being little less than a Monster What so monstrous as to behold green Apples on a tree in winter and what so indecent as to see the sins of youth prevailing in times of age among old decrepit Goats that they should bee capering after capparis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of Capers as the Septuagint and Vulgar render it here Because man goeth to his long home Heb. to his old home scil to the dust from whence hee was taken Or to the house of his eternity that is the grave that house of all living where hee shall lye long till the Resurrection Tremellius renders it in domum saeculi sui to the house of his generation where hee and all his contemporaries meet Cajetan in domum mundi sui into the house of his world that which the world provides for him as nature at first provided for him the house of the womb Toward this home of his the old man is now on gate having one foot in the grave already Hee sits and sings with Job My spirit is spent my daies are extinct the graves are ready for mee Job 17.1 And the mourners go about the streets The proverb is Senex â—os non lugetur An old man dies unlamented But not so the good old man Great moan was made for old Jacob Moses Aaron Samuel The Romans took the death of old Augustus so heavily that they wished hee had either never been born or never died Those indeed that live wickedly dye wishedly But godly men are worthily lamented and ought to bee so Isa 57.1 This is one of the dues of the dead so it bee done aright But they were hard bestead that were fain to hire mourners that as Midwives brought their friends into the world so those widows should carry them out of it See Job 3.8 Jer. 9.17 Vers 6. Or ever the silver cord bee loosed Or lengthened i. e. before the marrow of the back which is of a silver colour bee consumed From this Cord many sinews are derived which when they are loosened the back bendeth motion is slow and feeling faileth Or the golden bowl be broken i. e. The heart say some or the Pericardium the Brain-pan say others or the Piamater compassing the brain like a swathing-cloath or inner rind of a tree Or the pitcher bee broken at the fountain That is the veins at the Liver which is the shop of sangnification or blood-making as one calls it but especially Vena porta and Vena cava Read the Anatomists Or the wheel bee broken at the cistern i. e. The head which draws the power of life from the heart to the which the blood runs back in any great fright as to the fountain of life Vers 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth c. What is man saith Nazianzen but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul and Soil Breath and Body a puff of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either Zoroaster and some other antient Heathens imagined that the soul had wings that having broken these wings shee fell headlong into the body and that recovering her wings again shee flies up to Heaven her original habitation That of Epicharmus is better to bee liked and comes nearer to the truth here delivered by the Preacher Concretum fuit discretum est rediitque unde venerat terra deorsum spiritus sursum It was together but is now by death set asunder and returned to the place whence it came the Earth downward the Spirit upward See Gen. 2.7 God made man of the dust of the earth to note our frailty vility and impurity Lutum enim conspurcat omnia sic caro saith one Dirt defiles all things so doth the flesh It should seem so truly by mans soul which coming pure out of Gods hands soon becomes Mens oblita Dei vitiorumque oblita coeno Bernard complains not without just cause that our souls by commerce with the flesh are become fleshly Sure it is that by their mutual defilement corruption is so far rooted in us now that it is not cleansed out of us by meer death as is to bee seen in Lazarus and others that died but by cinerification or turning of the body to dust and ashes The spirit returns to God that gave it For it is divinae particula aurae an immaterial immortal substance that after death returns to God the Fountain of life D. Prest The soul moves and guides the body saith a worthy Divine as the Pilot doth the ship Now the Pilot may bee safe though the ship bee split on the rock And as in a chicken it grows still and so the shell breaks and falls off So it is with the soul the body hangs on it but as a shell and when the soul is grown to perfection it falls away and the soul returns to the Father of spirits Augustine after Origen held a long while that the soul was begotten by the Parents as was the body At length hee began to doubt of this point and afterward altered his opinion confessing inter caetera testimonia hoc esse praecipuum that among other testimonies this to bee the chief to prove the contrary to that which hee had formerly held Vers 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Who chose for his Text this Argument of the vanity of humane things which having fully proved and improved hee here resumes and concludes Vide supra Vers 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise Hee well knew how hard it was to work men to a beleef of what hee had affirmed concerning earthly vanities and therefore heaps up here many forcible and cogent Arguments as First that himself was no baby but wise above all men in the world by Gods own testimony therefore his words should bee well regarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our wise men expound to day said the Jews one to another Come let us go up to the house of the Lord c. Cicero had that high opinion of Plato for his wisdome that hee professed that hee would rather go wrong with him than go right with others Averroes over-admired Aristotle as if hee had been infallible But this is a praise proper to the holy Pen-men guided by the Spirit of Truth and filled with wisdome from on high for the purpose To them therefore and to the word of prophecy by them must men give heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place c. 2 Pet. 1.19 Hee still taught the people knowledge Hee hid not his talent in a Napkin but used it to the instruction of his people Have not I written for thee excellent things or three several sorts of Books viz. Proverbial Penitential Nuptial in counsels and knowledge Prov. 22.20 Synesius speaks of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes that having great worth in them will as soon part with their hearts as with their conceptions And Gregory observeth that there are not a few who being enriched with spiritual gifts
running from Babylonia into the Persian sea Hence most Geographers hold and not improbably that that land was a part of the garden of Eden fruitful it was beyond credulity Thine end is come and the measure Heb. the cubit of thy covetousnesse Cujus avaritia totus non sufficit orbis The covetous Cormorants mouth with his Give Give shall shortly be stopped with a spade-full of mould and his never-enough quit with fire enough in the bottom of hell Ver. 14. Surely I will fill thee with men as with caterpillars So they shall seem both for multitude and humming noise barritu militari They shall lift up a shout against thee As pesants did at their harvest-home See chap. 48.33 Ver. 15. He hath made the earth by his power And can therefore easily and quickly unmake this great Monarchy See chap. 10.12 with the Note Ver. 16. When he uttereth his voice c. See chap. 10.13 Ver. 17. Every man is brutish See chap. 10.14 Ver. 18. They are vanity See chap. 10.15 Ver. 19. The portion of Jacob c. See chap. 10.16 Ver. 20. Thou art my battle-ax and weapon of war Cestra fuisti mihi Thou hast been my pole-ax such as horse men use to batter their enemies helmets and other harnesse Ver. 21. And with thee O Babylonian King Will I break in pieces Or rather have I broken in pieces And hence thy perdition Ver. 22. With thee also will I break or by thee have I broken in pâ—eces man and woman But especially my people of the Jewes whom I more valued then all the men and women in the world besides Ver. 23. The shepherd and his flock the husbandman and his yoke c. This particular enumeration is very Emphatical so chap. 50.35 37 38. Ver. 24. And I will render unto Babylon See chap 50.15 29. Isa 47.6 8. 10.5 6 12. In your sight You my prisoners of hope shall live to see it Psal 79.10 Ver. 25. O destroying mountain O Babylon thou that art amplitudine altitudine instar montis for thy large command and lofty buildings like a mountain and that dost abuse thy power to other mens destruction And will make thee aburnt mountain A great heap of ashes and rubbish such as burned and ruined Cities are Ver. 26. And they shall not take of thee a stone Thou shalt never be reedified So it is foretold of Rome Tot a eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses Ver. 27. Set up a standard Thus God the great Induperator bespeaketh the Medes and Persians as his field officers Prepare the Nations against her Heb. Sanctify call them together to wage this sacred war against Babylon Call together against her the Kingdoms of Ararat Minni Xenoph. Cyrop lâ—b 7. and Ashkenaz i. e. Of both the Armenia's and of Ascania subdued by Cyrus before he marched against Babylon Vatablus will have Ashkenaz to be Gothland the Jewes Germany but these were too far remote Ver. 28. Prepare against her Heb. Sanctify as ver 7. With the Kings of the Medes Darius and Cyrus Ver. 29. And the land shall tremble and sorrow As a travelling woman so shall it be pained Ver. 30. The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight At Cyrus his first coming they gave him battel but being worsted they from thenceforth remained in their holds till Babylon was taken Their might hath failed Or their courage is shrunk as Jacob's sinew did Gen. 32.32 They became as women See chap. 50.37 Ver. 31. One post shall run to meet another Observe how punctually all things were foretold in the several circumstances above fifty years before At one end sc where Euphrates had run till diverted and dryed up by Cyrus See on chap. 50.38 Ver. 32. And that the passages are stopt Or taken seized surprised as ch 48.41 And thereeds Or Marishes made by Euphrates overflowing It is well observed that the Babylonians might by this Prophecy have been forewarned and fore-armed against Cyrus his stratagem But they slighted it and never enquired after it likely Ver. 33. The daughter of Babylon Proud of her wealth and strength as young maids many are of their beauty And the time of her harvest shall come When God shall put in his sickle and cut her down being ripe and ready See Rev. 14.16 Gen. 15.16 Ver. 34. Nebuchadnezzar hath devoured me he hath crushed me A graphical description of the Babylonical cruelty He hath cast me out He hath gorged himself with me and laid up his gorge Ver. 35. The violence done to me and to my flesh Torn and tost as carrion by that ravenous beast the Lord look upon it and require it Ver. 36. Behold I will plead thy cause Not so much verbally as really here 's a present answer to Israels cry Ver. 37. And Babylon shall become heaps See chap. 50.39 Ver. 38. They shall roar together like Lions When hongerbit The Babylonians terrified and the Persians tumultuating together The old Latine Version hath it they shake their shaggy hair Ver. 39. In their heat I will make their feasts Or I will dispose their drinkings that is I will pour into their cups the wine of my wrath Now poison mixt with wine worketh the more furiously God can punish one kind of drunkennesse with another worse That they may rejoyce That they may revel it and sleep their last and so they did Ecce hic compotationum est finis as being slain in a night of publike solemn feasting and great dissolutenesse which was soon turned in moerorem metum into heavinesse and horrour And not wake Till awakened by the sound of the last trump The Chaldee here hath it They shall dye the second death and not be quickened in the world to come sc unto life everlasting Ver. 40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter All that with followeth here to the end of this oration is no lesse easy then elegant in holding forth the power justice and truth of God in fulfilling this Prophecy exactly though divers years after Ver. 41. How is Sheshack taken i. e. How is Babylon destroyed beyond all expectation See chap. 25.26 Ver. 42. The sea is come up upon Babylon A sea of hostile forces what wonder therefore though she be taken Ver. 43. Her Cities are a desolation See chap. 2.6 9.12 Ver. 44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon Nimrod was after his death called the Babylonian Saturn Belus who succeeded him the Babylonian Jupiter as Berosus testifieth This Idol of massy gold and of a huge bignesse was carried away by Cyrus thus Bel was punished And I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up Bolum ex ore Beli such an elegancy there is also in the Original Of the rich presents spoils costly furniture found in Bel's Temple see Diodore lib. 2. Those taken from Gods Temple at Jerusalem and laid up in his 2 Chron. 36.7 he was forced to regurgitate Ezr. 1.7 5.14 See
the cross b. 306 Pauls painfulness b. 166 Peace spiritual is a Jewel a. 116. the wickeds peace unsound b. 154 Perjury punished b. 438 Persecution befalleth the best a. 318. wicked hate them b. 196. conspire against them b. 50. are Gods rods b. 51. terrour of 88. b. 120. Persevere in well-doing a. 262 Plain-dealing best a 106. See Arnulph Plato detained the truth b. 138 Persians Laws why irrepealable b. 546 Policy enemy to piety b. 107 237 355 Worldly wisdom flat folly b. 526 Popeâ— his pride b. 467 553. downfall 495 496. the number of his name 544. his blasphemy 556. he joyns with the Turk against the truth b. 493 Poverty excuseth not from duty a. 42. t is disregarded a. 86. forgot a. 287. deprecate it a. 204 Pragmaticalness censured a. 174 Praise the Lord for all b. 58. for recovery out of sickness b. 124. wicked cannot do it b. 126 Prayers power of prayer a. 63. 94. it ever prevaileth a. 102. pray in humility a. 166. with importunity a. 203. constancy ibid. b. 547. in few words a. 246. what to pray for a. 203. pray oâ— b. 205. though but broken petitions b. 125. in secret a. 337. God heareth his and why b. 212. he hearreth not the wicked a. 5. carnal prayers a. 146 Pride hatefull a. 32. self-conceited a. 68. breeds brawls a. 75. swelleth b. 467. breaketh a. 109. b. 98. 475. 530. mischief of pride a. 141. purse-proud a. 150. self-conceited foiled a. 271 Profess Christ wisely and boldly a. 343 b. 141. openly b. 547. to the last a. 353. good words and no more b. 261 Promises they are full of sweetness a. 329. b. 479. suck sweetness out of them b. 215 Proverbs of Solomon praised a. 1. 50. See Solomon Providence ordereth all a. 106 113 138 150. This Heathens doubted of denyed b. 130. One event to all a. 228 282 286 Publike Spirit a common blessing a. 60. honour of publike benefactors b. 190 Prosperity in sin a plague b. 34 559 Punishment of sin God befools those whom he will destroy b. 338. he loves to retaliate b. 78. he hath variety of plagues b. 88. he begins at his Sanctuary b. 415. See Sin Purity love of it a. 150 Q QUakers cross-grained b. 132 R RAin is of God b. 241 Raptures spiritual a. 331 332 Reformation wrought here by degrees b. 496 Remission of sin is free b. 140. full b. 143. plentiful b. 178. above all that we can think 179. Sin unpardoned lyeth heavy b. 279 Renovation the new creature b. 163. all things new in Christ a. 222. the change a. 345 Repent b. 233 234. throughly b. 7. speedily b. 80. lest All too late b. 247. Repentance the best defensive weapon b. 83. It reingratiateth with God b. 516. It is twofold b. 19 Reproaches We are naturally impatient of them b. 452. slight them a. 220 Reprobation a. 105 Reproof a friendly office a. 263. if fitly performed a. 167. bear it well a. 103. love a faithfull Reprover a. 48 63. Many are thereby enraged a. 95 96 Restitution b. 199 Resurrecton proved b. 94 95. See b. 490 Revenge is bloody a. 85. crossed b. 426 do not avenge your selves a. 16. 137. 164 Riches profit not a. 58. protect not 64. stave not off death 252. are uncertain a. 251. ill-gotten bring a curse a. 226 Money the Monarch of this world a. 296 Rivers Good meetings at Rivers sides b. 392 Rome must be burnt a. 207. See Pope Papists S SAbbath kept and broken how b. 191. scorned b. 370 Sacrament of the Lords Supper sweet to Saints a. 323 Sacrifices Evangelical b. 320 Sacriledge a. 138 sacrilegious buildings b. 287. See b. 541 Saints their excellency a. 72 274 275. beauty and bravery a. 322. safety b. 119. dignity b. 200. sobriety b. 527. their love to Christ a. 340. eager desires after him 341. they will not lie b. 203. their sins are soon ripe b. 223. A Saint is homo quadratus b. 504. much honoured b. 158 Saracens whence b. 357 Satan foretelleth not things future b. 133 Scandal Shun scandalous practices a. 289 Scriptures their worth a. 75 76. sweetness 110. extolled 309. a Rule of life b. 109. blasphemed b. 122. Two Testaments a. 315. distinction of verses but alate b. 111. Scripture is plain a. 43. profitable b. 498 Scorners odious a. 160. b. 183 184. See Mocking Security precedeth destruction b. 61. 101. t is a spiritual judgement b. 104 Seedsmen of sedition a. 32. Make-bates a. 69. 112. Shun such and why a. 163 Seducers a. 185. dangerous creatures a. 292. Foxes and why a. 338. shun them a. 320 smell them out ibid. they lead to Atheism b. 293. See Hereticks Self-conquest the best a. 113 Self-delusion b. 143. deadly a. 83 111 Self-flattery pernicious a. 140 Self-love sinful a. 143 Self-examination b. 381 382 Sensualists hardly converted b. 515. they shall smoke for it a. 201 202 Separation a great sin a. 122 Severity sometimes necessary a. 138 Shame for sin double b. 11 Silence seasonable a. 235 Sin the bitter-sweet of it a. 136 272. hath punishment at the heels of it a. 27 70 255. b. 13 17 18. it destroyeth whole States a. 91. freedom from guilt and filth of it b. 8. Saints sins turn to their good a. 319. upbraid them not with sins repented of a. 111. they work out sins scum b. 459. Hide not sin a. 186. bewail the sins of the times b. 452 Sincerity of Saints a. 357. 't is perfection b. 92. known by uniformity a. 172 Slander slurreth the best a. 264 Sycophants are Serpents a. 293. b. 283 Solomon his great wisdom a. 217 218. his three books a. 153. his Proverbs praised a. 1 2. his Ecclesiastes a. 218. Canticles a. 312. his Observations are lost a. 223. his Fasciculus temporum a. 232. he was well taught a. 229 Sorrow godly bettereth the heart a. 261. Mourn for sin b. 67 Soul is of God and returneth to God a. 307 Spirit is Gods hand b. 412. puts mettle into the Saints a. 330. his still voice b. 110. he is of a fiery nature b. 23. why compared to water b. 58 Submission appeaseth a. 108. submit to Gods holy hand a. 267. consider 268. submit to superiours a. 275 Superstition grosly mistaken b. 347. superstition of fore-fathers is to be abandoned b. 447 Suretyship unadvised dangerous a. 28 T TAle-bearers frown upon them a. 170. they are murtherers b. 452. See Slanderers and Seedsmen of Sedition Tears sow in tears a. 233. sorts of tears a. 238. Crocodile tears b. 340 Thoughts evil b. 236. rid them ibid. they are not free a. 100. See Heart Tillage very useful a. 249. 't is of Gods teaching b. 103 Time discern it a. 277. redeem it a. 300. make the best of it a. 232. waste it not on trifles b. 176. our time is short our task long a. 285 Tongue govern it a. 127. be advised what you speak a. 101 198. gracious language a. 214 335. Tongue mischievous to many a. 57 93 Treason comes to light a. 296. Traitors Meed b. 117. good men oft charged with treason b. 332 Trent-Council discovered b. 413. their high-presumption b. 505 Trinity a. 302. made man ibid. Trust God only a. 10. rest on him b. 108 make him thy refuge a. 124. they are happy that so do a. 109. creature-confidence disappointed a. 125 169 Truth prize it a. 158. it seeketh no corners b. 147 Turkish Empire Vaste b. 95 V VAin-glory naught a. 170. See Boasting Victories of English over the Spaniard b. 436 Union with Christ affect it a. 315 339 Vows make and keep them a. 247. a vow for holiness b. 522 D. Ushier preached sixty years b. 221. his Prophecy of Irelands desolation b. 403 Usury unlawful a. 184. b. 440. 453 W WAR wasteth people a. 89 wisdom best manageth it a. 145. Sword in commission b. 352 Wigelius an Antiacademian Widgin b. 521 Whirlwinds violent b. 393 Whoredom pernicious a. 8 9.23 24 25 34 35 36 39 40 41 151 273. costly b. 433. Harlot and Whore whence ibid. Two adulterous Priests punished b. 308. Whoredom how punished in sundry Nations b. 434 456. a beastly punishment of it b. 433 Wicked are dross a. 165. uncounsellable a. 190. uncorrigible a. 181. ambitious of destruction a. 66. they stink a. 323. yet oft they live long 208 279. they are restless b. 186. desperately naught b. 228. wilfully b. 244 praise them not a. 182 Widows Gods Clients a. 100 Wife good and evil 64. a. 80. Good Wife pretious a. 127 130. rare 212. described and praised a. 212 213 215 216. an evil Wife a great plague a. 143 144 Wine comforteth a. 211 Wisdom true what a. 65. wherein it consisteth a. 76. it doth much in War 145. saveth and sacketh Cities a. 287 288 Women unfit for Government b. 18. they oft sway their husbands ibid. they are still made use of by the Devil b. 346 347. their pride and luxury punisht b. 19 20 Word of God powerfull in operation a. 153. b. 2. 57. accompanied with the spirit b. 194. t is pure a. 202. add not to it ibid. it shall be accomplished b. 8 9. It is light b. 45. loathed a. 178. a famine of it a. 195. blasphemed a. 202. t is fire b. 294. a hammer ibid. will still shew men their faults b. 330. abuse of it is dangerous b. 282. Scripture-poetry b. 364 Works of God God is much seen in them b. 28. the wonder of the Sun a. 220. of the winds ibid. rivers ibid. of mans body 299 306 World a Wilderness a. 345. all here is vanity a. 219. unsatisfactory a. 221. empty a. 227. vexatious a. 229 changeable b. 64. World wheels about b. 394. See 558. Worship of God prepare to it a. 244 be not slight and overt in it a. 245 246. grow not secure after it a. 342. Speak reverently of holy things a. 173. Mens persons must first be accepted a. 140 Y SErve God in Youth a. 303 Z ZEal be resolute for God b. 533. Laurence his Zeal ibid. God hateth the Luke-warm b. 296 FINIS
bee soon cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb Vers 29. Hee that troubleth his own house Either by prodigality or excessive parsimony Prodigi singulis auribus bina aut terna dependent patrimonia saith Seneca wee have known great Rents soon turned into great Ruffes and Lands into Laces For parsimony and cruelty see the Note on Chap. 15.27 Shall inherit the wind That is shall bring all to nothing as hee did that having wasted his estate vainly vaunted that hee had left himself nothing praeter coelum coenum Livius His substance shall flye up like smoak into the air and nothing bee left to maintain him on earth And when all his goods are gone his liberty must go after for this fool shall bee servant to the wise in heart if not his life as that notorious unthrift Apicius who having eaten up his estate and finding by his account that hee had no more than two hundred thousand Crowns remaining Dio. thought himself poor and took down a glass of poyson Vers 30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life i. e. The commodities and comforts that one may every way receive from a righteous person for est aliquid quod à viro bono etiam tacente discas Seneca saith Seneca somewhat a man may learn from a good man even when hee sayes nothing are more than can bee imagined Plutarch reporteth that the Babylonians make three hundred and threescore several commodities of the Palm-tree and do therefore greatly honour it Should not wee much more honour the multivarious gifts of God in his righteous ones for our good For whether it bee Paul or Apollo or Cephas All is ours 1 Cor. 3. And hee that winneth souls And useth singular art and industry therein as Fowlers do to take birds for so the Hebrew word imports or Fisher-men fishes Hee is wise and wiseth others as Daniel hath it Chap. 12.3 hee is just and justifieth others hee shall save a soul from death Jam. 5.20 Hee shall shine as a star in heaven And this is instanced as one special fruit of that tree of life mentioned in the former Hemistich This is a noble fruit indeed sith one soul is more worth than a world as hee hath told us who only went to the price of it Matth. 16.26 Vers 31. The righteous shall bee recompensed i. e. Chastened afflicted judged of the Lord that they may not bee condemned with the world for their sufferings are not penal but medicinal or probational and they have it here in the earth which is their house of Correction not in Hell Much more the wicked Nahum 1.9 Non surget hic afflictio these shall bee totally and finally consumed at once See the Note on 1 Pet. 4.17 18. See also my Love-tokens pag. 69. c. CHAP. XII Vers 1. Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge HEre is shewed that Adversity is the best University saith an Interpreter Schola crucis schola lucis Corrections of instruction are the way of life Vexatio dat intellectum Men commonly beat and bruise their links before they light them to make them burn the brighter God first humbles whom hee means to illuminate as Gideon took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them hee taught the men of Succoth Judg. 8.16 See my Treatise on Rev. 3.19 pag. 152. c. Mr. Ascham was a good school-master to Queen Elizabeth but affliction was a better as one well observeth That verse was much in her mouth Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Virgil. But hee that hateth reproof Whether it bee by the rebukes of men or the Rod of God hee is brutish tardus est hee is fallen below the stirrop of reason hee is a beast in mans shape nothing is more irrational than irreligion That sapless fellow Nabal would hear nothing there was no talking to him no dealing with him but as Horse and Mule that have no understanding Psal 32.9 Basil complains of the Western Churches that they were grown so proud Epist ad Evagr ut quid verum sit neque sciant neque sustineant discere that they neither knew what was truth nor would bee taught better Such are near to ruine and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 See the Note there Vers 2. A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord Or Hath what hee will of God id quod vult a domino impetrat quia ejus voluntas est ipsissima Dei voluntas nec aliud vult Thus Mercer out of Rabbi Levi. Thus it is written of Luther that by his prayers hee could prevail with God at his pleasure When great gifts were offered him hee refused them with this brave speech Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari à Deo I solemnly protested to God that I would not bee put off with these low things And on a time praying for the recovery of a godly useful man among other passages hee let fall this transcendent rapture of a daring Faith Fiat mea voluntas Let my will bee done and then falls off sweetly Mea voluntas Domine quia tua My will Lord because thy will Here was a good man here was a blessed man according to that Rule Beatus est qui habet quicquid vult nihil male vult Blessed is hee that hath what hee will and wills nothing but what hee should But a man of wicked devices Such as no good man is hee doth not plot or plow mischief hee doth not cater and make provision for the flesh Rom. 13. there is no way of wickedness found in him the peace is not broken betwixt God and him because his mind never yeelds to sin Rom. 7.25 Psal 139 hee walks not after the flesh but after the spirit therefore no condemnation Rom. 8.1 If an evil thought haunt his heart as eftsoons it befals it is the device of the man hee is not the man of such devices The wicked on the contrary is wholly made up of sinful thoughts and purposes and is in the midst of them therefore God will call him to an heavy reckoning Jer. 6.19 Rev. 2.23 Vers 3. A man shall not bee established by wickedness For hee laies his foundation upon fire-work and brimstone is scattered upon his house top if the fire of God from Heaven but flash upon it it will bee all on a light flame immediately Hee walks all day upon a mine of gun-powder and hath God with his armies ready to run upon the thickest bosses of his buckler and to hurle him to Hell How can this man bee sure of any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cain built Cities but could not rest in them Ahab begat seventy sons but not one successor in the Kingdome Phocas having built a mighty wall heard from Heaven Though thy walls were as high as Heaven sin is under it and will subvert it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath no settledness But the root of the righteous
mercy out of pure and unexcited love thou didst give thy Word and Promise and for thy words sake thou hast performed it Vers 23. In all labour there is profit In all honest labour for there are that doe wickedly with both hands earnestly and what profit have such of all their labour c. Eccles 1.3 doe they not take pains to goe to Hell There are also that labour about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toylsome toys that pay not for the pains that doe magno conatu magnas nugas agere Such a one was Paleottus Arch-bishop of Bonony who made a great book of the shadow of Christs Body in a â—â—ndon and it was commented upon by the Professour there This Aristotle calls laborious losse of time The Apostle calls upon men to labour working with their hands the thing that is good so shall they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for their own uses only but also to give to him that needeth Ephes 4.28 But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury Great talkers are doe-littles for most part Corniculas citiùs in Africa quam res rationesque solidas in Turriani scriptis invenies saith one Turrian was a very wordy man yee cannot finde matter for words in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Athenians fought against Philip with words and messages saith one but Rabshekah could tell Hezekiah that warre was to be made so is work to be done not with words and the talk of the lips but with counsel and strength Isa 36.5 And why stand you looking upon one another get you down to Aegypt said Jacob to his sons Gen. 42.1 Vers 24. The crown of the wise is their riches An ornament an incouragement in well-doing and an instrument of doing much good if God give an heart thereto for quid cervo ingentia cornua cum desit animus To what end is a treasure if a man have lost the Key that leads to it Vel mihi da clavem vel mihi tolle seram But the foolishnesse of fools is folly That is of rich fools such as was Pope Clemens the fifth of whom the Historian saith Papa hic ditior quam sapientior that hee was more wealthy than wise The Crown of the wise is their riches but yet give them a fool you put a sword into a mad mans hand the folly of such fools will soon bee foolishness Why was it not foolishness before they were rich yes but now it is become egregious foolishness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth cannot bear the insolencies of such Set a beggar on horse-back c. Vers 25. A true witness delivereth souls Or lives that lye at stake Hee that helps the truth in such a necessity doth a worthy work To walk about with slanders is to shed blood Ezek. 22.9 Way was made to that bloody French massacre by false reports cast abroad by the Fryar-lyars that the Protestants under pretence of Religion met by night that they might feed daintily and then lye together promiscuously He that hath a mind to hang his Dog saith the French Proverb will first give out that hee is run mad John 8.48 The Devil was first a lyar and then a murtherer from the beginning Vers 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence The reverential fear of God is monimentum munimentum ornamentum The wise man had said vers 24. The Crown of the wise are their riches and chap. 18.11 hee will tell us that the rich mans wealth is his strong City Now lest any should hereby bee brought to think of riches more highly than is meet hee gives us to know that wealth severed from the fear of God can neither adorn us nor secure us Great is the confidence of a good conscience Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us and hee will deliver us out of thine hand Dan. 3.17 Hezekiah pulled down the brazen Serpent 2 King 18.5 for hee trusted in God At ego rem divinam facio But I am sacrificing said Numa when they told him the enemy was at hand Non sic Deos coluimus aut sic vivimus ut illi nos vincerent said the Emperour Antoninus Wee are bold to beleeve that God will deal better with us than so And his children have a place of Refuge i. e. Gods children run to his name and are safe Or the children of him that fears God For God will bless those that fear him both small and great Psal 115. If I can but once finde the fear of God in those about mee Selnecer said Reverend Claviger satis habeo satisquo mihi meae â—xori filiis filiabus prospexi I shall have enough for my self wife and children they will bee all cared for Vers 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life So said to bee both for the constant faithfulness as never failing and for the gracious effects viz. Blessings of all sorts 1 Temporal Prov. 22.4 Riches Honour Life 2 Spiritual Mal. 4.2 Such shall grow up as the Calves of the stall fat and fair-liking 3 Eternal Psal 31. O how great things c. eye hath not seen c. It shall bee alwaies well with them Eccles 8.12 And though many afflictions c. yet hee that feareth God shall come out of them all Eccles 7.18 To depart from the snares of death Satan that mighty hunter hath laid snares for us in all places And the way of this world is like the vale of Siddim slimy and slippery full of lime-pits and pitfalls snares and stumbling-blocks laid on purpose to maim us or mischief us Hee that fears God comes off without hurt by remembring that which as short as it is yet our memories are shorter Cave Deus videt Take heed God seeth thee A godly man had these verses written before him on a Table in his study Ne pecces Deut ipse videt tuus Angelus astat Accusat Satanas lex mens conscia culpae Mors incerta furit cruciat te lurid us Orcus Et manet aeternum tristi damnatio poenâ Vers 28. In the multitude of people is the Kings honour For that 's a sign of peace plenty prosperity and just government as in Salomons daies when Israel and Judah were many as the sand which is by the Sea in multitude eating and drinking and making merry Flor. hist lib. 4 1 King 4.20 and as in Augustus his daies when Christ the Prince of Peace was born into the world cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aut pax fuit aut pactio Ferdinand the third King of Spain reigned full 35 years In all which time nec fames nec pestis fuit in regnosuo saith Lopez Gloss in prolog part 1. there was neither famine nor pestilence throughout that Kingdome What incredible waste of men hath war lately made in Germany that stage of war in Ireland and here in this Kingdome besides what formerly In the Civil dissentions between the houses
the Barons of England in King John's daies Marcidi Ribaldi Walsing Epit. hist Gallic p. 30. Godw. Catal. when declaring against the Pope and his Conclave by whom they were excommunicated they cried out thus in their Remonstrance Fy on such rascal ribals c. Adelmelect Bishop of Sherborn Anno 705. reproved Pope Sergius sharply to his face for his Adultery So did Bishop Lambert reprehend King Pepin for the same fault Anno 798. And Archbishop Odo King Edwin burning his Concubines in the fore-head with an hot Iron and banishing them into Ireland Father Latimer dealt no less faithfully with King Henry the Eighth in his Sermons at Court. And being asked by the King how hee durst bee so bold to preach after that manner hee answered that duty to God and to his Prince had enforced him to it and now that hee had discharged his conscience his life was in his Majesties hands c. Truth must bee spoken however it be taken If Gods Messengers must be mannerly in the form yet in the matter of their message to Great ones they must bee resolute It is probable that Joseph used some kinde of Preface to Pharaoh's Baker in reading him that hard destiny Dan. 4.19 Gen. 40.19 Such likely as was that of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar My Lord the Dream bee to them that hate thee c. or as Philo brings him in with an Utinam tale somnium non vidisses c. But for the matter hee gives him a sound though sharp interpretation Vers 5. Whoso keepeth the commandement scil The Kings commandement Hee that is morigerous and goes as far as hee can with a good conscience in his obedience to the commands of his Superiours Shall feel no evil i. e. hee shall lack no good encouragement Rom. 13.3 4. Or if men slight him God will see to him Ephes 6.7 8. as hee did to the poor Israelites in Egypt and to David under Saul Mordecai lost nothing at length by his love and loyalty to God and the King Sir Ralph Percy slain upon Hegely-Moor in Northumberland by the Lord Montacute General for Edward the Fourth hee would no waies depart the field though defeated but in dying said I have saved the bird in my breast Speed 869. meaning his oath to King Henry the Sixth for whom hee fought And a wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgement scil When and how to obey Kings commands the time the means and manner thereof dispatching them without offence to God or man And this a wise mans heart discerneth saith the Preacher it being the opinion of the Hebrews that in the heart especially the soul did keep her Court and exercise her noble operations of the understanding invention judgement c. Aristotle saith Sine calore cordis anima in corpore nihil efficit Without the heat of the heart the soul does nothing in the body The Scripture also makes the heart the Monarch of this Isle of Man Vers 6. Because to every purpose there is time Therefore the wise man seeketh after that nick of time that punctilio of judgement that hee may do every thing well and order his affairs with discretion A well-chosen season is the greatest advantage of any action which as it is seldome found in haste so it is too often lost in delay Therefore the misery of man is great upon him Because hee discerns not apprehends not his fittest opportunity hence hee creates himself a great deal of misery When Saul had taken upon him to sacrifice God intimates to him by Samuel that if hee had discerned his time hee might have saved his Kingdome So might many a man his life his livelihood nay his soul The men of Issachar in Davids daies are famous for this that they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12.32 their posterity are set below Stork and Swallow for want of this skill Jer. 8.7 and deeply doomed Luke 19.44 Vers 7. For hee knoweth not that which shall bee Mans misery is the greater because hee cannot fore-see to prevent it but hee is suddenly surprized and hit many times on the blinde side as wee say Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae Men are in the dark in regard of future events God onely knows them and is thereby oft in Isaiah distinguished from the dung-hill-deities of the Heathens In his mercy to his people hee gave them Prophets to tell How long and when these failed the Church heavily bewails it Psal 74.9 Howbeit a prudent man fore-seeth an evil and hideth himself Amb. de Offic. l. 1. cap. 38. Prov. 22.3 See the Note there By the strength of his mind saith Ambrose hee presageth what will follow and can define what in such or such a case hee ought to do Sometimes hee turns over two or three things in his mind together of which conjecturing that either all may come to pass jointly or this or that severally or whether they fall out jointly or severally hee can by his understanding so order his actions as that they shall bee profitable to him Vers 8. There is no man that hath power c. Death man is sure to meet with whatsoever hee miss of but when hee knows not neither Of Dooms-day there are signs affirmative and negative not so of death Every one hath his own Balsam within him say some Chymicks Greg. Moral his own bane it is sure hee hath Ipsa suis augmentis vita ad detrimenta impellitur Every day wee yeeld somewhat to death Stat sua cuique dies Our last day stands the rest run Virg. Ancid Nulli cedo Death is this onely King against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30. The mortal Sithe is Master of the Royal Scepter and it mows down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the grass of the field saith a Reverend Writer Mr. Ley his Monitor of Mortality And again Death suddenly snatcheth away Physicians oft as it were in scorn and contempt of medicines when they are applying their preservatives or restoratives to others as it is storied of Caius Julius a Surgeon who dressing a sore-eye as hee drew the Instrument over it was struck with an Instrument of death in the act and place where hee did it Besides diseases many by mischances are taken as a bird with a bolt whiles hee gazeth at the bow There is no discharge in war Heb. No sending either of Forces to withstand death or of messages to make peace with him The world and wee must part and whether wee bee unstitcht by parcels or torn asunder at once the difference is not great Happy is hee that after due preparation is passed thorow the gates of death ere hee bee aware saith one Whether my death bee a burnt-offering of Martyrdome or a Peace-offâ—ring of a natural death I desire it may bee a Free-will-offering a sweet sacrifice to the Lord saith another Neither shall wickedness deliver No It is righteousness
Mon. 865. than swear The Merindolians those antient French Protestants were known by this through all the Country of Province that they would not swear nor easily bee brought to take an oath except it were in judgement or making some solemn covenant Vers 3. This is an evil Hoc est pessimum so Hierome the Vulgar and Tremellius renders it this is the worst evil this is wickedness with a witness scil that sith there is one event to all graceless men should therehence conclude that sith there is one event to all graceless men should therehence conclude that it is a bootless business a course of no profit to serve God Hence they walk about the world with hearts as full as hell of lewd and lawless lusts Hence they run a madding after the pleasures of sin which with a restlesse giddiness they earnestly pursue yea they live and die in so doing saith the Wise-man here noting their final impenitency that hate of Heaven and gate to Hell Ex primis per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eorum sermones Lav. Joh. 24. Sic Benedic 9. Alexand. 6. Leo. 10. Vers 4. For to him that is joyned to all the living there is hope These are the words of those wicked ones whose lives and hopes end together whose song is Post mortem nulla voluptas when life ends there is an end of all Is there not such language in some mens hearts who knows whether there bee any such thing as a life to come c. Now I shall know said that dying Pope whether the soul of man bee immortal yea or no and whether that tale concerning Christ have any truth in it Oh wretch So a living Dogg is better than a dead Lion But so is not a living sinner better that a dead Saint for the righteous hath hope in his death and they that dye in the Lord are blessed Rev. 14.13 how much more if they also dye for the Lord these love not their lives unto the death Rev. 12.11 but go as willingly to dye as ever they did to dine being as glad to leave the world for a better especially as men are wont to bee to rise from the board when they have eaten their fill to take possession of a Lordship Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva recedis Lucret. Vers 5. For the living know that they shall dye Hence that Proverb amongst us As sure as death Howbeit that they think little of it to any good purpose appears by that other Proverb I thought no more of it than of my dying-day But the dead know not any thing So it seemeth to those Atheists that deny the immortality of the soul but they shall know at death that there is another life beyond this wherein the righteous shall bee comforted Luk. 16.25 and their knowledge perfected but the wicked tormented and with nothing more than to know that such and such poor souls as they would have disdained to have set with the Doggs of their flocks are now sitting down with Abraham Job 30.1 Luk. 13.28 Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God and themselves thrust out into utter darkness Augustin in tenebras extenebris infeliciter exclusi infelicius excludendi Neither have they any more a reward What Psal 58.11 not a reward for the righteous Not a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour evil-doers That were strange Heb. 10.27 But wicked men would fain perswade themselves so ut liberius peccent libenter ignorant Bern 2 Pet. 2.5 Of these things they are willingly ignorant For the memory of them is forgotten This is true in part but not altogether Joseph was forgotten in Egypt Gideon in Israel Exod. 1 Judg. 9 Joash remembred not the kindness which Jehoiadah had done to him but slew his son 2 Chron. 24.22 Nevertheless the foundation of God stands firm having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2 Mal. 3.16 Luk. 10.20 and there is a book of remembrance written before him for them that fear the Lord their names are written in Heaven and the memory of the just is blessed Proverbs 10.7 See the Note there Vers 6. Also their love and their hatred c. Here is lie upon lie The Atheist as hee had denyed knowledge to the dead so here hee denies affections as love hatred envy or zeal as Hierome renders it But it is certain that those that are dead in Jesus do very dearly love God and hate evil with a perfect hatred The wicked on the other side continue in that other world to hate God and goodness to love such as themselves are to stomach the happiness of those in Heaven c. Vers 7. Go thy way eat thy bread with joy Vade juste Go thy way thou righteous man live in cheerfulness of mind proceeding from the testimony of a good conscience so Lyra senseth the words Gods grace and favour turned brown bread and water into manchet and wine to the Martyrs in prison Rejoyce not thou O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God Hos 9.1 Thou eatest thy bane thou drinkest thy poison because to the impure all things are impure and without faith it is impossible to please God Prov. 29.6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare or a cord to strangle his joy with but the righteous doth sing and rejoyce Hee may do so hee must do so what should hinder him hee hath made his peace with God and is rectus in curia let him bee merry at his meals lightsome and spruise in his cloaths cheerful with his wife and children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.13 c. Is any man merry at heart saith St. James is hee right set and hath hee a right frame of soul is all well within let him sing Psalms yea as a traveller rides on merrily and wears out the rediousnesse of the way by singing sweet songs unto himself so should the Saints Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage Psal 119.54 Vers 8. Let thy garments bee alwayes white i. e. Neat spruse cleanly comely Or by a metaphor it may signifie Be merry in good manner for they used to wear white clothing on Festivals Devita theoretica Stuckius in Antiq. conviv Anton. Margarit and at Weddings as Philo witnesseth At this day also the Jewes come to their Synagogues in white rayment the day before the Calends of September which is their New-years-tide Purple was affected by the Romans white by the Jewes see Jam. 2.2 Hence Pilate clad Christ in purple Matth. 27.28 Herod in white Luke 23.11 Herod himself Acts 12.21 was arrayed in royal apparrel that is in cloth of silver saith Josephus which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams dazeled the peoples eyes and drew from them that blasphemous acclamation The voyce of God and not of man And let thine
Epicureans that if any were good amongst them it was meerly from the goodness of their nature for they taught and thought otherwise And as Peter Moulin said of many of the Priests of France that they were for their loyalty not beholding to the Maxims of Italy and yet Bellarmine hath the face to say De notis Eccles l. 4. c. 13 Sunt quidem in Ecclesia Catholica plurimi mali sed ex haeriticis nullus est bonus Among Papists there are many bad men but among Protestants not one good man is to bee found Vers 10. Hee made the pillars thereof i. e. The faithful Ministers called Pillars Gal. 2.9 and that Atlas-like bear up the pillars of it Psalm 75.3 Those that offer violence to such Sampson-like they lay hands upon the pillars to pluck the house upon their own heads Yea they attempt to pull Stars out of Christs hand Revelations 1. which they will finde a work not feisable Of silver For the purity of matter and clearness of sound for their beauty stability and incorruption Let Ministers hereby learn how they ought to behave themselves in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The bottom thereof of gold Understand it either of Gods Word which is compared to the finest gold or of that precious grace of Faith the root of all the rest whence it is laid by St. Peter as the bottom and basis the foundation and fountain of all the following graces 2 Epist 1.5 Add to your Faith virtue and to virtue knowledge c. they are all in Faith radically every grace is but Faith exercised Hence wee read of the joy of Faith the obedience of Faith the righteousness of Faith c. Shee is the Mother-grace the womb wherein all the graces are conceived Hence the bottom of Christs fruitful bed the pavement of his glorious Bride-chamber the Church is here said to bee of gold that is of Faith which is called gold Rev. 3.17 compared with 1 Pet. 1.7 that the tryal of your Faith or your well-tryed Faith for it seems to bee an Hebraism being much more precious than that of gold c. And here Bern. Melius est pallens aurum quam fulgens aurichalcum gold though paler is better than glittering copper Splendida peccata The Faith of Gods Elect is far more precious than the shining sins of the beautiful abominations of meer Moralists Suppose a simple man should get a stone and strike fire with it and thence conclude it a precious stone Why every flint or ordinary stone will do that So to think one hath this golden grace of Faith because hee can bee sober just chast liberal c. Why ordinary Heathens can do this True gold will comfort the fainting heart which Alchymy gold will not Think the same of Faith The covering of it of Purple I am of their mind that expound it of Christs blood wherewith as with a Canopy or a kinde of Heaven over head the Church is covered and cured Rev. 5.16 7.14 Rom. 6.3 4. Purple was a rich and dear commodity amongst them see Prov. 31.22 7.5 Mark 15.17 Luk. 16.19 The precious blood of Christ is worthily preferred before gold and silver 1 Pet. 1.18 19. The midst thereof being paved with love For Christ loved us and washed us with his blood Rev. 1.5 Hee also fills his faithful people with the sense of his love who therefore cannot but finde a great deal of pleasure in the waies of God because therein they let out their souls into God and taste of his unspeakable sweetness they cannot also but reciprocate and love his love So the bottom the top and the middle of this reposing place are answerable to those three Cardinal graces faith hope and love 1 Cor. 13. For the daughters of Jerusalem This Charret or Bridal-bed hee made for himself hee made it also for the daughters of Jerusalem for all his is theirs Union being the ground of Communion As wee must do all for Christ according to that Quicquid agas propter Deum agas and again Propter te Domine propter te choice and excellent Spirits are more taken up with what they shall do for God than what they shall receive from God so Christ doth all for us and seeks how to seal up his dearest love to us in all his actions and atchievements Christs death and bloodshed saith Mr. Bradford is the great Seal of England yea of all the world for the confirmation of all Patents and Perpetuities of the everlasting life whereunto hee hath called us This death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of Gods love toward thee c. See Gods hands are nailed they cannot strike thee Serm. of Repent 63 his feet also hee cannot run from thee His arms are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs down to kiss thee his very heart is open so that therein look nay even spy and thou shalt see nothing therein but love love love to thee Hide thee therefore lay thine head there with the Beloved Disciple joyn thee to Christs Charret as Philip did to the noble Eunuchs This is the cleft of the Rock wherein Elias stood This is for all aking heads a pillow of Down c. Vers 11. Go forth O yee Daughters of Zion i.e. All yee faithful souls which follow the Lord Christ the Lamb that stands upon Mount Zion Rev. 14.1 4. Yee shall not need to go far and yet far yee would go I dare say to see such a gallant sight as King Solomon in his Royalty the Queen of Sheba did behold hee is at hand Tell yee the Daughters of Zion behold thy King cometh c. Mat. 21.5 Go forth therefore forth of your selves forth from your friends means all as Abraham did and the holy Apostles Confessours and Martyrs and as the Church is bid to do Psal 45.10 forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house Good Nazianzen was glad that hee had something of value to wit his Athenian learning to part with for Christ Horreo quicquid de meo est ut meus sim saith Bernard Hee that will come to mee must go utterly out of himself saith our Saviour All Saint Pauls care was that hee might bee sound in Christ but lost in himself Epist ad Gabr. Vydym Ambula in timore contemptu tui ora Christum ut ipse tua omnia faciat tu nihil facias sed sis sabbatum Christi saith Luther walk in the fear and contempt of thy self and rest thy spirit in Christ this is to go forth to see King Solomon crowned yea this is to set the Crown upon Christs head Camd. Elisab Anno 1585. When Queen Elizabeth undertook the protection of the Netherlands against the Spaniard all Princes admired her fortitude and the King of Sweden said that shee had now taken the Diadem from her own Head and set
it upon the doubtful chance of war Hee that forsakes all for Christ and puts himself by Faith under his protection submitting to the Scepter of his Kingdome and sending a Lamb to this Ruler of the Land Isa 16.1 in token of homage and fealty his eyes shall see the King in his beauty and instead of a Vivat Rex hee shall break forth into this glorious acclamation The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King and hee will save us Isa 33.17.22 It was St. Augustines wish that hee might see Romam in flore Paulum in ore Christum in corpore Rome as of old flourishing Paul as hee did once preaching and Christ as in the daies of his flesh going up and down doing good There are that hold that by Solomon crowned here is meant Christ incarnated taking flesh as a Crown of his Mother Mary and that this was the day of his Espousals when the Word was made flesh and the day of the gladness of his heart when hee rejoyced in the habitable part of Gods Earth that is in the humane Nature wherein the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily and his delights were with the sonnes of men Proverbs 8.31 Some understand it of the Crown of Thorns set upon him by his Mother the Synagogue Others the Resurrection Phil. 2.9 and that Name above all Names that hee gat by his Death I am of Mercers mind who expounds it of that glory that Christ hath when hee is preached up as the sole and absolute Saviour and so beleeved on in the world 1 Tim. 3.16 that the obedience of Faith is yeelded unto him When Faith and Obedience make a perfect pair of Compasses then Christs head is compassed with a Crown Faith as the one foot is pitcht upon the Crown of Christs head whiles Obedience as the other walks about in a perfect circle of good duties whereby hee is made glad Psal 45.8 CHAP. IV. Vers 1. Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair THou art thou art and I am much taken with it so that I cannot but set an Ecce admirantis upon it I am so rapt and ravished yea I would that others also should behold it and bee enamoured with it As the Church called upon her Daughters of Zion in the last verse of the former chapter to go forth and see her Bridegroom in all his bravery and to help to crown him Ezek. 16.14 so here interchangeably Christ calls upon all sorts to contemplate his beautiful Bride in all the comeliness that hee hath put upon her and that Crown of twelve Stars that hee hath set upon her head Rev. 12.1 so that in every thing shee is enriched by him and cometh behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1.5 7. Thou hast Doves eyes Particularly Christ commendeth her eyes hair teeth lips temples neck and breasts Hee that would praise another is careful to take in whatsoever of him may bee thought praise-worthy Christ onely is able to give his Church her due commendation because hee onely knows all men And needeth not that any should testifie of man for hee knoweth what is in man John 2.24 25. All others that shall undertake such a business had need say as Mr. Bradford the Martyr saith of that Peerless King Edward the Sixth Serm. of Repent 37 So many things are to bee spoken in commendation of Gods graces in this childe who yet was but one of those many that make up the Church but yet such an one that as hee was the chifest so I think the holiest and godliest in the Realm of England Pictores pulchram absolutamque faciem raro nisi in pejus effingunt saith the same blessed Bradford that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speak nothing than too little in that too much is too little An exact face saith Pliny is seldome drawn but with great disadvantage how much more when a bungler hath it in hand In which regard Alexander the Great forbade his pourtraiture to bee painted by any other than Apelles or to bee carved by any other but Lysippus men famous in those faculties Behold here one that goes far beyond them both the greatest Artisan in the world pensilling out to the life and setting forth a complete Character of his dearest Spouse whom hee had in his heart to dye Exod. 28.29 2 Cor. 7.3 2 Cor. 11. and to live with as the High-Priest had the twelve Tribes and St. Paul his Corinthians though the more hee loved the less hee was beloved But to come to her particular praises Thou hast Doves eyes that is fair full clear chast See the Note on chap. 1.15 Eyes the true Church hath and those both opened and enlightened Act. 26.18 Shee cries not up ignorance as the Mother of Devotion neither doth shee send forth blind guides to require blind obedience as the Popish Padres do with their novices to put out the eyes of those poor mis-lead and muzzled Ignoramusses and to lead them blind-fold into the midst of their deadly enemies as Elisha did the Syrians into Samaria The Church here described hath as Solomons wise man her eyes in her head yea shee hath two eyes when the rest of the world hath but one as the Chinois vainly brag of themselves a praise proper to the Church of Christ Description of the world chap. of China Shee lifteth not up her eyes unto Idols Ezek. 18.6 but to the Holy One of Israel Isa 17.7 her eyes are Doves eyes Every childe of Christs Church hath a spiritual eye-sight an insight into the Mystery of Christ communication of Christs secrets the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.15 Shee hath no blind children for though born blind yet Christ hath anointed them with his eye-salve Rev. 3.18 and given both light and sight But by eyes here wee are chiefly to understand Pastours and Ministers those Seers as they were called of old 1 Sam. 9.9 those lights of the world John 5. Mat. 5.14 15 16. burning and shining lights as the Baptist was called whose Office is to bee to Gods people instead of eyes Numb 10.31 and to open the eyes of the blind to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God c. Act. 26.18 And these are to have Doves eyes seeking to present unto Christ every man chast and pure in the simplicity of the Gospel 2 Cor. 11.2 3. Within thy locks Seemly tied up and covered as the word imports without pride or affectation not laid out as the manner is of vain and unshame-faced women but thick fair and modestly made up to shew the Churches modesty and humility which is the knot of every virtue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ornament of every grace as St. Peters word holds it forth 1 Pet. 5.5 Their hair is as a flock of Goats c. They are fat and well-liking and so their hair lay smooth slick and shining By the
were her Walls and Bulwarks that she feared no irruption of the enemy and so bold she bore her self upon her twenty years provision laid in aforehand that she feared no famine by the straitness of a long siege Herodotus telleth us Herod lib. 1. Arist Polit. lib. 3. that when Babylon was taken by Cyrus some part of the City knew not of their condition till the third day after the suddenness of their surprisal must needs be very dreadful They shall every man i.e. All her Confederates and Presidiaries Ver. 15. Every one that is found shall be thrust thorow This maketh them flye for it Quis enim vult mori prorsus nemo Life is sweet and men will rather flie then dye Every one that is joyned unto them Or that is decrepid worn out with old age See 2 Chron. 36.17 Ver. 16. Their children shall be dasht in pieces c. As had been prayd and prophecyed long before Psal 137.9 and this was but lex talionis See 2 Chron. 36.17 Lam. 5.11 Their houses shall be spoyled and their wives ravished As those three Commandements Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal are ranked together in the Law so they are commonly violated together in the lawless violence of war Ver. 17. Behold I will stir up the Medes together with the Persians under the conduct of Darius and Cyrus Which shall not regard silver sc For a ransom but shall kill all they meet though never so rich and able to redeem their lives as Pro. 13.8 Jer. 41.8 Incredibilis sanguinis aviditas in milite bacchabiâ—â—r Ver. 18. Their bowes also shall dash the yong men They shall double destroy them O Barbaram crudelitatem And they shall have no pitty on the fruit of the womb Quamvis adhuc teneri essent fructus novelli ripping up their mothers as Am. 1.13 as at the Sicilian Vespers and as in the late Parisian and Irish Massacres which were the most prodigious horrid villanâ—es that ever the Sun saw Their eye shall not spare children In the Massacre of Paris a bloody Papist having snatcht up a little child of one of the Protestants in his arms the poor Babe began to play with his beard Act. Mon. and to smile upon him But he more mercyless then a Tiger stabbed it with a dagger and so cast it all gore-blood into the River Ver. 19. And Babylon the glory of Kingdoms Those four great Monarchies of the world had their times and their turns their rise and their ruine The Roman Empire can scarce stand on its feet of clay and by the death of the late Emperour no King of Romans being nominated is like to suffer great concussions Shall be as when Gid overthrew Sodom The destruction whereof was the greatest and most stupendious that ever we read of Hiâ— Babylonia contermini Ver. 20. Neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there The Scenites or vagrant Shepherds of Arabia deserta that oft flitted for better pasture shall shun Babylon as haunted with wild beasts or rather with Dragons and Devils in the Revelation all this is applyed to and shall be verified of Rome cap. 18. Ver. 21. But wild beasts of the Desart Heb. Ijâ—m Ochim c. These are names of wild creatures unknown to us in these parts And Satyrs Or Devils in borrowed shapes and hideous apparitions Ver. 22. And the wild beasts of the Islands Heb Ijim i. e. desolate places and far remote And her time is near to come Though two hundred year hence and more ere it commence So Babylon is fallen is fallen Rev. 19.2 that is certo cito penitus surely shortly utterly O mora Christe veni CHAP. XIV Ver. 1. FOr the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob And therefore destroy Babylon as chap. 13. Such is his Love to his Church that for her sake and in Revenge of her wrongs Bern. he will fall foul upon her enemies Si in Hierosolymis fiat scrutinium quanto magis in Babylone And the strangers shall be joyned with them Proselyted especially when made partakers of the grace of the Gospel Ver. 2. For servants and for hand-maids Their Converts shall be willing to lay their hands under their feet as we say and glad to do them any service like as Cyprian was for Caecilius whom be called novae vitae parentem and Latimer for Bilney whom he called Blessed Bilney See Isa 49.23 Ver. 3. That the Lord shall give thee rest c. The Church hath her Halcyons here neither is she smitten as those are that smote her but in measure in the branches c. God stayeth his rough-wind Isa 27.8 that is such afflictions as would shake his plants too much or quite blow them down Yea whether South or North-wind bloweth all shall blow good to them Cant. 4. ult Blow off their unkindly blossoms and refresh them both under and after all their sorrow fear and hardship Ver. 4. That thou shalt take up this Proverb Or taunting speech Carmen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this exultatory and insultatory song which upon the fall of Babylon shall be in every mans mouth How hath the Oppressour ceased q. d. This is wonderful and beyond all expectation The golden City Or Gold-thirsty City Aurata vel auri avida Ver. 5. The Lord hath broken the staffe Wherewith these Exactors cudgelled men as so many beasts into subjection and obedience And the Scepter Or Rod of the Rulers who ruled with rigour Ver. 6. He that smote the people in wrath c. This is the Tyrants Epitaph Aurel. Victor there is at their death a general joy as was when the world was well rid of Tiberius Caligula Nero Heliogabalus c. When Domitian dyed the Senate decreed that his name should be razed that all his Acts should be rescinded and his memorial abolished quite for ever When Caligula was cut off his monies were all melted by the decree of the Senate like as King Richard the thirds cognizance Speed the white Bore was torn from every sign that his memory might perish Ver. 7. The whole earth is at rest and is quiet Quievit conticuit All 's husht 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. that was used to be set in an uproar by these restless Ambitionists They break forth into singing By a wide opening of the lips and lungs as the word signifieth Ver. 8. Yea the Fir-trees rejoyce at thee A notable Metaphor whereby sense and speech is attributed to sensless creatures the trees once afraid to be felled are now freed from that fear This Tyrant was the terrour of things on earth and things under earth Hence men and trees are said to rejoyce Hell to be in an hurry c. No feller is come up against us As was wont to do for thy Shipping Buildings Warlike Engines c. Ver. 9. Hell from beneath is moved for thee Infernus ab inferendo Shaeal from its unsatiableness and
into the world that whosoever believeth on him should not abide in darkness Joh. 12.46 Faith freeth from blindness we no sooner taste of the bread of life by Faith but the vail of ignorance which naturally covereth all flesh is torn and men are suddenly brought out of darkness into a marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 This is the first Elogy and noble commendation of the doctrine of the Gospel Light there follow two more viz. Life and Joy spiritual chap. 35.6 which is the life of that life ver 8. Ver. 8. He will swallow up death in victory As the fire swalloweth up the fuel or as Moses's Serpent swallowed up the Sorcerers Serpents The kisses of Christs mouth have sucked out the sting of death from a justified believer so that his heart doth live for ever as Psal 22.6 and if so then in death it self which made Cyprian receive the sentence of death with a Deo gratias as did also Bradford and many more Martyrs accounting the dayes of their death their Birth-days and welcoming them accordingly Hierom insults over death as disarmed and devoured Illius morte tu mortua es Animasque in vulnere ponunt Vâ—â—g devorasti devorata es c. Ever since Death ran through the veins of Jesus Christ who is Life Essential it is destroyed or swallowed up like as the Bee dieth when she hath left her sting in the wound Hence Saint Paul doth so crow over death and as it were call it craven 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. And the Lord God wâ—ll wipe away A Metaphor from a Mother And the rebuke of his people Or the reproach their afflictions and persecutions for which the world reproacheth them Ver. 9. Lo this is our God sc Jesus Christ our sole Saviour who is God blessed for ever and our God by a specialty Wait for him for he waiteth to be gracious chap. 30.18 Ver. 10. For in this mountain In the Church as ver 6 7. Shall the hand of the Lord rest i. e. settle for their safeguard Junius And Moab shall be trodden down i. e. Contumax quisque perversus hostis Dei Ecclesiae Piscator thinketh Papists are here meant by these Moabites who were nearly allied to Gods Israel but Ardeliones bitter and brutish enemies skilful only to destroy as Ezek. 21.31 As straw for the dung-hil Or as straw in Madmenab Jer. 48.2 God will make an hand of all his peoples adversaries as is here and in the following verses set forth by three several Metaphors Ver. 11. And he shall spread forth his hands c. i. e. He shall destroy them with greatest facility The motion in swimming is easie not strong for strong strokes in the water would rather sink then support Vatablus referrs this to Christ stretching out his hands upon the Cross whereby he overcame Satan and his Imps. Together with the spoyls Or wiles of his hands i. e. his wealth gotten by wrench and wile as we say Ver. 12. Shall he bring down c. To shew that there is no strength against the Lord the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. XXVI Ver. 1. IN that day Before the morrow and while the mercy was yet fresh We are not to take day for return of thanks but to do it forthwith In that same day shall this song be sung As an evidence and effect of their spiritual joy and security mentioned chap. 25.9 Is any man merry let him sing Psalms James 5.13 and so set an edge upon his praises and thanksgivings Thus Israel sang Exod. 15.1 Numb 21.7 Spring up O well sing ye unto it Thus in the Apostles times Rom. 15.9 and afterwards Justin Tertullian Athanasius others Socrates lib. 7. c. 22. voce praeiverunt gave the Note Constantine and Theodosius ever sang Psalms with their Souldiers before they gave battle They knew that it is a good thing to sing praises to our God it is pleasant and praise is comely Psal 147.1 We have a strong City The Church is invincible hell-gates cannot demolish it whatever became of Moabs munitions chap. 25.12 Salvation will God appoint All manner of health help and safety Satan cannot have so many means to foyl and spoil the Saints as Jesus to whose sweet name our Prophet here and elsewhere oft alludeth as much delighted therewith hath means to keep and hold them up For walls and bulwarks pro muris antemurali for walls and rampart or counterscarf So Scipio was said to be fossa vallum the wall and trench to the Romans against Hannibal If Salvation it self cannot save Jerusalem let her enemies triumph and take all If her name be Jehovah-shammah as Ezek. 48.35 The Lord is there let her enemies do their worst Ver. 2. Open ye the gates Room for the Righteous for such only are free-men of this City Rev. 22.14 such only are written among the living in Jerusalem chap. 4.3 4. Psal 118.19 And this seemeth spoken to those door-keepers the Ministers to whom God hath committed the keyes of his kingdom setting them as upon a watch-tower to keep out enemies and to let in the true Citizens That the righteous nation which keepeth the truth Heb. the truths or faiths as Peter hath Godlinesses 2 Pet. 3.11 that both observeth Christs Law and preserveth it striving together for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 and accounting every particle of Truth precious Jude 3. And here we have a true definition of a right Church-member Civil righteousness is but a beautiful abomination If men men lay not Faith for a foundation to their vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 it is no better then a glistering sin Ver. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace Heb. peace peace that is a multiplied peace with God with himself and with others or a renewed continued peace or a perfect sheer pure peace as One senseth it What the old Translatour here meaneth by his Vetus error abiit is hard to say An excellent description of true saving Faith may be taken from this Text and Mr. Bolton maketh mention of a poor distressed soul relieved by fastening stedfastly in his last sickness on these sweet words saying that God had graciously made them fully good to him Because he trusteth in thee So far as a soul can stay on and trust in God so far it enjoyeth a sweet peace and calm of spirit perfect trust is blessed with perfect peace We have a famous instance for this in our blessed Saviour Joh. 12.27 28. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Ver. 4. Trust in the Lord for ever To trust in God is to be unbottom'd of thy self and of every creature and so to lean upon God that if he fail thee thou sinkest For in the Lord Jehovah Heb. for in Jah Jehovah in him who is the all-powerful Essentiator and faithful promise-keeper c. Here then look
it cannot trace him and by an assurance of adherence at least get to Heaven through mourning as Christ was taken up in a cloud or as the kine that carried the Ark went right but they lowed as they went And stay upon this God As the vine doth upon some support Faith hath a catching quality at whatoever is near to lay hold on like the branches of the Vine it windeth about that which is next and stayes it self upon it spreading further and further still Fides est quae te pullastrum Christum gallinam facit saith Luther Ver. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire That instead of relying upon God would relieve your selves by carnal shifts and fetches a fire of your own kindling or rather sparkes of your own tinder-boxes strange fire and not that of Gods Sanctuary Or say they be your own good works you trust to like as the Phoenix gathereth sweet odoriferous sticks in Arabia together and then blows them with her wings and burns her self with them That compass your selves about with sparks Away with those tinder-boxes of yours what are your sparkles but such as are smitten out of a flint which 1. Yields no warmth or good light 2. Are soon extinct 3. Neverthelesse you are sure to lie down in sorrow to be cast into utter darknesse where you shall never see the light again till you see the whole world all on a light fire at the last day Walk in the light of your fire Do so if ye thing it good but your light shall be put out into darknesse and worse like as lightning is followed by rending and roaring Thunder This shall ye have of my hand This I will assure of and having spoken it with my mouth I will fulfil it with my hand Ye shall lie down in sorrow As sick folk who being in grievous pain and teen would fain dye but cannot Cubatum ibitis adignes ad dolores cruciatus You shall make your beds in the bottom of Hell as it is said of the King of Babylon chap. 14.11 and as of Pope Clement the fifth it was reported that upon the death of a Nephew of his whom he had sensually abused Jacob. Revius hist Pont. p. 199. he sent to a certain Magician to know how it went with his soul in the other world The Magician shewed him to the messenger as lying in Hell in a bed of fire Whereupon the Pope was so struck with horrour that he never held up his head more but soon after dyed also CHAP. LI. Ver. 1. HEarken unto me ye that fellow after righteousnesse Heb. ye that pursue or follow hard after it as Paul did Philip. 3. The speech is directed to those Jews that embraced the Gospel perswading them to persist in the faith in nothing terrified by their adversaries sith Almighty God would keep and help them as he had done faithful Abraham and Sarah their Ancestours Banim meabanim to whom also he would of stones raise up sons in the conversion of the Gentiles and could do it as easily as he had hewed the Hebrews that great Nation out of aged Abraham and superannuated Sarah who are here compared to a dry-rock and a deep pit And to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged Est honesta periphrasis actus conjugalis The word here used is of the same root with Nekebah the female kind of all creatures Ver. 2. Look unto Abraham your Father Look and again Look hearken and again hearken These poor Jews before the coming of Christ in the flesh were vino somnoque sepulti drunk with the cup of Gods fury ver 17. and so fast asleep that they needed to be thus roused and raised up to the hope of better times which now were at hand And unto Sarah that bare you By the force of her Faith also Heb. 11.11 her son Isaac was emeritae fidei filius Now these domestical examples are alledged to assure them that God could do the like again in respect of spiritual children Abraham's right seed Gal. 4. For I called him alone Be not ye therefore troubled at your alonenesse And blessed him and increased him Gods benediction is his benefaction the Popes is not so fumos vendit fumo pereas Ver. 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion As once he did Abraham by multiplying her children giving her in good store of Converts these were the Apostles and the Primitive Christians those earthly Angels who made the world which before was as a waste wildernesse to become a most pleasant and plentiful Paradise Chrysostom somewhere calleth them Angels and saith that they were puriores coel◠afflictione facti more clear then the azured sky Joy and gladnesse shall be found in them See chap. 35.10 Thanksgiving and the voice of melody Paul as the Pracentor sweetly sings and gives the Note to us all Eph. 1 3 4 5. c. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us c. Ver. 4. Harken unto me See on ver 2. For a Law shall proceed from me i. e. The Gospel of grace that perfect Law of liberty the Law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Diod. And I will make my Judgement to rest I will firmly and irrevocably establish the government of my Word and Spirit in the Church for a secure guide to bring it to eternal life Some render it thus My Judgement i. e. My Gospel shall be for a light of the people whereby I will give rest So that here is a double effect of the Gospel viz Saving light and Peace of Conscience Jam amodò iter ingressa est Hyper. Ver. 5. My righteousnesse i. e. my faithfulnesse or my Son that Sun of righteousnesse is already on the way and will be with you forthwith And mine arm shall judge the people i. e. All that set themselves against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2.2 these shall feel his power to their perdition even the force of both his arms The Iles shall wait upon me They shall stretch out their souls as a line so the word importeth and direct them toward Christ And on mine arm shall they trust i. e. On my power or on my Gospel-promises Ver. 6. Lift up your eyes to the Heavens Man hath a muscle more then ordinary to draw up his eyes heavenward And look upon the earth beneath How fast and firm it standeth Eccles 1.4 Yet the whole engine shall be changed 2 Pet. 3.10 Shall dye in like manner Or like a louse as some render it But my salvation shall be for ever The Gospel together with the spiritual benefits thereby shall out last Heaven and Earth Ver. 7. Hearken unto me See on ver 2. Ye that know righteousnesse with a knowledge Apprehensive and Affective also The people in whose heart is my Law and not in your heads only Fear ye not the reproach of men Tertullian thinketh that our Saviour alludeth to this of Isaiah in that
to be a holy glutton Yea come Heb. And come Come and come yea come come come linger not loyter not frame not excuse strain not curtesie hang not off by a sinful bashfulness t is good manners to fall to your meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 3. Argonaut lib. 3. Buy wine and milk Any thing every thing that is good and comfortable for Christ is all and in all As the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold so all the petty excellencies scattered abroad in the creatures are united in Christ Apollonius writeth that in the Court of Aeta King of Colchis were three fountaines which flowed one with milk another with wine and a third with honey Christ is all this and more in one And of beleevers it may better be said than Justin doth of the Scythians Lib. 2. Lacte melle vescuntur nihil alienum concupiscunt c. they feed upon milk and honey they desire nothing more than what they have vines they have none but gods they have as they use to glory Nazianzen and Hierom tells us that anciently in some Churches they used to give to those Proselites whom they baptised wine and milk grounding upon this text by a mistake Without money and without price All things for nothing gratis this is doubled and trebled for the comfort of poor trembling consciences Christ is rich to all that call upon his Name Rom. 10.12 none giveth to him Rom. 11.35 but he to all his freely Isa 43.25 for the praise of his gloriour grace Eph. 1.6 T is his good pleasure to do so Luk. 12.32 And if so what can man devil or any distrustful heart say against it Ver. 2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread Heb. for not bread for that which can no more feed you than those huskes could the hungry Prodigal Luk. 15.16 Martial Turpe est difficiles habere nugas Et stultus labor est ineptiarum The saying of the Romane General to the Souldier that kept the Tents when he should have been fighting in the field Non amo nimium diligentes I love not those that are over-diligent will be used of God if when he calleth us to the care of higher things we busie our selves only about matters of an inferiour alloy Surely as Domitian the Emperour spent his time in catching flyes and Artaxerxes in making haftes for knives so do most men in trifles and lying vanities neglecting the One thing necessary with Martha and preferring as those Gergesites in the Gospel haram domesticam arae Dominicae a swine-sty before a Sanctuary Betwixt such and true beleevers there is as much difference as is betwixt substantial merchants who deale in rich commodities and those nugivenduli Agyrtae who sell gawdes rattles and trangums as is betwixt Spiders that catch flyes and Eagles that hunt after Hares and Hirons as is betwixt Fowlers that follow after Quailes and children that run after butter-flyes Had men but tasted of Gods bread they would never set such a price upon Doves-dung Had they drunk of Christs wine which is beyond the best Nectar or Ambrosia they would never thirst again after the worlds delights Joh. 4.14 which are such as whereof a man may break his neck before his fast Eccles 1.8 Clitorio quicunque sitim de fonte levarit Ovit Metam lib 15. Vina fugit gaudetque meris abstemius undis And your labour for that which satisfieth not The world is full of pomp and pleasure 1 Joh. 2.15 and yet it satisfieth not because it is full of nothing but of emptiness the creature is now ever since the fall as the husk without the grain the shell without the kirnel yea the world passeth away and the lust thereof ver 17. for a man cannot make his heart long to delight in the same things but ipsa etiam vota post usum fastidio sunt we loath after a while what we greatly lusted after as Amnon did Tamar Therefore love not the world ver 15. labour not for the meat that perisheth Joh. 6.27 but hasten heaven-ward saying as that Pilgrim did who travelling to Jerusalem and by the way visiting many brave Cities with their rare-Monuments and meeting with many friendly entertainments would say eftsoones I must not stay here this is not Jerusalem Harken diligently unto me Heb. hearing heare i. e. heare as for life with utmost attention of body intention of mind and retention of memory And eat ye that which is good Not only heare the Word of God but eat it turn it in succum sanguinem disgest it incorporate it into your souls Jam. 1.20 for it is the heavenly Manna that hath all manner of good tastes in it and properties with it 2 Tim. 3.16 And let your soul delight it self in fatnesse Talis est doctrins gratia Evangelica qua mentem saginat impinguat A good soul feedeth on the fat and drinketh of the sweet that is found in the precious promises Psal 36.8 and 63.5 Ver. 3. Encline your ear Hear with all your might Alphonsus King of Arragon is renowned for his attentive hearing so is our King Edward 6. who usually stood and took notes all the Sermon while Origen chideth his hearers for nothing so much as for their seldom coming to hear Gods Word and for their careless and needlesse hearing it when they did come whence their slow growth in godlinesse Hear and your soule shall live God hath ordained as it were to cross the devil that as death entred into the world through the ear by our first Parents listening to that old man slayer so should life enter into the soul by the same door as it were The dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5.25 The Romanists hold not hearing so absolutely needful Spec. Europ the Mass only they make a work of duty but the going to Sermons but a matter of conveniency and such as is left free to mens leasures and opportunities without imputation of sin And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Heb. I will cut out unto them a Covenant of perpetuity A Covenant is a cluster of Promises solemnly made over Even the sure mercies of David Or firm faithful The Greek Act. 13.34 hath it The holy things or the venerable things of David that is of Christ for the ratifying and assuring whereof it was necessary that Christ should rise from death and enter into glory for which purpose Paul alledgeth this text Act. 13.34 Ver. 4. Behold I have given him i. e. Christ called David ver 3. because typed out by David promised to him and sprang of him For a witnesse To teach and testifie his Fathers will and counsel at which Vt de veritate hac voluntate Patris testaretur being his eternal wisdom he had been present See Rev. 3.14 A Leader and Commander to the people Of Christs
told an English Embassadour that he had lately read St. Paul and that he disliked nothing in him but this that he had changed his religion Which yet are no gods Sed hominum figmenta ludibria daemonum when Hercules came into a Temple and found the Image or statue of Adonis in it he pull'd it down with this expression Certe nil sacri es Sure thou art no god the like may be said of all Idols But my people have changed their glory i. e. Their God of whom they might glory saying as Deut. 32.31 their Rock is not as our Rock our enemies themselves being Judges Ver. 12. Be astonished O heavens A poetical and pathetical expression Confer Deut. 32.1 Isa 1.2 Be horribly afraid Horripilamini portento malitiae quod jam dicturus sum be agast at such a prodigious wickednesse Be very desolate As the Sun seemed to be when at the death of Christ he hid his head in a mantle of black which made they say the Heathen Astrologer break out into these words Either the God of nature suffereth Dionys or else the world is at an end Ver. 13. For my people have committed two evils Contrary to those two good things that I have commanded them viz. Depart from evil and do good Psal 34.14 Lust doth first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 draw a man from God and then it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceive him with a bait of the creature Jam. 1.14 They have forsaken me the fountain of living water The all-sufficient ever-flowing Dialog 7. over-flowing well-spring of all welfare Jam. 1.17 Trismegist a Heathen could say Respicite O mortales resipiscite ad fontem vitae ricurrite Look back O mortals and repent and run back again to the fountain of life Seneca also saith that Sin is so foul a thing that he would not commit it though he could hide it from men and get pardon of it of God for that were to turn his back upon God the chife good Comment in Rom. 1.19 So little reason was there that Alex. Hales should be called first Fons vitae then Doctor irrefragabilis c. How well might Bullinger say that Seneca alone had left to posterity more sincere Divinity then all the books of almost all the School men And hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns Such and no better are all Idols humane helps creature-comforts friends means merits c. what are they all but cisterns that hold but muddy rain-water at best but then being broken cisterns riven vessels what hold they else but limum lapides mud and gravel Such cisternes therefore to hew out what is it better then industrious folly laborious losse of time to say no worse of it Now Turpe est difficiles habere nugas Et stultus labor est ineptiarum Servus emptitius Ver. 14. Is Israel a servant sc Bought with mony Is he a home-born slave Verna a slave by birth q. d. If he be either of the two he may thank himself He was my son nay my Spouse if he could have kept him so but he hath sold himself to commit wickednesse and I have therefore sold him into the hands of the Caldeans Loe this is the product of his forsaking me the fountain of living waters c. Ver. 15. The young Lions roared upon him and yelled i. e. The King of Babylon and his forces more fierce and fell then young Lions Would any take the Churches picture Loc. com tit de persecut ver Eccles saith Luther then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wildernesse compassed about with hungry Lions Wolves Boars and Bears for this is her condition in the world And they made his land waste i. e. They shall shortly so make it Ver. 16. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes Two chief Cities of Egypt the Inhabitants whereof were said to be most effeminate and servile fellows even these shall overtop thee Hero dot l. 2. knock thee down as an Ox by a blow on the brain-pan and make havock of those things that thou holdest the chiefest and most desirable Gen. 42.22 Ver. 17. Hast thou not procured this to thy self The same may the Lord say to every sufferer and further add Did not I warn you saying Sin not against the childe Oh do not this abominable thing your iniquities will undoubtedly be your ruine c. When he led thee by the way The way that is called holy the high-way to heaven fitly here opposed to those by-waies of carnal wisdom mentioned in the following verses Ver. 18. And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt Why trustest thou to carnal combinations which thou hast formerly found to be so successlesse wilt thou never be warned of these broken cisterns or hast thou a mind to be ground to powder betwixt those two mil-stones of Egypt and Assyria after whom thou hankerest Psal 146.3 David having entered a Caveat against creature confidence perswades people to trust in God alone See also Psal 62.8 9 10. To drink the waters of Sihor i. e. Of Nilus called Sihor of its blacknesse Limosus est Nilus oblimat Aegypt or muddinesse and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Black to drink the waters of it here is to draw the Egyptian forces to thine assistance and as some think to partake with them in their superstitions To drink of the water of the river i. e. Of Euphrates that river by an eminency Ver. 19. Thine own wickednesse shall correct thee Eâ—udiat te malitia tua Let thine own wickednesse with the sad consequents thereof teach thee better things as chap. 6.8 Let it for shame let it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let smart make wit Isa 28.19 Prov. 29.15 Know therefore and see Learn at least by sad experience for thou hast paid for thy learning Piscator ictus sapiet That it is an evil thing and bitter So all sin will prove in the issue and when the bottom of the bag is turned upward There will be bitternesse in the end as Abner said to Joab 2 Sam. 3.15 Laban will shew himself at parting howsoever Tamar will be more hated then ever shee was loved Amor amaror pius aloes quam mellis habet Laeta venire Venus tristis abire solet Drunkennesse is sweet but wormwood is bitter These Inhabitants of Jerusalem were made drunk but with wormwood Lam. 3.15 they found that sin was a Dulcacidum a bitter-sweet sweet in the mouth but bitter in the maw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. as that book in the Revelation like Adam's apple or Esau's pottage or Jonathan's hony or Judas his thirty pieces whereof he would fain have been rid but could not they burnt like a spark of hell-fire in his hand but especially in his conscience The Devil with the Panther hideth his deformed head till the sweet sent have drawn other beasts into his danger and then he devoureth them Did we but
rusheth with as much violence as an overflowing flood Hinc apparet fructus liberi arbitrii saith Oecolampadius See here the fruit of free-will and what man will do being left to himself Carnal affections are forcible and furious Plato himself saw and could say as much In Phadâ—o when he compared concupiscence to an headstrong horse that runneth away with his rider and cannot be ruled Ver. 7. Yea the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed time These fouls though wanting reason know well when to change quarters whether against summer as the stork turtle and swallow or against winter as the crane But my people know not the judgement of the Lord Whether his summer of grace offered or his winter of punishment threatened to embrace the one or to prevent the other See a like dissimilitude and opposition Isa 1.3 Ver. 8. How do ye say We are wise If ye were so ye would never say so Surely I am more brutish then any man said holy Agur Prov. 30.2 This only I know that I know nothing said Socrates Neither know I so much as this that I know just nothing said a third How could these in the text say We are wise when the fouls of the ayr outwitted them confer Job 35.11 The Law of the Lord is with us Vox est Pharisaeorum So the Jesuites at this day as of old the Gnosticks will needs be held the only knowing men The Empire of learning belongeth to the Jesuites say they a Jesuite cannot be an heretick Casaub ex Apologista Jungantur in unum dies cum nocte lux cum tenebris c. i. e. Let day and night be jumbled together light and darkness heat and cold health and sickness life and death so may there be some likelihood that a Jesuite may be an heretick saith one of them The Church is the soul of the world the Clergy of the Church and we of the Clergy saith another Lo certainly in vain made he it i. e. The Law for any good use that this people or their leaders put it to See Hos 8.12 Rom. 2.17 25. Ver. 9. The wise men are ashamed They have cause to be ashamed of their grosse ignorance and folly ver 7 8. and greater cause then ever humble Austin had to say Scientia mea me damnat my knowledge undoeth me Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord As to any holy practice their knowledge is only Apprehensive and notional not Affective and practical And what wisdom is in them q d. None worth speaking of they lose their civil praises because not wise to salvation Ver. 10. Therefore will I give their wives For a punishment of their rejecting my Word which ought to be received with all reverence and good affection Dilher Elect. lib. 1. cap. 2. The Turkes do so highly respect the Alchoran which is their Bible that if a Christian do but sit upon it though unwittingly they presently put him to death For every one c. See chap. 6.13 Ver. 11. For they have healed See chap. 6.14 Ver. 12. Were they ashamed See chap. 6.15 Ver. 13. I will surely consume them saith the Lord Texitur hic quasi tragoediae scena here followeth a kind of Tragedy saith an Expositour God is brought in threatening the Prophet bewailing the people despairing and yet bethinking themselves of some shelter and safeguard if they knew where to find it c. There shall be no grapes on the vine nor figs But instead thereof I will give them waters of gall to drink ver 14. Tremellius and Piscator read it thus There are no grapes on the vine nor figs on the figtree yea the leaves are fallen that is say they there is no power of godlinesse found among them no not so much as any profession neither fruit nor leafe And the things that I have given them shall passe away I will curse their blessings Mal. 2.2 and destroy them after that I have done them good Josh 24. Ver. 14. Why do we sit still Here the people speak see on ver 13. being grievously frighted upon the coming of the Chaldees and thereupon consulting what course to take but all would not do ver 16. Let us be silent Sic silent pavidimures coram fele For the Lord our God hath put us to silence Hath expectorated our courage and stopped our mouths And hath given us waters of gall to drink Succum cicutae our bane our deaths-draught so that now we know by woful experience what an evil and bitter thing sin is for a drop of honey we have now a sea of gall Ver. 15. We looked for peace but no good came Our false Prophets have merely deluded us So poor souls when stung by the Friers Sermons were set to pennances and good deeds which stilled them for a while but could not yeeld them any lasting comfort The soul is still ready to shift and shark in every by-corner for ease but that will not be till it comes to Christ Ver. 16. The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan See chap. 4.15 this caused in the Jews hearts a motion of trepidation confer Job 39.20 It is the priviledge of believers in nothing to be terrified by their adversaries Phil. 1.28 but with the horse spoken of Job 39.22 to mock at fear and not to turn back from the dint of the sword Ver. 17. Behold I will send Serpents Cockatrices i. e. Chaldees no lesse virulent then serpents as violent as horses Serpentum tot sunt venena quot genera tot pernicies quot species tot dolores quot colores saith an Ancient Serpents are of several sorts Isidor lib. 12. cap. 2. but all poisonful and pernicious The Basilisk or Cockatrice here instanced the worst sort of serpents say the Septuagint here goeth not upon the belly as other serpents but erect from the middle part and doth so infect the aire that by the pestilent breath coming therefrom fruits are killed and men being but lookt upon by it and birds flying over it stones also are broken thereby and all other serpents put to flight Dlod Pisc And they shall bite you There is an elegancy in the original Ver. 18. When I would comfort my selfe c. Or as some render it O my comfort against sorrow i. e. O my God others my recreation is joyned with sorrow Ver. 19. Behold the voyce of the cry This was it that broke the good Prophets heart the shrieks of his people Haec est querela hypocritarum Oecol Is not the Lord in Zion Thus in their distresse they leaned upon the Lord as Mic. 3.11 and enquired after him whom in their prosperity they made little reckoning of Why have they provoked me to anger q. d. The fault is meerly in themselves who have driven me out from amongst them by their Idolatries Ver. 20. The harvest is past the summer is ended They had set God a time and looked for help that summer at farthest but the Lord as he
blows It speaketh deceit See Psal 52.2 with the Notes One speaketh peaceably but in his heart he layeth his wait Such a one was the tyrant Tiberius and our Richard 3. who would use most complements and shew greatest signs of love and curtesie to him in the morning Dan hist 249. whose throat he had taken order to be cut that evening Ver. 9. Shall I not visit them See on chap. 5.9 Ver. 10. For the mountains will I take up a weeping Accingit se Propheta ad luctum Jeremy was better at weeping then Heraclitus and from a better principle Lachrymas angustiae exprimit Crux lachrymas poenitentiae peccatum lachrymas sympathiae affectus humanitatis vel Christianitatis lachrymas nequitiae vel hypocrisis vel vindictae cupiditas Jeremies tears were of the best sort Because they are burnt up The Rabbines tell us that after the people were carried captive to Babylon the land of Jury was burnt up with sulphur and salt But this may well passe for a Jewish fable Both the fowl of the heaven See chap. 4.25 Ver. 11. And I will make Jerusalem heaps So small a distance is there saith Seneca betwixt a great City and none The world is as full of mutation as of motion And a den of Dragons Because she made mine house a den of theeves chap. 7.11 Ver. 12. Who is the wise man that he may understand this This who and who denoteth a great paucity of such wise ones as consider common calamities in the true causes of them propter quid pereat haec terra for what the land perisheth and that great sins produce grievous judgements The most are apt to say with those Philistines It is a chance to attribute their sufferings to Fate or Fortune to accuse God of injustice rather then to accept of the punishment of their iniquity And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken q. d. Is there never a one of your Prophets that will set you right herein but the dust of covetousnesse hath put out their eyes and they can better sing Placentia then Lachrymae c. Ver. 13. And the Lord saith Or therefore the Lord saith q. d. Because neither your selves know nor have any else to tell you the true cause of your calamities hear it from Gods own mouth Ver. 14. But have walked after the imagination of their own heart Then the which they could not have chosen a worse guide sith it is evil only evil and continually so Gen. 6.5 See the note there Which their fathers taught them See chap. 7.18 Ver. 15. Behold I will feed them with wormwood i. e. With bitter afflictions Et haec poena inobedientiae fidei respondet The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes Prov. 14.14 he shall have his belly full of them as we use to say See chap. 8.14 Ver. 16. And I will scatter them also among the heathen As had been forethreatned Deut. 28. Lev. 26. But men will not beleeve till they feel They read the threats of Gods law as they do the old stories of forreign wars and as if they lived out of the reach of Gods rod. Ver. 17. Consider ye Intelligentes estote Is not your hard-heartednesse such as that ye need such an help to do that wherein you should be forward and free-hearted The Hollanders and French fast saith one but without exprobration be it spoken they had need to send for mourning-women Spec. bel sac 209. Vt flerent oculos erudiere suas Ovid. that by their cunning they may be taught to mourn And call for the mourning women In planctum omne pathos faciles such as could make exquisite lamentation and cunningly act the part of mourners at funerals so as to wring teares from the beholders These the Latines called Praeficas quia luctui praeficiebantur because they had the chief hand in funeral mournings for the better carrying on whereof they both sang doleful ditties See 2 Chron. 35.25 and played on certain heavily-sounding instruments Mat. 9.23 whence the Poet Cantabit maestis tibia funeribus Ovid. Ver. 18. And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us Of this vanity or affectation God approveth not as neither he did of the Olympick games of usury of that custome at Corinth 1 Ep. 15.29 which yet he maketh his use of Ver. 19. For a voyce of wailing is heard out of Zion How are we spoiled Ponit formulam threnodiae Quis tragoediam aptius magis graphice depingeret what tragedy was ever better set forth and in more lively expressions Ver. 20. Yet hear the Word of the Lord O ye women For souls have no sexes and ye are likely to have your share as deep as any in the common calamity you also are mostly more apt to weep then men and may sooner work your men to godly sorrow then those lamentatrices Ver. 21. For death is come up into our windows i. e. The killing Chaldees break in upon us at any place of entrance doors or windows Joel 2.9 Joh. 10.1 The Ancients give us warning here to see to our senses those windows of wickednesse that sin get not into the soul thereby and death by sin Ver. 22. Speak Thus saith the Lord Heb. Speak it is the Lords saying and therefore thou mayst be bold to speak it So 1 Thes 4.15 For I say unto you in or by the Word of the Lord. And as the handful after the harvest man Death shall cut them up by handfuls and lay them heaps upon heaps Ver. 23. Let not the wise-man glory in his wisdom q. d. You bear your selves bold upon your wisdom wealth strength and other such seeming supports and deceitful foundations as if these could save you from the evils threatned But all these will prove like a shadow that declineth delightful but deceitful as will well appear at the hour of death Charles the fifth whom of all men the world â—udged most happy cursed his honours a little afore his death his victories trophees and riches saying Abite hinc abite longe get you far enough for any good ye can now do me Abi perdita bestia quae me totum perdidisti be gone thou wretched creature that hast utterly undone me said Corn Agrippa the Magician to his familiar spirit when he lay a dying So may many say of their worldly wisdom wealth c. Let not the wise man glory Let not those of great parts be head-strong or top-heavy let them not think to wind out by their wiles and shifts Let not the mighty man glory Fortitudo nostra est infirmitatis in veritate cognitio Aug. in humilitate confessio Nor the rich man glory in his riches Sith they availe not in the day of wrath Zeph. 1.18 See the Note there Ver. 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this And yet not in this neither unlesse he can do it with self-denial and lowlymindednesse Let him glory
of perfect deliverance by Christ Ver. 19. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving Mox ubi fides inde prodit laâ— confessio Faith is a fruitful grace the very womb wherein all the rest are conceived Ver. 20. Their children also shall be as aforetime How easily can the Lord turn again the captivity of his people set them statu quo prius Zach. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off See the Note there Ver. 21. And their Nobles shall be of themselves Forreiners shall no more domineer over them but they shall have Governours of their own Nation who shall be more tender of them and careful of their good Some apply all this and well they may to Jesus Christ who is here called Magnificus Dominator Christus Fortis ille Gâ—gat est Oecol his Magnificent or honourable One and his Ruler who also is one of them and proceedeth from amongst them See Deut. 18.18 And I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me Either as God coequal and coessential with me or as Mediatour and so he shall approach unto me by the hypostatical union in respect of which he came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could and by the execution of his Priestly office wherein he intercedeth for my people and reconcileth them unto me For who is this that engaged his heart Who but my Son Christ durst do it or was fit to do it he is a super-excellent person as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze Who this he Ver. 22. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God sc Through Christ and by his mediation As for those that are not in Covenant with God by Christ as the devil will one day sweep them so mean while Ver. 23. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury Sensim sese conglomerans ac demittens in eorum capita the vengeance of God followeth them close at heeles till at length they be wherried away by that terrible tempest at death Job 27.20 Ver. 24. The fierce anger of the Lord See chap. 23.20 In the latter dayes ye shall consider it In the dayes of the Messias but especially at the end of the world when all these things shall have their full accomplishment CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. AT the same time i. e. In the beginning of Zedekiah's raign as before was this word uttered Or rather in those latter times forementioned chap. 30.24 after the return from Babylon but especially in the dayes of the Messiah The modern Jews vainly apply it to the coming of their Messiah quem tantis etiamnum ululatibus exposcunt whom they yet expect but to no purpose Ver. 2. The people that were left of the sword Of Pharaoh's sword who pursued them Fieri dicitur quod tentatur aut intenditur and though he smote them not because the Lord kept him off yet he is said to have done it like as Balac afterwards arose and fought against Israel Josh 24.9 he had a mind so to have done but that he was over-awed he did not indeed because he durst not When I went to bring him to rest i. e. To the land of Canaan after so long trouble and travel I effected that then though it were held improbable or impossible so I will do this promised reduction of my people from Babylon Indaeorum quiritantium verba Zeg Ver. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me This seemeth to be the peoples objection You tell us what was done of old but these are ancient things and little pertaining to us who are now under a heavy captivity jam refrixit obsoleta videtur Dei beneficentia Hereunto is answered Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love I am one and the same I am Jehovah that change not whatever thou mayst think of me because I seem angry at thy misdoings Therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Or Therefore will I draw out loving kindnesse toward thee as Psal 36.10 See the Note there Ver. 4. Again I will build thee See chap. 34.18 Thou shalt he adorned with thy tabrets All shall be haile and merry with thee as heretofore yea thou shalt have spiritual joy which is res severa severe and solid such as doth not only smooth the brow but fill the breast Ver. 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines Profunda pax erit nemo te perterre faciat Thou shalt have plenty peace and security The planters shall plant them and shall eat them as common things i. e. Shall have Gods good leave and liking so to do Heb. Shall profane them i. e. not abuse them but use them freely even to an honest affluence See Levit. 19.23 with the Note Ver. 6. The watchmen upon the mount Ephraim Such as are set to keep those vineyards ver 5. Shall cry Arise ye and let us go up to Zion As the ten tribes first made defection so shall they be forwardest in the Reformation England was the like alate Ver. 7. Shout among the chief of the Nations Heb. neigh unto the heads of the Nations ut illa vobis adhinniant pariter in Christi fide jubilent that they may joyn joyes with you and help to make up the quire Publish ye and praise ye and say O Lord save The Saints have never so much matter of praise but that they may at the same time find cause enough to pray for more mercy Psal 18.3 Ver. 8. Behold I will bring them Here 's a present answer to such a Prayer and this promise hath its performance chiefly in the Kingdom of Christ who will not suffer the least or the weakest of his to miscarry See Esa 35.5 6. Ver. 9. They shall come with weeping Prae gandio inquit flebunt they shall weep for joy having first soaked themselves in godly sorrow by the spirit of grace and of supplications or deprecations poured upon them Zach. 12.10 being sollicitous about their salvation And I will make them to walk by the rivers of waters Heb. To the brooks of waters i. e. to the holy ordinances as Psal 23.3 For I am a Father to Israel I do all of free-grace Ephraim is my first-born And therefore higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord O ye Nations Hear and bear witnesse of the gracious promises that I make to my people for I would have them noted and noticed Ver. 11. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob Redemption is a voluminous mercy an accumulative blessing From the hand of him that was stronger then he sc The Chaldean but especially from Satan Matth. 12.29 Joh. 12.31 Ver. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion i. e. In the Temple shall they celebrate that singular mercy in the Congregation of the faithful And shall flow together i. e. Flock together by troops and caravans flock thither by sholes To the goodnesse of the Lord Or