were utterly routed and put to flight Josh 10. and the weakest Israelites they that could not enter the battel were yet partakers of the spoils of their wealth And so in like manner that by the resurrection of Christ the powers of hell should be discomfited and the humble meck peaceable Christian reap the fruit of it 13. Though ye have lyen among the pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold Paraphrase 13. And the Israelites that were opprest and long lay in a sad and black destitute despised condition were now at length advanced to all prosperity splendor and glory as was remarkable at their coming out from the kilns of Egypt with the Jewels and wealth of the Egyptians and afterward more illustriously at their injoying of Canaan And so under Christs kingdom the heathenish Idolaters that were brought to the basest and most despicable condition of any creatures worshipping wood and stone c. and given up to the vilest lusts and a reprobate mind Rom. 1. should from that detestable condition be advanced to the service of Christ and practice of all Christian virtues charity meekness c. the greatest inward beauties in the world 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings in it it was white as snow in Salmon 15. The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan an high hill as the hill of Bashan Paraphrase 14 15. When God destroyed and dissipated the Kings of the seven nations before them for though it was by their arms yet was their strength so small in proportion to the giantly inhabitants that the victory was wholly to be attributed to God his providence was illustriously visible in it and the people were by this means soon possessed of the land on this and on the other side of Jordan a most fruitful and profitable possession caused by the melting of the snow that lay on the tops of the hills and exceedingly inrich'd all the plains that lay below them and there dwelt remarkable and illustrious in the eyes of all their neighbours And so upon Christs rising from the dead and thereby conquering death and hell and soon after upon his victorious conquest over his enemies the Jews his crucifiers which would not suffer him to reign over them the Church of Christ typified by the people of Israel should be possest of a prosperous and flourishng condition in Judaea and even in the heathen world though for a while it should sometimes meet with persecution from the heathen Emperors yet at length Christianity should be victorious and subdue the greatest opposers to the faith 16. Why leap ye ye high hills This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever Paraphrase 16. Yet was not God pleased so far to favour either of these high hills as to chuse them for the place of his habitation but hath now brought the Ark of the Covenant and placed it on Mount Sion not the highest hill in those parts but one of an humble and moderate size preferring this before all other for the place of his special residence and this so as never to remove from thence as formerly he hath done to any other station as long as the Jewish state lasted And so proportionably shall Christ erect his Church in the hearts of the meek and lowly Mat. 5.3 whereas the proud and lofty as they will oppose and stand out against him so shall they be utterly rejected by him 17. The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place Paraphrase 17. There therefore the hosts of Angels infinite numbers of them took up their station and so signified this to be the place of the special presence of God that Lord of hosts that appeared so terribly in mount Sinai who is said to reside where these his courtiers of heaven his guards of attendants are visible But much more illustriously shall Christ be present in his Church by the ministry of many thousands of Angels after his resurrection being that very God that once appeared by his Angels in Mount Sinai and hath all the hosts of them continually ministring to him 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Paraphrase 18. The God of heaven hath pleased to reveal himself in great Majesty to return victoriously to his throne in heaven being as a triumphant conqueror attended by many captives inabling his people the Israelites by the conduct of David to overcome the heathens and subject some of them to this Law of God to bring them in proselytes to their religion and those particularly which long held out against it the Gibeonites and the like and by this means as conquerors are wont to scatter largesses donatives so he hath distributed among these the spectators of his power among his people the greatest blessings the richest donatives imaginable the dignity of worshipping and praying to him in his Sanctuary as afterwards in the Temple whereby God vouchsafeth now to be present among those to hear and answer their prayers that were before strangers to him And thus Christ having by his resurrection overcome death hell and sin and also soon after signally destroyed his crucifiers shall send his Apostles and Evangelists to preach his Gospel to the whole heathen world induing them with gifts of tongues and miracles c. to qualifie them for their office and by them bring many Disciples to the faith particularly a remnant of the unbelieving Jews who seeing the Idolatrous Gentiles come in were stirred up with emulation and so timely prevented their ruine and lived members of the Church of Christ to which he promised his presence see Eph. 4.8 19. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Selah Paraphrase 19. Thus doth God our great deliverer from time to time continually oblige us with a great weight of mercies afforded us Blessed be his Name for it 20. He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Paraphrase 20. 'T is not in the power of any other but of this God whom we worship to work the least deliverance for any His priviledge it is to rescue out of the greatest dangers and to him we owe all our escapes From him also have all the signal judgements proceeded under which our enemies have fallen the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the seven nations 21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses Paraphrase 21. And indeed for all those that will not be wrought on and brought home to him by all his wise and
seated in his throne by God all their designs and enterprises against him are blasted by the Almighty and prove successless and ruinous to them And so in like manner all the opposition that Satan and his Instruments Jews and Romans Act. iv 25 make against Christ the Son of David anointed by his Father to a spiritual Kingdom a Melchizedekâ—an Royal Priesthood shall never prevail to hinder that great purpose of God of bringing by this means all penitent believers to salvation 2. The Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying Paraphrase 2. The Princes and Governours of the Nations round about Judea the Kings of the Philistims and Moabites and Damascenes and many more rose up against David the Syrians joyned with Hadadezer King of Zobah 2 Sam. viii 5. and in so doing opposed the Lords anointed one set up and supported by God in a special manner and so in effect rebelled against God himself In like manner did Herod and Pilate and the Jewish Sanhedrim make a solemn opposition and conspiracy against the Messias Gods holy child Jesus by him anointed Act. lv 27. and therein were fighters against God Act. v. 39. 3. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Paraphrase 3. Both of these alike resolving that they would not by any means be subject the Philistims c. to David the Jews c. to Christ and the divine laws and rites of Religion by which either of their Kingdoms were to be governed 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Paraphrase 4. But God that ruleth all things and is much more powerful than they will defeat all their enterprises and magnifie his divine providence as in the securing of David and giving him Victories over them all so in erecting and inlarging of Christs Kingdom and making the utmost of the malice of men and devils as means of consecrating him to that office of Royal Priesthood to which God had designed him 5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Paraphrase 5. All their enterprises against this Government of Gods erecting shall not atattain any part of their desire but only provoke God to great severities and terrible vengeances against them remarkable slaughters in Davids time upon his enemies and under Christs Kingdom the state of Christianity upon the Jews and Romans 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Paraphrase 6. Mean while 't is an eminent act of Gods power and mercy to David that soon after his anointing in Hebron 2 Sam. v. 3. he overcame the Idolatrous Jebusites v. 6. and took the strong hold of Zion and made it the seat of his Kingdom and placed the Ark of the Covenant there and thereupon called it the Mountain of the Lord the hill of holiness and there setled the Kingdom long since fore-promised by Jacob to the Tribe of Judah but never fixed in that Tribe till now And the like but exceedingly more eminent act of power and mercy it was in him to seat Christ in his spiritual throne in the hearts of all faithfull Christians possest before his coming by heathen sins and trusting to false Idol Gods parallel to the lame and the blind 2 Sam. v. 16. i. e. not improbably the Jebusuites images Teraphims or the like which could neither go nor ste and yet were confided in by them that they would defend their city 7. I will declare the decree The Lord hath said unto me Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Paraphrase 7. Now was that Covenant solemnly sealed and ratified to David which he is therefore to publish unto all so as it shall be in force against all persons that shall transgress it that at this time God hath taken the kingdom from the house of Saul Ishbosheth being now slain 2 Sam. iv 6. and setled it upon David who was anointed over Israel also 2 Sam. v. 3. given him the Rule over his own people set him up as his own son an image of his supremacy having at length delivered him from the power of all his enemies and set him victoriously on his throne in Sion which is a kind of birth-day to him the day of his inauguration the birth-day of his power though not his person of his kingdom though not of the King and this much more considerable than the other And in the parallel the Evangelical Covenant is now sealed to Christ and in him to all faithful Christians a Covenant to be publisht to all the world and the foundation of it laid in the death or rather the resurrection of Christ the eternal Son of God who having taken our mortal flesh and therein offered up a full sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the world the third day after was brought forth as by a new birth out of the womb of the grave see Act. xiii 33. now never to die again and thereby hath ascertain'd unto us as many as spiritually partake of these that die unto sin and live again to righteousness a blessed immortal life 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the outmost parts of the earth for thy possession Paraphrase 8. To this is consequent as a free and special mercy of Gods the inlarging of this his Kingdom not only to the Inhabitants of Judea but to many other heathen nations the Philistims Moabites Ammonites Idumeans and Syrians c. who were all subdued by David through the power of God 2 Sam. v. and viii and x. and subjected to him And so upon the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by the wonderful blessing of God upon the preaching of the Apostles not only the Jews many thousands of them Rev. vii but the heathens over all the world were brought in to the faith of Christ 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel Paraphrase 9. All these neighbouring enemies that rise up against him shall he subdue and slay great multitudes of them And so shall Christ deal with his enemies Jews and Heathens subdue some and destroy the impregnable and obdurate 10. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth Paraphrase 10. This therefore may be fit matter of admonition to all neighbour Princes as they tender their own welfare that they endeavour to profit by others sufferings and not fall foolishly into the same danger that timely they make their peace and enter into League with David and undertake the Service of the true God which he professes And in like manner when Christ is raised from the dead by his divine power and so instated in his Office of Royal Priesthood it will neerly concern all those that have hitherto stood out
of Christ and sometimes coming in clouds see Mat. 24. note b. and 2 Thess 2. note b. and 2 Pet. i. e. and as Psal 96.13 Gods judgments are exprest by he cometh he cometh and Psal 97.5 by the presence of the Lord and many the like so here we have the representation of a gloâ—iouâ— and â—errible coming of God bowing the heavens and coming inclosed with a dark cloud v. 11. as being invisible riding on a cherub or Angel v. 10. all Gods apâ—s being by Angels and this in a tempestuouâ— manner haile thunder and lightning v. 12 13 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice repeated coals of fire thereby representing the bolt or thunder-shaft which is with great fitness thus exprest poetically as the lightning by brightness the congealed moisture of the cloud by haile which in those countries accompanied thunder as rain does with us Exod. 9.23 so that missile shot out of the cloud with so much terror both of noise and splendor what is it but the earthy sâ—lphâ—reous part made up of the same ingredients as a fiery cinder among us and all this to denote the terribleness of it and lastâ— after the manner of his destroying of the Aegyptians by drying up the channels of the Sea that deep whereon the earth is oft said to be founded and so ingaging them in it and then bringing the waters upon them to the overwhelming them all and all this but preparatory to Davids deliverance which follows v. 17. V. 14. Shott out The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to multiply and to shoot oâ— daâ—â— In the latter sense 't is Gen. 49.23 the archâ—s grieved him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shot at him And thus by the comparison here made between arrows and lightning we may conclude it to signifie Yet the antient â—nterpreters generally render it in the former notion The Chaldee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and many lightnings the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he multiplyed lightnings and so the Syriack and Vulgar Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick from them and so also the Interlinear multiplicavit and Castellio crâ—bris fulgoribus with frequent lightnings and onely our English seems to have pitched on the right rendring it cast forth in the old and shot forth in the new translation V. 20. Cleanness What is here meant by the cleanness of Davids hands to which he here pretends may to some seem difficult especially when so many other expressions are added to it keeping Gods ways indefinitely not wickedly departing from him v. 21. having all Gods judgments before him and not putting away his statutes v. 22. being upright before him and keeping himself from his iniquity v. 23. and again righteousness and cleanness of hands in his eye-sight v. 24. when yet if we consider the series of the history this Psalm 2 Sam. 22. was indited after the commission of those great sins of Adultery with Vriahs Wife making him drunk contriving his death and these lived in a long space at least a twelve moneth before Nathan came to him from God and brought him to repentance which as it was a conjunction of many known deliberate wilful sins and a long course and stay in them so no doubt it could not be reconcileable with Gods favour whilst unrepented of nor consequently with that uprightness in Gods sight which here is spoken of With that indeed many sins of weakness or suddain surreption for which his heart presently smites him such as that of numbring the people might be competible as being but the spots of sons such as God is favourably pleased to pardon in his sons and sincere servants but for these wasting wilful sins which have none of that excuse of weakness at the time of Commission nor that instant smiting of the heart humiliation and confession and change and sacrifice to allay the poyson of them but accumulation of more one on the back of the other and a long continuance in them these are not of that sort they exclude from the favour of God as long as they remain unreformed For the answering of this therefore it must be remembred 1. That Repentance when sincere restores to the favour of God and David was now in that state at and long before the time of inditing that Psalm supposing it to be composed by him after the quieting of Absaloms rebellion as the series of the story sets it 2 Sam. 22. and then be his sins as red as scarlet God hath made them as white as snow Gods pardon and acceptance sets him right again and that may be his ground of confidence in thus mentioning the cleanness of his hands viz. such as now was restored to him by repentance 2. As general affirmations have frequently some one or perhaps more exceptions which yet comparatively and in balance with the contrary are not considered so his profession of Vniversal uprightness here is to be interpreted with this exception of that matter of Vriah according to that style of Scripture which saith of him that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittite which though it were very foule yet was not fit to prejudice the universal uprightness of all the rest of his life and so is not named here in the Psalm but must as an implicite exception be from that passage in the Kings fetcht to give the true importance of these phrases which in sound pretend to Vniversal Vprighâ—ness and sincerity but must be taken with this allowance except or save only in that one matter V. 23. Iniquity For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from mine iniquity Which the LXXII and Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick follow the Chaldee seems to have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from iniquities in the plural for so they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from debts or faults and so the Syriack also But the Vulgar reading need not be parted with being in sense the same I kept my self from mine iniquity i. e. from my falling into any such V. 29. Leaped In this 29. v. where the Hebrew read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will run through a troop the Chaldee have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will multiply armies but the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall be delivered from temptation both no doubt by way of Paraphrase not literal rendring In the end of the verse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to look signifies both a wall from whence to look and observe the approach of enemies and also a watch-tower or fort from the same ground Thus wall among us being lightly deduced from vallum signifies also a fort Colwal the fort on the hill because generally when walls are thus built in war there are some such forts erected on them To this is joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from
of restitution only The confidence of persevering in their present state of joy and so of Gods guidance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till death is more agreeable to it The Syriacks reading is more plausible he shall lead us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above from death The Forty Ninth PSALM TO the chief Musitian a Psalm for the sons of Coreh Paraphrase The forty ninth Psalm is a consolation against the terrors of death in time of old age or sickness and withal a meditation of the transitoriness of all worldly greatness and prosperities here which are so sure to fade suddenly It was committed to the Prefect of the Musick to be sung by the posterity of Coreh 1. Hear this all ye people give ear all ye inhabitants of the world 2. Both low and high rich and poor together Paraphrase 1 2. The matter of this insuing Psalm is very fit meditation for all sorts of people in the world Jews and Gentiles of the meaner and poorer and of the nobler and wealthier rank 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding Paraphrase 3. Being that which I have learnt from God and consequently is not of certain truth only but most valuable and profitable to be considered by all much more for our turns than any secular wisdom of the subtilest worlding This therefore shall be the subject of my compositions at this time 4. I will incline mine ear to a parable I will open my dark saying upon the harp Paraphrase 4. And I will perform it carefully weigh it as exactly as I can do as Musitians do when they tune their instruments lay their ear close to them that if there be any harshness or unevenness in the sound they may discern it so will I carefully observe my present composure being on a matter well worth every mans heeding and therefore I will set it to the harp by that means to sweeten and instil it into all minds And this is the sum of it by way of answer to this question 5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evill when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about Paraphrase 5. When days of sadness and the discomforts of old age approach and make their close siege about men and death it self is just ready to seize upon and devour them can this be any real matter of terror to a truly pious man that hath placed all his trust and confidence in God Undoubtedly it cannot Or wherefore should I subject my self to those terrors which are apt to haunt men at such times 6. They that trust in wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransome for him 8. For the redemption of the soul is pretious and it ceaseth for ever 9. That he should still live for ever and not see corruption Paraphrase 6 7 8 9. 'T is ordinary for the bold temerarious confident men of the world to place their full trust in wealth and never fear any thing else if they have but abundance of that But 't is not in their power to rescue either any other or themselves from death This sentence which sin brought into the world will certainly pass on the richest and proudest and stoutest of them none can ever buy his own or any other mans immunity or liberty from this so as to be quit from ever dying That indeed of immortal duration being a gem of too great a price for all the wealth in the world to purchase there is but one way of coming to it and that is by death and resurrection and that also is the work of the Messias who by dying once offering one single sacrifice for him never to be repeated Heb. 9.25 26. and 10.13 shall overcome death work an eternal redemption Heb. 9.11 and then fit down at the right hand of God Heb. 10.12 and there live and reign for ever This he shall do in the fulness of time in the end of the age then coming in the flesh to atchieve this victory and more fully in the end of the world when he shall call all that are dead out of their graves to judgment on which shall follow an everlasting life 10. For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others Paraphrase 10. Mean while the most pious vertuous men must expect to die their piety the one true wisdom will not rescue them from that which Christ himself Gods eternal wisdom shall once taste As for wicked men whose irrational folly hath equalled them to brute beasts 't is certain the same fate expects them their souls being so little removed above that of a beast 't is less wonder that they should die as a beast doth and though they may be thought by themselves or others to have provided against this danger to have fenced and secured themselves yet shall they come together and after the same manner to the grave and so be fain to take leave of those possessions which they have acquired with so much industry And then no man knows into whose hands their wealth shall fall whether strangers or perhaps enemies shall live to injoy the fruits of all their labours 11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations they call their lands after their own names Paraphrase 11. Whosoever they are the possession being now setled in them shall never revert to the former owners these new comers shall establish themselves in their room and so impose their names upon their dwellings the very memory of the former inhabitants being soon lost 12. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish Paraphrase 12. And so the conclusion is most certain and general reaching to all How flourishing soever their condition is at the present there is no possibility of continuance here be the man never so great he comes to a speedy end as the beasts of the field do is perfectly like them in his death and not so long lived as many of them our space of abode here is not so long as to be fitly compared to so much as a nights lodging in an Inn no consistence of steddy rest is to be had for the least space And the tenure which his posterity hath is of the same nature very short and uncertain also nay oft-times the greatest honours and wealth unjustly gotten by the parent descend not to any one of his posterity as the beasts when they die leave nothing behind them to their young ones but the wide world to feed in but fall into other hands immediately for which he never designed to gather them 13. This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings Selah Paraphrase 13. They flatter
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distress 14. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder Paraphrase 10 11 12 13 14. In like manner is he pleased to deal for those that are in prison and expectation of present death when in this valley of Achor they fly to him for rescue 'T is most just and so most ordinary with God to deliver men up to be chastised for their sins when they are so proud and stout as to resist or neglect the commands of God 't is but seasonable discipline to exercise them with afflictions to bring distresses upon them persecution imprisonment c. thereby to teach them that necessary lesson of humility And if then they shall speedily return to him that strikes and with obedient penitent hearts and fervent devotions indeavour to attone him he will certainly be propitiated by them and deliver them out of their distresses be they never so sharp and in the eye of man irremediable 15. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderfull works to the children of men 16. For he hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder Paraphrase 15 16. This certainly is another act of his special and undeserved bounty and withall an instance of his omnipotence thus to rid them of those gyves that none else can loose to preserve those that in humane judgment are most desperately lost and abundantly deserves to be acknowledged and commemorated by us 17. Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquity are afflicted 18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near unto the gates of death 19. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distresses 20. He sent his word and healed them and delivered them out of their destructions Paraphrase 17 18 19 20. So again when the follies and stupidities of men betray them to wilfull sins and God punisheth those with sickness and weakness brings them so low that nature is almost wholly exhausted in them and present death is expected if from their languishing bed they shall apply themselves to the great and sovereign Physician forsake the sins that brought this infliction upon them and thus timely make their solid peace with heaven and then pray themselves and others see Jam. 5.14 15 16. Ecclus 38.9 imploring his gracious hand for their recovery there is nothing more frequently experimented than that when all other means fail the immediate blessing of God interposeth for them and restores them to life and health again 21. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderfull works to the children of men 22. And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Paraphrase 21 22. And this certainly is a third instance of God's infinite power and goodness this of unhoped unexpected cures of the feeblest patients which exacts the most solemn gratefull acknowledgments from those that have received them from his hand 23. They that go down to the sea in ships and doe business in great waters 24. These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep 25. For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof 26. They mount up to the heaven they goe down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble 27. They reel to and fro they stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end 28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distress 29. He maketh the storms a calm so that the waves thereof are still 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven Paraphrase 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. So again the great navigators traffickers and merchants of the world when in their voyages by sea they meet with terrible amazing tempests wayes that toss their ships with that violence as if they would mount them into the air and at another turn douse them deep into the vast Ocean as if they would presently overwhelm them and the passengers are hereby stricken into sad trembling fits of consternation and amazement and expectation of present drowning in this point of their greatest danger they oft experiment the sovereign mercy and power of God and receive such seasonable returns to their devout prayers that they find the storm presently turned into the perfectest calm and by the friendliest gales are safely wafted to that port which they designed to sail to 31. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderfull works toward the children of men Paraphrase 31. And this certainly is a fourth most eminent instance of God's infinite power and goodness which exacts our most fervent offerings of praise and thanksgiving 32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the Elders Paraphrase 32. And not onely such as are sent up to God from our single breasts or closets but it deserves the most solemn publick commemorations in the Temple in the united laâ—ds of the whole congregation Elders and people answering one the other 33. He turneth rivers into a wilderness and the water-springs into dry ground Paraphrase 33. The same act of his power and providence it is to convert the greatest abundance of waters into perfect drought 34. A fruitfull land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Paraphrase 34. Thereby to punish those with utter sterility and fruitlesness after the manner of his judgments on Sodom whose plenty had been infamously abused and mispent on their lusts 35. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water-springs 36. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell that they may prepare a city for habitation 37. And sow the fields and plant vineyards which may yield fruits of increase 38. He blesseth them also so that they are multiplied greatly and suffereth not their cattel to decrease Paraphrase 35 36 37 38. And the same act again it is of his bounty and power together to improve the barrennest desart into the fruitfullest pastures most commodious for habitation and plantations and thither to bring those who had formerly lived in the greatest penury and by his auspicious providence onely without any other observable means to advance them to the greatest height of wealth and prosperity of all kinds making them a numerous and powerfull nation remarkable for the blessings of God upon them 39. Again they are minished and brought low through oppression affliction and sorrow 40. He poureth contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way 41. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction and
that piercing Sun every atoâ—e of that flaming Sword as the word is phrased shall not though it be rebated vanish the day of Vengeance shall instruct your Souls that it was sent from God and since it was once refused hath been kept in store not to upbraid but damn you Many other petty occasions the Spirit ordinarily takes to put off the Cloud and open his Face toward us nay it were not a groundless doubt whether he do not always shine and the cloud be only in our hearts which makes us think the Sun is gone down or quite extinct if at any time we feel not his rays within us Beloved there be many things amongst us that single fire can do nothing upon they are of such a stubborn frozen nature there must be some material thing for the fire to consist in a sharp iron red hot that may bore as well as burn or else there is small hopes of conquering them Many men are so hardned and congealed in sin that the ordinary beam of the Spirit cannot hope to melt them the fire must come consubstantiate with some solid instrument some sound corpulent piercing judgment or else it will be very unlikely to thrive True it is the Spirit is an omnipotent Agent which can so invisibly infuse and insinuate its virtue through the inward man that the whole most enraged adversary shall presently fall to the earth Act. ix the whole carnal man lie prostrate and the sinner be without delay converted and this is a Miracle which I desire from my heart might be presently shewed upon every Soul here present But that which is to my present purpose is only this That God hath also other manners and ways of working which are truly to be said to have descended from Heaven though they are not so successful as to bring us thither other more calm and less boysterous influences which if they were received into an honest heart might prove semen immortalitatis and in time encrease and grow up to immortality There is no such encumbrance to trash us in our Christian Progress as a phansie that some men get possessed with that if they are elected they shall be called and saved in spight of their teeth every man expecting an extraordinary call because Saul met with one and perhaps running the more fiercely because Saul was then called when he was most violent in his full speed of malice against Christians In this behalf all that I desire of you is First to consider that though our regeneration be a miracle yet there are degrees of miracles and thou hast no reason to expect that the greatest and strongest miracle in the world shall in the highest degree be shewed in thy Salvation Who art thou that Gâ—â— should take such extraordinary pains with thee Secondly To resolve that many precious rays and beams of the Spirit though when they enter they come with power yet through our neglect may prove transitory pass by that heart which is not open for them And then thirdly You will easily be convinced that no duty concerns us all so strictly as to observe as near as we can when thus the Spirit appears to us to collect and muster up the most lively quick-sighted sprightfullest of our faculties and with all the perspectives that spiritual Opticks can furnish us with to lay wait for every glance and glimpse of its fire or light We have ways in nature to apprehend the beams of the Sun be they never so weak and languishing and by uniting them into a Burning-Glass to turn them into a fire Oh that we were as witty and sagacious in our spiritual estate then it were easie for those sparks which we so often either contemn or stifle to thrive within us and at least break forth into a flame In brief Incogitancy and inobservance of Gods seasons supine numbness and negligence in spiritual affairs may on good grounds be resolved on as the main or sole cause of our final impenitence and condemnation it being just with God to take those away in a sleep who thus walked in a dream and at last to refuse them whom he hath so long sollicited He that hath scorned or wasted his inheritance cannot complain if he dies a bankrupt nor he that hath spent his candle at play count it hard usage that he is fain to go to bed darkling It were easie to multiply arguments on this theme and from every minute of our lives to discern some pawn and evidence of Gods fatherly will and desire that we should live Let it suffice that we have been large if not abundant in these three chief ones First The giving of his Son to the World Secondly Dispatching the Gospel to the Gentiles And lastly The sending of his Spirit We come now to a view of the opposite trenches which lie pitched at the Gates of Hell obstinate and peremptory to besiege and take it Mans resolvedness and wilfulness to die my second part Why will you die There is no one conceit that engages us so deep to continue in sin that keeps us from repentance and hinders any seasonable Reformation of our wicked lives as a perswasion that God's will is a cause of all events Though we are not so blasphemous as to venture to define God the Author of sin yet we are generally inclined for a phansie that because all things depend on God's decree whatsoever we have done could not be otherwise all our care could not have cut off one sin from the Catalogue And so being resolved that when we thus sinned we could not chuse we can scarce tell how to repent for such necessary fatal misdemeanors the same excuses which we have for having sinned formerly we have for continuing still and so are generally better prepared for Apologies than Reformation Beloved it will certainly much conduce to our edification instead of this speculation whose grounds or truth I will not now examine to fix this practical theorem in our hearts that the will of man is the principal cause of all our evil that death either as it is the punishment of sin eternal death or as it is the sin it self a privation of the life of grace spiritual death is wholly to be imputed to our wilful will It is a Probleme in Aristotle why some Creatures are longer in conceiving bringing forth than others and the sensiblest reason he gives for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hardness of the Womb which is like dry earth that will not presently give any nourishment to either seed or plant and so is it in the spiritual conception and production of Christ that is of life in us The hardness and toughness of the heart the womb where he is to be born that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dry Earth in the Philosophers or that way-side or at best stony ground in Christ's phrase is the only stop and delay in begetting of life within us the only cause of either barrenness or hard
signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the first i. e. Paul was the chief of all Converts and Paul was the first that from so great a Persecutor of Christ was changed into so great so glorious an Apostle For so it follows in the Verses next after my Text For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Christ Jesus might shew forth all long suffering c. The issue of all is this that Saul unconverted was a very great Sinner yet not the greatest of Sinners absolutely but for ought we read in the New Testament the greatest and first that was called from such a degree of infidelity a Blasphemer a Persecuter to so high a pitch of Salvation a Saint an Apostle yea and greater than an Apostle whence the observation is that though Saul were yet every blasphemous Sinner cannot expect to be called from the depth of sin to regeneracy and Salvation Although Saul being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief of sinners was called and saved yet Saul was also in another sense for ought we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perhaps the last that from so great a riot of sin obtained so great Salvation Wherefore O Sinner be not presumptuous from Pauls Example but from Pauls single Example begin to suspect thy state and fear that such a miracle of Salvation shall not be afforded thee There hath been an opinion of late reviv'd perhaps original among the Romans that the greatest Sinner is the more likely object of Gods mercy or subject of his grace than the mere moral man whom either natural fear or the like not spiritual respects hath restrained from those outrages of sin The being of this opinion in the primitive Romans and the falseness of it is sufficientâ—y prov'd by that expoâ—â—ulation of St. Paul Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid In answer to some who hearing that Christ came into the world to save sinners thought that the excess of sin was the best qualification and only motive to provoke and deserve a more abundant grace and certain salvation As if that spirit which once to manifest its power called Saul in the midst of his madness breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Church would not call any but those who had prepared themselves by the same degree of madness but required that men should make themselves almost Devils that they might be called into Christians as if that God which could out of stones could not also out of men raise up Children unto Abraham as if that Christ which raised up Lazarus being dead four dayes and as they thought stinking in his grave could not as easily have heal'd him whilst he was yet alive whereas we read that Christ dealt more on the cures of the impotent than resurrections of the dead that is in a spiritual application heal'd more from the Bed of languishment of their weaknesses and diseases than he raised out of the graves of trespasses and sins though some also hath he out of death quickned to exalt the power and miracle of his mercy Yet hath not this doctrine too been most confidently maintained among some of our times That there is more hope of the debauch'd man that he shall be called or saved than of the mere moral honest man who yâ—â— is in the state of unregeneracy Have not some men defining this moral man by the formal hypocrite set him in the greatest opposition to Heaven As if that degree of innocence or rather not being extremely sinful which a moral care of our ways may bestow on us were a greater hindrance than promotion toward the state of grace and the natural man were so much the further from God the nearer he were to goodness and no man could hope to come to Heaven but he that had knockt at Hell-gates I confess indeed that the Holy Ghost where he means to inhabit hath no need of pains to prepare him a room but can at his first knock open and cleanse adorn and beautify the most uncouth ugly and unsavory heart in the World That omnipotent convincing spirit can at the same instant strike the most obdurate heart and soften it and where it once enters cannot be repuls'd by the most sturdy habituate sin or Devil I confess likewise that some have been thus rather snatch'd than call'd like the fire-brands out of the fire and by an ecstasy of the spirit inwardly in a minute chang'd from incarnate Devils into incarnate Saints So was Mary dispossest of seven Devils who was after so highly promoted in Christs favour that she had the honour to be the first witness of the Resurrection So that Gadarene who had intrencht and fortified himself among the Tombs and was garrison'd with an Army of Devils so that he brake Fetters and Chains and could not be tam'd or kept in any compass yet in a minute at Christs word sent forth a Legion of Fiends sufficient to people and destroy a Colony of Swine And so was Paul in my Text in a minute at Christs Call delivered of a multitude of blasphemous malicious spirits and straight became the joy of Angels the Apostle of the Gentiles Yet mean time these miraculous but rarer Examples must not prescribe and set up must not become a rule and encourage any one to Sauls madness on confidence of Pauls Conversion to a more impetuous course of sinning that he may become a more glorious Saint 'T is a wrong way to Heaven to dig into the deep and a brutish arrogance to hope that God will the more eagerly woo us the further our sins have divorc't us from him If some as hath been said have been caught or strucken in the height of their Rebellions or in the fulness of the evil spirit called to a wane as Diseases in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or top-pitch are wont to decay and weaken into health again if there have been some of these as my Apostle rais'd from the depth of sin as Lazarus from the stench of the grave yet these in respect of others more softly and ordinarily called are found few in number and such as were appointed for the Miracles as well as the objects of Gods mercy Hence it is that a strange disorder hath most times accompanied this extraordinary conversion of more violent outragious Sinners Our Apostle to go no farther was to be cast into a trance and his regeneration not to be accomplisht without a kind of Death and Resurrection whereas others who are better morally qualified or rather are less hardned in the sins of unregeneracy do answer at the softest knock or whispering'st call of the Spirit and at his becken will come after him More might be said of this point how St. Paul was most notably converted that he had the alleviation of ignorance for which cause as he says himself he found mercy and that others are not probably to expect the like miracle who have not those insuperable prepossessions from custom
Vipers by denying it all nourishment from without all advantages of temptations and the like which it is wont to make use of to beget in us all manner of sin let us aggravate every circumstance and inconvenience of it to our selves and then endeavour to banish it out of us and when we find we are not able importune that strong assistant the Holy Spirit to curb and subdue it that in the necessity of residing it yet may not reign in our mortal bodies to tame and abate the power of this necessary Amorite and free us from the activity and mischief and temptations of it here and from the punishment and imputation of it hereafter And so I come to the third part or brach of this original sin to wit its legal guilt and this we do contract by such an early prepossession that it outruns all other computations of our life We carry a body of sin about us before we have one of flesh have a decrepit weak old man with all his crazy train of affections and lusts before even infancy begins Behold saith the Psalmist Psal li. 5 I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me as if guilt were the plastick power that formed us and wickedness the Minera and Element of our being as if it were that little moving point which the curious enquirers into nature find to be the rudiment of animation and pants not then for life but lust and endless death So that the saying of St. James c. i. 15 seems a description of our natural birth When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Nor does this hasty inmate leave us when grown up no it improves its rancour against God and goodness mixes with custom passion and example and whatever thing is apt to lead us unto mischief somenting all the wild desires of our inferiour brutal part till it become at last an equal and profest Enemy making open hostility setting up its Sconces fortifying it self with munition and defence as meaning to try the quarrel with God and pretending right to man whom God doth but usurp Thus shall you see it encampt and setting up its banners for tokens under that proud name of another law Rom. vii 23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and as if it had got the better of the day bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in the members i. e. unto its self And shall we feel such an Enemy within us laying siege at God and grace in us and fiercely resolving whether by deceit or battery to captivate us unto himself and shall we not take notice of him Shall we not think it worthy our pains and expence to defeat him or secure our selves Beloved that will be the best stratagem for the taking of this Enemy which is now adays most ordinary in Sieges to block up all passages and hinder all access of fresh provision and so by denying this greedy devourer all nourishment from without to starve and pine him into such a tameness that he may be taken without resistance which how really you may perform by these means of mortification and repentance prescribed you in Scripture you shall better learn by your own practice than my discourse The fourth aggravation of this guilt is that its minera and fewel lurks even in a regenerate man wretched c. and enforceth Paul into a conflict a War against himself And is it possible for one otherwise happy as the regenerate man inwardly surely is to sleep securely and never to try a Field with the Author of its so much misery or finding it to be within its self part of it self not to think it a sin worthy repentance and sorrow by which Gods Holy Spirit is so resisted so affronted and almost quelled and cast out Fifthly and lastly the guilt of it appears by the effects of it 1. inclination 2. consent to evil for even every inclination to sin without consent is an irregularity and kind of sin i. e. an aversion of some of our faculties from God all which should directly drive amain to him and goodness That servant which is commanded with all speed and earnestness to go about any thing offends against his Masters Precept if he any way incline to disobedience if he perform his commands with any regret or reluctancy Now secondly consent is so natural a consequent of this evil inclination that in a man you can scarce discern much less sever them No man hath any inordinate lust but doth give some kind of consent to it the whole will being so infected with this lust that that can no sooner bring forth evil motions but this will be ready at hand with evil desires and then how evident a guilt how plain a breach of the Law it is you need not mine eyes to teach you Thus have I insisted somewhat largely on the branches of Original sin which I have spread and stretcht the wider that I might furnish you with more variety of aggravations on each member of it which I think may be of important use for this or any other popular Auditory because this sin ordinarily is so little thought of even in our solemnest humiliations When you profess that you are about the business of repentance you cannot be perswaded that this common sin which Adam as you reckon only sinned hath any effect on you I am yet afraid that you still hardly believe that you are truly and in earnest to be sorry for it unless the Lord strike our hearts with an exact sense and profest feeling of this sin of our nature and corruption of our kind And suffer us not O Lord to nourish in our selves such a torpor a sluggishness and security lest it drive us headlong to all manner of hard-heartedness to commit actual sins and that even with greediness And so I come briefly to a view of each mans personal sins I am the chief where I might rank all manner of sins into some forms or seats and then urge the deformity of each of them single and naked to your view but I will for the present presume your understandings sufficiently instructed in the heinousness of each sin forbidden by the Commandments For others who will make more or less sins than the Scripture doth I come not to satisfy them or decide their Cases of Conscience In brief I will propose to your practice only two forms of confessing your sins and humbling your selves for them which I desire you to aggravate to your selves because I have not now the leisure to beat them low or deep to your Consciences Besides original sin already spoken of you are to lay hard to your own charges first your particular chief sins secondly all your ordinary sins in gross For the first observe but that one admirable place in Solomons Prayer at the dedication of the Temple If there be
poetically how the heavens declare or set it forth hath these words their loud sound is gone out into all the world and their words or significative expressions into the ends of the world meaning thereby this knowledge of God and his glories which his works of creation preach aloud to all the men in the world This I say is a possible and no very improbable meaning of the Apostle in his citation of these words But then secondly as the faith of Christ signifies more strictly the whole Christian faith at large as it was now promulgated by the Apostles and as that was founded in the preaching miracles death and resurrection of Christ and as it was opposed to the Jewish Mosaical oeconomy of which this was to be the reformation so those words being spoken literally of the heavens are yet in a more sublime manner of allusion and accommodation applyable to the Gospel preached as to all the world so peculiarly to the Jews that as the Heavens c. preached a deity proclaimed the power and goodness of God toward men and so their loud sound went out over all the world so in a much more eminent manner of completion was this farther accomplisht in the Apostles of Christ who had a very loud and audible voice and that according to Christs appointment was now gone out into all the world and heard by all the Nations thereof the Jews as well as Gentiles and indeed the Jews first who therefore have no cause of objection against the proceeding now taken in departing from them and going to the Gentiles And this indeed seems to be the best solution of the difficulty as the words in the Apostle are an answer to the Jews objection How shall they believe without a preacher viz. when the Apostles forsake and give over preaching to them And it is no news that such accommodations and fuller completions of passages in the old Testament as these should thus be made use of by the Apostles the like being frequent among the Evangelists and some of them expresly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfillings of prophecies when yet the passages themselves thus made use of had a first and literal truth in some matter of fact far distant from thence as when to Christs return out of Aegypt is accommodated that of Hoseah concerning the children of Israel Out of Aegypt have I called my Son Matt. 11 1â— see note on Mat. 11.k. Of the application of this whole passage to Christ see more Notec. andd. V. 4. He set The Hebrew reading is here most perspicuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the sun he hath set a Tabernacle there and so the Chaldee agrees to the sun he hath set a Tabernacle of brightness or bright Tabernacle there And the Translation which the Author of the Questions and Answers under Justins name mentions under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the literal Translation out of the Hebrew Tongue into the Syriack varies but little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them he set the Tabernacle of the Sun But the Syriack which we now have and which seems not herein to be the literal rendring of the Hebrew but of the LXXII and so also of the Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick give it another sense as if God were said to set his own Tabernacle in or on the Sun in the Heavens In sole posuit in the Sun he hath set his Tabernacle saith the Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the Sun he fixt his Tabernacle in them saith the Syriack and all these as rendring the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which literally sounds thus and from thence the LXXII are supposed by many to have read the Hebrew otherwise than now we have it But this I suppose a groundless resolution and shall rather propose to consideration whether their Greek version it self being only understood according to the idiome of the Hellenists be not exactly accordant to our Hebrew For 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their dialect is perfectly all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sun in the dative case as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe in God is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God in the dative and many the like and 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as frequently used for there and then the LXXII shall clearly thus be rendred To the Sun he hath set a Tabernacle there i. e. in them or in the heavens and that is all that the Hebrew as we now have it affords Now for the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernacle that Author of the Questions and Answers under Justin Martyrs name interprets it to the sense of those words of the Psalmist in other place Psalm 104.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he extendeth or spreadeth out the heavens like a skin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the extension of skins makes a Tabernacle But if the whole place have a farther completion in Christ see Notesb. andd. then will here be an intimation of it also Christs incarnation Joh. 1. being thus exprest by that Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word was made flesh and he pitcht his Tabernacle or Tout among us V. 4. For the Sun What is here said of the Sun Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon affirms to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scripture spoken of Christ Thus we know the title of Sun of righteousness in the Prophecy of Malac. â— 2 is mystically understood to denote Christ who is that true light which coming into the world lighteneth every man And so that of the Bridegroom to which the Sun is here resembled is a signal title of Christ in respect of his Spouse the Church and so also that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or strong whether Gyant or Champion eminently denoting Christ among whose titles is that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty God Isâ— 9.6 and accordingly saith Justine it is by the heathen Poets transformed into that fable of Hercules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong man and one that went over the whole earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that he was the Son of Jupiter born of Alemena who died and returned to heaven again Now of these two similitudes here used the former that of a Bridegroom coming out of his chamber will not be perfectly understood but by referring to the customs among the Jews among whom the Bridegroom was wont to go with his Bride into a place of secrecy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here his chuppa or bride-chamber there to talke with her more familiarly and this as a ceremony of confirmation to the Wedlock Whilst he was there no person came in but his friends and attendants waited for him at the door with torches or lamps in their hands and when he 〈…〉 was â—ived with great joy and 〈…〉 by all that were 〈◊〉 To this 〈…〉 many places of the Gospelâ— refer
or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes in schemes or figures sometimes without as we see in Solomons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proverbs or Parables many of them are plain moral sayings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any figure or darkness or comparison from whence yet they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them as The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom c. and so 1 Sam. 24.13 as saith the Proverb of the Antients Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked Of this sort is that which is here spoken of a moral sentence not much veiled with figures nor so concise as ordinarily Proverbs are but a larger declaration of this wise Ethical maxime the vanity of all wicked mens prosperity and this is by the LXXII rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies literally a comparison but is more loosely taken for any moral sentence as is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Hesychius fully defines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a saying profitable for mens lives and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exhortations advises admonitions for the rectifying of manners and passions so called indeed as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beside the ordinary road in figures or artificial schemes or poetical and so not vulgar expressions many of which will be discovered here in this Psalm but used more loosely also and indifferently for those which have no figure in them And of the same kind is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my riddle that here follows from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak acutely or darkly used for a riddle in the story of Samson Jud. 17. for questions of some difficulty such as the Queen of Sheba askt Solomon 1 King 10.1 and accordingly 't is here rendred by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Problem or difficult question which yet is not only the asking of such a question which is here done v. 5. but the answering of it also as 't is there in the following words and so the stating or resolving or giving an account of any difficulty as we know those of Aristotle and Aphrodisaeus were and some of them moral as well as natural and then it belongs very fitly to the matter in hand the wise moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here delivered but somewhat obscurely in the rest of the Psalm V. 5. Iniquity of my heels What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill of my heels will be best judged by taking the words asunder And first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies evil both of fault and punishment frequently in the former but sometimes in the latter also So 1 Sam. 28.10 when Saul sware to the witch that no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that must be punishment should happen to her for this So Isa 53.11 he shall bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their iniquities we read it must be the punishments of their iniquities and so v. 6. The Lord hath laid on him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the iniquity but the punishment of us all and so Psal 31.10 my grief and my sighing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my not iniquity but punishment belong to the same matter and interpret one the other And thus most probably 't is taken here Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my heels 't will best be understood in the notion which Aben Ezra and Jarchi have of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my heels saith Sol Jarchi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my latter end and so it frequently signifies in Arabick and then the evil of my heels saith Aben Ezra is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the days of old age called the evil days Eccl. 12.1 and to this the Chaldee here may seem to refer adding in their paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my end And this evil of our heels is said to incompass us when old age and approach of death surround us on every side and so is ready inevitably to seize upon us This therefore is no obscure interpretation of the question-part of this probleme or parable on the understanding of which all the subsequent part of the Psalm depends Why should I fear in my decrepit age in sickness or in death Is there any reason for a pious man to apprehend death with any disquiet when it begins its close approaches and is most unavoidably ready to seize on him V. 6. Trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confidit signifies confident secure men such was he that said he had goods laid up for many years and thereupon gave himself up to enjoy the pleasures of this life to eat drink and he merry Of these saith the Psalmist here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will glory triumph or applaud themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over or for or in their wealth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the strength or multitude of their riches This is the most literal importance of the verse making of it self a complete proposition Confident men boast themselves in their wealth c. and then follows with good connexion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brother by redeeming shall not redeem i. e. no man shall in any wise be able to redeem either another or himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a man shall not give his ransome to God i. e. no meer man shall ever be able to pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price of equal value to rescue one sinner from the power of death to which he is sentenced This the LXXII seem to have thus read though now in the copies it is much deformed 'T is now thus read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But with a light change of the punctation and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is exactly consonant to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A brother shall in no wise redeem a man shall not give c. Then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the redemption of their soul or life shall be pretious i. e. of a great and high rate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ceaseth for ever shall be a high-prized redemption which costs very dear but then it is also a singular eternal redemption that being once wrought shall need never to be repeated again whereon it follows and he shall yet live for ever so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is literally to be rendred and so the Chaldee paraphrases it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall yet live an eternal life never dying any more death having no more dominion or power over him And thus it belongs expresly to Christ of whom the Apostle resolves for in that he died he died unto sin or to put away sin once or but once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God And so certainly the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not see corruption are peculiarly applyed to Christ Psal 16.10 and in that sense frequently appealed to by the Apostles Act.
righteous judgment in God and a testimony that all that should pass should be from Gods particular disposing And so it was in the story before the fatal siege of Hierusalem all the Christians in obedience to Christs admonition Mat. 24.16 fled out of Judea unto Pella and so none of them were found in Judea at the taking of it See note on Mat. 24. g. 7. Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God Paraphrase 7. Then shall he establish a new law with these his faithful servants the disciples of Christ the members of the Christian Church entring into a stedfast covenant of mercy with them ratified and sealed in the death of his Son 8. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings to have been continually before me Paraphrase 8. And abolish the old Mosaical way of Sacrifices and holocausts of bullocks c. constantly offered up unto God by the Jews 9. I will take no bullock out of thy house nor he-goats out of thy fold Paraphrase 9. And never any more put the worshipper to that chargeable gross sort of service of burning of flesh upon Gods Altar that the smoak might go up to heaven and Atone God for them as was formerly required whilst the Jewish Temple stood 10. For every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattel upon a thousand hills 11. I know all the fouls of the mountains and the c wild beasts of the field are mine 12. If I were hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof 13. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats Paraphrase 10 11 12 13. For indeed this kind of service was never appointed by God as that which he had any need of or pleasure in it If he had he might have provided himself whole hecatombs without putting the Israelites to the charge or trouble of it having himself the plenary dominion of all the cattel on the earth and fouls of the air and the certain knowledge where every one of them resides so that he could readily command any or all of them whensoever he pleased But it is infinitely below God to want or make use of any such sort of oblations sure he feeds not on flesh and blood of cattel as we men do There were other designs of his appointing the Israelites to use these services viz. to adumbrate the death of his own eternal Son as the one true means of redemption and propitiation for sin and the more spiritual sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving and almes to the poor members of Christ which may receive real benefit by our Charities which cannot be imagined of God 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Paraphrase 14. And such are the sacrifices which under the Messias are expected and required of us 1. That of the Eucharist the blessing God for all his mercies but especially the gift of his Son to dye for us and this brought to God with penitent contrite mortified hearts firm resolution of sincere new obedience and constantly attended with an offertory or liberal contribution for the use of the poor proportionable to the voluntary oblations among the Jews and these really dedicated to God and accepted by him Phil. 4.18 Heb. 13 16. 15. And call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Paraphrase 15. 2. That of prayer and humble address unto God in all time of our wants to which there is assurance of a gracious return and that must ingage us to give the praise and glory of all to the Messias in whose name our prayers are addrest to God 16. But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth 17. Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Paraphrase 16 17. But as for those that make no other use of these mercies of God than to incourage themselves to go on in their courses of sin which think to perform these sacrifices of prayer and praise and yet still continue in any wilful known vice unreformed make their formal approaches unto God but never heed his severe commands of reformation these have no right to the mercies of this Evangelical Covenant and do but deceive themselves and abuse others when they talk of it and the more so the more solemnly they pretend to piety and talk of and perhaps preach it to others 18. When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with adulterers Paraphrase 18. Such are not only the thief and adulterer those that are guilty of the gross acts of those sins but such as any way partake with them in these 19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Paraphrase 19. Such the evil speaker and lyer 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Paraphrase 20. The backbiter and slanderer 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Paraphrase 21. When men commit such sins as these God doth not always inflict punishment on them immediately but defers and gives them space to repent and amend that they may thus prevent and escape his punishment And some make so ill use of this indulgence and patience of his which is designed only to their repentance as to interpret it an approbation of their course and an incouragement to proceed securely in it But those that thus deceive themselves and abuse Gods mercies shall most deerly pay for it God shall bring his judgments upon them here cut them off in their sins and pour out his indignation on them in another world 22. Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Paraphrase 22. This therefore is matter of sad admonition to every impenitent sinner that goes on fearless in any course of evil immediately to stop in his march to return betimes lest if he defer Gods judgments fall heavily upon him selfe him and carry him to that place of torment for then there is no possible escaping 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Paraphrase 23. Whereas on the other side the Christian duties required v. 14. Repentance and charity c. and the orderly spending of these few days of our life in this world are beyond all the sacrifices of the Law an eminent means of glorifying God and providing for the present bliss and eternal salvation of our souls Annotations on Psalm L. V. 3. Shall come The notion of Gods coming must here first be established as that
prepared for all that were lost in the first Adam fell into a dislike and detestation of marriage and propagation which heretical improvement of the Catholick doctrine Clemens refuting had no occasion at least necessity to speak of the true doctrine which was more than granted by those Hereticks This being the only testimony out of antiquity which is thought to be less favourable to the doctrine of Original sin in general and particularly to the interpreting this text of the Psalmist to that sense I have thus largely insisted on it And for the farther clearing of it shall adjoyn the interpretation of St. Chrysostome which seems to me to proceed in the same way as Clemens did but withal to give us a much more perspicuous understanding of the full design of it Clemens interpreted the mothers conception to be understood of Eve and so saith Chrysostome In sin hath my mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the beginning sin prevailed for the transgressing of the commandment was before the conception of Eve for it was after the sin and ejection from paradise that Adam knew his wife and she conceived and brought forth Cain This therefore was the Psalmists meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sin prevailing over our first parents wrought a way and path through mankind Then whereas Clemens indeavours to free the text from favouring the Encratites by shewing the good and benefits of propagation out-weighing the evil that was inseparable from it and by insisting that as the child new born did not commit fornication so he fell not under Adams curse St. Chrysostome proceeds also on that matter but much more perspicuously and so as is visibly most agreeable to the Catholick Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But by all this we learn that the act of sin is not natural for if it were we should be free from punishment but that nature inclines to falling being disturbed by a tumult of passions but yet resolution making use of industry overcomes Adding in reference particularly to the Encratites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are therefore foolishly mistaken that suppose David to accuse marriage here thus understanding those words I was conceived in iniquities as if his mother sinned when she conceived him That is not his meaning but he mentions the transgression of old committed by our first fathers and saith of that that it was the fountain of these streams 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for saith he if they had not sinned they had not undergone the punishment of death but not being mortal had been above corruption and then to incorruption apathie absence of passions had been concomitant and apathie being admitted sin had had no place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But seeing they sinned they were delivered to corruption being become corruptible they begat children like themselves and to such desires and fears and pleasures were together consequent Against these reason contends and if it overcomes is pronounced or proclaimed to be rewarded but if it be overcome it is a debtor of shame is punished with reproach Thus far this holy Father in that place expresly giving us his own opinion and I suppose sufficiently clearing Clements doctrine in this matter that though David impute not any of his foul actual transgressions to nature or the force of Original sin because he had those other aids from God which might have resisted successfully if he had not been wanting to himself yet he here mentions Adams fall as the fountain of all vitious corrupt streams as that which shewed sin the way into the world brought tumultuous passions which he elsewhere calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a large swarm of passions together with mortality after it and so an inclination and tendency in our nature to stumble and fall which inclination or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all one with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first incitations from our nativity in Clemens which he mentions as impieties and therefore sins though saith Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasoning such discourse as a Christian is capable of and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resolution with industry making use of the means that God hath given us he adds elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit helping us Christians and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptism able to mortifie may not only oppose and incounter this swarm and rout of passions but overcome them also What the Latine Fathers thought of this place is visible from Hilarie in his Enarration on Psal 119. v. 175. Vivere se in hac vita non reputat quippe qui dixerit Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum Scit se sub peccati origine sub peccati lege natum esse meditationem autem legis Dei ob id elegit ut vivat He accounts not himself to live in this life as having said Behold I am conceived in sin He knows he was born under the beginning of sin i. e. Original sin for he calls it elsewhere as originem carnis the beginning of the flesh so more expresly originis vitium the vice of his beginning and peccata humanae naturae the faults of his humane nature and under the law of sin but he therefore chooseth to meditate in the law of God that he may live And to the same purpose St. Ambrose Omnes homines sub peccato nascimur quorum ipse ortus in vitio est dicente David Ecce in iniquitate All men are born in sin our very birth is in fault as David saith Behold I was conceived in sin And many others concur to the same sense in their Scholia on this Psalm As for the doctrine it self of Original sin as it is founded on many other places of Scripture as well as on this the concordant testimonies of the Antient Church are set down at large by the Author of the Pelagian Hist l. 11. Par. 1. from Justine Tatianus Irenaeus Origen Macarius Hierosolymit and Macarius Aegyptius Athanasius Cyril of Jerusalem Basil Gregory Nazianzen Chrysostome Leontius Olympiodorus of the Greek Church and from Tertullian Cyprian Arnobius Reticius Olympius Hilarie Ambrose Optatus Hilarius Diaconus Hierome of the Latine as well as from St. Augustine and those that followed him And Vincentius's words are remarkable Quis ante prodigiosum discipulum ejus Coelestium reatu praevaricationis Adae omne genus humanum negavit astrictum Before Caelestius Pelagius's prodigious scholar who ever denied that all mankind was bound by the guilt of Adams sin This I suppose sufficient to assure us of the sense of the Universal Christian Church in this Article And what from this and the like places of the Old Testament the old Jews doctrine was may be concluded from these words of St. Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason of St. Paul's phrase so oft repeated as by one Rom. v was that when a Jew shall aske how the world should be saved by the well-doing of one the
righteousness of Christ thou mightest be able to say to him How should the world be condemned by one Adams sinning By which words of his it appears that this doctrine of the whole worlds being under condemnation for the sin of Adam was such as he thought no Jew would doubt of for else it could be no fit means to silence his objection against the redemption of the whole world by Christ To this of the Jews belongs their ordinary style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil formation which the Chaldee lightly vary into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning our evil affections or concupiscence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the formation of sin or proclivity to sin from their frame or fabrick So Eccl. 10.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flyes of death are by the Chaldee rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil concupiscence which abiding at the gates of the heart brings the cause of death into the world and Psal 103.14 where we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our frame the Chaldee have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil concupiscence which impells us to sin So Psal 119.70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the figment of the heart So say the Rabbins three men subdued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their concupiscence Joseph Gen. 39. Boaz Ruth 3. Phalati 1 Sam. 25.44 Where by the example of Joseph c. it is evident that the desire of carnal forbidden objects such as another mans wife is comprehended by them under this style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formation And this from Gen. 8.21 where of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imagination or formation or figment of the heart of man it is said that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil from the youth So in the Midras Tehillem on Psal 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now the evil figment is born with a man and goes about with him all his days as 't is said the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth and if it can find occasion to overthrow him when he is twenty years old or forty or seventy or eighty it will do so And this the Talmudists saith Buxtorfe observe to be called by seven names in Scripture 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foreskin 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the enemy or bater 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stumbling-block 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stone 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hidden thing What they say of these is much of it indeed phansiful and Talmudical and their writings are too full of such stuff to be here set down See Buxtorf Lex Rabbin who farther refers the reader to Caphtor fol. 55.1 Cad habkemach fol. 35.2 Afcat Rochel fol. 12.1 In the forecited place of Succa they add that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in time to come God shall bring the evil figment or evil concupiscence and slay it before the just and unjust and that as long as the just live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they fight with their concupiscences Berish Rabba sect 9. elsewhere 't is given for a rule that this concupiscence is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that i. e. the future world See Basra fol. 58.1 So the question being asked in Sâ—nhedr fol. 91.2 from what time this evil figment obteins dominion on a man whether from time of his birth or of his formation in the womb the answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the time of his formation c. The like dispute is in Beresh Rab. sect 34. Elsewhere they say that in the beginning 't is like a thred of a spider but in the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is like a cart-rope and again that at first it is as a stranger afterward as a guest and at length 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Master of an house See More Neu. par 3. c. 22. and Vaiikra Rabba Sect. 17. The beginning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the end bitter So R. Solomon on Psal 78.39 for the wind that passeth away and cometh not again reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil figment hidden in the heart which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goes when a man dyes and returns not again And Midras Tehill to avert the argument drawn from that text against the resurrection of the dead says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil figment is meant in this place not the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which goes with a man at the hour of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and returns not with him at the hour of the resurrection of the dead So when Ps 16.3 there is mention of the saints that are in the earth Midras Tehill understands the words as of those that lye buryed there adding God calls not here the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints till they be buryed in the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the evil figment is in a man in this age and as it follows God doth not fully confide in man till he be dead So Kimchi on Ps 103.14 and Aben Ezra on this very verse of Psal 51. where he resolves the Psalmists meaning to be that in the hour of his nativity the evil figment was planted in his heart and on ver 10. that this evil concupiscence had drawn him to sin and therefore he prays to God that he would help him against the evil figment that he might no more be misled by it or admit sin To conclude the Talmud it self tract Berach hath a very sober and Orthodox account of this matter And so this may suffice for the second thing the notion of Davids being born and conceived in sin Thirdly then it may be demanded how this mention of his conception and birth in sin comes in here or how it is a fit ingredient in a penitential Psalm the humbling himself for so many gross actual sins as he stood guilty of at this time And the reason of the doubt is because the sin of our conception and birth being no act of our own wills and yet farther a spring of all our corrupt streams a strong tendency to our actual sins the mention of that might seem rather a means of extenuating than aggravating our actual guilts To this I answer 1. that if Christ the second Adam had not repaired the errors of the first Adam if original corruption had inevitably betrayed David to his adultery and murther c. if he had not had power to resist his corrupt inclinations or repress them from breaking out as they did into those gross sins there would then be reason in the objection But the doctrine of Original sin supposes not any such inevitable necessity but on the contrary acknowledges the gift of Christ to be an antidote fully proportioned to the poison of our nativity and his grace a sufficient auxiliary to inable men not only to resist but overcome temptations and in some degree
up the right hand of his adversaries thou hast made all his enemies to rejoyce Paraphrase 42. And now their enemies and assailants are as continually prosperous as David himself was wont to be 43. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword and hast not made him to stand in the battel Paraphrase 43. Their weapons that were for ever victorious by thy forsaking them have quite lost their keenness they that were never accustomed to defeats in their fights are now subdued and unable to make any farther resistance 44. Thou hast made his glory to cease and cast his throne down to the ground Paraphrase 44. The great fame and renown and power which they had among all men is now utterly lost 45. The days of his youth hast thou shortned thou hast covered him with shame Selah Paraphrase 45. Our Princes slain and their people subdued and captivated and contumeliously handled 46. How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self for ever shall thy wrath burn like fire Paraphrase 46. This is a most sad estate and if we be not speedily rescued out of it we shall all be finally destroyed and the people and d seed of David to whom those illustrious promises were made utterly consumed 47. Remember how short my time is hast thou made all men in vain 48. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Paraphrase 47 48. Our age and space of life here is very transient and flitting and is soon and certainly concluded in the grave that inevitable lot of all mankind And in this state of captivity we have little joy or comfort in that life which is afforded us we are born miserable and pass through a succession of miseries here and are shortly scised with death And this is far distant from the purport of that Covenant made with David the benefits of which we it seems by our sins have as to this age of ours utterly forfeited 49. Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses which thou swarest unto David in thy truth Paraphrase 49. O blessed Lord be thou at length pleased to be propitiated to pardon these our provoking sins to remember and resume thy methods of mercy and by what wayes thine own wisdom shall best choose to perform the purport of thy Covenant so long since ratified to David In this thy fidelity is concerned and this we are sure will be made good in the eyes of all O that it might be thy good pleasure to manifest it at this time by the restoring of Davids posterity our Monarchy Temple and People to the former dignity 50. Remember Lord the reproach of thy servants how I do bear in my bosome the reproach of all the mighty people 51. Wherewith thine enemies have reproached O Lord wherewith they have reproached the foot-steps of thine anointed Paraphrase 50 51. Till thou please thus by some means to rescue us we are likely to be the reproach of all the heathen people about us who will now object the evacuation and frustration of our faith and hopes founded on thy promises to David's seed and say by way of derision that our Messias is very long a coming 52. Blessed be the Lord for evermore Amen and Amen Paraphrase 25. But whatever their contumelles or our sufferings are they shall not discourage or take us off from Blessing and Praising thee and steadily relying on thee whatsoever desertion our soul provoking sins have most justly now brought upon us yet upon our reformation thou wilt certainly return in mercy to us and whatsoever interruptions thy promised Mercies may seem to have in respect of our captive Prince and People the present posterity and Kingdom of David yet 't is most certain the Promises made for sending the Messias whose Kingdom and redemption is not of this world but spiritual and eternal the erecting of his Throne in his servants hearts and the redeeming them from Sin and Satan shall in due time be performed in Christ that most illustrious son of David to whom and none else belonged the promise under the oath of God And in this completion of Gods Covenant with David his servant of which all Gods faithful servants shall have their portions we securely and with full confidence acquiesce and all joyn in an ardent and most devout celebration of God's fidelity his constant performance of all his promises and so conclude So be it Lord and So certainly it shall be Annotations on Psalm LXXXIX V. 2. I have said That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have said belongs to God and not to the Psalmist appears v. 3. where in connexion with this is added I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant When the LXXII therefore and Syriack and Latine c. read it in the second person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast said it is to be lookt on as their paraphrase to express the meaning and not that they read it otherwise than the Hebrew now hath it and this the rather because of the great affinity betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second and the first person But when it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy faithfulness shalt thou establish these again as those of v. 1. are the words of the Psalmist speaking unto God And of such permutation of persons God saying the former part and the Psalmist by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering God in the latter there are many examples One follows here in the next words the third and fourth verses being evidently spoken by God I have made a Covenant Thy seed will I establish But the fifth by way of answer by the Psalmist And the heavens shall praise thy wonders O Lord. The Jewish Arab who seems with some other Interpreters to refer it to the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have known or made known though being without vowels it may be read in the second person as thou hast declared adds in the beginning of v. 3. who hast said I have made a Covenant c. V. 6. Mighty As of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath been shewed note on Psal 82.6 so of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is to be resolved that it signifies Angels even those that are in heaven in the beginning of the verse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is applied to God being communicated also to them there being no more difference between those two phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heaven and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the sons of God than there is betwixt compared in the former and likened in the latter part of the verse where we read can be compared the Hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ponere disponere there to set himself in aray to enter the lists Job 6.4 and thence 't is to dispute to aray
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let my death be an expiation for all my offences This was likewise said by those that fell not by the hand of justice but died natural deaths Now he that dies in the midst of an ill attempt and much more he that makes away himself as Judas in a fit of suffocation probably did by throwing himself down a precipice his death will be so far from an expiation that it will be sin and a great accumulation of the other crimes And this is an expression of a most sad deplorable condition when as it is Prov. 1.28 then shall they call upon me but I will not answer their prayers for averting their judgment shall be of no more force than their sins would be The Jewish Arab hath here a sense strangely different from others And let his prayer for him be destruction to him understanding it of the prayer of the oppressed which he putteth up to God for good to his oppressor but God turneth it for destruction to him V. 8. Days be few 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 few or short or little doth here signifie the cutting him off before the natural period of his life comes To this all the following words to the end of v. 10. belong For when he is thus cut off his office is void and so ready for another his children have lost their father and his wife an husband v. 9. and his estate being forfeited to the Law as well as his life his children and posterity are ejected out of their inheritance and so must provide for themselves either by wandering and begging from place to place this is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by moving let them move i. e. be in perpetual motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the LXXII let them be shaken tost and removed from place to place or by seeking out some unhabited place where they may rest and plant The former of these is here exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them ask or beg And perhaps the latter may be the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them seek i. e. get their subsistence maintenance out of places which being desolate in no other owners hands are alone fit to entertain and receive them But the Chaldee interprets it of their own dwellings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when their desolation is come The LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be cast out of their ruinous dwellings and seem to have read not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them seek but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be cast out from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to eject And so 't is very applicable to the Jews whose Temple and Jerusalem was demolished and they driven out from the very ruines not permitted to rebuild or inhabit there But the common Hebrew reading is to be preferred being witnest to by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall seek and very agreeable to the context also which speaks of their unsettled motions from place to place their begging and not knowing where to dwell For by this also is very lively described the condition of the Jewish posterity ever since their ancestors fell under that signal vengeance for the crucifying of Christ First their desolations and vastations in their own Countrey and being ejected thence Secondly their continual wandrings from place to place scattered over the face of the earth and Thirdly their remarkable covetousness keeping them always poor and beggerly be they never so rich and continually labouring and moiling for gain as the poorest are wont to doe and this is continually the constant course attending this people wheresoever they are scattered The Jewish Arab reads Make few his days and turn over of his age to another Abu Walid also renders the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his office strangely his treasure or wealth Kimchi interprets it that which is under his command as his wealth Wife c. V. 11. Catch The Hebrew here reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Piel signifies concussit exegit and applied here to the grating creditor and usurer toward the debtors goods is best rendred to exact or seise on so the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall levy exact take away gather as the publican doth the taxes or as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12.58 doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exact Luk. 3.13 and 19.23 or as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tormentor Matth. 18.34 directly answerable to the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactor to whom the debtor there being delivered is racked to the utmost till he pay the last farthing The LXXII here reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin scrutetur let him search either paraphrastically to express it for so he that seises on anothers goods searches and takes all that he can find or else because of the affinity of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exact with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enquire or search The Interlinear that reads illaqueet let him insnare or catch seems to have lookt on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to insnare in which sense the Chaldee took it Ps 38.13 rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they made snares And thus the Jewish Arab Let the enemy insnare all his wealth as a creditor or usurer Abu Walid let the creditor consume or destroy all his wealth let strangers spoil or make prey of his gain And so 't is ordinary for words of that affinity to have the same signification To the sense of levying or seising on the latter part of this verse agrees well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the strangers spoil snatch away pray upon his labours from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to snatch or prey upon the stranger being no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the asurâ— in the beginning of the verse who being none of his family to whom by inheritance his goods may come is fitly called a stranger especially when no Jew being permitted to lend on usury to a Jew the usurer that lent a Jew must needs be a stranger i. e. no Jew V. 13. Posterity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here best rendred his end or novissimum as the Interlinear hath it the last of him So the Chaldee reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his end and the Syriack being the same with the Hebrew put only in the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred finis eorum their end So the learned Casteâ—â—ioâ— exiâ— eorum their end The LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his children from another supposed notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for children because they come afâ—er a man But the context inclines to the former notion the next words affirming that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another i. e. in the next generation in the age of thâ—se that live afâ—â—r him the LXXII again reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generation 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be that he reign By this 't is evident that in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord at thy right hand must be understood of the Messias instated in his regal power at the right hand of his Father and not of the Father as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to back and help him as Psal 16.8 and elsewhere the phrase is used For of the Son thus exalted we know it is that we reade Joh. 5.22 that the Father hath committed all judgment to the Son Agreeable to which it is that this Adonai or Lord at Jehovah's right hand here shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath i. e. shall act revenges most severely on the opposers of his Kingdom which revenges in the New Testament are peculiarly attributed to Christ and called the coming of the Son of man coming in the clouds coming with his Angels and the approaching or coming of his Kingdom V. 7. Brook of the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies any hollow place or vale a receptacle of waters and from thence a small river or brook which hath not its original from any spring but is filled with rain-waters and so is full in the winter but in the summer dried up So Gen. 26.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the valley of Gâ—rar Joel 3.18 a fountain shall come forth and water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the valley of Shittim and 2 King 3.16 make this valley full of ditches and v. 17. ye shall not see rain yet that valley shall be filled with water And being here joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the way it seems to signifie no more than those plashes of water which in the winter are frequent in highways from the fall of much rain These first from the places where they are collected no pools on purpose provided for the receit of waters but every little cavity in the way which is thus filled by rain and secondly by the stagnancy or standing still of these waters and thirdly by the frequency of passengers fouling them are to be concluded very unfit for the use of men very inconvenient for drinking and would never be used for that purpose were it â—ot by him that hath no other or that so far intends the haste of his way and so far despises or neglects himself as to content himself with the worst and meanest sort of accommodation that which will just satisfie the necessities of nature This is most observable of souldiers in an hasty march that are thirsty but will not make stay at an Inn to refresh themselves with wine or so much as go out of their way to make choice of or seek out for wholsome water but insist on their pursuit and satisfie their thirst at the next receptacle of waters the next puddle or trench or ditch or brook they meet with This is a sign of great alacrity in a souldier and withall of great humility and contempt of hardship and difficulties of submitting to any the meanest and most servile condition and may well here be used poetically to express the great humiliation and exinanition of the Messias assuming the real form and all the mean offices of a servant pursuing the work to which he was sent with all alacrity counting it his meat and drink to doe the will of him that sent him and finish his work Joh. 4.34 and in fine laying down his life suffering as willingly a most bitter contumelious death which being by him exprest by drinking of a cup and that a special sort of cup such as others would not probably be content with Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of Matt. 20.22 and that an insupportable bitter cup Matt. 26.39 42. Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me it may very fitly be extended to his death as well as to all that was preparative and in the way to it And to this the lifting up his head reigning victoriously over all his enemies being constituted Judge of quick and dead is here justly apportioned according to that of Phil. 2.8 9. He made himself of no reputation but humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Wherefore God hath highly exalted him Another notion there is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a torrent or river Prov. 18.4 a flowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 torrent or river and so Am. 6.14 unto the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it river of the wilderness If it be here taken in that notion then drinking of it may be a proverbial speech to express victory as Isa 37.25 when Sennacherib is boasting of his conquests he thus speaks I will enter into the height of his border and the forrest of his Carmel I have digged and drunk water and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the rivers of the besieged places Where the former part being an expression of victory and forcible seisure and so the latter also of blocking up and close siege the middlemost may probably be to the same sense and the rather because of the custom of Eastern Princes who in token of dedition exacted from subjugated Provinces Earth and Water Judith 2.7 In reference to which the digging up Earth and drinking Water will signifie a forcible entry a method of battery where the milder summons have not prevailed thereby to take livery and seism of an hostile Countrey And if that be the notion here then the phrase signifies Christ's victory atchieved by his death over Satan Sin and Hell Which being wrought upon the Cross is fitly precedaneous and preparative to the lifting up of his head The Hundred and Eleventh PSALM Praise ye the Lord. The Hundred and eleventh Psalm is one of those whose Title see Note a. on Psal 106. is Hallelujah and is accordingly spent in praising and magnifying the name of God for all his works of power and mercy It is composed in twenty two short Metres each beginning with the several Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet 1. I Will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation Paraphrase 1. From the bottom of my soul and with the full quire of all the faculties thereof I will acknowledge and bless the name of God This I will doe more privately in counsel of all pious men the true Israelites when ever any transaction of concernment is to be advised on by those that make strict conscience of their duty and this will I doe in the most publick and solemn assembly No juncto is too close no congregation too wide for such a most due performance 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Paraphrase 2. Marvellous are the works of God and of all other sorts of study most worthy to be the exercise and imployment of all pious men who can entertain themselves with more
and to become able to steer thy whole life by those excellent rules of all sorts and never transgress any of them 10. When wisedom entreth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul 11. Discretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keep thee Paraphrase 10 11. And when by these closer and more intimate embraces by the constant practice of vertue and experience of the sweetness of it which at a distance is never discerned wicked men knowing not what belongs to it thou comest to esteem it as it really is the most desirable valuable and even sensual pleasing course especially if compared with the unsatisfying empty joys or rather vexations and burthens of the flesh and world this very apprehension of it if there were nothing else will prove a consideration of great efficacy a competent armature against all temptations whensoever any the most specious promising sensual or secular bait shall invite and solicit thee out of thy road of obedience and adherence to the commands of God thine own judgment will assure thee that it bids thee to thy loss that by catching after that phasme or shadow of false pleasure thou shalt deprive thy self of the most real solid and durable joys which are all made up in the constant exercises of all moral and Christian duties humility meekness mercifulness peaceableness contentedness temperance purity justice c. and are not to be found in the confines of the contrary vices which beside the wounds and gratings of an accusing conscience bring all manner of uneasiness and dissatisfactions along with them nay even pains and torments after them And this one would think should be sufficient to uphold and continue us unchanged in the ways of vertue to fortifie us against all such treacherous competitours as come on purpose to rob and waste and undoe when they most pretend and undertake to gratifie and oblige us 12. To deliver thee from the way of the evil man from the man that speaketh froward things Paraphrase 12. To secure us from the snares that tempters are ready to lay for us ch 1.10 and keep us from imitating or associating with them in their unlawfull destructive practices designed to shed others blood but generally redounding to their own mischief bringing that on themselves which they projected against others ch 1.18 19. 13. Who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness Paraphrase 13. Considering what a strange irrational choice it must needs be to forsake what is so infinitely valuable and advantagious in exchange for that which is so detestable and destructive even the same that it would be to leave a direct lightsome way that conducts to all bliss for a melancholy gloomy crooked path that leads to eternal misery 14. Who rejoyce to doe evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked Paraphrase 14. Can there be any thing so distant from right judgment so contrary to all even humane measures as to delight and take joy in doing things that are most detestable without any intuition of gain or advantage by them to place a felicity in affronting God and nature and going on obstinately and imperswasibly in such abhorred fruitless courses which beside the pleasure of opposing all that is good which none but devils one would think should have taste of or appetite to have nothing else to recommend them to any man 15. Whose ways are crooked and they froward in their paths Paraphrase 15. Were they not as crooked and distorted as their ways are were not their hearts set wholly on opposing and despising of all that is good and perversly bent never to hearken to any sober counsels it were impossible they should thus like and love their wandrings and prevarications such chargeable gainless variations from their duty 16. To deliver thee from the strange woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words Paraphrase 16. The very same method will fortifie thee against all other the most enticing ensnaring sins particularly that of unlawfull embraces The vertue either of virginal or conjugal chastity is certainly so much more pleasant and desirable than the liberties of various lust be it recommended to thy phancy by never so many flattering and false colours that thy own judgment and discretion v. 11. is sufficient to arm thee against any such be they never so insinuating proposals 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the covenant of her God Paraphrase 17. Were there nothing but the breach of the conjugal faith and perjurious falseness that such commissions are guilty of thiâ— were enough to avert any man from this sin with another man's wife The adulteress is a most scandalous disloyal person breaks through the greatest obligations both of duty and kindness justice and gratitude to her lawfull and tender huâ—band and having entred into mutual sacramental bands a most strict covenant to him and vow to God of continuing her love and faith to him constant and undefiled she most traiterously violateth all these obligations and thou that joynest with her in the sin art beside thine own guilty of all her falsenesses 18. For her house enclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead Paraphrase 18. But beside the horribleness of the sin the punishments which it must expect to meet with may most reasonably deter any man from it All the plagues and miseries of this world and rottenness and wretched diseases and death are the ordinary attendants of it Whilst men are in pursuit of this sin it speaks them fair v. 16. promises them pleasure at a distance but they that are thus ensnared find â—n abyss of infelicities inseparably annext to it 19. None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Paraphrase 19. And beyond all one curse attends this sin that it is a kind of hell to them that are once engaged in it As to him that is once in those chains of darkness there is no possibility of returning to a capacity of any tolerable much less happy life so those that are any thing deeply immerst in this sin of adultery seldom ever get out of it again Experience shews of such how unsuccessfull all calls of God the most powerfull methods of his grace and providence are to disintangle them or to recover them to a life of sobriety and piety 20. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous Paraphrase 20. And as this prescribed method cannot doubt to be successfull in fortifying thee against the temptations forementioned so it will be abundantly sufficient to secure thy perseverance in all piety by considering how much a more easie nay delectable joyous course it is v. 10. than that which either the world or flesâ— can tempt thee to 21. For the upright shall dwell in the land and the perfect shall remain in it Paraphrase 21. Piety having the promises even of this life
forsake it cease from it pass not in it not as we reade pass not by it the Chaldee expresses the מ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with them in their company the LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whatsoever place they shall encamp enter not there by way of plain paraphrase but withall probably looking on some other notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that of otiosum esse for that is resting setting up their station in any place so the Syriack reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and in the place where they inhabit or dwell pass you not V. 16. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they scandalize not or cause not some body to fall they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sleep not or lie not down to sleep setting that as an usefull explication of what immediately preceded their sleep is taken away not that others take it away but that they take it from themselves they apply not themselves to sleep and thinking this of except they cause to fall sufficiently express'd before by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless they doe some mischief V. 21. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them not depart from thine eyes they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the fountains destitute thee not probably reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the preposition פ and so taking it in another notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for an eye but a fountain And thus the sense is very good and agrees well with the next verse for if the wise man's admonitions are life and health to them that receive them i. e. if they cause both these to them then are they fitly to be styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy fountains from whence all good springs out to thee but the Chaldee and all other Interpreters save the Arabick that constantly follow the LXXII reade as we doe with the preposition and so it must signifie eyes After the end of this Chapter the LXXII have a large addition wherein they are followed by the Latin which generally in this book of Proverbs doth not adhere to them in their variations from the Hebrew It is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God knows the right paths on the right hand but those on the left hand are perverted but he shall make thy paths straight and advance thy steps in peace But neither Chaldee nor Syriack have a word of this And so it is to be looked on as a Scholion though very ancient which some reader had affixt to the Greek Copy pertinent to the business of the verses precedent and as a descant on them CHAP. V. 1. MY son attend unto my wisedom and bow thine ear to my understanding 2. That thou mayst regard discretion and that thy lips may keep knowledge Paraphrase 1 2. Among all the acts of paternal and tender charity to the souls of men there is none more precious and truly valuable than that of communicating saving wisedom and wholsome instruction to them To that end this book is designed and an humble docible heart is required to qualifie any man for the reaping the benefits and fruits of it and if that may be found infinite are the advantages of it for the regulating the affections and the actions and especially the words He that hath throughly imbibed the directions of it will have more savour and taste of good things than ever he had will think that to be the onely true wisedom and affect and regard it as such which is here recommended to him the practice of all duty toward God and man and himself and accordingly his discourse will be savoury and pious professing the joy he tasts in these exercises and desiring to recommend and propagate them to other men 3. For the lips of a strange woman drop as an hony comb and her mouth is smoother than oyl Paraphrase 3. Of this sort is that necessary advice to beware of the flattery and deceits of ill women whose beauty and discourse and conversation and the many allectives which that sex is furnished with are very winning and efficacious promising the greatest pleasures and satisfactions imaginable 4. But her end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword Paraphrase 4. Which if they be believed or hearkened to will in the event prove most contrary to what they promise bring all the sadness and bitterness the most painfull and noxious effects infinitely more sharp and dolorous than the so short enjoyments were apprehended pleasurable 5. Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell Paraphrase 5. And beyond the temporal miseries which attend this sin inseparably and indispensably the eternal destruction is most formidable which is the just reward of it and will be sure to overtake it 6. Lest thou shouldst ponder the path of life her ways are moveable that thou canst not know them Paraphrase 6. Nor can any better event be rationally hoped to the temptations which are tendred from such an hand A whore being the most vile and miserable creature in the world engaging her self in a course most diametrically contrary as to all vertue so to all felicity the joys and comforts of this or a better life and prostituting her self to all the dismal uncertainties and ill consequences of an endless insatiate lust which carry her headlong none knows whither into a gulph of endless woe 7. Hear ye me therefore O ye children and depart not from the words of my mouth 8. Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house Paraphrase 7 8. This makes it a seasonable and necessary advice to all that fear God or expect good from him in this or another life to all the children of wisedom professours of piety that they be most exactly cautious in this matter that they yield not themselves the least liberty or indulge to the beginnings of this sin that they keep as circumspectly as is possible from entring into the confines of this temptation and on the contrary remove to the greatest distance from all occasions and opportunities thereof 9. Lest thou give thy honour unto others and thy years unto the cruel 10. Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth thy labours be in the house of a stranger Paraphrase 9 10. If this advice be not timely obeyed it will be hard if not impossible to keep out of the snare and in that not onely thy soul but all that is precious to any man is sure to be most ruinously engaged thy reputation utterly destroyed by so base and scandalous and sottish a sin thy body and life it self the one as sure to be decayed the other shortened by this course as it could by falling into the power of the most implacable enemy And for thy wealth and fruit of thy labours and industry and the divine blessing this sin is the certain blasting and consuming of all she that enticeth thee to her unlawfull bed will be sure to lay hold on
thy estate and enrich her own family with the spoils of thine 11. And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof 13. And have not obey'd the voice of my teachers nor enclined mine ear to them that instructed me 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly Paraphrase 11 12 13 14. Thus is it evident before hand what cause of repentance and indignation at himself and his own folly this sin if indulged to is sure to bring upon any man when he hath exhausted and rotted his very flesh and brought himself to utter ruine he will too late to mend his temporal condition most sadly bewail and lament his madness wish every vein of his heart that he had taken the advice I now give him betimes that he had believed the serious and sad truth of such documents as these by despising of which and so adventuring on some beginnings and degrees of this sin he at last comes to be a most scandalous spectacle of misery and woe to all the people marked and pointed at for a wretched sottish creature that hath brought himself to the brink of endless ruine by his own imperswasible folly and obstinacy 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running rivers out of thine own well Paraphrase 15. Having thus represented to thee the dangers and wasting miseries of incontinence the advice will be but seasonable and necessary that every man resolve to satisfie himself with his own wife and most strictly abstain from wandring lusts 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waters in thy streets Paraphrase 16. This shall beside all other felicities yield thee the comforts of a numerous and flourishing offspring which as streams or rivers from a fountain shall flow from a chast conjugal bed 17. Let them be onely thine own and not strangers with thee Paraphrase 17. This shall give thee assurance that the children thou ownest are truly thine whereas those which come from the strange woman and call thee father 't is very uncertain whose they are she being no enclosure of thine but common to others also 18. Let thy fountain be blessed and rejoyce in the wife of thy youth Paraphrase 18. This shall secure God's blessing of fruitfulness to thy wife and that flourishing state to thy offspring which bastard slips cannot pretend to This shall yield thee a constant never fading pleasure in the love and embraces of her whose purity and loyalty thou hast so long been acquainted with and the longer thou art afforded this blessing the more pure unallayed satisfaction thou wilt find in it when wandring lusts end in satiety and misery and being thus furnished by her thou hast no temptation to aliene thy self from her and take any other into thine embraces 19. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht always with her love Paraphrase 19. Thou mayst alwaies find matter of pleasure and kindness in her the same that the stag or rain-deer doth in his beloved mate which he hath long associated with and so perfectly confine thy love to her and never wish for the society of any other or be weary of hers 20. And why wilt thou my son be ravisht with a strange woman and embrace the bosom of a stranger 21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Paraphrase 20 21. If all this be not sufficient to engage thee to a constancy to thine own wife and an exact abstinence from all others if the true joy and delights resulting continually from the one ballanced with the consequent satieties and miseries of the other be not competent motives effectually to prevail with thee then sure this one determent may work on thee the consideration of the law of marriage made by God in Paradise that every man shall forsake all others and cleave to his own wife and the severe judgments threatned against the violaters of this obligation and the no possibility that be it never so close it should be kept secret from God's all-seeing eye which discerns and observes and will severely avenge all such enormous sins in all that are guilty of them 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins 23. He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray Paraphrase 22 23. And an eminent act of his vengeance and providence it is that this sort of sinners seldom goes unpunished in this life His sin without any other aid constantly brings sore punishments upon him seises on him as the Hound or Vulture on its prey or as the Lictor and Serjeant on the malefactour lays him under the custody of some noisome disease His unnurtured unsavoury life his disobedience to the laws of marital chastity and continence is the exhausting his body and perhaps estate and good name and all that is valuable and brings him to a scandalous death he goes out unpittied and scorned as guilty of the highest folly and mistakes as well as injustice and such like enormous crimes against his wife and others and himself he thought he had pursued his pleasure and at least gratified his senses but in the end he finds it quite contrary he acquires nothing but loathsome maladies and untimely death and so appears cheated of all that he projected to gain by his sin beside the yet sadder losses and pains both of body and soul to all eternity Annotations on Chap. V. V. 6. Lest thou shouldest ponder That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here to be rendred not and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the strange woman whose feet and steps are mentioned v. 6. is agreed on by all ancient Interpreters and there is no cause of doubting it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she goes not in the paths of life saith the Chaldee and so the Syriack in the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she enters not on the ways of life say the LXXII and the Latin applying it to her feet precedent per semitam vitae non ambulant they walk not by the path of life Which agree also to give us the right notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here for directing the steps i. e. walking or going which it is acknowledged to signifie as well as pondering and which properly belongs to it in this place the steps being mentioned in the former verse To this interpretation agrees that which follows her paths are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wandring vagi saith the Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dangerous say the LXXII because they that wander run into danger but unstable saith the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally not to know i. e. either thou canst not know them non scies
saith the Interlinear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are not easie to be known say the LXXII and so the Latin and the Syriack investigabiles secret and investigable or rather she knows not i. e. she wanders she knows not whither so the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and she knows not which the learned Castalio well expresses errantibus nescio quo ejus itineribus her goings wandring I know not whither i. e. to all the ill imaginable This sixth verse seems designed as the character of a naughty woman to enforce the former exhortation of not yielding to her most flattering and promising temptations V. 14. In all evil The question here is whether all evil signifie all sin or all misery The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is common to both but the context seems to respect the latter rather the misery being that v. 11. that brings the unclean person to his sad complaints of himself and the foresight of which is used as an argument to deter all men from falling into sin And thus the ancient Interpreters seem to have understood it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all shames i. e. in a most reproachfull ridiculous condition the scorn and laughing-stock of the people and so the Syriack also The Arabick into all misery of which also the LXXII their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latin's in omni malo may fitly be interpreted Were it understood of sin it were then an expression of godly sorrow and a rescue from the power of this sin by repentance But the intention of the writer looks not that way but rather to the sad condition that at last the adulterer finds himself reduced to for want of timely care and therefore that is more probably to be pitched on V. 16. Let thy fountains c. The Hebrew here and v. 17 and 18. reads in the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be dispersed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be then in the latter part of v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rejoyce c. And thus the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy fountains shall abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be Yet the LXXII and the Latin reade in the imperative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be poured out abundantly as for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not which the ordinary Copies prefix it is visibly an errour in the Scribe which the Alexandrian Copy hath mended and the Arabick appears not to have read V. 19. The loving hind The Hebrew reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hind of loves which the Chaldee and Syriack render literally as the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hind of love as the following phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fole of thy favours the Latin fitly render the sense charissima cerva gratissimus hinnulus the most dear and most acceptable This therefore is to be preferred before our reading in the active the loving hind The onely difficulty is whether this do not refer to the custom of Princes and great persons to have such creatures tame to accompany them wherein they took pleasure And thus sure the LXXII and Latin understood it who for the roe reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hinnulus in the masculine But the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the feminine and then the most obvious interpretation may be best that his wife shall be to him the continual most delightfull companion of life of whom he is never weary as the stag or other such male creature of the field is always pleased and never weary of the company of his belovedâ—mate some female with which he hath long associated V. 2. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let thy lips preserve knowledge the LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the understanding of my lips is commanded thee or as other copies have it which the Arabick also follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I command or appoint thee the understanding of my lips It seems they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my lips for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy lips and then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I command was but expressive of the imperative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them keep V. 3. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and smooth above oyle is her palate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Symmachus they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a time she fattens thy palate But I make no doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for favour or by way of flattery should be the reading though the Arabick reading for a short time shew that the other was read at the time of that translation For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies smoothing and flattering and so is used Prov. 7.5 as here concerning the strange woman so the LXXII there render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if she set upon thee with words for favour i. e. flattering speeches so chap. 28.23 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that flattereth with his lips they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that hath grace i. e. flattery in his tongue so Ezek. chap. 12.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophecying things for favour or flattering divines And then this being the reading their interpretation is no unfit paraphrase of the passage though it be not a literal rendring of it she fattens thy palate for favour i. e. she flatters thee extremely which is all one with her mouth is smoother than oyle V. 5. For Her feet go down to death c. they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the feet of folly by which word sins of that kind viz. uncleanness are frequently meant lead those that use it after death to hades but the footsteps thereof are not susteined merely by way of paraphrase wherein yet the double signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is respected which as it signifies to apprehend or lay hold of so it signifies also to sustein or support V. 18. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thee alone perhaps reading as v. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thee alone perhaps onely by way of paraphrase accounting that wife onely the happy fountain which was kept proper to the husband So v. 19. instead of let her breasts satisfie thee at all times they reade by way of paraphrase clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let her company with thee let her be accounted thy peculiar let her associate with thee at every season In the end of that verse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ravisht always they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being carried about with her love thou shalt be long-liv'd rendring the adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually by carried about and reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it had been from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to multiply or encrease so v. 20. they render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thou much whereby they do
and severe punishments of God are threatned against it and shall pursue as a most just revenge every man that shall be guilty of it 30. Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfie his soul when he is hungry 31. But if he be found he shall restore seven fold he shall give all the substance of his house 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul Paraphrase 30 31 32. For indeed this sin hath a vast aggravation of guilt compared with most other sins Theft for example is not near so heinous That is supposed to be committed upon the importunity of hunger to satisfie the necessities of nature and accordingly the punishment by the Law apportioned to that is that of restitution Exod. 22.1 five oxen for an ox four sheep for a sheep and how oft soever he steals thus shall he pay as far as all his wealth or possessions will extend which was very regularly provided by the Law against those which shall by stealth invade other mens possessions But adultery is not capable of this excuse or extenuation that it is done to satisfie any natural want God having afforded a regular course to satisfie all such desires as are planted in men by nature and adultery is a violation of that course a breach of the Laws of Wedlock neither proceeds it from any other defect or want but what is most unexcusable a want of a good and orderly will and choice see Note on ch 4. i an effect of great inordinacy of desires which hath rased out that Law of reason and justice imprinted in the soul and so it is a most wilfull enormous wasting and crying sin and that which by political Laws is awarded with death 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Paraphrase 33. To which most just punishment is added that other of perpetual ignominy and reproach which inseparably and constantly attends this sin 34. For jealousie is the rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance 35. He will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts Paraphrase 34 35. And as the law directs this revenge so there is small hope the guilty shall escape the utmost severity of it in this case The wronged husband is his prosecutour and he is sure to be excited and armed with the utmost rage that jealousie can suggest and that is as cruel and implacable as the grave Cant. 8.6 In other injuries some reparation may possibly be made but here 't is not imaginable no bribe can be thought on so great as may hope to propitiate or intercede for him he will never be perswaded to let such a wrong pass unpunished but will be sure to pursue to death him that hath thus provoked him Annotations on Chap. VI. V. 3. Humble thy self and make sure thy friend The rendring of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be difficult and uncertain did not all the ancient Interpreters joyn together in one notion to secure us of the true and literal meaning of it The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not onely to tread on but to trouble so Ezek. 32.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and troubledst the waters with thy feet and so Ezek. 34.18 so Prov. 25.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a troubled fountain Hence here in Hithpael being in the reciprocal sense it may fitly note troubling exciting stirring up himself Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to prevail Isa 3.5 and so both together join'd with the antecedents and consequents will thus be rendred go stir up thy self and prevail with thy companion i. e. as soon as ever thou seest thy danger by suretiship make haste and importune him for whom thou art bound to free thee presently from thy engagement give not sleep to thine eyes c. v. 4. without any delay take this course to disintangle thy self The Chaldee reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excite him stir him up quickly i. e. solicite him and so the Syriack in the same words and the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not remiss but provoke i. e. stir him up using the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it belongs to the coward or sluggard to which importunity of solicitation is most contrary as Luk. 18.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one is opposed to praying always so also the Latin festina suscita amicum tuum hasten stir up thy friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Symmachus incite i. e. importune him till thou prevail V. 5. From the hand of the hunter The Hebrew here hath no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar render de manu from the hand the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snares But as the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to dart or shoot or throw so the noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely an hand but a blow or stroke or any kind of hurt The Chaldee Deut. 32.36 render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stroke and so frequently elsewhere Here they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latin renders pedica a snare or toil but the Translatour of the Syriack which useth the same plagis strokes and so it most probably signifies the wound or shot or stroke that the roe receives from the hunter's arrow or dart In the latter part of the verse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the hand of the fowler the Chaldee and Syriack reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snare and so the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snare but this probably as a paraphrase of the fowlers hand which layeth the snare and into which it comes by being caught there And so here the double use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for a stroke and an hand hath a special elegance in it V. 7. Guide For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a captain or guide the ancient Interpreters seem to have read somewhat else either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summer-fruit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural in the same sense for the Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mow signifies any thing that is mowed or reaped and is used for the time of harvest in the next verse and herein the Syriack agrees with the Chaldee and the LXXII vary but little reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 husbandry meaning I suppose the fruit of husbandry as 1 Cor. 3.9 those whom by Paul's preaching God had brought in to the faith are call'd God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 husbandry by the same proportion that they are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 building the one ripe for harvest as the other for habitation Onely the Latin of all the ancients reade ducem captain which agrees so well with the other two
be the sons of wisedom that make profession of piety or that have any respect or care of themselves even of their secular condition the comforts and advantages of this life to resist the first approaches of this sin not to yield to the flattering tenders either of pleasure from or security in it to bid defiance to all these and the like suggestions and to believe and constantly adhere to the sober advices here promised of preserving entire the purity of the very heart 26. For she hath cast down many wounded yea many strong men have been slain by her 27. Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death Paraphrase 26 27. For without laying this caution to heart of resisting and defying the first suggestions there is no hope of ever keeping from this sin or yielding to the sin from the ruine that constantly attends it without repentance and thorow change All experience assuring us that nothing else can possibly secure us the most valiant and couragious heroes of the world the most puissant souldiers that never yielded to any other enemies stood out undaunted against all assaults having generally been vanquished and captivated and destroyed by the allurements of women And so likewise nothing more visible and obvious to the observation of all than the ruines which befall such as are thus ensnared the yielding to this sin is like the falling down a precipice the direct path to irreparable destruction Annotations on Chap. VII V. 10. Subtil of heart What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies cannot be doubted if the concurrence of all the ancient Interpreters may have force with us The Chaldee and Syriack agree in the same rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separating or taking away the hearts of young men from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used by them ch 4.16 where we reade is taken away The LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes the hearts of young men fly out and the Latin praeparata ad capiendas animas prepared to catch souls All this in all probability as deducing the word not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep as the Interlinear reading servata appear to doe but either from a contrary notion of that word to lay waste or destroy that which was kept and fortified as Nah. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to destroy the munition saith the learned Schindler and so Jer. 4.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not watchers but destroyers alluding to the name of Nebuchadnezzar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the LXXII hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destructions or else more probably from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which among other significations imports to besiege a City c. in order to the taking of it This I suppose from the suffrage of all in the active not passive sense destroying or besieging others and so the heart is by the Chaldee and Syriack and LXXII explained to be the hearts of young men for want of observing which the learned Schindler explicating this passage twice once under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taking it in the passive in both gives interpretations not easily reconcileable from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendring it destructa corde omni carens prudentia destroy'd in heart wanting all pruâ—nce and from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obsessa corde circumvallata astutia encamped or encompassed or intrencht with subtlety from which notion we seem to have taken subtle of heart V. 11. Loud and stubborn The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumultuari fremere garrire may here best be rendred prating or keeping adoe the Chaldee and Syriack render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for querulous as well as rebellious The translatour of the Chaldee renders it as from the latter praevaricatrix the translatour of the Syriack petulans petulant and the vulgar have garrula prating Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies diverting flitting not onely from the right way but from one place to another and so the Chaldee renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wandring and the Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noting all kind of wantonness and luxury running from house to house a feasting c. For the former of these the LXXII have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volatile Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle for the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 luxurious By both which this ill womans character is set down somewhat like that of the younger women 1 Tim. 5.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle going about houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not so onely but tatlers or praters And this seems to be the exactest rendring not loud and stubborn but prating and flitting or running about from house to house as is exprest in what follows her feet abide not in her house contrary to that of the sober women Tit. 2.5 who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keepers at home Now she is without now in the streets c. V. 20. Day appointed From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hide is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the new moon or time when the moon is hidden and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here ×” being changed into × the day of new moon To this the Chaldee refer by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of assembly for such the New Moon was among the Jews as the Calends among other Nations The vulgar Latin render it in die plenae lunae in the day of full moon plenae being some way mistaken for novae and so it should be in all probability the new moon See Note on Psal 81.6 This the LXXII express not but content themselves with that which was sufficient to the matter in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after many days Our rendring it a day appointed supposes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supputavit But the former is more genuine V. 22. A fool to the correction of the stocks The difficulty of â—nderstanding this passage must first be explained from the original The words there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the onely word that will want explaining is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is thought to signifie a fetter or some other punitive restreint belonging to the feet which our English renders the Stocks but it evidently signifies an ornament of the feet somewhat used in time of jollity Thus Isa 3.16 among the several expressions of the pride of Sion we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it making a tinkling with their feet as the Interlinear tinniebant the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 playing with their feet the Chaldee renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies motion or commotion If that be of the body then it is moving with the feet i. e. dancing
was framed encompassing the air and superiour abyss wherein the waters in the clouds and those in the bowels of the earth were assigned their mansions wherein this globe of earth and sea were so formed that the one should be confined to its channel the other stand firm on its basis this eternal Word and wisedom of the Father was the great artificer by which all was framed inseparably united the Son to the Father and as a Counsellor joining in all the wise fabrick of the Universe and all therein contained All which being formed by infinite wisedom all was exceeding good and beautifull and delightfull to the Creatour And though it were so yet the creating of mankind was a special and principal piece whereto the whole Trinity was summoned Gen. 1.26 and about this one sort of creature when created God took special delight to be employ'd as bearing his image in a special manner and when that by sin was defaced immediately this wisedom of the Father was promised to be incarnate to unite it self to our humane nature thereby preferring it before the very Angels on purpose to redeem and restore us to purity 32. Now therefore hearken unto me O ye children for blessed are they that keep my ways 33. Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Paraphrase 32 33 34 35. These considerations put all together the all kind of advantages from obedience to the divine commands of God and their flowing from that eternal wisedom of God whereby the whole world was designed and created and so unquestionably the most divine and excellently wise and such as the eternal Word and Son of God was to be incarnate in our flesh to exemplifie and oblige to this practice may make it most perfectly reasonable for all that consider themselves their present or future weal to set to this exercise diligently and constantly see Luk. 11.28 as the onely way to all kind of felicity not to frustrate so great a mercy as is the instruction of God himself who certainly knows what is our best and wisest course and therefore prescribes it us because he knows it most agreeable to the better part of us but to apply themselves to it most solicitously constantly and unweariedly as that which is made up of all kind of felicity makes life worthy to be called life prepares them that live well here for that favour of God which will never deny them any good thing here and will over and above reward them for being thus happy here with an eternal immarcescible crown of glory hereafter 36. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death Paraphrase 36. Whereas the neglect of these precepts is the greatest treachery against ones self the going on in any course of sin is the immersing him in an abyss of present wretchedness the engaging him in certain eternal woes hereafter So that every wicked man stands off on terms of the utmost defiance to wisedom and is onely in love with ruine and destruction refuseth happiness when it is put into his hand when he is courted to it and wooes and importunes misery casts himself away and his body and soul to all eternity for that that yields him the least fruit in the enjoyment Annotations on Chap. VIII V. 12. Witty inventions From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excogitavit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 counsel machination most frequently in an ill sense so Lev. 19.29 it is rendred by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the counsel of the wicked and by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wickedness and Prov. 12. v. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of cogitations is by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wicked man and so by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wicked man and accordingly here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be rendred the knowledge of machinations which if it be in an ill sense of machinations then the finding them will be the finding them out discovering and defeating and frustrating all such the craftiest contrivances of worldly and wicked men but it may be also in a good sense and then it is the finding i. e. the obtaining and acquiring them and thus it best agrees with the beginning of the verse where of this true i. e. practical wisedom it is said that it dwells with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. subtlety cunning craft as before v. 5. contrary to simplicity and deceivableness and so the full importance of the place is that this kind of wisedom the practice of vertue though it be not so esteemed but be under the contrary prejudice is indeed the onely true subtlety The LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I invoked knowledge and cogitation reading it seems 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cogitations and so doth the Chaldee and Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowledge and cogitations V. 22. Possessed one The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thus most literally rendred from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to possess But it must be remembred that this possession is sometime acquired by begetting as the Son is certainly to be reckoned among the possessions of the Father as well as the Servant which is brought up by him or the Cattel or House in like manner so Gen. 4.1 upon the birth of Cain Eve saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it I have gotten a man c. And Zach. 13.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begat me This makes it reasonable to bestow some consideration on the reading of the LXXII in this place where we have it rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord hath created me in the beginning of his ways on or over his works That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created is mistaken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possessed was St. Jerom's conceit on Isa 26. and is obvious to imagine because that will be directly answerable to the ordinary notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for possessing and because Aquila reads expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possest me But beside that the Ancient Fathers before St. Jerome follow this reading of the LXXII which now we have 't is evident the Chaldee concur in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created me And the Son of Sirach more than once transcribes it ch 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisedom hath been created before all things and v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord himself created her and ch 24.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he created me from the beginning before the world And Gen. 14.19 the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the LXXII rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where speaking of God they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who
Melchizedeck who brought forth bread and wine unto Abraham and blessed him but the mystical interpretation and importance thereof the offering up his body on the cross for us the onely sacrifice that under the New Testament was to succeed all those of the Old and supersede them and thereby obteining for us grace and pardon strength and refreshment which are exhibited by this Sacrament and so secured to us on condition we utterly forsake our sins and folly and be docible and patient of being made wise by him i. e. in an honest heart receive and observe his instructions sincerely and so live and persevere in the ways of vertue and piety that true and divine wisedom which alone tends to render this life of ours a life indeed or worthy any man's enjoying the course of sin being but a continual death and to qualifie us for eternal never fading life and bliss to all eternity 7. He that reproveth a scorner getteth himself shame and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot 8. Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee rebuke a wise man and he will love thee 9. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser teach a just man and he will encrease in learning Paraphrase 7 8 9. And when this eternal wisedom should come on this errand of sovereign mercy 't is sad to think what use of it should be made by the proud and obdurate sinners of the world the obstinate impersuasible Jews They should be so far from reforming on his advice that they should despise and reproach and put him to a contumelious death set themselves in most hostile terms of opposition and mortal hatred against him Onely the meek and humble the onely temper for true wisedom to be rooted in such as are convinced of their sins and sincerely obey his call to repentance lay it up in an honest heart they should come in to him enter in his discipleship and there improve in all spiritual solid wisedom to the greatest height of sanctity and purity mortifying all their earthy and sensual affections contemning the world and even life it self so they may approve themselves unto him So that though by his coming some men should become much worse adding their pride and self-conceit the greatest impiety and sacrilege yet many others even a multitude both of Jews and Gentile Idolaters should eminently reform by the coming and revealing his Gospel to them 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding 11. For by me thy days shall be multiplied and the years of thy life shall be encreased 12. If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Paraphrase 10 11 12. And to receive this benefit from the Gospel to be of the number of those who are thereby made truly wise unto salvation there is no so proper preparative as humility and docibleness a readiness to receive and lay up the dictates of this eternal wisedom of God in a lowly and honest and obedient heart see ch 1.3 and Note d. there being no true knowledge or which deserves that title but the practical which as it hath the promises of another life an eternal reward attending it so hath it also the promises of this life all manner of felicity in this world length of days and that in a Canaan So that the pious man shall himself have the fruit of his piety and the wicked be punish'd in his very sin if there were no other arere of punishment behind for him in another world The end of Christ's coming into the world being on no design of advantage to himself but onely to shew us the way of true wisedom and durable happiness that if we will be his disciples and doe what he directs us it may be well with us here and to all eternity If we will not we shall have the smart of it our selves as being the onely authours and obstinate contrivers of our own misery 13. A foolish woman is clamorous she is simple and knoweth nothing 14. For she sitteth at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city 15. To call passengers who go right on their ways 16. Whoso is simple let him turn in hither and as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him 17. Stoln waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell Paraphrase 13 14 15 16 17 18. But now as Christ this wisedom hath his calls and invitations on one side so hath folly sin and carnality on the other you may discern it by an ordinary emblem an unchaste woman earnest and importunate to call in as many passengers as she can promises them great advantages but if she prevail ensnaring them to their ruine Just so many allurements and temptations there are to circumvent seducible persons but all directly contrary to true wisedom and the care but of our own safety and well-being and such as betray both the seducer and seduced to utter ruine The whore indeed that is set upon this sin so frequently styled folly being so eminently such is very bold and busie never quiet at home but still running abroad see ch 7.11 12. incited by her own impatient lust Her whole behaviour is most extremely sensless and impudent she is folly in the abstract most scandalously removed from all that is sober or decent She setteth herself like a shameless prostitute person in some place of greatest advantage to seduce and invite passengers even those that are otherwise imploy'd and come not with any evil design and by her cunning and flatteries and especially by that enhancement of the unlawfull pleasure which the phancies of wicked men set upon it because it is gotten by stealth and deceit and so gratifies their pride as well as their lust by the cunning and subtlety of compassing it by these I say and other the like means she gains on fools such as have not the laws of true wisedom inscribed on their hearts for those would competently avert them from the least beginning of this sin and infuse into them the utmost aversion to it and so leads them blindfold into utter perdition and irreversible destruction And thus is it in all other sinfull courses to which men are seduced by some fallacious bait which hath some kind of gratefulness to the phancy but really carries a barbed hook under it the smart and danger of which is soon felt by them that swallow it but then 't is too late to prevent it This shews the infinite mercy of God in Christ whom he sent from heaven on purpose to teach us true wisedom betimes absteining from all beginnings of sin all purity of the very heart and calling to speedy repentance all those that have need of it Annotations on Chap.
he hath no pleasure in it no joy in those daily vomits were they not Physick against something else against that burthen of time that lies so unsupportable upon his hands against Melancholy against pangs and twinges of conscience like Cain's building of Cities and his Childrens inventing of Musick that the noise of the Hammers and the melody of the Instruments might out-sound the dinne within him or at least to take up quarter before Christ to help stop the ear from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that still whispering trumpet in Appian fit for the secret invasion of the soul to keep him from the pain or perhaps the reproach of being too precise and most other sins are of the like making we flie to them as to our refuge to save us from Christ as the horns of our Altar to keep us from that Goel which we dread as the Revenger of blood our only enemy and persecutor in the world 'T is not any prime quality any special excellence we find in our carnal entertainments those not only vanities but vexations not only unsatisfying but wounding acquisitions those gainless torments those painted flies with barbed hooks under them that makes us so passionately dote upon them the Jews were not in love with Barabbas but only our prejudices to Christ our vehement dislikes to holiness our impatience of any thing that may do us good our league with perdition our covenant with death our zeal to Hell and absolute resolvedness to be miserable eternally Such malice hath every sinner to his own soul such hating to be reformed that the painful'st uneasiest sin the most prodigal expenceful lust a very Sodom of filth and burning not only the sins of Sodom but the fire and brimstone rain'd down and mixt with the sins gotten into their composition shall be abundant pleasure and Epicurism to him that hath found no other to stay his appetite I appeal to your consciences whether many of you have not suffer'd more hardship in Satans service than any man hath in Gods whether your very sins have not cost you dearer than every any Martyr paid to get to Heaven Tell me hath not your lusts had Martyrs of you many pass'd thorow the fire to Moloch hath not your ambition had Martyrs of you many a base submission a toilsome pluck a climbing or crawling up that hill of honour Believe it the Poet jeer'd you in that not truth but irony that sarcasm and bitter taunt against you Facilis descensus Averni the descent to Hell is an easie passage If he spake what he thought I am confident you can give him the lye produce your selves so many visible demonstrations of the contrary truth that you can shew him by your scars as 't were by the Half-moon in your Breasts what a tyrannical Turkish task-master Satan hath been to you 'T is an ordinary passage in the story of Julian that when he receiv'd his deaths wound he fell a railing at Christ but Philostorgius seems to rectifie the story tells us it was his own Gods i. e. Devils that he rail'd at that he took his blood in his hand out of his wound and cast it against the Sun his deified Idol with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thou satisfied yea and call'd the rest of his many Gods saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Manuscript hath it evil and execrable persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cursing and declaiming at his own Gods and not at Christ the application is plain the Devil he is the bloody Master his is the course service and sad wages not Christs none is so fit to be curst by his own Clients as that Prince of darkness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Monarch ruler of this Age of ours I have reason to believe there are no fitter Judges to appeal to in this particular than my present Auditory 'T was a French Friars conceit that Courtiers were of all men the likeliest to bear him company to his Covent not only fittest but likeliest to forsake the world and turn Penitentiaries He judg'd it because such an one of all others had most reason to be displeas'd with the pleasures of the world he hath seen to the bottom of sensual delights found the emptiness and torments of those things which the distance and ignorance that other men are kept at makes them behold with reverence and appetite the Courtier hath made the experiment and sees how strangely the world is mistaken in its admired delights and with Solomon after a glut of vexatious nothings is now fit to turn Ecclesiastes or Preacher I wish you would be but at so much leasure as to think of the Friars meditation that you would try what mortifying Sermons you could make out of your own observations concerning the vanity of sensual miscalled pleasures I am confident you would be very eloquent able to outpreach all the Orators you ever heard from the Pulpit to write more pathetical descriptions of the madness of a carnal life than from any more innocent Speculator could be hoped for That you may begin that useful edifying lasting Sermon I shall close up mine having at length run thorow the particulars of my Text shew'd you your selves in the Jewish glass if it were possible to put you out of countenance to shake you out of all tolerable good opinion of your selves And now let every man go home with a tu es homo he is the very Jew I have preach'd of all this while O that he would think fit to hate that Jew humble him labour his conversion bring him down into the dust if so be there may yet be hope And that God that can bring from the dust of death again open this door to us a forlorn destitute people so shall we see and praise the power and seasonable bounty of our Deliverer and ascribe unto him as our only tribute the honour the glory the power the praise the might the majesty the dominion which through all Ages of the world have been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the holy Spirit and to the Lamb for ever more Amen Saint PAVL's Sermon to FELIX THE EIGHTH Being a Lent SERMON at Oxford A. D. 1645. ACTS 24.25 And as he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled THE Words are the Notes taken from a Sermon of St. Pauls And the success it met with among the Auditors the trembling of one heathen Officer that was at it is intirely the consideration that commended it to me at this time in hope it might help to perform that strange work beget a spiritual palsie or soul-quake in the Christian sinner that worâ—er kind of Heathen at the repetition There 's matter enough God knows of trembling abroad though there were never a judgment to come to put us all into Belshazzars paralytick posture the countenance changed the thoughts troubled the joints or the loins loosed and the knees smiting against one
custom what indulgence in sin i. e. what Tophet what Hell shall be able to separate us from the love the favour the heaven of God He that hath Christ the Priest hath all he that believes in the sufferings hath Christ the Priest though not the King hath the faith though not the works i. e. the righteousness though not the Heathenish morality the Protestant Orthodox part though not the Popery the Antichristianism of a Christian and so is but the richer for that want hath the greater portion in the sufferings of Christ by the abundance of those sins he suffered for the more of the Priest is ours by how much the less of the King is discernible in us Having driven our unchristian lives to this principle this solemn conceit of ours that the Priestly office of Christ to which if rightly understood we owe all our salvation is nothing but the death of that Christ methinks 't were now possible to convince the secure Fiduciary of the error and sophistry of his former way to rob him of his beloved cheat now that we have prov'd so clear that Christ commenc'd his eternal Priesthood that on which all our blessedness depends from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not till after his resurrection For Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth and mourneth and bleedeth for in secret thou carnal confident that hast wearied thy self in the greatness of thy way thy profane wild-goose chase of sin and yet hast not said there is no hope thou that wilt profane and be saved too riot and be saved too reconcile faction rebellion sacrilege oppression oaths carnality all the unchristian practices in the world the confutation of the whole Gospel with salvation Tell me I say what Christ it is thou wilt be tried or saved by by Christ the King I am confident thou wert never so impudent to venture thy rebellions to that cognizance Well it is Christ the Priest thou so dependest on and â—y Christ the Priest Why because he hath sacrificed himself for thee Now let me tell thee 1. That some have guest shrewdly that though Christ died for all the sinners and sins in the world yet his sufferings being but finite in duration though infinite in respect of the person of the sufferer will not prove a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proportionable ransom for thy sins I mean the impenitent sinners sins in duration infinite being as they are undetermin'd uncut off by repentance Thou must return reform confess and forsake or else thou hast out-sinn'd the very sufferings of Christ out-spent that vast ransom out damn'd salvation it self that may be a conviction ad hominem perhaps and therefore I mention'd it in the first place But then 2. Thou art it seems all this while mistaken in thy Priest thou art it seems all for the Aaronical and hast not yet thought of the Melchisedech-Priest thou art all for the sacrificer and never dream'st of the blesser Thou layest all thy weight on the Cross of Christ and art ready to press it down to hell with thee with leaning onely but not crucifying one lust on it never thinkest of being risen with Christ the condition so indispensably necessary to give us claim to the benefit of his death and so in effect thou leavest Christ in the grave and thy self in that mournful case of the despairing Disciples speraveramus we had hoped but never look'st after a resurrection 'T was Saint Pauls saying If in this life only we have hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable I suppose it is in this life only not of us but of Christ on this earth for it is brought to prove Christs resurrection there and it follows immediately but now is Christ raised 1 Cor. 15.20 and if that be the sense of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the this life of Christ contains also his death under it for both those together it is that must make up the opposite to the resurrection And then I shall enlarge the Apostles words though not sense If in the earthly life and death of Christ we had hope only a sad life and a contumelious death if there were no such thing as a resurrection to help bless us we were of all men the most miserable hadst thou no other Priest but the Sacrificer the mortal finite Aaronical-Priest nothing but the ransom of Christs death which though it be never so high a price is yet finally unavailable to many for whom it was paid he bought them that are damn'd for denying him 2 Pet. 2.1 the wilful sinner treads under foot the Son of God profanes the blood of the covenant by which he is sanctified Heb. 10.29 and so there 's destruction enough still behind for the impenitent wretch after all that Christ hath suffer'd for thee what forms of ejulation and lamentation were enough for thee Alas my Brother ah Lord or ah his glory what mourning or wailing were thy portion Tell me wilt thou be content to leave thy Father before he hath blessed thee Jacob would not do so with the Angel but would wrestle his thigh out of joynt rather than thus part with him and even the profane Esau will run and weep bitterly for it and then art thou more nice and tender than that smooth Jacob wretchless than that profane Esau if thou content'st thy self only to have brought Christ to the grave that state of curse and never look'st out for the blessing provided for thee in the resurrection Mistake me not I would not drive you from this Cross of Christ discourage you from that most necessary act of faith the apprehending the crucified Saviour No if my lot had fallen on a Good-friday I would have spent my whole hour on that one theme and known nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified Only my desire is that you will not allow one act of faith to turn Projector to get all the custom from the rest that you will permit Christ to live in you as well as to die for you to bless as well as to satisfie to rise again for your justification as well as to be delivered up for your offences that you will attend him at Galilee as well as at Golgotha think of the triumphant as well as the crucified Saviour the Melchisedech as well as the mortal Aaron-Priest And not only to think of his rising I must tell you but count of a work a mighty important necessary work that of turning in this Text to be wrought on us and in us by that resurrection now after the pardon impetrated by his passion I say not only to think of and believe him risen the Devil hath as much of that thought as frequent repeated acts of that belief as you and there is not such magick in that faith or phansie as to bear you to Heaven by meditating on his journey thither to elevate you by gazing on his ascension No that faith must be in our hearts too that
may do so here of this there is no doubt but it belongs to charity or duty toward men in its latitude of which alms giving is one most special part and except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven the text on which that heavenly Gospel-Sermon was preach'd upon the Mount If we have any design toward Evangelical perfection toward the Christian pitch the abundance of goodness and mercifulness as that is improved by Christianity then this third years tithing will prove but a beggarly thin proportion that that a Jew if he were a religious one would have been ashamed of But be our aims never so moderate if a door-keepers place will serve our turn to be one of the Nethinim of the meanest rank in the kingdom of heaven yet still we must exceed that proportion of the Jews righteousness their third years tithe that they were bound to or else we are strangely mistaken in Christianity I am unwilling to descend to the arraigning or indicting or so much as examining any man here for the omissions of his former life in this kind my humble lowliest request is that you will do it your selves and if either through ignorance you have not reckoned of it as a duty or through desire to thrive in the world you have omitted to practise it heretofore you will now at last at this instance take it into your consideration and remember that there is such a thing as charity a pale wan despised creature commended to Christians by Christ not to suffer it any longer to go for one of those Magicians Serpents which faith like Moses's rod is appointed to devour if it do know this that that rod is the verier serpent of the two and for the quickning that resolution in you I shall proceed unto the third particular the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consider it as a duty and so to make an end of my first general In this slothful but confident age of the world 't were admirably worth ones pains to instruct men what duty is now under the Gospel what the very word signifies in a Christian Nomenclature There are so many descants of fantastical brains on that plain song of the Apostles We are not under the law but under grace that 't is scarce agreed on among Christians what 't is to be a Christian nothing more unresolved than what 't is that 's now required under the second Covenant as necessary to salvation One thinks that the believing all fundamentals is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only qualification for a Christian and what hath duty to do with that Another makes the Gospel consist all of promises of what shall be wrought in us and on us by Christ and so gives an absolute supersedeas for duty a◠a legal out-dated thing that is utterly antiquated by grace Another contents himself with purposes and resolutions thin airy inclinations to duty and is utterly indifferent for any performance doubts not but to pass for a Christian as regenerate as S. Paul when he wrote c. 7. to the Romans though he never do the good that he resolves live and die carnal and captived and sold under sin A fourth dissolves all to a new-found faith A full perswasion an absolute assurance that he is one of Gods elect is abundantly sufficient to estate himself in that number a piece of magick or conjuring that will help any man to heaven that will but phansie it enrol their names in the book of life in those sacred eternal diptycks by dreaming only that they are there already Others there are that seem kinder unto duty are content to allow Christ some return of performances for all his sufferings yet you see in the Gospel 't is in one but the patience of hearing him preach A Lord thou hast taught in our streets we have heard so many Sermons passes for a sufficient pretension to heaven in another the communicating at his table We have eat and drank in thy presence a sufficient viaticum for that long journey a charm or amulet against fear or danger in a third the diligence of a bended knee or solemn look of formal-outside-worship must be taken in commutation for all other duty and all this while religion is brought up in the Gentlemans trade good clothes and idleness or of the Lillies of the field vestiri non laborare to be clothed and not labour Duty is too mechanical a thing the shop or the plough the work of faith or labour of love are things too vile too sordid for them to stoop to heaven will be had without such sollicitors Shall I instance in one particular more That Satan may be sure that duty shall never rescue any prey out of his hands one thing you may observe that most men never come to treat with it to look after to consider any such thing till indeed the time comes that no man worketh till the tokens be out upon them till the cry comes that the bridegroom is ready to enter that judgment is at the door and then there is such running about for oil as it 't were for extreme Vnction and that a Sacrament to confer all grace ex opere operato on him that hath scarce life enough to discern that he received it the soul sleeps in it's tenement as long as its lease lasteth and when 't is expired then it rouseth and makes as if 't would get to work the Christian thinks not of action of duty of good works of any thing whilst life and health lasteth but then the summons of death wake him and the prayers which he can repeat while his cloaths are putting off shall charm him like opium for a quiet sleep Thus doth a death-bed repentance a death-bed charity a parting with sins and wealth when we can hold them no longer look as big in the Calenders of Saints stand as solemnly and demurely in our diptycks as judgment and mercy and faith that have born the heat and burthen of the day Our hearts are hardned while it is to day against all the invasion of Law or Gospel judgments or mercies threats or promises all Christs methods and stratagems of grace and just at the close of the evening the shutting in of night we give out that the thunderbolt hath converted us the feaver came with its fiery chariot and hurried us up to heaven Surdus mutus testamentum facit quite against Justinians rule he that hath sent out most of his senses before him and retains but the last glimmering of life is allowed to make his Will and reverse all former acts by that one final Satan hath all the man hath to give under hand and seal all his life time the spring especially and verdure of his age the children pass through the fire to Moloch and just as he is a dropping out of the world he makes signs of cancelling that will and by a
the Devils works but from his attachments only as a protection to secure our misdemeanors not to defend our innocence for a man thus appointed to venture on a Precipice as the Turks saith Busbequius are wont to try the goodness of an horse by riding him post down the steepest hill to outdare the Devil in his own territories as Christ is said to descend thither to triumph over him to besiege and set upon Hell presuming of our interest in Heaven as of a Magical Charm and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep us safe from death or maims in the midst of enemies nay of friends this is a piece of spiritual pride of Lucifer's own inscribing an imperious majestick garb of impiety a triumphant or processionary pomp an affected stately gate in sin that nothing but a violent rending power of the Spirit or a boisterous tempestuous judgment can force us out of Such a prophane Fiduciary as this which hath even defiled Heaven by possessing it such an Hellish Saint is like to be torn out of the third Heaven into which his speculation hath wrapt him and after a long dream of Paradise find himself awake in Hell And from this degree of religious prophaneness this confidence in sinning on presumption that we are under grace from this premature resolution that no sin no Devil can endanger us from this imperious whoredom as from the danger of Hell Good Lord deliver us 3. Imperious signifies more distinctly a tyrannical Lording behaviour usurping and exercising authority over all And this the Apostate Jew and Christian Libertine doth 1. By tyrannizing over himself i. e. his faculties and estate 2. Over all that come near him Over himself by urging and driving on in a carnal course not patient of any regrets and resistances that a tender disposition motions of Gods Spirit or gripes of Conscience can make against it goading and spurring on any of his faculties as being too dull and unactive and slothful in the ways of death even forcing them if they be any time foreslowed and trashed by either outward or inward restraints to sin even in sight of them and hastening them to a kind of unvoluntary disobedience Thus will a stone when 't is kept violently from the ground being held in a mans hand or the like press and weigh towards the Earth incessantly as if it were naturally resolved to be revenged on any one to tire him out that thus detained it from its place nay when it is let down you may see it yet press lower make its print in the Earth as if it would never be satisfied till it could rest in Hell The sinner is never at quiet with himself Instat imperat He is urgent and importunate upon himself to satisfie every craving lust Not the beggarliest affection or laziest unworthiest desire of the flesh but shall have its alms and dole rather than starve though it be an atome of his very soul to the utter undoing and bankrupting of him that gives it And for his tyranny over his estate whether Temporal or Spiritual his goods of Fortune or gifts of Grace they must all do homage to this carnal Idol All his treasures on Earth are richly sold if they can but yield him the fruition of one beloved sin And for Spiritual Illuminations or any Seeds of Grace he will lose them all and even shut himself for ever into the darkness of Hell rather than ever be directed by their light out of those pleasing paths of death A restraining grace was but a burthensome needless incumbrance and a gleam of the Spirit but a means to set Conscience a working to actuate her malice and execution on sin and it were an happy exchange to get but one loving delight or companion for them both Let but a sin be coy and stanch not to he gain'd at the first wooing and all these together like Jacob's Present out of all his goods shall be all little enough for a sacrifice or bribe to sollicite or hire it And this the Prophet notes here distinctly Vers 33. and 34. Thou art contrary to all the Whores in the World In other places Men give gifts to all Whores but thou givest gifts to all thy lovers None follow or bribe thee to commit whoredoms Thou givest a reward and no reward is given to thee therefore thou art contrary The sinner in my Text scorns to set so low a value on sin as that profit or advantage should ingratiate it to him it is so amiable in his eyes of it self he will prize it so high that any other treasure shall not be considerable in respect of it It is part of his loyalty and expression of his special service to the Devil to become a bankrupt in his cause to sell all that he hath both God and fortunes to follow him It is the art and Cunning of common Whores to raise mens desires of them by being coy Difficultate augere libidinis pretium to hold off that they may be followed Vers 34. But this sin is not so artificial her affections are boysterous and impatient of delay she is not at so much leisure as to windlace or use craft to satisfie them she goes downright a wooing and if there be any difficulty in compassing all that she hath is ready for a dowry and prostitute before her Idol Lust Lastly Imperious over all that come near him either men or sins every man must serve him either as his pander or companion to further or associate him I told you he sinned in Cathedra Psal 1.1 that is also doctorally and magisterially every spectator must learn of him it is his profession he sets up school for it his practices are so commandingly exemplary that they do even force and ravish the most maidenly tender conscience And then for all inferiors they are required to provide him means and opportunities of sinning to find him out some game and no such injury can be done as to rouze or spring a sin that would otherwise have lodged in his walk It was part of the Heathenish Romans quarrel against the Primitive Christians saith Tertullian that they drove away their Devils These Exorcist-Christians had banished all their old familiars out of the Kingdom which they were impatient to be deprived of And thus careful and chary are men of their helps of opportunities to sin it is all the joy they have in the world sometimes to have a temptation and to be able to make use of it to have the Devil continue strong with them in an old Courtier 's phrase It is their very life and he that deprives them of it is a murtherer And for the sins themselves Lord how they tyrannize over them how they will rack and torture and stretch every limb of a sin that they may multiply it into infinites and sin as often at once as is possible Adam in the bare eating of an Apple committed a multitude of sins Leo in his 86 Epist
that against which all these blows and malices rebound the only true sufferer all this while first in the very meditating and designing the malice all which space he lives not the life but the Hell of a Fiend or Devil that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that enemy-man as he is called his names-sake and parallel and again secondly in the executing of it that being one of the basest and most dishonourable imployments that of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angel or Officer of Satan's to buffet some precious Image of God which is to that purpose fill'd out of Satan's fulness swoln with all the venomous humour that that fountain can afford to furnish and accommodate him for this enterprise and then lastly after the satiating of his wrath a bloated guilty unhappy Creature one that hath fed at the Devils table swill'd and glutted himself in blood and now betrayes it all in his looks and complexion And as in our malices so Secondly in our loves in our softer as well as our rougher passions we generally drive quite contrary to our own ends and interests and if we obtain we find it experimentally the injoyment of what we pursue most vehemently proves not only unsatisfactory but grating hath to the vanity the addition of vexation also not only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no manner of fruit then at the point of enjoying an empty paultry nothing but over and above the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shame and perturbation of mind the gripings and tormina of a confounded Conscience immediately consequent and 't would even grieve an enemy to hear the Apostle go on to the dear payment at the close for this sad nothing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex abundanti and over and above the end of those things is death And oh what a simplicity is this thus to seek out emptiness and death when we think we are on one of our advantagious pursuits in this errour of our ways as the Wise man calls it is sure a most prodigious mistake a most unfortunate errour and to have been guilty of it more than once the most unpardonable simplicity From our loves proceeding to our hopes which if it be any but the Christian hope than this hope on him 1 John iii. 3 i. e. hope on God and that joyned with purifying it is in plain terms the greatest contrariety to it self the perfectest desperateness and for secular hopes the expectation of good of advantages from this or that staff of Egypt the depending on this whether prophane or but ordinary innocent auxiliary 't is the forfeiting all our pretensions to that great aid of Heaven as they say the Loadstone draweth not when the Adamant is near 't is the taking us off from our grand trust and dependance setting us up independent from God and that must needs be the blasting of all our enterprises that even lawful aid of the Creature if it be looked on with any confidence as our helper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. i. beside or in separation from the Creator is and God is ingaged in honour that it should be struck presently from Heaven eaten up with worms like Herod when once its good qualities are deified broken to pieces with the brazen Serpent burnt and stampt to powder with the golden Calf and the strong shall be as tow Isa i. 31 the false Idol strength is but a prize for a flash of lightning to prey on And as St. Paul and Barnabas are fain to run in a passion upon the multitude that meant to do them worship with a Men and Brethren c. and the very Angel to St. John in Rev. xxii when he fell down before him vide ne feceris see thou do it not for fear if he had been so mistaken by him he might have forfeited his Angelical estate by that unluckiness so certainly the most honourable promising earthly help if it be once looked on with a confidence or an adoration if it steal off our eyes and hearts one minute from that sole waiting and looking on God 't is presently to expect a being thunder-struck from Heaven as hath been most constantly visible among us and that is all we get by this piece of simplicity also And it were well when our worldly hopes have proved thus little to our advantage our worldly fears in the next place might bring us in more profit But alas that passionate perturbation of our faculties stands us in no stead but to hasten and bring our fears upon us by precipitating them sometimes casting our selves into that abyss which we look on with such horrour running out to meet that danger which we would avoid so vehemently sometimes dispiriting and depriving us of all those succors which were present to our rescue the passion most treacherously betraying the aids which reason if it had been allowed admission was ready to have offered but perpetually anticipating that misery which is the thing we fear the terrour it self being greater disease sometimes constantly a greater reproach and contumely to a Masculine Spirit than any of the evils we are so industrious to avoid 'T is not a matter of any kind of evil report really to have suffered to have been squeez'd to atomes by an unremediable evil especially if it be for well-doing but to have been sick of the fright to have lavish'd our constancy courage conscience and all an Indian sacrifice to a Sprite or Mormo ne noceat to escape not a real evil but only an apprehension or terror this is a piece of the most destructive wariness the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest simplicity that can be I shall not inlarge the prospect any further as easily I might to our Unchristian Joys that do so dissolve our Unchristian Sorrows that do so contract and shrivel up the Soul and then as Themison and his old sect of Methodists resolv'd that the laxum and strictum the immoderate dissolution or constipation were the principles and originals of all diseases in the World so it will be likely to prove in our spiritual estate also nor again to our heathenish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejoycing at the Mischiefs of other men which directly transform us into fiends and furies and reak no malice on any but our selves leave us a wasted wounded prostitute harrast Conscience to tire and gnaw upon Its own bowels and nothing else I have exercised you too long with so trivial a subject such an easie every days demonstration the wicked mans contradictions to all his aims his acting quite contrary to his very designs a second branch of his Character a second degree and advancement of his simplicity The Third notion of Simplicity is that of the Idiot the Natural as we call him he that hath some eminent failing in his intellectuals the laesum principium the pitcher or wheel in that 12. of Ecclesiastes I mean the faculty of understanding or reason broken or wounded at the fountain or cistern and so nothing
is engaged in such a pile of flames If there be any Charity left in this frozen World any Beam under this cold uninhabitable Zone it will certainly work some meltings on the most obdurate heart it will dissolve and pour out our bowels into a seasonable advice or admonition that excellent Recipe saith Themist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That supplies the place and does the work of the burnings and scarifyings a cry to stop him in his precipitous course a tear at least to solemnize if not to prevent so sad a fate And it were well if all our bowels were thus imployed all our kindness and most passionate love thus converted and laid out on our poor lapsed sinner-brethrens souls to seize upon those fugitives as Christ is said to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. xi 16 to catch hold and bring them back ere it be yet too late rescue them out of the hands of their dearest espoused sins and not suffer the most flattering kind of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gal. de Athl. the Devil in the Angelical disguise the sin that undertakes to be the prime Saint the zeal for the Lord of Hosts any the most venerable impiety to lay hold on them Could I but see such a new fashioned Charity received and entertained in the World every man to become his brothers keeper and every man so tame as to love and interpret aright entertain and embrace this keeper this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Guardian Angel as an Angel indeed as the only valuable friend he hath under Heaven I should think this a lucky omen of the worlds returning to its wits to some degree of piety again And till then there is a very fit place and season for the exercise of the other part of the passion here that of Indignation the last minute of my last particular as the how long is an expression of Indignation Indignation not at the men for however Aristotles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man ought to have indignation at some persons may seem to justifie it Our Saviour calls not for any such stern passion or indeed any but love and bowels of pity and charity toward the person of any the most enormous sinner and St. Paul only for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the restoring setting him in joynt again that is thus overtaken in any fault but Indignation I say at the sin at the simplicity and the folly that refuse reproachful Creature that hath the fate to be beloved so passionately and so long And to this will Aristotles â—eason of indignation belong the seeing favors and kindness so unworthily disâ—eâ—ced the uâ—tarts saith he and new men advanced and gotten into the greatest dignities knowledge to be proâ—estly hated and under that title all the prime i. e. Practical Wisdom and Piety and simplicity i. e. folly and madness and sin to have our whole souls laid out upon it O let this shrill Sarcasm of Wisdoms the How long ye simple ones be for ever a sounding in our ears Let this indignation at our stupid ways of sin transplant it self to that soyl where it is likely to thrive and fructifie best I mean to that of our own instead of other mens breasts where it will appear gloriously in St. Pauls inventory a prime part of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the durable unretracted repentance an effect of that godly sorrow that worketh to Salvation And if it be sincere O what indignation it produceth in us What displeasure and rage at our folly to think how senselesly we have moulted and crumbled away our souls what unthrifty bargains we have made what sots and fools we shall appear to Hell when it shall be known to the wretched tormented Creatures what ambitions we had to be but as miserable as they upon what Gotham errands what Wild-goose chases we are come posting and wearied thither O that a little of this consideration and this passion betimes might ease us of that endless wo and indignation those tears and gnashing of teeth quit us of that sad arrear of horrors that otherwise waits behind for us Lord do thou give us that view of our ways the errors the follies the furies of our extravagant Atheistical lives that may by the 〈◊〉 reproach and shame recover and return us to thee Make our faces ashamed O Lord that we may seek thy Law Give us that pity and that indignation to our poor perishing souls that may at length â—wake and fright us out of our Lethargies and bring us so many confounded humbled contrite â—tentiaries to that beautiful gate of thy temple of mercies where we may retract our follies implore thy pardon deprecate thy wrath and for thy deliverance from so deep an Hell from so infamous a vile condition from so numerous a tale of deaths never leave praising thee and saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O God most high To whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost be ascribed c. SERMON IV. MATT. I. 23 Emmanuel which is by interpretation God with us THE different measure and meanâ— of dispensing Divine Knowledg to several ages of the World may sufficiently appear by the Gospels of the New and Prophecies of the Old Testament the sunshine and the clearness of the one and the twilight and dimness of the other but in no point this more importantly concerns us than the Incarnation of Christ This hath been the Study and Theme the Speculation and Sermon of all holy Men and Writers since Adam's Fall yet never plainly disclosed till John Baptist in the third of Matth. and the third Verse and the Angel in the next Verses before my Text undertook the Task and then indeed was it fully performed then were the Writings or rather the Riddles of the obscure stammering whispering Prophets turned into the voice of One crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the ways of the Lord c. Isa xl 3 Then did the cry yea shouting of the Baptist at once both interpret and perform what it prophesied At the sound of it Every valley was exalted and every hill was brought low the crooked was made straight and the rough places plain v. 4. That is the Hill and Groves of the Prophets were levell'd into the open champain of the Gospel those impediments which hindred God's approach unto mens rebel hearts were carefully removed the abject mind was lifted up the exalted was deprest the intractable and rough was render'd plain and even in the same manner as a way was made unto the Roman Army marching against Jerusalem This I thought profitable to be premised to you both that you might understand the affinity of Prophecies and Gospel as differing not in substance but only in clearness of revelation as the glorious face of the Sun from it self being overcast and mask'd with a cloud and also for the clearing of my Text For this entire passage
troubled about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their prophaneness and uncleanness that they were not fit for an Apostle to defile himself about their Conversion And this was the general opinion of all the Jews they of the Circumcision were astonished at the news Act. x. 45 Nay this is it that the Angels wondred at so when they saw it wrought at the Church by Pauls Ministery never dreaming it possible till it was effected as may appear Eph. iii. 10 This was the Mystery which from the beginning of the World had been hid in God V. 9. One of God's Cabinet Counsels a Mercy decreed in secret that no Creature ever wish of till it was performed And in this behalf are we all being lineally descended from the Gentiles bound over to an infinite measure both of humiliation and gratitude for our deliverance from the guilt and reign of that second Original sin that Heathenism of our Ancestors and Catholick damnation that Sixteen hundred years ago we were all involv'd in Beloved we were long ago set right again and the obligation lies heavy upon us to shew this change to have been wrought in us to some purpose to prove our selves Christians in grain so fixed and established that all the Devils in Hell shall not be able to reduce us again to that abhorred condition If we that are thus called out shall fall back after so much Gospel to Heathen practices and set up Shrines and Altars in our hearts to every poor delight that our sottishness can call a God if we are not called out of their sins as well as out of their ignorance then have we advanced but the further toward Hell we are still but Heathen Gospellers our Christian Infidelity and practical Atheism will but help to charge their guilt upon us and damn us the deeper for being Christians Do but examine your selves on this one Interrogatory whether this calling the Gentiles hath found any effect in your hearts any influence on your lives whether your Conversations are not still as Heathenish as ever If you have no other grounds or motives to embrace the Gospel but only because you are borâ— within the pale of the Church no other evidences of your Discipleship but your livery then God is little beholding to you for your service The same motives would have served to have made you Turks if it had been your chance to have been born amongst them and now all that fair Christian outside is not thank-worthy 'T is but your good fortune that you are not now at the same work with the old Gentiles or present Indians a worshipping either Jupiter or the Sun 'T was a shrewd speech of Clemens that the life of every unregenerate Man is an Heathen-life and the sins of unsanctified Men are Heathen-sins and the estate of a Libertine Christian an Heathen-estate and unless our resolutions and practices are consonant to our profession of Christ we are all still Heathens and the Lord make us sensible of this our Condition The third and in summ the powerfullest Argument to prove God's willingness that we should live is that he hath bestowed his spirit upon us that as soon as he called up the Son he sent the Comforter This may seem to be the main business that Christ ascended to Heaven about so that a Man would guess from the xvi Chapter of St. John and Vers 7. that if it had not been for that Christ had tarried amongst us till this time but that it was more expedient to send the Spirit to speak those things powerfully to our hearts which often and in vain had been sounded in our ears 'T is a phancy of the Paracelsians that if we could suck out the lives and spirits of other Creatures as we feed on their flesh we should never die their lives would nourish and transubstantiate into our lives their spirit increase our spirits and so our lives grow with our years and the older we were by consequence the fuller of life and so no difficulty to become Immortal Thus hath God dealt with us first sent his Son his Incarnate Son his own Flesh to feed and nourish us and for all this we die daily he hath now given us his own very Life and incorporeous Essence a piece of pure God his very Spirit to feed upon and digest that if it be possible we might live There is not a vein in our Souls unless it be quite pin'd and shrivel'd up but hath some bloud produced in it by that holy nourishment every breath that ever we have breathed toward Heaven hath been thus inspired Besides those louder Voices of God either sounding in his Word or thundring in his Judgments there is his calm soft voice of Inspiration like the Night Vision of old which stole in upon the mind mingled with sleep and gentle slumber He draws not out into the Field or meets us as an Enemy but entraps us by surprize and disarms us in our quarters by a Spiritual Stratagem conquers at unawares and even betrays and circumvents and cheats us into Heaven That precept of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To worship at the noise and whistling of the wind had sense and divinity in it that Jamblichus that cites it never dreamt of that every sound and whispering of this Spirit which râ—stles either about our ears or in our hearts as the Philosopher saith Tecum est intus est when it breaths and blows within us the stoutest faculty of our Souls the proudest piece of flesh about us should bow down and worship Concerning the manner of the Spirits working I am not I need not to dispute Thus far it will be seasonable and profitable for you to know that many other Illuminations and holy Graces are to he imputed to Gods Spirit besides that by which we are effectually converted God speaks to us many times when we answer him not and shines about our eyes when we either wink or sleep Our many sudden shortwinded Ejaculations toward Heaven our frequent but weak inclinations to good our ephemerous wishes that no man can distinguish from true piety but by their sudden death our every day resolutions of obedience whilest we continue in sin are arguments that God's Spirit hath shined on us though the warmth that it produced be soon chill'd with the damp it meets within us For example there is no doubt beloved but the Spirit of God accompanies his Word as at this time to your ears if you will but open at its knock and receive and entertain it in your hearts it shall prove unto you according to its most glorious attribute Rom. i. The power of God unto salvation But if you will refuse it your stubbornness may repel and frustrate God's Work but not annihilate it though you will not be saved by it it is God's still and so shall continue to witness against you as the day of doom Every word that was ever darted from that Spirit as a beam or javelin of
thy self to God might recover you to Heaven O then what power and energy what force and strong efficacy would there be in this voice from God Why will you die I am resolved that heart that were truly sensible of it that were prepared seasonably by all these circumstances to receive it would find such inward vigor and spirit from it that it would strike death dead in that one minute this ultimus conatus this last spring and plunge would do more than a thousand heartless heaves in a lingring sickness and perhaps overcome and quit the danger And therefore let me beseech you to represent this condition to your selves and not any longer be flattered or couzened in a slow security To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts If you let it alone till this day come in earnest you may then perhaps heave in vain labour and struggle and not have breath enough to send up one sigh toward Heaven The hour of our death we are wont to call Tempus improbabilitatis a very improbable inch of time to build our Heaven in as after death is impossibilitatis a time wherein it is impossible to recover us from Hell If nothing were required to make us Saints but outward performances if true repentance were but to groan and Faith but to cry Lord Lord we could not promise our selves that at our last hour we should be sufficient for that perhaps a Lethargy may be our fate and then what life or spirits even for that perhaps a Fever may send us away raving in no case to name God but only in oaths and curses and then it were hideous to tell you what a Bethlehem we should be carried to But when that which must save us must be a work of the Soul and a gift of God how can we promise our selves that God will be so merciful whom we have till then contemned or our souls then capable of any holy impression having been so long frozen in sin and petrified even into Adamant Beloved as a man may come to such an estate of grace here that he may be most sure he shall not fall as St. Paul in likelihood was when he resolved that nothing could separate him So may a man be engaged so far in sin that there is no rescuing from the Devil There is an irreversible estate in evil as well as good and perhaps I may have arrived to that before my hour of death for I believe Pharaoh was come to it Exod. ix 34 after the seventh Plague hardning his heart and then I say it is possible that thou that hitherto hast gone on in habituate stupid customary rebellions mayst be now at this minute arrived to this pitch That if thou run on one pace farther thou art engaged for ever past recovery And therefore at this minute in the strength of your age and lusts this speech may be as seasonable as if death were seizing on you Why will you die At what time soever thou repentest God will have mercy but this may be the last instant wherein thou canst repent the next sin may benumb or fear thy heart that even the pangs of death shall come on thee insensibly that the rest of thy life shall be a sleep or lethargy and thou lie stupid in it till thou findest thy self awake in flames Oh if thou shouldst pass away in such a sleep Again I cannot tell you whether a death-bed repentance shall save you or no. The Spouse sought Christ on her bed but found him not Cant. iii. 1 The last of Ecclesiastes would make a man suspect that remembring God when our feeble impotent age comes on us would stand us in little stead Read it for it is a most learned powerful Chapter This I am sure of God hath chosen to himself a people zealous of good works Tit. ii 14 And they that find not some of this holy fire alive within them till their Souls are going out have little cause to think themselves of God's election So that perhaps there is something in it that Matth. iii. 8 the Exhortation Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance is exprest by a sense that ordinarily signifies time past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have brought forth fruits It will not be enough upon an exigence when there is no way but one with me to be inclinable to any good works to resolve to live well when I expect to die I must have done this and more too in my life if I expect any true comfort at my death There is not any point we err more familiarly in and easily than our spiritual condition what is likely to become of us after death Any slight phansie that Christ died for us in particular we take for a Faith that will be sure to save us Now there is no way to preserve our selves from this Error but to measure our Faith and Hopes by our Obedience that if we sincerely obey God then are we true believers And this cannot well be done by any that begins not till he is on his Death-bed be his inclinations to good then never so strong his faith in Christ never so lusty yet how knows he whether it is only fear of death and a conviction that in spight of his teeth he must now sin no longer that hath wrought these inclinations produced this faith in him Many a sick man resolves strongly to take the Physicians dose in hope that it will cure him yet when he comes to taste its bitterness will rather die than take it If he that on his Death-bed hath made his solemnest severest Vows should but recover to a possibility of enjoying those delights which now have given him over I much fear his fiercest resolutions would be soon out-dated Such inclinations that either hover in the Brain only or float on the Surface of the Heart are but like those wavering temporary thoughts Jam. i. 6 Like a wave of the Sea driven by the wind and tost they have no firmness or stable consistence in the Soul it will be hard to build Heaven on so slight a foundation All this I have said not to discourage any tender languishing Soul but by representing the horrors of death to you now in health to instruct you in the doctrine of Mortality betimes so to speed and hasten your Repentance Now as if to morrow would be too late as if there were but a small Isthmus or inch of ground between your present mirth and jollity and your everlasting earnest To gather up all on the Clue Christ is now offered to you as a Jesus The times and sins of your Heathenism and unbelief God winked at Acts xvii 30 The Spirit proclaims all this by the Word to your hearts and now God knows if ever again commands all men every where to repent Oh that there were such a Spirit in our hearts such a zeal to our eternal bliss and indignation at Hell that we would give one heave and
Lord will fight with Amalek for ever where by the way the LXX put in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will fight against Amalek as it were under hand by secret hidden strength which addition of theirs if it were inspired into the Translators as St. Augustine is of opinion all their variations from the Hebrew are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Canon then happily that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie some secret infusion of supernatural power into Moses his hands that there is promised answerable to that same effusion of grace to enable all the People of God in our fight with sin the spiritual Amalek by which grace Moses and the Christians have assurance to prevail And this may be ground enough for a Christian Christ hath prayed and God promised that your faith shall not fail But then all this while the story of the day will tell us on what terms this security of victory stood if so be Moses continue to hold up his hands noting 1. the power of prayer 2. of obedience 3. of perseverance and upon these terms even a Pharisee may be confident without presumption but if his hands be once let down if he remit of his Christian valour for so manus demittere signifies in Agonisticks Amalek prevails Verse 11. Just as it fared with Samson he had an inconceivable portion of strength even a ray of God's omnipotence bestowed on him but this not upon term of life but of his Nazarites vow i. e. as the LXXII render it Numb vi 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer as well as a vow and that of separating or hallowing purity and sanctity to the Lord and his vow being broken not only that of his hair but with it that of his holy obedience that piece of Divinity presently vanished and the Philistines deprived him of his eyes and life And thereupon it is observable that Numb xv 9 that which is in the Hebrew in performing a vow is rendred by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to magnifie a vow then is the vow or resolution truly great that will stand us in stead when it is performed As for all others they remain as brands and monuments of reproach to us upbraiding us of our inconstancy first then of disobedience and withal as signs to warn that God's strength is departed from us I doubt not but this strength being thus lost may return again before our death giving a plunge as it did in Samson when he pluckt the House about their ears at last Jud. xvi But this must be by the growing out of the hair again Verse 22. the renewing of his repentance and sanctity with his vow and by prayer unto God verse 28. Lord God or as the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember me I pray thee and strengthen me but for all this it was said before in the 19. verse his strength and in the 20. verse the Lord was departed from him And so no doubt it may from us if we have no better security for our selves than the present possession and a dream of perpetuity For though no man can excommunicate himself by one rule yet he may by another in the Canon Law that there be some faults excommunicate a man ipso facto one who hath committed them the Law excommunicates though the Judge do not you need not the application there be perhaps some sins and Devils like the Carian Scorpions which Apollonius and Antigonus mention out of Aristotle which when they strike strangers do them no great hurt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presently kill their own country-men some Devils perhaps that have power to hurt only their own subjects as sins of weakness and ignorance though they are enough to condemn an unregenerate man yet we hope through the merits of Christ into whom he is ingrafted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall do little hurt to the regenerate unless it be only to keep him humble to cost him more sighs and prayers But then saith the same Apollonius there your Babylonian snakes that are quite contrary do no great hurt to their own Country-men but are present death to strangers and of this number it is to be feared may presumption prove and spiritual pride sins that that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devils natives ordinary habitual sinners need not much to fear but to the stranger and him that is come from far thinking himself as St. Paul was dropt out of the third Heaven and therefore far enough from the infernal country 't is to be feared I say they may do much mischief to them And therefore as Porphyry says of Plotinus in his life and that for his commendation that he was not ashamed to suck when he was eight years old but as he went to the Schools frequently diverted to his nurse so will it concern us for the getting of a consistent firm habit of soul not to give over the nurse when we are come to age and years in the spirit to account our selves babes in our virility and be perpetually a calling for the dug the sincere milk of the word of the Sacraments of the Spirit and that without any coyness or shame be we in our own conceits nay in the truth never so perfect full grown men in Christ Jesus And so much be spoken of the first point proposed the Pharisees flattering misconceit of his own estate and therein implicitely of the Christians premature deceivable perswasions of himself 1. thinking well of ones self on what grounds soever 2. overprizing of his own worth and graces 3. his opinion of the consistency and immutability of his condition without either thought of what 's past or fear of what 's to come Many other misconceits may be observed if not in the Pharisee yet in his parallel the ordinary confident Christian as 1. that God's decree of election is terminated in their particular and individual entities without any respect to their qualifications and demeanors 2. That all Christian faith is nothing but assurance a thing which I toucht 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Preface and can scarce forbear now I meet with it again 3. That the Gospel consists all of promises of what Christ will work in us no whit of precepts or prohibitions 4. That it is a state of ease altogether and liberty no whit of labour and subjection but the Pharisee would take it ill if we should digress thus far and make him wait for us again at our return We hasten therefore to the second part the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural importance of the words and there we shall find him standing apart and thanking God only perhaps in complement his posture and language give notice of his pride the next thing to be toucht upon Pride is a vice either 1. in our natures 2. in our educations or 3. taken upon us for some ends The first is a disease of the soul which we are inclined to by nature but
the meer eating of an apple In the next place as Adam was no private person but the whole humane nature so this sin is to be considered either in the root or in the fruit in its self or in its effects In its self so all mankind and every particular man is and in that name must humble himself as concerned in the eating of that fruit which only Adams teeth did fasten on is to deem himself bound to be humbled for that pride that curiosity that disobedience or whatsoever sin else can be contained in that first great transgression and count you this nothing to have a share in such a sin which contains such a multitude of Rebellions 'T is not a slight perfunctory humiliation that can expiate not a small labour that can destroy this monster which is so rich in heads each to be cut off by the work of a several repentance Now in the last place as this sin of all mankind in Adam is considered in its effects so it becomes to us a body of sin and death a natural disorder of the whole man an hostility and enmity of the flesh against the spirit and the parent of all sin in us as may appear Rom. vii and Jam. 1.14 Which that you may have a more compleat understanding of consider it as it is ordinarily set down consisting of three parts 1. A natural defect 2. A moral affection 3. A legal guilt i. e. a guiltiness of the breach of the Law for these three whatsoever you may think of them are all parts of that sin of our nature which is in and is to be imputed to us called ordinarily original sin in us to distinguish it from that first act committed by Adam of which this is an effect And first that natural defect is a total loss and privation of that primitive justice holiness and obedience which God had furnisht the Creature withal a disorder of all the powers of the Soul a darkness of the understanding a perverseness of the will a debility weakness and decay of all the senses and in summ a poverty and destruction and almost a nothingness of all the powers of Soul and Body And how ought we to lament this loss with all the veins of our heart to labour for some new strain of expressing our sorrow and in fine to petition that rich grace which may build up all these ruines to pray to God that his Christ may purchase and bestow on us new abilities that the second Adam may furnish us with more durable powers and lasting graces than we had but forfeited in the first The following part of this sin of our nature viz. A moral evil affection is word for word mentioned Rom. vii 5 For there the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinarily translated motions of sins and in the margin the passions of sins are more significantly to be rendred affections of sins i. e. by an usual figure sinful affections That you may the better observe the encumbrances of this branch of this sin which doth so over shadow the whole man and so fence him from the beams and light of the spiritual invisible Sun I am to tell you that the very Heathen that lived without the knowledge of God had no conversation with and so no instruction from the Bible in this matter that these very Heathens I say had a sense of this part of original sin to wit of these evil moral lusts and affections which they felt in themselves though they knew not whence they sprang Hence is it that a Greek Philosopher out of the antients makes a large Discourse of the unfatiable desire and lust which is in every man and renders his life grievous unto him where he useth the very same word though with a significant Epithet added to it that S. James doth c. 1. ver 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinite lust with which as S. James saith a man is drawn away and enticed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith he that part of the mind in which these lusts dwell is perswaded and drawn or rather fall backward and forward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which lust or evil concupiscence he at last defines to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unsatiable intemperance of the appetite never filled with a desire never ceasing in the persecution of evil and again he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our birth and nativity derived to us by our parents i. e. an evil affection hereditary to us and delivered to us as a Legacy at our Birth and Nativity all which seems a clear expression of that original lust whose motions they felt and guest at its nature Hence is it that it was a custom among all of them I mean the common Heathen to use many ways of purgations especially on their children who at the imposition of their names were to be lustrated and purified with a great deal of superstition and ceremony such like as they used to drive away a plague or a cure for an House or City As if nature by instinct had taught them so much Religion as to acknowledge and desire to cure in every one this hereditary disease of the soul this plague of mans heart as 't is called 1 Kings viii 38 And in summ the whole learning of the Wisest of them such were the Moralists was directed to the governing and keeping in order of these evil affections which they called the unruly citizens and common people of the soul whose intemperance and disorders they plainly observed within themselves and laboured hard to purge out or subdue to the government of reason and virtue which two we more fully enjoy and more Christianly call the power of grace redeeming our Souls from this Body of sin Thus have I briefly shewed you the sense that the very Heathen had of this second branch of original sin which needs therefore no farther aggravation to you but this that they who had neither Spirit nor Scripture to instruct them did naturally so feelingly observe and curse it that by reason of it they esteemed their whole life but a living death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their body but the Sepulchre of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which together are but a periphrasis of that which S. Paul calls in brief the body of death And shall we who have obtained plenty of light and instruction besides that which nature bestowed on us with them shall we I say let our Eyes be confounded with abundance of day shall we see it more clearly to take less notice of it Shall we feel the stings of sin within us which though they do but prick the regenerate prove mortal to the rest of us and shall we not observe them Shall we not rather weep those Fountains dry and crop this luxury of our affections with a severe sharp sorrow and humiliation Shall we not starve this rank fruitful Mother of