Psalms 119

Teach me the way of the statutes. I will keep them to the end. Classical Arminians hear perseverance prayed for—teaching that enables lifelong keeping.

“To the end” is vow under petition, not boast of unfinished grace. God teaches; the servant keeps.

Calvin: the main thing in life is having God for governor—often inculcated because the world asks almost anything else. Even the advanced must aspire after further advancement; the Spirit of understanding comes from above. “Unto the end” may mark perseverance: those God teaches he strengthens to finish the course without languor. Preferable simple sense: keep the end in view—daily teaching so the eye never leaves the mark.

Lifelong keeping rests on continual teaching. Perseverance is gift asked, not assumed.

Understanding is asked that whole-heart observance may follow. Listen here for mind and heart enlisted together under grace.

Keeping with the whole heart refuses mere letter-obedience before men. Understanding is gift unto love-obedience.

Calvin: true wisdom is being wise according to God’s law so as to preserve us in fear and obedience. Man’s natural blindness aims elsewhere; the world calls wise those who mind their interests and beguile the simple. He asks no other prudence than surrendering to God’s direction—special gift none procure by power or policy. Whole heart: God restrains the heart that genuine uprightness may flourish; letter-obedience that escapes human blame is far from the law’s righteousness.

Understanding for whole-heart keeping is divinely formed, not self-taught.

Lead me—for I delight in the path. Arminians hear delight as affection that still needs leading. Grace that gave delight also guides the steps.

Agreed: delight in the commandments is not legalism; it is love that asks to be led.

Calvin: frequent repetition is not redundant—man’s end is profiting in God’s school, yet the world distracts. “In it I take pleasure” marks rare excellence: renouncing flesh’s enticements to delight in God’s service. He had attained this yet was not perfect; he solicits fresh assistance, as Paul: God works to will and to do. He does not boast of nature’s working but sets forth grace received that God may complete it.

Delight is grace begun; leading is grace continued. Pleasure in the path opposes the flesh’s lettered lusts.

Wesley: Covetousness—most opposite to God’s testimonies, most commonly hinders receiving and profiting by the word, most pernicious as root of all evil.

Arminians hear prayer against the greed that blocks the word. Incline—God is asked to bend affection toward the testimonies. Longing (v. 40) and this petition coexist: sincere desire still needs the heart inclined away from gain.

Calvin: were we naturally inclined to the law’s righteousness, there would be no need to petition “Turn my heart.” Hearts are full of sinful thoughts and wholly rebellious until God by grace change them. Natural corruption seeks anything rather than what is right until turned to new obedience. Covetousness is named as species for the genus—the root of all evils most opposed to God’s righteousness.

Inclination is God’s changing work, not the heart’s native lean. Without it we prefer gain to testimonies.

Wesley: Vanity—riches, honours, pleasures; from beholding them with desire. Quicken—make me lively, vigorous, and fervent in thy service.

Arminian interpreters hear eyes and life requested together: turn from vanity, quicken in God’s way. Means of grace include guarded senses. Shared pastoral wisdom both camps affirm.

Calvin: all senses are so filled with vanity that until refined they are alienated from righteousness. Original sin pervades the whole constitution; if eyes must be turned away by special grace, then as soon as opened they set on Satan’s impostures unless God guards by the Spirit. Seeing, hearing, walking, and willing are precious gifts yet unmingled with no look free of depravity—so he surrenders for mortification of the flesh to begin to live anew.

Turned eyes and quickened life are mortifying grace. Vanity is default until God turns us.

Wesley: Stablish—confirm and perform thy promises.

Arminian readers hear prayer for promise kept, unto fear of the Lord. Confirmation serves reverence, not presumption. The servant waits on God’s performing word.

Calvin: the sole end of prayer is to reap the fruits of God’s promises—vague desires without the word are presumption. Argument: because I am devoted to thy fear. He does not abuse promises for fleshly delights but makes fear and reverence his aim. Best assurance of obtaining requests is when they harmonize with God’s service.

Confirmed promise produces fear. Prayer stays inside what God has said.

Wesley: I fear—for my instability in thy ways; which in respect to my own weakness I have great cause to fear.

The passage carries dreaded reproach tied to feared instability—weakness confessed, rules still affirmed as good. Plea for turned-away shame rests on God’s good judgments, not on self-confidence.

Calvin: he may dread disgrace from detected offense under watching calumniators, or unjust slander distorting good actions. Preferable: suppress mockery for keeping the law—or, take away reproach before God’s tribunal so he is not judged reprobate. Holy men dread shame at God’s judgment-seat. The ground: thy judgments are good.

Reproach feared; God’s good rules are the plea. Weakness and calumny alike drive the petition.

Wesley: Longed—after a more solid knowledge and constant performance of them. In—according to thy faithfulness.

Arminians hear longing confessed and life asked in God’s righteousness/faithfulness. Desire for the precepts is no illusion; quickening is still petitioned. Closing He: appetite for the word and dependence on God’s right dealing.

Calvin: repetition of pious affection and love of righteousness—nothing wanting but God to complete the work begun. Quicken in thy righteousness may mean in the way of the law, or restore me for the sake of thy goodness shown to thy people. Preferable: you have inspired holy desire; one thing remains—that this virtue pervade my whole life.

Longing is grace begun; life in righteousness is grace completing. Behold the desire—and still ask to be quickened.