Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 49
Overview:
A
Call for attention.
(1-5) Folly of worldlings.
(6-14)
Against fear of
Death.
(15-20)
1-5 We seldom meet with a more solemn introduction: there is
No
Truth of greater importance. Let all hear this with application
to ourselves. The
Poor are in danger from undue desire toward
the wealth of the world, as rich people from undue delight in
it. The psalmist begins with applying it to himself, and that is
the right method in which to treat of Divine things. Before he
sets down the folly of
Carnal security, he lays down, from his
own experience, the benefit and comfort of a holy, gracious
security, which they enjoy who trust in
God, and not in their
worldly wealth. In the
Day of
Judgment, the iniquity of our
heels, or of our steps, our past sins, will compass us. In those
days, worldly, wicked people will be afraid; but wherefore
should a
Man fear
Death who has
God with him?
6-14 Here is a description of the
Spirit and way of worldly
people. A
Man may have wealth, and may have his
Heart enlarged
in
Love, thankfulness, and obedience, and may do good with it.
Therefore it is not men's having riches that proves them to be
worldly, but their setting their hearts upon them as the best
things. Worldly men have only some floating thoughts of the
things of
God, while their fixed thoughts, their inward
thoughts, are about the world; that lies nearest the
Heart. But
with all their wealth they cannot save the
Life of the dearest
friend they have. This looks further, to the eternal
Redemption
to be wrought out
By the
Messiah. The
Redemption of the soul
shall cost very dear; but, being once wrought, it shall never
need to be repeated. And he, the
Redeemer, shall rise again
before he sees corruption, and then shall live for evermore, Re
1:18. This likewise shows the folly of worldly people, who sell
their souls for that which will never buy them. With all their
wealth they cannot secure themselves from the stroke of
Death.
Yet one
Generation after another applaud their maxims; and the
character of a fool, as drawn
By heavenly
Wisdom itself, Lu
12:16-21, continues to be followed even among professed
Christians.
Death will ask the proud sinner, Where is thy
wealth, thy pomp? And in the morning of the resurrection, when
all that sleep in the
Dust shall awake, the upright shall be
advanced to the highest honour, when the wicked shall be filled
with
Everlasting shame and contempt, Da 12:2. Let us now
Judge
of things as they will appear in that
Day. The beauty of
Holiness is that alone which the
Grave cannot touch, or damage.
15-20 Believers should not fear
Death. The distinction of men's
outward conditions, how great soever in
Life, makes none at
Death; but the difference of men's spiritual states, though in
this
Life it may seem of small account, yet at and after
Death
is very great. The soul is often
Put for the
Life. The
God of
Life, who was its Creator at first, can and will be its
Redeemer
at last. It includes the
Salvation of the soul from eternal
ruin. Believers will be under strong
Temptation to envy the
prosperity of sinners. Men will praise thee, and cry thee up, as
having done
Well for thyself in raising an estate and family.
But what will it avail to be approved of men, if
God condemn us?
Those that are rich in the graces and comforts of the
Spirit,
have something of which
Death cannot strip them, nay, which
Death will improve; but as for worldly possessions, as we
brought nothing into the world,
So it is certain that we shall
carry nothing out; we must leave all to others. The sum of the
whole matter is, that it can profit a
Man nothing to gain the
whole world, to become possessed of all its wealth and all its
power, if he lose his own soul, and is cast away for want of
that holy and heavenly
Wisdom which distinguishes
Man from the
brutes, in his
Life and at his
Death. And are there men who can
prefer the
Lot of the rich sinner to that of
Poor Lazarus, in
Life and
Death, and to eternity? Assuredly there are. What need
then we have of the teaching of the
Holy Ghost; when, with all
our boasted powers, we are prone to such folly in the most
important of all concerns!