Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John Calvinfrom our minds, it is manifest that we have not yet been truly and in good earnest convinced of itstruth.Besides, Satan has numberless artifices by which he dazzles our eyes and bewilders the mind;and then the confusion of things which prevails in the world produces so thick a mist, as to renderit difficult for us to see through it, and to come to the conclusion that God governs and extends hiscare to things here below. The ungodly for the most part triumph; and although they deliberatelystir up God to anger and provoke his vengeance, yet from his sparing them, it seems as if they haddone nothing amiss in deriding him, and that they will never be called to account for it. 149 On theother hand, the righteous, pinched with poverty, oppressed with many troubles, harassed bymultiplied wrongs, and covered with shame and reproach, groan and sigh: and in proportion to theearnestness with which they exert themselves in endeavoring to do good to all men, is the libertywhich the wicked have the effrontery to take in abusing their patience. When such is the state ofmatters, where shall we find the person who is not sometimes tempted and importuned by theunholy suggestion, that the affairs of the world roll on at random, and as we say, are governed bychance? 150 This unhallowed imagination has doubtless obtained complete possession of the mindsof the unbelieving, who are not illuminated by the Spirit of God, and thereby led to elevate theirthoughts to the contemplation of eternal life. Accordingly, we see the reason why Solomon declares,that since “all things come alike to all, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked,”the hearts of the sons of men are full of impiety and contempt of God, (Ecclesiastes 9:2, 3;) — thereason is, because they do not consider that things apparently so disordered are under the directionand government of God.Some of the heathen philosophers discoursed upon, and maintained the doctrine of a DivineProvidence; but it was evident from experience that they had notwithstanding no real and thoroughpersuasion of its truth; for when things fell out contrary to their expectation, they openly disavowedwhat they had previously professed. 151 Of this we have a memorable example in Brutus. We canhardly conceive of a man surpassing him in courage, and all who intimately knew him bore testimonyto his distinguished wisdom. Being of the sect of the Stoic philosophers, he spake many excellentthings in commendation of the power and providence of God; and yet when at length vanquishedby Antony, he cried out, that whatever he had believed concerning virtue had no foundation intruth, but was the mere invention of men, and that all the pains taken to live honestly and virtuouslywas only so much lost labor, since fortune rules over all the affairs of mankind. Thus this personage,who was distinguished for heroic courage, and an example of wonderful resolution, in renouncingvirtue, and under the name of it cursing God, shamefully fell away. Hence it is manifest, how thesentiments of the ungodly fluctuate with the fluctuation of events. And how can it be expected thatthe heathen, who are not regenerated by the Spirit of God, should be able to resist such powerfuland violent assaults, when even God’s own people have need of the special assistance of his graceto prevent the same temptation from prevailing in their hearts, and when they are sometimes shakenby it and ready to fall; even as David here confesses, that his steps had well nigh slipped? But letus now proceed to the consideration of the words of the psalm.149 “Il semble qu’ils ont bon marche de se mocquer de luy, et qu’il n’en sera autre chose.” — Fr.150 “Que le monde tourne a l’aventure, et (comme on dit) est gouverne par fortune?” — Fr.151 “Ce poinct de doctrine, lequel ils avoyent fait mine de tenir bien resoluement.” — Fr. “This doctrine, which they had madea show of holding very resolutely.”74