are all young Virgins taken and stollen from forraine Nations where after they have been instructed in good behaviour and can play upon instruments sing dance and sew curiously they are given to the Grand Signior as presents of great value They live just as Nunnes do in great Nunneries c. That Esther was brought also In the general survey she was taken among the rest and brought to the Court an ill aire for Piety to breath in exeat aulâ Qui vult esse pius Fraus sublimi regnat in aulz Sen. But necessity is an hard weapon As the Turks at this day so the Persian Kings then took all their subjects to be their slaves holding not only their estates but their lives and all they have at their dispose without respect either to the cause or manner To the custody of Hegai keeper of the women Clapt up as it were in a glorious prison being not to come abroad but when the King calls nor to frequent any society but such as is appointed her for her necessary attendance and comfort See the like in the description of the Grand Signiors Seraglio chap. 4. Verse 9. And the maiden pleased him Hegai cast his favour upon her not because she was the fairest noblest most industrious most courtly c. but because God wrought his heart to it as he did Potiphars and Pharaohs to Joseph Jonathans to David Darius's to Daniel c. It is the Lord that gives favour and fashioneth mens opinions of us He gave Solomon honour and Paul prayes to him that his service may be accepted of the Saints Row 15.31 And she obtained kindnesse of him His favour was not empty favour professional only as that of Courtiers And he speedily gave her c. As resolving shortly to recommend her to the King who he knew would be much ruled by him in his choyce Here were shadows of many excellent vertues in a blind Ethnik who may in some sort teach true kindnesse and doth condemne those that boast of false liberality He dealt not basely but bountifully with Esther Her things for purification See ver 3.12 With such things as belonged to her Heb. Her portions or allowances of food raiment c. which this faithful officer interverted not for his own private gaine but rather inlarged himself in the true bestowing thereof And seven maidens When he might have put her off with one he enlargeth himself and even stretcheth his authority that he might by these maide of honour attending her set her forth as a Queen aforehand Which were meet to he given her Or which were very comely speciosa vel spectatae And he preferred Heb. He changed her sc for the better as God doth his people when he taketh them to heaven where they change place but not company as that good man said upon his death-bed and are brought from the jawes of death to the joyes of eternal life from shadows to substances D. Preston from misery to majesty c. a greater change then that of Queen Elizabeth from a Prisoner to a Princesse or that of our Henry the fourth Dan. hist 48. who was crowned the very same day that the year before he had been banished the Realme The Latines call prosperous things Res secundas because they are to be had hereafter they are not the first things Vnto the best place of the house of the women Or Vnto the best condition Gods best children shall have the best of the best fat things full of marrow wines on the lees well refined Esay 25.6 Jacob and his family had the best of the Land of Egypt that Granary of the world as one calleth it His posterity had a land that flowed with milke and honey What Countreys comparable to those that professe the Gospel Godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promises of both lives c. Verse 10. Esther had not shewed her people Because the Jewes were slighted as captives and forlorn how dear to the gods that Nation is faith Cicero it appeareth quòd est victa quòd elocata O at pro L. Hac quòd servata in that they are conquered captivated and not utterly destroyed by us they were also generally hated as different in Religion and would not so much as drink with Heathens lest they should drink things sacrificed to Idols They held it meritorious in after-times to kill an idolater as Tacitus testifieth and at this day they say Optimus inter gentes c. The very best among the Gentiles is worthy to have his head bruised as a Serpent A nasty people they are still and bloodthirsty odious and sordid An historian telleth us of an Emperour travelling into Egypt and there meeting with certaine Jews he was so annoyed with the stench of them that he cryed out O Marcomanut ô Quadi ô Surmaetae tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni Ammian lib. 2. This is the basest and most contemptible people that ever I light upon Aug. in Psal 58 The Romanes would not own them when they had conquered them as they did other Nations though they complied never so much and were their servants The Turks so hate them for crucifying Christ that they use to say in detestation of a thing Heyl. Geog. I would I might die a Jew then as when they would assure any thing in execrationibus dicunt Judeus sim si fallo they curse themselves Sanctrus in Zech 8.13 and say Let me be held a Jew if I deceive thee This lyeth upon them as a punishment for their unexpiable guilt in putting to death the Lord of life But in Esthers time they were hated chiefly for their Religion In prudence therefore she concealeth her kindred as being not called to give an account of her faith and living private might well performe her devotions and yet not thrust her self into observation For Mordecai had charged beâ— that she should not shew it Lest she should be cashiered the Court for a Jeweâ—se which was then held crime enough as afterwards it was in Nore's dayes to be a Christian and this hand perinde in crimine quà m odio humani generis as Tavitus hath it not for any great fault so much as by the hatred of mankind incensed and set on work by the Devil doubtlesse to root out the true Religion and to set up himself in the hearts of men as god of this present world Hence those complaints of Tertullian and Justin Martyr in their Apologies for Christians that their name and not their crimes was hated and hissed out of all companies Tert. Apoâ— c 1. 2.3 Just Apol. 2. Odio publico est confessio nòminis non examinatio criminis Solius hominis crimen est c. Wisely therefore did Mordecai charge Esther to conceal her self for present so long as it might be done without prejudice to the truth and scandal to her profession Worthily also did holy Esther in obeying Mordâ—cai her faithful foster-father in ruling
him and done for him and hence this congeries or heap of holy expressions and all to shew that God is a Rock of refuge a firm Fortress a recepracle of rest a sanctuary of safety to all his Saints in time of trouble David had had his share and had been put to his shifts glad to hide himself as he could in rocks and strong-holds that sheltered him from the storm To these he alludeth when he calls God his Rock Fortress c. And my deliverer Rocks and Strong-holds do not always deliver witness the Shechemites Jebusites Arimasphes but God always doth And the Horn of my Salvation Qui veluti cornu petit conficit hostes meos saith Vatablus who goareth and dispatcheth mine enemies A Metaphor either from horned Beasts or else as some will have it from the ancient custom of wearing horns of Iron upon their Helmet for a Crest or Military ornament â—whereupon the raised Horn was a sign of Victory and the Horn beaten down a sign of being overcome Vers 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Or is the proper object of praises because he is good and doth good Psal 119.68 David vows to praise him 1 By loving him entirely 2 By trusting in him stedfastly vers â— 3. By calling upon him continually here and Psal 116.2 3. which Psalm is very like to this in the beginning especially both for matter and method So shall I be saved c. He had often proved the power of Prayer specially when he came ready prepared to praise God for the return of Prayer and thence he is bold to promise himself all good Vers 4. The sorrows of death compassed mee Or the pangs pains throws as of a travelling woman these invironed mee or came thick and threefold upon mee perventebant usque ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to my face as the Rabbines descant upon the word or flew upon me desperate and deadly dangers assailed mee The worst of an evill escaped Medrash Tillin Aphaphuni pro â—naphaphuni is to bee thankfully acknowledged and highest straines of eloquence therein to bee used so that pride bee avoided and the praise of God only aimed at And the floods of ungodly men Heb. of Belial that is of Belialists acted and agitated by the Devill these came tumbling upon him like many and mighty waters Fluct us flustum trudit Torrentes Belial terrebant me Vers 5. The sorrows Or throws or cords such as wherewith they bind malefactors led forth to execution The snares of death prevented mee David knew how to make the most of a mercy hee means I was almost surprized and all hope of help seemed to bee prevented if help should come it would come too late Vers 6. In my distresse I called upon the Lord This was Davids anchora sacra prayer hee knew could never come too late nor God want a way to deliver his distressed The time of affliction is the time of supplication and mans extremity is Gods opportunity And cryed unto my God Hee grew more and more earnest wee must pray and not faint Luk. 18.1 but rise in our sutes Out of his Temple i.e. Heaven where of the Temple was a type as being the place of Gods speciall presence and of transcendent holinesse Vers 7. Then the earth shook and trembled c. Upon Davids prayer all this befell like as Act. 4. the house shook wherein they were praying and the thundering Legion procured thunder and rain and so did Samuel by his prayers 1 Sam. 12. But this terrible tempest here described is to be taken rather allegorically than historically The Prophet in most lofty and lively tearmes and expressions farre above the strain of the most sublime either Poets or Oratours describeth Gods powerfull presence and concurrence in Davids conquests The foundations also of the hills That is so vehement was the Earthquake that it shook as it were the roots of the Mountains which lye deep within the ground 2 Sam. 22.8 these hills are called the foundation of Heaven as Job 26.11 the pillars of Heaven because the tops of high Mountains seem to touch the clouds and the Heavens seem to lean upon them and because the Earth is in the centre of the World about the which the Heavens do continually turn Because he was wroth Or burn did his nose So Vers 8. There went up a smoak out of his nostrills As angry men breath vehemently and seem to spit fire by their blustering speeches and menaces so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnia qua tamen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt intelligenda Vers 7. Hee bowed the Heavens i.e. velociter venit saith R. David hee came speedily to destroy mine enemies And darknesse was under his feet Hee came invisible Vers 10. And he rode upon a Cherub Which word hath affinity with Rechub a Charret Hereby is noted Gods swiftnesse in comming to succour David He waits to bee gracious and when it is a fit season hee comes leaping and skipping over the Mountaines of Bether or division all lets and impediments Gabriel came to Daniel with wearinesse of flight chap. 9.21 Hee did flie upon the wings of the Wind For by the Ministry of Angells God raiseth and stilleth the winds Vers 11. Vatab. Hee made darknesse his secret place As a King that being angry withdraweth himself from his subjects and will not bee seen of them Vel quia decret a Dei veniunt invisibiliter said R. David Vers 12. At the brightnesse that was before him c. i.e. at his bright presence his thick clouds wherein hee was inveloped passed or did cleave as it were in sunder whence came hailstones mixed with coales of fire or lightnings out of the cloudes which God maketh at once aery seas and aery furnaces fetching fire out of the midst of water and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapours Vers 13. The Lord also thundred in the Heavens Quasi pro classico aâ—spicio praeliâ—ineundâ— Vers 14. Yea hee sent out his arrowes c. Tandem permisc entur omnia grandine flammis fulminibus tanquam telis sagittis Dei adversus hostes pugnantis After the vaunt-curriers vers 12. the great Ordinance vers 13. the battel begins and all is on an hurry Vers 15. Then the Chanels of waters were seen The force of this terrible Tempest is further set forth by the effect of it a dreadful concussion of the universe not without an allusion to the drying up of the red Sea and of Jordan before Israel which deliverances stood for Archetypes or chief patterns to all Posterity Vers 16. He sent from above he took me He rescued me as by an hand reacht me from Heaven Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or he sent his Angels to secure me He drew me out of many waters As he had once done Moses Exod. 2.10 who there-hence also had his name Musaeus for the same cause calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Water-sprung
thou hast grievously afflicted my body Vers 3. O Lord thou hast brought up c. Here he saith the same again as before the better to set forth the greatneffe of the benefit and so to excite himself to due thankfullnesse The uttermost extremity of a calamity is to be acknowledged after wee are delivered out of it Isa 38.10 Thou hast kept mee alive Thou hast rescued mee from instant death and this I look upon as a resurrection from the dead Vers 4. Sing unto the Lord Here he calleth in help to praise God as holding himself too weak to do it a lone Publication of Gods praises should be seconded by provocation of others to do the like David thought one mouth too little to do it O yee Saints of his Or Chafid Plus Benignus O yee his mercifull ones that having partaken of his mercy are ready to impart the same to others and not to pull up that bridge before them that your selves have once gone over At the Remembrance or memorial of his holinesse That is at his Tabernacle say some that his holineffe his grace and goodneffe may be alwaies had in remembrance say others and that which he doth for us be carefully kept upon record Vers 5. For his anger endureth but a moment Though it lasts all a mans life for what 's that to eternity Junctumest quod vivimus puncto minus But it soon repenteth the Lord concerning his servants whom out of love displeased hee correcteth for a short braid Ifa 54.7 8.2 Cor. 14.17 Isa 26.20 Heb. 10.37 Tantillum tantillum adbuc pusillum Bear up therefore faint not fret not Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur If our sorrowes be long they are light if sharper the shorter The sharp North East-wind never lasteth three dayes nothing violent is permanent In his favour is life Vita in voluntate else wee should dye in our sins but his favour never faileth Kimchi here noteth that of those thirteen attributes of God Exod. 34.7 twelve are mercy and one only is anger Joseph for his thirteen years of servitude and imprisonment had fourscore years freedome and preferment Davids persecution by Saul was but a moment to his following happineffe when once he came to the Kingdome Weeping may endure for a night Diseafes and aches are worst toward night At even-tide loe there is trouble but afore morning it is gone Isa 17.14 mourning lasterfi but till morning and then departeth as did Lots two Angels The morning of the Resurrection howsoever shall put a period to all our miseries and make a plentifull amends But joy commeth in the morning Heb. Singing flebilibus modis modus adbibebitur God turneth his peoples sighing into singing their musing into musick tears into triumph wringing of hands into dapping of hands for joy c. And as there is a vicissitude of nights and dayes so of crosses and mercies to Gods people whiles they are in this vale of misery and valley of tears God checkereth his providences saith One white and black hee speckleth his work as is set forth by those speckled horses among the Myrtle-trees Zach. 1.8 Mercies and Crosses are interwoven This World is called a valley of tears or as some render it of Mulberry-trees Psal 84.6 Betwixt them both they may make up an emblem of the Saints condition here Tears are moist Mulberries grow in dry places Gods people have their interchanges of joyes and sorrows whilst here See in this and the following verses the circle God goes in with them David was afflicted and delivered in this verse In the next hee grew wanton Then he is troubled again Vers 7. cryeth again 8 9. God turneth his mourning into mirth again 11 12. Vers 6. And in my prosperity I said Or In my tranquillity then it was that he was overgrown with security as was also Job chap 29.18 19 20. See the Note there and Job 9.18 How many have burnt their wings about Jobs candle chap. 29.3 saith One Oh the hazzard of honour â— dammage of dignity how soon are wee broken upon the soft pillow of ease a Lunaticks when the Moon is declining and in the wain are sober enough but when full more wild and exorbitant Flies fettle upon the sweetest persumes when cold so do sin and Satans temptations on the best hearts when dissolved and dis-spirited by prosperity Watch therefore Niobe apud Ovid. Major sum quam cui poffi fortuna nocare Adam in Paradise was overcome when Job on the dung-hill was a Conqueror I shall never bee moved Excessere metum mea jam bona David by misreckoning of a point mist the haven and had almost run upon the Rocks How apt are the holiest to bee proud and secure even as worms and wasps eat the sweetest apples and fruits What reasonhad David to promise himself more than ever God promised him immunity from the Croffe Did he think as Dionysius afterwards did Aelian â— var hist lib. 2. but was clearly confuted soon after that his Kingdome and with it prosperity was tyed unto him with cords of Adamant what though he sat quietly now at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 11.1 free from fear of enemies and could find time to look and lust after his neighbours wife would this alwaies hold thought he and could not God set up his own darling Absolom to put him to trouble No David said in his prosperity Non vacillabo I shall never be moved and why Vers 7. Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain c. Yea but there is no mountain so strong that may not bee moved if not removed with an Earthquake Is it not as easie with God to blast an Oak as trample a mushrome And what though God in his favour had seeled strength to Davids mountain what though he had constituted and established it sure as Mount-Zion for there was Davids arx aularegia which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 yet by a turn of his countenance only God can soon dis-sweeten all his injoyments and plunge him into a deplorable condition Thou didst hide thy face andâ—â— was troubled i. e. Thou didst suspend the actuall influence and communication of thy grace the Chaldea calleth it Sheahinab the divine prefence and I was all-amort The life of some creatures consisteth in the Eâ—â— so doth that of the Saints in the light of Gods countenance And â—sun an Eclipse of the Sun there is a drooping in the whole frame of nature so when God hideth his face the good soul laboureth and languisheth And as none look at the Sun but when it is in the eclipse so neither prize wee Gods loving countenance till we have lost it Vers 8. I 〈…〉 O Lord c. For why I felt my self 〈…〉 while that I was deserted in a kind of Hell above-ground Hac tentatio initium aliquod gustus fuit illorum inenarr abilium dolorum quos impii sentiunt in omni aternitate David felt himself now in the suburbs
measure to trust in it that is to think our selves simply the better and the safer for it as our Saviour sheweth and this Disciples after some wonderment at length understood him so Mark 10.23 24. Hence that strict charge 1 Tim. 6.17 And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches Contrary to Jer. 9.23 This Psalm sets forth the better gloriation of a Beleever in the grace of God and in his blessed condition wherein he is lifted up above the greatest Worldings Vers 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother And therefore all Mony that hath been given for Masses Diriges Trentals c. hath been cast away seeing Christ is the only Redeemer and in the other World Mony beareth no Mastery neither can a man buy off death though hee would give never so much Death will not regard any Ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts as Solomon saith in another case Prov. 6.35 Fye quoth that great Cardinal Beanford will not Death be hired Act. Mon. in H. 6. Will Mony do nothing Wherefore should I dye being so rich If the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it c. Lewis the Eleventh would not hear of death all the time of his last Sickness but when he saw there was no remedy he sent for the Holy Water from Rhemes together with Aarons rod as they called it and other holy Reliques Epit. Hist Gall. Balth. Exner. Val. Max. Christ p. 391. thinking therewith to stop Deaths mouth and to stave him off but it would not be O Miser saith one thereupon hoc assidue times quod semel faciendum est Hoc times quod in tua mann est ne timeas Pietatem assume superstitionem omitte mors tua vita erit quidem beata atque eterna Vers 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious i.e. the price of life is greater than that any man how wealthy soever can compass it Mony is the Monarch of this World but not of the next And it ceaseth for ever i.e. The purchase of a longer life ceaseth there is no such thing beleeve it Job 36.18 19. Deut. 23.22 Zech. 11.12 To blame then were the Agrigentines who did eat build plant c. as though they should live for ever Vers 9. That be should still live for ever As every wicked man would if it might be had for mony for he knoweth no happiness but to Have and to Hold on the tother side the Grave he looketh for no good whereas a godly manholdeth mortality a Mercy as Phil. 1.23 he hath Mortem in desiderio vitam in patientin as Fulgentius saith he desireth to dye and yet is content to live accepting of life rather than affecting it enduring it rather than desiring it And not see corruption Heb. The pit of corruption The Chaldee understandeth it of Hell to the which the wicked mans death is as a trap-door Vers 10. For he seeth that wise men dye likewise the fool This to be a truth etiam muta clamant cadavera the dead Corpses of both do preach and proclaim by a dumb kinde of eloquence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death maketh no difference Pallida mors equo c. It is appointed for all men once to dye It lieth as a mans Lot as the word signifieth Heb. 9.27 and all men can say We are all mortal but alas we say it for most part Magis us◠quam sensu more of custom than feeling for we live as if our lives were rivetted upon Eternity and we should never come to a reckoning Heu vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Ant velut infernus fabula vana foret And the bruitish person perish His life and his hopes ending together But it would be considered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wise men dye as well as fools good men dye as well as bad yea good men oft before the bad Isa 57.1 Jeroboams best Son dyed before the rest because there was some good found in him And leave their wealth to others Nec aliis solùm sed alienis to meer strangers this Solomon sets forth as a great vanity It was therefore a good speech of a holy man once to a great Lord who had shewed him his stately House and pleasant Gardens You had need make sure of Heaven or else when you dye you will be a very great loser Vers 11. Their inward thought is that their houses c. Some joyn this verse to the former and read the words thus Where as each of them seeth that wise men dye likewise the fool c. yet their inward thought is c. they have a secret fond conceit of their own immortality they would fain beleeve that they shall dwell here for ever The Hebrew runneth thus Their inwards are their houses for ever as if their houses were got within them as the Pharisees goods were Luke 11.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So here Internum vel interiora not the thoughts only but the very inmost of the thoughts of wicked Worldlings the most retired thoughts and recesses of their souls are about these earthly things these lye nearest to their hearts as Queen Mary said when she dyed Open me and you shall find Calice at my heart It was a pittiful case that a rotten town lay where Christ should and yet it is ordinary They call their Lands after their own names So to make them famous and to immortalize them at once Thus Cain called his new-built City Enoch after the name of his Son whom he would thereby have to be called Lord Enoch of Enoch This is the ambition still of many that take little care to know that their names are written in Heaven but strive to propagate them as they are able upon Earth Nimrod by his Tower Absolom by his Pillar Alexander by his Alexandria Adrian by his Adrianople c. But the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 and those that depart from God shall be written in the earth Jer. 17.13 c. Vers 12. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not Howsoever he think to eternalize himself and be grown never so great dye he must whether Lord or Losel and dye like a beast a carrion beast unless he be the better man but only for his pillow and bolster At one end of the Library at Dublin was a Globe at the other a Skeliton to shew that though a man was Lord of all the World yet hee must dye his honour must be laid in the dust The mortal Sythe saith one is master of the royal Scepter and it moweth down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the field Perperam accommodatur bic versiculus saith another this verse is not well interpreted of the first man Adam to prove that he sinned the same day wherein he was Created and lodged not one night in Paradise He
for in God we live move and have our being Act. 17. A frown of Augustus Cesar Camden proved to be the death of Cornelius Gallus Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor of England dyed Sept. 20.1591 of a flux of his urine and grief of mind conceived upon some angry words given him by Q. Elizabeth Thou takest away their breath Heb. Thou gatherest it callest for it again viz. their vital vigour Vers 30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit Virtutem vivificam They are created Others of the same kind are and so the face of the earth is renued whiles another generation springeth up This is matter of praise to their maker Vers 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever Or Let glory be to the Lord for ever so For his great works of Creation and Conservation The Lord shall rejoyce in his words As he did at the Creation when he saw all to bee good and very good so still is doth God good as it were to see the poor creatures feed and men to give him the honour of all Vers 32. He looketh an the earth and it trembleth This must be considered that God may be as well feared as loved and praised He toucheth the hills and they smoak It s therefore ill falling into his hands who can do such terrible things with his looks and touches Vers 33. I will sing unto the Lord Though others be slack to do God this right to help him to his own to give him the glory due to his Name yet I will do it and do it constantly so long as I have a breath to draw Vers 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet Or Let it be sweet unto him let him kindly accept it though it be mean and worthless through Christs odours powred thereinto I will be glad in the Lord Withdrawing my heart from other vile and vain delights or at least vexed at mine own dulness for being no more affected with such inexplicable ravishments Vers 35. Let the sinners be consumed c. Such sinners against their own souls as when they know God or might know him by his wonderful works glorifie him not as God neither are thankful Rom 1.21 but pollute and abuse his good creatures to his dishonor fighting against him with those lives that he hath given them Bless the Lord O my soul The worse others are the better be thou kindling thy self from their coldness c. PSAL. CV VErs 1. O give thanks unto Lord Some tell us that this and the two following Psalms were the great Hallelujah sung as solemn times in their assemblies But others say better that the great Hallelujah as the Hebrews called it began at Psal 113. and held on till Psal 119. which they at the Passover began to sing after that cup of wine they called Poculum bymni sen laudationis Call upon his Name Call upon the Lord whe is worthy to be praysed Psal 18.3 See the Note there Our life must be divided betwixt praises and prayers Vers 2. Sing unto him sing Both with mouth and with musical instruments Talk ye Or meditate ye Let your heart indite a good matter and your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 Vers 3. Glory ye in his holy Name Of his power and goodness See 1 Cor. 1.31 Alsted with Jer. 9.23 Non est gloriosier populus sub caelo quam Judaicus saith One there iâ— not a more vain-glorious people under heaven than the Jews But we are the circumcision which worship in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Philip. 3.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce c. All others are forbidden to rejoyce Hos 9.1 and bidden to weep and howl Jam. 5.1 Vers 4. Seek the Lord and his strength That is his Ark at the remove where of to Jerusalem this Psalm was sung 1 Chron. 16.7 8. c. Called it is Gods strength and Gods face here yea even God himself Psal 132.5 It s as if he should say Frequent holy Assemblies as ever you desire to draw nigh to God and to have your faith in him confirmed Vers 5. Remember the marvellous works c. Deeply and diligently ponder both the works and words of God comparing the one with the other that ye may the better conceive of both Vers 6. O yee seed of Abraham c. Do thus or else your pedigree will profit you no more than it did Dives in the flames that Abraham called him Son An empty title yeeldeth but an empty comfort Vers 7. For he is the Lord Jehovah the Essentiator the promise-keeper therefore praise him He is also in Covenant with us and will we not do him this right His judgement are in all the earth His executions upon the Egyptians and Philistims are far and near notified and discoursed Vers 8. He hath remembred his Covenant I Chron. 16.15 it is Bee ye mindful alwayes of his Covenant God ever remembreth though we many times forget it and out selves The word which be commanded The conditions of the Covenant Vers 9. which Covenant be made with Abraham c. Whom hee found an Idolater Josh 24.2 he justified the ungodly Rom. 4.5 And his Oath That by two immutable things c. Heb. 6. Vers 10. And confirmed the same c. So God sealeth and sweareth to us again and again in every Sacrament that all doubts of his love may be taken away and out hearts lifted up as Jebosaphats 2 Chron. 17.6 in the way of the Lord. Vers 11. Vnto thee will I give the land of Canaan That pleasantest of all lands Eâ—â—k 20.6 a type and pledge of heaven to the faithful Vers 12. When they were but a few men in member Seventy souls at their going down into Egypt which yet say the Hebrews truly were more worth than the Seventy Nations of the whole world besides Howbâ—â—t God chose them not for their worth or number but loved them meerly because he loved them Deut. 7.7,8 Vers 13. When they went from one Nation to another There were seven several Nations in that Land wherein they sojourned flitting from place to place and having no setled habitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4.11 From one Kingdome Forced by Famine or other necessity See Gen 10.12 and 20.1 2 c. and 26.1 c. Vers 14. He suffered no man c. So as utterly to oppress them for otherwise they had their ill usages such as was the taking away of Sarah casting out of Isaac the rape of Dinah c. Strangers meet many times with hard measure Yea be reproved Kings Gen. 12.17 and 20.3 Kings and Queens must not think themselves to good to nurse Gods little ones yea to do them homage licking up the dust under their feet Isa 49.23 Vers 15. Touch not mine anointed c. This God speaketh not of Kings but to Kings concerning his people who have an unction from the Father being sanctified and set apart for his
administration whereof Christs Birth-dew that is the influence of his Spitis and his presence in those Ordinances is from the womb of the morning i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue that the dew of the teeming morning is to the seeds and plants of the earth An apt similitude both to express the multitude of Christâ— converts and the manner of their heavenly generation See Mac. 5.7 with the Note Vers 4. The Lord hath sworn c. Christs Priestly Office as well as his Kingly is here described whereof how many and how great mysteries there are see Heb. 7. with the Notes The Church is collected and conserved not onely by Christs Kingly power but also by his Priestly mediation Thou art a Priest 1. To expiate 2. To intercede After the order of Melchisedeck Who whether he were Shem or some other is not easie to determine Melchisedeck was a King and a Priest Christ was more a Priest a Prophet and a King These Offices have met double in some others as Melchisedech was King and Priest Samuel a Priest and a Prophet David a King and a Prophet but never met all three in any but in Christ alone Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand Before Christ was at the Fathers right hand here the Father at his this is to shew the equality of the Father and the Son falsh Hierom. Athanasius by Lord here understandeth the Holy Ghost Others by thy right hand will have the Church to be meant who is promised protection and victory The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battel vers 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs vers 6. pursue them flying vers 7. as Judg. 7.5 c. Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen Do execution upon his enemies as vers 1. whether Kings or Caitives He shall fill the places The ditches of their own camps He shall wound the heads Heb. Head cruontabit caput whereby some understand the Roman Empire with its Image Antichrist with his adherents who are called Heathens Rev. 11.2 Others Turks and Saracens reading the next words Over the land of Rabbab the chief City of the Ammonites who were likewise Arabians and so they make it an allusion to Davids victories over the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 12. Vers 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty Viver paupâ—rem vitem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—st Aeâ—umnas omnes dutisâ— mae militiae perferet Beâ— pointing to Christs state of humiliation as in the next words to his exaltation Or he shall content himself with a low condition here such as was that of Eliâ—â— when he drank of the brook I King 17. Or in the eager pursuit of his enemies he shall drink hastily of the water next at hand i.e. as Gideon and his Souldiers did Therefore shall be lift up the hand Maugre the heads of his enemies he shall rise again reign and triumph and so shall all his members after that through many â—â—ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven Christs and their 〈◊〉 but a drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity they are 〈◊〉 a dark entry into out Fathers house a dirty lane to a stately Pallace shut but your eyes as that Martyr at the stake said and there will be a change immediately Look how the Disciples after they had taken Christ into the ship were presently at shore after a Tempest So the Saints have no sooner taken death into their besomes but they are landed presently at the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at the Kingdome of heaven PSAL. CXI Vers 1. 〈◊〉 ye the Lord At the 〈◊〉 especially for this and the other Hallelujatical Psalms that follow called by the Jews the Great Hallelujah were sung as that and other solemn 〈◊〉 in praise of God for his manifold mercies I will praise the Lord Musica hujuâ— Psalmi insignis est siquis com consequi potuit The great are used in the composure of this and some other Psalms after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet serveth both to set forth their excellency and for the help of memory Vers 2. The works the Lord aye great Magnalia no small things are done by so great a hand Grandior solet esse Deus in parvulis quam in magnis in formic is major anima quam in Elephantis in nanis quam in gigantibus Sought out of all them q.d. Great though they be yet are they seriously sought into and found out by those that delight therein and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them Basil diligently described many creatures and so did Ambrose after him Pliny who was himself a very great searcher in Natures secrets telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Et non duns assecutus sit omnies and yet could not attain to all Our Anatomists find still new wonders in the body of a man c. God hath shewed singular skill in his works that men might admire him But woe to such as regard not his handy-work Isa 5.12 Vers 3. His work is honourable Heb. Honour and glory they all come tipt and gilt with a glory upon them à centro ad coelum This the bruitish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 His righteousness endureth for ever His judgements are sometimes secret but alwayes just Vers 4. He hath made his wonderful c. Memorabilia reddedit mirabilia sua clemens misericors Jehova Vers 5. He bath given meat Heb. a prey Escam demensam as he did Manna to the Israelites to each an Homer so to all his he giveth food convenient for them Prov. 30.8 Cibum petum quae sunt divitiae Christianorum Hieron He will ever be mindful of his Covenant To pass by his peoples sins and to supply all their necessities All his pathes to such are not mercy onely but truth Psal 25. Vers 6. He hath shewed his people c. To them it is given to see but not to others who are delivered up to a judiciary blindness Call unto me and I will answer theâ— and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 That he may give them c. Yea power over all Nationâ— Rev. 2. Vers 7. The works of his hands They speak him a true and just God Chrysostome taketh truth here for mercy and noteth that God usually mixeth mercy with justice yet sometimes he sendeth an evil an onely evil Ez. k. 7. All his commandements That is his promises added to his commandements or they are so called because firm and sure as the commandements of an Emperor Vers 8. They stand fast for ever and ever The promises are infallible good sure hold not yea and nay but Yea and Amen And are done i.e. Ordained made and ratified Vers 9. He sent redemption to his people Once out of Egypt ever out of Satans thraldome He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Sic cum
of Haman yet God was righteous in measuring to him as he had meted to others by belying and slandering so many innocents as he had designed to destruction The devil was and still is first a liar and then a murtherer he cannot murther without he slander first But God loves to retaliate and proportion device to device Mic. 2.1 3. frowardnesse to frowardnesse Ps 18.26 spoiling to spoiling Esa 33.1 tribulation to them that trouble his people 2 Thes 1.6 As the word went out of the Kings mouth Either the former words or else some words of command not here related such as are Corripite velate vultum take him away cover his face And this word was to Haman the messenger of death driving him from the light into darknesse and chasing him out of the world Job 18.18 Nay worse That book of Job elegantly sets forth the misery of a wicked man dying under the notion of one not only driven out of the light by devils where he shall see nothing but his tormentors but also made to stand upon shares or grinnes with iron teeth ready to strike up and grinde him to pieces having gall poured down to his belly with an instrument raking in his bowels and the pains of a travelling woman upon him and an hideous noise of horrour in his eares Job 18.18 20.24 15. 15.20 21 26 30. and a great Giant with a speare running upon his neck and a flame burning upon him round about c. and yet all this to hell it self is but as a prick with a pin or a flea-biting They covered Hamans face In token of his irrevocable condition See Job 9.24 Esa 22.17 The Turks cast a black gown upon such as they sit at supper with the great Turk Grand Sign Serag 148. and presently strangle them Many of their Visiers or greatest Favourites die in this sort which makes them use this proverb He that is greatest in office is but a Statue of glasse Plutarch wittily compareth great men to counters which now stand for a thousand pound and anon for a farthing Sic transit gloria mundi Quem dies veniens vidit superbum Hunc dies abiens vidit jacentem Haman for instance and so Sejanus the same Senatours who accompanied him to the Senate conducted him to prison they which sacrificed unto him as to their god which kneeled down to adore him scoffed at him seeing him dragged from the Temple to the Goale from supreme honour to extreme ignominy Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus â—ertinax Imp. fortunae pila dictus est One reason why the King flang out of the room and went into the Palace-garden might be because he could not endure the sight of Haman any more Wherefore upon his return they instantly covered his face Some say the manner was that when the King of Persia was most highly offended with any man Tanquam indignus qui regem oculis uâ—rparet Drus Sen. Tac. Tull. pro Rab. Liv. his face was immediately covered to shew that he was unworthy to see the Sun whom they counted their god or to be an eye-sore to the displeased King Among the Romanes it was Majestas laesa si exeâ—â—ti Proconsulimerettix non sun movetur high treason for any Strumpet to stand in the Proconsuls way whensoever he came abroad The statues of the gods were transported or covered in those places where any punishment was inflicted That in Tully and Livy is well knowen Iâ—lictor colliga manus caput abnubito arbori infelici suspendito Go Hangman binde his hands cover his face hang him on the Gallow-tree This was their condemnatory sentence Verse 9. And Harbonah one of the Kings Chamberlaines c. See chapter 6.14 with the Note Said before the King Not a man opens his mouth to speak for Haman but all against him Had the cause been better thus it would have been Every curre is ready to fall upon the dog that he seeth worried every man ready to pull a branch from the tree is falling Cromwell had experience of this when once he fell into displeasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speed by speaking against the Kings match with Lady Katherine Howard in defence of Queen Anne of Cleeve and discharge of his conscience for the which he suffered death Steven Gardiner being the chiefe Engineere Had Hamans cause been like his albeit he had found as few friends to intercede for him as Cromwell yet he might have died with as much comfort as he did But he died more like to the Lord Hungerford of Hatesby Speed who was beheaded together with the noble Cromwell but neither so Christianly suffering nor so quietly dying for his offence committed against nature viz. buggery Cromwell exhorted him to repent and promised him mercy from God but his heart was hardened and so was this wicked Hamans God therefore justly set off all hearts from him in his greatest necessity and now to adde to his misery brings another of his foule sins to light that he might the more condignely be cut off Behold also the Galloweâ— fifty cubits high See chap. 5.14 This the Queen knew not of when she petitioned against Haman But now they all heare of it for Hamans utter confusion Which he had prepared for Mordecai At a time when the King had done him greatest honour as his Preserver and near Ally by marriage as now it appeared This must needs reflect upon the King and be a reproach to him Besides the King looked upon him as one that went about either to throttle the Queen as some understand the words verse 8. or to ravish her and this was just upon him say some Interpreters eò quò aliis virginibus matronis vini intulisset because it was common with him to ravish other maids and matrons and hence the Kings suspicion and charge whereof before Who had spoken good for the King All is now for Mordecai but not a word for Haman the rising Sun shall be sure to be adored And the contrary Sejanus his friends shewed themselves most passionate against him when once the Emperour frowned upon him saying that if Caesar had clemency he ought to reserve it for men and not use it toward monsters This is Courtiers custome ad quamlibet auram sese inclinare to shift their sails to the sitting of every winde to comply with the King which way soever he enclineth It is better therefore to put trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in Princes Psal 118.8 9. If Harbonah spake this out of hatred of Hamans insolency and in favour of Mordecai's innocency and loyalty he deserved commendation Howsoever Gods holy hand was in it for the good of his people and overthrow of their enemy and little did this night-sprung-Mushrom Haman that suck't the earths fatnesse from far better plants then himself take notice till now of the many hands ready to
their lives Not one whereof was lost in this hot encounter in this sharp revenge they took off their avowed enemies This was even a miracle of Gods mercy Who would not feare thee O King of Nations c. And had rest from their enemies Or That they might have rest from their enemies who would not otherwise be quieted but by the letting out of their life-blood but would make an assault upon the harmelsse Jewes though it were to die for it so that upon the matter they were their own deathsmen besides the wilful losse of their immortal soules which our Saviour sheweth Mat 16.26 to be a losse 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand Neither was it any dishonour to them to be God Almighties slaughtermen Even the good Angels are Executioners of Gods righteous judgements as they were at Sodom in Sennacheribs army and oft in the Revelation There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactours But they laid not their hands on the prey They would not once foule their fingers therewith No godly man in Scripture is taxed for covetousnesse that sordid sin See the Note on verse 10. Verse 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar On this day they stood for their lives that they might rest from their enemies And accordingly On the fourteenth day of the same rested they i. e. the very next day after their deliverance they would not defer it a day longer but kept an holy rest with Psalmes and sacrifices of praise those calves of their lips the very next day whiles the deliverance was yet fresh and of recent remembrance This they knew well that God expected Deut. 23.21 and that he construeth delayes for denials Hag. 1.2 4. he gave order that no part of the thank-offering should be kept unspent till the third day to teach us to present our praises when benefits are newly received which else would soon wax stale and putrifie as fish I will pay my vowes now now saith David Psal 116.18 Hezekiah wrote his Song the third day after his recovery Queen Elizabeth when exalted from a prisoner to a Princesse and from misery to Majesty before she would suffer her self to be mounted in her charet to passe from the Tower to Westminster Englands Eliz. she very devoutly lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven and gave God humble thanks for that remarkable change and turn of things And made it a day of feasting and gladnesse Exhilarating and chearing up their good hearts that had long layen low with a more liberal use of the creatures that they might the better preach his praises and speak good of his name and that sith they could not offer up unto him other sacrifices prescribed in the Law because they were far from the Temple they might not be wanting with their sacrifice of thanksgiving which God preferreth before an oxe that hath hornes and hoofs saith the Psalmist Words may seem to be but a poor and slight recompence but Christ saith Nazianzen calleth himself the Word and this was all the fee that he looks for for his cures Go and tell what God hath done for thee With these calves of our lips let us cover Gods Altar and we shall finde that although he will neither eat the flesh of bulls nor drink the blood of goats yet if we offer unto God thanksgiving and pay our vowes unto the most High Psal 50.13 14. it will be look't upon as our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Verse 18. On the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth What they could not do on one day they did it on another Men must be sedulous and strenuous in Gods work doing it with all their might and redeeming time for that purpose Eccl. 9.10 On both these dayes they destroyed their enemies They did their work thoroughly Let us do so in slaying our spiritual enemies not sparing any Agag not reserving this Zoar or that Rimmon but dealing by the whole body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Amos 2.1 burn the bones of it to lime destroy it not to the halves as Saul but hew it in pieces before the Lord as Samuel As Joshua destroyed all the Canaanites he could lay hold on As Asa spared not his own mother as Solomon drew Joab from the Altar to the slaughter and put to death Adoniah the darling so must we deale by our corruptions ferretting and fetching them out of their lurking holes as these Jewes did their enemies on the fourteenth day that had escaped the day before Sith we must either kill them up all or be killed by them for as that one bastard Abimelech slew all Gideons sonnes upon one stone so one lust left unmortified will undo the soul And as one sinner so one sin may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 And on the fifteenth day of the moneth they rested So shall the Saints do after death which will be the accomplishment of mortification for he that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and filled with joy Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Verse 19. Therefore the Jewes of the villages c. Pagani This is expounded in the next words that dwelt in the unwalled townes Such as is the Hague in Holland that hath two thousand housholds in it and chuseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe then a lesser City Made the fourteenth day c. See verse 17. while the Jewes in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Mac. 15.36 This day was afterwards called Mordecai's Holiday And of sending portions one to another See Nehem. 8.10 To the rich they sent in courtesie to the poor in charity and both these to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for their lives liberties and estates so lately and graciously restored unto them Verse 20. And Mordecai wrote these things He wrote with authority as a Magistrate say some that the Jewes should keep these dayes with greatest solemnitie He wrote the relation of these things before-mentioned say others as the ground of this annual festivitie Or else it may be meant more generally that Mordecai was the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost in writing this whole book of Esther as was before hinted And sent letters unto all the Jewes both night and farre Propinquis longinquis that they might all agree together about the time and manner of praising God and so sing the great Hallelujah See 2 Cor. 1.11 2 Chron. 20.26 27 28. Psal 124.1 2. and 126.1 Psal 136. penned for a recorded publike forme to praise God among the multitude Psal 109.20 and in the great Congregation Psal 22.22 25. David would go into the presses of people and there praise the Lord Psal 116.18
There the 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 as do their cruell creditors and hard task-masters There that is in the state of the dead whether by land or sea the 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 the miserable captives â—est such as were those poor Christians shut up so close by Barbâ—rusâ—a the Turkish Generall returning toward Constantinople under hatches among the excrements of nature that all the way as he went Turk hist 750. almost every houre some of them were cast dead over-board Such were many of the Martyrs kept fast shut up â—n â—ollards Tower in the Bishop of London cole-house a dark and ugly prison said Mr. Philpot as any is about London but I thank the Lord I am not alone but have six other faithfull companions who in our darknesse do lightsomely sing Psalms and praises to God for his great goodnesse Acts Mon. 1669 1670. but especially for this that I am so near the apprehension of eternall blisse God forgive me mine unthankfulnesse and unworthinesse of so great glory What pitifull hard usage Gods poor prisoners met with in the late troubles at Oxford especially from which death God graciously delivered me when I was in their hands and in the Western parts pag. 38. see Mr. Râ—nas Sermon called Jâ—b in the West where he compareth the enemies cruelty to that of the American Cannâ—bals who when they take a prisoner seed upon him alive and by degrees to the unutterable aggravation of his horrour and torment They hear not the â—ice of the oppressors Their harsh and hard speeches Jude 15. that were as a murthering weapon in the poor prisoners bones Psal 42.10 Send me back to my frogs and toads again where I may pray for you conversion said one of the Martyrs to his raiâ—â—g adversaries Art thou come thou villain how darest thou look me in the face for shame said Sâ—even Gâ—râ—iner to Dr. Tayloâ— the Martyrâ— who told him his own freely Acts Mon. but fairely for the spirit of grace is 〈…〉 Est autem Saranâ— poctus 〈…〉 saith Luthex the divell and his agents are bitter railers fetching their words as farre as hell to breaâ— the hearts of Gods prisoners Psalm 69.20 But besides that they have their cordiall of a good conscience by them 2 Cor. 1.12 in the grâ—ve they heare not the voice of the oppressor nor the barking of these dead dogs any more Verse 19. The small and the great are there In Calvary are sculls of all sizes say the Hebrewes Stat sun cuique dies It is appointed for all once to die Virg. Aeneid lib. 10. be they great or small low or high Mors sceptra liganibus aequat death makes no difference Kings and captives Lords and losels come then under an equall parity death takes away all distinctions William the Conquerours corps lay unburied three dayes his interment was hindred by one that claimed the ground to be his Daniel King Stephen was interred at Fever sham Monastery but since Speed 498. his body for the gain of the lead wherein it was coffined was cast into the river where at length it rested as did likewise the dead corps of Edward the fifth and his brother smothered in Speed 935. the Tower by Richard the third and cast into a place called the black deeps at the Thames mouth The servant is free from his Master Servant is a name of office he is not his own to dispose of but the masters instrument saith Aristotle and wholly his till he please to manumit him if he do not yet death will and by taking away his life give him his liberty his body resteth from all servile offices for a season howsoever and if with good will hee hath done service as to the Lord and not to men he shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance even a childs part Colos 4.24 Verse 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Job hath not done yet though he had said more then enough of this matter but for want of the oyle of joy and gladnesse his doors move not without creaking his lips like rusty hinges open not without murmuring and complaining Good therefore is that counsel given by David Cease from anger and forsake wrath take up in time before it hath wholly leavened and sowred you fret not thy self in any wise to do evill Psal 37.8 Hee shall not chuse but do evil who is sick of the fret David had the sad experience of this when he had carted the Ark and thereupon God had made a breach upon Vzzah David was displeased saith the Text and how untowardly spake hee as if the fault were more in God then in himself though afterwards he came to a sight of his own error 1 Chron. 13.11 with 15.2 And so did Job no doubt when come to himself but here he proceeds to expresse his peevishnesse and impatience yea against God himself though not by name forsan sese cohibens ob bonae mentis reliquias saith Mercer out of his good respect to God which he still retained and calls for a reason why the miserable should be condemned to live since death would be much more welcome to them How apt are men to think there is no reason for that for which they can see no reason Verse 21. Which long for death and it cometh not The bitter in soul long for death those that are in paine or penury are apt to desire to be dispatch'd upon any terms and would freely pardon them they say that would give them their pasport But these for most part consider not the unsupportablenesse of the wrath to come that eternity of extremity in hell that death usually haleth at the heeles of it so that by death whereof they are so desirous they would but leap out of the frying-pan into the fire as Judas did they do as the asse in the fable who desired to die that he might be no more beaten at post mortem factus est tympanum but when he was dead he was made a drum-head of and so was ten times more laid on then ever in his life-time before And dig for it more then for hid treasures Covetousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-daring saith an Ancient and men for love of wealth will dig to hell light a candle at the divel as they say With such an eagernesse of desire do some that have little reason for it all things reckoned long and labour after death not to bee rid of sin or to bee with Christ as Phil. 1.23 but to bee freed from misery incumbent or impendent Thus Cato having first read Plato's book of the souls immortality laid violent hands on himselfe that hee might not fall into the hands of the conqueror Thus Adrian the Emperour having lain long sick and could get no help by Physicians but was the worse for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he complained at his death would gladly have slaine himselfe if those about him would have suffered
form'd to a pitcht battel against him and this was truly terrible for who saith Moses knoweth the power of his wrath sith the apprehension and approach of it was so terrible to an upright-hearted Job to an heroicall Luther upon whom Gods terrors were so heavy for a time In epist ad Melanc ut nec calor nec sanguis nec sensus nec vox superesset that neither heat nor blood nor sense nor voice remained but his body seemed dead as Justus Jonas an eye-witnesse reporteth agreeable whereunto is that memorable speech of Luther Nihil est tentatio vel universi mundi totius inferri in unum conflata c. The temptation and terrour of all the world nay of all hell put together is nothing to that wherein God setteth himself in battle-array against a poore soule In which case that is excellent counsel that one giveth in these words When thy sins and Gods wrath meeting in thy conscience make thee deadly sick as Isai 33. then powre forth thy soul in confession and as it will ease thee as vomiting useth to do so also it will move God to pity and to give thee cordials and comforts to restore thee Verse 5. Doth the wilde ass bray when he hath grasse q. d. Sure they doe not As if these creatures wilde or tame want necessary food you give them leave to fill the aire with their out-cryes yea you supply their wants but for me ye will do neither such is your tendernesse and love toward me Nay ye condemne me for that which is naturally common to all creatures Ye must needs think I am not without aylement that make such great lamentations unlesse ye conceit that I am fallen below the stirrup of reason nay of sense It is easie for you who want neither grasse nor fodder or mixt meat as the word signifieth who lie at rack and manger as it were and have all that heart can wish or need require it is easie I say for you to rest contented and to forbeare complaints But why am I so severely censured for impatient who am stript of all and have nothing left me praeter coelum coenum as he said but only aire to breath in and a dung-hill to sit on not to speak of my inward troubles c. Verse 6. Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt Or can that which is unsavory for want of salt be eaten Hunger will downe with unsavory or unpleasant food though salt or sawce be wanting but when meat is putrified for want of salt and full or maggots it will hardly be eaten unlesse it be in extreme famine it is as if he should say a man doth with no good will feed upon unsavory or loathsome meats how then can I use such moderation as you desire I should my evils being extreme sweetned with no kind of comfort nor seasoned with any thing that is any way toothsome or wholesome that I speake not of your tastelesse and insulse speeches which are no small vexation to me Verse 7. The things that my soul refused to touch c. I suffer such torments even in my very soule as the very thought of them would heretofore have affrighted me Thus Mr. Dioâ—ate Others take soule here for the appetite and so make this the sense Those things which I exceedingly loathed and would once have thought scorn to have touched are now my sorrowful meat I am forced with an heavy heart to feed upon them for want of better and they go down the worse because you vex me with your hard words who have little need of such choke-peares and will not allow me the liberty of a needfull lamentation which yet I must needsly take lest heart should breake and say as before chap. 3. though with some more respect to God the object of my present prayer Verse 8. O that â— might have my request How heartily begs Job for death as a medicine of all his maladies and miseries as that which would bring him mâ—lâ—rum ademptioâ—em â—â—â—orum adeptiâ—nem freedome from all evil fruition of all good By the force of his faith he lookes upon death as the best physician that would cure him of all infirmities inward and outward and of all at once and for ever Job might likely be of the same mind that Chaâ—cer was who took for his English motto Farewell Physick and for his Latine one Mors arumnarum requies death will be a sweet rest from all my labours the same â—o a believer death is that mount Ararat was to Noah where his ark rested after long tossing or as Michel was to David a meanes to shift him out of the way when Saul sent to slay him or as the fall of the house was to Samson an end of all his sorrowes and sufferings hence it is that he rejoyceth under hope and with stretcht out neck looks and longs for deaths coming as dearly as ever Siseâ—a's mother did out of a window for the coming of her son laden with spoiles from the battel As when death is come indeed he welcometh it as Jael did the fame Sisena but much in one heartily with Turn in my Lord turn in to mee Judg. 4.18 and further bespeaketh it as Jacob did his brother Esau at their interview Surely I have seen thy face as the face of God who hath made thee to meet me with kisses in stead of frowns and hath sent thee to guard me safe home to my fathers house And that God would grant me the thing that I long for Or have long looked for Heb. my hope or my expectation as that which will put a period to my miseries and possesse me of heavens happinesse as that which will be a postern to let out temporall life but a street-door to let in eternal Verse 9. That â—t would please God to destroy me That is to dispatch me out of this world and fend me to a beâ—ter A dissolution would be far more acceptable to Job then that restitution which Eliphâ—z seemed to promise him chap. 5.24 It s as if Job should say Take you the world amongst you sith you like it so well I have move then enough of it I am neither fond of life nor afraid of death but the cleane contrary I had rather die then dine and crave no greater favour then to have more weight laid upon me that I may die out of hand Feri Domine feri â—nam à peceatis 〈…〉 Luther once said strike Lord strike deepe for thou hast pardoned my sins and wilt save my soule That he would let loose his hand That now seemeth tied or hound behind him Manus ligata videâ—uâ— quando parcit saith Vatablus God had chained up Satan and strictly charged him not to take away Jobs life but this is it that Job would fain have done Mortality he would account no small mercy he desired nothing more then to be dissolved and to be with Christ he might do it because he knew that his
of this and especially in this book which shewes that we are very apt to forget it A point this is easie to be known but very hard to be believed every man assents to it but few live it and improve it to reformation Mine eyes shâ—ll no more sâ—e good sc in this world for in the world to come hee was confident of the beatificall vision chap. 19.27 Hezekiah hath a like expression when sentenced to die I said in the cutting off of my dayes I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living that is in this life present Psal 27.13 and 52 5. and 142.5 Isa 53.8 called also the light of the living John 9.4 Psal 56.13 I shill behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world Isa 38.11 And this both sick Job and sick Hezekiah tell the Lord and both of them begin alike with O remember Isa 38.3 God forgetteth not his people and their condition howbeit he requireth and expecteth that they should be his Remembrancers for their own and others good Isa 62.6 7. See the Margin Verse 8. Thâ— eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more In death we shall neither see nor be seen but be soon both out of sight and out of mind too It is storied of Richard the third that he caused the dead corps of his two smothered Nephews to be closed in lead and so put in a coffin full of holes and hooked at the ends with two hookes of iron and so to be cast into a place called the Black-deeps Speed 935. at the Thames mouth whereby they should never rise up nor be any more seen Such a place is the grave till the last day for then the sea shall give up the dead which are in it and death ad he grave shall render up the dead that are in them Rev. 20.13 then shall Adam see all his nephews at once c. Thine eyes are upon me and I am not Thou even lookest me to death like as elsewhere God is said to frown men to destruction Psalm 80.16 and Psalm 104.29 they are not able to endure his flaming eyes sparkling out wrath against them What mad men therefore are they that speak and act against Him who can so easily do them to death If God but set his eyes upon them for evil as he oft threatneth to do Amos 9.4 Job 16.9 they are undone Verse 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away A cloud is nothing else but a vapour thickened in the middle Region of the aire by the cold encompassing and driving it together psalm 18.19 vessels they are as thin as the liquor that is in them but some are waterlesse the former are soon emptied and dissolved the later as soon scattered by the wind and vanish away See the Note on verse 7. So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more sc to live and converse here with men as ver 10. Or he shall come up no more sc without a miracle as Lazarus and some others long since dead rose againe he cannot return to me said David of his deceased child 2 Sam. 12.23 God could send some from the dead to warn the living but that is not now to be expected as Abraham told the rich man Luk. 16. Those spirits of dead men that so oft appeared in times of Popery requiring their friends to sing Masses and Dirges for them and that drew this verse from Theodorus Gaza sunt aliquid manes lethum non omnia finit were either delusions or else divels in the shape of men That Job doubted of the Resurrection or denied it as Rabbi Solomon and some other both Hebrew and Greek writers conclude from this text is a manifest injury done to this good man and a force offered to the text as appeareth by that which next followeth Verse 10. He shall return no more to his house Either to dispatch businesses or to enjoy comforts he hath utterly done with the affaires of this world Melanchthon telleth of an aunt of his who having buried her husband and sitting sorrowfully by the fires side saw as she thought her husband coming into the roome and talking to her familiarly about the payment of certaine debts and other businesses belonging to the house and when he had thus talked with her a long time he bid her give him her hand she at first refused but was at length perswaded to do it he taking her by the hand so burnt it that it was as black as a coal and so he departed Was not this the divel Neither shall his place know him any more His place of habitation or his place of honour and ruledome these shall no more acknowledge him and welcome him back as they used to do after a journey Death is the conclusion of all worldly comforts and relations Hence wicked people are so loth to depart because there is struck by death an everlasting parting-blow betwixt them and their present comforts without hope of better spes fortuna valete said one great man at his death Cardinall Burbon would not part with his part in Paris for his part in paradise Fie said another rick Cardinall will not death be hired will mony do nothing Never did Adam go more unwillingly out of paradise the Jebusites out of the strong-hold of Zion the unjust steward out of his office or the divels out of the demoniack then gracelesse people do out of their earthly tabernacles because they know they shall return no more and having hopes in this life only they must needs look upon themselves as most miserable Verse 11. Therefore I will not refraine my mouth Heb. I will not prohibite my month sc from speaking I will bite in my grief no longer but sith death the certaine end of all outward troubles is not farre from mee I will by my further complaints presse the Lord to hasten it and not suppresse my sorrowes but give them a vent I will speake in the anguish of my spirit Heb. In the straitnesse or distresse of my spirit which is almost suffocated with grief I will complaine in the bitternesse my soul his greatest troubles were inward and if by godly sorrow for his sinnes he had powred forth his soule in an humble confession as some understand him here he had taken a right course but thus boisterously to break out into complaints savoureth of humane infirmity and sheweth quantae sint hominis vires sibi à Deo derelicti what a poor creature man is when God leaveth him to himself Mercer and subjecteth him to his judgments Verse 12. Am I a sea or a whale Can I bear all troubles as the sea receives all waters and the whale beares all tempests This as is well observed was too bold a speech to God from a creature for when his hand is on our backs our hands should be upon our mouths as Psalm 39.9 I was dumb or as others read it I should
pieces he rooteth them up and ruineth them Let no man think to prevail by strength 1 Sam. 2.9 sith the weaknesse of God if any such thing there were is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1.25 He will smite his enemies as so many puny-boyes in the hinder-parts and so put them to a perpetual reproach Psalm 78.66 Yea he will not only smite them on the loins but through the loins Deut. 32.11 that they never rise again Let them therfore learn to meddle with their match Eccl. 6.10 and take heed how they fall into the punishing hands of the living God Verse 20. He removeth away the speech of the trusty Or of the eloquent as Demosthenes the most eloquent of the Greeks being by them frequently sent as an Ambassadour to Philip King of Macedony thrice stood speechlesse before him and thirty several times forgat those things which he had thought to have spoken as Tzâ—tzes testifieth Chiliad 7. So Latomus of Lovain that Apostate and Persecutor of the truth having prepared an elegant Oration to make to Charls the fifth Emperour was so confounded that he could hardly speak a word of sense the grief whereof broke his heart The Counsellor and the Eloquent Orator the Prudent and the Ancient are reckoned up as the stay and the staffe the beauty and bulwark of a Nation Isa 3.2 3 These God removeth at his pleasure and for a general judgment causing either them to dye or their abilities to die and decay or crossing their attempts that they shall speak perswasively but not perswade people but be slighted and exploded of all Veracium Yea though they be Truth-speakers so the Vulgar hath it or Trusty as our translation Confiding men as they are called worthy to be trusted such faithful counsellors as Polybius was to Scipio who never miscarried in any thing wherein he followed his advice as the Historian testifieth yet God can remove or change the speech of such by leaving them to their own unfaithfulnesse and inconstancy as we have plentifully experimented in these late discriminating and shedding times And taketh away the understanding of the aged Heb. And taketh the sense or savour or raste of the Elders or Senators that they shall be no more able to discern and determine what is true or false right or wrong then old Barzillaâ— could skill of the Court-meates and musick See this threatned Isai 29.14 Such old men as either were bred Scholars or have had much experience in the management of great affairs are presumed to be of great understanding but God can either take such away as he threateneth to do Isa 3.3 4. or take away their wisedome to render them uselesse to the publick as it is reported of Theodorus Gaza and of Albertus Magnus those great Scholars that for certain years before they died they did so dote and were so childish that they could not write their own names or read a letter on the book Let therefore the Eloquent and the aged take heed they abuse not their abilities lest they forget and lose them Verse 21. He poureth contempt upon Princes Or Nobles or Gentlemen which are or should be free bounteous munificent benefactors if they be not Nedibim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Nebalim liberal but churlish see these opposed Isa 32.5 it is just in God to pour contempt to lay abundance of shame and scorn upon them as sordid penny-fathers ignoble Euclio's poor-spirited men the base brood or rather blot of their better fore-fathers Of out Edward the second it is chronicled that never was Prince received with greater love and opinion of all then he or never any that sooner lost it for his very first action in recalling his minion Pierce Gaveston Daniel discovered an head-strong wilfulnesse that was uncounsellable hence he was slighted by his subjects pursued by his wife and son and at length cruelly murthered Mercer observeth that David hath the self-same words Psalm 107.40 that are found here and verse 24. Neither need we wonder sith they both spake by the same spirit And weakneth the strength of the mighty Heb. He slackneth the girdle of the impetuous that like strong streams in narrow straits bear down all before them So do Souldiers in warre see 2 Sam. 22.16 Job 6.15 But God can loose their girdles or belts which bind their garments and buckle their armour close to them he can dispirit them and make them feeble and faint-hearted as he did Samson and those Assyrians Psalm 76.5 6. By this whole discourse of Job it appeareth that he had very diligently observed Gods providence and way of administration in the several ranks of men and alterations of common-wealths whereby he had learned secretly to admire and adore Gods judgments which thing we ought also semblably to do Verse 22. He discovereth deep things out of darknesse As he did to Joseph and Pharaoh by dreams to the Prophets by visions and revelations and still doth to his people by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 He bringeth to light also the hidden things of darknesse hellish conspiracies as in the Powder-plot the deep reaches of Kings to maintain their authority and compasse their designs resolving to suffer never a rub to lie in their way that might hinder the true running of their bowle Philip de Comines dived so deep Heyl. Geog. and wrote so plainly of the Stately affairs those arcana imperii that Katharine de Medices Queen-mother of France was wont to say that he had made as many hereticks policy as Luther had done in Religion she saw not that God had set Comines awork and that he will yet further bring out to light that all men may see the shadow of death that is the things that are most abstruse and most unlikely ever to have been discovered see Matth. 16.26 with the Note and say Wo to them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord Isai 29.15 The powder-plot was a deep thing of darknesse it was under ground they were so long digging in their vault of villany and a long time it was secreted under oaths and strongest concealments But a bird of the air revealed it and that which had wing told the matter Eccles 10.20 It was a quill a piece of a wing brought all to light by a blind letter put by a providence into a wrong hand the danger was at the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within eight hours of being acted when from a match ready fired we received a matchlesse deliverance Say then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 23. Hee encreaseth the Nations and destroyeth them It is all one with God whether against a single man or a whole Nation Job 34.29 when he once taketh them to do The wicked shall be turned into hell and that they may not hope to escape because a multitude all the nations that forget God Psalm 9.17 Soon after the flood the Babel-builders were scattered
Martyrologue it is reported that having with infinite paines finished that elaborate Work of his the Acts and Monuments of the Church in eleven years space never using the help of any other man Mr Clark in his Life he grew thereupon so leane and withered that his friends know him not Now if sorrow and hard study will so macerate a man what marvel if long and sharp sicknesse and thereby extreme stomacklesnesse cause leanness and deformity And his bones that were not seen But could hardly be felt for flesh and fat now they stick out as in an Anatomy so that you may count them as also the veines and sinewes his body is become a very bag of bones a skin-bottle in the smoak as David hath it Verse 22 Yea his soul draweth neer unto the grave His soul that is His body as ver 18. for Elihu was no Mortallist neither dreamt he of a Psychopannychia He is in the very confines of death and no wayes likely to recover he is free among the dead as the Psalmist hath it And his life to the destroyers Lethalibus malis to deadly evils saith Trâ—mellius Mortiferis i.e. Morbis to those messengers of death deadly Diseases saith Vatablus To those that kill viz. Gentiles multa de Parcis fabulati sunt to the Angels by whom God sometimes destroyeth men as 2 Sam. 24.16 17. saith Piscator To enemies say other Pollinctoribus to the Bier-carryers say the Tigurines and so Beza paraphraseth so that hee stands not in need of any remedy or help of any thing more then of those who should carry his carcass unto the grave Verse 23. If there be a messenger with him An Angel say some but one man may be an Angel to another as Bradford was to Dr. Taylor Martyr who usually called him That Angel of God John Bradford If some Prophet or Teacher sent of God See Judg. 2.1 Mal. 3.1 Rev. 1.20 to the sick man who seeth his face as the face of an Angel and receiveth him as an Angel yea as Christ himself Gal. 4. in whose stead he is 2 Cor. 5.20 bringing the Embassage of reconciliation ibid. then which what can be more acceptable An Interpreter scil Of Gods holy Will who may assure the sick party that it is God who visiteth him in very faithfulnesse that he may be true to his soul that he doth it in mercy and in measure not to ruine him but to reduce him by repentance from dead works and by faith in Christ Jesus c. who may also set him in a course and pray for him as James 5.16 Dr. Vsher tells us that even in the times of Popery amongst our forefathers the ordinary instruction appointed to be given to men upon their death-beds was that they should look to come to glory not by their own merits but by the vertue and merit of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ that they should place their whole confidence in his death only and in no other thing and that they should interpose his death betwixt God and their sinnes betwixt them and Gods anger Serm. on Eph. 4.13 This was right and considering the times admirable This was better then that blasphemous direction they give elsewhere to dying men to say Conjunge Dâ—mine c Conjoyn O Lord mine obedience to all those things which Christ suffered for me c. One among a thousand Vnus è millibus not Vnus è similibus as the Vulgar Latine hath it by a gross mistake such as that Translation hath many One among a thousand he is said to be for the scarcity of such as can time a word comfort the afflicted conscience and speak to the heart of a poor distressed Creature who laboureth under the sense of sin and fear of wrath O quam hoc non est omnium This very few can skill of Luther who was excellent at it himself telleth us That it is a work every whit as hard as to raise the dead to life again Go ye rather to them that sell said the wise to the foolish Virgins and those are rare scil such faithful and wise distributers of Gods grace Isaiah 50.4 as having the tongue of the Learned and being instructed for that purpose to the Kingdome of heaven can comfort the feeble minded shore up and support the weak c. such a choice man is worth his weight in gold and O how beautiful are his feet Angelicall his face To declare â—n o man his uprightnesse Or His Righteousnesse that is Either the righteousnesse of Christ who is his peace or His that is the righteousnesse of his own experience how he hath been raised and received to mercy Or His to clear up to him his spiritual estate and shew his evangelical righteousness consisting more in purpose then in practice in confession of our imperfection then in any perfection we can attain unto It is not so much our inherent righteousnesse in regard of the worth dignity and excellency of it much lesse purity and perfection in it but as it is a fruit of Gods love and token of his favour a signe of our Adoption and Justification and a pledge of our glorification that yeeldeth comfort And this it will do when skilfully made out to a poor soul by a godly Minister and set on by the hand of that holy Spirit whereby the Saints are sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 and 1.13 Verse 24. Then is he gracious unto him and saith If the sick man thus counselled and comforted repent and believe the Gospel delivering himself up to God and to that his Messenger by the will of God Mercy and Truth shall be with him he shall be cured on both sides as that Palsie man was Matth. 9.2 the Lord shall raise him up if it may stand with his eternal welfare But howsoever if he have committed sinnes it shall be forgiven him James 5.15 Both the guilt and filth of them shall be taken away so that he shall be able to look death in the face with everlasting comfort as being made to him â—anua vitae porta coeli a postern to let out temporal but a street door to let in eternal life Deliver him from going down to the pit Tel him from me that he shall not dye but live and declare the works of the Lord as Psal 118.17 Nay say to this righteous man tell him so from me that it shall be well with him and very well Isai 3.10 Redeem him from going down to the infernal pit that is declare that Redemption to him wrought for him by Christ and apply it to his conscience powre the oyle of grace into his broken vessel and assure him in mine name and by mine Authority that I am his salvation Whose sinnes soever ye my faithful Ministers remit they are remitted unto them and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Matth. 18. â—8 Joh. 20.23 But all this ministerially and declaratively not absolutely and out
extraordinary palpitation or as the Tigurines have it luxation Thunder is so terrible that it hath forced from the greatest Atheist an acknowledgement of a Deity Suetonius telleth us of Caligula that Monster who dared his Jove to a Duel that if it thundred and lightned but a little he would hood-wink himself but if much he would creep under a bed and be ready to run into a mouse-hole as we say Augustus Caesar also was so afraid of thunder and lightning that alwayes and every where he carried about him the skin of a Sex-Calf which those Heathens fondly held to be a preservative in such cases and if at any time there arose a great storm he ran into a dark vault The Romans held it unlawful to keep Court Jove tonâ—nte fulgurante in a time of thunder and lightening as Tully telleth us De Divin lib. 2. And Isidore deriveth tonitru à terrendo thunder from its terrour and others form its tone or rushing crashing noise affrighting all creatures At the voice of thy thunder they are afraid Psal 104. which One not unfitly calleth Davids Physicks Verse 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice Conjunctam commotione vocem ejus the great thunder-crack that now is that angry noise as the word signifieth Hear in hearing you cannot but hear it with the eares of your bodies hear it also with the eares of your minds tremble and sin not contrary to the course of most men who sin and tremble not drowning the noise of their consciences as the old Italians did the thunder by ringing their greatest Bells discharging their roaring-Megs c. But what saith Elihu here to his hearers Audite audite audite etiam atque etiam contremiscetis vos vos testes adhibeo as Mercer paraphraseth it out of Kimchi Hear ye hear ye hear ye again and again and then ye also will tremble I take you to witnesse whether ye consider his greater thunder-claps ringing and roaring in your eares See Psal 29.4 87.7 or the lesser rumblings called here Murmur vel Mussitationem vel habitum citra quem sermo non profertur the sound or breath that goeth out of his mouth Aristot Pliny All 's ascribed to God though Naturalists tell us and truly that there are second causes of thunder and lightning wherein neverthelesse we must not stick but give God the glory of his Majesty as David teacheth Psal 29. and as blind Heathens did when they called their Jove Altitonantem the high Thunderer The best Philosophy in this point is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking to us from heaven as if he were present and to see him in his lightnings as if he cast his eyes upon us to see what we had been doing His eyes are as a flaming fire Rev. 1.14 and the school of nature teacheth that the fiery eye seeth Extra-mittendo by sending out a ray c. Verse 3. He directeth it under the whole Heaven Heb. He maketh it to go right forward meaning the thunder the vehement noise or sound whereof not altogether unlike that of cloth violently torn or of air thrust out of bellows or of a chesnut burst in the fire but far louder is brought through the air to our eares with such a mighty force that it drowns all noises clappings clatterings roarings even of many waters making the earth to shake again Lavat and all things tremble non secùs quà m siquis currum onustum per plateam lapidibus stratam ducat And this dreadful noise is by God directed to this or that place under the heavens at his pleasure The word rendred directeth signifieth also Beholdeth whence some interpret this text of Gods seeing all things under heaven But the former sense is better And his lightning unto the ends of the earth God commands the lightning to cleave the clouds and to scatter its flames through the world Lightning is the brightnesse of a shining flame running through the whole air in a moment rising of a small and thin exhalation kindled in a cloud see Psal 18.13 The natural end and effect of thunder and lightning is to clear the air by wasting poysonous vapours The supernatural is to shew Gods excellent Majesty and Might which the Mightiest must acknowledge Psal 29.1 2. to be his officers about him to make room for him Psal 97.1 4. to execute his wrath upon his enemies Exod. 9.23.27 Psal 77.18 19. 1 Sam. 2.10 Isai 29.6 and his mercy toward his people for the humbling of them 1 Sam. 12.18 19 20 c. raising them again to an assured confidence Psal 29.11 c. But that God can shoot these arrows of his so far Mat. 24.27 Psal 77.18 97.3 4. and here yea and that at the same time when it raineth when one would think that the one should quench the other Psal 135.7 this is a just wonder and Jeremy urgeth it twice as such chap. 10.13 51.16 Verse 4. After it a voice roareth After it that is after the lightning it thundereth indeed before or at least together with it but the lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because the sense of hearing is slower than the sense of seeing thus fire is first seen in a Gun Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures c. Horat. ere the report is heard the Ax of the Wood-cleaver is up for a second blow ere we hear the first if any way distant c. And besides as R. Levi well observeth here that the sight of the lightning may come from heaven to us there needeth no time because our eyes reach up thither in an instant but that a sound may come therehence to us in regard of the distance and because the air must be beaten and many times impressed as into so many circles there must be some space of time neither can it be done so suddenly He thundereth with the voice of his excellency Or of his height or of his pride Proud persons think themselves high and use to speak big-swoln words of vanity bubbles of words as St. Peter calls them If they be crossed never so little verbis bacchantur cum quodam vocis impetu loquunter Oh the tragedies the blusters the terrible thunder-cracks of fierce and furious language that follow thereupon Some have been threatned to death as Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar and Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellour by Queen Elizabeth How much more should men quake and even expire before the thunder of the most high or wriggle as worms do into their holes the corners of the earth And he will not stay them when his voice is heard Them that is new flashes of lightning or rain and haile which usually break out either while it thundreth or presently after in a most vehement and impetuous manner Verse 5. God thundereth marvellously with his voice Or God thundereth our marvellous things with his voice Marvellous indeed if we consider the effects of thunder lightning and
cadent damnabunâ—ur at the Great Assizes they shall bee cast and condemned Revel 6.17 For the great day of his Wrath is come and who shall be able to stand If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.18 Surely no where but in Hell their own place Acts 1.25 not before God for he is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult and they chaff or stubble fully dried See Isa 33.14 Not before Christ for he shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance c. 2 Thess 1.7 not in Heaven for it 's an undefiled inheritance neither may any dirty Dogge trample on that golden pavement Revel 22.15 Not any longer on Earth defiled by their iniquities and therefore to bee purged by the fire of the last Day for the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 R. David Kimchi by Judgement here understandeth the day of the wicked mans death and indeed his Deaths-day is his Doomesday when he must take a fearful farewell and breath out his Soul and hope together with the breath of the same dying groan Job 27.8 11.20 Hinc illae Lachrymae hence that loth-to-depart though some set a good face upon it when to dye as Sir Thomas Moore who dyed for the Popes Supremacy with a light jest in his mouth Vespasian likewise dyed with a jest and Augustus in a Complement This was but the Hypocrisie of mirth for Death is the King of terror to a Natural man See Heb. 2.15 1 Sam. 15.32 28.20 Saul at the message of death swooned quite away and fell all along Quantus quantus erat as Peter Martyr phraseth it yea good Hezekiah wept when sentenced to death and the approach of it was to him Mar mar bitter bitterness Isa 38.3.17 he must have his faith at his fingers ends as one saith that will dye actively But all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 and those few that have are not always assured that their hearts shall live for ever as Psal 22.26 and that Death the Devils Serjeant to drag wicked men to Hell shall be to them the Lords Gentleman-usher to conduct them to Heaven as Mr. Brightman expresseth it Nor Sinners in the Congregation of the righteous They shall never set foot within heavens Threshold within that general Assembly that sacred Panegyris ample Amphitheatre the Congregation-house of crowned Saints and glorious Angels Tertullian saith of Pompies Theatre which was the greatest ornament of old Rome that it was Arx omnium turpitudinum a receptacle of all kind of Ribaldry and Roguery Not so Heaven There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Augustin The Irish air will sooner brook a Toad or a Snake than Heaven a Sinner Mali in area nobiscum esse possunt in horreo non possunt Chaff may be with Gods good Corn on the floor but in the Garner it shall not For Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire Mat. 3.12 Vers 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Or acknowledgeth approveth administreth and ordereth all things to their eternal Salvation as may appear by the opposition wherein there is a Rhetorical Aposiopesis Gods knowledge of men and their ways is not meerly Intuitive but Approbative of the good and Vindictive of the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Providence which is the carrying on of his Decree is that helm which turns about the wholeship of the Universe with singular skill and justice Dominus diligit dirigit viam id est vitam omne institutum justorum See Psal 37.18 142.4 Nahum 1.7 Prov. 2.8 with the notes there God knows the righteous by name Exod. 33.17 knows them for his own looks upon them and their whole course with singular delight and complacency they are his Hephzibah Isa 62.4 the dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.7 Verba notitiae apud Hebraos secum trahunt affectum But the way of the ungodly shall perish Their practices and persons shall perish together be done away be lost for ever And why because the Lord knoweth them not unless it be for black Sheep as we say or rather for reprobate Goats Mat. 25. Hence their Souls are flung out as out of the middle of a sling when the Souls of the Saints are bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord their God 1 Sam. 25.29 PSAL. II. Vers 1 VVHy do the Heathen rage Why or for what The Psalm beginneth abruptly with an angry interrogation q.d. What are they mad to attempt such things as whereof they can neither give any good reason nor expect any good effect The Lord Christ of whom David was both a Father and a Figure as here appeareth shall surely reign maugre all the rage and resistance of his enemies who may seem to be ambitious of their own destruction and are therefore in this Psalm schooled and counselled to desist Nothing is more irrational than irreligion Why do the Heathen tumultuously rage or hurtle together Fremunt ferociunt When the Philistines heard that David was made King in Hebron they came up to seek him and to unking him 2 Sam. 5.17 so the Heathen and People that is Gentiles and Jews would have dealt by Christ Acts 4.25 26. The Devil ever since hee was cast out of Heaven tumultuateth and keepeth ado so do unruly spirits acted and agitated by him Dan. 6.15 Then those men kept a stir with the King against Daniel it is the same Hebrew word that is here and possibly Daniels spirit might think of Davids terms John 11.33 Jesus troubled himself but after another manner than these his enemies his passions were without mud as clear water in a Chrystal Glass what was an act of power in Christ is an act of weakness if not of wickedness in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 4.25 The Apostles Greek word for this in the text denoteth rage pride and fierceness as of Horses that Neigh and rush into the Battel And the people imagine Heb. meditate or mutter a vain thing an empty design that shall come to noting Niteris incassum Christi submergere puppem Fluctuat at nunquam mergitur illaratis Dipt may the Churches Ship be but not drown'd Christ will not fail her enemies to confound Some think that by this muttering people are meant such as act not open outrages against Christ but yet in words murmur and mutiny whispering Treason Vers 2. The Kings of the earth set themselves Or stand up as if they would do the deed and bear down all before them The many had acted their part vers 1. and now the mighties shew themselves but go off again with shame enough The Spanish Frier used to say there were but few Princes in Hell and why because there were but few in all It was a
or as a ship tossed in the Sea without an Anchor which presently dasheth on the Rocks or falleth upon the Quick-sands Saul for instance who being in distress and forsaken of God ran first to the Witch and then to the Swords point Save me from all them that persecute me Where the Prince is a Persecutor as in the Primitive times and here in the Marian days many will be very active against Gods people O sancta simplicitas said John Husse Martyr when at the stake he observed a plain Country-fellow busier than the rest in fetching Faggots Vers 2. Lest he tear my Soul like a Lion i. e. put me to a cruel and tormentful death exercising against me both cruelty and also craft by taking me at such a time as there is none to deliver me Vers 3. O Lord my God See on Vers 1. If I have done this i.e. This treachery and treason whereof Saul doth causelesly suspect me and wherewith his pick-thank Partisans unjustly charge me As for Sedition saith Latimer for ought that I know methinks I should not need Christ if I might so say But where malice beareth mastery Serm. 3. before K. Ed. 6. the doing of any thing or of nothing is alike dangerous If there be iniquity in my hands Heb. in the palms of my hands where it may bee concealed If I have secretly acted against my Soveraign Vers 4. If I have rewarded evil c. If I have broke the conditions of our reconciliation or betrayed my trust Yea I have delivered him that c. This was true Christianity to overcome evil with good Matth. 5.44 c. Rom. 12.17 c. O quam hoc non est emnium O how few can skill of this Elisha made the Syrians a Feast who came to make him a Grave David spared Saul and delivered him not without the hazard of his own life Bradford conducted Bourn from the Pulpit at Pauls Cross where hee had cried up Popery at the coming in of Queen Mary safe to his Lodging A certain Gentleman said unto him Ah Bradford Bradford thou savest him that will help to burn thee I give thee his life if it were not for thee I would run him thorow with my sword And it proved as the Gentleman had Prophesied There he sits I mean my Lord of Bath Mr. Bourn said Bradford in his third Examination before Stephen Gardiner which desired me himself for the Passion of Christ I would speak to the people Upon whose words I coming into the Pulpit I had like to have been slain with a Dagger which was hurled at him I think for it touched my sleeve He then prayed me I would not leave him and I promised that as long as I lived I would take hurt before him that day And so went I out of the Pulpit and intreated with the people and at length brought him my self into an house Besides this in the afternoon I preached in Bow Church and there going up into the Pulpit one willed me not to reprove the people For quoth hee you shall never come down alive if you do it And yet in that Sermon I did reprove their Fact and called it Sedition at least twenty times For all which my doing I have received this recompence Prison for a year and half and more and Death now which you my Lord of Bath among the rest go about Acts and Mon. fol. 146◠Let all men bee judge where Conscience is Thus Master Bradford like another David in his own defence Vers 5. Let the enemy persecute my Soul and take it Thus he cleareth himself by an holy imprecation The Spanish Bible hath for Shiggaion Davidis in the Title Purgatio Davidis as the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both Sin and Purification from sin Psal 51. taking God to witness of his innocency and good Conscience and wishing evil to himself if it were otherwise This he did from a good cause in a good manner and for a good end And not as many prophane ones do now adays who taxed though never so truly with some evil they have done seek to justifie themselves by appealing to God and calling for his Curse upon them if guilty who therefore striketh such impudent imprecatours immediately as Anne Averies and others See Mr. Clarks Mirrour And tread down my life Heb. My lives so usually called saith an Interpreter for the many faculties and operations that are in life the many years degrees estates thereof And lay mine honour in the dust Selah Let him brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch and let me lye buried in a bog of indeleble infamy Vers 6. Arise O Lord in thine anger Here David repeateth and re-inforceth his Suit filling his mouth with Arguments for that purpose such as he well knew would be of avail Lift up thy self c. Wherein they deal proudly be thou above them to controle and over-top them And awake for me Sometimes God seemeth to be asleep we must awake him to forget we must in-mind him to have lost his mercy we must finde it for him Where is thy zeal and thy strength c. Isa 53. To the Judgment that thou hast commanded That is promised viz. that thou wilt command deliverances out of Zion Or which thou hast commanded to men in case of wrong done to releeve the oppressed and wilt no◠thou for me great Judge much more do it Vers 7. So shall the Congregation of the people compass thee about As people love to flock to Assizes or such places of Judicature where Sentence is passed upon Great ones that have offended Or thus then shall the publick sincere Service of God be set up and people shall fly to it as the Doves do to their windows For their sakes therefore return thou on high Seat thy self upon thy Tribunal and do justice q. d. Thou hast seemed to come down from the Bench as it were and to have no care of Judgement but go up once again and declare thy power Reverteid est ostende manum tuam esse altam return that is shew that thou hast an high hand saith R. Solomon Vers 8. The Lord shall judge the people The Aethiopian Judges leave the chief Seat ever empty as acknowledging that God is the chief Judge According to my righteousness viz. In this particular Crime whereof I am accused great is the confidence of a good Conscience toward God Such only can abide by the everlasting burnings Vers 9. O let the wickedness c. Put a stop to their rage and rancour But establish the just The overthrow of the one will be a strengthening to the other as it was betwixt the House of Saul and David 2 Sam. 3.1 But who are just The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins i. e. The thoughts and affections or lusts of people Gogitarlonum cupiditatum Junius and accordingly esteemeth of them for Mens cujusque is est quisque and God judgeth of a man according
yet none so profitable as the Sheep who hath Wool for Raiment Skin for Parchment Flesh for Meat Guts for Musick and was therefore in Sacrifice so frequently offered Vers 8. The Fowl of the air These Moses seemeth to have forgot in that discontented speech of his Numb 11.22 but God sent those murmurers such a drift of Quails meat of Kings with their bread of Angels as he could not have imagined or hoped for And the Fish of the Sea Piscis of Pasco Many Islands are maintained and people fed by Fish In Hebrew the same word signifieth a Pond or Fish-pool and a Blessing And surely it is a blessing to any Country that they have plenty and dainty of these good Creatures And whatsoever passeth c. As Whales and other great Fishes which make a smooth path in a calm Sea as a Ship or Boat doth Job 41.23 c. See the Note there Vers 9. O Lord our Lord c. Prius incipit Propheta mirari quam loqui desinit loqui non mirari The Psalmist endeth as he began transported with an extasie of admiration So he begins and ends many of his Psalms with Hallelujah Betwixt God and us the distance is infinite and if it were possible our love and thankfulness should fill up that distance and extend it self to infiniteness saith a grave Divine PSAL. IX VPon Muth-Labbon This was the name of a certain Instrument say some the beginning of a Song say others to the tune whereof this Psalm was to bee sung Montanus and many more hold it to be an Annagramatism and render it For the death of Nabal viz. by a covert intimation and inversion of the Letters So in the Title of Psal 7. Cush Benjemini for Kish the Benjamite This is Parcere nominibus dicere de vitiis Vers 1. I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart This is a gratulatory Psalm wherein David shews his thankfulness Cic. which a very Heathen calleth Maximam imò matrem omnium virtutum reliquaram the Mother of all the rest of the Vertues True thankfulness as one well observeth is here and in the next verse described 1 By the matter of it 2 By the manner First for matter the Psalmist delivereth it in Four parcels Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to come Cipher 1 The acknowledging of God in all 2 A Ciphering and summing up of special Mercies 3 An expression of Spiritual joy in God as well as in his Gifts 4 A dedication of our Songs and selves to his Name Secondly For the manner he presseth 1 Integrity for the subject and object vers 1 2 Sincerity for affection and end vers 2. I will be glad and rejoyce in thee Spiritual cheerfulness is the Mother of Thankfulness Jam. 5.13 Birds when got in the air or on the top of trees and have taken up a stand to their mind sing most sweetly O thou most High God was so first called by Melchisedeck upon a like occasion as here by David Gen. 14.19 20. The Greeks might have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Sun which they worshipped from this Hebrew Helion most High Vers 3. When mine enemies This Tremellius maketh to be the form of praise which the Psalmist professeth that he will sing to God and rendereth it thus That mine enemies returning back are fallen c. And perish at thy presence The victory is of God and to him alone to be ascribed The Romans in their Triumphs presented a Palm to Jupiter The Graecians also thankfully ascribed to Jupiter their deliverance from the Persians wrought by Themistocles and there-hence called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Deliverer Vers 4. For thou hast maintained my right Heb. Thou hast done me judgement Locus hic in signis est saith Polanus this is an excellent place and maketh much to the comfort of Gods poor people that are oppressed by the World ◠the righteous Judge will not fail to right them See Luke 18.7 8. Vers 5. Thou hast rebuked the Heathen c. God first chideth the Churches Enemies by lighter Judgements if these be not improved he destroyeth them Psal 119.21 and because they sought to obscure and extirpate his name from amongst men therefore he puts out their name that is their fame and reputation for ever and yet or for ever and a day as we use to say Ingloria vita recedit they go out in a snuff as did the Primitive and Modern Persecutors of abhorred memory Vers 6. O thou enemy The same whom he called Wicked one in the former verse where the word Wicked is of the singular number q. d. O thou implacable Wretch that wouldst never be reconciled till thou wast ruined which now thou art c. Some read it interrogatively and withall ironically O enemy are destructions come to an end and Cities so wasted that they can never be repaired q. d. So indeed thou hast designed it but art fairly disappointed And the like besel Antiochus Nero Dioclesian Philip the Second of Spain Charls the Ninth of France and other bloudy Persecutors with their devillish thoughts and threats which they could never effect and accomplish Their memorial is perished with them Heb. Of them of them twice for more vehemency The vulgar after the Greek hath it cum sonitu with an humming noyse so that the sound thereof ringeth all the World over R. David rendreth it Memoria eorum periit suntne illi Their memorial is perished have they yet a being any where Vers 7. But the Lord shall endure for ever Vivit Christus regnatque alioqui totus desperassem said that good Dutch Divine upon the view of the Churches enemies i.e. Christ liveth and reigneth for ever setting one foot on the earth and the other on the sea as Lord of both otherwise I should have been altogether hopeless Blessed bee God that he is God was a learned Divines motto Vers 8. And he shall judge the world c. See on vers 4. Vers 9. The Lord also will be a refuge c. Heb. An high tower edita arx wherein men are secured and escape the impressions of an enemy The very Lame and Blinde those most shiftless Creatures when they had gotten the strong Hold of Zion over their heads thought that then they might securely scorn David and his Host 2 Sam. 5.6 7. yet their Hold failed them So did the Tower of Shechem those that ran into it Not so the Almighty his poor oppressed Universal experience sealeth to this truth neither can one instance be given of the contrary Higgaion Selah It is reported of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that living in the Fens and being vext with Gnats Herod Lib. 2. they use to sleep in high Towers whereby those Creatures not being able to soar so high they are delivered from the biting of them So would it be with us when bitten with cares and fears did we but run to God for refuge and rest confident of his help
the same mind might bee in us that was in Christ Jesus c. Vers 16. For dogs have compassed mee That is men of mean rank opposed to Bulls and Lions i. e. great ones and interpreted in the next words the assemblie of the wicked the rude rabble and of rancorous disposition Job 30.1 Prov. 26.11 Mat. 7.6 Phil. 3.2 Psal 59.7.15 Anno Dom. 1556. at Wessensten in Germany a Jew for theft was in this cruel manner to bee executed Hee was hanged by the feet with his head downward Melch. Ad. in vit Jac. And. betwixt two doggs which constantly snatcht and bit at him They peirced my hands and my feet fc When they nailed Christ to the Crosse Mat. 27.35 Joh. 20.25 Where let mee similate saith a learned man the Oratours gradation Facinus vincire civens Romanum c. It was much for the Son of God to bee bound more to bee beaten most of all to bee slain Quid dicam in crucem tolli but what shall I say to this that hee was crucified that was the most vile and ignominious of all punishments it was also a cruel and cursed kind of death which yet hee refused not and here wee have a clear testimony for his Cross which the Devill would fain wring from us by his agents the Jews with their Keri and Chetib See Galatin lib. 8. cap. 17. lib. 1. c. 8. Mercer in Job 7.20 Vers 17. I may tell all my bones Now especially when stretcht out upon the Crosse Quando pendens extentus erat in lignâ— saith Austin Derident maciem meam saith Kimchi They look and stare upon mee Aspiciunt id est despiciunt ut Cant. 1.6 saith Kimchi they feed their eyes and passions with my misery as Luk. 23.35 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Devils disease and declareth a devilish disposition sc for a man to make himself merry in other mens miserie Vers 18. They part my garments among them and cast lots A very clear Testimony to us that our crucified God as they scornfully term him was the true Messiah so long since fore-prophecied of and accordingly accomplished Luk. 23.34 Joh. 20.24 Such Texts as this wee should make much of as the best and iurest evidences of our Christian faith 2 Pet. 1.19 Vers 19. But bee net thou farre from mee O Lord Here hee resumeth and reinforceth his former prayer after a most patheticall description of his so dolefull condition Faith wadeth out of trouble as the Moon doth out of a cloud by hearty and affectionate prayer O my strength God is so to a Beleever then especially when hee feeleth himself weak as water Hafte thee to help mee Who am now in anâ—â—igent and am therefore bold without limitation to request thee to haste away to me Vers 20. Deliver my soul from the sword i. e. From desperate and deadly danger from the wicked which is thy sword Psa 17.13 My darling from the power of the dog Heb. Mine only one from the hand c. as Gen. 9.5 Sic est anima in corpore ut in domo lâ—â—ea nec habet sâ—cium saith R. David here The soul is alone in its cottage of clay and hath no companion That was a mad fellow who gave out that hee had two soules one for God and another for whomsoever would have it If the dog that is the Devill as some interpret this Text lay hands on this darling it will bee found to bee all that a man hath his alonely-soul the losse whereof our Saviour sheweth to bee both incomparable and irreparable Mat. 16.26 Vers 21. Save mee from the Lions mouth 2 Tim. 4.17 David was oft snatcht out of deaths mouth and so was Christ for although hee had his life taken away upon the Cross yet was it as Calvin here well observeth more miraculously and by greater power restored after death than if hee had been delivered from the Cross and it is a greater miracle to raise the dead than to heal the most dangerously sick and to stay the life when it is departing For thou hast heard me from the Horns of the Vnicorns See Heb. 5.7 It is ordinary with David to call his enemies by the names of the fiercest Creatures This here mentioned whether the Vnicorn or Rhinoceros or some other wild Beast See Job 39.9 c. Cornua habet fortiera aliorum cornibus Asperrimath feram appella Plinius saith Aben-Ezra Et audivi qued deâ—icâ—t seipsum ab alto monte super cornie ejus irrupto illo permanente Vers 22. I will declare thy Name c. Here beginneth the second part of this Psalm which is gratulatory and declaratory of the fruit of Christs Passion and Resurrection who is not here ashamed to call us Brethren but doth communicate the Kingdom to us as coheirs with himself In the middest of the Congregation c. viz. That I may not sing alone but in consort with others and be their praecentor Vers 23. Yee that fear the Lord praise him viz. For your redemption by Christs Death and Resurrection Neither are any fit for such a purpose but such as fear the Lord. Excellent words become not a fools mouth saith Solomon Christ would not suffer the Devil to confess him To be praised by a praiseless person is no praise saith Seneca All yee the seed of Jacob i. e. Illi qui diligunt eum All yee the seed of Israel Qui timent sed adhuc non diligunt saith R. David but I like not his distinction for none do truly fear God but those that love him Hos 3.5 Vers 24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction Vel responsionem id est orationem qua est responsio linguae Prov. 16.1 R. David With men a poor mans tale cannot be heard and the answer given to such cuts off half the Petition as the Eccho doth the voyce but here it is otherwise I know thy poverty saith Christ to one of the Seven Churches but that is nothing thou art rich God thinks not the worse of his Suppliants for their meaneness but the better rather Vers 25. My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation where it may bee most publick and exemplary They that neglect publick service for private do but read their own Inditement pray their own punishment I will pay my vows c. My Peace-offerings vowed in my distress these are heavily payed by most people according to that Italian Proverb The danger once escaped the Saint is defrauded See Davids care Psal 116. and elsewhere Vers 26. The mâ—â—k shall eat and be satisfied They shall be well filled at my Peace-offering Feast saith David at my holy Supper saith Christ and in meshall have the full fruition of all good things as at a feast of fat things full of Marrow of Wines refined on the lees Isa 25. Nec copiam hujus saeculi concupiscent nec timebunt inopiam saith Austin here they shall neither covet the wealth of this World nor
fear the want of it They shall praise the Lord viz. At the Eucharist and after Your heart shall live for ever Apostrophe ad mansuetos Emphatica You meck of the earth and seekers of the Lord who have eaten of Christs flesh that was given for the life of the World Joh. 6.51 Your heart shall live for ever And if so then in death it self As Aristotle giveth the reason of the Swans singing a little before his death because generous bloud goeth then to the heart making it cheerful and that thence cometh the melody Vers 27. All the ends of the World shall remember Shall turn short again upon themselves as those Solomon prayed for 1 King 8.47 and the Prodigal Luke 15.17 And turn to the Lord From their dead Idols as 1 Thess 1.9 And all the Kindreds of the Nations c. Christ when he is lifted up shall draw all men to him Joh. 11. the heavenly Eagles from all parts shall fly to this dead but all-quickning carcass and shall feed thereupon Vers 28. For the Kingdom is the Lords The Spiritual Kingdom over the Church and the universal Kingdom over all the World belongeth unto Christ Diod. the eternal God Vers 29. All they that be fat upon earth i. e. Rich and prosperous wealthy and well-liking these shall feed on Christ and be furthered thereby in his service so shall also the poorer sort called here They that go down to the dust and that cannot keep alive c. That is that are low kept and half dead through hunger and misery Vers 30. A Seed shall serve him And be saved by him a remnant reserved for royal use a chosen generation Rom. 9.20 Isa 53.10 Vers 31. Declare his righteousness i.e. his Mercy and Goodness they shall propagate his praise to all posterity That he hath done Or performed viz. the Salvation promised by Christ PSAL. XXIII VErs 1. The Lord is my Shepherd This Psalm may well be called Davids Bucolicon or Pastoral so daintily hath he struck upon the whole string through the whole Hymn Est Psalmus honorabilis saith Aben-Ezra it is a noble Psalm written and sung by David R. Kimchi R. Solom not when he fled into the Forrest of Hareth I Sam. 22.5 as some Hebrews will have it but when as having overcome all his enemies and setled his Kingdom he enjoyed great peace and quiet and had one foot as it were upon the battlements of Heaven Leo. Modena The Jews at this day use for most part to repeat this Psalm after they are sate down to meat God is often in Scripture called the Shepheard of his people Psal 80.1 Ezek. 34.12 14 15. Isa 40.11 Joh. 10.11 1 Pet. 2.25 although non est officium magis contemptibile quam opilionis saith R. Jos Bar. Hamna there is not a more contemptible office than that of a Shepheard Every Shepheard was an abomination to the Aegyptians But God disdaineth not to feed his Flock to guide to govern to defend them to handle and heal them to tend and take care of them and all this he hath tied himself by Covenant to do Ezek. 34.25 well therefore might David confidently conclude I shall not want Non deficiam indigebo destituar The wicked in the fulness of his sufficiency is in straits Job 20.22 Tantalus-like he is ever wanting content he hath none Contrarily true piety brings true plenty and a Saint is never to seek of wel-contenting sufficiency 1 Tim 6.6 for to him Parva seges satis est And he saith Discite quam parvo liceat producere vitam Et quantum natura petat c. Lucan Pharst lib. 4. Vers 2. He maketh me to lye down in green pastures In folds of budding-grass where he feedeth me daily and daintily plentifully and pleasantly as among the Lillies Cant 6.3 that is amidst the Ordinances David here seemeth to resemble powerful and flourishing Doctrine to green Pastures and the secret and sweet comforts of the Sacraments to the still waters where I shall not need to bite on the bare ground but may go in and out and finde pasture Joh. 10.9 such as will breed life and life in more abundance Joh. 10.10 Isa 49.10 fat pastures hee provideth Ezek. 34.14 and fair Coates or Coverts from the Suns heat as the word here used may also be rendred Confer Cant. 1.6 Virgil saith it is the office of a good shepheard Aestibus in mediis umbrosam exquirere vallem He leadeth me Heb. Gently leadeth me beside the still waters Heb. waters of rests Ex quibus diligunt oves bibere saith Kimchi such as sheep love to drink of because voyd of danger and yeelding a refreshing air Popish Clergy-men are called the inhabitants of the Sea Rev. 12.12 because they set abroach gross troubled Brightman brakish and sowrish Doctrine which rather bringeth barrenness to their Hearers and gnaweth their entralls than quencheth their thirst or cooleth their heat The Doctrine of the Gospel like the waters of Silâ—â— Isa 8.6 run gently but taste pleasantly Lene fluit Nilus fed cunct is amnibus extat Vtilior Claud. Vers 3. De nat Animal lib. 9 He restoreth my Soul He reduceth me when like a lost sheep I have gone astray Psa 119.176 A Sheep saith Aristotle is a foolish and sluggish Creature Et omenium quadrupedum stupidissimum aptest of any thing to wander though it 〈◊〉 no want and unablest to return The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib Swine in a storm run home and at night will make to the trough But a sheep can make no shift to save it self from tempests or inundations there it stands and will perish if not driven away by the shepheard Loe such a silly shiftlesse thing is man left to himself But blessed be God for a Christ that best of Shepheards who restoreth the lost soul and maketh it to return into the right way giving it rest and causing it to serve Him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1.74 Hee leadeth mee in the paths of Righteousness Or In plain smooth easie paths or sheep-tracks wherein I may walk unweariably unblameably without cessation or cespitation The wayes of sin are craggy crooked full of errour and terrour leading to those precipices that tend to destruction From such stand off saith Christ to his sheep who are all rationall and will bee ruled by him Joh. 10. For his Names sake i.e. Of his free grace and for his meer mercy-sake Otherwise hee would never do us any of these good offices but let us alone to perish in our own corruptions Vers 4. Yea though I walk thorow the valley of the shaddow of death In the most dark and dangerous places where there is Luctus ubique pavor plurima mortis imago those dark places full of cruelty Psal 74.20 where Wolves wait for mee Though I walk not step thorow not crosse the valley not a dark entry only of the shaddow of death the darkest side of it
sins of thy poor penitents The high Heaven covereth as well tall Mountaines as small molehills The vast Ocean swalloweth up huge Rocks as well as little pibbles St. Paul was for the first table a Blasphemer and for the second table a Persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy saith Hee and why that the grace of our Lord might appear to bee exceeding abundant even to an over flow 1 Tim. 1.13 14. and that the glory of free grace might be so much the more manifested Rom. 5.20 The more desperate was my disease the greater is the glory of my Physician who hath fully cured mee said Austin once to one who upbraided him with his former loose living Vers 12. What man is hee that feareth the Lord This question implieth first a paucity of such as Hos 14. ult secondly the felicity of such as out of a reverentiall fear of God sue to him for pardon of sin and seek to bee made his servants Vatah. Utitur exclamatione Mol. O quanta est felicitas istius viri O the heaped up happinesse of such a rare man David admireth it here and well hee may for hee hath close communion with God and sweet communication of Christs secrets as followeth Him shall hee teach in the way that hee shall chuse i.e. That the good man shall pitch upon God will direct him in all dealings to make a good choice and will give good successe This is not in a mans own power to do Jer. 10.23 But the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Psal 37.23 Hee was a pillar of fire and cloud to the Israelites Exod. 14.19 and carefully chose out their way for them not the nearest alway but yet the safest Vers 13. His soul shall dwell at ease Heb. shall lodge in good Conquiescet quemadmodum de nocte quie◠ci solet even then when his body happily is tossing on his sick bed and at great unrest One being asked how hee did answered My body is weak my soul is well Hee shall be freed from the Devill of discontent and have a blessed self-sufficiency such and better than hee had whom Horace describeth Ephod 2. Beatus ille qui procul negotiis c. such as good Jacob had when hee said I have enough my Brother c. Tremel Godlinesse only hath such a contentednesse 1 Tim. 6.6 And his seed shall inherit the earth Gods love dieth not with the Parents but reviveth in their posterity 2 Sam. 7.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocr◠It would bee a great stay of mind to us if God should say of our Children as once David did of Mephibosheth and afterwards of Chimham I will take care of them and see them well provided for Hee doth upon the matter say as much and more to every Beleever Vers 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him It is neither learning nor labour that can give insight into Gods secrets those Arcana imperii Mat. 13.12 the Mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult these things come by revelation rather than discourse of reason and must therefore bee obtained by prayer Those that diligently seek him shall bee of his cabi net counsel shall know his soul-secrets and bee admitted into a gracious familiarity and friendship Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you And he will shew them his Covenant As having no greater secret to impart to them than by shewing them the Covenant of Grace his good pleasure and purpose of their eternal Salvation to make them know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they may be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes 3.19 The Jews bragged much of Gods Covenant but here they are given to understand that only such as fear God are Covenanters Acts 13.16 Men of Israel and yee that fear God give audience Vers 15. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord I look him full in the face and confidently expect deliverance This he speaketh saith one in reference to the Army that he had sent out to meet Absolom 2 Sam. 18.1 nothing doubting of getting the day For he shall pluck my feet out of the net Of evil concupiscence saith Aben-Ezra rather of my foes those crafty and cruel Fowlers Vers 16. Turn thee unto me Heb. Face about towards me And have mercy upon me There being no such mercy as to have thy favour This is a voluminous mercy For I am desolate and afflicted As all Creatures flag and hang the head when the Sun is eclipsed Misery is an object of Mercy as it was to the compassionate Samaritan Vers 17. The troubles of my heart are enlarged Whereby my heart is sorely straitned so that I can hardly breath Oh hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry R. Obad. Cor vix capax tribulationum mearum Vat. Lam. 3.56 En patet in curas area lata meas all afflictions enter into mine heart as by a wide gate Out of my distresses Where with I am pent up and pinched as afterwards Paul was pricked with the messenger of Satan Vers 18. Lóok upon mine affliction and my pain My griefs under which I groan and labour my concupiscence saith Aben-Ezra against which I strive but prevail not And forgive all my Sin Heb. Lift up take away lay them on the true Scape-goat on that Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World Joh. 1.29 Vers 19. Consider mine enemies for they are many This was to David half a promise and a whole reason that he should be helped sith it was come to an extremity If God but look out of the pillar of Cloud upon the Egyptian Army it is enough for their utter confusion Exod. 14.24 And they hate me with cruel hatred Of their craft he had complained vers 15. now of their cruelty These are never sundred in the Churches enemies as the Asp they say never goeth without his mate See Esai 34.16 Vers 20. O keep my Soul The repetition of the self-same Petition argueth earnestness and is not always battologie Let me not be ashamed rendred scornful and scandalous Vers 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me Integrity of Conscience and uprightness of conversation For I wait on thee viz. For the accomplishment of thy promise That with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright Psal 18.11 Vers 22. R. David Redeem Israel c. In vita vel post mortem means Either whiles I live or after my death This is every good mans care and prayer None is in case to pray for the Church that hath not first made his own peace with God PSAL. XXVI VErs 1. Judge me O Lord i.e. Judge betwixt me and mine enemies not betwixt me and thee as R.
of Hell as it were and doth therefore set up as loud a cry after God as once Micah did after his mawmets Judg. 18. and farre greater cause he had And to the Lord I made supplication He knew that the same hand alone must cure him that had wounded him neither was Gods favour recoverable but by humble confession and hearty prayer Some think to glide away their groans with games and their cares with cards to bury their terrours and themselves in wine and sleep They run to their musick with Saul to building of Cities with Cain when cast out of Gods presence c. sed haret lateri lethalis arundo but as the wounded Deer that hath the deadly arrow sticking in his side well he may frisk up and down for a time but still he bleedeth and will ere long fall down dead so it is with such as feek not comfort in God alone as make not supplication to Him for Him as return not to God who hath smitten them nor seek the Lord of Hoasts Isa 9.13 Vers 9. What profit is there in my blood c i.e. In my life say some q. d. To what purpose have I lived sith Religion is not yet settled In my death say others Diolat and better a violent death especially and out of thy favour Now all beleevers have ever abhorred such a kind of death before they were reconciled to God and had a true feeling of his grace Shall the dust praise thee c See Psal 6.6 with the Note Vers 10. Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me When faith hath once said to God what it hath to fay it will wait for a good answer relying on his mercy and expecting relief from the Lord as here David doth looking in the mean whiles through the anger of his corrections to the sweetneffe of his loving countenance as by a Rain-bow we see the beautifull image of the Suns light in the midst of a dark and waterish cloud Vers 11. Thou hast turned from mee my mourning c. Sustulisti luctum latitiam attulisti See the Note on vers 5. Ver. 12. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee i.e. That my tongue oyled from an heart enlarged may exalt thee according to my bounden duty and thine abundant desert A good tongue that watcheth all opportunities to glorifie God and edifie others is certainly a mans great glory but an evill tongue is his foul shame Basil expoundeth glory by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit or soul The Chaldee Paraphrast Laudabunt to honor abiles mundi The glorious ones of the World shall praise thee O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Epiphonematica pathetica conclusio Davidi ex summis calamitatibus erepto familiaris He concludeth as he began ingaging his heart to everlasting thankfullnesse and therein becoming a worthy pattern to all posterity PSAL. XXXI A Psalm of David made say Vatablus and others at that time when Saul pursued David in the Wildernesse of Maon 1 Sam. 23.24 But by many circumstances and passages of this Psalm it appeareth more probable that it was as the former composed when Absolom was up 2 Sam. 15.10 c. See vers 11 12 22. of this Psalm with 2 Sam. 17.24 27. 19.33 Joseph Autiq. lib. 7. cap 9. Vers 1. In thee O Lord do I put my trust Hic Psalmus varia mixtus magna affectnum vicissitudine insignis est This Psalm is strangely mixt and made up of many and diverse passions and petitions according to the change of times and estate In the time of affliction he prayeth in the time of consolation he praiseth the Lord Ercles 7.15 In these three first verses is little said but what had been before said and is already opened Let mee never be ashamed i.e. Repulsed worsted defeated In thy Righteousnesse And not according to mine own Righteousnesse saith Kimchi or according to thy faithfullnesse Vers 2. 〈…〉 This repetition of his petition is no vain babbling as Mat. 6.9 but an effect and an evidence of greatest earnestneffe as Mat. â—6 44 For an house of defence Where the enemy can as little hurt mee as when I was in the Hold 1 Sam. 22.4 Vers 3. For thou art my Rock and my fortresse Such places David had been forced to fly to but stil he trusted in God Lead mee and guide mee Duc me deduc me A Metaphor from Captaines and Generalls who lead on their armies with greatest art and industry Vatab. Vers 4. Pull mee out of the net That noted net as the Hebrew hath it Nam Zâ— denet at rem notam omnibus saith Kimchi David was not caught in it but the enemies presumed he would be so selling the hide before the beast was taken as did likewife the proud Spaniards when coming against England in eighty eight they triumphed before the victory and sang Tu qua Romanas suevisti temnere leges Hispano disces subdere collajugo But blessed be God the net brake and wee escaped Psal 124.7 For thou art my strength As a tree is strongest at the root and a branch or bough next the trunck or stock and the further it groweth out from thence the smaller and weaker it groweth too So the nearer the Creature is to God the stronger and on the contrary Vers 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit So did our Saviour so did St. Stephen and diverse of the dying Martyrs with these very words most apt and apposite surely for such a purpose But what a wretch was that Huberâ—â— who dyed with these words in his mouth I yeeld my goods to the King my body to the grave and my soul to the Devill Thou hast redeemed And so hast best right unto mee O Lord God of truth I know whom I have trusted Vers 6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities i.e. Idols or ought else besides the living God who giveth us all things richly to injoy 1 Tim. 6.17 See Jon. 2.8 with the Note Vanitates vanitatis Vatablus rendreth it and telleth us that some understand it of Astrology R. David doth so in this Note of his upon the Text Astrologos in cantatores in fuga mea non consului sed in Domino prophetis ejus confisus sum I have not consulted Astrologers and Soothsayers in my trouble but have trusted to the Lord and his Prophets Vers 7. I will be glad and rejoyce In the midst of trouble faith will find matter of joy as extracting abundance of comfort in most desperate distresses from the precious promises and former experiences Thou hast known my soul in adversity God knows our souls best Psal 1.6 and wee know him best in adversity Isa 63.16 the Church thought she should know him in the midst of all his austerities Vers 8. Thou hast not shut mee up c. i.e. Not given mee into their power See Psal 27.12 Thou hast set my feet in a large room So that
chain one link draweth on another so doth one mercy another unlesse we break the chain by our unthankfullnesse Vnto them that know thee to the upright in heart Here we have a just description of the heirs of Gods promises and of the partakers of his peculiar mercies First They must be knowing persons know they must God and his will themselves and their duties Secondly They must be upright in heart for knowledge without practice is like Rachel beautifull but barren or like rain in the middle region where it doth no good A good understanding have all they that do his Precepts Psal 111.10 and such only are upright in heart Vers 11. Terent. Let not the foot of pride come against mee The Wicked do manibus pedibusque obnixe omnia facere that they may ruine the Righteous but God can divert them manacle them shackle them that they shall neither march against his people nor meddle to unsettle their faith Neverthelesse hee looketh to be sought unto for these things Ezek. 36.37 Dan. 10.12 I came forth for thy word saith the Angel that is upon thy prayer Vers 12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen There where they plotted or practised the downfall of the Righteous as Henry the third of France was stabbed in the same Chamber where hee and others had contrived the Parisian Massacre God taketh notice of the very place where sin is committed to punish accordingly as he did Abimelech Ahab the Jews that cryed Crucifie him crucifie him c. They are cast down With a force the Angel of God â—â—asing them according to my prayer which now methinks I see to be graciously answered It must needs go ill with the Wicked when the Saints shall turn them over to God to be tamed and taken an order with And shall not be able to rise Because laid for dead by an Almighty hand The Righteous falleth seven times in a day and riseth again not so the workers of iniquity PSAL. XXXVII VErs 1. Fret not thy self because of evill doers Who prosper in the World when better men suffer many times This made good David sick of the Fret as himself testifieth Psal 73. till better informed and setled by repairing to the Sanctuary Vers 17. he wrote this thirty seventh Psalm for the good of Gods people lest they being scandalized in like manner and stumbling at the same stone that he had done should want direction and so fall into inconvenience temptation and a snare David was old when he wrote this Psalm as appeareth Vers 25. I have been young and now am old therefore should his counsel here given be the more acceptable He might as well say to mens tumultuating passions as once Augustus did to his mutinous souldiers and thereby quieted them Audite senem juvenes quem juvenem senes audâ—erunt Fret not your selves Fret not your selves I say to do evill Be not angry at God as Jonah was or aggrieved as Jeremy chap. 12.1 and Habbakkuk chap. 1.13 as if the divine providence did not justly divide to every man his due demense and do him right But have patience a while yea let patience have line and rope her perfect work as St. James hath it and quiet your boyling spirits with that word wherewith Christ becalmed the raging sea Peace be still God will unriddle his providences erelong and then men shall see the reason of all occurrences and that all was done in singular wisdome Pompoy beaten out of the field by Cesar complained that there was a mist over the eye of providence when as indeed all the fault was in the sorenesse or dimnesse of his own eyes and the twinkling light of Natures rush-candle Seneca saw as farre and said as much to this matter as a Heathen could in his Tract Cur malis bene sit c. But it is the Sanctuary alone that can afford sound satisfaction to a soul thus puzzled as for Philosophicall comforts and counsells in this case Cicero said well of them Nâ—sâ—io quommodo imbeâ—illior est medicina quam morbus However it cometh to pass the disease is too hard for the medicine Neither be thou envious against c. Their prosperity is their portion all they are like to have Psal 17.14 and what is it more than a small annuity for term of life in the utmost part of that large Lord-ship whereof thou art the heir and shalt shortly be the possessour Queen Elizabeth envyed the Milkmaid when she was in prison But if she had known what a glorious reign she should have had afterwards for forty four years she would not have envyed her And as little needeth a godly man though in misery to envy a wicked man in the ruffe of all his prosperity and jollity considering what he hath in hand much more what hee hath in hope Vers 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass Faeneâ quadam felicitate tempor aliter florent as Austin phraseth it but their felicity is short-liv'd this proud grasse shall be mowed down ere long Psal 92.7 if not sooner yet at death howsoever which unto them is but a trap-door to Hell Envy mee not my grapes said that souldier I must dye for them So may wicked men say of their present prosperity which is but like Hamans banquet before execution Vers 3. Trust in the Lord and do good These and the following are excellent means and medicines against the Fret True faith will trust in God where it cannot trace him it will also work by love and by doing good approve it self to be right as it appeared by the fruits that it was a good Land and as it appeared by the coats that Dorcas was a good woman So shalt thou dwell in the Land Heb. Dwell thou in the Land viz. bee content with thy lot not looking at the larger allowances of wicked rich men who the more they have of the sat of the earth the more they will fry and blaâ—â— in Hell Do thou abide in thy station and serve Gods providence in thy particular calling And verily thou shalt be fed Fed like a Sheep under the conduct and keeping of a good Shepherd as the word signifieth Kimchi readeth it Pasce in veritate Feed others with the truth as the lips of the righteous feed many Tremellius rendreth it Pascere fide feed on faith that is nourish thy self and live by it according to that of Habbakkuk chap. 2.4 The just shall live by his faith Some render it Pasce fidem feed Faith sc by pondering the Promises of God which are Pabulum fidei the food of Faith Others Pascere fideliter get thy living faithfully and honestly by thy true labour Vers 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord Whilst others delight in riches and pleasures as if there were no other happiness but to have and to hold no sport unless men may have the Devil their Play-fellow The like counsel hereunto giveth Saint Paul to his Son Timothy 1 Epist 6.12 whilst others
and that is it which maketh the odds betwixt them Vers 23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Heb. The steps of a man for good men only are reckoned of by God Jer. 5.1 so a wife is put for a good wife Prov. 18.22 A bad wife is but according to Lamechs second wives name Zillah that is the shaddow of a wife Now as God chose out the Israelites way for them all along the wildernesse so he doth still for those that are good not alwaies the shortest way but the safest nor alwaies the streightest way but that which most conduceth to their journeys end As therefote Israel in the Wildernesse so must we follow God though hee seem to lead us in and out backward and forward as if we were treading a maze And he delighteth in his way His way it is called for encouragement sake though it be God alone who chuseth and chalketh out his way yea causeth him to keep his Commandements Ezek. 36. Certum est nos facere quod facimus sed Ille facit ut faciamus God doth all our works for us Vers 24. Though hee fall hee shall not be utterly cast down See Prov. 24.16 If he fall yet he falleth forward and if he be cast down yet he continueth not Quum ruit 〈◊〉 corruit Vat. So 2 Cor. 4.9 as do the wicked Ezek. 32.4 whom God casteth into the briars and there leaveth them For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Gods hand is still under his and his goodnesse lower than they can fall His supporting grace preserveth them from utter recidivation His Almighty power from utter destruction Vers 25. I have been young c. Here he recordeth an experiment of his such as whereof Psal 119. is mostly made up and if other mens experiences agree not altogether with his it is no wonder Kings use not to mind beggars Or he might only mean Vagrants according to that Let their children bee Vagabonds and beg their bread Good men may be compelled to crave their bread as David himself did of Ahimelech the High-Priest as Eliah did of the widdow of Sarepta as those pauperes de Lugduno and many others have lived upon almes But seldome or never have good people needed to crave relief of the ungodly Yet have I not seen the Righteous for saken Left he may be for a time as the Lion leaveth his whelps till they are almost famished and have wel-nigh killed themselves with roaring to make them more hardy and valiant but never forsaken no though he beg his bread because God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee The Righteous is never forsaken nor his seed too said Mr. Perkins God may cast godly Parents into want but their godly Children shall surely be blessed Others understand by Righteous here mercifull men who give almes for the love of God and therefore come not to poverty Psal 112.5.9 Prov. 11.24 25. Psal 41.1 See Mr. Bradfords sweet letter to Mr. John Hall and his Wife Prisoners for the Gospell Act. and Mon. 1495. Vers 26. He is over mercifull and lendeth Heb. Every day according to others necessitie and his own ability for to stretch beyond the staple were to marre all But he is ever ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.17 as Mr. Wiseheart the Scotch Martyr Act. Mon. 1155. Ib. 1344. whose charity had never anend night day nor noon saith Mr. Fox and Thomas Tomkins an English Martyr very forward to lend looking for nothing again And his seed is blessed Heb. Is in the blessing that is receiveth grace and communication of all true goodnesse from God and praises good-will and good wishes from men Diod. Vers 27. Depart from evill and do good See Psal 34.14 And dwel for evermore Sine indigentia saith Kimchi without such indigency and poverty as may drive thee abroad and make thee beg thy bread Universall Righteousnesse secureth a man from such straights Vers 28. For the Lord loveth Judgement See Psal 11.7 But the seed of the Wicked shall be cut off See Job 18.19 with the Note Vers 29. The Righteous shall inherit c. This verse hath been expounded before and is here repeated for more assurance Verbatoties inculcata viva sunt vera sunt sana sunt plana sunt Vers 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome Having spoken of the priviledges of the Righteous he now describeth them Tales autem sunt non quicunque nomen Justorum praetexunt c. Such are not all they that pretend to Righteousnesse or can talk of it but that can speak of it fruitfully feelingly and from an inward Principle And as he talketh so he walketh ne dicta fact is erubescant as Tertullian hath it lest his life should seem to give the lye to his lips Vers 31. The law of his God is in his heart He hath a Bible in his head and another in his heart he hath a good treasure within and therehence bringeth good things he speaketh not by rote and as a bungler or as a Philosopher only but by proof and as one that can say I beleeved I have felt it and therefore have I spoken None of his steps shall slide How should they when they walk so exactly and by such a rule Jeremy holding to it durst say Lord if I am deceived thou hast deceived mee Vers 32. The wicked watcheth the righteous See Psal 10.8 9 10. with the Notes Speculatur he accurately observeth looking this way and that as a watchman in a watch-Tower Thus Sauleyed David and laid out for him Thus Jeroboam watched those of the ten Tribes that went to Jerusalem to worship he watched them and waylaid them Hos 5.1 And seeketh to slay him All malice is bloody and there want not those still that carry about Cains bloody club hating to the death that goodnesse in another that they neglect in themselves Vers 33. The Lord will not leave him in his hands For he knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 3.9 as that Apostle could say by good experience Act. 12. when he was inter saxum sacrum as they say Nor condemn him when he is judged Heb. condem him for wicked but clear and acquit him when falsely accused yea when wrongfully condemned Vers 34. Wait on the Lord Bind him not to a day wake not the Beloved til he please Keep his way For out of Gods precincts out of his protection When the Wicked are cut off thou shall see it See and smile look and laugh Psal 52.6 7. See the Note there Vers 35. I have seem the wicked in great power Or Formidable to others first a terrour and shortly after a scorn And spreading himself like a green Bay tree Or Cedars of Lebanon as the Greek hath it i.e. priding himself in his great prosperity Vers 36. Yet be passed away c. The Greek and Latine have it I passed by See vers 10. how soon and utterly withered and
wasted the Fig-tree Christ cursed so forcible is his curse Vers 37. Mark the perfect mâ—n c. As we must treasure up experiences our selves so we must stir up others to do the like There is a wo â—o such as consider not the operation of Gods hands Isa 5.12 For the end of that man is peace Though his beginning and middle may bee troublesome yet his end his after-and at least shall be peace He shall by death enter into peace rest in his bed Isa 57.2 Vers 38. But the transgressours c. Here the end is worse than the beginning Sin ever ends tragically The end of the wicked shall be cut off Their end is not death but destruction they are killed with death Rev. 2.23 life and hope end together Vers 39. But the salvation of the righteous c. 〈◊〉 ut paâ—oâ—i◠〈◊〉 coâ—â—lectar their salvation temporal and eternal is of the Lord so is also the destruction of the wicked as is here necessarily implied He is their strength c. That they faint not sink not under the heaviest burden of their light afflictions which are but for a moment Vers 40. And the Lord shall help them c. He shall He shall He shall Oh the Rhetorick of God! the safety of the Saints the certainty of the Promises PSAL. XXXVIII A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance Made purposely for a memorial both of what he had suffered and from what he had been delivered See 1 Chron. 16.4 Exod. 30.16 Lev. 2.2 6.15 Recordatâ—â—â— autem intelligitur miserie ex misericordia Psal 132. Isa 62.6 63.7 It is probable that David had so laid to heart the Rape of his Daughter Tamar the Murther of his eldest Son Amnon the flight of his next Son Absolom and other troubles that befell him Basil thinks Absoloms conspiracy Ahitophels perfidy Shimeies insolency c. that it cost him a great fit of sickness out of which hardly recovering he penned this and some other Psalms as the 35.39 40. but this especially for a Momento to imminde him of his own late misery and Gods never-failing mercy to him Both these we are wondrous apt to forget and so both to lose the fruit of our afflictions by falling afresh to our evil practices as Children soon forget a whipping and to rob God our Deliverer of his due praises like as with Children eaten bread is soon forgotten Both these mischiefs to prevent both in himself and others for we are bound not only to observe Gods Law but also to preserve it as much as may be from being broken David composed this Psalm for to record or to cause remembrance See the like title Psal 70. and for a form for a sick man to pray by as Kimchi noteth not to be sung for those in Purgatory as some Papists have dreamed Vers 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath He beginneth and endeth the Psalm with Petitions filleth it up with sad complaints wherein we shall finde him groaning but not grumbling mourning but not murmuring for that is not the guise of Gods people He beginneth with Eheu Jehova non recuso coargui castigari Correct me O Lord but with Judgement not in anger lest thou bring me to nothing Jer. 10.24 See Psal 6.1 with the Notes Vers 2. For thine arrows stick fast in me i. e. Sicknesses of body R. Obadiah Deus amatquod sagittat Aug. and troubles of minde Job 6.4 Psal 18.14 the Jew-Doctors say that he had a Leprosie for fix Months and that the Divine presence was taken away from him so that he complained not without cause But these were sagitta salut is saith Chrysostom Arrows of Salvation Love-tokens from the Lord not unlike Jonathans arrows 1 Sam. 20.36 and he had been fore-warned of them by Nathan the Prophet 1 Sam. 12 and so bore them the better Praevisa jacula minus forinnt Darts fore-seen are in a manner dintless And thine band presseth me sore Heb. Thou lettest down thy hand upâ—s me Now Gods hand is a mighty band 1 Pet. 5.6 and the weight of it is importable but that Vna eademque manus c. Vers 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of 〈…〉 This was the immediate cause of Davids misery it came from â—ove displeased and 〈…〉 sins seldom â—â—â—pe better But blessed be our Almighty 〈…〉 who 〈◊〉 health out of sickness by bringing thereby the body of death into a Consumption Neither is there any rest in my bones â—is repetit mere lâ—gentium He saith the same thing twice as Mourners use to do but with an aggravation of his pain reaching to his very bones Because of my sin This was the remote cause of his present sufferings and is the true Mother of all mans miserie Now when these two Gods wrath and mans sin meet in the soul as physick and sickness in the stomack there must needs be much unrest till they be vomited up by confession T is as naturall for guilt to brâ—â—d disquiet as for putrid matter to brâ—â—d vermin Let God therefore be justified and every mouth stopped Vers 4. Sicut aquae praevalentes in quibus erat absorptus Kimchi For mine iniquities are gone over my head So that I am even overwhelmed by them and almost drowned in perdition and destruction The Gospel is post naeufragium tabula and assureth us that God hath cast all our sins into the bottom of the Sea and this keepeth the head of a sinking soul above water As an heavy burden How light soever sin seemeth in the committing it will lye full heavy even as a Talent of lead Zach. 5.7 or as an huge Mountain Heb. 12.1 A facie irae tuae A facie peccati mei A facie stulritiae meae when once we come to a sight and sense of it when Gods wrath and mans sin shall face one another as the former verse hath it according to the originall Vers 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt What his grief or disease was we read not some say the Leprosy some take all this allegorically the word rendred wounds Livores vibices turnices signifieth stripes scarres wailes mattery soares running ulcers the effects of the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty Could we but foresee what sin will cost us we durst not but be innocent That we do not is extream foolishnesse as David here acknowledgeth Because of my foolishnesse In not considering aforehand the hainousnesse of my sinâ—nor the heavinesse of the divine displeasure The word signifieth unadvised rashnesse Prov. 14.17 and t is probable he meaneth his great sin with Bathsheba wherein he was miscarried by his lusts to his cost See Psal 107.17 18. Because of my foolishnesse i.e. Quia non praveni Nathanons confessione saith R. Obadiah because I prevented not Nathans comming by a voluntary confession of my sin unto the Lord. Vers 6. I am troubled Heb. wryed I am bowed down c. Incurvus et prorsuâ— obstipus arroque vulâ—u squallidus
and contemptible people than you are any meaning the Jews with whose stench he was much annoyed Vers 14. Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen Who use to say As base as a Jew as wretched as an Israelite c. The Turks at this day say Judaeus sim si fallam If I be not as good as my word count me a very Jew We use to say As bard-hearted as a Jew Thus is fulfilled that which was threatned Deut. 28 37. 1 King 9.7 Jer. 24 9. Vers 15. My confusion is continually before me Heb. All the day long or every day so as that there is neither hope of better nor place of worse Vers 16. For the voyce of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth Reproacheth Religion blasphemeth God and his people as if hee cared not what became of them and his dispensation seemeth to say as much this reflecteth upon the Saints and maketh them cry out Pudet hac opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli Vers 17. All this is come upon us yet This they alledge viz. their constancy as an argument of their sincerity and a motive to pitty apply this with Hierom to Christians and then it is the voyce of Martyrs Neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant i.e. We have not relinquished the true Religion or revolted to dumb Idols but held us close to they sincere service And therefore if that Heathen Emperour going against his enemy could say Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceres We have not so served the gods that they should serve us no better than to suffer us to be worsted Autoni Philosoph How much more may Gods faithful Servants be confident of his help and say All people will walk every one in the name of his god and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Mic. 4.5 Vers 18. Our heart is not turned back Metaphora à studie saith Vatablus As those that run a race stand not at a stay much less turn back again so neither have we either stopped or stepped backward but advanced still toward the mark having Nondum metam We have not yet attained for our Motto as Saint Paul had Phil. 1.28 1 Pet. 3.6 Phil. 3.12 being in nothing terrified by our adversaries nor afraid with any amazement Neither have our steps declined We have watched over every particular action Gods people are best when at worst Vers 19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons i.e. Gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Desarts haunted by Dragons See Isa 34.13 35.7 Whereinto we are driven in banishment and there hast crushed us and covered us with the shadow of death i.e. deadly calamity Vers 20. If we have for got ten the name of our God i.e. forgone our Religion as Renegadoes denying the Lord that bought us In the time of the Maccabees many revolted to Paganism Daemas forsaking Paul became an Idolatrous Priest at Thessalonica saith Dorotheus Julian turned Pagan Damascen Mahometan as some write Harding an obstinate Papist In the Palatinate when not forty years since taken by the Spaniard scarce one man in twenty stood out but fell to Popery as fast as leaves fall in Autumn Or stretched out our bands to a strange God This Ignatius Laurentius and thousands of those Primitive Christians would dye rather than be drawn to do So the three Children the seven Brethren c. Origen for yeelding a little was excommunicated Vers 21. Shall not God search this out What pretences or excuses soever bee used for the colouring and covering of the same For he knoweth c. See Mat. 10.26 with the Note Vers 22. Yea for thy sake are we kiâ—ed c. q. d. Thou knowest that for thy sake Potes videre hominem morte affici quare mortificetur nescis Aug. Act. Mon. 8â— and not for vain glory or out of pertinacy c. we are killed T is the cause and not the punishment that maketh the Martyr Some suffer as Malefactors rather We are counted as sheep for the slaughter As those Christians in Calabria Anno 1560. thrust up in one house together as in a Sheep-fold and butchered severally See Rom. 8.36 besides those many whose names being written in red Letters of bloud in the Churches Calender are written in golden Letters in Christs Register in the book of life as Prudentius hath it Vers 23. Awake why sleepest thou Considering all the premises stir up thy self and come and save us carest thou not that we perish Vers 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face God sometimes concealeth his love as Joseph did out of increasement of love he retireth but faith fetcheth him out as the Woman of Canaan did Mark 7.24 25. Vers 25. For our soul c. Soul and Belly or body both are oppressed and lye suppliant at Gods feet resolved there to live and dye together Vers 26. Arise for our help Heb. A help for us a sufficient help proportionable to our necessities The Hebrew bath a letter more than ordinary PSAL. XLV UPon Shoshannim The name of an Instrument with six strings faith Kimchi Or Cant. 2.1 2. Steph de urb concerning the Lillies that is the Messiah and his people faith Kabuenaki The City Shusan had its name from Lillies there plentifully growing as Rhodos from Roses Florence from flowers c. Maschil It is not said as elsewhere of David and yet some will have him to have been the penman others Salomon epitomizing his book of Canticles with which indeed it is of the self-same argument viz. Asong of loves An Epithalamium or nuptiall verse made at the marriage of Solomon and the Shulamite As for Pharaohs Daughter diverse good Divines are of opinion that neither here nor in the Canticles any respect is had or allusion made to that match of Salomon with her so expresly condemned by the Holy Ghost 1 King 11. ut perabsurdum mihi videatur illud matrimonium existimare fuisse tante rei typum faith learned Beza Ainsworth rendreth it A song of the well-beloved Virgins friends of the Bridegroom and Bride vers 9.14 to set forth Christ in his glory and his Church in her beauty So when Hieron had freed the Locrians from the tyranny of Anaxilas and Cleophron the Virgins sang his praise as is to be read in Pindarus his Odes which Politian preferred before Davids Psalmes ausu nefario Pind. Pi. 2. like an Atheist as he was Vers 1. Exordium ut vocant floridum My heart is enditing a good matter Heb. Fryeth sicut qua in sartagine friguntur as things are fryed in a frying-pan Levit. 7.9 The Prophet being to sing of such a sublime subject would not utter any thing but what he had duly disgested throughly thought upon and was deeply affected with What an high pitch flieth St. Paul whenever he speaketh concerning Christ See Ephes 1.6 2.4 7. 3.19 The like is reported of
50. Whereupon the Historian cryeth out O deep dissimulation and Crocodiles tears c The wiser sort deemed Andronicus his praysings to be the beginnings of a mans disgrace his bounty his undoing and his kindnesse his death Agedum igitur animula mea cur te diutiâ—â— Excruciâ—s 〈◊〉 Vers 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord Dare tuum vel Donum tuum that is whatsoever thou wouldest have the Lord bestow upon thee cast it first by faith upon him in prayer even all thy cares businesses travels and troubles This David speaketh first to himself and then to others R. Solomon maketh this Gods answer to Davids prayer Spiritus sanctus sic resâ—â—ndit saith he And he shall sustain thee Or Thou shalt have thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy demensum thy due allowance victual thee nourish thee as a Foster-father as Joseph did his father and brethren chepi tappam according to the mouthes of their little ones Gen. 47.12 as Barzillas at this time nourished David at Mahanaim 2 Sam. 17.27 19.32 He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved Or if moved yet not greatly moved Psal 62.2 not removed Hee will establish the just Psal 7.9 Vers 23. But thou O God shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction Into the deep Gehenna saith the Chaldee thou shalt hurl them into Hell from their lofty tops here Blondy and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Heb. Shall not half their days that is shall be soon cut off dye in the flower of their age come to an untimely end Ad generam Cexeris c. either the Sword in Battel or the Sword of Justice shall cut them off or some treachery of men or their own intemperance or Gods immediat hand shall make an end of them betimes and before they come to the full age of a man or before they have effected their evil designs Luther rendreth it Non dimidiabunt negotia or before they are in fit case to dye Tempore non suo Eccles 7.17 then when it were better for them to do any thing than to dye Our Richard 3. and Queen Mary reigned the shortest while of any other since the Conquest Charls the Ninth of France that bloudy Prince dyed young of a bloudy Disease c. Absolom and Abitophel came to Tragical and unhappy ends so did all the Primitive Persecutors those cruel-crafties But I will trust in thee For safety here and for Salvation hereafter PSAL. LVI VPon Jonath Elens Rechakim Meaning himself who had wished before the wings of a Dove Fatua columba Hos 7.11 Psal 55.6 and was now the Dove of dumbness among Foreiners Philistines those ravenous Hawks that were ready to seize and tear him Dumb he was fain to feign himself and worse amongst them See Psal 34. the title 1 Sam. 21.17 c. and therein was more of the Serpent than of the Dove Michtam of David Davidi insigne aureolum Davids Jewel or golden ingot See Psal 16. title This Michtam he made likely as also Psal 34. when gotten away from Gath he came into the Cave of Adullam 1 Sam. 22.1 Carmina secessum scribentis otia quaerunt Vers 1. Be mercifull unto me O God for man would swallow me up Soop me up as the Hebrew word soundeth make but one draught of mee or suck mee in as a Whirlpool swallow mee up as a ravenous wild Beast The Devil is said to seek whom he may swallow down 1 Pet. 5.8 at a gulp as it were and his Imps are as greedy but that they are gagg'd by God The man here mentioned is Ishbibenob the brother of Goliah saith the Chaldee but they do better who understand it of Saul and his complices He fighting daily oppresseth me Pliny saith of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting The like do Satan and his Instruments Vers 2. Mine enemies or observers would daily swallow me up Anhelant observatores mei To set forth the indignity of the thing he repeateth the same sentence again in the plural number noting that there were not a few of them bitterly bent by might and main to mischief him a poor forlorn friendless man For there be many that fight against me O thou most High Or though there be many that fight for me from on high that is the Angels as Aben-Ezra rendreth and senseth the Text. Vers 3. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee This was bravely resolved Quid timet hominem homo in sinn Dei positus Faith quelleth and killeth distructful fear but awful dread it breedeth feedeth fostereth and cherisheth Vers 4. In God I will praise his Word Having placed my confidence in God I will take his bare word for my security He hath promised to make mee King 1 Sam. 16.13 and he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail or alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Psal 89.33 the Word of God cannot bee broken John 5.35 David once doubted of it but hee soon took himself up for halting Psal 116.11 I will not fear what flesh can do unto me Flesh is terminus diminuens what can proud flesh do against the God of the spirits of all flesh Man is but despicable flesh at the best Vers 5. Every day they wrest my words Or my matters they distort and pervert every thing I say or do from the true intention and all to make a Traitour of me That I carried my self wisely in the Court valiantly in the Field faithfully toward Jonathan cautelously for the safe-guard of mine own life shifting as I could from one place to another all this they say was done out of affectation of the Kingdom and as seeking Sauls death So they dealt by our Saviour in the Gospel taking that with the left hand which he tendered with the right and many times marring a good Text by an ill Gloss put upon it So Simon the Loper served that good Woman who made an Ewer of her eyes and a Towel of her hair Luke 7.34 Men should interpret every thing the best way and not as Logicians do Sequi partem deteriorem All their thoughts c. See the Note on vers 1. Vers 6. They gather themselvee together They convene and combine to do me mischief and should not Gods people meet often together to counterplot such Malignants and to pray them down Apol. advers gentes cap. 39 Num. 520. Cum boni cum probi coeunt cum pii cum casti congregantur non est factio dicenda sed curia Et è contrario illis nomen factionis accommodandum est qui in odium bonorum proborum conspirant saith Tertullian They mark my steps They spy and pry into my practices that they may take any advantage this calls for careful and exact walking 1 Pet. 2.21 Heb. 12.13 Vers 7. Shall they escape by iniquity q. d. No let them never think it their sin will surely
her that is for his Church or for her that tarried at home vers 12. a periphrasis of the Church in the times of primitive persecution especially till the Almighty scattered those persecuting Princes Some of the Jew-Doctors understand it of Gog and Magog It was white as snow in Salmon Or She was white as snow in Salmon not only as the wings of a Dove but glorious and glittering as snow on that high hill Judg. 9.47 48. At the top of the Alpes nothing is to bee seen but snow which hath lain there beyond the memory of man and as some say ever since the flood The same may be as true of Salmon which some here take for a Noun substantive common and render its albe sees in â—â—ligine thou shalt wax white in darknesse The old Emperour Andronicus lighting upon this verse in his Psalter and applying it to himself Turk hist fol. 164. was much setled and sastisfied concerning his troubles Vers 15. The Hill 〈◊〉 God is as the hill of Basan Basan was fat and fettile but Sion was better because the place where Gods honour dwelled any relation to whom dâ—th greatly ennoble any place or person so Gen. 17.21 22 Israel have blessed twelve Princes shall he beget but my covenant will I establish with Isâ—â—â— Since thou hast been precious in my sight thou hast been honourable Isa 4â— â— Vers 16. Why leap ye ye high bills Why do ye pride and please your selves in your privileges of nature so faire above this of 〈◊〉 Quare 〈…〉 so some render it and tell us that the originall word 〈◊〉 is Syriack 〈…〉 to irritate to insult or contend with any one This is the Hill which God desireth to 〈◊〉 in This 〈…〉 and doth still of the Church from the rest of the World The Lamb Christ is on Mount Sion Revel 14.1 Vers 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand Heb. The Chariot to note the joynt-service of all the Angels who are here called Shinan of their changeableness now taken away by Christ say some of their precellency above other Creatures say others as being second or next unto God the chief Princes the Nobles of that Court as Dan. 10.13 Michael one of the chief Princes The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheerful ones such as are in joy and tranquillity freely serving God in all his Warres carrying the Elect and marching about them The Lord is among them as in Sinai i.e. The Angels make Sion as dreadful to all her enemies as those Angels made Sinai at the delivery of the Law See Heb. 12.22 In the holy place Holy for the time whilst God appeared there so 2 Pet. 1.18 Tabor is called the holy Mount Vers 18. Thou hast ascended on high As a Conquerour doth on his triumphal Chariot the Romans ascended up to the Capitol Plut. in Aemyl leading their Captives bound behind them and giving gifts unto the people They might have this custom from David and these words might be the peoples acclamation to David or as some think both the Kings and peoples acclamation to the Ark that notable Type of Christ to whom St. Paul applieth it Ephes 4.8 9. and teacheth us to understand it of his wonderful Ascension Thou hast led captivity captive i.e. Thou hast captivated those that once held us in captivity for so Gods justice required Isa 33.1 so he had fore-promised Isa 24. Rev. 13.10 and so Christ hath fulfilled Coloss 2.15 saving his people to the uttermost from Sin Death Hell and the Devil who had taken them alive captive at his pleasure 2 Tim. 2.26 Thou hast received gifts for men Heb. In man some render it in Adam Qualia erant in Adams talia dat Christus saith Eugubinus Christ gave such gifts to his people for if he received with one hand he gave with the other Sed Beth servilis non praeponitur proprio nomini and the fruits of his Victories are all for his Subjects as were in Adam True it is that hee repaireth Gods once-lost Image in them but the gifts here meant are mentioned by the Apostle Ephes 4 11. viz. Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edyfying of the body of Christ c. Lo these were those gifts that Christ bestowed upon his Church at the day of his Coronation and solemn inauguration into his Throne at the time of his triumphant Ascension These he received that he might give and he held it more blessed to give than to receive A like expression wee have Hos 14.2 Receive us graciously Heb. Take good sc to bestow it upon us as Acts 2.23 Yea for the rebellious also Rebellion at first till thou hast given them a better heart See Rom. 4.5 5.6 or if they continue so yet they may share in common gifts and external priviledges That the Lord God might dwell among them viz. in his religion and true worshippers for which end he giveth restraining grace to the very rebellious Vers 19. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us sc With blessings or with crosses turned into blessings as being sanctified and having their properties altered for of themselves they are fruits of sin and a peece of the Curse Let us not load him with our iniquities c. Vers 20. He that is our God is the God of Salvation Or This God is unto us a God of Salvations in the Plural so that he can save us and doth from a thousand deaths and dangers and when he hath delivered us to day he both can and will do it again to morrow he hath for his people omnimodam salutem And unto God the Lord belong the issues from death When we think there is no way but one for us he appeareth as out of an Engin and pulleth us out of Deaths jaws The Lord knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 from the most desperate and deadly dangers Peter might well say it for he had the experience of it Acts 12. Christ hath the Keys of death Rev. 1.18 the sole dominion and disposal of it 〈…〉 mortis Vers 21. But God shall wound the 〈◊〉 of his enemies 〈◊〉 caput a wound in the head if deep and God strikes no small blows is mortal Christ will break the head of those that bruise his heel that attempt any thing against Him and his By Head here Diodate understandeth the Devil that Prince of the World Deut. 32.42 Psal 110.6 Hab. 3.13 Evil spirits in Scripture are called Shegnirim shag-haired Levit. 17.7 Isa 13.21 And they go on in their trespasses they do infinitely hate God and sin that sin against the Holy Ghost every moment But the most understand it of wicked men And the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still c. This is Gods enemy that by his wilful wickedness striketh and as it were shooteth at God runneth upon him even upon his neck and upon the thick bosses
his prime and pride Thou hast covered him with shame Selah Thou hast wrapped him up in the winding-sheet of shame Lord this is true Vers 46. How long Lord c. Here faith prevaileth against flesh and falleth a praying and at length a praising God Vers 47. Remember how short See Psal 39.5 Wherefore hast thou c. As thou mayest seem to have done unlesse they may chearfully serve thee and enjoy thee Vers 48. What man is he that liveth c q. d. Sith dye we must let us live while we may to some good purpose Selah q.d. Mark it and meditate well and oft on this savoury subject Vers 49. Lord where are c. q. d. Thou seemest to have lost them and we would fain find them again for thee Vers 50. Remember Lord Thou seemest to have forgotten us and our sufferings and we would fain remind thee Verse 51. The fool steps of thine anointed Heb. The heels or foot-soles that is his doings and sufferings The Chaldee and others render it tarditates mor as Christi tui the delayes of thy Christ in comming whom therefore they twit us with velut tar digradum vel loripedem claudum and say where is the promised Messiah Vers 52. Blessed be the Lord c. sc For a Christ or for adversity as well as for prosperity and this not formally and slightly but earnestly and with utmost affection Amen and amen PSAL. XC A Prayer of Moses Made by him belike when he saw the carkasses of the people fall so fast in the wildernesse committed to writing for the instruction of those that were left alive but sentenced to death Numb 14. and here fitly placed as an illustration of that which was said in the precedent Psalm Vers 48. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Vers 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place In all our troubles and travels thorough this wildernesse and before we have not been houselesse and harbourlesse Maon habitaculum tutum for Thou hast been our dwelling-place our habitacle of refuge as some render it We use to say A mans house is his castle The civile-law saith De domo sua nemo extrahi debet aut in jus vocari quia domus tutissimum cuique resugium atque receptaculum No man ought to be drawn out of his house at the sute of another because his house is his safest refuge and receptacle He that dwelleth in God cannot bee unhoused because God is stronger than all neither can any one take another out of his hands Joh. 10. Here then it is best for us to take up as in our mansion-house and to seek a supply of all our wants in God alone It was a witty saying of that learned Picus Mirandula God created the Earth for beasts to inhabit the Sea for fishes the Air for fouls the Heaven for Angels and stars Man therefore hath not place to dwell and abide in but the Lord alone See Ezek. 11.16.2 Cor. 6.8 9 10. Vers 2. Before the Mountains were brought forth And they were made at the creation not cast up by the Flood as some have held Moses first celebrateth Gods eternity Eccles 7.14 and then setteth forth mans mortality that the one being set over against the other as Solomon speaketh in another case God may be glorified and man comforted which is the main end of the holy Scriptures Rom. 15.4 and far beyond those consolatiunculae ◠Philosophicae Vers 3. Thou turnest man to destruction Ad minutissimum quiddam so Beza rendreth it to a very small businesse to dust and powder Others ad contritionem vel contusionem by turning loose upon him diverse diseases and distresses thou turnest him out of the World Eccles 1.13 And generally thou layest of all and singular sons of men Return ye Your bodies to the earth according to the decree Gen. 3.17 18 19. your souls to God that gave them Eccles 12.7 And here the course of mans life is compared saith One to a race in a Tilt or Turney where we soon run to the end of the race as it were and then return back again Intelligit Moses vit am humanam similem osse gyro saith Another Mans life is compared to a ring or round we walk a short round and then God gathers us in to himself One being asked what Life was made an answer answerless for he presently turned his back and went his way We fetch here but a turn and God saith Return yee Children of men This some make to be an irony as if God should say Live again if yee can Some apply it to the Resurrection others to Mortification and Vivification Vers 4. For a thousand years in thy sight c. q. d. Live men a longer or shorter space Serius aut citius thou endest their days and in comparison of thine Eternity Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus it is a small space of time that the longest liver hath upon earth 2 Pet. 3.8 Psal 39.5 Non multum sane abest à nihilo Some would hence inferre that the Day of Judgement shall last a thousand years sides sit penes authores When it is passed We judge better of the shortness of time when it is past And as a watch in the night Which is but three hours space for Souldiers divide the Night into four Watches and our life is full of the darkness of errour and terrour Vers 5. Thou carryest them away as with a floud Suddenly violently irresistibly by particular Judgements besides that general necessity of dying once Heb. 9.27 This is set forth by a treble comparison of Flouds Sleep and Flowers here and indeed the vanity and misery of mans life is such as cannot sufficiently be set forth by an similitudes See Vers 9 10. They are like a sleep Or dream the dream of a shadow saith Pindarus the shadow of smoke saith another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are as grass An ordinary comparison Isa 40.6 Jam. 1. Vers 6. In the morning it flourisheth So doth man in his prime and vigour his bones full of marrow his brests of milk In the evening it is cut down So is man by Deaths mortal Sythe which moweth down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the Field In the evening grass will cut better and the Mowers can better work at it Vers 7. For we are consumed by thine anger Justly conceived for our sins ver 8. this is a cause of death that Philosophy discovereth not as being blinde and not able to see farre off and therefore cannot prescribe any sufficient remedy against the fear of death such as is here set down vers 12. but such as made Tully complain that the Disease was too hard for the Medicine and such as left men either doubtful Socrates for instance or desperate and devoyd of sense as Petronius in Tacitus Qui in ipsis atriis
see He saith formeth because there are many formes or species in the eye continually and as the optick vertue in thy eye seeth all and is seen of none so doth God much more All Davids wayes were in Gods sight all Gods lawes in Davids sight Psal 119.168 Vers 10. He that chastiseth the Heathen shall not he correct Qui totis gentibus non parcit vos non redarguet He that punisheth prophane Nations that know him not shall he spare you Amos 3.2 Shall not tribulation and anguish be upon the Jew first Rom. 2.9 The Chaldee thus paraphraseth He that gave a law to his people shall he not punish them when they transgresse it He that teacheth man knowledge Shall not be know is to be supplied to make sense The Psalmist seemeth so displeased at mens doubting or denying of this that he could not perfect his sentence through passion of mind Some causes indeed do give that which themselves have not as the lifelesse heaven inliveneth the dull whetstone sharpeneth But here it is far otherwise and woe be to such as act not accordingly Isa 29.15 Vers 11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity Or worse that they are ever weaving spiders webs or else hatching Cockatrice eggs Isa 59.5 This sentence St. Paul allegeth against the Worlds wizzards 1 Cor. 3.20 who the wiser they were the vainer they were Rom. 1.21 As Austin writing to a man of great paris saith Ornari abste Diabolus quarit the Devill would fain bee tricked up by thee Vers 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest c. And thereby effectest that his vain thoughts lodge not within him Jer. 4.14 but that the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to thee c. Isa 55.7 Feri Domine feri said Luther strike whiles thou pleasest Lord only to thy correction adde instruction Vt quod noceat doceat See my Love-tokens And teachest him out of thy law Lashing him but withall lessoning him ut resipiscat serviat tibi corde perfecto saith Kimchi here that he may repent and serve thee with an upright heart for which purpose affliction sanctified is of singular use Crux voluntat is Dei schola morum disciplina felicitatis meditatorium gau dii Spiritus sancti officina breviter bonorum omnium thesaurus saith Brentius on Job 33.16 Vers 13. That thou mayest give him rest Here usually but hereafter certainly Mors arumnarum requies was Chaucers Motto those that dye in the Lord shall rest from their labours Mean-while they are chastened of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 Vntill the pit be digged for the wicked Untill the cold grave hold his body and hot Hell hold his soul Vers 14. For the Lord will not cast off his people Though he cast them into the furnace of affliction The wicked he bringeth into misery and there leaveth them to come off as they can Ezek. 22.20 29.5 Not so the Saints Zach. 13.9 Isa 43.2 Heb. 13.5 Nor for sake his inheritance Because His. Senecai Patriam quivis ama 〈◊〉 quia pulchram sed quia suam All love their own Vers 15. But judgement shall return unto Righteousness All shall be set to rights and every one have his due according to Rom. 2.6 7 8 9 10. if not sooner yet at the day of judgement without fail Some give this sense severity shall be changed into mercy the rigour of the law to the clemency of the Gospel Others thus judgement shall return to Righteousness that is to its own place licet defertur judicium non aufertur And all the upright in heart shall follow it viz. In their affections they are carried out after it earnestly desiring that dear day when God will unriddle his providences and clear up his proceedings with the sons of men Some read shall follow him that is God being brought home to him by their afflictions they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Not so every loose ungirt Christian or profligate professor Vers 16. Who will rise up for mee q.d. But a very few fast friends find I at Court Jonathan excepted Some there are that will sprinkle mee with Court-holy-water as they say give glozing speeches but 't is little that they will do and yet lesse that they will suffer for mee Faithfull friends saith One are gone on pilgrimage and their return is uncertain Vers 17. Except the Lord had been my help He loveth to help at a pinch he usually reserveth his hand for a dead lift See 2 Tim. 4.16 17. My soul had almost dwelt in silence i.e. In the dark cloisters of death The Greek and Latin Translators render it In Hell Vers 18. when I said my foot slippeth I stand on a precipice and shall be down Hypotyposis est Thy mercy O Lord held mee I have subsisted meerly by a miracle of thy mercy by a prop of thine extraordinary pitty and patience Vers 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within mee My perplexed intricated insnarled intertwined as the branches of a tree cogitations and ploddings upon my daily sufferings when I know not what to think or which way to take to Thy comforts delight my soul The Beleever is never without his cordiall he hath comforts that the World wots not of The good Lantgrave of Hessen being held prisoner for a long time together by Charles the fift Emperour said that he could never have held it out so but that he felt the divine consolations of the Martyrs August Martyr etiam in catena gaudet c. saith Austin Crux inunct a est saith Bernard Godlinesse hath many crosses and as many comforts like as Egypt hath many venemous Creatures but withall many Antidotes against them Vers 20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee Shall Tyrants and Oppressours who do exercise regiment without righteousness intitle thee to their wicked proceedings and go unpunished See Isa 36.10 with 37.36 the Throne or Tribunal is called The holy place Eccles 8.10 wo then to those that pollute it Which frameth mischief by a Law As did the Primitive Persecutors with their bloudy Edicts against Christians and the Popish Bishops or whose Laws that of Politian was verified Inventum Actiae dicuntur jura Draconis Vers est fama nimis nil nisivir us habent Some render it Praeter vel contra legem beside or against Law Vers 21. They gather together Heb. Run by troops as Theeves do Against the soul Which they would gladly destroy if it lay in their power This the Popish persecutors oft attempted but God hath better provided Mat. 10.28 Vers 22. But the Lord is my defence Heb. My high place where I am set out of their reach Vers 23. And he shall bring upon them c. See Psal 7.15 16. PSAL. XCV VErs 1. O come let us sing unto the Lord It is thought by this beginning that this Psalm was not
and a type of Christ the great Mediator of his Church Aben-Ezra calleth him Cohen baccoâ—aniâ—â— the Priest of Priests And Philo writing his life concludeth This was the life and death of Moses the King the Lawgiver the prophet and the chief Priest And Samuel A man that could do much with God like wise Jer 15.1 and is therefore as some conceive called Pethuel that is a perswader of God Joel 1.1 Alsted Vers 7. They kept his testimonies And so shewed that they called upon God with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 Vers 8. Thou wast a God c. A sin pardoning God Neb. 5â— 17 So thou wast to them under the Law so thou wilt be to those under the Gospel Though thou tookest c. Though Moses might noâ— enter for his unbeleef and Samuel smarted for indulging his sonâ— Vers 9. Exalt the Lord Versus amaelaus See Vers 5. PSAL. C. A Psalm of prcise Suavis gravis short and sweet appointed likely to be sung at the Thank-offerings quando pacifica erant offerende say the Italian Levit. 7. â—â— and Spanish annotators See vers 4. Enter with Thanks-giving or with Thank-sacrifice Vers 1. All ye lands Both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 15.10 11. for your common salvation Vers 2. Serve the Lord with gladness The Caâ—balists have a Proverb The Holy Ghost singeth not but out of a glad heart Cheerfulness is much called for in both Testaments God loveth a cheerful server Vers 3. Know ye that the Lord he is God Be convinced of it ye Heathens whose fantasies have forged false gods and ye Jews acknowledge the true God to be Three in One and One in Three It is he that hath mode us And new made us for we are his workmanship a second time created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 The word signifieth saith Kimchi Ornate beneficiis afficere donis gratiis cumulaâ—e confer 1 Sam. 12.6 and so is distinguished from Barâ— to create and Jaâ—sar to form William of Malmsbury telleth of a certain Emperor of Germany who coming by chance into a Church on the Sabbath day found there a most mis-shapen Priest penè portentum natura insomuch as the Emperor much scorned and contemned him But when he heard him read those words in the Service For it is beâ— that bath made us and not we our selves the Emperor checkt his own proud thoughts and made in quiry into the quality and conditions of the man and finding upon examination that he was a very learned and devout man he made him Archbishop of Collen which place he discharged with much commendations We are his people and the sheep See Psal 95.7 This is a priviledge proper to the Communion of Saints Vers 4. Enter into his gates c. As sheep into his sheepfolds frequent his publick Ordinances wait at the posts of the gates of Wisdome there as at an heavenly Exchange the Saints present duty and God confers mercy Vers 5. For the Lord is good Though we be evil he giveth us all these good things graâ—â—e and although we provoke him daily to punish us yet his mercy is everlasting like a fountain it runneth after it hath run And as the Sun which shineth after it hath shined See Zach 13.1 Job 1.27 And his truth endureth to all generations Heb. to Generation and Generation He saith not for ever saith an Interpreter because his promises are true but under a condition which perhaps the following Generations will not observe The condition is to the promise as an Oar in a Boat or stern of a Ship which turns it another way PSAL CI. A Psalm of David Wherein he promiseth and pre-ingageth that whenever hee came to the Kingdome he will be a singular example both as a Prince and as a Master of a Family In which respect this Psalm should be often read and ruminated by such that their houses may be as the house of David Zach. 12.8 and as the Palace of George Prince of Anbaâ—â— which was saith Melanctben Ecclesia Academia Curia a Church Act. Mon. fol. 1559. an Academy and a Court. Bishop Ridley read and expounded this Psalm oftentimes to his houshold hiring them with money to learn it and other select Scriptures by heart A good Governour is like that Noble-man who had for his Impress two bundle of ripe Miâ—â—et bound together with this Mâ—tto Servare Servari meâ—â— est for the nature of the Miâ—â—et is both to guard it self from all corruption and also those things that lye near it That is a rare commendation that is given the late Reverend and Religious Dr. Chatterton that he was an house-keeper three and fifty years and yet in all chat time he never kept any of his servants from Church to dress his meat His life by Mr. Clark saying That he desired as much to have his servants know God as himself Vers 1. I will-sing of Mercy and Judgement â— Davids Ditty was composed of discords Mercy and Justice are the brightest stars in the sphere of Majesty the main supports of a Throne Royal How heit there should be a preheminence to Mercy as one well observeth from Micah 6.8 Mercy must be loved and not shewn onely Justice must be done and no more The sword of Justice must be bathed in the oyl of Mercy A well-tempered mixture of both preserveth the Commonwealth Rom. 13.34 Vnto thee O Lord will I sing Acknowledge thee alone the bestower of these graces and thy glory â—s the end These are matters that Philosophers and Politicians mind not Vers 2. I will behave my self wisely I will begin the intended reformation at my self and then set things to rights in my family which while Augustus did not he was worthily blamed by his subjects and told that publick persona must carefully observe Aedibus in prâ—priis quae recta 〈◊〉 prava gerantur Pluâ—â— Cate said that he could pardon all mens faults but his own But Cate the wise wanted the wisdome from above and was therefore short of David who promiseth here so be merry I will sing and yet wise I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way that is in an upright conversation and in a faithful discharge of the great trust committed unto me Oâ— when wilt then come unto me In the performance of thy promise concerning the Kingdom For I am resolved not to â—â—â—evert thee but to wait thy coming Est suspirium 〈…〉 ex abrupto like that of Juâ—â—â— I have waited O Lord for thy salvation Gen. 49 18. Or When wilt thou come viz. to reckon with me For come thou wiles I wilt walk within my house with a perfect heart And although my house â—â— not sâ— with God 1 Sam. 23.5 yet this is all my desire and shall be mine endeavour although be make it not to grow ib. Indesinentes â—mâ—ulabo Kimchi I will walk uncessantly walk in the midst of mine house 〈…〉 2 King 4.35 and this I
virtually as ost as we offend WhO crowneth thee with loving kindness c. Incircleth and surroundeth thee with benefits so that which way soever thou turnest thee thou canst not look beside a blessing See the Note on vers 3. Vers 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth Heb. Thy jaws so that thou art top full eating as long as eating is good God alloweth thee an honest affluence of outward comfortsâ— Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it Psal 81.10 So that thy youth is â—eâ—â—ed like the Eagles The Eagle is of all birds the most vegetous and vivacious renewing her youth and health they say at every ten years end by casting her old feathers and getting new till she be an hundred years old Aquisae senectus Proverâ—â— Augustins observeth that when her bill is overgrown that she cannot take in her meat she beateth it against a rock and so exâ—â—it 〈◊〉 roâ—â—â—i she striketh off the combersome part of her bill and thereby recovereth her eating That which hindreth our renovation saith he the Rock Christ taketh away c. See Isa 40.31 Vers 6. The Lord 〈◊〉 c. The words are both plural to shew that God will execute omnimodam justitiam judicium all and all manner of justice and judgement relieving the oppressed and punishing the oppressor to the sull Vers 7. He made known his wayes unto Moses Even right Judgements true Laws good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 14. The Rabbins by wayes here understand Gods Attributes and Properties Middoth they call them those thirteen proclaimed Exod. 34. after that Moses had prayed Exod. 33. Shew me thy wayes and the next words favour this interpretation Vers 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious These are Moses his very expressions Exod. 34.7 Theodoret calleth him worthily The great Ocean of Divinity c. His acts to the children His miracles in Egypt and all along the wilderness where they sed upon Sacraments Vers 9. He will not always chide His still revenges are terrible Gen. 6.3 with 1 Pet. 3.19 but God being appeased towards the penitent people will not shew his anger so much as in words Isa 57.16 Neither will be keep his anger for ever Much less must we Levit. 19.18 Eph. 4.26 though against his enemies God is expresly said to keep it Nab. 1.2 Vers 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins Heb. Our errors our involuntary and unavoidable infirmities According to our iniquities Heb. perversly committed for of these evils also the Saints are not free but God beaâ—eth with more than small faults especially if not scandalous Vers 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth How high the third heaven is cannot be conjectured But for the middlemost heaven wherein the Sun Moon and Stars are placed how exceeding high it is may be guessed and gathered in that the Stars whereof those of the first magnitude are said to be every one above a hundred and seven times as big again as the whole earth do yet seem to us but as so many sparks or spangles See Prov. 25.3 Eph. 4.10 So great is his mercy The heavens are exceeding high above the earth but Gods mercy to his is above the heavens Psal 108.4 The original word Gabbar here used is the same with that Gen. 7.20 used for the prevailing of the waters above the mountains Vers 12. As far as the East c. And these we know to be so far asunder that they shall never come together The space also and distance of these two is the greatest that can be imagined Deut. 4.32 Psal 113.3 Isa 45.6 So far hath be removed out transgressions The guilt of them whereby a man stands charged with the fault and is obliged to the punishment due thereunto See Isa 43.25 and 38.17 Mic. 7.19 Ezeck 33.16 Peccata non redeunt Discharges in Justification are not repealed called in again Vers 13. Like as a Father pitieth There is an ocean of love in a fathers heart See Luke 15.20 Gen. 33.2 13 14. and Chap. 4.3 how hardly and with what caution Jacob parted with Benjamin Sozomen maketh mention of a certain Merchant who offering himself to be put to death for his two sons who were sentenced to dye Lib. 7. cap. 24. and it being granted that one of the two whom he should chuse should be upon that condition delivered the miserable Father aequali utriusque amore victus equally affected to them both could not yeeld that either of them should dye but remained hovering about both till both were put to death So the Lord pitieth c. So and ten thousand times more than so For he is the Father of all mercies Parentela and the Father of all the Father-beeds in heaven and earth Eph. 3.15 Vers 14. For he knoweth our frame Our evil concupiscence saith the Chaldee Figulinam fragilem constitutionem nostram saith Junius that we are nothing better than a compound of dire and sin He remembreth thâ—â— we are dust Our bodies are for our souls are of a spiritual nature divinae particula aurae and sooner or later to be turned to dust again Vers 15. As for man his dayes are at grass The frailty of mans life intimated in the former verse is here lively painted out under the similitude of grass as likewise in many other Scriptures See Psal 37.2 and 90.5.6 c. As a slower of the field so be flourisheth Take him in all his gaâ—ety his beauty and his bravery he is but as a flower and that not of the garden which hath more shelter and better ordering but of the field and so more subject to heat weather pâ—lling 〈◊〉 or treading down Isa 40.6 7 8. Vers 16. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone Heb. It is not that is it neither continues any longer in being nor returns any more into being So here Job 14.7 8 9 10 11 12. And the place thereof shall know it no more Though whilst it stood and flourished the place of is seemed as it were to know nothing but it the glory and beauty of it drew all eyes to it c. Think the same of men in their flourish soon forgotten as dead men out of mind Psal 31.12 Vers 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting God is from all eternity and unto all eternity kind to all that fear him in what age of the world soever they live And his righteousness unto childrens children That is his kindness or bounty for so the word Tsedacâ—ah should be taken according to Psal 112.3 9. 2 Cor. 9.9 Vers 18. To such as keep his Covenant For else they shall know Gods breach of promise as it is Numb 14.3 4. Neither shall it benefit them to have been born of godly parents And to those that remember his Commandements That resolve to do them though in many things they fail Qui faciunt praetepta etiamsâ— non perficiant that wish well to that which they can never compass Psal
peculiar To touch these is to touch the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2.8 they are sacred persons And do my Prophets no harm The Patriarchs were such Gen. 20.7 so are still all godly Ministers whom they who harm by word or deed have not so much knowledge as Pilats wise had in a dream See Psal 14.4 Vers 16. Moreover he called for a Famine How easie is it with God soon to stawe us all by denying us an harvest or two If he do but call for a Famine it is done He brake the while staff of bread Either by withdrawing bread that staff of mans life or his blessing from it for man liveth not by bread alone or at all but by every word c. Mat. 4. without which bread can no more nourish us than a clod of clay In pane conclusus est quasi baculus qui nos sustineat See Hag. 1.6 with the Notes Vers 17. He sent a man before them An eminent and eximious man Cujus vita fuit coelum queddam lucidissim is virtutum stellis exornatum to be their friend in the Court and to provide for their livelihood No danger befalleth the Church but God before-hand provideth and procureth the means of preservation and deliverance 2 Pet. 2.9 Even Joseph whom they had sold God ordereth the disorders of the world to his own glory and his peoples good Vers 18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters God hereby fitting him for that great service as he did afterwards Moses by forty years banishment in Miâ—ian and David by Sauls persecution till his soul was even as a weaned child Psal 131.2 He was laid in iron Heb. His soul came into iron or the iron entred into his soul but sin entred not into his conscience See a like phrase Luke 2.35 Vers 19 Until the time that his word came The time that Gods purpose and promise of deliverance was fulfilled This word of God prophane persons call Fate Fortune c. The word of the Lord tried him That he was Affliction-proof and still retained his integrity 1 Pet. 1.7 Vers 20. The King sent and loosed him By his own Master Potiphar who had laid him there at his wives in stance such as are bound ignominiously for righteousness sake shall be one way or other loosed honourably Vers 21. He made him Lord of his house Thus for his short braid of imprisonment where of he never dreamt Joseph hath eighty years preferment more than ever he dreamt of God retributions are very bountiful Vers 22. To bind his Princes at his pleasure To over-aw and to over-rule them to bind them in prison if need so required as himself had been bound and that at his pleasure or according to his own soul sine consensu Pharaoh saith Rabbi Solomon without Pharaohs consent as he dealt by Potiphar say other Rabbins And to teach his Senators wisdome Policy and piety which yet the Egyptians long retained not Vers 23. Israel also came into Egypt Whither he feared to go till God promised him his presence and protection Gen 46.3 4. God saith the same in effect to us when to descend into the grave Fear not to go down I will go down with thee and be better to thee than thy fears Jacobs best and happiest dayes were those the spent in Egypt Vers 24. And be increased his people greatly Against all the power of Egypt set against them And made them stronger than their enemies They were not so for present but the Egyptians conceited and feared they would be so Vers 25. He turned their hearâ— to hate Mens hearts are in Gods hands and he formeth and fashioneth their opinions of and affections to others at his pleasure yet without sin To deal subtilly with his servants Seeking to imbase and enervate their spirits by base drudgeries imposed upon them So afterwards dealt the Persian Tyrant with Hormisaus and the great Turk with the Christians Vers 26. He sent Moses his servant Quande duplicantur lateres venit Moses say the Jews as this day And Aaron c. God usually sendeth his by two and two for mutual helps and comfort Vers 27. They shewed his signs Heb. The words of his signs for Gods wondrous works are vocal they are real sermons of Gods power and justice See Exod. 4.8 Vers 28. He sent darkness Palpable darkness by reason of most black and thick vapours of the earth mingling themselves with the air such as Aben-Ezra said that hee once felt sayling upon the Ocean the gross vapours there putting out the light of fire and candle and not suffering them to be re-inkindled And they rebelled not against his word They that is the plagues called for came immediately with an Ecce me Or They that is Moses and Aaron refused not to denounce and inflict those plagues though Pharaoh threatned so kill them where a man would wonder at Pharaohs hardness and hardiness that being in the midst of that deep and dreadful darkness he could rage against God and threaten with death his servant Moses The Arabick reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendreth it Et irritarunt sermonem ejus And they the Egyptians provoked his word or rebelled against it Vers 39. He turned their waters into blood A just hand of God upon them for their cruelty in drowning the Hebrew Infants and a real forewarning if they could have seen it of the death of their first-born and their final overthrow at the red Sea And slew their fish Which was a great part of their food Piscis à pascendo dictus Vers 30. The land brought forth frogs in abundance Like grass that grows upon the ground or as fishes spawned in the Sea as the word signifieth Gen. 1.20 Some think they were not common frogs sed venenat as hâ—rrendas quales sunt rubetae bufones Ab. Ezra but Toads and Lizards Crocodiles some think came out of the River and destroyed people In the chambers of their Kings Regis regulorum inter medias enseâ— medias custodias This was the finger of God as it was likewise when a Town in Spain was overturned by Conies and another in Thessaly by Moles a City in France undone by Frogs Plin. l. 8. c. 29 and another in Africa by Locusts c. Vers 31. He spake and there came divers sorts of Flyes Heb. a mixture so of Waspes Hornets Dog-flyes the most troublesome of all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Insects And Lice in all their coasts This the Magicians could not do Quid ciniphe vilius c saith Philo What 's baser than a Louse yet hereby God can tame the sturdiest of his rebels Some Kings and other Grandees have dyed of the lousie disease as Herod Philip of Spain c. Vers 32. He gave them Hail for Rain Rain was geason in Egypt but now they had hail for rain a giftless gift Heb. He gave their rain hail Exod. 9.23 And flaming fire in their land That they
the Israel of God for only such are fit to praise God excellent words become not a fool the Lepers lips are to bee covered Vers 3. Let the house of Aaron now say Ministers are Chieftains Heb. 13.7 17. and should be as the chief Chanters in Gods praises Vers 4. Let them now that fear the Lord say See Psal 115.11 and observe that the Psalmist beateth upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as doth also the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. â— Now now now saith he because for ought we know t is now or never to day or not at all the dead praise thee not Psal 6.6 That his mercy c. This is the fourth time in four verses as Psal 136. in every one of those twenty six verses like as a Bird that having gotten a Note recordeth it over and over Vers 5 I called upon the Lord in distress Heb. out of distress q. d. I celebrate not God mercy of course but out of experience The Lord answered me Heb. Jah answered me with a large râ—â—â—â—th See Psa 4.2 Vers 6. I will not fear c. See Psal 36.4 11. Vers 7. The Lord taketh my part with them that help me Not only as one of my helpers but instead of all and more than all How many reckon yee me at said that General to his Souldiers who were afraid of their enemies numbers Cui adhaereo praest He whom I take part with must needs prevail Vers 8. It is better to trust in the Lord c. Luther on this text calleth it Artem artium mirificam ac suam artem non fidere hominibus that is the Art of Arts and that which he had well studied not to put confidence in man as for trust in God he calleth it Sacrificium omnium gratissimum suavissimum cultum omnium pulcherrimum the most pleasant and sweetest of all Sacrifices the best of all services we perform to God Than to put confidence in man Quia mutatur aut fortuna aut voluntas aut vita saith Genebrard because either men may dye or their affections may dye or their wealth decay Vers 9. Than to put confidence in Princes In ingenuis Great mens words saith one are like dead mens shooes he may go bare-foot that waiteth for them Surely men of high degree are a lye Psal 62.9 Vers 10. All Nations compassed me about This is still the condition of Christs Church in this evil world to be hated of all and set against with utmost might and malice Haud perinde crimine incendii quam odio humani generis convicti sunt saith Tacitus of those Christians at Rome put to cruel deaths by Nero who having for his pleasure fired the City fathered it upon them as people hated of all men But in the name of the Lord i.e. by faith in Gods power and promises Wee might also do great exploits against our Spiritual enemies did we but set upon them with Gods arms and with his armour did we but observe the Apostles rule Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Col. 3.17 Vers 11. They compassed me about yea c. They thought to make sure work of me indeed as Saul and his men when they hemmed him in at Mâ—on 1 Sam. 23.26 as the Churches enemies when they had gotten her as a Bird into the sâ—aâ—â— of the Fowler Psal 124.7 as when the adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the middâ—st among them and stay them Neâ— 4.11 But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them Eâ—â—rvaâ—â— â—â—eidâ—â— The word signifieth Non 〈◊〉 dormiâ—uti â—â—â—iâ—gâ—râ— victâ—riâ—â— sed â—â—rtami prâ—lâ—aâ—â—i Moller Plat. in Syl. that hee foiled not his foes without pains and peril Towns were said to come into Thâ—â—thâ—us his toyls whiles he slept but that was but a fiction of those that 〈◊〉 him Vers 12. They â—â—â—possed me about like Bees Like so many swarms of Bees which being angred Venâ—â—â—m Morsibus inspirant spicula caca relinqnunt Affixa venis animasque in 〈◊〉 pâ—â—â—â—t Virgil. Bees to be revenged lose their stings Aristâ—t and therewith their lives or at least they become drones ever after Wicked men are no less spiteful they care not to undoe themselves so they may wrong the Saints yea they are not unlike the Scorpion of which Pliny saith that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting They are quenched or kindled aâ— the fire of thorns Which is quickly kindled and as quickly quenched Ex spinis non â—â—un exbones 〈◊〉 leaving no coals behind it See Eccles 7.6 The enemies of the Church may make a blaze but they are but a blast Vers 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me Thou O Saul or thou Ishbibenob 2 Sam. 21.16 or thou O Satan setting such a work But the Lord helped mee Hee sent from heaven and saved mee hee came in the nick of time as it were out of an Engine Vers 14. The Lord is my strength and song i.e. The matter of my song and mean of my joy Trust in God shall once triumph Vers 15. The voice of rejoycing c. q.d. Though themselves are but travellers and their habitations tabernacles or tents yet are they not without the joy of their salvation which is unspeakable and full of glory so that they go merrily on their way feeding on this hony-comb as once Sampson and Gods Statutes are their songs in the house of their Pilgrimage Psal 119.54 The right hand of the Lord c. This and that which followeth is the righteous mans ditty which hee singeth uncessantly See on vers 4. Vers Haec est vox Epiniâ—il 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted By right hand here some understand the humanity of Christ Gods hand and our handle whereby wee come to take hold of God The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly Thrice hee celebrateth Gods right hand to set forth his earnest desire to say the utmost or in reference to the sacred Trinity as some will have it Vers 17 I shall not dye but live This hee was well assured of by Faith as was also the Church in Habbakkuk chap. 1.12 Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God mine boly One wee shall not dye Learned Keckerman lying on his death bed and desirous if it had so pleased God to have lived a while longer for the finishing of those excellent peeces hee had in hand made use of these words of the Psalmist I shall not dye but live and declare the works of the Lord hee was then upon his system of naturall Philosophy but God had otherwise appointed it and hee submitted Vers 18. The Lord hath chastened mee sore Corripuit me seria severa castigatione and yet David was his darling But hee hath not given mee ever to death It might have been worse may the afflicted Saint say and it will yet bee better
very cold and for the other four it was Winter Vers 8 Neither do they which go by say c. As they use to do to harvest men Ruth 2. 3 Joh. Christianity is no enemy to curtesie yet in some cases saith not God speed PSAL. CXXX VErs 1 Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee i. e. Ex portis ipsis desperationis from the very bosom and bottom of despair caused through deepest sense of sin and fear of wrath One deep calleth to another the depth of misery to the depth of mercy Basill and Beza interpret it Ex intimis cordis penetralibus from the bottom of my heart with all earnestness and humility Hee that is in the low pits and caves of the earth seeth the stars in the firmament so hee who is most low and lowly seeth most of God and is in best case to call upon him As spices smell best when beaten and as frankincense maximè fragrat cum flagrat is most odoriferous when cast into the fire so do Gods afflicted pray best when at the greatest under Isa 19.22 26.16 27.6 Luther when hee was buffeted by the Devill at Coburgh and in great affliction Joh. Manâ— loc com 43. said to those about him Venite in contemptum diaboli Psalmum de profundis quatuor vocibus cantemus come let us sing that Psalm Out of the depths c. in derision of the Devill And surely this Psalm is a treasury of great comfort to all in distress reckoned therefore of old amongst the seven Penitentiâ—â— and is therefore sacrilegiously by the Papists taken away from the living and applyed only to the dead for no other reason I think saith Beza but because it beginneth with Out of the Depths have I cryed a poor ground for Purgatory or for praying for the souls that are there as Bellarmine makes it Vers 2 Lord hear my voice Precum exauditie identidem est precanda Audience must be begged again and again and if hee once prepare our heart t is sure that hee will cause his ear to hear Psal 10.17 as when wee bid our Children ask this or that of us it is because wee mean to give it them Vers 3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities This and the next verse contains saith one the summe of all the Scriptures Twice hee here nameth the Lord as desirous to take hold of him with both his hands Extremity of Justice hee depreâ—â—â—h hee would not bee dealt with in rigour and rage Extrema fateor commeritus sum Deus Quid enim aliud dixers It is confessed I have deserved the extremity of thy fury but yet let mee talk with thee as Jer. 12.1 or reason the case O Lord who shall stand Stand in Judgement as Psal 1.5 and not fall under the weight of thy just wrath which burneth as low as Hell it self How can any one escape the damnation of Hell which is the just hire of the least sin Rom. 6.23 and the best mans life is fuller of sins than the Firmament is oâ— stars or the furnace of sparks Hence that of an Ancient Vâ— homiuâ—â— vitâ— quantumvis laudabili si reâ—â— miscericordiâ— judicetur Woe to the best man alive should hee bee strictly dealt withall Surely if his faults were but written in his forehead it would make him pull 〈◊〉 hat over his eyes Vers 4 But there is forgiveness with thee This holds head above water that we have to do with a forgiving God Neb. 9.31 none like him for that Mic. 7.18 For hee doth it naturally Exod. 34.6 abundantly Isa 55.7 constantly as here there is still is forgiveness and propitiation with God so Job 1.27 the Lamb of God doth take away the sins of the World t is a perpetuall act and should be as a perpetuall picture in our hearts That thou mayest bee feared i. e. Sought unto and served It is a speech like that Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come If there were not forgiveness with God no man would worship him from his heart but flye from his as from a Tyrant But a promise of pardon from a faithfull God maketh men to put themselves into the hands of justice in hope of mercy Mr. Perkins expoundeth the words thus In mercy thou pardonest the sins of some that thou mightest have some on earth to worship thee Vers 5 I wait for the Lord I wait and wait viz. for deliverance out of misery vers 1. being assured of pardoning mercy Feri Domine feri à peccatis enim absolutâ—◠〈◊〉 said Luther strike Lord while thou wilt so long as my sins are forgiveâ— I can bee of good comfort I can wait or want for a need And 〈…〉 viz. Of promise that ground of hope unfailable Rom. 5.5 of 〈◊〉 unfeigâ—â—ed 1 Tim. 1.5 Vers 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord Or Watcheth for the Lord Heb My soul to the Lord an eclipticall concise speech importing strong affection as doth also the following reduplication Prae custodibus ad mane prae custodibus ad manâ— I say more than they Or More than they that watch for the morning wait for the morning wherein they may sleep which by night they might not do Vers 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord Hope and yet fear as vers 4. with a filiall fear fear and yet hope Plenteous Redemption Are our sins great with God there is mercy matchless mercy Are our sins many with God is plenteous redemption multa redemptiâ— hee will multiply pardons as wee multiply sins Isa 55.7 Vers 8 And hee shall redeem Israel By the value and vertue of Christs death by his merit and spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 PSAL. CXXXI VErs 1 Lord my heart is not haughty Though anointed and appointed by thee to the Kingdome yet I have not ambitiously aspired unto it by seeking Souls death as his pick thanks perswaded him nor do I now being possessed of it proudly domineer as is the manner of most Potentates and tyrannize over my poor subjects but with all modesty and humility not minding high things I do condescend to them of low estate Rom. 12.16 Now Bucholc in alto positum non altum sapere difficile est omnino inusitatum sed quanto inusitatius tanto gloriosius It is both hard and happy not to bee puffed up with prosperity and preferment Vespasian is said to have been the only one that was made better by being made Emperour Nor mine eyes lofty Pride sitteth and sheweth it self in the eyes as soon as in any part Ut speculum oculus est artis ita oculus est naturae speculum Neither do I exercise my self in great matters Heb. I walk not manes intra metas I keep within my circle within the compass of my calling not troubling my self and others by my ambitious projects and practices as Cleâ—n did Alchibiades Cesar Borgia and others Ambitionists Or in things too high for mee Heb. Wonderfull high and hidden things that pass nay
name of Sana to hate the word here used because it is most of all to be hated as the greatest evil as that which setteth us furthest from God the greatest good This none can do but those that love the Lord Christ in sincerity for all hatred comes from love A naturall man may be angry with his sin as a man is sometimes with his wife or friend for some present vexation but hate it hee cannot yea he may leave it for the ill consequents of sin but not loathe it If he did he would loathe all as well as any for hatred is ever against the whole kind of a thing saith Aristole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rhetor. lib. 2â— Vers 11. Light is sown for the Righteous The Righteous is haeres cruc â—â— the Heir of the Crosse and many are his troubles A Child of light may walk in darknesse and have no light Isa 50.10 yet Christ will not leave him comfortlesse Joh. 14. Light is sown for him 't is yet seeding-time and that is usually wet and dropping and the seed must have a time to lye and then to grow ere a crop can be expected there must be also weeding and clodding c. behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it By ye also patient stablish your hearts c. Jam. 5.7 8. We look not to sow and reap in a day as He saith of the Hyperborean people far North that they sow shortly after the Sun-rising with them and reap before the Sun-ser so because the whole half year is one continuall day with them Heresbach dâ— rerust Deliverance will come in Gods good time and as before the morning-light is the thickest darknesse as the seed that lyeth longest under ground commeth up at length with greatest increase so here Semen modicum sed me ssis faecunda saith Aben-Ezra on the Text. And gladnesse for the upright This clause expoundeth the former Vers 12. Rejoyce in the Lord See Psal 32. ult with the Note At the remembrance of his holinesse That is of himself for whatsoever is in God is God as also of his works and benefits whereby he giveth you so good occasion to remember him PSAL. XCVIII A Psalm The Greek addeth of David A man might think it were rather of John Baptist pointing out Christ and his Kingdom as it already come with the great good thereby accrewing to the Saints Vers 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song See Psal 96.1 and observe how the compiler of the Psalms hath hereabout set together sundry Psalms of the same subject His right hand and his holy arm His is emphatical and exclusive q.d. Christ alone hath done the deed he is our sole Saviour Isa 59.16 63.5 In the justification of a sinner Christ and faith are alone saith Luther Tanquam sponsus sponsa in thalamo As Wax and Water cannot meet together so neither can Christ and any thing else in this work Away then with that devillish Doctrin of the Saints Merits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot in Meteor Quibuscunque tandem pigmentis illita obtrudatur If any commend or go after any other way to Salvation besides Christ hee doth according to the Greek Proverb draw mischiefs to himself as the Wind Caecius doth Clouds Vers 2. The Lord hath made known his salvation His way of saving his people by his Som Christ Mat. 1.21 this Mystery so long kept secret is now made known to all Nations for the obedience of faith Rom 16.25 26. His Righteousness Made ours by imputation this the Jews to this day deride and the Papists call it putative in a jeer Vers 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth His Mercy moving him to promise and his Truth binding him to perform 2 Sam. 7.18 21. and hence all our happiness Vers 4. Make a joyful noyse Bless God for a Christ The Argives when delivered by the Romans from the tyranny of the Macedonians and Spartans Quae gaudia quae vociferationes fuerunt quid florum in Consulem profuderunt what great joys expressed they what loud out-crys made they the very Birds that flew over them fell to the ground Plut. in Flamin assonied with their noyses They Cryer at the Nemean Games was forced to pronounce the word Liberty Iterumque iterumque again and again Vers 5. Sing unto the Lord with the Harp Tum cithararum tum vocum mutuis vicibus do your utmost in the superlativest manner you can devise Vers 6. Make a joyful noyse By the repeating and inculcating of this exhortation is intimated our dulness and backwardness to a business of this nature the necessity of the duty and the excellency of the mercy that can never be sufficiently celebrated Vers 7 8 9. See the Notes on Psal 96.11 12 13. PSAL. XCIX VErs 1. The Lord reigneth Even the Lord Christ as Psal 97.1 Let the people tremble Let them serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling by the people some understand the Jews and by the Earth all other Nations let there bee a general subjection yeelded to the Scepter of his Kingdom Vers 2. The Lord is great in Zion In his Church he giveth many great testimonies of his power and presence and is therefore magnified by his people And he is high above all people In the things wherein they deal proudly he is above them Exod. 18.11 Vers 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible Name Nomen illud Majestativum Some hereby understand the name Jehovah of which Josh 7. What wilt thou do to thy great Name And Jer. 44. I have sworn by my great Name But Gods Name is usually put for Gods self For it is Holy And therefore to be sanctified in righteousness Isa 5.16 Vers 4. The Kings strength also loveth judgement i.e. abest à Tyrannide God abuseth not his Kingly power to Tyranny but Joyneth it with his Justice and Uprightnese Regiment without Righteousness is but robbery with authority The Ara bick hath it Magnificentia Regis est ut diligat aequitatem Vers 5. Exalt the Lord our God Have high apprehensions of him and answerable expressions Set him up and set him forth to the utmost And worship at his footstool i.e. At his Temple saith the Chaldee At the Ark of the Covenant say the Rabbins Austin interpreteth it of Christs humanity which although of it self it is not to be adored because it is a creature yet as it is received into unity of person with the Divinity and hath a Partner-agency with the God-head according to its measure in the works of Redemption and Mediation 1 Tim. 2.5 it is to be worshipped But how hard driven was that second Synod of Niâ—e when they abused this Text among many others to prove the worshipping of Images and Pictures Vers 6. Moses and Aaron among his Priests or chief Officers as 1 Chron. 18.17 Moses was if not a Priest yet a continual Intercessor for the people