Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps17.14

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                           EXPOSITION.

        Almost every word of this verse has furnished matter for
discussion to scholars, for it is very obscure. We will,
therefore, rest content with the common version, rather than
distract the reader with divers translations. "_From men which
are thy hand_." Having styled the ungodly a sword in his Father's
hand, he now likens them to that hand itself, to set forth his
conviction that God could as easily remove their violence as a
man moves his own hand. He will never slay his child with his own
hand. "_From men of the world_," mere earthworms; not men of the
world to come, but mere dwellers in this narrow sphere of
mortality; having no hopes or wishes beyond the ground on which
they tread. "_Which have their portion in this life_." Like the
prodigal, they have their portion, and are not content to wait
their Father's time. Like Passion in the "Pilgrim's Progress,"
they have their best things first, and revel during their little
hour. Luther was always afraid lest he should have his portion
here, and therefore frequently gave away sums of money which had
been presented to him. We cannot have earth and heaven too for
our choice and portion; wise men choose that which will last the
longest. "_Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure_."
Their sensual appetite gets the gain which it craved for. God
gives to these swine the husks which they hunger for. A generous
man does not deny dogs their bones; and our generous God gives
even his enemies enough to fill them, if they were not so
unreasonable as never to be content. Gold and silver which are
locked up in the dark treasuries of the earth are given to the
wicked liberally, and they therefore roll in all manner of carnal
delights. Every dog has his day, and they have theirs, and a
bright summer's day it seems; but ah! how soon it ends in night!
"_They are full of children_." This was their fondest hope, that
a race from their loins would prolong their names far down the
page of history, and God has granted them this also; so that they
have all that heart can wish. What enviable creatures they seem,
but it is only seeming! "_They are full of children, and leave
the rest of their substance to their babes_." They were fat
housekeepers, and yet leave no lean wills. Living and dying they
lacked for nothing but grace, and alas! that lack spoils
everything. They had a fair portion within the little circle of
time, but eternity entered not into their calculations. They were
penny wise, but pound foolish; they remembered the present, and
forgot the future; they fought for the shell, and lost the
kernel. How fine a description have we here of many a successful
merchant, or popular statesman; and it is, at first sight, very
showy and tempting, but in contrast with the glories of the world
to come, what are these paltry molehill joys. Self, self, self,
all these joys begin and end in basest selfishness; but oh, our
God, how rich are those who begin and end in thee! From all the
contamination and injury which association with worldly men is
sure to bring us, deliver thou us, O God!

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 14 (first clause).--How wonderful are the
dispensations of the providence of God, who can use even the
wicked to promote the present happiness and the final salvation
of his saints!--^J. Edwards, M.A., 1856.

        Verse 14.--"_Men of the world, which have their portion
in this life_." Time and this lower world, bound all their hopes
and fears. They have no serious believing apprehensions of
anything beyond this present life; therefore, have nothing to
withhold them from the most injurious violence, if thou withhold
them not; men that believe not another world, are the ready
actors of any imaginable mischiefs and tragedies in this.--^John
Howe.

        Verse 14.--"_Men which are thy hand_," etc. What shall we
say then? Because God maketh use of thy sins, art thou excused?
Is not thine evil evil, because he picketh good out of it?
Deceive not thyself therein. When thou hast done such service to
thy Master and Maker, though seven and seven years, as Jacob did
service to Laban, thou shalt lose thy wages and thy thanks too.
Oh, well were thou if thou didst but lose, for thou shalt also
gain a sorrowful advantage. It is unprofitable, nay, miserable
service which thou hast thus bestowed. Babylon shall be the
hammer of the Lord a long time to bruise the nations, himself
afterwards bruised; Asshur his rod to scourge his people, but
Asshur shall be more scourged. These hammers, rods, axes, saws,
other instruments, when they have done their offices, which they
never meant, shall be thrown themselves into the fire, and burnt
to ashes. Satan did service to God, it cannot be denied, in the
afflicting of Job, winnowing of Peter, buffeting of Paul,
executing of Judas, and God did a work in all these, either to
prove patience, or to confirm faith, or to try strength, or to
commend justice; yet is Satan "reserved in chains, under
darkness, to the retribution of the great day." Judas did service
to God, in getting honour to his blessed name for the redemption
of mankind, whilst the world endureth, yet was his wages an
alder-tree to hang himself upon, and which is worse, he hangeth
in hell for eternal generations. He had his wages, and lost his
wages. That which the priest gave him, he lost, and lost his
apostleship, but gained the recompense of everlasting
unhappiness, and lies in the lowest lake, for the worm and death
to gnaw upon without ceasing.--^John King.

        Verse 14.--"_Thy hand_." The hand of God, his correcting
or cherishing hand, sometimes is an immediate, and sometimes a
mediate hand. Sometimes it is immediate, when God by himself doth
chasten, or punish, or afflict, when no second cause doth appear
or intervene. So it may seem Satan means, when he saith (#Job
1:11|), "_Put forth thy hand_," that is, do it thine own self,
let no other have the handling of Job but thyself. God doth send
such immediate afflictions; a man is afflicted in his body, in
his estate, and many other ways, and he cannot find anything in
the creature whence it should come; it is an immediate stroke of
God, he cannot see how, or which way, or at what door this evil
came in upon him; therefore it is called a creating of evil. #Isa
45:7|. "I make peace, and create evil." Now creation is out of
nothing, there is nothing out of which it is wrought. So many
times God bringeth evil upon a people or person when there is no
appearance of second causes, no matter out of which it is made,
but it comes as a creature, formed by the only hand of God.
Sometimes likewise it is called God's hand, when it is the hand
of a creature; it is God's hand in a creature's hand; God's hand
when it is the hand of wicked men, God's hand when it is Satan's
hand. So that place is translated (#Ps 17:13,14|), "_Deliver my
soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: from men which are thy
hand_:" so that "_thy hand_" may be understood of an instrument;
Satan himself is God's hand to punish in that sense, as wicked
men here are said to be God's hand: "_from men which are thy
hand_," though there be other readings of that place; some read
it, _deliver me from men by thy hand_; and others, _deliver me
from men of thy hand_; but our translation may very well carry
the sense of the original in it, "_from men which are thy hand_;"
as Nebuchadrezzar, that wicked king, is called _God's servant_
(#Jer 43:10|), "I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar my servant:"
God speaks of him as his servant, or as his _hand_ in the
thing.--^Joseph Caryl.

        Verse 14.---"_Men of the world, which have their portion
in this life_." The large portion of the wicked in the things of
this world, may tell the righteous of how little value this is,
in the account of God; in that these things are often given to
his enemies plentifully, when denied in such a measure to his
children. Now this cannot be because he loves or favours his
enemies most; but because these lower things, given them in what
degree soever, are so mean in his account, as that his chosen may
learn by his distribution of them, to regard them as he does;
namely, as no part of their felicity, but as common favours to
all his creatures, good or bad, enemies or friends.--^Daniel
Wilcox.

        Verse 14.--"_Men which have their portion in this life_."
God gives wicked men a portion here to show unto them what little
good there is in all these things, and to show the world what
little good there is in all the things that are here below in the
world. Certainly if they were much good they should never have
them: it is an argument there is no great excellency in the
strength of body, for an ox hath it more than you; an argument
there is no great excellency in agility of body, for a dog hath
it more than you; an argument no great excellency in gay clothes,
for a peacock hath them more than you; an argument there is not
any great excellency in gold and silver, for the Indians that
know not God have them more than you; and if these things had any
great worth in them, certainly God would never give them to
wicked men--a certain argument. As it is an argument there is no
great evil in affliction in this world, because that the saints
are so much afflicted; so no great argument there is any great
good in this world, for the wicked they enjoy so much of it.
Luther hath such an expression as this in his comment upon
Genesis, saith he, "The Turkish empire, as great as it is, is but
a crumb, that the Master of the family, that God, casts to dogs:"
the whole Turkish empire, such an esteem had Luther of it; and
indeed it is no more. All the things of the world, God in giving
of them to Turks and wicked ones, his enemies, shows there is not
much excellency and good in them: God therefore will cast them
promiscuously up and down in the world, because he looks upon
them as worthless things; God doth not so much regard whether men
be prepared to give him the glory of them, yea or no, they shall
have them; however he is content to venture them. Indeed, when
God comes unto his choice mercies in Christ, there he looks to
have glory from them, and he doth never give them to any, but
first he prepares them, that they may give him the glory of those
mercies. But it is otherwise with others; as, suppose you see a
man gathering of crabs, although swine be under the tree, he
cares not much to drive them away; they are but crabs, let them
have them; but if he were gathering any choice and precious
fruit, if any swine should come under, he drives them away. As
for outward things, crabs, the Lord suffers the swine of the
world to come grunting and take them up; but when he comes to his
choice mercies in his Christ, there he makes a distinction. Oh,
this is precious fruit! A blacksmith that is working upon iron,
though a great many cinders and little bits of iron fly up and
down, he regards them not; but a goldsmith that is working upon
gold, he preserves every rag, and every dust of gold; and a
lapidary that is working upon precious stones, every little bit
he will be sure to preserve; a carpenter that is only hewing of
timber, he regards it not much if chips fly up and down; but it
is not so with a lapidary. So these outward things are but as the
chips and cinders, and such kind of things as those are, and
therefore God ever gives a portion to wicked men out of
them.--^Jeremiah Burroughs.

        Verse 14.--"_Men which have their portion in this life_."
I have read of Gregory, that being advanced to preferment,
professed that there was no Scripture that went so to his heart,
that struck such a trembling into his spirit, that daunted him so
much, as this Scripture did:--"Here you have your reward, son; in
your lifetime you have had your pleasure." Oh, this was a
dreadful Scripture that sounded in his ears continually, as
Hierom speaks of that Scripture, "Arise, ye dead, and come to
judgment:" night and day he thought that Scripture sounded in his
ears; so Gregory:--"Here you have your reward; in this life you
have had your pleasure." This was the Scripture that night and
day sounded in his ears. O that it might please God to assist so
far, to speak out of this Scripture to you, that I might make
this Scripture ring in your ears even when you lie upon your
beds, after the sermon is done; that yet you may think this
Scripture rings in your ears: "_Men of this world, who have their
portion in this life_."--^Jeremiah Burroughs.

        Verse 14.--"_Which have their portion in this life_." The
earth and the commodities thereof God distributeth without
respect of persons, even to them that are his children by
creation only, and not by adoption. But yet there is a difference
between the prosperity of the one and the other; for the one is
but with anxiety of heart (even in laughter their heart is
heavy); the others' is with cheerfulness and joy in the Spirit;
the one's is a pledge of the greater preferment in the world to
come, the others' is their _whole_ portion, and as if God should
say, "Let them take _that_ and look for no more." The one's is
with the blessing of the people, who wish they had more; the
others' with their curse and hatred, who are grieved that they
have so much."--^Miles Smith.

        Verse 14.--"_Their portion in this life_." The good man's
_best_, and the bad man's worst, lie in _shall be's_ (#Isa
3:10,11|), in reversion. Here Dives had nothing but his "good
things," but hereafter he had no good thing. Here Lazarus had his
"evil things," but afterwards no evil thing. The good man when he
dies, takes his leave of, and departs from, all evil; and the
evil man when he dies, takes his leave of, and departs from, all
his goods, which was all the good he had. "Now he is comforted,
but thou art tormented." #Lu 16:25|. Oh! 'tis a sad thing to have
one's _portion of good_ only in this life.--^Ralph Venning's
"Helps to Piety," 1620-1673.

        Verse 14.--"_This life_." There is yet another thing to
be seen far more monstrous in this creature; that whereas he is
endued with reason and counsel, and knoweth that this life is
like unto a shadow, to a dream, to a tale that is told, to a
watch in the night, to smoke, to chaff which the wind scattereth,
to a water-bubble, and such-like fading things; and that life to
come shall never have end; he yet nevertheless setteth his whole
mind most carefully upon this present life, which is to-day, and
to-morrow is not; but of the life which is everlasting he doth
not so much as think. If this be not a monster, I know not what
may be called monstrous.-- ^Thomas Tymme.

        Verse 14.--What wicked men possess of this world is all
that ever they can hope for: why should we grudge them filled
bags, or swelling titles! it is their whole portion; they now
receive their good things. Hast thou food and clothing? that is
children's fare; envy not ungodly men, who flaunt it in the
gallantry of the world: they have more than you; but it is all
they are like to have; the Psalmist gives us an account of their
estate. They are _the men of_ this _world, which have their
portion in this life, and whose bellies God filleth with his hid
treasure_. Whereas thou, O Christian, who possessest nothing, art
heir-apparent of heaven, co-heir with Jesus Christ, who is the
heir of all things, and hast an infinite mass of riches laid up
for thee; so great and infinite, that all the stars of heaven are
too few to account it by: you have no reason to complain of being
kept short; for all that God hath is yours, whether prosperity or
adversity, life or death, all is yours. What God gives is for
your comfort; what he denies or takes away is for your trial: it
is for the increase of those graces which are far more gracious
than any temporal enjoyment. If, by seeing wicked and ungodly men
flow in wealth and ease, when thou art forced to struggle against
the inconveniences and difficulties of a poor estate, thou hast
learnt a holy contempt and disdain of the world, believe it, God
hath herein given thee more than if he had given thee the world
itself.--^Ezekiel Hopkins.

        Verse 14.--To show that wicked men have often the
greatest _portion in this world_, I need not speak much; the
experience of all ages since the beginning of the world confirms
it, your own observation, I believe, can seal to it; however,
Scripture abundantly evinces it. The first _murderer_ that ever
was, carries possession in his very name: _Cain_ signifies so
much. #Ge 4:8|. Go on in the whole series of Scripture, and you
shall find Joseph persecuted by his brethren; Esau (as Rivet
observes on #Ge 32|), advanced in the world for a time far above
Jacob; go on, and you find the Israelites, God's peculiar, in
captivity, and Pharaoh upon the throne; Saul ruling, and David in
a cave, or in a wilderness; Job upon the dunghill; Jeremy in the
dungeon; Daniel in the den, and the children in the furnace, and
Nebuchadnezzar on the throne. In the New Testament you have Felix
on the bench, Paul at the bar; Dives in the palace, Lazarus at
his gate (#Lu 16:19|); he clothed in purple, Lazarus in rags and
overspread with sores; he banqueted and fared deliciously every
day, the other desired but the crumbs from the table, and could
not have them; Dives beset with his rich and stately attendance,
Lazarus hath no other society but the dogs which came to lick his
sores; all which Austin and Tertullian against Marcion (lib. 4),
conceive to be a true history of what was really acted, though
others think it parabolical. Job tells us that "the tabernacles
of robbers" sometimes "prosper" (#Job 12:6|), which prosperity he
at large describes (#Job 21:7-14|); exalted in "_power_," verse
7; multiplied in their _posterity_, verses 8, 11; _safe at home_,
verse 9; _increased abroad_, verse 10; have their fill of
_pleasure_, verse 12, and _wealth_ at will, verse 13. David
speaks his own experience of this. #Ps 37:35; 73:7|. So in the
text, they enjoy not only common favours, as air to breathe in,
earth to walk on; their bellies are filled with his "_hid
treasure_," and that not for themselves only, but for their
posterity too; they "_leave the rest of their substance to their
babes_;" in a word, "_they have their portion in this
life_."--John Frost, 1657.

        Verse 14.--A master or lord pays his _servant_ his
present wages, while he cuts his _son_ short in his allowance
during his nonage, that he may learn to depend upon his father
for the inheritance. Thus doth God, the great Lord of all, deal
with his _slaves_, who serve him for the hire of some temporal
advantage; he gives them their present reward and wages; but
though his goodness hath determined a better _portion_ to be a
reward to the piety and obedience of his _children_, yet he gives
it them in reversion, little in hand, that they may learn to live
upon the promise, and by faith to depend upon the goodness and
faithfulness of their Father for their heavenly inheritance; that
they, walking not by sight but faith (which is a Christian's work
and condition here), may "not look at the things which are seen,"
etc. #2Co 4:18|. ... This discovers that rotten foundation upon
which many men build their hopes of heaven. Surely (are many
ready to argue) if God did not love me he would not give me such
a portion in the world. Deceive not thyself in a matter of so
great concernment. Thou mayest as well say God loved Judas,
because he had the bags, or Dives, because he fared deliciously,
who are now roaring in hell.--^John Frost.

        Verse 14.--The word which denotes the "_belly_" may have
been fixed, by the divine Spirit, to indicate the fact, that a
very great proportion of the sin of worldly and depraved
characters is connected with the indulgence of base and degrading
lusts; and that they abuse the very bounty of heaven, in riveting
the chain of sense upon their unhappy souls. But let them
remember, that their sensual idolatries will, at last, be
followed up by the most fearful visitations of divine
wrath.--^John Morison.

        Verse 14.--"_Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid
treasure_." Wicked men may abound in earthly things. They may
have the earth and the fulness of it, the earth, and all that is
earthly; their bellies are filled by God himself with hidden
treasure. Precious things are usually hidden, and all that's
named treasure, though it be but earthly, hath a preciousness in
it. Hidden treasures of earth fill their bellies who slight the
treasures of heaven, and whose souls shall never have so much as
a taste of heavenly treasures: riches and honour are the lots of
their inheritance who have no inheritance among those whose lot
is glory. They have the earth in their hands (#Job 9:24|), who
have nothing of heaven in their hearts; they bear sway in the
world who are slaves to the world; they govern and order others
at their will who are led captive by Satan at his will. Be not
offended and troubled to see the reins of government in their
hands who know not how to govern themselves, or to see them rule
the world who are unworthy to live in the world.--^Joseph Caryl.

        Verse 14.--"_Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid
treasure_." The hearts of saints only are filled with the
"_hidden manna_," but the bellies of the wicked are often filled
with _hidden treasure_; that is, with those dainties and good
things which are virtually hidden in, and formally spring out of,
the belly and bowels of the earth. The Lord easily grants them
their wish in such things, and gives them "_their portion_,"
which is all their portion, "_in this life_." For as they are but
common professors, so these are but common mercies, such as many
of his enemies receive, who are but fatted as oxen for the
slaughter, and fitted for destruction. True happiness is not to
be judged by lands or houses, by gold or silver. The world is a
narrow bound: unless we get beyond the creature, and set our
hopes above this world, we cannot be happy. As hypocrites desire,
so they attain much of the world, but they shall attain no more,
how much soever they seem to desire it.--^Joseph Caryl.

        Verse 14.--"_Whose belly thou fillest_." That is, their
sensual appetite, as often-times that term is used (#Rom 16:18;
Php 3:19|), "_with thy hid treasures_;" namely the riches which
either God is wont to hide in the bowels of the earth, or lock up
in the repository of providence, dispensing them at his own
pleasure.--^John Howe.

        Verse 14.--"_Whose belly thou fillest_," etc.:--

        Thou from thy hidden store,
                Their bellies, Lord, hast fill'd;
        Their sons are gorg'd, and what is o'er,
                To their sons' sons they yield.

^Richard Mant.

        Verse 14.--"_They are full of children_." So it appears
by that which follows, it ought to be read, and not according to
that gross, but easy (_u'ôn_ for _ui'ôn_), mistake of some
transcribers of the seventy. As if in all this he pleaded thus:
"Lord, thou hast abundantly indulged those men already, what need
they more? They have themselves, from thy unregarded bounty,
their own vast swollen desires sufficiently filled, enough for
their own time; and when they can live no longer in their
persons, they play in their posterity, and leave not strangers,
but their numerous offspring, their heirs. Is it not enough that
their avarice be gratified, except their malice be also? that
they have whatsoever they can conceive desirable for themselves,
unless they may also infer whatever they can think mischievous on
me?" To this description of his enemies, he _ex opposito_,
subjoins some account of himself in this his closure of the
Psalm. "_As for me_," here he is at his statique point; and,
after some appearing discomposure, his spirit returns to a
consistency, in consideration of his own more happy state, which
he opposes and prefers to theirs, in the following respects. That
_they_ were wicked, _he_ righteous. "I will behold thy face in
righteousness." That _their_ happiness was worldly, terrene, such
only as did spring from the earth; _his_ heavenly and divine,
such as should result from the face and image of God. _Theirs_
present, temporary, compassed within this life; _his_ future,
everlasting, to be enjoyed when he should awake. _Theirs_
partial, defective, such as would but gratify their bestial part,
fill their bellies; _his_ adequate, complete (the _eu'saimoni'a
tou ounetou_, _a happiness of proportion_), such as should
satisfy the man. "I shall be _satisfied_," etc.--^John Howe.

        Verse 14.--"_They are full of children_." Margin, their
children are full. The margin probably expresses the sense of the
Hebrew better than the text. The literal rendering would be,
"satisfied are their sons;" that is, they have enough to satisfy
the wants of their children. The expression, "they are full of
children," is harsh and unnatural, and is not demanded by the
original, or by the main thought in the passage. The obvious
signification is, that they have enough for themselves and for
their children.--^Albert Barnes.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 14.--"_Men of the world, which have their portion
in this life_." Who they are? What they have? Where they have it?
What next?

        Verse 14.--"_Men which are thy hand_." Providential
control and use of wicked men.