Psalm CXXV
The safety of such as trust in God.—A prayer for the godly, and against the wicked.
A Song of degrees.
They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
This also is a Psalm of thanksgiving containing the feelings of an exercised faith: thanking God, that, although he sometimes permits false prophets and fanatical spirits to prevail, as if they would possess all things (which thing God often does so permit to be, as a punishment for the ingratitude of his people, who value not the blessing of the word;) yet he visits such with the more terrible judgment, and suffers them not to prevail in all things against the righteous, lest the righteous, being entirely broken by too great afflictions and sorrows, should, through discouragement and despair, fall away from the word unto ungodliness and sin.
For the final end of all false teachers and blasphemers ever is,—confusion, terrible judgment, and destruction; “And their glory,” as the apostle saith, “is turned into shame.” But the end of the poor flock of God, even though the church be proved and tried by a thousand fires and deaths, though it appear a thousand times over to be oppressed, destroyed and extirpated is,—eternal life, eternal consolation, eternal glory! This is what the Psalmist means, when he says, “The Lord doth good to them that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts: but as for them that turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the evil doers, but peace shall be upon Israel.”