Verse 33. For the shewbread Here are recited the severall uses whereunto that tribute or Impost was put the half-shekel enjoyned by the Law being not enough by reason the people were as yet so few This though Junius denieth yet the Hebrews all consent about it To make an atonement That is an agreement Heb. To cover or expiate to purge away or take away uncleannesse to satisfie for sin and to pacifie wrath By the Priests making atonement legally was typified Christs making reconciliation betwixt God and man for he alone is the propitiation for our sinnes 1 John 2.2 But how much mistaken were our Ancestours in times of Popery Act. and Mon. 1077. who built religious houses and gave large maintenance to them to buy off their sinnes to deliver their soules from hell to fetch their friends out of Purgatory c. Verse 34. And we cast lots for the Wood-offering Heb. Kurban or Korban as the Gospel calleth it because by offerings they came near to God This Wood offering we read not of till now the Prophet Isay telleth us that if we should sacrifice unto God according to his excellent greatnesse Lebanon would not be sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering Chap. 40.16 There was much use of fuell about the Temple and it was formerly provided out of the publike treasury But that now failing they take another order as here that God might not be unserved and the daily sacrifice neglected which they held and called The abomination of desolation Verse 35. And to bring the first-fruits of our Ground Heb. The first-borne These first-fruits were the fiftieth part and if any would be more liberall in paying the fourtieth or being poorer the sixtieth part And the first-fruits of all fruits of all trees God required to be honoured with the firstlings of all to shew how he sets by our young-services We prize nettle-buds when they first put forth so doth God remember and regard the kindnesse of our youth Jer. 2.1 Verse 36. Also the first-born of our Sonnes These God claimed as his due Exod. 12.2 and 22.29 Num. 3.13 and called for as best beloved of the parents that together with them he might draw mens best affections to himselfe They were to be redeemed as were also the firstlings of all beasts not fit for sacrifice Exod. 13.13 and the redemption-money brought to the Priests who were Gods Receivers that they might be the better encouraged in the Law of the Lord as Hezekiah phraseth it 2 Chron. 31.4 To bring to the house of our God unto the Priests No man might offer his own sacrifice though it were never so good but present it to the Priest Levit. 17.5 who was to offer as well the poor mans Lamb as the rich mans Oxe it is by Christ alone that we must draw nigh to God c. Verse 37. And that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough As oft as they baked they gave a Cake unto the Priests where they dwelled throughout the Tribes for they were dispersed all abroad the land for instruction of the people and exhortation to obedience to the Law of God See Num. 15.20 21. And the tythes of our ground unto the Levites And the tythes were paid to the Levites not to the Priests and out of them the Levites paid a tenth to the Priests In all the Cities of our tillage No places were tyth-free Verse 38. And the Priest the Son of Aaron That Son of Aaron by an eminency the High-Priest Shall be with the Levites To see that right be done and to make an equal distribution When the Levites take tythes As their Due and not as a benevolence from the people Melchizedech tythed Abraham Heb. 7.6 It is your reward or wages which you dearly earne and may justly call for Num. 19.31 The chief of the Levites demanded their due when they were not thought of but by great over-sight were passed over in the division Josh 21.1 And the Levites shall bring up See the Note on verse 37. Verse 39. And we will not forsake the house of God But frequent it our selves and see that the Priests that minister the porters and singers forsake it not for want of necessary maintenance as they were shortly after this forced to do And to flie every one to his field Neh. 13.10 For a subsistence CHAP. XI Verse 1. And the Rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem THis City being before repaired beginneth now to be repeopled See chap. 7.4 The Rulers there took up their seat as was fit and as in all chief Cities is usuall so that thither the Tribes went up the Tribes of the Lord c. And there were set the Thrones of Judgment Psal 122.5 The rest of the people also cast lots The dispose whereof is wholly of the Lord and therefore none could reasonably repine To bring one of ten This shadowed out the paucity of those that shall inhabit the heavenly Jerusalem according to Isai 6.13 Jer. 3.14 Christ at last day will do as Joshua did saith a Divine to finde out who had stollen the Babylonish garment there were many brought together and all to find out one Josh 7. So all shall then appeare out of them a finall number seducted that have heard of Christ out of them those that have professed him and out of them those that have professed in sincerity and these Numero vix sunt totidem quot Thebarum portae vel divitis ostia Nili Jâ—venal Sat. 13 How many think you Hom. 4. ad pop Antioch shall be saved in this City said Chrysostome to the people of Antioch where he had long preached and was much admired It will be a hard speech to you but I will speak it though there be so many thousands of you yet there cannot be found an hundred that shall be saved and I doubt of them too for what villany is there in youth What sloth in old age and so he goes on The holy City Jerusalem is so called because God had chosen it to set his name there The Heathen God-haters had alwayes an edge against it and this made people so unwilling to inhabit it Our Edward the First had too high a conceit of it when he charged his Son upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither and left 32000. pounds for that purpose Verse 2. And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered themselves All the Voluntiers those Liberi libentes that moved with a zeal of God and his service seated themselves at Jerusalem though it were little for their safety or profit Sincerity is an enemy to Sinisterity it streines out selfe-respects and procures a man great respect in the hearts of good people who are ready to commend them and pray for them as here Verse 3. Now these are the chief of the province So Judea is called because now subject and tributary to the King of Babylon as afterwards it was to the Romans and is
this of moneths See the note on verse 1. But the foundation of the Temple Heb. Of the Kingly Palace aula basilica used here and elsewhere for the place where Gods honour dwelleth God is a great King Mal. 1.14 and requires to be served like himselfe Was not yet laid Heb. Was not yet founded Neverthelesse they would be worshipping God as they could at an Altar till they had a Temple All the power of Persia could not keep God and Daniel asunder the trade of godlinesse never standeth still Dan. 6. Contra Arist Demosthenes could say that an heart beautified with piety justice and modesty is the best Temple and to God most acceptable Vers 7. They gave mony also unto the Masons and Carpenters Who usually get it and eate it laying up little their life is called the Life of their hands because maintained by the labour of their hands day-wages they must have or they cannot subsist Esay 57.10 and these good Jews spared for no cost but gave mony out of the bag freely to these workmen Idolaters care not what cost they cast away upon their dumb idols Deum alienum dotant so some read that text Psal 16.4 The Turkish Stately Moschees and Popish Basilicae stuffed with vowed presents and memories as they call them are things known to all When the famous Artificer Phydias advised the Athenians to make the statue of Minerva rather of marble then of ivory 1. Because more durable this passed with allowance 2. Because lesse chargeable this they abhorred and bade him say no more of such a matter And meat and drink and oile More prized by the Tyrians and Sidomans then money because their Countrey was nourished by this Countrey Acts 12.20 as being barren and not bringing forth provision enough for themselves Diogenes deeply taxed the folly of his Athenians that prized money so much and bread-corne so little when as the life of man could be without that but not without the other To bring Cedar-trees Smooth and durable and every way fit for faire buildings and therefore made choice of by God himself 2 Sam. 7.7 by Solomon for the first Temple Vitruvius 1 Kings 5.6 and by these Jewes for the second The Temple of Diana at Ephesus was likewise built of Cedar as the Devil affecteth to be Gods ape To the Sea of Joppa This was an haven-towne Josh 19.46 Acts 9.43 Jon. 1.3 and hath its name à pulchritudine elegantiâ from its beauty and bravery such as draweth love and liking It might have beene called The faire havens as well as that place nigh unto the City of Lasea Acts 27.8 which retaineth the same name unto this day According to the grant Or license which they took in the largest extent as we also ought to do Gods gracious promises Promissa sunt amplianda and we must labour to see our own names written in them Verse 8. To set forward the work To urge the continuance of it to the end as the word signifieth to encourage and call upon the workmen to hasten and go thorough-stitch to be as so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the businesse might go on end and come to a good upshot Verse 9. Then stood Jeshua Not the High-Priest but another a Levite The sonnes of Henadad with their sonnes A generation of godly and active men in the things of God See Nehem. 3.18.24 and 10.9 Grace is not hereditary the white Halegons hatch black young ones Heroum filii noxae Neverthelesse nurture helpeth nature and good men strive to mend that by education which they have marred by propagation They cocker not but correct their children they pray for them and drop good principles into them they smooth them as arrowes Psal 128.3 4. getting off the knottinesse of their nature and leave not till they see them the work of Gods hands so as to sanctifie the holy One of Jacob and to feare the God of Israel Esay 29.23 These sonnes of Henadad as they attended upon the Temple-work so themselves were as the polished corners of the Temple Psal 144.12 Verse 10. With trumpets These were used on all occasions of rejoycing Aelian hist ult With Cymbals Instruments of a shrill sound used also by the Heathens at offering of their sacrifices So in Imitation of the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 The Egyptian High-Priest wore about his neck a sapphire-stone which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satan Dei Mimus ut Momus See before verse 7. After the ordinance of David He very much added to the Church-musick He likewise anticipated the age of the Priests entring into their service five yeares earlier then the Mosaical appointment Verse 11. And they sang together by course Amant alterna Camaenae Antiphonies are of ancient use In praising and giving thanks Men praise God for his excellencies thank him for his benefits Because he is good So they sang Davids Psalmes a good warrant for us so to do Heretofore happy were they held that could sound out aliquid Davidicum Now some have found out new inventions Verse 12. Who were ancient men From seventy years of age and upwards for it was but threescore years before this that the Temple was burnt Wept with a loud voice Considering the disproportion Let us do the like when we compare our state of Creation with our state of Corruption Verse 13. The noise of the shout of joy from the noise c. Nam partim jubilabant partim ejulabant Our joyes while we are here will be mixt joyes Let those that would have joyes unspeakable stir up sighes unutterable CHAP. IV. Verse 1. Now when the adversaries of Judah ARroused by those loud acclamations and out-cries chap. 3.12 13. These adversaries were those Samaritans chap. 3.3 a kinde of mongrels that wore Religion as a cloak which they either put on or threw off at pleasure and as occasion required Satan saith one doth not alwayes appear in one and the same fashion but hath as many severall shapes as Proteus among the Poets Here he pretends devotion to his mischievous designes but was frustrated That the children of the captivity Istos deportatos by way of contempt as Junius rendereth it As if the Jews were therefore hated of God because they had beene transported captivated Tully passeth the same censure of them in his Oration pro L Flacco Istagens quà m chara diis immortalibus esset docuit quòd est victa quòd elocata quòd servata It appears how dear to God they be by their oft-captivities Verse 2. Let us build with you Craftily and treacherously do they offer their cost and paines ut illis intermixti personas committerent atque ita opus interverterent saith one well that mingling with them they might set them together by the eares and so put a stop to the work Socrat. Theodor. Thus Julian to spight the Christians first set the Jewes awork to rebuild their Temple and when that would not be he called home the
requited My father said he is not dishonoured by attending on me for I am both a Kings and a Queens son and so is not he In the beginning of his reigne As loth to lose time Esau began in the very womb to persecute Jacob and as taking their fittest season for granting of suits Wrote they an accusation Heb. a Satanical suggestion a diabolical accusation hatcht in hell and dictated by the Devil He it is that acteth and agitateth the Saints adversaries and accusers sitting upon their tongues and pens and setting an edge on them Verse 7. And in the dayes of Artaxerxes This seems to be Cambyses his Persian name as Ahashuerosh was his Chaldee name It is as much as Bellator egregius an excellent warriour So Scipi was called Fulmen belli the light-bolt of warre Bajazet the great Turk Turk Hist Gilderun or lightning Albert Marquesse of Brandenburg was called Achilles Teutonicus Bucholc Our black Prince was so named not of his colour but of his courage and of his dreaded acts in battel for he assailed no Nation which he over-came not Speed he besieged no City which he took not Cambyses had great successe in his wars and added Egypt and other Countries to the Persian Monarchy Wrote Bishlam Mithredath These were the King of Persia's Toparches or Deputies beyond the river Euphrates Written in the Syrian tongue Called also the Chaldee Babylonish and Assyrian commonly spoken by the Jewes who in the seventy years captivity lost the purity of their owne language like as the Latines also did when the Gothes Vandals and other barbarous Nations over-ran them and mingled with them And interpreted in the Syrian tongue i. e. with Syrian characters Et Scriptura lingua erat Syriaca ut sine interprete in aula regis intelligeretur saith Shindler It was so written that it might be understood at Court without an interpreter Verse 8. Rehum the Chancellour Or President of the Councel It is of the Chaldee termination the whole history also following to chap. 6.19 is Chaldee transcribed as some think out of the rolls and registers of the Chaldees and here inserted Verse 9. The Dinaites and the Apharsathkites the Tarpalites This was not unity but conspiracy of a rabble of rebels against God and his people So Psal 83.5 6 c. They have consulted together with one consent they are confederate against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarenes c. A whole legion of Devils could agree to enter into one poore man to vex him and to act as one in that possession Verse 10. The great and noble Asnapper Some great Commander under the Assyrian Monarch There is they say a greatnesse Belluine and a greatnesse Genuine-Asnapper notwithstanding his big-swoln titles might be rather great then good and more notable then noble Juvenal Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus On this side the river That ancient river the river Euphrates which the more I see the more I admire saith one Verse 11. Thy servants Not thy subjects onely but thine Officers Verse 12. The rebellious and bad City After so many years doth Jerusalem rue one perfidious act of Zedekiah and having once beene treacherous it still hears The rebellious and bad City as if it had beene a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a professed Sanctuary of roguery as the Jesuites say of Geneva and as Florus saith of the Temple at Jerusalem that it was impiae gentis arcanum And have set up the walls thereof This was no lesse false then scandalous But malice careth not how true the accusation is but how mischievous And joyned the foundations Chald. sewed together Or rather these false-informers had sewed a lie together with great Art that it might seeme a truth Psal 119.69 The proud have forged a lie against me assuunt mendacium mendacio they have taught their tongues to speak lies Jer. 9.5 and are Artists at it Verse 13. Be it knowne now unto the King q. d. This is no light businesse but of greatest importance and therefore fit to be noted and noticed Then will they not pay tole tribute c. This is an old device of the Devil and his Impes to represent Gods people to the world as Antimagistratical and disturbers of the publike peace Thus they dealt by the Primitive Christians who were the Emperours best subjects and yielded them greatest respect and profit Thus Francis King of France pretended and professed to the Princes of Germany whose friendship he desired that he pursued the Lutherans with fire and sword for no other cause but for that they were Levellers and enemies to civil government This drew from Calvin who was then but twenty five years of age that golden book of his Institutions of Christian Religion to free the Reformed Churches of that slurre and slander The like was suggested by the Arminians in the Low-countries and by the Episcopal party here It was in Tacitus his time unum crimen eorum qui crimine vacabant the onely fault of such as were indeed without fault And so thou shalt endamage the revenue Diminish the annual Entrado's of the crowne which are well called the Kings strength here because if these faile little good can be done either at home or abroad Henry King of Navarre afterwards King of France was wont to say that he was an husband without a wife a souldier without money and a King without a Kingdome What would the King of Spaines greatnesse soon come to were it not for his yearly incomes his mines of America Verse 14. Now because we have maintenance from the Kings Palace Chaldee Are salted with the salt of the Palace Salarium de regis palatio percipimus have our salary from the Court as Junius rendereth it The great use of salt makes it here put for all kinde of commodity like as bread is called panis as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The all and whole of our sustenance Deut. 8.3 And it was not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour Chald. Nakednesse privities which uncovered cause contempt as it befell Noah in his drunkennesse and the King of Spaine when by Queene Elizabeth proclaimed Bankrupt Therefore have we sent and certified the King As knowing that Beneficium-postulat officium Bounty commands duty Ingratitude is a monster in nature a solecisme in good manners c. Lycurgus would make no Law against it because he held that none could be so unreasonable as to be guilty of it Yet Alphonsus complained of his ungrateful Courtiers and so did Frederick the third Emperour of Germany Queen Elizabeth also said that in trust she had oft found treason That traytor Parry had vowed her death Speed although he had beene condemned for burglary and saved by her pardon Verse 15. In the book of the Records Chald. Of the Remembrances that is the Chronicles usual in all Kingdomes And that this City is a rebellious City See the Note
make use of the Ministery of these Prophets in the thirty fourth year of his life His rising up here implieth his forwardnesse speed and diligence in the work And Jeshua the sonne of Jozadak Colleague to Zerubbabel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aaron was to Moses This Jehoshua or Jeshua began his office of High-Priest in the yeare of the world 3428. and held it thirty six years eight whereof were spent in an Embassage to Darius King of Persia say Historians And began to build the house of God i. e. They went on with the building begun before chap. 3.10 and not forbidden by the King of Persia to be finished onely he commanded them to desist from building the City chap. 4.12 21. It was therefore the peoples sloth and self-seeking that kept back the work See the Notes on Hag. 1.2 4. And with them were the Prophets of God helping them Verbo opere saith Junius both by word and deed The words of the wise are as goades Eccles 12.11 pricking men forward to duty and especially when themselves set sides and shoulders to the work as haply these Prophets did for the peoples greater encouragement Exemplis sciolâ hac aetate magis aedificant Ministri quà m concionibus Verse 3. At the same time So soone as ever they began but to build Gods house they meet with opposition which is still Evangelii Genius saith Calvin the bad Angel that haunts the cause of God and dogges it at the heeles Satan out of his inveterate envie and enmity can in no wise brook the propagation of the Truth and dilatation of Christs curtaines No sooner is Israel out of Egypt but Pharaoh pursueth them No sooner had Ezekiah kept that solemne Passeover but Sennacherib comes up against him Esau began to justle Jacob in the womb that no time might be lost and when he set his face homewards Laban followes him with one troop Esau meets him with another both with hostile intentions Dreame not of a delicacie in Gods wayes but suffer hardship as a good souldier of Jesus Christ And their companions Cum collegio suo Jun. a company of caytives combined to do mischief See chap. 4.9 with the Note Who hath commanded you to build this house Their owne houses they builded and were never once questioned All the while our Saviour lay in his fathers shop and medled onely with carpenters chips the Devil and his impes never troubled him but when he was entering upon his Ministery he is sharply assaulted in the Wildernesse And when he took upon him to purge the Temple and better informe the people presently the Grandees came upon him as he was teaching and said By what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority Matth. 21.23 Like unto these were the questions put by the Papists to those noble Reformers Luther Zuinglius c. Farellus was at his first coming to Geneva more harshly handled and by the Bishop and his Clerks thus accoasted Quid tu diabole nequissime ad hanc civitatem perturbandam accessisti What a Divel makest thou here to make this disturbance c. and so was driven out of that City Scultet Anual where afterwards he wrought a glorious Reformation Verse 4. Then said we unto them We Tatnai Shether-Boznai and their companions thus said and thus enquired see verse 16. and be sensible how wicked men conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity and their belly prepareth deceit Job 15.35 Not their heads onely are hammering it but their bellies are hatching it they take a kinde of contemplative kinde of pleasure in their wily projects as the Epicure doth in his dainties he delights to be acting them over a forehand What are the names of the men They that are minded to do mischief unto others will do what they can to know their names I have heard of one saith Master Fox who being sent to the Christian Congregation in Queene Maries dayes in London to take their names and to espy their doings yet in being amongst them was converted Acts Mon. fol. 1881. and cried them all mercy Tremellius readeth this text otherwise Then answered we them thus and told them what were the names of the men who builded this building He meaneth as I conceive We were not ashamed or afraid to make them a round and ready answer and to give them the names of our chieftains Zerubbabel Jeshuae Haggai Zechariah c. This was better then that of those cold friends to Religion 1 Kings 18.11 who when the Prophet had said If the Lord be God follow him held their peace and thought it good policy to reserve themselves Better also then that of the bondslaves of Antichrist who receive his mark in their hand the which they may as occasion serveth cover or discover Rev. 13.16 The servants of the God of heaven and earth such as were these in this Chapter verse 11. receive his mark in their foreheads where it may be seene and read of all Hom. de 2. Martyr Rev. 7.3 The Primitive Christians were called in derision Confitentes and Chrysostome saith of them that they would not be kept from visiting the Martyrs in prison tametsi multis tesroribus c. though they were much threatened and punished for so doing Verse 5. But the eye of their God was upon the Elders Not the eye of his general providence onely which like unto a well-drawne picture vieweth every one that cometh in to a roome but the eye of his special grace and favour Psal 34.15 He looked upon them as afterwards the Sonne of man stood and looked upon Saint Steven combating with his cruel persecutors and clapt him on the shoulders as it were saying Cheare up Vincenti dab◠c. Acts. 7.56 They also looked up to him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed Psal 34.5 Yea they were steeled as it were and made more mettle-full like as Moses and Micaiah when they had once seene God in his favour they cared not for the menaces of angry Monarchs That they could not cause them to cease Saints dare undertake and undergo any thing for the glory of their God The heavens shall sooner fall then I will go against my conscience said that Martyr In nothing be terrified by your adversaries Phil. 1.28 Till the matter came to Darius Nor then neither for he encouraged and furthered them chap. 6. And then they returned answer Or Then answer was returned from the Court and the Jewes had a sufficient authority for what they did Verse 6. The Apharsachites That is Persians sent as deputies by the King of Persia to see the peace kept and good orders observed Verse 7. All peace See the Note on chap. 4.17 Peace is a complexive mercy Pacem te poscimus omnes It is well with Bees when they make a noise in their Hive but with men when they are at quiet in their hearts in their houses and in the publike Verse 8. To the house of
men See chap. 5.15 Gods holy fear is the ground of all goodnesse and fidelity Hence Jethro in his well-qualified Ruler places the fear of God in the middest of the other graces as the heart in the body for conveying life to all the parts or as a dram of Musk perfuming the whole box of ointment Exod. 18.21 Most sure it is that nothing maketh a man so good a Patriot as the true fear of God On the other side Pietate sublatâ fides tollitur take away Piety and Fidelity is gone as is to be seen in the unrighteous Judge Luk. 18. ver 2. and as Constantius Chlorus father of Constantine the Great did well experience in his Counsellours and Courtiers whence that famous Maxime of his recorded by Eusebius He cannot be faithful to me that is unfaithful to God Religion being the foundation of all true fidelity and loyalty to King and Countrey 1 Pet 2. Hence that close connexion Fear God Honour the King And hence that saying of Bernard If all the World should conspire to make me complot against my Prince yet I would fear God and honour the King Above many This is a singular praise and by every man to be sought after 't was Cicero's posy and practise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the best at every good thing to excel and exceed others to be eminent and exemplary taller then the rest by the head and shoulders full of all goodnesse filled with all knowledge Rom. 15.14 able and active in every good word and work That 's a low and unworthy strain in some to labour after no more grace then will keep life soul together that is soul and hell asunder God would have his people to be discontentedly contented with the measures they have received and to be still adding 2 Pet. 1.5 and advancing Philip. 3.14 aspiring to perfection till they come unto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ Eph. 4.13 Verse 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 30.28 Till the Sun be hot The Sun hath one of his names in Hebrew a calefaciendo from heating there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Psal 19.6 The name here given to the Sun signifieth a minister or servant because it is the common servant of the World whereby God ministreth light heat and precious fruits to all people Deut. 4.19 and 33.14 It whirleth about the World with incredible swiftnesse and is up in a morning before most people Therefore till the Sun be risen the Gates must be kept shut to keep out the Enemy who watcheth his opportunity And while they stand by to see it done as it ought to be lest by the treachery or carelesnesse of Under-officers it should either be undone or ill-done Etiam Tractate Junius Let them feel with their hands so some render it whether the Gates are made fast or not And appoint watches Heb. Set thou watches He speaketh to the two Hanani's and bids each of them whose turn it was see to the well-doing of it Hoc tu facias Cyropaed Xenophon saith of Cyrus that when he gave any thing in command he never said Let some one do this but do thou this Verse 4. Now the City was large Heb. Broad in spannes or spaces And great Yet nothing so great as Niniveh was of old or Babylon then or Alcair and Quinsay at this day Of the former Bunting saith that it is threescore miles in compasse Of the Later Paulus Venetus who himself dwelt therein about the year 1260 writeth that it is an hundred miles about being of all the Cities in the World the greatest Jerusalem was a great City and spacious though it fell far short of these And the people were few therein But how exceedingly they multiplyed afterwards appeareth by those many thousands of persons there destroyed and carried away by the Romanes at the last desolation as testifieth Josephus an eye-witnesse quem lege luge For present they were so few that they were not able without help to defend the walles in so large a circuit And the houses were not builded All could not be done in a day But some seiled houses there were Hag. 1. ver 4. and Nehemiah was all his time busie in building the old wast places and raising up the foundations of many generations so that he was worthily called The Repairer of the breach the Restorer of paths to dwell in Esay 58.12 Eusebius saith Nehemiah was twelve years in building the Walls he should have said the City Hierome likewise saith that he came to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes and made an end of building the Wall and City in the two and thirtieth year so that during the whole twelve years of his Government he was in action Verse 5. And my God put into my heart Seeing how thinly the City was inhabited and casting in his mind what evil might come of it he bethinks himself by a motion from Heaven how to set things to rights that the City might be better peopled and so preserved This to do God put into his heart by his holy Spirit the sweet motions whereof are the sound of his goings the footsteps of his anointed Psal 89.51 We are not sufficient of our selves saith that great Apostle to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 Nemo Vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu Divino unquam fuit saith Cicero No man ever grew to be greatly good without a Divine instinct To gather together the Nobles and the Rulers c. That out of them a tenth man might be taken to furnish out the City chap. 11.1 after that they had been first prepared by the hearing of the Law chap. 8.2 That they might be reckoned by their genealogies And so Jerusalem be inhabited again Zach. 12 6. in her own place even in Jerusalem Verse 6. These are the children c. See Ezra 2. ver 1 2 3 c. with the Notes Some small differences there are in Names and Numbers between this Catalogue and that not by the negligence of the Scribes who wrote out this Register as Pellican would have it but by other meanes as is above-noted CHAP. VIII Verse 1. As one man See Ezra 3.1 and remember that Omne simile non est idem this is a distinct History from that Into the street Or open place the meeting-place of the water-gate See chap. 3. ver 26. Right over against this Gate was the Court of the people saith Lyra See Ezra 10. ver 9. And they spake unto Ezra the Scribe The people may Col. 4.17 1 Cor. 3.22 if need be say to Archippus Look to thy ministery c. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas All is theirs the gifts and abilities of all good Ministers and they may call for them To bring the Book of the Law of Moses Wherein he was noe lesse able then apt to impart 1 Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knew
intimated ver 1. Verse 15. And that they should publish and proclaim Heb. Make a voice to passe viz. for better preparation and greater solemnity God will not take up with a carelesse and slubberd service he is a great King and stands greatly upon his seniority Mal. 1.14 Go forth unto the mâ—unt Which is covered with all sorts of trees and nothing like the countrey Axylus which is so called because no trees grow in it no not so much as thorns or any kind of fuell Liv. Lib. 38. Thorough this countrey marched Manlius the Roman General when he went against the Gallograeci And fetch olive-branches and vine-branches c. Fit for shelter and shadow against the weather That is very strange that yet is reported by Authors of good note concerning certain trees in Brasile Abbots Geog. pag. 271. of that bigness that whole families live in an arme of one of them every tree being as populous as many of our Villages And branches of thick trees Tyed together with willowes of the brook Levit 23.40 Vers 16. So the people went forth and brought them They had kept the feast of trumpets on the first day of this moneth And although no mention be here made of the Feast of Expiation a day of Humiliation to be kept for ever upon the tenth day yet it is to be presumed that they kept it having so good a guide as Ezra Now also as not weary of well-doing they doe most solemnely celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles making themselves booths of boughes in every street thoroughout the whole City Verse 17. Made boothes and sate under the boothes See Verse 14 15 16. They that turn this history into mystery make an allusion of it 1. To Christ as dwelling in our flesh 2. To Christians as travelling toward heaven and having here no setled habitation Heb. 11.13 For since the dayes of Jeshua Moses is not mentioned because during his dayes till Joshua brought them into the promised land they kept not this feast likely Had not the children of Israel done so Kept this feast they had but not so kept it viz. with that devotion solemnity and great gladnesse being in so poor a case and yet so unanimous in the work as one man But one would wonder that all along during the reign of David and Solomon who gave the pattern of and built the Temple and all those succeeding Reformers there should somthing be omitted about the feast of Tabernacles kept as 't is thought by Solomon 2 Chron. 7.8 till their return from Babylon yet so it was Verse 18. And also day by day Not onely on the first and last day that great day of the feast John 7.37 but every day this good man was at it being Insatiabilis Dei cultor as Chrysostome saith of Saint Paul an insatiable worshipper of God and accounting quòd nimis angusta pietas est ad legem bonum esse to do nothing for God more then needs must was too little And they kept the feast seven dayes The people were as willing to hear and do other holy duties as Ezra was to preach So were Chrysostomes hearers who were wont to say that they could better be without the Sun-light then Chrysostomes daily Sermons So likewise were Calvins hearers at Geneva where he preached every day in the week for most part and had a constant audience that even over-admired some of them at least his most excellent paines and parts as Zanchy shewes and complaines in the Epistle Dedicatory set before his Miscellanies taxing them of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man-worship And on the eighth day was a solemne assembly Heb. A restraint viz. from servile works or a Retention viz. a holding of the Congregation together for holy uses Tremellius rendereth it diem interdicti The vulgar Latine of Lyra thus They made a gathering sc for necessaries about the Temple This eight day thus kept might prefigure the Christian Sabbath that first day of the week CHAP. IX Verse 1. Now in the twentieth and fourth day A Day after the feast of Tabernacles they keep a solemne fast Vsque adeo nihil est ex omni parte beatum There is in this present life an interchange of all things a succession of feasting and fasting Of the best whilest here it may be said as Pliny doth of Metellus Infelix dici non debet felix non potest unhappy you cannot call him happy you may not Lib. 7. cap. 47. One compareth him to the Arke which was ever transportative till settled in Solomons Temple Another to quick-silver which hath in it self a principle of motion but not of rest The children of Israel were assembled with fasting As Epaminondas walked heavily the day after his triumph Deadnesse of spirit is apt to follow our liveliest joyes but that must be lookt too and security prevented which is wont to seize upon men after holy duties like as wormes and waspes eate the sweetest fruits These fasters had wept at the hearing of the Law and were stilled by the Levites chap. 8.11 because it was unseasonable Now the feast being over and their hearts yet full of grief for their great sin in taking strange wives not yet put away though they had vowed to do it Ezra 10.3 c. they first put away those wives on the twenty third day and then humble themselves by fasting and prayer on this twenty fourth day being wrought thereunto by the reading of the Law as is implyed in the next verse And with sackcloth As acknowledging themselves unworthy of the coursest clothing and that but for shame they would have stript themselves naked And earth upon them As those that had forfeited all and deserved to be as far under ground as now they were above Verse 2. And the seed of Israel Called Israelites not Abrahamites from their wrastling with God by prayer and teares and prevailing Called also Jewes from Judah which signifieth the Confessour Here it is said of them that They stood and confessed their sinnes All their sinnes either actually committed or habitually comprised in their body of sinne This whoso doth in due manner shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 Yea he shall have heaven Israel had power with God as a Prince Judah the Confessour got the Kingdome from Reuben Confession is the way to the Kingdome walk in it Onely it must be joyned with confusion of sinne as here They separated themselves from all strangers they abandoned their peccatum in aleiciis their darling sinne they kept themselves from their iniquity Martial Psal 18.23 Hoc non fit verbis Marce ut ameris ama And the sinnes of their fathers i. e. Of their Progenitours which are owned if not bewailed disclaimed Verse 3. And they stood up in their place The people stood for reverence-sake to the Word read see chap. 8.5 Or the Ministers stood up in their Pulpits where they represent God himself as his Embassadours and should therefore lay down all self-respects and aimes at
therefore called a province Act. 25.1 and is now to the Turk How then could those Jewes in the Gospel say John 8.33 We are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man but that they cared not what they said in abravado Spaniards are said to be impudent braggers and extreamly proud in the lowest ebbe of fortune These Jews were so certainly and so they continue Ver. 4. Certaine of the children of Judah c. Yea and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseth too 1 Chron. 9.3 Where the same is set downe as here but the number is greater And why here only those are reckoned who inhabited Jerusalem by lot but there the Voluntiers also See verse 2. Verse 5. And Maaseiah the Sonne of Baruch See the Note on Ezra 2.3 Ver. 6. Valiant men Heb. Men of ability and activity It comprehendeth all the four Cardinall vertues Vers 7.8 Little Benjamin the smallest of the Tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 9.23 yields more by halfe then Judah Jerusalem stood in both these Tribes Vers 9. Their overseer Or Commissary Vers 11. Ruler of the house of God One of the High-Priests great Deputies See Num. 3.32 1 Chron. 9.11 2 Chron. 19.11 Vers 12 13 14. In all 1192. The totall of Priests and Levites 1476. and of Judah and Benjamin 1396. So that there were more Priests and Levites then of the Lay-people which argues their zeal to be greatest There were also 172. Porters who were all Levites Vers 17. To begin the thanksgiving in prayer To set tunes to Psalmes of praise and to begin those tunes as Precentor chief-chaunter Vers 18.19 See vers 12.13 Vers 20. Were in all the Cities Dispersed abroad to instruct the people and to be as the salt of the Earth to keep it from putrifying Vers 21. Dwelt in Ophel See chap. 3.26 Some will have it to be not a Tower but a Village near to Jerusalem Vers 22. The Over-seer The Vulgar hath it the Bishop Vers 23. The Kings Viz. of Persia Ezra 6.8 9. and 7.2 24. Vers 24. At the Kings hand Was his Plenipotentiary Vers 25. In the villages thereof Heb. In the daughters for villages seem to be so to the greater Cities CHAP. XII Verse 1. Now these are the Priests and the Levites ANCESTOURS to those that dedicated the walls and here registred as for honours sake to themselves so to shew that their successors now imployed in this work were true Priests and Levites of a right descent and alloy That went up with Zerubbabel Together with those that came afterwards with Ezra Ezr. 8.2 3 18 19. Vers 2. Amariah Malluch See the Note on Ezr. 2.3 Verse 8. Which was over the thanksgiving Praefectus Musicus See Chap. 11.17 Vers 9. In their Watches In the order of their functions taking their turns Vers 10. Joiakim begat Eliashib Who proved a very wicked Priest Chap. 13.4 5. and his Sonne Joiada was little better being allied to Sanballat Chap. 13.28 Vers 11. And Jonathan begat Jadduah Who was High-Priest in Alexander the Greats time and meeting him in his formalities prevailed with him to spare the City Jerusalem and to confirme the priviledges thereof as Josephus reporteth Antiq. Jud. Lib. 1â— c. 8. Vers 22. To the reigne of Darius the Persian Viz. Darius Godomannus the last Persian King Vers 23. In the book of the Chronicles Sc. 1 Chron. 9.10 c. Johanan the Son of Eliashib That is Jonathan the Grandchild of Eliashib and the Son of Joiada Vers 27. And at the dedication of the Wall To set down which is the main scope of this whole Chapter Vers 30. Purified themselves and purified the people But first themselves because who so would reforme others must begin with himselfe as Lyra here noteth Vers 34. Judah and Benjamin i. e. Men so called Vers 36. And Ezra before them Before the first company as Nehemiah came after the second verse 3. As the first went round from the West Southward till they came to the East so the second company went from the West Northward till they came to the East where they both met at length in the Temple verse 41. Praising God with all sorts of musick vocall and instrumentall This was a most solemne and sacred procession farre different from those of the Papists The French Historian â—elleth us of their Henry that going in procession together with his Cardinall they had in the middle betwixt them Morionem nugas ineptias agentem a jester to make them sport here was good devotion therewhile The Philosopher told the Fidlers he could be merry without them Epit. Hist Gallic 191. And Aristotle being asked what he thought of musick answered Jovem nec canere neque cytharam pulsare Jupiter neither sings nor plays on an instrument But though God needeth it not careth not for it yet so far as it might excite and further devotion these holy Priests and Levites made use of the musicall instruments of David called musicall instruments of God 1 Chron. 16.42 and Ezra before them as a guide they also sang aloud and so generally rejoyced That their joy was heard even afar off Vers 42.43 This was right Vers 39. And from above the gate of Ephraim Much mention is here made of the severall gates and Towers because God was much seen in helping them so soon to build such and by the sight of them they were much excited to praise the Lord. Vers 43. For God had made them rejoyce with great joy By giving them both matter of joy and hearts to do it aright Crede mihi res severa est verum gaudium saith Seneca true joy is a severe businesse Quid nobis cum fabulis cum risu saith Bernard What have we to do with jesting and pastime c we have meat to eate pleasure to take that the world wots not of we can let out our souls into God the fountain of all good and rejoyce in his Word as one that findeth great spoile wherein the pleasure is as much as the profit Psal 119.162 Verse 44. For Judah rejoyced Heb. For the joy of Judah the oile of spiritual gladnesse had so dilatated their hearts that they were most ready and willing to provide for the sacred Ministers and to pay them that which was appointed as they had also newly covenanted to do For the Priests and the Levites that waited Heb. That stood sc before the Lord and served in their courses These they not onely applauded but liberally maintained Nowadayes Ministers shall have hard work and good words but slight wages Men deale by them as Carriers do by their horses lay heavy burdens upon them and then hang bells about their necks c. CHAP. XIII Verse 1. On that day THat great Fast-day chap. 9.1 2 c. Or after Nehemiah's return from the Court of Persia verse 6. so the most expound it They read in the book of Moses Viz. In Deuteronomy chap. 23.3 called by the Rabbines Sepher tochechoth the book of Rebukes
over asking of God till he had received seeking till he had found knocking till the gate of grace was opened His clothes were good enough unlesse his condition were more comfortable Verse 5. Then called Esther for Hatach She snuffeth not at Mordecai's refusal of her courtesie She saith not Let him chuse the next offer shall be worse Rerum suarum satagat si velit valeat c. Solomon reckoneth among those foure things that the earth cannot bear an handmaid advanced to the state and place of a Mistresse Prov. 30. Sen. epist But Esther was none such In her you might have seen magnitudinem cum mansuetudine as Seneca hath it singular humility in height of honours She calleth here for Hatach a faithful servant and perhaps a Jew a Jew inwardly Honesty flowes from piety One of the Kings Chamberlaines Heb. Eunuchs or gelded men such as used to keep their women in Kings Courts The Chaldees call them Rabrebanim that is Grandees The Persians call them Spadones saith Stephanus The Greeks Eunuchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either because they were Princes Chamberlaines and had the custody of their beds or because they were egregiè cordati homines well-minded men for they generally proved as likewise now they do among the Turks subjects though not of great courage yet of the greatest judgement and fidelity their mindes being set on businesse rather then on pleasure Whom he had appointed to attend upon her Heb. Whom he had set before her in obsequium servitium to be at her beck and obedience probably he was happy in such a service for goodnesse is communicative and of a spreading nature Plutarch saith of the neighbour-villages of Rome in Numa's time that sucking in the aire of that City they breathed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnesse and devotion so it might very well be here It was so with Abrahams servants and Solomons and Cornelius's Acts 10.7 Nero complained and no wonder that he could never finde a faithful servant What could they learn from him but villany and cruelty And gave him a commandment to Mordecai i.e. She commanded him to deliver her minde to Mordecai A servant is not to be inquisitive John 15.15 he knoweth not what his Lord doth but executive ready to do what is required of him He is the Masters instrument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wholly his saith Aristotle The hands must take counsel of the head and be stir them To know what it was and why it was Some great matter she well knew it must needs be that put him to those loud laments Wise men cry not till they are sorely hurt Jobs stroak was heavier then his groaning Job 23.2 He was not of those that are ever whining like some mens flesh if their skin be but razed with a pin it presently rankleth and festereth or like rotten boughes if a light weight be but hung on them they presently creak and break Mordecai she knew was none such She therefore sendeth to see what was the matter that she might help him if possible The teares and mones of men in misery are not to be sleighted as if they were nothing to us Who is afflicted 2 Cor 11. Rom. 12. and I burn not saith Paul Weep with those that weep else you adde to their grief as the Priest and Levite did by passing by the wounded man Is it nothing to you O ye that passe by the way Lam. 1.12 Are not ye also in the body Heb. 13.3 that is in the body of flesh and frailty subject to like afflictions And may not your sins procure their sufferings as a veine is opened in the arme to ease the paine of the head Verse 6. So Hatach went forth to Mordecai He was obedient to his Queen-mistriss pleasing her in all things not answering again Tit. 2.10 unlesse it were I will or the like Servus sit monosyllabus Domino Apelles painted a servant with Hindes feet to run on his Masters errands with Asses eares and with his mouth made fast with two locks to signifie that he should be swift to heare slow to speak Vnto the street of the City The Broad-street as the word signifieth there Mordecai kept him Rechob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latitudiue voomth and might not come nearer the Court because a Mourner See verse 2. Tiberius the Emperour counterfeiting grief at the Funeral of Drusus there was a vâ—ile laid betwixt the dead and him because being High-Priest forsooth he might not see any mournful object The Statues of the gods were transported or covered for like cause in those places where any punishment was inflicted But what saith the wise man The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning whereby we must understand any place or object which occasioneth mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Eccles 7.4 Verse 7. And Mordecai told him all that had happened unto him Not by fate or blind fortune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet time and chance happeneth to all Eccles 9.11 and it was by chance to the wounded man that the Priest and the Levite came down that way Luke 10.31 but by the Providence of God which hath an hand in ordering the most casual and fortuitous events to the execution of his righteous counsels neither is there ever a Providence but we shall once see a wonder or a mercy wrapt up in it And of the summe of money See chap. 3.9 Money is the Monarch of this present world Money is to many dearer then their heart-blood yet to gratifie their lusts they lavish silver out of the bag and care not to purchase revenge or sensual delights with misery beggery discredit damnation Verse 8. Also he gave him the copy of the writing That she might see it and rest assured that it was even so and no otherwise and that therefore now or never she must bestir her self for the labouring Church That was given at Shushan Which if ever it were full of judgement and white as a lilie according to the name is now stain'd with blood of innocents if ever righteousnesse did lodge in it yet now murtherers as Esay 1.21 To shew it unto Esther That her eye might affect her heart and her heart set all awork for her people that is her self according to that Physician heale thy selfe Lam. 3. Luke 4. that is thine own Countreymen And to declare it unto her In the cause viz. his refusing to bow to Haman against his conscience whereof it no whit repented him and in the several circumstances laid forth in the liveliest colours for her thorough-information And to charge her that she should go in unto the King Hoc perquam durum est sedita lex scripta est saith the Civilian This Mordecai knew would hardly be done he therefore makes use of his ancient authority and sets it on with greatest earnestnesse So Saint Paul I charge you by the Lord 1 Thes 5.27 And again I
also peradventure be the custome and fashion of Persia saith Diodate Merlin noteth here that Haman maketh no mention of rewards or gifts to be conferred upon him because he had wealth enough already and desired only more honours instancing the utmost that could be done to any subject in seeking whereof he miserably failed Verse 9. And let this apparel and horse be delivered c. All must be done in amplest manner and if it had been done to himself as he desired Fortè ampliâ—â—uisset nisi vâ— riâ—as esset reâ— suspicione nâ— tiquà m careâ— Lavat what had all that been but a magnum nihil as one saith a great nothing a glorious fancie a rattle to still his ambition for a while He simple man had wrought himself into the fooles paradise of a sublime dotage like as the Spaniards have in their dream of a Catholick Monarchy divinitus debita saith one sed in Vtopia They were laughed at a good by Captain Drake and his company when they took Sancta Domingo Anno 1585. and in the Town-Hall found the King of Spaines armes and under them a Globe of the world out of which arose a horse with his fore-feet cast forth with this Inscription Non sufficit orbis Pyrrhus that ambitious King of Epirotes had the like thought but was slain at last with a tilestone thrown upon his head by a woman And a like evil end befel Caesar Borgia who in imitation of Julius Caesar would needs be aut Caesar aut nullus and soon after proved to be Et Caesar nullus Had Haman but contented himself with his present condition too good for such a Caitiffe he might have lived in the worlds account happily and have called himself as that French King did Tresheureuse thrice blessed but that insatiable thirst after honour that gluttonous excessive desire after more and more greatnesse undid him So true is that Proverb of the Ancients Turdus ipse sibi malum cacat Of the black birds dung is made the lime wherewith he is taken so out of the dung of mens sinnes doth God make his lime-twigs of judgement to take them withal To one of the Kings most noble Princes Principibus majoribus paratimis This would be no small addition to the honour of the man and splendour of the day like as it was here in England when Henry the second at the Coronation of his eldest sonne renounced the name of a King for that day and as Sewer served at the Table That they may aray the man withal Setting him forth to the greatest advantage as our Henry the sixth did when he crowned the Lord Beauchâ—mp King of the Isle of Wight and as Xerxes did Demaratus Sen. l. 6. deâ— when for honours sake he granted him to enter into Sardis the chief City of Asia arayed like himself with a straight Tiare upon his head which none might wear but Kings only Through the street of the City Of Susa that he might be seen and cried up by mamy for Honor est in honorante As the Meteor liveth in the aire so doth honour in the breath of other men Plato reckoneth it among those dei ludibria quae sursum ac deorsum sub coelo feruntur like tennis-balls bandied up and down from one to another Verse 10. Then the King said to Haman The King had no intent herein to ensnare Haman or crosse his humour but God had a hand in it for the effecting of his own ends which cannot but be ever exceeding good sith his will is not only recta but regula Make haste and take the aparel and the horse c. Here was no time left him of deliberation or liberty of contradiction dispute he must not but dispatch what was given him in charge Had he had but the least breathing-while that stepping out of the presence he might have considered with himselfe or consulted with his friends he would either have fained himself sick or found some other excuse that he might not have done his enemy this honour But God had so ordered it and the King commanded it to be done forthwith it was not therefore for Haman vel responsare velrepugnare to chat or chafe unlesse he would run the hazard of all for Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What dost thou And do even so to Mordecai the Jew This word stabb'd Haman to the heart who had run many great hazards doubtlesse to dominere in his undeserved dignities and now must perforce honour him whom he had hoped to have hanged cloath him whom he hoped to have stripped help him up to his horse upon whose grave he hoped to have danced prepare a triumph for him for whom he had prepared a tree make Proclamation before him as a Crier lead his horse as a Lacquey do all offices for him as a slave or underling Oh what a cut what a Cordolium was this to a man of his metal and making It was wonder his heart burst not as did Achitophels for pride so swelleth the soul many times that it breaketh the case the body I mean and endeth the life but this had been here to have saved the Hangman a labour But base spirits will buckle and fall down to rise crouch and creep to mount c. That sitteth at the Kings gate There you shall have him and see that you mistake him not Haman knew him well enough by his stiffenesse and stoutnesse and wished him of all the men in the world out of the world Let nothing faile of all that thou hast spoken Perquà m hoc durum est sed ita lex scripta est saith the Civil Lawyer this was an hard saying and as hard meat to Hamans stomack that would ill go down but there was no help for it himself had advised it and must therefore speedily execute it Lata negligentia dolus est sayes the Lawyer remisseness is a kinde of perfidiousnesse Excuses would have been construed for refusals delayes for denials c. Verse 11. Then took Haman the aparel c. Full sore against stomack be sure But how could he help it Thus God compelleth the devil and his limbes sometimes though against their wills to serve him and his servants Canes lingunt ulcera Lazari Saul pronounceth David more righteous then he Judas and Pilate give testimony to Christs innocency These are the servants of the High God which shew unto us the way of salvation said the Pythonisse concerning Paul and his companions Acts 16.17 And arayed Mordecai Whose heart he could rather have torne out and eaten it with salt But Courtiers are usually notable Dissemblers cunning Politicians c. How busie is Haman now about Mordecai to aray him to mount him and to attend upon him whom yet he hated and inwardly cursed to the pit of hell Cavete ab osculo Iscariotico ab officio Hamanitico Beware of men Matth. 10. Josephus telleth us that when Haman came to do these
they not tell him this before sith they knew as well as Haman that Mordecai was of the seed of the Jewes and therefore advised him to prepare such a huge Gallowes Surely he that had so flattered himself deserved to be so flattered and undone by others he that had given so evil counsel to the King against the Jewes deserved by such evil counsellours to be cast into straits and have no hand to help him out they lead him to his bane and there leave him as familiars do their witches when they have once brought them into fetters But shalt surely fall before him Thus is Haman judged of all condemned by all and this with so great assurance of such an event as if they had seen it Vtique coram eo concides Thou shalt surely fall before him and that irrecoverably as Eli fell and as those idolaters are threatened Amos 8.14 The Hebrew is falling thou shalt fall viz. to the lowest and utmost ebbe of disgrace and misery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 14. And while they were yet talking with him But could not yield him one word of comfort He hoped haply that they would have found out for him some good occasion some mean of supplanting Mordecai now his Corival and Counter-factionist and of incensing the King against him that he might build upon his ruines But the hope of unjust men shall perish Prov. 11.7 Etiam spes valentissimo perit so some render it and themselves with it As Haman had not one to speak for him when the King frowned upon him so here he hath not one to speak to his heart or to shoare him up now that he is upon the fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.19 Those that before took crafty counsel against Gods people and consulted against his hidden ones Psal 83.3 are now at their wits end as seeing themselves taken as wilde beasts in a snare in their own craftinesse yea they are mad for the sight of their eyes which that day they should see Deut. 28.34 Came the Kings Chamberlaines and hasted to bring Haman Heb. and hurried and headlonged in a turbulent manner for it may be the King and Queen tarried for him Could he have been any way excused he had no such minde to have gone For his stomack was full and what if he should meet Mordecai the new Favourite there and see him set above him But now it is no time to consult further with friends or cast perils by himself Lib. 1 l. c. 6. Harbonah hasteneth him having first taken notice of the lofty Gallowes and as Josephus saith asked of one of the servants of the house what it meant and for whom it was prepared See chap. 7.9 Vnto the banquet that Esther had prepared That fatal feast Vbi manducaret quod apud inferos digereret Auâ—gust where his meat in his bowels was turned it became the gall of aspes within him Job 20.14 why then should any Saint envy the wicked man his fed bits his murthering morsels is not his meat sawced his drink spiced with the bitter wrath of God Adoniah's feast ended in horrour the eares of his guests were filled because their bellies had prepared deceit Job 15.35 with the sound of those trumpets which at once proclaim Solomons triumph and their confusion Ever after the meale is ended comes the reckoning but at this banquet of Esther it came before chap. 7.2 And Haman sped not so well as Caesar Borgia's Nobles whom he invited to a feast and after they had well dâ—ned he cut off their heads CHAP. VII Verse 1. So the King and Haman came to the banquet HEb to drink for multorum vivere est bibere and profane persons have a Proverb Bibere sudare est vita Cardiaci Such are your chamber-Champions whose teeth in a temperate aire do beat in their heads at a cup of cold sack and sugar Grâ—g Posthuâ— Belshazzars feast-dayes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he was quaffing in the bowles of the Sanctuary to the honour of Shac or Bacchus Little did either he or Haman think that in the fulnesse of their sufficiency they should be in such straits and that every hand of the troublesome should come upon him that when they were about to fill their bellies God should cast the fury of his wrath upon them and raine it upon them whiles they were drinking Job 20.22 23. But this is the portion of a wicked man from God and the heritage appointed unto him by God verse 29. Why then should any Saint be sick of the fret at the prosperity of the ungodly surely as fishes are taken in an evil net and as birds are caught in a snare so are such snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them Eccles 9.12 Of Esthers invitation Haman might have said as he did of the gifts one sent him Munera magna quidem mittit sed mittit in hamo Martial But he knew not yet what evil was toward him though I doubt not but his conscience if not altogether dead and dedolent began by this time to stare him in the face his friends having already read his destiny Verse 2. And the King said again unto Esther He was very desirous to know what her suit was and with thought thereof as it may seem could not rest the night before He pursueth his desires not a little edged by her delayes neither was he of those lusks who Remque aliquam exoptant intabescúntque relictâ His love to Esther made him ask again What is thy petition and what is thy request c He presseth her to speak out so doth God his Suppliants Hitherto ye have asked nothing ask that your joy may be full Pray that ye may joy ye are not straitened in me but in your own bowels as if no water come by the conduit it is not because there is none in the spring but because the pipes are broken See the Note on chapter 5.6 Verse 3. Then Esther the Queen c. See chapter 5.7 8. As Abigail her family and the woman of Abel the City so doth Estheâ— by her wisdom and humility deliver herself and her people ducem sequens lucem fidei as one saith of her Let my life be given me at my Petition Heb. my soule See how discreetly she marshalleth her words setting these two great requests in the head of her petition which is simplex non fucata plain and downright Truth is like our first Parents most beautiful when naked Our words in prayer must be neque lecta neque neglecta neither curious nor carelesse but as the words of Petitioners plain and full and direct to the point Esther reckoneth her selfe here among the rest of her poor Countreymen free among the dead free of that company and begs for her life and theirs together because hers was even bound â—p in theirs Mortis habet vices quae trabitur vitâ genuitibus to live after their death would
their lives Not one whereof was lost in this hot encounter in this sharp revenge they took off their avowed enemies This was even a miracle of Gods mercy Who would not feare thee O King of Nations c. And had rest from their enemies Or That they might have rest from their enemies who would not otherwise be quieted but by the letting out of their life-blood but would make an assault upon the harmelsse Jewes though it were to die for it so that upon the matter they were their own deathsmen besides the wilful losse of their immortal soules which our Saviour sheweth Mat 16.26 to be a losse 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand Neither was it any dishonour to them to be God Almighties slaughtermen Even the good Angels are Executioners of Gods righteous judgements as they were at Sodom in Sennacheribs army and oft in the Revelation There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactours But they laid not their hands on the prey They would not once foule their fingers therewith No godly man in Scripture is taxed for covetousnesse that sordid sin See the Note on verse 10. Verse 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar On this day they stood for their lives that they might rest from their enemies And accordingly On the fourteenth day of the same rested they i. e. the very next day after their deliverance they would not defer it a day longer but kept an holy rest with Psalmes and sacrifices of praise those calves of their lips the very next day whiles the deliverance was yet fresh and of recent remembrance This they knew well that God expected Deut. 23.21 and that he construeth delayes for denials Hag. 1.2 4. he gave order that no part of the thank-offering should be kept unspent till the third day to teach us to present our praises when benefits are newly received which else would soon wax stale and putrifie as fish I will pay my vowes now now saith David Psal 116.18 Hezekiah wrote his Song the third day after his recovery Queen Elizabeth when exalted from a prisoner to a Princesse and from misery to Majesty before she would suffer her self to be mounted in her charet to passe from the Tower to Westminster Englands Eliz. she very devoutly lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven and gave God humble thanks for that remarkable change and turn of things And made it a day of feasting and gladnesse Exhilarating and chearing up their good hearts that had long layen low with a more liberal use of the creatures that they might the better preach his praises and speak good of his name and that sith they could not offer up unto him other sacrifices prescribed in the Law because they were far from the Temple they might not be wanting with their sacrifice of thanksgiving which God preferreth before an oxe that hath hornes and hoofs saith the Psalmist Words may seem to be but a poor and slight recompence but Christ saith Nazianzen calleth himself the Word and this was all the fee that he looks for for his cures Go and tell what God hath done for thee With these calves of our lips let us cover Gods Altar and we shall finde that although he will neither eat the flesh of bulls nor drink the blood of goats yet if we offer unto God thanksgiving and pay our vowes unto the most High Psal 50.13 14. it will be look't upon as our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Verse 18. On the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth What they could not do on one day they did it on another Men must be sedulous and strenuous in Gods work doing it with all their might and redeeming time for that purpose Eccl. 9.10 On both these dayes they destroyed their enemies They did their work thoroughly Let us do so in slaying our spiritual enemies not sparing any Agag not reserving this Zoar or that Rimmon but dealing by the whole body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Amos 2.1 burn the bones of it to lime destroy it not to the halves as Saul but hew it in pieces before the Lord as Samuel As Joshua destroyed all the Canaanites he could lay hold on As Asa spared not his own mother as Solomon drew Joab from the Altar to the slaughter and put to death Adoniah the darling so must we deale by our corruptions ferretting and fetching them out of their lurking holes as these Jewes did their enemies on the fourteenth day that had escaped the day before Sith we must either kill them up all or be killed by them for as that one bastard Abimelech slew all Gideons sonnes upon one stone so one lust left unmortified will undo the soul And as one sinner so one sin may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 And on the fifteenth day of the moneth they rested So shall the Saints do after death which will be the accomplishment of mortification for he that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and filled with joy Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Verse 19. Therefore the Jewes of the villages c. Pagani This is expounded in the next words that dwelt in the unwalled townes Such as is the Hague in Holland that hath two thousand housholds in it and chuseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe then a lesser City Made the fourteenth day c. See verse 17. while the Jewes in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Mac. 15.36 This day was afterwards called Mordecai's Holiday And of sending portions one to another See Nehem. 8.10 To the rich they sent in courtesie to the poor in charity and both these to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for their lives liberties and estates so lately and graciously restored unto them Verse 20. And Mordecai wrote these things He wrote with authority as a Magistrate say some that the Jewes should keep these dayes with greatest solemnitie He wrote the relation of these things before-mentioned say others as the ground of this annual festivitie Or else it may be meant more generally that Mordecai was the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost in writing this whole book of Esther as was before hinted And sent letters unto all the Jewes both night and farre Propinquis longinquis that they might all agree together about the time and manner of praising God and so sing the great Hallelujah See 2 Cor. 1.11 2 Chron. 20.26 27 28. Psal 124.1 2. and 126.1 Psal 136. penned for a recorded publike forme to praise God among the multitude Psal 109.20 and in the great Congregation Psal 22.22 25. David would go into the presses of people and there praise the Lord Psal 116.18
shall overflow the Land again as that then it shall some would gather from this Text. Verse 11. The Pillars of heaven tremble i.e. the Angels say some who tremble out of conscience of their own comparative imperfections The best of Saints on earth say others according to Gal. 2.9 Rev. 3.12 Prov. 9.1 2. who tremble at Gods Word Isai 66.2 and have many concussions by afflictions But better understand the Firmament of heaven Hag. 26 7. Matth. 24.29 The Powers of heaven shall be shaken they shall quake with the loud check of his Thunder claps Or the high and mighty mountaines whereon the heavens seeme to rest as on so many pillars shaken by Earth-quakes and sometimes with great astonishment removed out of their places And are astonished at his reproof As all the beasts of the field are at the roaring of the Lion Lavat Vt quis a gravi magnae potâ—statâ— vire objurgatus iremit â—â—hementer solicitus est as a slave chidden by a Prince trembleth and is aghast Verse 12. He divideth the sea with his power i.e. With his strong winds causing tempests see the like Isai 51.15 so that it lyeth as it were in ridges the top of one wave far from another Jer. 31.35 That was a strange thing that is reported to have fallen out at London the last week On Munday Aug. 14 1654. Sever. Proceed of State affirm p. 4033. by reason of the great winds the Tide was so low in the Thames that boyes waded over it from the one side to the other the old Watermen affirming they never saw it so before And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud Heb. Pride or Rahab which is oft put for Egypt as Psal 87.4 and 89.10 Isai 51.9 whence some would have Pharaoh meant others the Divel others the Whale dashing against a Rock or driven to shore where he is taken others the proud waves of the sea He hath the sea in as great awe as a Giant hath a Pigmee as chap 38.11 disabled by God to stir more as a man mortally wounded is to fight longer An instance hereof we have in the history of Jonas and another in the Gospel Mat. 8. and 14. As God is powerful enough to raise stormes so he is wise enough to lay them again Psal 107.25 29. Verse 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens Spiritu ejus coeli sunt ipsa pulâ—â—â—cudo By his Spirit the heavens are beauty it self so Vatablus rendreth it That Three â—â— One and One in Three wrought in the Creation see Psal 33.6 Adoravit decoravit pulchrcfecit Hins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of his mouth Here Jehovah his Word and his Spirit are noted to be the Maker of the world so Gen. 1. The Heathens had some blind notions hereof as appeareth by Plutark who reporteth that in Thebe a Town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortal but how painted they him Plut. de Ifid Ofirid Var. dere rust lib. 2. c. 1. In the likenesse of a man blowing an egg out of his mouth to signifie that he made the round world by the Spirit of his mouth Upon the heavens especially God hath bestowed a great deal of skill and workmanship as appeareth Heb. 11 10. and Psal 8.3 where heaven is called The work of Gods fingers a curious divine work a Metaphor from them that make Tapestry Garnished it is with Stars as a Palace is with stately Pictures besides the inward beauty which is unconceivable There is something of a Saphir in the Hebrew word here rendred Garnished and Revel 21. search is made through all the bowels of the earth to find out all the precious Treasures that could be had Gold Pearles and precious Stones of all sorts and what can these serve to only to shadow out the glory of the walls of the new Jerusalem and the gates and to pave the streets of the City See also Isai 54.11 12. His hand 〈◊〉 formed the crooked Serpent Enixe est peperit hath â—â—oughâ— forth as by birth hath formed the most deformed and dreadâ—â—â— Creature in the earth Or those flaming Dragons flying in the Aire Meteors â— mean Or the Constellation in heaven called the Dragon betwixt the two Beares and not far from the North-Pole Est hos sane maximum maxime conspicuum in coelo fidus c. Or lastly those Sea-Dragons the Whales which Mercer thinketh most likely to be here meant and compareth Isai 27.1 Psal 104.26 Job 40.20 Neither need we wonder saith he that the beginning of the verse is of heaven and the end of the sea for Job would shew and set forth two admirable works of God in two extremes of the world viz. in heaven above and in the waters under the earth his Power and Wisdome shineth every where in the Creatures neither can a 〈◊〉 easily sook besides a miracle Job therefore insisteth not long upon particulars but as one lost in the labyrinth of Admiration at so great things he 〈◊〉 shuts up Verse 14. Lo these are parts of his wayes Or rather Particles of his Works Extrema sunt viarum ejus so the Tiguâ—â—es translate it these are the ends extremities or utmost parts of them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul calleth it that which may be known of God par 〈◊〉 treaturaruâ— Rom. 1.19 20 as the Sun may bee seen in the water after a soft but in roâ—â— as the Schooles speak in the Cirele where in it runs we are not able to behold him so something of God may be seen in his Works in his Word his back parts we may see and live as Moses Exod. 33. Quam exigultatem Piscat Parvaâ—â— stillam Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. Sept. Paucuâ—â— de pâ—nco pusillum parum admilum Merc. His truth in the Temple as 〈…〉 But how little a portion is heard of him Heb. What a 〈◊〉 or shâ—â— of a word or thing is heard of him As when one heareth the latter end only of a 〈◊〉 that which the eccho resoundeth and no more it is 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 cannot know we are as narrow mouthed vessels Ye are not able to 〈◊〉 what I have to say to you saith Christ to his Apostles John 16.12 And to the people hâ— spâ—ke as they were able to hear Mark 4.33 and not as he was able to have spoken Lequimur de Deo non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus saith Gratian the Emperor We speak of God Iâ— Epist ad Ambros not so much as we should but so much as we can We prophecy but in part and what wonder sith we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. In humane things the wisest men have professed that the greatest part of what they knew was the least of that they knew not how much more in things divine By no expressions do we so fully set
himself how can his wisdom be but as well known unto him His infinite knowledg and understanding is in some sort shadowed out unto us in the words following Verse 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil all eye so that together and at once he beholdeth all things in the whole course of Nature and under the whole cope of heaven His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11.4 Where the former pointeth out Gods knowledg the latter his judgment his critical descant saith One. And surely this All-seeing eye of God saith another Interpreter should keep us within the compasse of obedience as much as any thing sith he who is our Judge is a constant eye-witnesse of our cogitatious communication and whole conversation Cave spectat Cato Take heed Cato seeth you was an old watch-word among the Romans and a retentive from vice How much more should this be among Christians Ne pecces Deus ipse videt Be advised God beholdeth you Think not that he who is invisible cannot see or that because he is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity therefore he cannot see so far as earth for he looketh to the ends and extremities of the earth his eyes run to and fro they are in every place beholding the evil and the good Pro. 15.3 The world is to him as a sea of glasse Rev. 4.6 He seeth through it and every man before him is all window he seeth the very entrals of the soule the heart of the heart All things are naked and open before him saith the Apostle Heb. 4.13 Naked for the outside and open for the inside of them the word signifieth dissected quartered and as it were cleft through the back-bone He searcheth the Raines those seats of Lust and most abstruse parts of the body so wrapt up in fat and flesh as if no eye should come at them And seeth under the whole heaven His providence like a well drawn picture looketh every way and extendeth to every the least and lightest occurrence governing all things wisely and powerfully and ordering the disorders of the world to his own glory Epicures and Atheists would shut him up in heaven as hath been before noted as if he did neither know nor do any thing here below but they will find it otherwise Verse 25 To make the weights for the wind He ordereth wind and water raine and thunder Pondere mensura numero facit omnia therefore wisdom is with him The winds he weigheth in a balance then when they seem to blow where they list piercing through the aire with their violent blasts God sets them their bounds and appoints them their proportion He sends them out as his Postes and makes them pace orderly And he weigheth the waters by measure Both the raine not a drop falls in vain in a wrong place or at randome but by a divine Decree as a witnesse of his Wisdome and Goodnesse Acts 17.14 and the sea and Rivers neither doe the winds blow nor the waters flow without the Lord who is the great Moderatour that measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand c. Isai 40.12 Verse 26. When he made a Decree for the rain And hence it is that it raineth upon one City and not upon another Am. 4.7 See the Note there The rise of rain out of vapours drawn up from the earth by the heat of the Sun and the generation of it in the clouds is no lesse wonderful then the use of it is necessary for the refreshing and fatning of the earth allaying the heat and nourishing the herb and tree c. These showres may seeme to arise and be carried up and downe at randome and without a Law but Job assureth us that God maketh a decree a Statute or a bound for them and that he gives or with holds rain at his pleasure And a way for the lightning of the thunder Or for the lightning and the thunder In both which there is much of God to be seen and heard these being the Harbingers as it were and Officers to make roome for him and to manifest his power which the greatest must acknowledg Psal 29 1 2. and the Saints must take comfort in verse 11. As for those impious wretches that slight these wonderful works of Almighty God speak basely of them as he of whom Mr. Perkins somewhere writeth that hearing it thunder said it was nothing but Tom Tumbrel a hooping his tubs was thereupon killed with a thunder-bolt and those old Italians that used in time of thunder to ring their greatest bells and shoot off their greatest Ordnance c. on purpose to drown the noise of the heavens As they are worse then Pharaoh and Caligula and other heathens who stiled their chief god Altitonans the high-Thunderer so they shall one day see the Lord Christ suddenly coming upon them as lightning and dreadfully thundering out that dismal Discedite Go ye cursed Verse 27 Then did he see it and declare it c. Or Then doth he see it and number it c. scil When he ordereth winds waters and other creatures he hath wisdom ready in numeratâ— as we say as well known and as familiar as men have those things they daily deal in Illa vero verborum congeries faith an Expositour This heap of words Merlin God saw it numbred it prepared it searched it out serveth but to shew how intimate wisdom is with God and how proper to him And lest any should say Hath God then communicated no heavenly wisdom to his creature Yes saith Job but such as is thus circumscribed Verse 28 But unto man he said c. q.d. Let him not curiously pry into Gods secrets Infignis est hic locus Mercer nor rashly censure others as you have done me but out of a reverential fear of God eschew evil and do good for this shall be his wisdom Deut. 4.6 and the contrary Jer. 8.9 See like exts Deut. 29.29 Eccles 12.13 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.7 and 9.10 with the Notes CHAP. XXIX Verse 1. Moreover Job continued his Parable OR his sentence as Tremellius rendreth it his sententious and elegant oration his aurâ—um flumen orationis Tota oratio gravissimis sententiis verborum luminibus illustris est Merlin golden flood of grave discourse as we may better call it then Tully did Aristotles â—â—lâ—â—cks Here Job describeth graphically his former felicity as in the next Chapter his present misery The promise of Prosperity to Gods people is to be understood with exception of the cross wherewith if need be 1 Pet. 1.6 they are sure to be exercised and they shall take it for a favour too Heb. 12.6 by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report c. 2 Cor. 6.7 8. they must learn to be abased and to abound Vlpian to be full and to
belongeth unto the Lord Here is much in few Fulgentius saith that the most golden sentence is ever measured by brevity and suavity Brevis suavis planeque aurea est haec sententia Salvation in the full extent of it and it is very comprehensive is of the Lord. It properly denoteth the privative part of mans happiness freedom from evils and enemies of all sorts But it importeth the positive part also fruition of all good and all is from the Lord he alone is the chief efficient and Author of all Act. 4 in Veâ— the true Sospitator the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith Tully is a word so emphatical that other Tongues can hardly finde another word fit to express it See the Note on Jon. 2.9 Thy blessing is upon thy people Selah Or prayer-wise Let thy blessing be upon thy people Etiam qui imprudenter ad Absalomum desciverat Jun. even upon those also who have foolishly taken part with Absalom against me thus David prays for his Rebels as Christ and Stephen afterwards did for their Persecutors and Murtherers but especially upon those that do yet adhere unto me and are shortly to fight for me David knew that victory is of the Lord and must be got by prayer For it Queen Elizabeth could say Cui adhaereo praeest He whose part I take shall get the better how much more may the Lord of Hosts say so This the people also knew and therefore perswaded David not to venture his person amongst them in the Field but to stay at home and pray for them 2 Sam. 18.3 It is better say they that thou succour us out of the City thence shalt thou help us or cause us to be helped that is thy prayers shall prevail with God for our assistance as the Rabbins sense that text Solah or so be it Hoc ratum firmumq esto See vers 2. PSAL. IV. TO the chief Musician Or 〈◊〉 Chro. 25. 1 2. to the most excellent Musick-master to the chief Chaunter Asaph was this and some other Psalms committed that they might be sung in the best manner and with greatest care So Alexander on his Death-bed left his Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Optimatum optime to him that should be the best of the best 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc jamdiu â—onsecutus est Roscius ut in 〈◊〉 quisque arâ—ficio excelleâ—t in suo geâ—ere Roscius 〈◊〉 Cic. de Orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was Tully's Motto that is strive to excel others to crop off the very top of all vertues as Scipio is said to have done to be best at any thing to be careful to excel in good works Tit. 3.8 and to bear away the bell as we say in whatsoever a man undertaketh On Neginoth i.e. Instrumemta pulsatilia stringed Instruments such as are to bee touched or plaid upon with the hand Lord saith Nazianzen I am an Instrument for thee to touch Let us lay our selves open to the Spirits touch and so make musick Vers 1. Here me when I call O God of my righteousness that is O thou righteous Judge of my righteous Cause and of my good Conscience David speaketh first to God and then to men This is the right method Wee therefore speak no better to men because no more to God It is said of Charls the Fifth that he spent more words with God than with men When we are vilified and derigrated by others as David here was let us make God acquainted with our condition by his example But why doth David beg audience and mercy in general only and not lay open to God his particular grievances Surely because he looked upon the favour of God as a complexive blessing that perfectly comprehendeth all the rest as Manna is said to have had all good tasts in it For particulars David was content to be at Gods dispose I humbly beseech thee that I may finde grace in thy sight my Lord O King said that false Ziba to David 2 Sam. 16.4 q. d. I had rather have the Kings favour than Mephibosheths Lands David really had rather have Gods love and favour than all this worlds good and therefore so heartily beggeth it above any thing Thou hast inlarged me when I was in distress Heb. Thou hast made roomth for me Hoc autem in Prophetia dictum est saith R. David this was Prophetically spoken Thou hast that is thou wilt enlarge me who am now in distress God will surely be nearest unto his in their greatest straights and because they have made him the God of their Mountains he will be the God of their valleys also Vers 2. O yee sons of men Yee Grandees Psal 49.3 who think to carry all before you with those big looks and bubbles of words yee who are potent at Court and therefore insolent above measure David having poured out his heart to God in prayer takes heart of grace thus freely to bespeak these great ones his enemies How long will yee turn my glory into shame i. e. attempt to put me beside the Kingdom whereunto God hath designed and destined me You think belike to jeer me out of my right and by casting upon me Cart-loads of Calumnies and contumelies to make me desist and hang up my hopes But it is otherwise beleeve it Psal 14.6 7. yee have shamed the counsel of the poor because the Lord is his refuge But will he therefore give over praying No for in the next words he falls on and says O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion c. How long will yee love vanity c. i. e. trouble your selves to no purpose whiles yee plot and plow mischief to him who is blessed and shall be blessed ingratiis vestris you love you seek that is you both inwardly affect wickedness and outwardly act it but all in vain Vers 3. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly Quod separatum asseruerit that God hath destined mine head to the Diadem of the Kingdom and therefore it shall not be in your power to hinder me Sith voluntas Dei necessitas Rei and this I would have you to know and rest assured of Let us be no less confident of the Crown of Glory Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom And 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God abideth sure having this double seal i. e. The Lord for his part knoweth who are his and we for our parts may know that if we but name the name of the Lord in prayer and depart from evil we shall certainly be saved The Lord will hear when I call unto him Being that I am a godly man a gracious Saint one that have obtained mercy and am thereby made merciful to others for so much the word signifieth I doubt not of audience and acceptance in Heaven God regards not the prayer if the person be not right For Witches some plead that they use
In a strong City In Mahanaim 2 Sam. 17.27 where it is likely he made this and some other Psalms Vers 22. For I said in my haste I am cut off c. A frightful and sinful saying doubtless full of diffidence and despair See the like Psal 116.11 Job 9.16 Judg. 13.22 Psal 77.3 Joh. 2.4 Thus he spake when he tremblingly fled and was posting away Nevertheless thou heardest the voyce of my supplication A pitiful poor one though it were and full of infirmity God considereth whereof we are made he taketh not advantages against his suppliants it would be wide with them if he should Vers 23. O love the Lord Let not your hasty discontent beget in you hard thoughts of God or heavie thoughts against your selves as it hath done in me but love him trust him and he will do you right And plentifully rewardeth Heb. repaieth abundantly or with surplussage in seipso vel in semine suo It may be rendred Upon the remainder and understood of the proud mans posterity wherein God will be sure to bemeet with him Vers 24. Be of good courage c. Bear up be stout and stedfast in the faith under trials See Psal 27.14 with the Note Thus good courage cometh not but from the true love of God Vers 23. PSAL. XXXII A Psalm of David Maschil i.e. Giving instruction or making prudent for David here out of his own experience turneth Teacher vers 7. and the lesson that he layeth before his Disciples is the Doctrin of Justification by Faith that ground of true blessedness Rom. 4.6 7. Docet igitur hic Psalmus verè preciosus pracipuum proprium fidei Christiana caput saith Beza This most precious Psalm instructeth us in the chief and principal point of Christian Religion and it differeth herein from the first Psalm that there are set forth the effects of Blessedness but here the cause Quonâ—â—dò etians est Paulus cum Jacobo conciliandus saith he Vers 1. Blessed is be whose transgression is forgiven The heavy burthen of whose trespasses is taken off as the word importeth and he is loosed cased and lightned Sin is an intollerable burden Isa 1.3 such as presseth down Heb. 12.1.2 burden it is to God Am. 2.13 to Christ it was when it made him sweat water and bloud to the Angels when it brake their backs and sunk them into Hell to men under whom the very earth groaneth the Axeltree thereof is even ready to crack c. it could not bear Corah and his company it spewed out the Canaanites c. O then the heaped up happiness of a justified person disburdened of his transgressions The word here rendred transgression signifieth Treachery and wickedness with a witness Aben-Ezra faith David hereby intends his Sin with Bathsheba and surely this Psalm and the one and fiftieth may seem to have been made upon the same occasion they are tuned so near together Whose sin is covered As excrements and ordure are covered that they may not be an eye-sore or annoyance to any Sin is an odious thing the Devils duivell or vomit the corruption of a dead soul the filthiness of flesh and spirit Get a cover for it therefore sc Christs righteousness called a propitiation or coverture and raiment Rev. 3.18 Vt sic veletur ne in judicio reveletur that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear Vers 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Let no man think this triplication of the same thing needlesse or superfluous sith the poor soul afflicted with sense of sin and fear of wrath is not easily perswaded of pardon but when faith would lay hold on the promise Satan rappeth her on the fingers as it were and seeks to beat her off Besides by such an emphaticall repetition and heap of words to one purpose the great grace of God in pardoning mens sin is plainly and plentifully declared and celebrated it being a mercy that no words how wide soever can sufficiently set forth By the word iniquity some understand originall sin that peccatum peccans as the Schooles call it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common cause and impure seminary of all actuall disobediences Neither this nor any of the fruites of it doth the Lord impute reckon count or think to the pardoned finner 2 Cor. 5.19 Cui non cogitat peccatum so some render it To whom he thinketh no sin that is he reputeth or imputeth it not for a sin he putteth it not into the reckoning Isa 43.25 48.9 11. the Bill or Bond is cancelled Col. 2.14 and there remaineth no action Christ is our suerty Heb. 7.22 Now the suerty and debtour are in law reputed as one person Christ is made sin for us that is in our stead or place that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult And in whose spirit there is no guile Sed sincere sine dolo à suis peccatis resipiscit ad Dei misericordiam se recipit The justified are also sanctified 1 Cor. 6.11 they hide not their sins as Adam thy neither excuse nor extenuate what evills they have done but think and speak the worst of their sins they lay load upon themselves they hate Hy pocrisie and detest dissimulation it is a question whether they do more desire to be good or abhorre to seem only to be so B sil as he commendeth that sentence of Plato that seeming sanctity is double iniquity so hee justly condemneth that saying of Euripides I had rather seem to bee good than be so indeed That maxim of Machiavel is the same for sense that vertue it self should not be sought after but only the appearance because the credit is an help the use a cumber The pardoned finner is sanctified throughout washed not only from his sin the guilt and filth of it but his swinish nature also the love and liking of it he hath no mind to return to his vomit or wallowing in the mire saith R. Solomon here he saith not Resipiscam denuo peccabo vel peccabo resipiscam as R. David senseth it I will repent and then sin again or sin again and then repent This he knoweth to be incompatible with faith unfeigned and hope unfailable 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Joh. 3.3 Vers 3. When I kept silence i.e. Whilest I through guile of spirit for this leaven of Hypocrisie is more or lesse in the best hearts though it sway not there concealed my sin and kept the Devills counsel contenting my self with his anodines and false plaisters That old man slayer knoweth well that as sin is the soules sicknesse so confession is the soules 〈◊〉 and that there is no way to purge the sick soul but upwards He therefore holdeth the lips close that the heart may not disburden it self David by his perswasion kept silence for a while but that he found was to his ruthe and if he had held so it might have been to his ruine Men in pain of conscience will
and God will receive you graciously pouring the oyl of his grace into your broken Vessels This comforted Bernard on his death bed he dyed with this sentence in his mouth Je. Manl. loc com 73. Austin caused it to be written on the wall over against his bed where he lay sick and dyed Many poor soules even in times of Popery had Heaven opened unto them by meditating on this Psalm and especially on this 17. vers Vers 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion Having made his own peace with God he now prayeth for the Church and the rather because by his foul sins he had hazzarded or rather exposed both Sion and Jerusalem Church and State to divine displeasure Delirantreges plectuntur Achivi Build thou the walls of Jerusalem i. e. Protect defend and maintain the civill State grant all things necessary for its safety and well-being supply of all wants confirmation and increase of all blessings Thus pray we Jer. 29.7 Psal 122.6 7 8. for except the Lord keep the City c. See Isa 5.1 2 3. 27.3 Hee is a wall of fire Rev. 20.9 of water Isa 33.20 21. say therefore as Isa 26.1 and beware of security sensuality senselesnesse c. Vers 19. Then shalt thou bee pleased with the sacrifices c. i. e. Such as are offered in faith and according to the will of God Psal 4.6 Then shall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar They shall be free-hearted and frequent in thy work and service va torpori nostro Woe to our dulnesse and backwardness in these happy dayes of peace and free profession which we had need improve as they did Act. 9.31 Otherwise we may desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and not see it Luk. 19.22 Go to Shiloh c. PSAL. LII A Psalm of David Of the same time and argument likely with Psal 58. Maschil Or to teach that the end of the Wicked is evill Redarguit pravos mores saith the Syriack When Doeg the Edomite When Abiathar escaping the slaughter-slave the blood-hound as Edomite may signifie came and told David what was befaln the Priests and their City This was no small affliction to David the rather because by telling the Priest a lye himself had occasioned that Massacre Hereupon for the comfort of himself and other good people who were startled at this sad accident and might be deterred thereby from succouring David he penned this Psalm When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul c. Doeg is a fit name for a courtier for it signifieth a solicitous or busy-headed fellow a catch-poll a progging-companion an informer one that listeneth after rumours and carrieth tales to curry favour An Edomite he was by Nation but a Proselyte in pretence at least and one that was at that time detained before the Lord either by vertue of some vow or because it was the Sabbath-day and he would not travel on it or to perform some other religious service 1 Sam. 21.7 this dissembled sanctity was double iniquity and he became a type of Judas as some make him He came and told Saul Like a Parasite and a pick-thank as he was when as he should rather have told Ahimelech that David was out of Sauls favour and sought for to the slaughter as Kimchi here noteth on vers 3. but he concealed that that he might accuse Ahimelech and so slew three at once saith another Rabbine viz. himself Saul and Ahimeleck calumniatorem calumniatum calumniam audientem And said David is come to the house of Ahimeleck Few words but full of poyson Verba Doegi erant pauci sed multum nocua Kimchi Midrash Tillin leviter volant non leviser vulnerant See the story more at large 1 Sam. 22 9. c. The Rabbines say from Levit. 14. where the same word is used of the Leprous house that is here vers 5. of Doegs doom that he was for this fact smitten with leprosy and afterwards sent to Hell which they gather from Psal 120.4 Vers 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief thou mighty man Or Thou Giart for so he seemed to himself when he had slain tot inermes nec repugnantes so many naked men not making any resistance though they were the Priests of Jehovah and afterward had smitten the innocent inhabitants of the City of Nob together with the women the infants and the Cattel like another Ajax flagellifer or Hercules furens and now vaunted himself in that mischievous prowesse Egregiam veroâ—undem c. The Hebrew word for boasting here signifieth also madness when it is taken in the worse sence as Jer. 46.9 See Prov. 2.14 and to boast of his hearts desire is the note of an Atheist Psal 10.3 The goodness of God endureth continually Maugre thy spitefulness R. Solomon Kabuenaki Midrash Tillin God is good to Israel to the pure in heart and will be so The Rabbins make this the sense If Ahimeleth had not releeved me God would have stirred up some other to have done it Some others understand it thus The goodness of God towards thee a wicked wretch endureth all the day This should lead thee to repentance But thou after the hardness c. Rom. 2.4 Vers 2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefes i.e. Cogitat id est eructat venteth the mischievous devices of thy minde being an inter preter and an instrument fit for such a purpose Such another Doeg was Nicholas saunders Priest the Fire-brand of Earl Deswâ—â—â—ds Rebellion in Ireland Anno 1580. a restless and wretched man whose foul mouth was at length stopped with famine that had been ever open to stir up rebellions against the State that had uttered so many Blasphemies against God and his holy Truth and invented so many loud and lewdlyes against men Like a sharp razor working deceitfully That instead of shaving the hair launcheth the flesh or missing the beard cutteth the throat Exscindit carnem cum crinibus R. Solom Consutro aberrans jugulum petit whence Dionysius the Tyrant would not trust any Barber no not his own Daughters to shave him but singed off his own hair with hot coals The slanderers Tongue as sharp as a razor or as the quills of a Porcupine flasheth and gasheth the good names of others and that many ways viz. both by denying disguising leslening concealing misconstruing things of good report and also by forging increasing aggravating or uncharitable spreading things of evil report not for any love to the truth nor for respect to justice nor yet for the bettering of the Hearer or the Delinquent but only to prejudice the one and to incense the other This was Doegs sin and denominateth him a Lyer vers 3. though hee had spake but the truth Vers 3. Thou lovest evil more than good Indeed evil only and not at all good whatever thou pretendest Thy heart is naught and thence it is that thy tongue is so mischievons as stinking breath cometh from corrupt inwards And
which compare vers 9 10 11. of this Psalm For thereupon David put into a great perturbation as vers 4 5. wished for the wings of a Dove not the pinnions of a Dragon that he might flye farro away Vers 1. Give ear to my prayer O God Davids danger was present his prayer therefore is pressing being not the labour of his lips but the travell of his heart The breath that commeth from the lips is cold not that which commeth from the lungs Hide not thy self As men when they are not willing to be sued unto will not be seen Vers 2. Attend unto mee and hear meâ— Heb. Answer mee that is grant mee deliverance from this death which threatneth mee This is his sense as appeareth by the sequel though at present be could not instance but only beggeth audience I 〈◊〉 my complaâ—â— Hâ—b I tassâ— this way and 〈◊〉 I am so much troubled ut meipsum lamentando huc illuc versare mire agitare cogar Prae dolore moveo me nunc huc nuâ— illuc Campeâ—sis And make a noise Plango perstrepo Of our Saviour it is said that being in an agony he prayed more earnestly He bent as it were all his nerves and set up his note Luk. 22.44 Vers 3. Because of the voice of the enemy He may very well intend Shimeies bitter revilings 2 Sam. 16.5 c. For they cast iniquity upon mee They tumble it on mee as men do stones or any thing else upon their besiedgers to endammage them so did these sin shame any thing upon innocent David to make him odious And in wrath they hate mee Heb. They satanically hate mee Vers 4. My heart is sore pained within mee No otherwise than a woman is pained in travel cordicitus doleo And the terrours of death are fallen upon mee Caused doubtlesse by the deep sense and conscience of his late grievous sins Vers 5. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon mee Fearfulness of heart and trembling of body which last falleth out Timor cordâ— tremor corpris when as the Spirits flying back to the heart to relieve it leave the outward parts destitute And horrour hath over-whelmed mee This was Davids infirmity for he should have better fortified his heart against that cowardly passion of fear the Devill also had a finger in it At another time David could better resolve and say What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Vers 6. And I said O that I had wings like a Dove Ut citissime longissime fugerem that I might swiftly fly far off from Absoloms pursuers as the Dove saveth her self by flight and not by fight scoureth away to the Rocks and deserts Jer. 48.28 Many fouls are swifter of flight than Doves but these hold out better R. Jonah saith that whereas other birds when they are wearied with flying do rest them upon rocks or trees and are taken the Dove doth not so but letteth down one wing and flyeth with the other and thereby escapeth the pursuer R. Jonah apâ— Kimchi For then would I flee away But whither he saith not because he knew not The Church in the Revelation fled into the wilderness Rev. 12. God provided a Pella for those primitive Christians Luther being asked where he would be at quiet from his enemies answered Sub caelo some where God would secure him Vers 7. Lo then would I wander farre off Farre from the force and fury of these breathing Devills Jeremy wisheth the like as being tired out by the ungodly practices of his countrymen chap. 9.2 And many a dear Child of God forced to be in bad company cryes O that I had the wings c. Or if that O will not set him at liberty he takes up that Woe to expresse his misery Woe is mee that I sojourn in Meshech c. And remain in the Wildernesse Among wild beasts which were better than to abide with these Lycanthropi men more cruel savage and bloody than any beasts Vers 8. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm c. I would thrust my ship into any creek in the whole World go as farre as my leggs nay wings could carry mee Of the swiftnesse of the Doves flight see Plin. l. 10. c. 37. and how David hastened his flight from Absolom see 2 Sam 15.14 Vers 9. Destroy O Lord and divide their tongues Heb. Swallow them up O Lord and divide their tongues by an allusion as some conceive to those two famous Judgements of God upon Dathan and Abiram first Numb 16. and then secondly upon the Babel-builders Gen. 11. both which were thrown out for examples to all succeeding ages as St. Jude saith of the Sodomites Jud. 7. and are to be considered of by the Saints as here in their prayers against their enemies How God answered this prayer of David see 2 Sam. 17.1 c. For I have seen violence and strife in the City i. e. In Jerusalem something I have seen but more outrages I have heard of since Absolom with his army came into it The rude souldiers plunder the poor Citizens at pleasure and cannot agree among themselves in dividing the spoil Vers 10. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof The ruffianly souldiers do as in garrisons is usuall Or Violence and Strife do so that in no place are good men in safety from rapines and robberies Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it What work may be thought make the common souldiers among the women especially when Absolom openly defileth his Fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 when Tilly took Magdeburg in the late German wars besides many other outrages the Ladies Gentlewomen and others like beasts and dogs they yoked and coupled together leading them into the woods to ravish them Such as resisted they stripped naked whipt them cropt their ears and so sent them home again Vers 11. Wickednesse is in the midst thereof As if it were no longer as once Theopolis but Poneropolis for all kind of naughtinesse there Deceit and guile depart not from her streets The Vulgar hath it Vsura dolus Usury and guile and Theodorets note here is Not andum est non modo Novi Testamenti perfectionem sed Legis statum faenus damnare that Usury is condemned in both old and new Testament Vers 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it was not mine enemy that reproached mee Achitophels perfidy and villany troubled David more than all the rest there not being any wound worse as Sophocles saith than the treachery of a friend he being such a kind of enemy quem neque fugere neque fugare possumus as Bernard hath it whom we cannot easily prevent See Psal 41.9 Then I could have born it Though as a burden but nothing so grievous I should not have much mattered it Vers 13. But it was thou a man mine equall Heb. According to my rank my compeer my collegue mine Alter-ego my
forth to seek mee but wentest home again by weeping-crosse Vers 9. Who will bring mee into the strong City Into Rabbah of the Ammonites which at length he got 2 Sam. 12. and now wisheth for Kimchi readeth it in the preter-tense who hath led mee into the strong Cities who hath brought mee into Edom Hast not thou O God c Vers 10. Wilt not thou O God Or hast not thou c. The glory of all victories is to be given to God in solidum Strong Cities are nothing when he will have them subdued and sacked Which hadst cast us off See Psal 44.9 The Churches prosperity like checker-work is intermingled with adversity Vers 11. Give us help from trouble Give it us whensoever we need it as hitherto thou very graciously hast done For vain is the help of man As they had lately experimented in Saul a King of their own chusing but not able to save them from those proud Philistines No more could the Romans the Britans oppressed by their Northern enemies They sent to Aetim the Roman Praefect of Gaul and thus complained to him The barbarous enemy beateth us to the Sea the Sea beateth us back to the enemy Dan. Chron. between these two kind of deaths we are either murthered or drowned c. But their implorations prevailed not For Aetius at that time had enough to do to keep his own head and Valentinian the Empire The Saints comfort is that where human help faileth divine beginneth as Philo told his Country-men when rejected by Caius the Emperour Vers 12. Through God we shall do valiantly Faciemus militiam some render it and it is true of the Spiritual warfare also we shall be more than Conquerours even Triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 Meminisse oportet ist a nunc esse ad spirituales Ecolesiae hostes potius quam adversus armatas ferro copias referenda saith Beza in his argument and use of this Psalm He it is that shall tread down our enemies Corporal and Spiritual this is a part of Christs Kingly Office to the which he will not be wanting Psalmus hic est de Messia imperante sicut David saith Kimchi out of Derash Rabboth This Psalm is concerning Messiah reigning as David did PSAL. LXI TO the chief Musician upon Neginah c. Vincenti in melodiis Davidis Vatab. It is probable that he made this Psalm when driven out of his Kingdom by his Son Absolom he took up at Mahanaim beyond Jordan 2 Sam. 17.24 and therehence prayed from the ends of the earth or rather of the land vers 2. Howbeit R. Obadiah saith that this Psalm is De pugna cum Aram in confinibus Israel concerning the battle with the Syrians in the borders of the Land See 2 Sam. 10.14 c. and 1 Chron. 19.16 amp c. Vers 1. Hear my cry O God Heb. My shouting my sad out-cry for he was in great extremity vers 2. and seeks ease by prayer This is the way Job 22.21 Philip. 4.6 7. walk in it Prayer hath Virtutem pacativam it doth sweetly settle the Soul and lodge a blessed security in it Vers 2. From the end of the earth Or of the Land In all places men may lift up holy hands Sic dicit res pectu arae à quiexulabat longe in bello contra hostes R. Sol. 1 Tim. 2.8 Job 4.21 and speed A desert may be a goodly Oratory When my heart is overwhelmed Or covered over Vt fit in deliquiit lipothimiis as is usual in swoones See a like expression Psal 102. title Lam. 3.65 where the word rendred sorrow of heart signifieth such a covering like a shield such a lid put over the heart that is suffocated as in the Cardica passio Davids Harp was not more out of tune than his heart sometimes He prayeth and is helped Lead me to the rock that is higher than I i.e. Do for me that I cannot do for my self set me in safety Vers 3. For thou hast been a shelter for me Thou hast and therefore thou wilt is an ordinary Scripture-medium and well it may for God is unchangeable and his Decree for preserving his people is as the Poet saith well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irrevocable Vers 4. I will abide in thy tabernacle Et scribam mirabilia tua in memoriale saith R. Obadiah by way of gloss And I will there register up thy wonderful works Or I shall there worship thee and do thee acceptable service again though for present I am banished or busied abroad He saith not I shall abide in my Palace but in thy tabernacle which he more highly esteemed Some render it I shall dwell in thy Tent or Pavilion Royal making it a metaphor from warfare where those that are in the Kings own Tent must needs be in greatest safety And this sense suiteth well with the following words I will trust in the covert of thy wings Vers 5. Hinc Graeci precationem dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For thou O God hast heard my vows i.e. My prayers which had vows of thankfulness annexed unto them Thou hast given me the heritage Even the sure mercies of David grace and glory and inheritance in the World to come as the Chaldee hath it besides what we have here Vers 6. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life The King Christ saith the Chaldee who shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lordshall prosper in his hand Isa 53.10 David himself also lived and reigned longer than most Kings do being old and full of days And his years as many generations sc In his sons and successors So Psa 72.17 Filiabitus nomine ejus The name of Christ shall indure for ever it shall be begotten as one generation is begotten of another there shall bee a succession of Christs name Vers 7. He shall abide before God for ever Or He shall sit viz. upon the Throne a long while in his person but for ever in his Son Christ Luke 1.32 and this affordeth sweet and singular comfort to the whole Church and each Member thereof for as much as the dignity of a King cannot stand unless his Subjects bee in safety O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Hos duos custodes adhibe quibus unis innitatur Let these two thy Mercy and thy Truth be the supporters of his Throne let them be of his Life-guard let them be his due and prepared portion as the Hebrew word Man here used signifieth Some understand the words thus Junius Furnish the King with these two Vertues Clemency and Truth that thereby his Throne may be established See Prov. 20.28 29.14 Vers 8. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever Conclusio votiva Praise is so pleasing a service to God that he indenteth with his people for it Psal 50.15 and they knowing his minde therein do usually restipulate that they will perform it as holding it the least that they in conscience can do and
many whilst afflicted seem very well affected but afterwards soon shew what they are William Râ—fus in a fit of sickness at Glocester vowed upon his recovery to see all vacancies in the Church furnished which he did but with so great adoo as shewed that having escaped the danger he would willingly have deceived the Saint saith the Chronicler Dan. Hist fol. 58. In the sweating-sickness here in England so long as the ferventness of the Plague lasted there was crying Peccavi peccavi the Ministers were sought for in every corner You must come to my Lord you must come to my Lady c. but this lasted with many little longer than the disease so deceitfull is mans heart and desperately wicked Most men are nailed to the earth saith One well as Sisera was by Jaâ—l and will not so much as lift up their eyes to Heaven unless it be as Hogs do who go nodling down and rooting in the earth all their life and never look upward till being ready to be killed they are laid flat upon their back and forced so these till wrastling with the pangs of death they are fastened to their sick beds c. And they returned but they gave but the half-turn they turned not even unto God with all their heart as Joel 2.12 And enquired early after God Heb. Manicabant sive aurorizabant Deum aurora velut anticipata they were up and at it by peep of day Vers 35. And they remembred Misery is the best art of memory But this remembrance of God was but as letters written in the sand or as a picture drawn on the Ice that long continueth not 't was but a flash and while they were in a good mood 't was but as Nebuchadnezzars dream which he had soon forgotten They remembred God lingua non corde with the tongue but not with the heart as Aben-Ezra here glosseth They gave God a messe of fair words calling him Rock Redeemer c. but he is not to be so courted and complemented Goats may be fed with leaves but God is not mocked Vers 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth They looked pittifully as the Fox caught in a gin doth but it is only to get out they spake God fair as the Devil in the Gospel did our Saviour but it was only to be rid of him They worshiped him as the Indians do the Devil that he may do them no hurt The Latine word Colo to worship is by some derived of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to flatter and the English word flatter from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship Sure it is that many mens devotion is meer dissimulation And they lyed unto him sc Whiles they called him Rock Redeemer and all was but from the teeth outward which how much God abhorreth as a ludibrious devotion see Jer. 3.4 5. And here is said to be the middle of the Psalter for hither to the Hebrews reckon one thousand two hundred sixty and three verses and as many they note to be yet left in the Second part Vers 37. For their heart was not right with him It was still the old heart without any sincere change and that can never hold out the hardship of Holiness but will deviate and falsifie The Rack may make it roar the Rod flutter but all is in Hypocrisie An Hypocrite would cousen God of Heaven if he could tell how Neither were they stedfast See vers 8. Vers 38. But he being full of compassion Not standing upon terms not taking advantages a sin-pardoning God whose Mercy rejoyceth against or glorieth over Judgement Jam. 2.13 it is of his mercy that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 if he should deal with us in strict justice Et delicta nostra ad calculos vocare there were no abiding by it Psal 130. 143. Yea many a time turned he his anger away With patience and pity he overcame their provocations although they tempted him ten times that is very often Numb 14.20 And did not stir up all his wrath Heb. he multiplied to turn away his wrath Strenue curavit ut cohiberet iram suam he let fall some drops of his wrath but would not shed the whole shower of it Vers 39. For he remembred that they were but flesh i. e. Frail and feeble full of sin and misery See Gen. 6.3 altogether unable to grapple with Gods wrath A wind that passeth away c. Et in suis reciprocationibus evanescens For Winds neither return thither whence they blow nor yet pass from one coast to another but are wasted in the middle of the World by the force of the Sun and by their own motion as Aristotle concludeth in his Discourse concerning Meteors Now what is man saith Nazianzen but soul and soyl breath and body a puffe of Wind the one a pile of Dust the other no solidity in either Vers Exclamatio paâ—hetica 40. How oft did they provoke him in the Wilderness Ten times at least in the first two years Num. 14. 19. What then in all the rest Quis fando possit enacrare tot rebelliones From the very day they came out of Aegypt they were alway contending against the Lord as Moses telleth them when he was taking his leave of them Deut. 31. And grieve him in the Desart Where they were at his mercy and at his immediate finding Vers 41. Yea they turned back and tempted God They did it afresh and after some resolutions and short-winded wishes of doing better And limited the holy one Designarunt they prescribed to him and set him his bounds which he must not pass as Popilius the Roman Embassadour drew a Circle round about King Antiochus and bade him give answer ere he stirred out of it for he would be put off no longer Now God is limited when as either his power is questioned as vers 20. or his will circumscribed as if he were bound to serve mens lusts or means appointed him whereby hee must work and not otherwise Vers 42. They remembred not his hand Forgetfulness is the root of rebellion and of all vice Seneca as the Genevists well note here Eaten bread is soon forgotten Nihil citius senescit quam gratia Nor the day when he delivered them viz. From Pharaoh but so soon as they had sucked the Honey they despised the flower Vers 43. How he had wrought his signs in Aegypt That Stage of Wonders See vers 12. In the field of Zoan A great City in Aegypt whereof read Es 19.11.13 30.4 Ezek. 30.14 Josephus Antiq. lib. 1. cap. 9. See vers 12. Vers 44. And had turned their rivers into bloud c. Seven of those Ten Plagues of Aegypt are here instanced to aggravate the forgetness and perfidy of the Israelites Good-turns aggravate unkindnesses and out offences are increased by our obligations And their flouds that they could not drink Vsque adeo ut aqua potabiles totam alioqui stagnantem Aegyptum deficerent
Heb. They have stricken a Covenant viz. with oaths and solemn ceremonies cutting the Sacrifice in twain Virg. Aeneid 8. and passing between the parts thereof as Jer. 34.18 caesa jungebant faedera porca Vers 6. The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites c. Exercitu ex variis gentibus couflato at odds amongst themselves and yet well agreed for a mischief to the Church who might ever well say as the Hare in Martiall In me omnis terraeque aviumque marisque rapina est Forsitan caeli si canis astra tenet As Dogs fighting and intertearing one another can give over and joyn together to follow the harmlesse Hare that passeth by them so here If Manasseh be against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh yet they will be both against Judah And the Hagarens Who came also of Hagar as well as the Isamaelites but were a distinct people and would be called Saracens Saracens in Arabick is Theeves from Sarah the freewoman for honour sake as if the Promises made to Abraham and Sarah had belonged to them Ptolomy maketh mention of the Saracens and placeth in Arabia the seat of the Hagarens where there is also a City called Agra of Hagar likely Aben-Ezra saith they came of Agar by another husband The Chaldee calleth them Hungarians Vers 7. Gebal and Ammon and Amalec Sic enarrae enumerat inimieos decem conglobatos Answerable whereunto were the ten Kings of Christendome Ezek. 27.9 who gave their power to the beast Gebal might be the inhabitants of Gabel a City of Phenicia saith Stephanus or of Syria saith Strabo which Volaterran saith was called Gibel in his time but anciently Biblus See Josh 13.5 Vers 8. Assur also is joyned with them The Chaldee paraphraseth Sennacherib also the King of Ashur c. So doth the Turk with the Churches enemies howbeit Italy is the mark he shooteth at and the Protestants have the happiness as also America to be further out of his way and no part of his present aim for the greatest part of them Vers 9. Do unto them as unto the Medianites And how that was see Judg. 7. 8. Judg. 4. Preces sunt bombar de instrumenta bellica Christianorum saith Luther Vers 10. Who perished at Endor A place in the Tribe of Manasseh near unto that ancient River the River Kison Judg. 17.1 Sam. 28. They became as dung They lay unburied rotted above ground and were spred as compost upon soil Vers 11. Make their Nobles like Oreb and like Zeeâ— Oreb signifieth a Crow Zeeb a Wolf Zeboh a cut-throat Zalmunna a forbidder of shadow or quiet to his subjects fit names for Tyrants and persecuters of Gods people Vers 12. Let us take to our selves the houses of God Covetous Impropriatours and Oppressours have learned this language Possidebant Papistae possident Rapistae saith One wittily Vers 13. Captia card â—orum O my God make them like a wheel Heb. Like a rouling thing such as is thistle-down saith R. Solomon Gr. like a top Torque illos in modum trochi whirle them about as boyes do their tops As the stubble As before he had brought examples so here similitudes to shew what he would have done to the enemy Vers 14. As the fire burneth a wood Maxime quando à vento flabellatur when blown up by a feirce wind it soon turneth a wood into a waste And as the flame setteth the mountains on fire Those sulphury mountains such as Aetna Vesuvius Peitramala a mountain in the highest part of the Apennines which perpetually burneth Il Mercuâ—io Ialico 178. say travellers Vers 15. So persecute them with thy tempest Turbina cos that they may stand or stay no where And make them afraid c. So fright them with thy heavy judgements that all their wit and courage wherewith they should help themselves may bee expectorated Vers 16. Fill their faces with shame By confounding their confidences and blasting their designs They promised themselves a triumph but let them have the canvass That they may seek thy name O Lord Ut in viti cogantur quis sit tam potens Jehovah rogitare that they may even in despight of their heads be compelled to inquire after thee It is storied of Sennacherib that after the destruction of his huge army at Jerusalem demanding of some about him what might be the reason that the unresistable God of Heaven so favoured the Jewish Nation as he had found by sad experience Bib. Castal Tabul answer was given that Abraham from whom they defended sacrificed unto him his only Son which purchased this Protection to his posterity If that will win him saith Hee I will spare him two of my sons to procure him to be on my side which Sharezer and Adrammelech his sons hearing of prevented their own deaths by his Vers 17. Let them be confounded c. This and the following verse are an exposition of the former verse The Rabbines have a saying nulla est objectio in Lege que non habet solutionem in latere The Scripture is its own interpreter Vers 18. That men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah The Essentiator Isa 44.6 with Act. 17.25 Rev. 1.4.8 The Jews pronounce not this name at all but use Adonai or Elohim for it The first among the Christians that pronounced it was Petrus Galatinus following the pronunciation of the Syriacks and Greeks Genebrard will have it pronounced Jahue and bitterly enveyeth against Beza and others as prophaners of Gods name who call God Jova or Jehova vocabulo novo saith he barbaro fictitio irreligioso Jovem Gentilium redolenâ—e It is very likely that of this holy and reverend name of God the Gentiles called their greatest God Jove and Jupiter Aug. de conseâ—s Evang. l. 1. c. 22. that is Jah-pater Pausanias also telleth us that the Poets thus sang unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Varro the learnedst of the Romans thought Jove to be the God of the Jews But he and all men should have known as here that Jehovah is God alone and so have sought to the Jews of whom alone was salvation Joh. 4.22 for better understanding in the things of Gods Kingdome acknowledging him to be the most High above all the earth and contemning minutulos istos deos modo Jovem sibi propitium haberet as another heathen said PSAL. LXXXIV A Psalm Of the same subject with the forth second and made when David was banished either by Saul or Absolom or else when busied abroad in his wars 2 Sam. 8. and so debarred from the use of Gods publick ordinances Vers 1. How amiable are shy Tabernacles viz. For thy Words lake that is there preached and thy worships there performed The Protestants at Lions in France called their place for publick meetings to serve God Hom. 36. aâ— 1 Cor. 14. Paradise Chrysostom calleth it the place of Angels and Archangels the Kingdome of God yea Heaven it self Another
knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man c. Ephes 4.13 Vers 12. I will praise thee While he prayed he found his prayer answered and therefore thus breaketh forth into praises Vers 13. 〈…〉 delivered my soul from the lowest hell That is from deadly and desperate dangers Some understand it of the damnation of hell which David had deserved by his sins The Rabbines gloss is A loco adulter is appropriate Vers 14. O God the proud The strangers some read it by the change of a letter in the original who are commonly cruel And the assemblies of violent men Nebulonum some render it sturdy varlets 〈…〉 Vers 15. But thou O Lord art a God full c. These are part of those thirteen Attributes of Almighty God set down and proclaimed by himself Exod. 34.6 Middoth the Rabbines call them that is Properties Vers 16. O turn unto mee Or Look toward mee the life of a beleever consisteth in the light of Gods countenance Give thy strength unto thy servant Master pray lend me your hand saith the servant to his Master when he wants help 〈…〉 q. d. I was both in thy house came religious Parents c. therefore do mee good for their sakes at least as Ismael was blessed for Abrahams Vers 17. Shew mee a token for good Make mee King as thou hast promised and mean while to deliver mee that my greatest adverâ—â—â—â— may be convinced of their malice and madness At the death of some tokens were flown 〈…〉 for instance 〈…〉 and the Sun â—hope of a daâ—â— cloud so full Act. Mon 1544 1547. 1398. that he was forced to look another way PSAL. LXXXVII A Psalm or song Made likely by David after that he had setled the Ark in Mount Sion 2 Sam. 6. and understood that the Temple should be built in Mount Moriah In which two mountains or rather one mountain with two tops the Rabbines say that this Psalm was composed and thereunto they draw the next words His foundation or the argument of this Psalm is in and of those holy Mountains But this seemeth not to be the sense Vers 1. His foundation is in the holy Mountains Which cannot be removed but abide for ever Psal 125.1 Some read it The foundation thereof viz. of the Temple but especially of the Church universall that spirituall Temple built of living stones by God the best Architect Christ himself being the chief corner-stone is in the holy Mountains For out of Zion went forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem which is therefore called the Mother-Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief Church the root of the Gentile-Churches Rom. 11. Damasc l. 4. c. 13. the conversion whereof is here foretold verse 4. and perpetuall happinesse promised Vers 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion Nothing but his meer love moved him to make choice of it above all other places there to declare his power presence and goodness He first chose it for his love and then loved it for his choice and so he doth his Church Vers 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee Dicta praedicta told and foretold of thee Heb. in thee sc by the holy Prophets especially concerning the Christian Church See Isa 40. to the end of that Prophecy Nihil honorificum non praedicatur de te nihil praedicatur dete quin sit honorificentissimum Jun. Thou City of God The God of glory Act. 7.1 the great King Mat. 5.35 the only potentate 1 Tim. 6.15 who maketh his Church the place of his residence c. Selah O rem dignam perpetua admiratione O wonderfull Vers 4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon Rahab is Egypt and so called for its strength and pride Babel the chief City of the Babylonians These were deadly enemies to Jerusalem which was ground betwixt them as betwixt a pair of Milstones but they shall be reckoned hereafter saith God among my domesticks among those that know mee or rather are known of mee See Isa 19.19 21 25. 1 Pet. 5.13 Behold Philistia The Philistines were ever bitter enemies to the Israelites but shall be converted and become children of the Church See Isa 54.1 44.5 And Tyre Which shall leave heaping and hoarding and imploy her Merchandise to feed and cloath Gods Saints Isa 23.18 Act. 21.3 4. With Aethopia Heb. Cush of Cush the son of Ham their Father and founder Gen. 10.6 Aethiopians they were called from their burnt faces The Eunuch received the Gospel and published it Act. 8. the Christian faith was professed among them as 't is thought from the Apostles time though now for above an hundred years they have again forsaken it This man was born there Natus id est renatus in illa The men of these several and other Countries were born that is born a new and so made free-denisons of the new Jerusalem fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the house-hold of God Ephes 2.19 Vers 5. And of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her i. e. Converted and so a daily accession made to the Church of Christ as was by Peters â—ermon c. and now so many Nations Behold the World is gone after him said those envious Pharisees Joh. 12.19 and the Papists grudge as much at the late glorious Reformation begun by Luther wherein so many rejoyce and shall do to all eternity Bucholcerus blesseth God that he was born in the dayes and was bred under the discipline of holy Melancthon Luthers colleague Divisae his operae sed mens fuit unica pavit Ore Lutherus oves flore Melanethen apes Beatus Ludovicus would be called Ludovicus de Pissiaco rather than take greater titles because there hee became a Christian Hee thought no birth to a new birth in Christ no parentage to that of God to his Father the Church to his Mother Christ to his elder Brother c. Some apply this text to the places of holy mens birth and tell us that he loves the very ground his servants tread on the very air they first breath in their walls are continually before him Isa 49.16 he thinks the better of the houses where they dwell And the highest himself shall establish her So that the gates of Hell shall not unsettle her Other states and Polities have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine not so the Church Vers 6. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people When he maketh his Cense-book called the writing of the house of Israel Ezek. 13.9 the Lords book of remembrance Mal. 3.16 the Register of the living in Jerusalem Isa 4.3 he shall muster them in the roll of his souldiers number them in the catalogue of his Citizens call them in the nomenclatura of his Disciples c. A glorious priviledge surely As well the singers as the players c. There shall be an exuberancy of joy in the holy Ghost the only comfortable soul-ravishing
the like in not tobe found in holy Scripture wherefore it is to be read and used with very great judgement and not as those miscâ—â—ants of whom Faber writeth Quod more magicâ— clam 〈◊〉 bunc Psalmam per 〈◊〉 exectation is in torum bestes that after a conjuring fashion they muttered out this Psalm by way of curse upon their enemies Vers 1. Hold not thy peace But plead my cause clear mine innocency O God of my praise The object of my praises or thou that keepest up my credit as a witness judge and avenger of mine integrity Vers 2. For the mouth of the wicked There is nothing more easie than to wag a wicked tongue They have spoken against me with a lying tongue But with so much impudence as if it were a very truth Socrates in his Apologie My Lords said he to the Judges I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers eloquence while you heard them speak For mine own part I assure you that I whom it toucheth most was almost drawn to beleeve that all they said though against my self was true when they scaâ—oe uttered one word of truth Vers 3. They compassed me about also c. So that I could not find out any way to clear my self though never so innocent And fought against me So they smote Jeremy with the tongue and our Saviour suffered the contradiction of sinners Heb. 12. Vers 4. For my lave they are mine adversaries Heb. They Satanico By hate me To render evil for evil is brutish but to render evil for good is devillish But I give my self to prayer Heb. But I am prayer or a man of prayer as Psal 120.7 But I am peace So being defamed we pray I Cor. 4.12 When out Saviour was wearied out with the Peoples obstinacy he turns him to God by prayer Mat. 11.26 and prayed for his Crucifiers Mat. 27. Send me to my Toads again in the Dungeon where I may pray for your Lordships conversion said Saunders the Martyr to Winchester Vers 5. And they have rewarded me See vers 4. Flectere naturam gratia nulla potest Vers 6. Set thou a wicked man ever him Whose tender mercies may be cruelties let the Devil be his Task-master Thus he prayeth against Doeg or Ahitophel but certainly Judas Act. 1.20 And so the primitive Christians prayed against Julian the Apostate and afterward against Arius the heretick whose death was precationis opus non morbi Lib. 1. cap. 15. the effect of prayer rather than of his disease saith Socrates We are bound to pray daily Thy Kingdome come but must be advised how we pray as David here doth against particular persons His curses here and elsewhere are indefinite or conditional either he nameth not the man or intendeth it if God intend it so or they are non tam vota quam vaticinia not so much prayers as prophecies And let Satan or an Adversary stand at his right hand To withstand him and get the better of him as Zach. 3.1 Or to aggravate his fault before an unjust Judge Vers 7. When he shall be judged Let him him be cast in all his Sutes causa excidat And let his prayer become sin Quet opud judicem preâ—es adhibebit tot fibi mulctas accersat If he beg favour of the Judge let it be the worse for him as it befel Haman Est 7.7 8. Vers 8. Let his dayes be few Let his execution be hastened as Hamans was Ahitophel and Judas were their own deaths-men Doeg doubtless come to an ill end and so did other persecutors See the book of Martyrs And let another take his office Praefecturam Officers are oft-times the Churches chiefest enemies Popish Bishops especially as here in Q. Maries dayes Judas was guide to those that took Jesus Act. 1.16.20 Vers 9. Let his children be fatherless Helpless and shiftless A sore vexation to many on their death-beds and just enough upon graetlesi persecutors But happy are they who when they lye a dying can say as Luther did Domine Dous gratias age tibi quod vâ—lueris me esse pauperem mendicum c. Lord God I thank thee for my present poverty but suture hopes I have not an house lands possessions monies to leave behind me Thou hast given me wise and children behold I return them back to thee and beseech thâ—e to nourish them keep them safe as hitherâ—o thou hasâ— done me O thou Father of the 〈◊〉 judge of 〈◊〉 Vers 10. Let his children be 〈…〉 Let them wâ—ndring wâ—nder â—â— Gen. 4.12 Cains curse Let them rogue about timedâ voce ragare cibet This is many times a token of Gods wrath Out of their desolate places Or for that their places are desolate and will afford them no succour Vers 11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath As it were in nets and snares that is in bonds debts morgages So Chrysostome expoundeth Psal 10.9 Et ipsum omars ejus facultates inexplicabilibus sasis laqueis immitas foeneratores irretiant let the merciless usurer make a prey of him and his estate And let the stranger c. Who hath no right to it and will shew as little mercy The Chaldee here hath it Colligat fiscus omnia quae ipsius sunt And Quae non capit Christus rapit fisous saith Bernard Vers 12. Let there be none to extend mercy to him Let God in his justice set off all hearts from him that had been so unreasonably merciless Thus no man opened his mouth to intercede for Haman Judas was shaken off by the Priests and bid see to himself c. Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless Pupillis pusillis Let there be none to plead their Pupils cause against the griping extortioner or the stranger that violently invadeth their right Vers 13. Let his posterity be cut off Sit ejus exitus excidium so some render it Let his end be destruction but it is better to take it as we translate Let his posterity c. Let them be razed and rooted out of remembrance they and their whole race Let their name be blotted out That they may not live so much as by same The Edomites Moabites Ammonites have no memorial but what they have in the Bible and that is for no good And the like may be said of Meroz Judg. 5.23 which seemeth to have been some City near the place where the battel was fought but what it was none can determine sith there is no mention elswhere to be found of it which seemeth to be an effect of that bitter curse pronounced against it See Prov. 10.7 Vers 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers c. In whose sinful steps he treadeth be charged upon him And let not the sin of his mother Who bred him no better but cockered him in wicked courses and gave him no good example Partus fer e sequitur ventrem Vers 15. Let them be before the Lord Stand ever upon record in his presence
sure These words are faithfull and true Rev. 22.6 from the one end of the Bible to the other Some render it thus Thy most excellent Word is Truth This most excellent word Kimchi interpreteth to bee particularly that in the head or preface to the Decalogue Hear O Israel Jehova thy God Jehova is One. Theodoret will have it to be that promise made to Abraham that in his seed all Nations of the earth should bee blessed Some read it every chapter of thy Word is Truth Vers 161 Princes have persecuted mee without a cause And Quae venit indignè poena dolenda venit But better without a cause than for evill doing 1 Pet. 4. David suffered by these Potentates because hee was small and despised vers 141. as a little dog is worried by the bigger as the lesser fishes are devoured by the greater But my heart standeth in awe of thy Word The fear of God driveth out the fear of the creature Isa 8.12 13. Vers 162 I rejoyce at thy Word Libenter omnibus omnes opes concesserim c. Epist lib. 9. I would gladly leave all the wealth in the World to others said Tully so that I might without disturbance live and dye in the study of learning What marvell then that David was so taken with heavenly learning As one that findeth great spoil Which as it commeth oft unexpectedly and is therefore the better welcome so the profit is usually very great as was at the sack of Constantinople and the pleasure besides the honour is no lesse than the profit because gotten from an enemy George Fransperg a Generall in the Imperiall Army Hâ—st of the Counc of Trent p. 43â— under the conduct of Charles Burbon that sacked Rome in the time of Pope Clement the seventh caused an halter to be carried near his colours saying that with that hee would hang the Pope the better to incourage his souldiers who were almost all Lutherans whom hee promised to lead to Rome shewing them the great opportunity they had to inrich themselves with the spoils of that City Vers 163 I hate and abhor lying Utitur atrâ—ci verbo abominatus sum I hate it as I hate hell it self and yet lying was Davids sin after a speciall manner See vers 29. with the Note But thy Law do I love All hatred comes from love of they contrary Yee that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 Vers 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee Septies id est sâ—pissime very oft in the day whensoever God setteth mee up an Altar I am ready with my sacrifice Mahometans pray constantly five times a day those of Morocco six times Papists foolishly and superstitiously allege this text for their seven Canonicall houres as they call them The Jews pronounce an hundred benedictions ever day Leo Modena Vers 165 Great peace have they which love thy Law The fruit of Righteousness shall bee peace Isa 32.17 even the peace of God the joy of faith a heaped-up happiness And nothing shall offend them Heb. They shall have no stumbling-block non pereunt quicquid accidat Though they fall they shall arise for the Lord putteth under his hand Psal 37. Vers 166 Lord I have hoped for thy salvation This saying hee borrowed from good old Jacob Gen. 49.18 And done thy Commandements Done them as I could done them to divine acceptation through Christ and hence I have hoped 1 Job 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure Vers 167 My soul hath kept thy Testimonies scil As well as mortality will afford And I love them exceedingly I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7.22 I trust I have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 Vers 168 I have kept thy Precepts All thy Laws are in my sight like as all my wayes are in thy sight I desire to approve my self to thee in the discharge of every part and point of my duty in all my wayes I acknowledge thee Pro 3.6 Here note that all along this 21 Octonarie the Psalmist propoundeth himself for a Pattern of piety Vers 169 Let my cry come near before thee O Lord That is as some will have it Let this whole preceding Psalm and all the petitions whereof wee have here a repetition therein contained bee highly accepted in Heaven Vers 170 Let my supplication c. The same again neither is this Battologie but fervency in begging audience Vers Semper 〈◊〉 171 My lips shall utter praise Eructabunt labia mea hymnum A Metaphor either from a fountain casting out waters vel a ructu qui cibum copiosum sequitur Vers 172 My Tongue shall speak True goodnesse is diffusive charity is no churl Vers 173 Let thy hand help mee To do what I have promised For I have chosen thy Precepts Refusing Satans cut throat kindnesse Vers 174. I have longed for thy Salvation So do all men but then David will take a right course for it so will not all And thy Law is my delight This the most men mind not Vers 175 Let thy Judgements help mee scil To Heaven together with Gods Word there goeth forth a power Vers 176 I have gone astray c. And of my self shall never return Seek thy Servant Do all the offices of a good Shepheard for mee Luk. 15. For I do not forget The root of the matter is still in mee I am recallable and ready to hear thy voice Job 10.3 PSAL. CXX A Song of degrees A most excellent Song Tremellius rendreth it and so indeed this and the fourteen following are both for the matter and for the form or manner of expression which is wondrous short and sweet as the very Epigrammes of the Holy Ghost himself wherein each verse may well stand for an oracle And in this sense Adam Hammahalah or a man of degrees is put for an eminent or excellent man 1 Chron. 17.17 Others understand it otherwise wherein they have good leave to abound in their own sense sith sine periculâ— hic erratur an errour here is not dangerous Vers 1 In my distresse I cryed unto the Lord Oration 〈…〉 est ut avis siâ—â— alis Distress addeth wings to our devotions Our Saviour being in an agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 So do all his members and especially when they lyâ— under the lash of a lying tongue as here vers 2. Being defamed wee pray saith Paul 1. Cor 4.15 And 〈…〉 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5.16 Zâ—ch 13.9 Hee that prayeth ardently speedeth assuredly Psal 91.15 and the unmiscarrying return of prayer should bee carefully observed and thankfully improved Psal 66. ult Vers 2. Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips This was Davids distresse and it lay heavy upon his spirit so it did upon Jobs and Jeremies chap. 20.10 the scourge of tongues hee felt as sharp as Scorpions Of the mischief of an
the Septuagint there render it but the name of the wicked shall rot as doth now the name of the Powder-plotters of Bonner Gardiner and other Popish Persecutors Should return upon his own head According to Psal 7.17 and haply not without allusion to those Piaculares Obominales among the Grecians which were certain condemned persons on whose heads they put the publick guilt and then tumbled them into the sea or else to those expiatory sacrifices amongst the Egyptians which were first cursed by them and then cast into the river or sold to the Grecian Merchants in an apish imitation of the Hebrews scape-goat and day of Atonement Vers 26. Wherefore they called these days Purim Thereby to perpetuate the memory of that mercy worthy to be engraven in pillars of marble This was a notable name for it served to in-minde the Jewes of all that God had done for them at this bout As there is edification in the choice of fit Psalmes 1 Cor. 14.26 so in the imposing of fit names upon persons things and times As the Christian Sabbath is to good purpose called the Lords day and those festivities of Easter and Whitsontide were not so fitly called Pasch and Pentecost as the Feast of the Lords Resurrection and of the sending of the Holy Ghost It should certainly be the constant care of us all to set up marks and monuments of Gods great mercies so to preserve the memory of them which else will be moth-eaten Such as were Abrahams Jehovah Iireh Jacobs stone at Bethel Moses his Jehovah Nissi Aarons rod and pot of Manna Heb. 9.4 the twelve stones pitcht up in Jordan the names of Gilgal Ramath-Lehi Aben-Ezer those plates nailed on the Altar Numb 16.40 Hereby God shall be glorified the Churches enemies convinced our faith strengthened our joy in the Lord heightened our posterity helped and Satan prevented who seeketh to obliterate Gods works of wonder or at least to alienate them and translate them upon himself as he endeavoured to do that famous execution of divine justice upon Sennacheribs army Herod l. 2. by setting Herodotus a work to tell the world in print that it was Sethon King of Egypt and Priest of Vulcan who obtained of his god that Sennacheribs army coming against Egypt should be totally routed by reason of an innumerable company of rats sent by Vulcan which gnawed in pieces their bowe-strings quivers bucklers c. and so made way for the Egyptians to vanquish them Herodotus addeth also that in his time there was to be seen the statue of Sennacherib holding a rat in his hand in Vulcans Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and uttering these words Let him that beholdeth me learne to feare God Lo the god of this world hath his trophies erected and shall the God of heaven and earth go without Oh let us who have lived in an age of miracles and seen the out-goings of God for our good more then ever did any Nation offer unto him the ransome of our lives as they did Exod. 21.30 and 30.12 in token that they had and held all in meer courtesie from God Let us leave some seale some pawn of thankfulnesse for deliverance from so many deaths and dangers Otherwise Heathens will rise up and condemn us They after a shipwrack would offer something after a fit of sicknesse consecrate something to their gods after a victory set up trophies of triumph as the Philistines did to their Dagon the Romanes to their Jupiter Capitolinus c. Therefore for all the words of this letter In obedience to Mordecai their godly Magistrate And of that which they had seen concerning this matter And especially of God made visible all along in it yea palpable so that they might feele him and finde him Act. 17.27 though his name be not found in all this book And which had come unto them Scil. by report and hear-say but from such hands as that they were fully satisfied thereof as Hamans lot-casting Esthers supplicating the Kings reading the Chronicles c. Verse 27. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and upon their seed See ver 23. Here we have a repetition of what was before recited and this is usual in holy Scripture as Gen. 2.1 Exod. 15.19 that things of moment may take the deeper impression That of Austin is here to be remembred Verba toties inculcata viva sunt vera sunt plana sunt sana sunt Let Preachers do thus and hearers be content to have it so Nunquam satìs dicitur quod nunquam satìs discitur To write to you the same things to me is not grievous and for you it is safe saith that great Apostle Phil. 3.1 And upon all such as should joyne themselves unto them Those Proselytes chap 8 17. or whatever hang-bies So as it should not faile But stand as a law inviolable And yet that Octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus and that never to be forgotten fifth of November are with us almost antiquated little would oue think that God had ever done anything for us either by land or by sea against either fire-works or water-works Vae corpori nostro That they would keep these two dayes Keep them as before by consecrating a rest and feasting before the Lord not by gourmandizing and profane sports nor by running up and down from house to house as whifflers and wassailers Lâ—deâ—cerem Iud. as at this day the Jewes manner is witnesse Antonius Margarita a baptized Jew According to their writing i.e. Mordecai's order by themselves subscribed and ratified Verse 28. And that these dayes should be remembred That the memory of them might be kept a foot in the Church to all perpetuity Nothing is sooner forgotten then a good turn received David found himself faulty this way and therefore sets the thorn to the breast Psal 103.2 Other holy men kept catalogues see one of Gods own making Judg. 10.11 12. They also had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Memorials as is before noted The very Heathens had their triumphal Arches Pillars Trophies Tables Histories Annals Ephemerides c. A soule shame for us to fall short of them and not to wish as Job in another case Iob. 19.23 24. Oh that Gods works of wonder for us were now written Oh that they were printed in a book That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever That famous fifth of November especially Ier. 23.7 This wás written Nov. 5. 1653. which drownes in a manner the memory of all former deliverances as the return out of Babylon did the departure out of Egypt This happy day too too much slighted alas in many places already should never be put out of the English Kalendar whiles the Sun courseth about the earth but be registred for the generation to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord Psal 102.8 Every family every Province and every City They should all recognize their late danger and thereby
the better relish their deliverance as Sampson did his honey-combe which he found by turning aside to see the lion he had escaped Every man was to consider his own share in the publick safety as the people did at Solomons Coronation and to be particularly thankful This would fortifie his faith feed his hope nourish his joy further his obedience Verse 29. Then Esther the Queen c. See chap. 2.15 Mordecai had written thus before now for more authority-sake and to shew her forwardnesse to further so good a work Esther joyneth with him not for a name or out of an humour of foolish forth-put ting but out of an holy zeal for God and a godly jealousie over her people lest they should hereafter slight or slack this service And indeed the Jewes Chronicle called by them Sedar olam Rabbah telleth us that this letter of Esther was not written Anna sequent conâ—igit quod icriptuâ— est Esth 9.29 Sed. Ol. c. 29. till a yeare after Mordecai's first letter when those dayes of Purim haply began to be neglected and intermitted She might therefore well say as Saint Peter did afterwards This second Epistle beloved I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure mindes by way of remembrance 2 ep 3.1 True grace in the best heart is like unto a dull sea-coalefire which if it be not sometimes righted up will of it self go out though there be fuel enough about it This good Queen was no lesse active in her generation then before had been Miriam Deborah Bathsheba c. and after her were Serena the Empresse Sophia Queen of Bohemia a Hussite Queen Katherine Parre the Doctoresse as her husband merrily called her somtimes and that matchlesse Queen Elizabeth whose Sunny dayes are not to be passed over sleightly saith one without one touch upon that string which so many yeares sounded so sweetly in our eares without one sigh breathed forth in her sacred memory Oh what an happy time of life had that famous light of our Church Mr. William Perkins who was borne in the first yeare of her reign and died in her last yeare And Mordecai the Jew These two joyned together to adde the more force to the Ordinance Wrote with all authority Heb. with all strength viz. of spirit and of speech of affection and expression To confirme the second letter Lest for fear of the friends of such as they had slain the Jewes should be slack in observing this feast of lots Verse 30. And be sent letters to all the Jewes Tremellius readeth it Which letters Mordecai sent to all the Jewes scil as Monitours and Remembrancers To the hundred twenty and seven Provinces Among and above the rest to Judea which was one of that number With words of peace and truth i.e. premising words of prosperity and settlement saith Tremellius or promising them peaceable enjoyment of the true Religion liberty of conscience rightly so called Or praying that they may follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Or he sent letters full of courtesie and truth that is of unfeined courtesie as Vatablus senseth it For there is a cut-throat courtesie such as was that of Joab to Amasa of Judas to our Saviour of Julian the Apostate to Basil when he wrote unto him but not with words of peace and truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 31. To confirme these dayes of Purim That they might by no manner of means be neglected but that renewing their resolutions and their reasons for the same they might remain constant and firme and peremptory in well-doing cleaving to God with full purpose of heart and sitting close unto the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 And as they had decreed for themselves Heb. for thâ—in soules for the soule is the man and the greatest thing in the least compasse is a good minde in a mans body The matters of the fastings and their cry Heb. the words of fasting c. that is the vowes they then uttered when they fasted and cried that if God would hear and help them they would not faile to praise him in all best manner Now therefore sith the vowes of god were upon them they should by keeping these dayes offer unto him thanksgiving Aben-Ezra and pay their vowes unto the most High Some think that the fasting and crying here mentioned referreth to those in Zechary chap. 7.5 in remembrance of the desolation of Jerusalem that as they fasted then so they should feast now God having fulfilled his promise there made of turning their fasting into feasting and added Therefore love the truth and peace chap. 8.19 confer Mordecai's words of peace and truth supra verse 30. Verse 32. And the decree of Esther confirmed c. Dux foemina facti Money was coined in the yeare eighty eight in honour of Queen Elizabeth with that Posie inscribed The like may be here said of Queen Esther yea we may adde that in the Gospel spoken concerning another Where ever this history shall be read in all the world this that she hath done shall be spoken of to her eternal commendation And it was written in the book Tremellius rendreth it thus When therefore the Edict of Esther had confirmed these things it was written in this book Lyra and others thus She requested the wise men of that age that they would reckon this History for holy Writ If it be meant of any other publike record which the Jewes then had it is lost as are likewise some other pieces which never were any part of the holy Scriptures for God by his Providence ever took care and course that no one haire of that sacred head should fall to the ground That unsound conceit of Pellican here is by no meanes to be admitted viz. That this latter part of the chapter from verse 25. to the end came from the pen of some other man not guided by the Spirit of God and that because here is no mention made of praising God at this feast or stirring up one another to trust in him For we know that all Scripture is of divine inspiration and it is to be presumed that those things were done at such solemnities though it be not recorded in each particular CHAP. X. Verse 1. And the King Ahashuerus laid a tribute c AN extraordinary tribute to maintain warre against the Grecians who uniting together were then grown potent and formidable To enable himself therefore the better against them Xerxes gathered money the sinews of warre but lost the affections of his subjects the joynts of peace He became hereby ill beloved of all sorts and far a lesse King by striving to be more then he was And hence haply one letter of his name is lost here for the Masurites tell us Drus in loâ— that in the ancient Copies he is written not Ahashuerus but Ahasres without a Vau. And upon the Isles of the sea Judea was an Isle Isa 20.6 but not