John Calvin Commentary Psalms 119:52

"I have remembered thine ordinances of old, O Jehovah, And have comforted myself." — Psalms 119:52 (ASV)

I called to mind thy judgments of old, O Jehovah! In this psalm, the judgments of God are generally understood as his statutes and decrees, that is, his righteousness. In this specific instance, because of the qualifying phrase of old, it is more probable that they refer to the examples by which God has made himself known as the righteous Judge of the world.

Why does he say that the law of God has been from everlasting? This may be partly explained by the fact that the righteousness mentioned here is not of recent origin but truly everlasting. This is because the written law is merely an attestation of the law of nature, by which God recalls to our memory what he has previously engraved on our hearts.

I am more inclined to adopt another interpretation: that David remembered the judgments of God, by which he testified that he had established his law perpetually in the world. Such a confirmation is very necessary for us, because when God does not lay bare his arm, his word often makes little impression.

But when he takes vengeance on the ungodly, he confirms what he has spoken. This is why in civil law, penalties are called confirmations. The term aligns better with God’s judgments, by which he establishes the authority of his law, as if a true demonstration accompanied his words.

And since David declares that he called to mind the most ancient of God’s judgments, we should learn from this. If God’s judgments are not displayed as frequently as we might wish for the strengthening of our faith, this is due to our own ingratitude and apathy.

For in no past age have clear demonstrations for this very purpose been lacking. Thus, it can be truthfully affirmed that God’s judgments have flowed in a continuous stream from age to age. The reason we have not perceived them is our not bothering to open our eyes to see them.

If anyone objects that it is contrary to the nature of his judgments to afford consolation, because they are intended more to strike us with terror, the answer is readily available—the faithful are made to tremble for fear of God’s judgments, to the extent necessary for the mortification of their flesh.

On the other hand, these judgments provide believers with a great source of comfort, because from them they learn that God exercises his superintending providence over the human race.

Furthermore, they learn that after the wicked have reveled in licentiousness for a time, they will at last be brought before the judgment seat of God. In contrast, believers themselves, after having patiently combated under such a Guardian of their welfare, can have no doubt about their preservation.