Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: [for] praise is comely for the upright.
Ver. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye rightness] That is, O ye upright in heart, as it followeth here, and as Psalms 32:11. For as there he ended, so here he beginneth, calling upon the saints to be cheerful; and indeed there is hardly any duty more pressed in the Old and New Testament, or less practised. To quicken them, therefore, to so necessary but much neglected a duty, this psalm seemeth to be added to the former, purposely to excite us, by many arguments, to consecrate our whole lives to the singing and setting forth of God's worthy praises. In which regard nihil potest esse hoc carmine augustius, saith Beza, this is surely a most excellent psalm; and if it were well practised we might have a very heaven here; as because it is not, we lose very much of the comtbrt of our lives. Only that cautionating counsel of Bernard would not be forgotten, Laeti simus, non securi; gaudentes in Spiritu Sancto, sed tamen caventes a recidivo; Let us be cheerful, but not secure; and rejoice in the Holy Ghost, but take heed we let not fall the watch of the Lord. Crede mihi res severa est gaudium verum, Believe me, true joy is a severe matter, said Seneca. We may better say so of spiritual joy, which he never tasted of, neither doth any stranger meddle with. And if Plato could tell the musicians, philosophers could tell how to be merry without music; much more may God's people. Quid nobis cum fabulis, cure risu? saith Bernard, What have we to do with carnal mirth and jollity? &c.; we have meat to eat, and music to our meat, that the world knoweth not of; let us make us merry with it.
For praise is comely for the upright] For them, and for none but them; high words are not fit for a fool, saith Solomon. Laudari ab illaudato, to be praised by a praiseless person is no praise at all (Seneca). That State in story would not approve of good words from an evil mouth; no more doth God, Psalms 50:15,16. Christ would not suffer the devil to confess him. Hypocrisy slurreth all it toucheth. If a man should sing a good song with his voice, and play a bad one on his instrument, it would make but a black sanctus. Such is the praise of the unupright; who had better therefore be silent, unless themselves were better, since they do not only lose their labour, but commit sin. Displeasing service is double dishonour; and dissembled sanctity double iniquity.