John Trapp on Psalms 15:4

Verſ. 4. In whoſe eyes a vile perſon is contemned] An abject, a Reprobate, as one rendreth it;Joſephus. be he as high as Haman, See Eſthers Character of him, chap. 7. 6. and Mordica[illegible: 1 letter] 's ſlighting of him, chap. 3.2. Bee he as great as Antiochus Epiphanes, to whom the Samaritans excuſing themſelves that they were no Jews, wrote thus, To Antiochus the great God; Daniel counted and called him a vile perſon, chap. 11.21. So Eliſha deſpiſed Jehoram the King, 2 King. 3.14. we alſo muſt deſpiſe the wicked; yet non virum, ſed vitium, & ſalvo cui que loci ſui honere; giving honour, befitting their places, to whom honour is due, Rom. 13. but ſhunning that partiality taxed by St. James, chap. 2.3, 4. The Burgeſſe of the new Jeruſalem, reprobes reprobat, & probos probat, hee cannot flatter any man, nor fancy ſuch as in whom hee findeth not aliquid Chriſti, ſomething of the image of God. A golden Coloſſe ſtuffed with rubbiſh hee cannot ſtoop to.

But hee honoureth them that fear the Lord] As the only earthly Angells, though never ſo mean, and deſpicable in the Worlds eye. Mr. Fox being asked whether hee remembred not ſuch a poor ſervant of God, who had received ſuccour from him in time of trouble? anſwered, I remember him well; I tell you I forget Lords and Ladies to remember ſuch. Ingo an ancient King of Draves and Veneds ſet his Pagan-Nobles (at a feaſt) in his Hall below, and a company of poor Chriſtians with himſelf in his preſence Chamber,Aeneas Sylv. cap. 20. entertaining them with the royalleſt chear, and kinglieſt attendance that might be. At which when his Nobles wondred, he told them, this he did not as he was King of the Draves, but as he was King of another World; wherein theſe ſhould be his companions, and fellow-Princes.

He that ſweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not] Covetouſneſſe he ſo hateth, that firſt, hee will rather ſuffer loſſe than be worſe than his oath or honeſt word; ſecondly, he lendeth, looking for nothing again; thirdly, hee taketh no reward againſt the innocent, either as a Judge, or as a Pleader. Of many ſwearers it may be ſaid, that they can play with oaths as Children do with Nuts; or as Monkies do with their collars, which they can ſlip off at their pleaſure. And of many promiſers, that they are like the Peacock, all in changable colours, as often changed as moved: But this is not the guiſe of Gods people.Tertul. The Jews at this day keep no oath, unleſſe they ſwear upon their own T[illegible: 1 letter]rah, or Law, brought out of their Synagogues. The Turks keep no oath further than may ſtand with their own convenience; The Papiſts hold, that faith is not to be kept with Hereticks; and they practice accordingly. But the old Romans had a great care alwaies to perform their word, whatever it coſt them; inſomuch that the firſt Temple built in Rome was dedicated to the Goddeſſe Fidelity. In after times indeed, Romanis promittere promptumerat, promiſsis autem, quanquam jurament[illegible: 1 letter] firmatis, minime ſtare. The Romans were forward to promiſe and ſwear,Procop. de bel. Perſic. lib. 1. but careleſſe to perform, if Mirrhanes the Perſia Generall may be beleeved. But an oath was ever held amongſt all Nations a ſacred bond, and obligatory, unleſſe it were contra bonos mores, as the Lawyers ſpeak. Joſuah and the Elders kept their oath to the Gibeonites, though to their inconvenience. Zedekiah was puniſhed for not keeping touch with the King of Babylon. And one of the laws of the Knights of the Band in Spain was, that if any of them broke his promiſe, hee went alone by himſelf, and no body ſpake to him, nor he to any.