Ps 17:25

“We agree with common opinion, "He will be like the one with whom he is joined." Indeed, this statement is very true, but it does not apply to the interpretation of the present verse. In this verse, if you wish to make the plain sense of the hymn, you will remember what the Lord said through the prophet to the people: If you walk upright in my sight, I will walk upright with you; if you walk turned from my ways, I will be turned from you. The psalmist speaks to this statement: With the holy, you will be holy; with the innocent, innocent, and et cetera.”

“The love of God begets the love of the soul, and his preceding intention makes the soul intent, and his solicitude makes it solicitous. For I know not by what closeness of nature, once the soul shall have been able to behold the glory of God with face unveiled, it is necessary that it soon be conformed to it and transformed into the same image. Therefore, as you shall have prepared yourself for God, so it is necessary that God appear to you. "With the holy he will be holy, and with the innocent man he will be innocent." Why not equally with one who loves, a lover; and with one who is at leisure, at leisure; and with one who is intent, intent; and solicitous with one who is solicitous?”

“Next the reason for retribution is set forth; therefore there follows, "With the holy one." Regarding this he does two things. First he sets forth the reason for retribution. Second, he expounds it, at "for you will save the humble people." The first two verses can be understood in two ways. In one way, as speaking to God; and thus the literal sense is, as if to say: You, O Lord, "with the holy one will be holy." And thus he says two things: namely that God is the rewarder and approver of the good. Second, how he is the reprover of the wicked; hence there follows, "and with the innocent," etc. "And with the perverse you will be perverse." Now it should be known that he names the holy, the innocent, and the elect. "Elect" can be understood in two ways. In one way, by God; and this is common to all the saints: Eph. 1: "God chose us before the foundation of the world," etc. In another way, one is called elect who has an excellence of innocence and holiness: Song 5: "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." If "elect" is taken in the first way, then the second is set forth on our part, and the third on God's part. If in the second way, then he proposes two things that are on our part. The first is the doing of good, which is done for God's sake; and this properly has the character of holiness, because all things that are ordered to God are called holy; and this is what he says: Lord, "you will be holy with the holy one," causing holiness in him: Lev. 21: "I am the God who sanctifies you." Or thus: "You will be holy" effectively, that is, showing that you love and approve holiness. For he does not show himself except through works; for we do not see his substance. Nor is he holy with the holy one in any other way than by showing holiness; for he is not now visible to us, so that we might say he conforms himself to the holy one in outward motions, as a person conforms himself in various ways to various people, especially friends, because every animal loves its like; and what one loves, one rewards. Hence, showing yourself holy, when will you reward, he asks, the works of holiness? "And with the innocent man you will be innocent," effectively and by rewarding. "And with the elect," whom you love, "you will be elect," because you will cause him to choose you: Jn. 15: "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" originally. Deut. 4: "He loved your fathers and chose their seed after them." And Deut. 26: "You have chosen the Lord today, that he may be your God, and that you may obey his command; and the Lord has chosen you today, that you may be his special people, and he will make you higher than all the nations, that you may be a holy people." Or "elect," that is, excellently set apart. "And with the perverse you will be perverse," that is, you will permit him to be perverse. Or the perverse are those who do not follow those whom they ought to follow. Therefore he who does not follow the will of God seems perverse. Therefore you act against the will of God, and God acts against your will; as if to say: you want to have blessedness, and God will give misery: Lev. 26: "If you walk contrary to me, I also will walk against you, and I will strike you seven times for your sins." And therefore he says, "with the perverse you will be perverse," that is, acting against the will of the perverse. In another way it can be read as referring the discourse to some person: and thus a person "with a holy person," or with Christ, "will be holy," because you will hear nothing from God except holiness. Sir. 37: "With a religious man, discuss holiness." "And with the innocent you will be innocent," because morals are formed according to one's company: 1 Cor. 15: "Evil conversations corrupt good morals." "And with the perverse you will be perverted." Sir. 13: "He who touches pitch shall be defiled by it, and he who associates with the proud," etc. Next he expounds the foregoing according to the first reading. Why will you, O Lord, be holy with the holy one? Because "you will save the humble people," that is, in this -- that you will save the humble -- you show yourself to be holy with the holy one: Jas. 4: "To the humble he gives grace." Mt. 19: "Let the little children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Ps. 137: "The Lord is exalted, and he looks upon the lowly." Why will you be perverse with the perverse? Because "you will humble the eyes of the proud": Lk. 14: "Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled." Is. 2: "The lofty eyes shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down." And he says "eyes," because pride consists in this: that a person raises his gaze to things greater than his capacity: Is. 16: "His pride and his arrogance are greater than his strength." And therefore Ps. 130: "Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lifted up."”