Psalms 119

What comes through is undivided prayer—world distracted by many objects; the servant aims all affection at God.

Shared gratitude: answered prayer should deepen keeping. Distinguish from cold, feigned praise.

Calvin: requests God would hear; in gratitude promises to keep commandments. Uses indefinite cry—shows that while the world is distracted by many objects, he directed all heart-affections exclusively to God, depending solely on him. World acknowledges God as author of good, so many formal prayers proceed; he affirms he prayed with his whole heart. Obtaining requests, he proposes God’s glory as end—devote with more ardent affection. Distinguishes from hypocrites who profane the name by cold feigned praises; will give thanks by life and works.

Whole-heart cry; then keep statutes. Undivided dependence, lived gratitude.

Call for salvation unto observing testimonies. Wesley’s heirs hear rescue with a purpose—saved in order to obey.

Shared clarity: whether in safety or near death, welfare is commended to God; continued safety is only under his guard.

Calvin: no new statement, more express—cried to God; commended his welfare by prayer. Whether in safety or imminent danger of death, he uniformly reposed upon God—persuaded the only way to continue safe was having him as guardian of his welfare.

Save me! I will obey. Welfare parked with God; obedience the aim of deliverance.

Arminians hear eager, persevering prayer—early without quitting when answer delays.

Shared manner: earnest desire joined to patient hope. The word before our eyes bridles corrupt haste.

Calvin: prevented the dawn by prayers—most eager haste. Cry conveys earnestness—vehemency of mind more than loudness. Haste sets forth perseverance: though prompt, he did not weary like unbelievers who murmur if God does not suddenly grant. Conjoining patience of hope with earnest desire shows true praying (cf. Phil 4:6)—bridle turbulent affections; prayer nourishes hope. Mention of the word not superfluous: only by having the word continually before eyes can we bridle wanton impetuosity of corrupt nature.

Before dawn, cry; hope in words. Prompt prayer plus word-anchored patience.

Wesley: Watches—The middle watch, which was set in the middle of the night; and the morning watch, which was set some hours before the dawning of the day.

This is night meditation—eyes ahead of the watchmen for the sake of the promise. Shared devotion: lose sleep to muse on what God has said.

Calvin: more sedulously intent on meditating on the law than night-watchers on their watch. Meditate more appropriate than discourse—night unseasonable for public teaching; alone, he silently recalled what he learned, passing no part of the night without meditating on the law.

Eyes before the watches for promise-meditation. Secret night musing marks love of the word.

Wesley: Judgment—According to thy word.

The emphasis is on mercy-based hearing and life asked by God’s just/worded way—free love first, then quickening. Shared order: approach through promised grace, not desert.

Calvin: goodness of God the only ground of hope of being heard. Whatever blessings saints plead, opening argument must be free unmerited grace. Judgments not different—God revealed goodness in his word; from the word derive assurance. Sensible of need of mercy, he betook himself to the word where God sweetly allures and promises grace ready and open for all. Persuaded God will be merciful, learn to entreat him to show himself as promised. Some expound judgments as custom—God’s usual gracious dealing; he prefers judgments as the word. Desires to be quickened: even in the midst of life he is dead except sustained by God’s power. All duly acquainted with infirmity esteem life as nothing and crave to be quickened every moment. God often so exercised him that he might send prayers as from the sepulcher to be restored from death to life.

Hear by lovingkindness; quicken by judgment/word. Free grace opens the plea; life is moment-by-moment divine sustaining.

Wesley: Nigh—To me, they are at hand and ready to seize upon me. Are far—They cast away from them all thoughts of thy law.

One hears near danger from those far from Scripture—proximity of malice, distance from the law. Shared comfort: their nearness does not nullify God’s.

Calvin: pursuers of malice draw near to do mischief—bent on malice, pursuing close, rushing to indicate they are far from God’s law, casting off uprightness. Wretched to behold enemies who shook off fear of God ready to smite, had not God been near (v. 151).

Near pursuers; far from the law. Malice’s approach exposes lawless hearts.

Arminians hear the decisive contrast—enemies near, the Lord nearer; truth of the commandments sure.

Shared courage: God’s nearness and true commands steady the threatened.

Calvin: encourages from the consolatory consideration that God, seeing his people sore pressed, comes seasonably (cf. Phil 4:5). Concluding sentence: God never forsakes or disappoints in necessity because true to his promises—assures welfare will always be cared for. Fully persuaded the hand of God is ready to repulse assaults; retain settled belief he does not in vain promise to be guardian of our welfare.

You are near; commandments are truth. Promise-true nearness guards the pressed.

Wesley: Of old—By long experience. Founded—Thou hast established them upon everlasting foundations.

Arminian interpreters hear long-known forever-foundation—experience confirming the testimonies’ permanence. Shared faith: word not faithful for a time only but unchangeable forever, else eternal hope fails.

Calvin: prefers—he derived knowledge from the testimonies themselves that they are established forever. Chief point of faith: word not only steadfast for a time but continues unchangeable forever; otherwise it could not include hope of eternal salvation. Inward revelation of the Spirit necessary that assurance of immutability be rooted—until God seals certainty within, belief continually wavers. Yet not without cause he affirms he learned this from the word: when God shines by his Spirit he causes sacred truth that endures forever to shine in the mirror of his word.

Spirit seals what the word mirrors: everlasting establishment.