February 24

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.—Psalms 1:3, 4.

He illustrates and confirms the preceding sentence by a simile. For he shows in what sort they are to be counted happy that fear God: namely, not because they enjoy a transitory and vain mirth for a moment only, but because their estate standeth fast. And there is a kind of tacit contrast between the freshness of the tree that is planted in a moist plot, and the fading beauty of that which, though it flourish fairly for a while, does, notwithstanding, soon wither by reason of the barrenness of the soil. For as concerning the ungodly, we shall see in Psalms 37:35, That they are like the cedars of Lebanon. For they swim in such abundance of all wealth and honor, that there is nothing wanting to make them happy in this world. But how much soever

6 they may rear their heads on high, and fling their branches far and wide, yet forasmuch as they have no root in the ground, nor even supply of moisture to maintain their sap, all their beauty either vanishes and dies forthwith, or else withers away. It is only the blessing of God, therefore, that maintains us in a prosperous state. They who gather from this simile that the reason why the faithful bring forth their fruit in due season is, because they wisely discern when good is to be done, in my judgment, run into philosophic subtleties which are not within the scope of the prophet's meaning. For he meant nothing else but that God's children flourish continually, and are always watered by the secret grace of God, so that whatsoever befall's them is a furtherance of their welfare; whereas either the sudden storm catches up the ungodly, or else excessive heat consumes them. And when he says they bring forth their fruit in due season, by this expression he indicates their timely ripeness; because, although the ungodly make a show of precocious fruit, yet do they yield none that comes to perfection.

He might have compared the ungodly to a tree that soon withers, as Jeremiah, xvii. 6, likens them to heath that grows in the wilderness. But not content with this simile, he casts them down with greater despite; and for this reason, that he hath not an eye to that prosperous state wherein they vaunt themselves for a short time, but rather weighs what manner of end awaits them after all. Therefore the meaning is, that though the ungodly have prosperity now, yet soon they shall be like chaff; because when the Lord shall have brought them low, he shall toss them hither and thither with the breath of his indignation. Moreover, by this manner of speech the Holy Ghost teacheth us to behold with the eye of faith that which otherwise might seem incredible. For although the ungodly tower up like a high tree, yet should we assure ourselves that he shall be as chaff or dross, when God listeth to bring down his loftiness with his breath.