Psalms 71

Wesley: Confounded—ashamed of vain hopes. Refuge in the LORD; never-shame is the ask.

Taking refuge is active trust. Grace invites the flight; the believer must still hide in God rather than in self.

Calvin: flees to God as refuge; prays never to be ashamed. Old-age faith begins where all faith begins—in God.

Both readings hold: Refuge first. Shame’s threat is answered by where one hides.

Wesley: deliverance asked in God’s righteousness; ear inclined; save.

Righteousness here is God’s faithful saving character. Both agree: rescue is begged, not earned by the aged saint’s résumé.

Calvin: deliver in thy righteousness—rescue grounded in God’s right dealing and promise.

Ear incline and save are mercy’s verbs.

Wesley: Strong habitation—rock where I may safely continually dwell; Given charge—commanded care to save.

Continually come—access is ongoing. Agreed: rock and fortress are God’s; the saint keeps coming.

Calvin: rock of habitation to which he may continually resort; God has commanded salvation. Fortress titles pile up.

Continual coming rests on commanded care.

Wesley: rescue from wicked, unjust, cruel grasp. Enemies are named by character.

Specific evils drive specific prayer. Shared seriousness about cruel hands.

Calvin: deliver from the wicked’s hand, from unjust and cruel. God is my God in the plea.

Cruelty is not imagined; it is prayed against.

Wesley: From my youth—earliest days. Hope and trust are lifelong habits named.

Youth-trust remembered. Early faith is gift to be continued, not a phase to outgrow.

Calvin: trust from youth—long memory of grace. Hope is the Lord himself.

Shared biography of trust underwriting old-age plea.

Wesley: prenatal lean; took from womb; praise continual. Dependence pre-dates memory.

Life from the womb is God’s taking. Praise continual is the fitting answer; it must still be offered.

Calvin: leaned from the womb; he that took him from his mother’s bowels. Continual praise.

Existence itself is borrowed from God.

Wesley: Marvelous—wonderful as a sign to many; yet God is strong refuge.

Being a ‘portent’ can mean startling suffering or signal grace. Refuge holds when public gaze is heavy.

Calvin: as a wonder unto many—his trials made him a spectacle; God remains strong refuge.

Spectacle-life still hides in God.

Wesley: mouth filled with praise and glory all day—speech occupation.

Filled mouth is chosen doxology. Grace fills; the mouth still speaks glory.

Calvin: mouth filled with praise and honor all the day. Old lips busy with God.

He wants to speak of God’s glory all day long.

Wesley: Cast me not off—do not reject; Old age—when most feeble. Strength spent is the crisis.

Fear of cast-off in weakness is prayer. Aging saints may ask this without shame; grace meets spent strength.

Calvin: cast me not off in old age; forsake not when strength fails. Enemies will soon say God forsook him—hence the urgency.

Spent strength is argument for nearness, not proof of abandonment.

Wesley: enemies talk; life-watchers consult. Conspiracy around the frail.

Watchers for life are cruel. Prayer names the consult.

Calvin: enemies speak against him; they that watch for his soul take counsel together.

Consultation of predators around the weak.

Wesley: Forsaken—so they persuade themselves; none to deliver—their verdict.

The lie ‘God has forsaken’ must be answered by v. 9’s prayer. Enemies theologize falsely to justify chase.

Calvin: they say God has forsaken him—pursue; none to deliver. Blasphemous pastoral diagnosis from foes.

Forsaken-talk is enemy propaganda, not God’s last word.

Wesley: nearness and haste begged—echo of Psalm 70’s urgency.

Be-not-far and make-haste are twin asks. Grace invites urgent nearness-seeking.

Calvin: be not far; make haste to help. Distance feared; speed desired.

Both hear: My God personalizes the haste.

Wesley: shame, consume, scorn, disgrace on hurt-seekers. Imprecation measured to malice.

Shared seriousness—accusers covered with scorn. Not a grin; a justice plea.

Calvin: ashamed and consumed; covered with reproach and dishonor who seek hurt.

Hurt-seekers meet judicial shame.

Wesley: Will hope—still; praise yet more and more. Hope and escalating praise.

Continually hope is resolve under grace. Both see: more-and-more praise is the But against v. 11’s lie.

Calvin: but I will hope continually; praise more and more. Faith’s counter-speech.

Hope continual is gift exercised.

Wesley: tell righteousness and salvation all day; number past knowledge—uncountable deeds.

Telling is witness. Past-knowledge abundance silences self-credit.

Calvin: mouth tells righteousness and salvation all day; numbers beyond counting.

Inexhaustible deeds fuel inexhaustible speech.

Wesley: Go—walk on; remind of righteousness, yours alone. Solo credit to God.

Come with mighty deeds—enter life’s scenes carrying God’s acts. Righteousness yours alone blocks boasting.

Calvin: go in the strength of the Lord GOD; make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

Shared monergism of righteousness mentioned—thine only.

Wesley: taught from youth; still proclaim wondrous deeds. Pedagogy and proclamation linked.

Practically: taught-yet-proclaim—learning becomes speech. Lifelong curriculum of wonders.

Calvin: taught from youth; hitherto declared wondrous works. Continuity of disciple-witness.

God the teacher from youth.

Wesley: gray hairs plea; until he proclaims might to another generation. Purpose clause: teaching the next.

Forsake-not until witness reaches the next generation. Shared mission in old age—power told to those to come.

Calvin: to old age and gray hairs forsake not—until he declares strength to the next generation.

Longevity for proclamation, not for ego.

Wesley: righteousness to high heavens; great things; who is like you—incomparability.

Shared doxology—none like God. Great things done ground the who-is-like.

Calvin: righteousness very high; great things done; who is like unto thee?

Incomparability of the God of great things.

Wesley: many troubles seen; revive again; bring up from depths—restoration hope.

God who showed troubles also revives. Depths are not final; bring-up-again is trusted.

Calvin: shown many and sore troubles—shall quicken again; bring up from depths of the earth.

Same God of trouble and revival.

Wesley: increase greatness; comfort again—renewed consolation.

Comfort again matches revive again. Undisputed: comfort is God’s to give the gray-haired.

Calvin: increase greatness; comfort on every side. Restoration language.

He asks to be comforted again after calamity.

Wesley: With the harp—musical praise for faithfulness; Holy One of Israel named.

Instruments join vow. No dispute here: faithfulness and holiness are the themes sung.

Calvin: praise with psaltery for truth; sing with harp, O Holy One of Israel.

Holy One receives lyre and harp.

Wesley: My soul—which thou hast delivered—lips shout; redeemed soul sings.

Redeemed soul’s joy is personal. Both affirm: redemption fuels shouting lips.

Calvin: lips shout; soul which thou hast redeemed. Whole person in praise.

Redeemed soul is the singer’s identity.

Wesley: Tongue continually celebrating righteousness; enemies shamed who sought hurt.

All-day talk of righteous help. Shared ending—hurt-seekers disappointed; tongue occupied with God.

Calvin: tongue talks of righteousness all day; they are ashamed who sought hurt. Close matches opening shame-theme.

Shame flipped from the refugee (v. 1) onto the hunters.