condemnation whereof we are redeemed by Christ 778. Mat. 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his brother is in danger of judgment Eph. 4.6 Be angry but sin not That anger is unlawful when any one without just cause is angry and more with the person than the faults for his own cause and not for Gods cause Thou shalt not kill It is lawful when for Gods glory we are angry with their sins and not with the persons Also the Apostle warns us to moderate this just anger that we offend not by anger against God or our Neighbour * Mat. 5.22 with Eph. 4.6 Anger is twofold either advised or unadvised the former place speaks of unadvised anger the latter place of advised anger Anger is such as ariseth from good principles the love to God guided thereby Secondly It hath for its end the Glory of God of this anger the latter place There is anger which looks at private revenge and springs from private injuries that is excessive in its heat of this in the former place 779. Mat. 5.22 He that saith to his brother Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire Luk. 24.25 O fools and slow of heart to believe Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you Christ condemns a contumelious despising of our brother and a reproachful aspersion of foolishness but he in his way to Emaus cals Cleophas and his fellows fools not out of a vicious desire but for their dulness and folly because they believed not the Prophets nor the Word of God so the Apostle called the Galatians foolish * 780. Mat. 5.29 If thy right eye offend thee c. Exod. 20. Thou shalt not kill The former place hints that there is a twofold Body 1. of flesh 2. Of sin now whether of these Members whether outward or sins if they stand betwixt us and Christ we must cut them off and cast them from us The second place condems murther it forbids not a mans parting with any thing though a member of our body to serve Christ It forbids us to kill our selves but not to part with our selves for Christs sake or Cause 781. Mat. 5.25 Agree with thine Adversary 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist strong in the faith The first place is concerning all adversaries in general with whom we must agree according to the rule of Charity The latter is concerning the devil in particular whom we must alwaies resist being armed with heavenly weapons against him 782. Mat. 5.32 Whosoever puts away his wife unless it be for fornication causeth her to commit adultery 1 Cor. 7.11 If shee depart let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband Fornication or Adultery is the principal cause of divorce betwixt those that are married but other causes as witchcraft impotency malicious forsaking do not so dissolve the bond of Matrimony The Apostle speaks of desertion and in that case reconciliation must be first endeavoured before the party forsaken or forsaking should be left out of Matrimony * Mat. 5.32 with 1 Cor. 7.15 Laws are Moral Civil or Politick and among particular Laws are those of permission and toleration which were such as did not approve of evil which they conceived but did only tolerate and permit that evil which could not be avoyded for the preventing of a greater evil which otherwise would fall out such were those Laws Deu. 23.10 21.15 This Law of divorce was not an approving of the giving a Bill of divorce for every light cause but tolerating of it for the preventing of a greater mischief even murther For the nature of the Jews was this if a man once took dislike to his wife he would never be at rest till he had shed her bloud if they might not be parted asunder this Law of divorce was only to restrain this evil The Law did not allow a woman to put away her husband because there was no such fear of blood but the man to put away his wife Besides the Law doth not bid a man put away his wife but only permits it The second place speaks of a malicious and willing departing of the Unbeleever which dissolves the marriage but this is no cause of giving a Bill of divorce only Adultery causeth that Here the beleever is a meer patient and the divorce is made by the unbeleever who unjustly forsaketh and so puts away the other * 783. Mat. 5.32 with Mat. 19.29 Whosoever forsaketh not wife c. The former place speaks of a separation by divorce The latter place of forsaking a wife not by giving a Bill of divorcement but that which is caused by imprisonment banishment or death * 784. Mat. 5.32 with Tit. 3.10 Avoid an Heretick after once or twice admonition The former speaks of private persons and of a divorce allowed by the Law permissively The latter place speaks of that Commandment which is not given to every private person but to the Ministers of the Church who after one or two admonitions are to excommunicate and cut off all Hereticks from the Church Secondly It hindereth not but that the bond of marriage may remain sure and firm though one of the parties be cut off from the Church 1 Cor. 7.12 It is one thing to be cut off from the Church another thing to be cut off from bed and boord 785. Mat. 5.39 Resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn the other to him also Joh. 18.23 If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil if well why smitest thou me The manner of resisting evil is either of retaliation with injury And this Christ forbids or of just defence by which without injury we drive off injuries by Reason or Law So Christ said Why dost thou smite me Not out of a mind desirous of revenge but from a well composed heart he spake that and it is lawful for godly men to complain to the Judge of injuries done unto them * Mat. 5.39 with Joh. 18.23 The former place bids us not resist or arise against the evil one to requite like for like according to the injury done unto us It forbiddeth not resisting evil for we may resist evil by a lawful defence as Christ did by lawful reasoning but he forbids resisting evil by private revenge for he speaketh to his Disciples as to private men Luk. 6.27 The latter place shews an example of Christs reasoning with them about evil offered to them but not of his resisting evil with evil smiting with smiting but readiness to suffer more or turn the other cheek * 786. Mat. 5.39 with Rom. 13.4 Gods Ministers for executing wrath or revenge Revenge is twofold private or publick Private when those who are no Magistrates will revenge themselves on such as do them wrong Instead of pardoning they resist and revenge themselves Publick revenge is when the Magistrate according to Justice and the Law of God punisheth an evil person that wrongeth his brother The former place is of private the latter of publick revenge There are two
children which Job had lost should rise again and so joyned together they are doubled The PSALTER From Singing HEb Sepher Tehilin the Book of Praises 2 Sam. 23.2 It is called the Book of Psalms the small Bible The Psalms are in number an hundred and fifty The most are Davids who was an excellent Psalmist and is called the sweet finger of Israel All of them were written by the dictate of the holy Ghost The most before and some in the time and after the Babylonish captivity unto the times of the Maechabees Some are Didacticall some Propheticall some Eucharisticall containing Instructions Doctrines Exhortations Consolations 449. PSalm 1.2 In the Law of the Lord is his delight Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the Law Godly men have a singular delight in the Law and in the holy Commandements of God Yet they are not under the yoak and curse of the Law which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 15.10 we hope to be saved as well as they * 450. Psal 1.3 4. He is like a Tree planted c. the ungodly are not so Eccles 8.14 There be just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked and there are wicked to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous this is vanity The former place tels us what a godly mans portion and a wicked mans portion is in certainty and assurance The latter place speaks either of what happeneth from evill Princes who do oppresse the just and encourage the wicked which can but last only for the present Or else this happeneth by the providence of God that the wicked should live in pleasure and the godly in trouble as flesh and bloud judgeth yet it may easily be seen the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous The righteous flourish either themselves as a Palm tree that hath been depressed or in their posterity after their departure which fals not out with the wicked 451. Psal 1.5 The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment 2 Cor. 5.10 We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ The first place is to be understood of temporall judgments which wicked men cannot endure when they are examined according to Gods judgments because they are convinced of their sinnes The latter speaks of the last judgment when all good men shall rise to life eternall and wicked men to eternall death * Psalm 1.5 with 2 Cor. 5.10 The wicked shall not be able to stand at the last Judgement though they shall appear i. e. not stand to justifie themselves in their evill actions nor shall they be absolved by the Judges sentence nor be raised from death to glory in the resurrection But they shall be beaten down with terror being void and fallen from all manner of hope * 452. Psal 2.7 Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old Christ as God was with God in the beginning of his way Christ as man was begotten in time This day relates to his nativity and exhibition in the flesh not to his Divinity And at his resurrection that begetting of Christ according to his humane nature was manifest and clear which probably made St Peter use it to that purpose in the Acts. 453. Psal 2.9 Thou shalt break them with an iron rod like a potters vessell Isa 42.3 He shall not break a bruised reed The Sonne of God will break the wicked with an iron rod and the blast of his mouth but he receives the weak in faith into favour and he perfects his strength in their weaknesse 454. Psal 2.10 Serve God in fear 1 Peter 2.10 Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear c. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdome and before all it is necessary to have that yet we must obey earthly Masters next under God * 455. Psal 5.4 Neither shall evill dwell with thee Esay 45.7 I make peace and create evill Evill dwels not with God as its a sinne but creates evill as its a punishment Evill is taken in the latter place not for that which is a breach of the Law God is not the author of sinne but for that which is contrary to our nature good and happinesse thus sicknesse and trouble c. are evill I create afflictions saith God Evill as its opposed to peace Evill is either that which is opposed to the increated good God himself and so its sinne or as it s opposed to created good and so its affliction God is the author of evill i. e. affliction not of sin because its contrary to himself 456. Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity Rom. 9.18 Whom he will he hardneth God since he is just and mighty will and can punish all iniquity though he suffer the deceit and violence of the wicked for a time Aug. cont Faust Exod. 4.21 and 7.3 and 10.27 and 11.10 Hardning is imputed to God not as if he were the author of it as it is evill but as it is a punishment and God useth evill to good ends and governs the wicked for good * 457. Psal 5.5 with Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners c. God hates all workers of iniquity as workers of iniquity God loves those which have wrought iniquity not as workers of iniquity but as they are considered in Christ those for whom Christ died and the creatures oâ—â—he Lord and as those which are returning to God from iniquity 458. Psal 5.6 Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Luke 16.8 Christ praised the unjust steward because he dealt wisely God hates all iniquity and deceitfull persons are an abomination unto him God praised the unjust Steward not for his wickednesse deceit or wealth but he admired his subtilty and craft so we use in criminall things to commend the cunning of men though we detest their wickednesse 459. Psal 7.8 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and my innocency Psal 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified A righteousness of the cause or action a righteousness of the person In the first place he speaks of the justice and the judgment of the good cause of David which he upheld against the enemies of God who oppressed him with their false calumnies and violence and therefore he appeals to God the judge of his just cause that he would defend his innocency In the latter he speaks of the justice of man and so no man is just in the sight of God if God should try him according to the rigor of his justice 460. Psal 7.12 God threatens and God is angry every day Ephes 4.31 Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger be taken from you Anger is commendable when we are angry for
sinne because sin would displease him 474. Psal 32.3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old Vers 3. Through my roaring all the day long Silence respects the suppression of sins Crying the complaints and lamentations for grief of mind 475. Psal 32.10 Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked 73.5 The righteous are punished more than the wicked Punishments internall and sempiternall are for the wicked but externall and temporary are understood by the last place 476. Psal 34.5 They lookt unto him and were lightned 1 Tim. 6.16 He dwels in a light that no man can approach unto God is said to dwell in light not properly but metaphorically for by this his glory and manifest presence is understood 477. Psal 34.10 There is no lack to them that fear God 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution The Godly suffer no want in spirituall good but in corporall and temporall good yet their persecutions are good for them and are rewarded with eternall life 478 Psal 34.22 None that trust in the Lord shall be desolate Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God In the first place is understood delinquency to death and eternall destruction but they that believe in Christ their faults shall not be imputed to them unto death 479. Psal 35.6 Let their way be made slippery and dark and let the Angell of the Lord persecute them Mat. 5.44 Love your enemies In the first place are meant the incorrigible and obdurate enemies of Christ and his Gospell In the latter place those of whose conversion we have hope 480. Psal 36.8 Thou shalt preserve both man and beast O Lord. 1 Cor. 9.9 Doth God take care for Oxen Under the generall care of God are comprehended all creatures but under his speciall care Men for whose sake God hath made the beasts Ambrose saith God cares nor for beasts for themselves but for our sake for which he created all things and therefore his principall care is for us * 481. Psal 36.25 I never saw c. But many good men have perished by hunger Lazarus and Martyrs Res When God laid on the temporall punishment he supplied it with spirituall comforts and food Secondly David speaks of himself I have not seen if it happened it happened the seldomer 482. Psal 37.21 The wicked borrowes and payeth not again Luke 6.35 Lend looking for nothing again If the Debter be fallen into extreme want that he cannot pay we must not kill him or forsake him in his utmost necessity 483. Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet saw I never the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread Luke 16.20 Lazarus a beggar desired to be satisfied with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table Beggery is a punishment to the wicked but to the godly a fatherly punishment and it is found in the unlawfull begging of Monks sturdy obstinate and idle people which refuse to work but the lawfull begging is for the Members of Christ which are brought to extream poverty by banishment war fire water sickness c. * 484. Psal 37.25 with Luke 16.20 The former Text saith I never saw the righteous forsaken his seed begging It wants Nor in the Originall And it may as well be rendred The righteous forsaken and his seed i. e. both the righteous and his seed One may be forsaken as Lazarus but not both the righteous and the seed of that righteous person forsaken 485. Psal 40.7 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye as living stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices unto God by Jesus Christ God would none of the sacrifices of the Jews which were offered without faith The Apostle speaks of the spirituall sacrifices of Christians as the oblation of our body a contrite heart giving of thanks works of charity which are acceptable sacrifices to God * 486. Psal 40.7 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire Lev. 16. The Lord commanded c. God would not have sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they came from prophane persons without faith and charity Yet God desires sacrifice in respect of their end and institution as they prefigured Christ to come not as the Jews gloried in them and abused them to resist Christ nor as they were to remain in the Jewes opinion after Christ or as they might be conjoyned with Christ nor yet as they might imagine that he was to be served with the outward act and not having the inward power joyned with that outward act 487. Psal 40.9 Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me that I might do thy will O God Matth. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me yet not as I will but as thou wilt Christ that he might fulfill the will of his Father in redeeming mankind offered himself freely and though in the act he was sorrowfull as men are and would if it had been possible have escaped death without the detriment of mans salvation yet he submitted himselfe to his Fathers will * 488. Psal 43.1 Judg me O Lord. Psal 143.2 Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord. Juding of a mans persons is one thing of a mans cause is another David desires God to manifest himself whether the cause which he was disputing with his enemies were just and whether his heart was upright in that matter in relation to them But when David comes to consider the difference betwixt God and him occasioned by his sinnes then he finds himself so faulty that he praies God to pardon him and not judg him for his sins were many 489. Psal 44.23 Awake why sleepest thou O Lord rise 121.4 The keeper of Israel sleepeth not So the godly being grievously afflicted speake after the manner of men not as if God slept or took no care of them but they crave of God that he would shew himself by his works of justice and mercy and would help them * Psal 44.23 with 121.4 In the former place he spake out of a sense of divine displeasure In the latter he spake out of a sense of Gods providence Affection makes Gods children think that to be which is not think that God sleeps when he doth not every moment in mesery being apprehended as the absence of a years mercy * Psal 44.23 with Psal 121.4 Sleeping is attributed to God by a Metaphor from men when they are on sleep they help not nor regard the danger of other And when God regarded not or helped not David as he apprehended he seemed to be as on sleep to him and his affaires though he did not apprehend God to be on sleep in himself or to others for if he had he could not have imagined so small a cry as his on earth could have raised him in Heaven 491. Psal 45.2 Thou art fairer than the children of men Isaiah 53.2 There was no comlinesse