The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man [shall be satisfied] from himself.
Ver. 14. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.] He hath made a match with mischief, he shall soon have enough of it; he hath sold himself to do wickedness, Heb 10:38 and he shall be sure of his payment; he hath drawn back to perdition; he hath stolen from his colours, run away from his captain (υποστειληται), he shall have martial law for it. God will serve such odious apostates as Theodoric, king of Goths, did a deacon, that, to ingratiate with this Arian prince, turned Arian: instead of preferring him, he cut off his head. Or as that Turk served the traitor that betrayed the Rhodes: his promised wife and portion were presented, but the Turk told him that he would not have a Christian to be his son-in-law, but he must be a Moslem - that is, a believing Turk, both within and without. And therefore he caused his baptized skin, as he called it, to be taken off, and him to be cast in a bed strawed with salt, that he might get a new skin, and so he should be his son-in-law. But the wicked wretch ended his life with shame and torment.
But a good man shall be satisfied from himself.] For he hath a spring within his own breast, he needs not shark abroad; he hath an autarchy, a self-sufficience. 1Ti 6:6 Hic sat lucis, Here is enough light, said Oecolampadius, clapping his hand on his breast, when sick, and asked whether the light did not offend him? Another, being likewise sick, and asked how he did; answered, ‘My body is weak, my mind is well.' A third, a when the pangs of death were upon him, being asked by a very dear friend that took him by the hand, whether he felt not much pain; ‘Truly no,' said he, ‘the greatest I find is your cold hand.' These good men "knew within themselves that they had in heaven a better and a more enduring substance"; Heb 10:34 within themselves they knew it - not in others, not in books, but in their own experience and apprehension, in the workings of their own hearts. Their knowledge was non in codicibus, sed in cordibus: They could feelingly say, that "in doing of God's will" - not only for doing it, or after it was now done, but even while they were doing of it - "there was great reward." Psa 19:11 Righteousness is its own reward, and is never without a double joy to be its strength: Gaudium in re, gaudium in spe, gaudium de possessione, gaudium de promissione, gaudium de praesenti exhibitione, gaudium de futura expectatione: b Joy in hand, and in hope, in present possession, and in certain reversion.
a Mr Bolton.
b Bernard.