The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 296

Ver. 13.-The inward sense of riglit is an assui·ance of safety. The "upright " man is the man of integrity. And the consciousness of integrity gives, and properly gives, confidence and security. A man may cherish a sense of right, of uprightness, of sincerity. He may be sure that this puts him into the sympathy and favour of God. The psalmist-who may well have been David-may properly plead before God and say, ",Tudge me, 0 Lord, according to my righteousness, a.nd according to mine integrity that is in me." When the psalmist made this plea, he was suffering from unjust suspicions and unworthy accusations, very much as was the writer of the psalm now before us. But these terms, "uprightness," "integrity," "righteousness," need very careful consideration. '!'hey can be applied to a man. It is certain that man can be said to have a righteousness. "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees." We have known men and women of integrity who were right-hearted and sincere, and gained our confidence because they were. Sometimes, in the Scriptures, the word "righteousness" means right-hearted- ne:;s, sincerity; it shows a man who is, at heart, centred on God and virtue. We have a way of speaking of men as being "good at bottom." If we say th11.t as any excuse for men's sins, we 11.re altogether in the wrong. If we s11.y it in recognition of hum11.n frailty, and with discernment of life as the conflict of the hum11.n will over the disabilities that surround us, then it is 11. true and worthy speech. l, A MAN MUST HAVE ESTABLISHED GOOD PBINOIPLES IF HE IS TO HAVE AN INWARD EENSE m' BIGHT. When there is drifting and uncertainty as to wh11.t is right, there can be no restful inwa.rd conviction that we are right. If. A MAN MUST HAVE GOOD CONTROL OF IIIS LIFE IF HE IS TO HAVE AN INWARD SENSE OF RIGHT. There must be harmony between the conduct and refations of the life and the cherished feelings of the heart, or the sense of sincerity will be destroyed. III. A MAN MUST BE SURE OF DIVINE DEFENCE IF HE IS SURE OF HIS OWN SINCERITY. God is true; be must be on the side of the true. God is served by the sincere; be surely defends bis serv11.nts.-R. T. Vers. 1-13.-The holy war. The speaker is a king, in danger from crafty and violent and rebellious subjects, who prays for deliverance from them. The situ11.tion may be gener11.lized and taken as an account of the struggle for ever going on between the righteous and the wicked. !. 'l'HE NATURE OF THE WAR OF THE WICKED AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS. 1. ..d war carried on by brute strength. '' Violent men" (vers. 1-4). When men have not reason and justice on their side, they resort to the employment of physic&! force- Nihilism, dynamite, insurrection. 2. Slander. (Ver. 3.) Poisonous report~, full of lies and libels, and foul ima.gin11.tions of a wicked heart, are propag11.ted without scruple, with a view of taking away the cb11.r11.cter. 3. Orafty plots. (Ver. 6.) When open warfare is unsuccessful, they resort to tr11.ps and plots that shall surprise the unwary, and seek to ruin a man by secret means. II. THE RIGHTEOUS MAN'S SECURITY. Commits his c11.nse to God; he cannot defend himself by retaliations-by using their means in reply. 'l'he grounds of his hope. 1. God was hi6; therefore God would hear and answer him. (Ver. 6.) God_ the Almi(Yhty and All-sullicient was his, and he w11.s God's. 2. His past experience. 0 (Ver. 7.) God h&d already defended hitn in scenes of do.nger. _3. God _can_not favour the wicked cause. (Ver. 8.) Therefore God would appe11.r for him, on his side. III. His FAITH IN Goo RISES INTO THE STRONGEST ASSURASCE. 1. There is a law of r<;tribution at work. (Vera. 9-11.) The imprecations of the ninth ~nd tenth verse& emerge into the prophecy of the eleventh. 2. An assurance that God is pledged to tha righteous cause. (Ver. 12.) 3. The righteous shall ultimately rejoice in the manifested fireBWce ef God. (Ver. 13; see Pss. xi. 7; xvi. 11.)-S. PS, CXLI, 1-10.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 833