John Trapp on Psalms 14:3

Verſ. 3. They are all gone aſide, &c.] This is Gods own report of the matter, fully anſwering to that before given in by David, verſ. 1. Good men have the mind of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 2.16. and do fully concurre with him in Judgement and affection. David was a man after Gods own heart, and the heart of Paul is the heart of Chriſt, ſaith Chryſoſtome. But why then doth not David except himſelf out of this univerſitas declinantinus, community of ſtraglers that are gone aſide? and why doth St. Paul argue from this Text, that all, both Jews and Gentiles, are ſtark naught[illegible: 1 letter] Rom. 3.10, 11, 12. I anſwer, becauſe by nature there is never a better of us: but [non-Latin text not transcribed], as the Greek Proverb hath it. All we like ſheep have gone aſtray, ſaith the whole Church, Iſa. 53. Home eſt inverſus decalogus, we naturally all ſtand acrols to all goodneſs. The word here rendred gone aſide, ſignifieth to give back ſturdily, as a ſtubborn Heifer, that refuſeth to receive the yoke.

They are altogether become filthy] Heb. ſtinking, yeelding a worſe ſmell than Carrion doth, or than the filthy Fox doth, of whom Oppianus reporteth (and experience ſheweth it to be true) that when he is beſet on all ſides by the Doggs that hunt him, he bewrayeth his tail with urine, and dung, of a moſt loathſome ſmell,Bodin. [illegible: 1 letter] Nat. 352. and beſmearing therewith the Doggs Noſes, driveth them away therewith many times. But all this is nothing to the filth and ſtench of ſin, which made their very Incenſe an abomination, Iſa. 1.13. and rendreth them moſt like the Devil, that foul Spirit, that ever goeth out with a ſtench, as they ſay of him. The Hebrews have the ſame word for ſin, [non-Latin text not transcribed] and a dead Carcaſs; and again, the ſame word for ſin, and ſtench. Gods Vine-yard brought forth ſtinking Grapes, Iſa. 5. and the wicked utter rotten Language, Epheſ. 4. Hence Longinquus eſt Jehovah ab impiis, The Lord ſtands aloof off from the wicked, Prov. 15.29. Pſal. 5.5. that is, from all for whom Chriſt hath not given himſelf an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God for a ſweet ſmelling ſavour, Epheſ. 5.2. The Apoſtle rendreth it, They are uſeleſs: or, as he elſewhere phraſeth it, to every good work reprobate, Tit. 1. ult.

There is none that doth good] Spiritually good, andunto divine acceptation. There is many times Malum opus in bona materia. How can you that are evil do good works? Good they may be materially, but not formally and eventually; ſuch were the good parts and practices of Socrates, Ariſtides, Scipio, Atticus, Cato, and other honeſt Heathens; they were no better than ſplendida peccata, gliſtering ſins, becauſe they failed,

1 Quoad fontem, they did not out of the good treaſure of their hearts bring forth thoſe good things: they were ſtrangers to the Life of God, to the new Nature.

2 Quoad finem, they brought forth fruit to themſelves, Hof. 10.1. they had not good aims in their good actions. Now, Bonum non fit niſi ex integra cauſa; malum ex quolibet defectu, ſay the Schools.

No not one] Ʋſ que ad unum. i. c. ad Chriſtum, ſaith Auſtin, not conſidering the force of the Hebrew phraſe, which importeth an utter denial of any meer man, that of himſelf doeth good.