Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ver. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy.] Vade, iuste, go thy way, thou righteous man; live in cheerfulness of mind, proceeding from the testimony of a good conscience: so Lyra senseth the words. God's grace and favour turned brown bread and water into manchet and wine to the martyrs in prison. "Rejoice not thou, O Israel, for joy, as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God." Hos 9:1 Thou cutest thy bane, thou drinkest thy poison, because "to the impure all things are impure," and "without faith it is impossible to please God." "In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare (or a cord to strangle his joy with), but the righteous doth sing and rejoice." Pro 29:6 He may do so; he must do so. What should hinder him? He hath made his peace with God, and is rectus in curia. Let him be merry at his meals, lightsome and spruce in his clothes, cheerful with his wife and children, &c. "Is any man merry at heart?" saith St James; Jam 5:13 is he right set, and hath he a right frame of soul (ευθυμει)? is all well within? "Let him sing psalms"; yea, as a traveller rides on merrily, and wears out the tediousness of the way by singing sweet songs unto himself; so should the saints. "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." Psa 119:54