morning in the resurrection in which the just shall judge the world and so subjugate the wicked wordlings to all eternity Then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their beauty or form or figure so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effinxit formavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a contraction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being an imperfect sense must be supplied from that which went before and their form i. e. so likewise shall their form do as the upright shall in the resurrection have dominion over the wicked rise and raign joyfully so likewise shall their form or figure referring to the restauration of their bodies they shall rise again in their old shapes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the failing of Hades from an habitation to it i. e. where Hades shall fail to be an habitation to it i. e. when the grave or common repository of the dead in which their beauty form and figure was consumed shall it self decay and lose its strength death having forfeited her sting and the grave her victory no longer to be a mansion to the bodies of the just And this being here spoken in general of all just men is by David particularly applied to himself v. 15. But God will deliver my soul from the power of the grave c. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their help as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petra a rock and by metaphore strength refuge and so help and the Latine follows them but Syriack reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their form or image And so this is the interpretation of this whole verse the principal part of difficulty in this parable or dark saying for which this Psalm was designed V. 15. Receive me God 's receiving here is to be understood in the same sense as Enochs being received or taken by God Gen. 5.24 or as we find Psal 73.34 thou shalt after receive me to glory Thus Jonah 4.3 he prays take I beseech thee my life And then it will signifie Gods future receiving him to glory V. 18. Though whilst he lived The Hebrew of the 18. verse is thus literally and clearly rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in his living or life time he blest his soul the impious worldling applauded much his own present state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but men shall praise thee or thou shalt be praised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if or when thou dost well to thy self i. e. for doing well to thy self for doing that which may tend really and eternally to thy good and not for saying well for applauding thy present felicity V. 19. Shall go To go or to be gathered to the fathers is a known expression of dying in peace and the same is the importance of the phrase here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall go to the generation of his fathers So the Chaldee read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the memory of the just shall come and be added to the generation of their fathers but the wicked shall never see light The Fiftieth PSALM A Psalm of Asaph Paraphrase The Fiftieth Psalm is a solemn magnifying of Gods power and majesty and a description of the calling of the Gentiles and of the true Evangelical way of worshipping God It was composed probably by David and appointed to be sung by Asaph a Levite appointed by David to attend the Ark and to record and to thank and to praise the Lord God of Israel 1 Chron. 16.5 1. The mighty God even the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof Paraphrase 1. The decree is gone out from the Omnipotent God of heaven the supreme eternity Lord and Judge over all the world that he will assemble and convocate the whole Nation of the Jews from Dan to Bersheba from sea to sea from East to West to reduce and take them off from their hypocritical and abominable practises and bring them to the due acknowledgment and pure worship of the true God and the practise of all virtue 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined Paraphrase 2. To this end as God hath fixt his Tabernacle on Mount Sion presentiated himself as illustriously there as he did at the giving the Law on Mount Sinai so shall the Son of God in the fulness of time descend to this earth of ours the true light John 1.9 shall shine forth the Messias shall be born of our flesh of the seed of David and having preacht repentance to the Jews and being rejected by their Sanhedrim and Crucified by them he shall rise from death and ascend to his Father and then send his Spirit on his Apostles thereby commissionating them to reveal his Gospel to all the world beginning from the place where God hath been pleased in a special manner to reside this most beautiful mount of Sion there he now presentiates himself and from thence he shall then begin to shine forth and inlighten the heathen world the preaching of his Gospel to all the world shall commence and proceed from thence 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him Paraphrase 3. What is thus decreed shall certainly come to pass in its appointed time and be lookt on as an extraordinary and signal work of Gods power wherein much of his divine presence shall be discernible and the immediate attendants of it shall be very dreadful and terrible above that of the giving the Law to the Jews from Mount Sinai 4. He shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people Paraphrase 4. And it shall begin with a summons as to a solemn Assises for the examining the actions of men good and bad those that have resisted and despised the Messias and those that have subjected themselves to him All shall be judged by him the former punished and the latter rewarded And Angels and Men shall be summoned and called in to be executioners of these his judgments 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Paraphrase 5. And the good Angels his ministers of preservation shall be appointed to take special care of all the pious believing Jews Mat. 24.31 Rev. 7.3 who have sincerely given themselves up to his service received the Christian faith and in their baptism made vow of performing it faithfully which adore and pray constantly to him and not to suffer any harm to come nigh to these 6. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness for God is Judge himself Selah Paraphrase 6. And so accordingly shall they do rescuing all faithful believers out of the calamities that attend the crucifiers A thing much to be taken notice of as an act of most
this it remains that we return to that which was first said that the difficulties of this kind are inexplicable And this may stop though not satisfie our curiosities V. 3. When I consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is by the Chaldee rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because or for and by the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because and so in the rest of the Antient Interpreters this being the most frequent use of it Yet 't is certain the Hebrew particle hath four significations and in one of them denotes a condition and is best rendred If and also time and is fully rendred when So Gen. iv 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chaldee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if or when thou tillest the ground and so 2 Sam. 7.1 It came to pass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the King sat in his house for which 1 Chron. 17.1 they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we render as i. e. when he sate And thus the context inclines it here When I consider What is Man i. e. I have then by that consideration all reason to cry out by way of admiration What is man And thus the Jewish Arabick Translation renders it When I see the heavens c. I say What is Man The Ninth PSALM TO the chief Musitian upon Muth-Labben A Psalm of David Paraphrase The ninth Psalm is a solemn thanksgiving for Gods deliverances and by the Title may be thought to reflect on the death of Goliah of Gath the great Champion of the Philistims vanquisht and killed by David but the Psalm made some space afterwards when the Ark was placed in Sion and the Philistims were utterly destroyed v. 6. and yet in some other time of distress v. 13. and of absence from Sion v. 14. and committed to the prefect of his Musick 1. I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous works Paraphrase 1. O Lord of all power and mercy which art pleased to interpose thy omnipotence for me and thereby to inable thy feeble servant to pass through many great difficulties I do with all the devotion of my soul acknowledge and proclaim this and all other thy great mercies 2. I will be glad and rejoyce in thee I will sing praises to thy name O thou most Highest Paraphrase 2. This is matter of infinite joy and transporting delight unto me without the least reflection on my self who am meer nothing to magnifie thy sublime and most powerful Majesty and attribute all my successes unto thee 3. When mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence Paraphrase 3. By thee are our enemies put to flight and flying they meet with gall-traps in their way and so are lamed overtaken and killed in the pursuit This befell the Philistims on the discomfiture of their proud Champion 1 Sam. xvii 51 52. And to thee only is it to be ascrib'd 't is thy Majesty that hath done the whole work intirely for us thou foughtest against them and thereby they were thus worsted and put to flight and destroyed 4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou sattest in the Throne judging right Paraphrase 4. When in the duel between that Champion and me and so in many other battels with my Enemies the cause was committed to thy sacred judgment thou wert pleased to take my part to defend me and to judge on my side and with perfect justice to plead and decide the controversie betwixt us give the victory to thy servant 5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen thou hast destroyed the wicked thou hast put out their name for ever and ever Paraphrase 5. By the death of the impious profane Goliah the Philistims Champion thou hast put their whole host to flight and made this victory a foundation of utter extirpation to that Nation of the Philistims 6. O thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end and thou hast destroyed Cities the memorial is perished with them Paraphrase 6. They are now finally destroyed their Cities rased to the ground and unless it be in the stories of their ruine no remainders of them discernable and all this must be attributed to thee O Lord. 7. But the Lord shall indure for ever he hath prepared his throne for judgment Paraphrase 7. A signal evidence of thy power and immutability of thy sitting in heaven as on a Throne or Tribunal of judicature 8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness Paraphrase 8. From whence thou shalt from time to time dispense and administer and dispose of all things here below with all exact justice and uprightness 9. The Lord also will be a sure refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble Paraphrase 9. And this as to the punishing of the proud obdurate oppressor so to the seasonable support of all that are not able to relieve themselves when their tribulations and so their exigences are greatest then have they in thee a sure sanctuary to which they may opportunely resort and be confident to receive relief from thee 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Paraphrase 10. And accordingly all that know any thing of Religion that have either learnt from others or experimented in themselves these thy faithful all-righteous dispensations in the oeconomy of the World those glories of thine resulting from the conjuncture of all thy attributes of power and justice and wisdom and mercy c. will thereby be firmly grounded in their trusts and reliances on thee without applying themselves to any of the sinful aids and policies of the World for succour laying this up for an anchor of hope that God never forsook or failed any pious man in his distress that by prayer and faith made his humble and constant applications to him 11. Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion declare among the people his doings Paraphrase 11. Let us therefore all joyn in magnifying the power and mercy of God and to that end assemble to the Sanctuary where he is pleased to presentiate himself giving all men knowledge of the wonderful acts he hath wrought for us 12. When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble Paraphrase 12. The Blood of humble pious helpless men that is shed by oppressors hath a cry that goes up to heaven Gen. 4.19 and is most pretious with God he will never suffer it to go unpunisht but will act severe revenges for it pursue and find out the guilty persons and pour his plagues upon them 13. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death Paraphrase 13. On these grounds I continue to
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
consideration of that great displeasure of thine to which I am to impute all these sad and direfull effects of it 11. My days are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grass 12. But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Paraphrase 11 12 13. My condition is every day worse and more hopeless than other my joyless life hastening to its fatal period and unless thou please to interpose thy sovereign power I am utterly and finally lost But herein this one great comfort remains that thy strength is beyond our weakness thy eternity is opposed to our frail transitory state thy mercy surmounts our wants and misery and on this I still found an hope and confidence that thou wilt in thy good time return the captivity of our Church and Nation restore us to the priviledges and blessings of peaceable assemblies and that it will not now be long ere that most desirable and acceptable time come 14. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof Paraphrase 14. To this hope I am induced by thine own promise that whensoever thy people are carried captive by heathen enemies if they shall be truly sensible of thy punishments and humbled for their sins thou wilt then remember thy Covenant and restore them And this is our condition at this time Now thy Church is laid waste among us see Nehem. 1.3 we cannot choose but be sensible of our loss and our sins and with all compassion and affection be transported when we think of either At present the want of outward prosperity hath not rendred her less desirable in our eyes but rather inhansed the value of those interdicted felicities and made us vow all readiness to endeavour the repairing of those ruines whensoever thou shalt please to grant us that welcome opportunity 15. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory 16. When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Paraphrase 15 16 17. When that blessed time shall come it shall be an effectual means to bring in whole heathen nations Princes and people to thy service when they see so great a deliverance wrought for thy people their captivity returned and their Temple re-edified evidences as of the omnipotent power of God so of his readiness to hear the prayers of those that are brought to the lowest ebbe of misery and destitution 18. This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. Paraphrase 18. The wonderfulness of this deliverance shall be recorded to all posterity and in probability be a means of bringing in those that have not yet any being to be proselytes to the service of so great and compassionate a God 19. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven did the Lord behold the earth 20. To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death 21. To declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem 22. When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Paraphrase 19 20 21 22. When they hear how signally he doth exercise his power and providence in affairs of the world here below and how ready he is to relieve and rescue those that are in the greatest distress and destitution to return their captivity and restore them to their country again there to bless and praise and proclaim the power and mercy of God in his Temple making their constant solemn resort thither from all the quarters of the land at the times by God appointed 23. He weakened my strength in the way he shortened my days 24. I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my days thy years are throughout all generations Paraphrase 23 24. When I consider the sadness of our state the misery and shortness of our lives and on the other side the strength and eternity of God I cannot but address my prayers unto him with some hope that he will spare us and restore us to some prosperity and not cut us off in the most flourishing part of our lives 25. Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands 26. They shall perish but thou shalt endure they all shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed 27. But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Paraphrase 25 26 27. 'T was he that by his almighty power at first created the whole world and all the parts thereof and though by the same he will in his due time either destroy or change them quite from the condition of their creation yet through all these transmutations he shall continue the same to all eternity 28. The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee Paraphrase 28. And this irresistible power and immutable will of his is a ground of firm hope and confidence to me that there shall be a time of rest to God's faithfull servants that upon our sincere return to him and reformation of our sins he will return our captivity and if this fall not out in our days yet our children and their posterity shall receive the benefit and comfort of it and be continued a people to him and thereby for ever ingaged to serve him Annotations on Psal CII V. 3. Like smoak For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in smoak which we reade in the Hebrew the Chaldee and LXXII are thought to have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as smoak and accordingly they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as smoak But 't is more probable that they so express what they thought to be the meaning than that they read it otherwise than we do For the Jewish Arab though reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as smoak is consumed or vanisheth The Syriack reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in smoak and so the sense will best bear either my days or time of my life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consume and wither in smoak as Psal 1.19.83 a bottle in the smoak afflictions have had the same effect on me as smoak on those things that are hung in it dried me up and deformed me or perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 end or fail or consume in smoak as when any combustible matter is consumed smoak is all that comes from it and so it ends in that and to that the latter part of the verse may seem to incline it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my bones or members or body
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
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
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