already been received back in the heavens and will come from there according to the predictions prophesied. For, after his advent, we read, according to Daniel, that the city itself had to be destroyed; and we recognize that it has indeed happened.

And they gave Him gall to drink, and this to insult Him, but He would not. But another saith, that having tasted it, He said, "It is finished." And what meaneth, "It is finished?" The prophecy was fulfilled concerning Him.

You have truly and in very many places read something that pertains to the detestable wickedness of your crime and to the voluntary suffering of the Lord.

Let their table be a snare before them, and their prosperitie their ruine.

Let their eyes be blinded that they see not: and make their loynes alway to tremble.

Powre out thine anger vpon them, and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them.

Let their habitation be voide, and let none dwell in their tents.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

"Pour forth upon them Your anger, and let the indignation of Your anger overtake them" [Psalm 69:25], are plain words: but nevertheless, in "overtake them" we perceive them as it were fleeing. But whither are they to flee? Into Heaven? You are there. Into Hell? You are present.

"May his habitation become desolate, and may there be none to dwell in it, and may another take his office." Indeed these verses are clear and plainly set forth by the blessed Peter's interpretation.

For they persecute him, whome thou hast smitten: and they adde vnto the sorrowe of them, whome thou hast wounded.

Laie iniquitie vpon their iniquitie, and let them not come into thy righteousnesse.

Let them be put out of the booke of life, neither let them be written with the righteous.

When I am poore and in heauinesse, thine helpe, O God, shall exalt me.

I will praise the Name of God with a song, and magnifie him with thankesgiuing.

Brothers, the Lord of the universe has need of nothing; he requires nothing of anyone, except that confession be made to him. For David, the chosen one, says, "I will confess to the Lord, and it shall please him more than a young bullock with horns and hoofs.

Always indeed, dearly beloved, "the earth is full of the Lord's kindness," and the nature of things itself is the teacher to each one of the faithful in the worship of God, while "heaven and earth, the sea and all things that are in them" proclaim the goodness and power of their Creator.

So does the man who sees God in all things, who tastes God in them through his three powers. "Pleasing to Him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord." And elsewhere: "For you make me glad, O Lord, by Your deeds." Again: "I will glorify Him with thanksgiving." In all things there is taste and restoration for the intellective and the affective powers.

This also shall please the Lord better then a yong bullocke, that hath hornes and hoofes.

The humble shall see this, and they that seeke God, shalbe glad, and your heart shall liue.

For the Lord heareth the poore, and despiseth not his prisoners.

Let heauen and earth praise him: the seas and all that moueth in them.

For God will saue Zion, and builde the cities of Iudah, that men may dwell there and haue it in possession.

The seede also of his seruants shall inherit it: and they that loue his name, shall dwel therein.

Psalms69