is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies two things 1. to incline or decline and 2. to stretch out extend distend But how in either of these notions it shall be joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here it will not be easie to judge The LXXII render it in the former notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bow'd down evil things on thee and the Latine declinaverunt in te mala and the Syriack seems to accord rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Arabick they bow'd down If this be the notion of the word then it will best be rendred they wrested or perverted evil things against thee as Exod. 23.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decline and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pervert is used and again v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not pervert i. e. by perverting or distorting thy words framed accusations calumnies which are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil or wicked words or things Matth. 5.2 against thee In the second notion it is ordinarily applied to lines and curtains and then to spread evil against any may be a phrase taken from the spreading of nets as Psal 140.5 they spread a net with cords for the insnaring of any But the Chaldee which render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies first to beat out and compress and thence to machinate contrive or forge in the brain in which sense it best agrees with imagining that follows make it probable to be taken from the Metallists who beat out and so extend or distend their metals and so frame them into any fashion from whence by an easie metaphor it may be drawn to that of designing or forging any evil against another V. 11. Make them turn their backs That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a shoulder or shoulder-blade there is no question Scapula that part of the body which from the neck reacheth on both sides before and behind to the arm But what the meaning is here of the Poetical phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt set them a shoulder is not so easie to resolve The Chaldee reads it Thou hast set them to thy people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one shoulder The sense of it seems to be best fetcht from that which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thy strings from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nervous a bow-string Psal 9.2 The LXXII seem not to have understood it rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy remainders as if it were from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reliquus fuit But sure it signifies the strings of a bow as the instrument of shooting or wounding and then whether we joyn that to the precedent words Thou shalt set them a shoulder for thy bow-strings or to the subsequent words Thou shalt set them a shoulder with thy bow-strings thou shalt prepare against the face of them the latter part must have some influence on the former and then either way the setting them a shoulder will be either the setting them in aray drawing them up in a full and fair battalio that so his arrows may freely play upon them which in the end of the verse are said to be prepared against the face of them or to the same sense thou shalt make them as one neck so the Jewish Arab. renders it for slaughter Somewhat parallel to this we have Hos 6.9 where it is said of the Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they killed shoulder-wise or by the shoulder The Chaldee render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one shoulder in the same words as here they use to expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shoulder which shews it to be a proverbial form to signifie sure and uniform slaughter This the learned Castellio saw and paraphrastically but very significantly exprest Nam tu eis pro scopo collocatis rectâ in eos tuis nervis collineabis For thou shalt set them as thy butt or mark and with thine arrows aim straight at them And this sure is the perspicuous meaning of this dark place For the Souldier in procinctu both in the antient and modern wars was and is wont to oppose only the shoulder to the enemy that being the most commodious posture both for defence and offence Thus the Phalanx was drawn up thus our stand of Pikes are accustomed to charge thus the Archers draw the bows the Musketiers give fire so the Swordmen receive the enemy covering the left shoulder with the buckler and they that use no buckler yet stand upon a guard of like nature and hold it for a rule never to leave open the whole body to the opposite All which gives the account clearly why the phrase of setting them a shoulder is here used because that was the military posture Abu Walid interprets it thou shalt set them as one side or on one side viz. to deal with them all alike comparing the use of it here with that in Hoseah c. 6.9 The Twenty Second PSALM TO the chief Musitian upon Aiieleth Shahar A Psalm of David Paraphrase The Twenty Second Psalm was composed by David on occasion of his own flying from his persecutors and the calamities that befell him at that time and belongs mystically to the Crucifixion of Christ and was therein most literally fulfilled in several passages see Matth. 27.35.43 and was by Christ recited upon the Cross either all or at least some part of it Matth. 27.46 The Psalm thus composed by David was committed to the Praefect of his Musick 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Paraphrase 1. O my God O my God I am forsaken by thee mine enemies prevail against me and all my loudest and most importunate cryes to thee for help bring me no relief How long wilt thou thus leave me to this state of destitution I beseech thee at length to look upon me This was farther completed in Christ upon the Cross when his Divine Nature suspended the exercise of his omnipotence so far as to deliver up his body to that reproachful death and real separation from his Soul Matth. 27.46 2. O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent Paraphrase 2. O my God I call and cry unto thee continually day and night and thou givest me no redress nor least cessation to my afflictions 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Paraphrase 3. Yet am I not discouraged by this I am sure that thou continuest faithful and true such as canst not forget thy promises thou art he that hast and wilt continue to do all wonderfull things for thy people and even when for a time thou permittest them to be opprest by their enemies thou art still most worthy to be magnified and praised by them 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted
Arab which looks to the former notion and renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a place of abode yet gives a reason of his version in a note to this purpose The meaning is Thou hast born or supported as much and held our hands or held us by the hand and been to us as a place to bear us in our reliance on thee To the same purpose Abu Walid having interpreted the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an habitation place or place of abode makes mention afterwards of this verse and some others in which the word might seem not so exactly to bear that signification and saith that it is attributed as an Epithet to God from the notion of a place which remaining bears or sustains him that is in it Though God be the Creator both of place and time and the destroyer of them yet figuratively it is attributed to him so that according to their understanding of it it should be literally a place but in signification a support to us Kimchi mentions another interpretation of his Fathers who would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eye as if it were our respect or whom we respect on whom our eyes are set but he himself puts for explication of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place and refuge The LXXII both here and Psal 91.9 render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refuge which being applied to a person as 't is here to God must needs signifie one from whom he that flies to him expects help and so helper will be the best rendring of it V. 2. Thou hast formed the earth The phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will best be rendred and thou earth wert in travail or taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the third person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being most usual in the faeminine gender and the earth was in travail so the Syriack sets it more plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the earth fell in travail By this phrase is poetically meant the the earths bringing forth the mountains when from the first round or globular form of it some parts were lifted up above the rest the high rising whereof became the mountains which therefore may be called the issue of the earth and then as they are said to be brought forth in the former part of the verse so by analogy the earth must be said to travail and bring them forth And this to express the very first minute that there was time to compute from and so as far as our expessions can go the infinity of God The Jewish Arab version hath respect to another notion of the word for beginning and renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before thou broughtest forth the mountains and begannest or first createdst the habitable with the rest of the earth or else as being without vowels it may be read before the mountains grew up or were brought forth and the habitable with the rest of the earth began V. 3. Turnest man The LXXII begin this v. 3. with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not either taking the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God from the end of v. 2. and converting it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not and prefixing it to this v. 3. or else reading the Hebrew by way of interrogation which they therefore think fit to interpret by the negative wilt thou turn man c. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turn thou not Which the Latine follow in the form of a prayer Ne avertas Turn not man to humility The word which they render humilitatem from the LXXII their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bruise or beat to pieces By this destruction or dissolution of parts in death and the resolution of the body to dust may be fitly exprest and accordingly the Chaldee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to death and to that the insuing part of the Psalm may seem to apply it treating of short life and speedy death and if so then to this sense we must also with the learned Schindler understand the immediate consequents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sayest Return ye sons of Adam i. e. return to the earth from whence Adam had his name and from whence he first came according to that of Gen. 3.19 Out of the ground wast thou â—uken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return So Psal 146.4 His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth And Eccles 12.7 then shall the dust return to the earth as it was But it is possible that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie no more than bringing low by punishment and that in order to amendment according to the importance of Psal 51.17 and Isai 57.15 and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 return ye sons of men must be meant of returning by repentance and thus indeed generally the Imperative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken by it self signifies To this those words of the Chaldee which are inserted in the beginning of the second verse but somewhat out of their place seem to refer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When it was revealed before thee that thy people would sin thou preparedst repentance according to that tradition of the Jews that repentance was one of the seven things created before the world And thus the Arabick reads it more expresly in the LXXII their form of deprecation Bring not men back to destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since thou hast said Come back ye children of men he that hath promised to forgive upon repentance defeats his own act of grace if he cut off the transgressor in his sin Thus Jarchi interprets the bringing to destruction to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 near to death and the returning to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from evil ways But still the context seems to authorize the former interpretation of destruction and speedy returning to the earth which is evidently the subject of the fifth and sixth verses And for verse the fourth it seems to be the preventing of an objection ready to offer it self from the long lives of the Patriarchs who lived near a thousand years but those saith the Psalmist are in Gods sight or in respect of his infinity but a very unconsiderable time The number saith Jarchi hath a peculiar respect to Adam to whom God had said thou shalt die in the day that thou eatest and yet he lived nine hundred and thirty years V. 5. Carriest them away To set down the shortness of mans life the comparison is here made between God and us A thousand years which is longer than Adam or Methuselah lived and since those days as long as many ages of men bears not the least proportion with Gods eternity v. 4. whereas here v. 5. mens years are presently at an end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to overflow and sweep and carry away thou i.
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
the trouble to mortifie his own unruly appetites is soon overrun and laid waste by them All these sorts of misery though he expects them not but in confidence of safety goes on in his idle slothfull course will when he little thinks of it knock at his door as a traveller or way-goer to an host that knows nothing of his coming and when it comes it comes with a vengeance there is no way of resisting and as little of supporting it This traveller is stout and armed and will force his entrance and lay all waste where he enters 12. A naughty person a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth Paraphrase 12. Among other most noxious effects of idleness and unprofitableness one deserves to be taken notice of and most carefully avoided that of whispering and backbiting calumniating and detracting labouring nothing so much as to deprave and defame the actions of other men This is an eminent fruit of sloth and wickedness combin'd together and a most diabolical sin 13. He winketh with his eyes he speaketh with his feet and teacheth with his fingers Paraphrase 13. Such an one when he hath nothing of weight to say against a man will by significative gestures of all sorts give intimations of some grand matters and so perswade others without laying any particular to his charge that he is a most pestilent fellow 14. Frowardness is in his heart he deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord Paraphrase 14. His thoughts which have no good business to take them up are continually imployed in projecting what mischief he may doe and are never more gratefully busied than when he is a causing debate among neighbours One such person in a City is enough to embroil the whole and put it into a tumult 15. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Paraphrase 15. And as to idle persons v. 11. so to this above all a proportionable vengeance is to be expected He that is of this temper seldom fails to be met with in his kind to fall unexpectedly by some secret hand parallel to the secrecy of his detracting whispering humour and when he falls he can never be recovered again he perishes unpitied unregarded 16. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him 17. A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood 18. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to mischief 19. A false witness that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren Paraphrase 16 17 18 19. And there is all reason for this for as there be seven sins which be very hatefull to God so this is a compound of five if not of all seven of them The seven are these 1. pride or haughtiness 2. lying or fraudulence 3. guilt of blood 4. malice or projecting of evil 5. a pleasure in mischieving any 6. false witness or calumny 7. causing of discord or debates among those that live friendly together Of these the second the fourth the fifth the sixth and seventh are evidently in this of the detractour or calumniatour see v. 12 14. And that pride is the root of it and blood-guiltiness the effect of it cannot be doubted the pride and high opinion of our selves and desire to be esteemed above all constantly inciting us to defame others and the debates and discord which are caused by back-biting ending generally in feuds and the bloodiest murthers And this is a competent indication how odious this sin is and how punishable in the sight of God 20. My son keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother 21. Bind them continually upon thy heart and tie them about thy neck 22. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee 23. For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life 24. To keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman Paraphrase 20 21 22 23 24. In the next place a principal caution there is for all young men of which they are to take an extraordinary care 'T is that which all parents timely warn their children of and it concerns them to lay it up and never forget it to carry it continually about with them as the Jews do their Phylacteries that it may be a perpetual memorative never out of their sight If they doe so they will have the comfort and benefit of it at home and abroad sleeping and waking in all the varieties of their life they will see and discern that timely which they that discern not run into all the most noxious and ruinous courses And what is this so important a caution thus pompously introduced Why onely this that thou be sure to keep thee from that horrible sin of fornication or adultery and not suffer thy self by whatsoever flatteries and deceits by soft and fair speeches the common address of whores to be seduced and ensnared in it 25. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids 26. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life Paraphrase 25 26. Whatever allurement is in her beauty that may warm and attract thy love whatever invitation in her behaviour and amiableness of her looks or address thou art most nearly concerned to guard and fortifie thy self that thou beest not captivated thereby that thou permit not any unclean desire to kindle so much as in thine heart for as that is adultery in the eyes of that God that requires purity of the heart as well as actions see Matt. 5.8 28. so most sad and dismall are the effects of this passion as by many thousand examples hath been evidenced both in relation to mens estates and also their lives Many great estates have been utterly ruin'd and brought to the smallest pittance by that sin and many bodies have been exhausted and brought to noisome diseases and untimely death the very life and soul and whatsoever is most precious is the prey that this vulture gorges herself on 27. Can a man take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt 28. Can one go on hot coals and his feet not be burnt 29. So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent Paraphrase 27 28 29. It is as imaginable that a man shall put fire in his bosome or walk upon live coals and receive no harm from them either to his garments or his flesh as that a man shall adventure on this sin of adultery and not exhaust and ruine himself by that course A fire in his bones and a wasting to his estate are the regular natural inevitable attendants of this sin But that is not all The wrath
and void Gen. i. 2 or like that at Lots Door among the Sodomites or that of Aegypt thick and palpable and this have we created to our selves a sky full of tempestuous untamed affections this cloud of vapours have we exhaled out of the lower part of our Soul our sensitive faculty and therewith have we so fill'd the air within us with sad black meteors that the Sun in its Zenith the height or pride of its splendor would scarce be able to pierce through it So that for to make a search for this light within thee before thou hast removed this throng and croud of passions which encompass it and still to complain thou canst not meet with it were to bring news that the Sun is gone out when a tempest hath only masked it or to require a Candle to give thee light through a Mud-wall Thou must provide a course to clear the Sky and then thou shalt not need to entreat the Sun to shine on thee especially if this Cloud fall down in a showre if thou canst melt so thick a viscous meteor as those corrupt affections are into a soft rain or dew of penitent tears thou mayest then be confident of a fair bright Sun-shine For I dare promise that never humble tender weeping Soul had ever this light quite darkned within it but could at all times read and see the will of God and the law of its Creation not drawn only but almost engraven and woven into its heart For these tears in our Eyes will spiritually mend our sight as what ever you see through water thought it be represented somewhat dimly yet seems bigger and larger than if there were no water in the way according to that rule in the Opticks Whatever is seen through a thicker medium seems bigger than it is And then by way of use shall we suffer so incomparable a mercy to be cast away upon us Shall we only see and admire and not make use of it Shall we fence as it were and fortify our outward man with Walls and Bulwarks that the inner man may not shine forth upon it Or shall we like silly improvident Flies make no other use of this Candle but only to singe and burn and consume our selves by its flame receive only so much light from it as will add to our hell and darkness 'T is a thing that the flintiest heart should melt at to see such precious mercies undervalued such incomparable blessings either contemned or only improved into Curses Arrian calls those in whom this light of the Soul is as I shewed you clouded and obscured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead trunks and carkasses of flesh and to keep such men in order were humane laws provided which he therefore calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miserable hard laws to keep dead men in compass and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth and Hell the places to which dead bodies are committed And certainly if so then by way of contrary all the life that we possess is but by obedience to this law within us and 't is no longer to be called life but either sleep or death or lethargy every minute that we move out of the circle of its directions There is not a step or moment in our lives but we have a special use and need of this law to manage us every enterprize of our thoughts or actions will yield some difficulty which we must hold up and read and judge of by this Candle nay sometimes we have need of a Glass or instrument to contract the beams and light of it or else 't would scarce be able to get through to our actions passion and folly and the Atheism of our lives hath so thickned the medium Wherefore in brief remember that counsel Mal. ii 15 Take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth the Wife of his youth i. e. saith Jeroms gloss legem naturalem scriptam in corde the law of nature written in his heart which was given him in the Womb as a Wife and help to succour him Let us set a value on this polar Star within us which hath or should have an influence at least directions on all our actions let us encrease and nourish and make much of the sparks still warm within us And if Scholars and Antiquaries prize nothing so high as a fair Manuscript or ancient Inscription let us not contemn that which Gods own Finger hath written within us lest the sin of the contempt make us more miserable and the mercy profit us only to make us unexcusable And so I come to my second part the sin of contemning or rejecting this law For this cause he gave them up i. e. because the contempt of his law thus provoked him The guilt arising from this contempt shall sufficiently be cleared to you by observing and tracing of it not through every particular but in general through all sorts of men since the fall briefly reducible to these three heads First The Heathens Secondly The Jews Thirdly Present Christians and then let every man that desires a more distinct light descend and commune with his own heart and so he shall make up the observation The Heathens sin will be much aggravated if we consider how they reckon'd of this law as the square and rule and canon of their actions and therefore they will be inexcusable who scarce be ever at leisure to call to it to direct them when they had use of it The Stoick calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise that every man makes the obligation that he is bound in to nature at his shaping in the Womb and upon which condition his reasonable Soul is at his conception demised to him so that whosoever puts off this obedience doth as he goes on renounce and even proclaim his forfeiture of the very Soul he lives by and by every unnatural that is sinful action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the natural man within him and by a prodigious regeneration is in a manner transubstantiate into a Beast of the Field Which conceit many of them were so possest with that they thought in earnest that 't was ordinary for souls to walk from men into Cocks and Asses and the like and return again at natures appointment as if this one contempt of the law of nature were enough to unman them and make them without a figure comparable nay coessential to the beasts that perish 'T were too long to shew you what a sense the wisest of them had of the helps that light could afford them so that one of them cryes out confidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If all other laws were taken out of the world we Philosophers would still live as we do those directions within us would keep us in as much awe as the most imperious or severest Law-giver And again how they took notice of the perversness of men in refusing to make use of it for who saith
whensoever this light shall fail that it cannot guide us or our Eyes dazle that we cannot follow let us pray to the Father of lights and God of Spirits that he will shine spiritually in our hearts and fulfil us with his light of grace here which may enable us to behold him and enjoy him and rejoice with him and be satisfied with that eternal light of his Glory hereafter Now to him that hath elected us hath created redeemed c. SERMON XV. GAL. VI. 15 But a new Creature AMongst all other encumbrances and delays in our way to Heaven there is no one that doth so clog and trash so disadvantage and backward us and in fine so cast us behind in our race as a contentedness in a formal worship of God an acquiescence and resting satisfied in outward performances when men upon a confidence that they perform all that can be required of a Christian they look no farther than the outward work observe not what heart is under this outside but resolve their estate is safe they have as much interest in Heaven as any one Such men as these the Apostle begins to character and censure in the twelfth Verse of the Chapter As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh c. They that stand only on a fair specious out-side and think all the sap and life of Religion lies in the bark they do this and this these will have you circumcised and constrain you to a many burthensom Ceremonies measuring out Religion to you by the weight thus much is required of you to do as Popish Confessors set their deluded Votaries their task of Ave Maries and Pater nosters by tale and thus you may be sure to be saved In brief the Apostle here shews the unprofitableness of all these and sets up the inward sanctity and renewedness of heart against them all as the only thing that will stand us in stead and appear to be of any weight in the balance of the Sanctuary If you observe all the commands and submit your selves to all the burden of both Law and Gospel and bear it upon your shoulders never so valiantly if you be content to be circumcised as Christ was or because he hath now abrogated that make use of Christian liberty and remain uncircumcised notwithstanding all inducements to the contrary In brief be you outwardly never so severe a Jew or Christian all that is nothing worth there is but one thing most peremptorily required of you and that you have omitted For neither circumcision availeth any thing neither uncircumcision but a new Creature The particle but in the front of my Text is exclusive and restrictive it excludes every thing in the World from pretending to avail any thing from being believed to do us any good For by circumcision the Church of the Jews and by uncircumcision the whole profession of Christian Religion being understood when he saith neither of these availeth any thing he forcibly implies that all other means all professions all observances that men think or hope to get Heaven by are to no purpose and that by consequence it exactly restrains to the new creature there it is to be had and no where else thus doth he slight and undervalue and even reprobate all other ways to Heaven that he may set the richer price and raise a greater estimation in us of this The substance of all the Apostles Discourse and the ground-work of mine shall be this one Aphorism Nothing is efficaciously available to salvation but a renewed regenerated heart For the opening of which we will examine by way of doctrine wherein this new Creature consists and then by way of use the necessity of that and unprofitableness of all other plausible pretending means and first of the first wherein this new creature consists 'T is observable that our state of nature and sin is in Scripture exprest ordinarily by old age the natural sinful man that is all our natural affections that are born and grow up with us are called the old man as if since Adams fall we were decrepit and feeble and aged as soon as born as a Child begotten by a man in a Consumption never comes to the strength of a man is always weak and crazy and puling hath all the imperfections and corporal infirmities of age before he is out of his infancy And according to this ground the whole Analogy of Scripture runs all that is opposite to the old decrepit state to the dotage of nature is phrased new The new Covenant Mark i. 27 The language of believers new tongues Mark xvi 17 A new Commandment John xiii 34. A new man Ephes ii 15 In summ the state of grace is exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all is become new 2 Cor. v. 17 So that old and new as it divides the Bible the whole state of things the World so it doth that to which all these serve man every natural man which hath nothing but nature in him is an old man be he never so young is full of Years even before he is able to tell them Adam was a perfect man when he was but a minute old and all his Children are old even in the Cradle nay even dead with old age Eph. ii 5 And then consequently every spiritual man which hath somewhat else in him than he received from Adam he that is born from above John iii. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it may be so rendred from the original as well as born again as our English read it he that is by Gods spirit quickned from the old death Ephes ii 5 he is contrary to the former a new man a new creature the old Eagle hath cast his beak and is grown young the man when old has entred the second time into his mothers Womb and is born again all the gray hairs and wrinkles fall off from him as the Scales from blind Tobits Eyes and he comes forth a refin'd glorious beauteous new Creature you would wonder to see the change So that you find in general that the Scripture presumes it that there is a renovation a casting away of the old Coat a Youth and spring again in many men from the old age and weak Bed-rid estate of nature Now that you may conceive wherein it consists how this new man is brought forth in us by whom it is conceived and in what Womb 't is carried I will require no more of you than to observe and understand with me what is meant by the ordinary phrase in our Divines a new principle or inward principle of life and that you shall do briefly thus A mans Body is naturally a sluggish unactive motionless heavy thing not able to stir or move the least animal motion without a Soul to enliven it without that 't is but a Carcass as you see at Death when the Soul is separated from it it returns to be but a stock or lump of flesh the
aggravation of each particular guilt in and against it self that so having sufficiently loaded it self and being tyred with the weight and burthen of its sins it may in some measure perform the condition which Christ requires of them which come to him and be prepared to receive that ease which Christ hath promised to the weary and heavy laden So then if the tender Conscience doth never repell or reverberate any mention of sin but doth draw out the sting of it to its length if it be much affected with the least atome of sin and therefore meets with frequent disorders if lastly it make its imployment to gather out of all the Scripture those places which may advantage her in the sight and sense of her sins then certainly doth she never hear of the name of sinner but straight she applies it to her self which was the point we undertook to shew The direct use of this Proposition is for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judgment of our estate 'T is observed in the body that the rest of the senses may be distempered and lost without impairing of it but only the touch cannot which therefore they call the sense of life because that part or body which is deprived of feeling is also at Deaths Door and hath no more life in it than it hath reliques of this sense So is it also in spiritual matters of all other symptomes this of senselesness is most dangerous and as the Greek Physicians are wont to say of a desperate Disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very very mortal This feeling tenderness is necessary to the life of grace and is an inseparable both effect and argument of it Wherefore I say for the judgment of your selves observe how every piece of Scripture works upon you If you can pass over a Catalogue of sins and judgments without any regret or reluctancy if you can read Sodom and Gomorrha Babylon and the Harlot Jerusalem and not be affected with their stories if thou canst be the Auditor of other mens faults without any sense or griping of thine own if the name of sin or Sinner be unto thee but as a Jest or Fable not worthy thy serious notice then fear thy affections want of that temper which the softning spirit is wont to bestow where it rests and accordingly as thou findest this tenderness increasing or waining in thee either give thanks or pray either give thanks for the plenty of that spirit which thou enjoyest or in the sense of thy wants importune it that God will give us softned relenting hearts that the recital of other mens sins may move us other mens judgments may strike us other mens repentance melt us with a sense with a confession with a contrition of our own But above all O Holy Spirit from hardness of heart from an undiscerning reprobate spirit from a contempt nay neglect a not observing of thy Word as from the danger of Hell Good Lord deliver us And thus much of this point of this effect of a tender heart noted to you out of the cadence of the words I now come to observe somewhat more real out of the main of the words themselves Of whom c. We find not our Apostle here complementing with himself either excâ—sing or attenuating his guilt but as it were glorying in the measure of his sins striving for preeminence above all other Sinners challenging it as his right and as eager upon the preferment as his Fellow-Labourer Peter his Successor for a Primacy as he professes of all Bishops yea the whole Church so our Apostle here Of all sinners I am the chief The note briefly is this That every one is to aggravate the measure and number of his sins against himself and as near as he can observe how his guilt exceedeth other mens This was S. Pauls practice and our pattern not to be gazed on but followed not to be discust but imitated In the Discourse whereof I shall not labour to prove you the necessity of this practice which yet I might do out of Davids Example in his penitential Psalms especially 51. out of Nehemiahs Confession and the like but taking this as supposed I shall rather mix doctrine and reason and use altogether in prescribing some forms of aggravating our selves to our selves yet not descending to a particular dissection of sin into all its parts but dealing only on general heads equally appliable to all men briefly reducible to these two 1. Original sin or the sin of our nature of which we are all equally guilty 2. Personal sin grounded in and terminated to each mans person For Original sin it is the Fathers complaint and ought more justly to be ours of these times that there is no reckoning made of it 't is seldom thought worthy to supply a serious place in our humiliation 't is mentioned only for fashions sake and as it were to stop Gods mouth and to give him satisfaction or palliate the guilt of our wilful Rebellions not on any real apprehension that its cure and remedy in Baptism is a considerable benefit or the remanent weakness after the killing venome is abated were more than a trivial disadvantage So that we have a kind of need oâ— original clearness of understanding to judge of the foulness of original sin and we cannot sufficiently conceive our loss without some recovery of those very faculties we forfeited in it But that we may not be wilfully blind in a matter that so imports us that we may understand somewhat of the nature and dangerous condition of this sin you must conceive Adam whâ— committed this first sin in a double respect either as one particular man or as containing in his Loyns the whole nature of man all mankind which should ever come from him Adams particular sin i. e. his personal disobedience is wonderfully aggravated by the Fathers 1. From his original justice which God had bestowed on him 2. From the near familiarity with God which he injoyed and then lost 3. From the perpetual blest estate which had it not been for this disobedience he might for ever have lived in 4. From the purity and integrity of his Will which was then void of all sinful desire which otherwise might have tempted to this disobedience 5. From the easiness of both remembring and observing the Commandment it being a short prohibition and only to abstain from one Tree where there was such plenty besides 6. From the nature and circumstances of the offence by which the Fathers do refer it to all manner of hainous sins making it to contain a breach of almost each moral Law all which were then written in the tables of his heart and therefore concluding it to be an aggregate or mixture of all those sins which we have since so reiterated and so many times sinn'd over So then this personal sin of Adam was of no mean size not to be reckoned of as an every dayes offence as an ordinary breach or
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
salvation Paraphrase 5. This I know thou wilt 〈◊〉 and am assuredly conâ— that as I have constantly relyed on thee for ayde so I shall have the pleasure and comfort of being timely delivered by thee 6. I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Paraphrase 6. I have had so frequent and constant experiences of his goodness and mercy toward me that I cannot doubt of the continuance of them and therefore I have nothing to do but thus to comfort and stay my self in him and praising him for what I have already received place my chearful assistance in him for the future Annotations on Psal XIII V. 3. Lighten mine eyes what is the meaning of this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lighten mine eyes may perhaps be best judged by Jonathans speech 1 Sam. 14.27 who being very hungry and ready to faint dipt his rod in an honey-comb and eat of it and the Text saith his eyes were enlightened i. e. he was refresht by it Dimness of sight is a frequent effect of long fasting and then eating is the proper means of repairing that decay and so this effect is by metonymie set to signifie that refection which causeth thiâ— See saith Jonathan v. 29. how mine eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey i. e. how I have received refreshment by eating this There indeed the LXXII render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mine eyes have seen either reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see or more probably thus to express the meaning more perspicuously for his eyes seeing was an evidence of their being inlightened and his being thus refresht from his hunger and so before v. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they his eyes received sight or saw clearly This was litterally applicable to David when he came to Nob 1 Sam. 1. for then being threatned by Saul autâ—rised by Jonathan to flie he was so distrest by 〈◊〉 that ne was fain to eat the Shew-bread And so again in the time of Absalom's rebellion David and his Forces were hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness 2 Sam. 17.29 had not Shobi and Machir and Barzillai refresht and so enlightened their eyes v. 27 28. But it may also by an easie Metaphor be applyed to the political state When in any time of affliction exprest frequently by darkness and gloominess the person is relieved or refreshed his eyes are said to be inlightened in proporcion to that refreshment that hungry fainting persons receive by meat So Ezra 9.8 the restitution after captivity giving them a little reviving in their bondage is styled Gods lightening their eyes And so it is in this place in the midst of that sadness that now lay on David parallel to a fainting fit of hunger in the body or to captivity in a state which if it were not speedily relieved would end in death quickly See more of this Psalm 19. note e. V. 6. Dealt bountifully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to retribute whether good or ill or simply to do either and which it is the context must direct Here all interpreters agree of the good sense The Chaldee add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good the XXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine bona tribuit given me good things and so the Arabick and Aethiopick the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath delivered me and so we find it Psal 116.7.119.17 and in many other places and 't is indifferently used either with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to after it and so 't is best rendred here hath dealt well with me The Fourteenth PSALM TO the chief Musitian a Psalm of David Paraphrase The fourteenth Psalm is a sad reflection on the wickedness and universal defection of his subjects the men of Israel in the conspiracy and rebellion of Absalom 1 Sam. 15. looking only to God for deliverance from them It was indited by David and committed to the Prefect of his Quire 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God They are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Paraphrase 1. This wicked Nation is now made up of such as have cast off all fear and care and even acknowledgment of God whatsoever they do with their mouthes which perhaps are not let loose to that boldness their actions as far as they are interpreters of their thoughts evidence an Atheistical principle of belief within them that God hath not the governing and judging of the doings of men for such are their dealings so false so detestable and so universally such that a man cannot judge more favourably of them than that they never expect to be accountable to God for what they do 2. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of Men to see if there were any that did understand and seek after God Paraphrase 2. Should God from his throne of Majesty and tribunal of just judgment survey and examine all the inhabitants of the whole Nation making inquisition for those that consider and make conscience of duty and indeavour to approve themselves to his pure eyes 3. They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Paraphrase 3. He would find a most lamentable appearance an universal detestable decay of all justice all Duty both toward God and Man base rotten conversation and no considerable degree of piety or humanity or any thing that is good in any This as it was observably true of Israel that people of God so eminently owned and favoured by him in Davids time and in their behaviour toward him so had it a farther prophetick truth in it in respect of the Universality of them at the time of Christ's appearing in the World and in their actions toward him and his Apostles after him to the Jews of which Age St. Paul applies it Rom. 3.10 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord Paraphrase 4. 'T is strange the conspirators should thus go on in their Atheistical folly and never be wrought on by all the evidences of Gods power and justice among them never brought to any degree of sense or remorse but still go on in their presumptuous and withal assiduous constant course of injustice and cruelty And the effect is yet more sad others that see them go on thus follow them into their impieties do not adhere as they ought to God depend on his support but joyn and comply with the conspitators 5. There were they in great fear for God is in the generation of the righteous Paraphrase 5. When they appeared powerful and threatned all that would not go along with them the Men of Israel were universally terrified and joyned themselves to the rebel forces but this most
word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LXXII renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my tongue and so the Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick and so Apollinarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my tongue rejoyced This some learned men attribute to their reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my tongue instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my glory words which have little affinity one with another in the letters of them 'T is more reasonable to resolve that David in a Poetick writing should use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory by metonymy for those parts whereby God is glorified or praised i. e. either the soul or especially the tongue So Psal 36.12 that my glory may sing praise to thee the LXXII there render literally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my glory but sure it signifies either the soul or tongue So Psal 57.8 Awake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LXXII render literally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my glory but in all reason that signifies my tongue so as to connect with singing praecedent and the Harp and Psaltery following So Psal 108.1 I will give praise even with my glory i. e. my tongue and so I suppose Psal 149.5 Let the pious or holy ones rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the LXXII in glory i. e. in or with the tongue that so it may connect with what follows Let them rejoyce in their beds Let the praises of God be in their mouths And thus no doubt it signifies here and the praecedent mention of the heart restrains it in this place to the tongue And this being discerned by the LXXII it was no fault in them to render it according to the sense not letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my tongue V. 10. Hell That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the condition or state of the dead there is no question and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or rather to that state and in that sense the leaving his soul in it or to it is applyed by the Apostle St. Peter Acts 2.27 to the abiding of Christ in the state of separation of his soul from his body from whence he arose or returned the third day and so was not left in it or to it And in this sense both 〈◊〉 Peter there v. 29. and S Paul c. 13.36 duly resolve that this verse of not being left in sâ—â—eol and not seeing corruption was not applyable to David for that he was dead and buried and his Sepulchre remained with them till that day c. 2.29 and again he fell on sleep and lay with his fathers and saw corruption This then being supposed in respect of the grand and principally designed sense the prophetical mystical completed onely in Christ and not in David there may yet be a first but less eminent sense wherein it was also true of David that his soul should not be left in scheol nor this holy one of Gods so David is oft called see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruption viz. so as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies extreme distress here in this life so Psal 116. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the distresses of scheol signifies exceeding great distresses interpreted by what follows I shall find trouble and heaviness and so as in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render corruption from the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie no more than great weakness Dan. 10.8 where 't is opposed to vigor and expounded by having no strength sometimes a pit as that differs from death Ezek. 19.4 where the Lion taken in their pit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the LXXII render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their corruption was carried into Aegypt taken but not killed and so Prov. 28.5 Jer. 15.3 And then the meaning is that he shall be certainly delivered by God from all those distresses Or again as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies death or final destruction or deprivation of that state wherein any one is as when of Capernaum 't is said thou shalt be brought down to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render hell Mat. 11.23 the meaning is that it shall be destroyed from being a City and in proportion with that to be left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or to scheol and to see corruption in the sense that the word is used Psalm 107.20 when 't is said of God that he saved the Israelites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of their corruptions or destructions will signifie to be killed by his enemies c. to be turned out of that Kingdom which God had designed him This Saul earnestly endeavoured but prevailed not the same did Absalom afterwards But Gods promise to David that he would bring him to the throne and set of his seed on the throne after him was certainly to be fulfilled and in strength of that he thus resolved that his soul should not be left in this distress to be swallowed up by it or left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it to be thus destroyed neither of which import either his not coming to the grave not dying at all for as St. Paul saith of David after he had served the counsel of God in his generation he fell asleep and was laid with his fathers nor that he should rise from the dead again without rotting in the grave for there he did thus continue saith the same Apostle and saw corruption and his sepulchre is with us to this day saith St. Peter Act. 2.29 And so this more eminent completion of the words respecting resurrection from the dead is reserved onely for Christ who lay not in the grave so long as that by the course of nature his body should putrifie which it would have done if it had continued in the state of death above three days according to that which Lazarus's sister saith of him by this time he stinketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he hath been dead four days To the same purpose the last verse of the Psalm is applyed by St. Peter Acts 2.28 and so though it have one literal sense belonging to David so as the way of life may denote means used by God for his preservation and Gods presence or countenance his favour and providence and his right hand the regal power conferred on him and secured to him by God yet it must be resolved to have another more principal ultimate and withal more literal sense also respecting the raising of Christ to life ascension to Heaven the place of Gods peculiar presence and vision and the setting him at Gods right hand in equality of power and glory with him and that simply to indure for ever which cannot but in a limited sence be affirmed of David These three verses being so expresly applied by the Apostle to this prophetick sense there can be no doubt of it But the former part of the Psalm no way appearing to be throughout interpretable of Christ yet fitly belonging to David it was necessary thus to
misery and so the Latine miseriae the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sadness the Arabick perdition either by way of paraphrase to signifie the miserable sad estate of him that is ingulfed in such a pit or else referring to another notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a vast or desolate place ruine or perdition But the notion of the word is best fetcht from Isa 17.12 where we have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noise of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the noise of many waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so shall they make a noise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Chaldee they shall sound tumultuously V. 4. Maketh For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit set or put the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 name and so render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose hope is the name of the Lord and so the Latine Syriack Arabick and Aethiopick and the sense is not at all wronged by it Only the Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath put In the end of the verse where the Hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that decline to a ly for which the Chaldee hath those that speak lies from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go out of the way the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lying madnesses as if it were from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used among the Chaldees for being mad The Latine follow the LXXII insanias falfas but the Syriack agree with the Chaldee lying speech and the Arabick lying fables V. 5. Cannot be reckoned up For the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is best rendred I cannot set in order i. e. recount dispose or enumerate before thee the LXXII read by way of paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none that shall be likened to thee perhaps from another notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to compare or assimilate So Ps 89.7 Who in between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be compared or likened to the Lord But the clear rendring of them and of the whole verse lyes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast done great or many things O Lord my God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy wonders and thy thoughts to us-ward I cannot recount before thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I will declare or If or when I would declare and speak of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are too strong or according to the ordinary notion of the word in Arabick too great or many above numbering or to be numbred The LXXII express it rightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are multiplyed above number V. 6. Mine ear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is literally to be rendred thou hast bored or opened my ear so the Chaldee and Syriack understand it Boring the ears we know was a ceremony used to a slave that would not have his liberty but loved his Master and would not go out free Deut. 15.17 Exod. 21.6 and the ceremony significative for â—oring of the ear signified opening it and the opening the ear is a sign of hearkning as that is in order to and all one with obedience The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies also to cut and 't is possible it may so signifie here the circumcising of the ear a phrase frequent in Scripture to denote ready and willing obedience For this the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast prepared me a body either from this of circumcising the ear which denotes the fitting and preparing the whole body or perhaps from a second notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prepare meat to provide a feast 2 King 6.23 he prepared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great provision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them But this account will not serve for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 body which they read in stead of ears herein it is hard to define with any certainty Only it is not improbable that this reading of the modern copies of the LXXII was not the original reading but instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ears The antient Scholiasts acknowledge this reading and the Latine which generally follows the LXXII in their variations from the Hebrew doth here read aures autem perfecisti mihi thou hast perfected ears for me by which they must be thought literally to have rendred the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for perficio And that thus it was read in S. Jeromes time may be concluded from his Epistle ad Suniam eâ— Fretellam who had objected to him the most minute differences between the Latine and the LXXII but take no notice of any difference in this The same reading Eusebius Casariensis follows and so interprets it thou hast perfected to me ears and obedience to thy words See Caten Gr. Pat. in Psal à Dan. Barbaro Venet. 1569. p. 463 and the Expo Gr. Patr. in Psalm set out by Balthasar Corderius Tom. 1. Ed. Antw. p. 735. 749. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ears hast thou prepared me thou hast required of me obedience only for ears signifie obedience And then it is most likely that the Apostle Heb. 10.5 reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a body thou hast prepared me by that means to fit it more perfectly to the incarnation of Christ the copiers of the LXXII here thought fit to accord it to the Apostolick style and so put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then it be demanded how it comes to pass that the Apostle reads it with that variation both from the Hebrew and the LXXII also the answer is obvious that the Apostle attended more to the sense than to the words and citing it from the LXXII changed it into those words which more fully and perspicuously exprest the mystery of Christs incarnation This the Hebrew somewhat obscurely exprest by my ear hast thou bored or opened thereby noting his taking on him the form of a servant such as had their ears bored or opened which implies his incarnation and withall adds to it the principal end of it to obey and do the will of him who sent him This was yet more obscure in the reading of the LXXII that which I suppose to be theirs for the reasons forementioned thou hast prepared or made me ears where yet ears being parts of a body the making him them is still the making him a body and that in order to his hearing and observing his Fathers will exactly But the Apostles reading though it be far distant from the letter of the Hebrew and in part from the LXXII as I suppose it to have been originally yet is the most perspicuous interpretation of the meaning of it Christs body comprehending the ears and that assumed on purpose to perform in it the utmost degree of obedience to the will of God to be obedient even to death and thereby to be as the Priest so the Sacrifice also that of
themselves that they shall perpetuate the wealth and greatness which they have gathered but are very wide of their expectations find themselves foully deceived and frustrated And yet they that succeed them in their estates go after them in the same track imitate that folly which was so fatal to them and think themselves happy that they shall enjoy the fruits of it 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Paraphrase 14. But then death comes upon them all and defeats all their expectations As sheep or other such creatures they die remove from all their splendid possessions to those dark invisible plains where they continue as a flock in a pasture till that great morning of the resurrection when the righteous shall be assumed by God to assist in judicacature and so shall arise in their old shapes when the earth shall give up her dead and the grave wherein their beauty strength and form decayed and was consumed shall at length it self decay and lose its strength death having lost its sting and the grave its victory and so being no longer the mansion for the bodies of just men 15. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me Selah Paraphrase 15. And accordingly my comfort is that God will after my death one day restore me again to life into his hands I commend my spirit not doubting but he will hereafter receive me to glory And so for all others that constantly adhere to and wait on God whatever terrors they meet with here they have this full matter of confidence that God hath particular care of them and will either deliver them out of their dangers or convert them to their greatest good rewarding them abundantly in the resurrection 16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased Paraphrase 16. It is therefore most unreasonable to be troubled at or to envy the increase of wordly riches or honour or any kind of greatness or prosperity to the worldly man 17. For when he dyeth he shall carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him Paraphrase 17. For death will soon overtake him and then he cannot carry his wealth with him his present glory and greatness shall not then yield him the least advantage 18. Though whilst he lived he blest his soul and men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self Paraphrase 18. Indeed might his own word be taken he were an happy man for so he flattereth himself that he hath goods laid up for many years and as long as this life lasts he entertains no other thoughts But when death comes all these flattering fallacies vanish 'T is not thine own mouth but anothers whose commendation will be worth the having and that will not be had but for the real kindnesses and good turns thou dost unto thy self in doing that which will prove thy durable good and not in saying magnificent things of thy present state applauding thy temporal felicities 19. He shall go to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light Paraphrase 19. The just shall be gathered to their fathers in peace die indeed as their fathers did before them but the wicked shall be destroyed for ever their death shall be their entrance into endless unexpressible darkness and misery and to that they shall be for ever confined 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish Paraphrase 20. The conclusion then is There is not a more brutish creature more fit to be pitied than envied than a worldly wicked man advanced to greatness in this world and pleasing himself in it he doth not at all understand his own condition he triumphs and thinks himself very happy and whilst he doth so death unexpectedly seises upon him and confutes him sweeps him away helpless and friendless as a beast of the field that just now took himself for one of the greatest men in the world just as they perish and leave all behind them so doth he Only the wise and virtuous the upright v. 10 14. have better hopes and shall not fail of atteining them Annotations on Psalm XLIX V. 2. Low and high The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may here briefly be noted The former is taken for a great or eminent person in any respect of virtue extraction strength c. So 1 Sam. 26.15 Art thou not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man is expounded by what follows and who is like thee in Israel signifying there the military valour and reputation of Abner and many the like Whereas as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth signifies an earthy or frail mortal mean man And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here sons of this mean man are the lower and ordinary sort of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of the earth say the LXXII not that they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because they would in their reading allude to the original of the word as oft they do And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the contrary to these persons of the higher quality The Chaldee express the former phrase by the sons of old Adam the latter by the sons of Jacob making this difference between the rest of mankind and the people of Israel and giving the latter the preeminence over all other and so they make them comprehensive words containing Gentiles and Jews i. e. all the men in the world and that very fitly the Psalm following being the equal concernment of them both But 't is more likely that the phrases denote only the several conditions of men of the lower and higher rank for so the consequents interpret it rich and poor the former according to the sacred style frequently observable explicative of the latter of those and the latter of the former by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 4. Dark saying The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proverb or parable is of great latitude signifies primarily any similitude by which another thing is exprest thence a figurative speech either by way of fiction and fable such are riddles or significant apologues as that of Jotham Jud. 9.7 and many others in Scripture both in the old and new Testament or by way of application of some true example or similitude as when the sluggard is bid go to the ant the impenitent sinner to the swallow and crane which return at their certain seasons and so are fit to preach returning or repentance to sinners And finally it belongs to all moral doctrine either darkly or only sententiously delivered because the wise men of the world were wont to deliver that in short concise sentences
Idumaeans appears by the next verse And he put garrisons in Edom c. which must be founded in a victory over the Idumaeans and not only of the Syrians foregoing Some would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syria to be there a mistake for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edom and accordingly the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idumaea But there is no need of that conjecture The words duly rendred and pointed are And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt eighteen thousand men i. e. as the Latine supply the Ellipsis caesis decem octo millibus killing eighteen thousand men This being premised of 2 Sam. 8. the place in the Chronicles agrees with it exactly viz. that Abishai Davids general slew in the valley of salt eighteen thousand men And then this in the title of the Psalm being still so different not Abishai but Joab and not eighteen but twelve thousand men there is no reconciling them but by distinguishing the times viz. that Abishai killed at first eighteen thousand and afterward they rebelling Joab came upon them and slew twelve thousand which being the Edumaeans last defeat is here mentioned in this Psalm most particularly And thus Jarchi and R. Obadiah reconcile the difficulty V. 4. Truth For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Chaldee paraphrases by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truth of Abraham the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bow reading it seems 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bow And then to fit the verse for that sense they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the lifting up or displaying the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insigne precedent by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fly from in a sense wherein that word is not found and yet in all this the Latine and Syriack c. and some latter learned Interpreters have chosen to follow them as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the truer reading The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth here surely relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the preceding verse to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath so near a literal affinity as in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poesie consisting in such analogies and allusions as every where is observable and particularly in the next verse where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy beloved secretly alludes to Davids name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilectus V. 6. Divide Sechem Of Sechem and the valley of Succoth or booths so called from Jacobs making booths and feeding his cattel there see Gen. 33.17 18. By these are meant Samaria and Davids dividing or meting them out is a phrase to express his dominion over them it being part of the regal power to distribute his Province into cities and regions and place Judges and Magistrates over them To these the addition of Gilead which conteins the whole region of Bashan c. on the other side of Jordan and then the mention of Manasseh and Ephraim are designed as by so many parts to denote the Kingdom of Israel or ten tribes and their being his and the strength of his head notes him to be the Lord over them and to make use of their strength in his wars for the defending or inlarging his dominions And then Judah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is my law-giver as it refers to Jacobs prophecy of the sceptre and law-giver not departing from Judah denoting that to be the royal tribe so by it is signified the Kingdom of Judah under which Benjamin is comprehended that David is possest of that also After which follows Moab is my wash pot the Moabites are subjected to me The wash-pot we know is a mean part of household-stuff for the use of the feet so the Syriack read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my feet the lowest part of the body and so is a fit title for the Moabites 2 Sam. 8.2 where 't is said he smote Moab and measured them with a line casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full line to keep alive i. e. he divided them into three parts two of which he destroyed and the third he kept alive to be his subjects and tribâ—taâ—ies as there it follows the Moabites became Davids servants and brought him gifts Then Over Edom will I cast my shoe the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extend my shoe and so the Latine extendam as when the Master â—â—aches put his shoe to 〈◊〉 meanest servant to be untyed and taken off by him from whence the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will loose or unty unless perhaps their truer reading were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniâ—ciam I will castâ— for so sure the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred I will cast my shoe as that is an emblem of subjugating or bringing down under the feet So of the Edumaeans we find 2 Sam. 8.14 He put garisons in Edom throughout all Edom put he garrisons and all they of Edom became Davids servants Abu Walid would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here to signifie a fetter I will cast my fetter or chain on him and so Kimchi in his roots though in his Comment here he interpret it in the notion of a shoe Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over Philistia give a shout for so from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sound a trumpet or give a shout is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithpael in the Imperative mood and being in the faeminine gender must refer either to his soul shout O my soul or as the Chaldee paraphrase it to the congregation of Israel and so is but a form of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or celebrating a victory such as he had over them 2 Sam. 8.1 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be rendred over me but simply over and so joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over Philistia so the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over the Philistims and the LXXII paraphrase it to this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Philistims are subjected to me the Syriack more literally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over Palestine will I shout And so Psal 108.9 where the latter part of this Psalm is again met with 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will shout over Philistia V. 9. Who will bring This Psalm is made up of two parts The former part of it for the three first verses is the recounting of their own weakness when for their sins they were by God left to themselves And the latter in the five next verses is the commemorating of their great successes and victories by means of Gods favour and aids And these two next verses are as it were the recapitulating of both and so contain
spirit of Prophecy Yet it may have been Historical and so it is most probable by the stile and then it must have been composed by some of that name of after-times and if so then there is no reason to doubt but the rest which bear Asaphs name were so also V. 4. Bands What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies will be hard to define it being uncertain from what root it comes and there being but one place more of Scripture wherein 't is used Isa 58.6 There 't is by all the antient interpreters rendred knots or bonds and so 't is generally expounded by Grammarians 't is saith David de Pomis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantamount to the word which from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to binde signifies bonds and to the same effect saith Kimchi in his Roots But this doth not secure us of the importance of the word in this place there being many possible rendrings of it to each of which this of bands will be appliable For 1. the word bands in Hebrew stile oft signifies child-bed pangs so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seems to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indifferently used for bands or pangs and so is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pangs Acts 2.22 see note c. on that chapter and this because the child-bed pangs are caused by the breaking of those ligatures which joyn the infant to the wombe which consisting of a texture of nerves and membranes parts of a most accurate sense cannot be severed without causing intolerable pains Hence therefore the notion of bands may here fitly be ingredient in the expression of pains or agonies especially when all pain of what kind soever is some degree of solutio continui a rupture at least straining of those fibers of which the sensible parts of our bodies are composed and accordingly pain is either more or less in proportion to this breach of union the torments of abortions greater than those of regular births and those of an untimely violent death exceed the pains of a natural where age is the only sickness where there are no bands to be forced asunder but the ripe fruit drops willingly from the tree men come to their grave in a full age like as a shock of corn comes in in his season in Jobs language ch v. 26. whereby he concludes his description of a prosperous life Upon these grounds this seems to be the most probable signification of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are no pangs because no ligaments in their death their death is not caused by those violent and painful assaults as other mens frequently are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dye with ease as Kimchi speaks and to the same purpose Abu Walid who renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difficulties hardships molestations To this notion the Syriack seem to have particular respect rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latine interpreter translates terminus as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnino prorsus from whence saith Ferrarius is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finis terminus but then likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies chordae and fides strings to which most probably that translator had an eye and withal it signifies apostemata suppurationes apostems or boils according to the Oriental way of expressing all pain and torment by bands and ligatures Secondly therefore and in good agreement with this first notion by hands we may understand any kind of disease or pain or pressure or heavy burthen which is wont to be bound on them on whom 't is laid so Mat. 23.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bind heavy burthens and hard to be borne where the heavy and most unsupportable burthens are laid on them by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands to which the Prophet refers when he mentions the yoke of his burthen Isa 9.4 a burthen tyed on as a yoke is wont to be And thus diseases are exprest in Scripture-style See the story of the woman which had a spirit of infirmity a sore disease Inflicted on her by an evil spirit eighteen years Luk. 13.11 to her Jesus saith v. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art loosed from thine infirmity and loosing we know is proper to bands and v. 15. he compares her cure to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loosing or untying an oxe and v. 16. in express terms this daughter of Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom Satan hath bound loe these eighteen years where her spirit of infirmity v. 11. is in other words exprest by Satans binding her and again in the end of that verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought she not to be loosed from this band i. e. cured from this sickness In that story this violent disease with which she was so affected that she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowed together is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a band and consequently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands here may by analogy fitly signifie violent diseases which Aquila owns in his translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are no diseases or hard sufferings To either of these acceptions of the word for child-bed-pangs or whatsoever other pains or pressures the use of it Isa 58.6 will well accord where to loose the bands of wickedness signifies the rescuing the oppressed from their injurious pressures that afflict them as sore as pangs or pains do those that are under them but most commodiously it will be interpreted of burthens or weights which are unjustly bound upon them and press them sore The Chaldee there have a paraphrase which will give us a third acception of the word for a bond or obligation in judicature which binds one to undergo the award of it a decree or sentence as it were for so they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands of wickedness by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bonds of writings of false judgments And thus among us men are said to be bound over to judgement when they are before a Tribunal to answer any thing laid to their charge and so again to be bound over to punishment when judgment is past upon them And in this sense there are no bands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their deaths will be there are no writs signed for their execution And to this well agrees the Paraphrase of the Chaldee in this Psalm they are not frighted nor troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for or because of the day of their deaths as they that are sentenced or bound over to death be it by form of law in judicatures or be it by disease or any thing else as 2 Cor. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having the sentence of death signifies being in imminent danger of it are supposed to be And the phrase being here poetically used may reasonably be extended to all other ways of death disease slaughter in the field as well as that by judicature and any kind of danger to the life be thus exprest by bands or obligations to their
death as among us apprehending or taking or seizing on being phrases primarily used in judicature for the Officers apprehending of malefactors are vulgarly used of diseases and death it self A fourth interpretation of the word the LXXII on that place of Isaiah do suggest rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we know signifies a conspiration or conjunction of many and with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity is used of Simon Magus when he would have bought the gifts of the spirit of God out of a Satanical design the more advantageously to oppose and set up against Christ see note on Acts 8. e. This is the frequent importance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ligae colligationes conspirationes to which David de Pomis told us the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is equivalent and that the sense may possibly bear also there are no conspiracies for their deaths wicked men being of all others the safest in this respect good men being hated and conspired against by evil men but good men conspire not against evil Of these four possible senses the first and second together seems most probable that the wicked men have no pangs or assaults of pains and torments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing them to their deaths Castellio renders it in Latine stile non sunt necessitates quae eos enecent there are no necessities to cut them off no fatal destinies to bring them to their end such were diseases and the rest which the Poets feign'd to come out of Pandora's box Our vulgar hath not mistaken the sense when they read they are in no peril of death To this accords what here follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our rendring of it their strength is firm or fat as Eglon Jude 3.17 is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very fat man noting an athletick health and habit of body that is the firmest and most robustious farthest removed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consumptive or emaciating sicknesses and so from all danger of death The LXXII render the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no rest so the Arabick understands it and so saith Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies rest and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Lucian is to ly upon the back and look up the posture of rest in their death and firmament in their scourge and the Latine non est respectus mortâ— eorum firmamentum in plagâ eorum there is no respect to their death and firmament in their plague 'T is not easie to divine what they meant by these expressions unless perhaps reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion of renitence refusing denying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesychius it signifies to deny refuse not to consent the meaning may be that they have no aversion to or at their death they die in a good old age without any violent disease to bring them to it nor is there any firmness in their scourge the diseases or afflictions that befall them are quickly over again continue not long upon them But the Latine will not be brought to this sense It may be non est respectus morti eorum may signifie they do not think of dying and then that will not be far from the sense though with the words it have no affinity Our former English which most frequently follows them hath here happily departed from them and rendred it fully to the sense they are in no peril of death but are lusty and strong But still it must be acknowledged there is great difficulty in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether × be radical or no. If it be not and if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew may be thought to have the like notion to what it hath in Arabick to signifie first then very agreeably to what went before it would thus be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the former part of their life is healthy free from diseases or maladies according to the usual notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Arabick Or if it be radical and have any affinity with the Arabick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pain or grief then it would be in consort with the former still but it i. e. their death is free from pain But these conjectures are without authority Abu-Walid then makes × radical and takes it to signifie porticus the porch or as some times it doth the whole temple and then understanding ב the note of comparison he renders it they are firm and sound as the porch or temple i. e. as such a strong building as Psal 117. he prays that their daughters may be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a palace This interpretation is mentioned as by Aben-Ezra so by Kimchi in his Commentary and also in his Roots in the name of R. Jonah i. e. Abu-Walid without any censure though he bring also the other interpretation making × an affix and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie strength as also Aben. Ezra doth The Jewish Arab interpreter making × an affix takes the other for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perhaps thus rendring the verse there are no bonds of or from their destruction nor danger but they say perhaps they shall recover or be in health as if it were literally healthful is their perhaps or that which they perswade themselves of not thinking themselves in danger of death Aben-Ezra also hath another rendring taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a palace and understanding ב they or every of them is in health in his palace In this variety it may be best to adhere to that of our English reading × as an affix and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for strength of body V. 5. Men In this verse the critical difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be respected The former from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit aeger fuit signifies a painful sickly calamitous estate and accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the labour from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit male habuit denotes sickness or pains or other such kinds of misery which bring anguish and faintings with them which the LXXII fitly express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lassitudes used also for diseases or sickness But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a more general word for any sort of man any son of Adam any mortal which by bearing sinful flesh is subject to afflictions of all sorts noted here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strike or scourge which the LXXII fitly express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine by flagellari And so as the former phrase denotes the sorrow or pain or sickness of the diseased or weak so this latter to be stricken or scourged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with man signifies all other kind of afflictions which befall men
〈◊〉 as well as on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the gainfulness of the yoke as well as the supportableness of the burthen And so you see the full of my scope the utmost of my design the present advantages of a Christian course the instant goodness of Christ's service beyond all other callings and preferments in the world a yoke but that a good one a yoke that shall never be repented of by him that bears it whatever it be apprehended to cost him at the taking up And 1. you may please to observe that a yoke hath nothing of hardship in it 't is smooth'd and fitted to the neck rather to ease than press rather to defend than gall not as a weight or burthen but only an instrument of advantage to make the burthen that is to be undergone more easie and supportable and therefore our Saviour counts of it as that which a rational man would be content to take up of his own accord if he knew the benefit of it Take my yoke upon you and be richly rewarded in the taking and you shall find rest unto your Soul The entrance on Discipleship making the New Vow converting to God is this taking Christ's yoke upon us as the performing the Vow the practice of the several duties is the moving under the burthen And to prevent mistakes to forestal all possible objections I shall acknowledge to you that there is some difficulty in that taking though not in that yoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some difficulty in the first setting out in the breaking off from the former course whatsoever it were somewhat of fancy somewhat of interests against it Of Fancy To take leave of an old familiar to carry out the whole body of sin to its funeral that pompa mortis so much more grievous than death it self to give up the earth to earth corruption to corruption with all the pompous solemnities attendent on an hearse this I say hath somewhat of sadness in it especially to the inferior brutish part of the man like the Persian Commander in Herodotus his fall is lamented by the Horses and Oxen and Boeotians all the Bestial rude herd of man joyning in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So besides there is somewhat of interests some uneasiness again in the motion necessary to so vast a change some injury to the old possessors aliquid iniqui somewhat of pressure in the change it self some pain in spiritualizing of flesh racking it fetching it from the lees raâ—ifying and attenuating the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit incrassate by vicious diet as Philoponus calls the habituate sinner of returning the gross habit of sin to a spareness and slenderness of stature an exinanition of that carnal appetite which hath brought in all the grosser joyes which hitherto we have fed on And the truth is this even with Saint Paul himself goes for a mysterious piece 1 Cor. 15.51 Behold I shew you a mystery we shall all be changed the change of the natural to a spiritual body is a greater work than the rising of the dead No wonder then that the natural man generally is not so well satisfied with this Saul is fain to be struck down in the place a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or swooning fit an expiration of the animal man necessary to so great a change as the LXXII have cast Adam not into a sleep as the Hebrew Text but into an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a being hurried out of himself to make him capable of an helper Thus when Christ was first born in Bethlehem Herod the King was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Such great stupendious felicities are not brought forth without some pangs at birth some unpleasant throes at the delivery the very earthly Canaan is not come to but by passing through a proemial wilderness Thus much by way of concession of the some difficulty to the carnal man in taking up of Christ's yoke the minute of the new creation But that being supposed Let me now tell you this is all that is of hardship in the Christian's life all the unacceptable even to flesh and bloud the instant of putting on the yoke of entring into the traces of harnessing for the future race 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek in the Acts reads it the child-birth pangs of dying to sin of mortifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the affections that are so fasten'd on the earth that like a Plantagnus torn from its soil they bleat and roar again the concussion or flesh-quake that follows the sudden stop in the vehement course the Vertigo that the forcible turn in the rapid motion begets the smart that the passing through the purgative fire costs us and the fear of this one sharp minute is that that betraies us to all the drudgery and torments in the world that which makes us so shie of piety so afraid of all spiritual conceptions As you know that one terrour of dying parting of such ancient mates makes some good men not over-willing to be with Christ though they acknowledge it never so much a more valuable state Whereas could we but arme our selves for this one act of spiritual daring the pain of ascending the Mount Tabor and being transfigured with Christ we should soon resolve of the bonum est esse hic it is good for us to be here and set presently to build us Tabernacles never to return to our old shapes or tents again Could we but resolve to set out on this voyage incounter this one Giant son of Anak the breaking off from our old customs there were then nothing but Canaan behind that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as once Homer called Greece the pap of the earth that fountain of milk and hive of hony all the Bees and Hornets driven out of it a succession of uninterrupted felicities streaming through it Could we but repel the fancy or support the pangs of one short travail in contemplation of the joy which the man-child will within a few minutes bring into the world with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am confident Christ would be once more not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Jacob's prophecy not only the expectation but withal the joy the sensuality of the very Gentiles that which flesh and bloud man in every of his most inferiour capacities the rational the moral yea and the carnal man would thirst with more joy tast with more ravishment devour with less satiety than ought which his present confections of luxury did ever yield him and thence break out into the Virgin-Mother's Magnificat a transportation of joy for the approach of the birth of so much blessedness or into old Simeon's Nunc dimittis desire no more joy in this life than that which infallibly attends the taking a Saviour into his arms those intimate embraces of Christ in the regenerate heart To make this more visible and acknowledged in the retail than 't is in the gross in the coyn than
difficulties about it please you to take it in these few Propositions 1. That the Crucifixion of Christ was a Sacrifice truly propitiatory and satisfactory for the sins of the whole world and there 's nothing further from this Text or our present Explication of it than to derogate from the legality the amplitude extent or precious value of this sacrifice Yea and 2. that Christ himself thus willingly offering delivering up himself for us may in this be said a Priest or to have exercised in his death a grand act of Priesthood But then 3. this is an act of Aaronical Priesthood which Christ was never to exercise again having done it once Heb. 7.27 and so far distant from his eternal Priesthood Or to speak more clearly an act of Christ this as of a second Adam a common person order'd by the wisdom of God to bear the chastisement of our peace the Scape-goat to carry all our sins on his head into the wilderness into a land not inhabited Deut. 16.22 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Creed to which he went and so though it were typified by all the sacrifices of the Priests and though in it that whole body of rites were determin'd no more Aaronical Priests seasonable after this one sacrifice yet still this is no part of the eternal regal Melchisedech-priesthood that of powerful intercession that of blessing us in the Text for though the death of Christ tend mightily toward the blessing of us though there were a wonderful act of intercession on the Cross Father forgive them yet that powerful intercession that for grace to make us capable of mercy that blessing in this Text the power of conferring what he prays for this 't was to which the resurrection instal'd him 4. If all this will not satisfie why then one way of clearing this truth farther I shall be able to allow you that the death of Christ consider'd as a sacrifice may under that notion pass not for an act of a Priest in facto esse but for a ceremony of his inauguration in fieri thus in the 8. of Levit. at the consecrating of Aaron and his sons you shall find sacrifices used the Ram the Ram of consecration ver 22. and apportion'd to that this Lamb of God that by dying taketh away the sins of the world may pass for a Lamb of consecration the true critical importance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.10 that the Captain of our salvation was to be consecrated by sufferings This death of his that looks so like an act of Aaronical-Priesthood is the preparative rite of consecrating him to that great eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech and this preparative most absolutely necessary both in respect of Christ and us of Christ who was to drink of the brook of the way before his head should be lifted up humbled to death c. Phil. 2. wherefore God hath also highly exalted him for that suffering crown'd him Yea and in respect of us too Heb. 2.9 who were to be ransom'd by his death before we could be bless'd by his resurrection deliver'd from the captivity of Hell before capable of that grace which must help us to heaven which seems to me to be the descant of that plain song Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren i. e. as the 18. verse explains it to suffer being tempted to undergo the infirmities and mortality of our flesh that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest c. his infirmities and effusion of his blood are not this Priesthood of it self but the qualifying of the second person in the Trinity to become a high Priest and that a merciful and faithful one merciful to pardon slips and faithful to uphold from falling and so a Priest such as it is most for our interest to have And so once more the dream is out that Artemidorus mentions of one he dream'd he was crucified and the consequent was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was taken up to be a Priest of Diospolis And by the way let me tell my Clergy Brethren if that shall prove the consequent of our Priesthood which was the presage of Christs the pains the contumelies yea and death of that Cross what is this but a blessed lot that hath brought us so near our Christ and a means to consecrate us too to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Kings and Priests for ever in Heaven I have thus far labour'd to clear this doctrine calculated the time of Christs enstalment to his eternal Priesthood and found it exactly the same with the aera here in this Text not till after the resurrection to which I shall only add one final grand proof of all which will sum up all that hath been hitherto said That parting speech of Christs Mat. ult All power is given unto me both in heaven and earth that you know was after the resurrection and so from thence that power was dated and that commission of blessing that here we speak of The act of his eternal Priesthood is his intercession that his powerful intercession that his giving of that grace which he interceeds for that the blessing in this Text and so the commission of blessing was given him not till after the resurrection And believe it though it look all this while like a rough sapless speculation there is yet somewhat in it that may prove very useful and ordinable to practice a hint if not a means of removing one of the harmful'st scandals and impediments of good life that is to be met with We are Christians all and by that claim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on rank and on march toward eternal life and yet many of us live like so many Mahometans or China-infidels quite out of all form of obedience to the commands of Christ we do not reverence him so much as to pretend toward serving him not advance so far as but to be hypocrites in that matter live in all the sensuality and vileness in the world and yet live confidently resolve we have done what is required of us by Christ can justifie our state for such as God is pleased with And if we be called to account the anchor of all this unreasonable false hope of ours is most constantly this that Christ our Priest hath propitiated for us we fly to our City of refuge till our Priest be dead and then we are quit by proclamation out of the reach of the avenger of blood 'T is the death of Christ we depend on to do all our task for us his priestly not regal office we are resolved to be beholding to In that we have Christ the Sacrificer Christ the Reconciler Christ the Satisfier and these are Christs enough to keep us safe without the aid of Christ the King that Judaical unedifying notion of a reigning Messias and then quis separabit what sin what devils what legion what act what habit what
a pitiful addition in the scales so many pounds less than nothing is the utmost that can be affirmed of it and when you have fetcht out your last reserve all the painted air the only commodity behind that you have to throw into that scale the reputation and honour of a gallant vain-glorious sinner that some one fool or madman may seem to look on with some reverence you have then the utmost of the weight that that scale is capable of and the difference so vast betwixt them such an inconsiderable proportion of straw stubble to such whole Mines and Rocks of Gold and Silver and precious Stones that no man that is but able to deal in plain numbers no need of Logarithms or Algebra can mistake in the judgment or think that there is any profit any advantage in gaining the whole world if accompanied with the least hazard or possibility of losing his own soul and therefore the running that adventure is the greatest idiotism the most deplorable woful simplicity in the World The same proportion would certainly be acknowledged in the second place betwixt the command of Christ on one side high rational venerable commands that he that thinks not himself so strictly obliged to observe cannot yet but revere him that brought them into the World and deem them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal and a gallant Law whilst all the whole Volume or Code of the Law of the Members hath not one ingenuous dictate one tolerable rational proposal in it only a deal of savage drudgery to be performed to an impure tyrant sin and pain being of the same date in the world and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying both and the more such burthens undergone the more mean submissions still behind no end of the tale of Brick to one that is once ingaged under such Egyptian Kiln and Task-masters And for the terrors in the last place there are none but those of the Lord that are fit to move or to perswade any the utmost secular fear is so much more impendent over Satan's than God's Clients the killing of the body the far more frequent effect of that which had first the honour to bring death into the world the Devil owning the title of destroyer Abaddon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inflicting diseases generally on those whom he possest and Christ that other of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Physician and the Saviour that hath promises of long life annexed to some specials of his service that if it were reasonable to fear those that can kill the body and afterwards have no more that they can do i. e. are able by the utmost of their malice and Gods permission but to land thee safe at thy fair Haven to give thee Heaven and bliss before thy time instead of the many lingring deaths that this life of ours is subject to yet there were little reason to fear or suspect the fate in Gods service far less than in those steep precipitous paths which the Devil leads us thorow And therefore to be thus low-bell'd with panick frights to be thus tremblingly dismayed where there is no place of fear and to ride on intrepid on the truest dangers as the Barbarians in America do on Guns is a mighty disproportion of mens faculties a strange superiority of phansie over judgment that may well be described by a defect in the power of numbering that discerns no difference between Ciphers and Millions but only that the noughts are a little the blacker and the more formidable And so much for the third branch of this character There is yet a fourth notion of simplicity as it is contrary to common ordinary prudence that by which the politician and thriving man of this world expects to be valued the great dexterity and managery of affairs and the business of this world wherein let me not be thought to speak Paradoxes if I tell you with some confidence that the wicked man is this only impolitick fool and the Christian generally the most dextrous prudent practical person in the world and the safest Motto that of the Virtutem violenter retine the keeping vertue with the same violence that Heaven is to be taken with not that the Spirit of Christ infuses into him the subtleties and crafts of the wicked gives him any principles or any excuse for that greater portion of the Serpentine wisdom but because honesty is the most gainful policy the most thriving thorow prudence that will carry a man farther than any thing else That old principle in the Mathematicks That the right line comes speediliest to the journeys end being in spight of Machiavel a Maxim in Politicks also and so will prove till Christ shall resign and give up to Satan the oeconomy of the World Some examples it is possible there may be of the Prosperum Scelus the thriving of villainy for a time and so of the present advantages that may come in to us by our secular contrivances but sure this is not the lasting course but only an anomaly or irregularity that cannot be thought fit to be reckoned of in comparison of the more constant promises the long life in a Canaan of Milk and Honey that the Old and New Testament both have ensured upon the meek disciple And I think a man might venture the experiment to the testimony and trial of these times that have been deemed most unkind and unfavourable to such innocent Christian qualities that those that have been most constant to the strict stable honest principles have thrived far better by the equable figure than those that have been most dextrous in changing shapes and so are not the most unwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if there were never another state of retributions but this Whereas it is most scandalously frequent and observable that the great Politicians of this world are baffled and outwitted by the Providence of Heaven sell their most pretious souls for nought and have not the luck to get any money for them the most unthrifty improvident Merchandise that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 folly Psal xlix 13 which the lxxii render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scandal the most piteous offensive folly the wretchedst simplicity in the World You would easily believe it should not stand in need of a farther aggravation and yet now you are to be presented with one in my Text by way of heightning of the Character and that was my second particular that at first I promised you made up of two farther considerations first the loving of that which is so unlovely secondly the continuing in the passion so long How long you simple ones will you love c. First The degree and improvement of the Atheists folly consists in the loving of it that he can take a delight and complacency in his way to be patient of such a course gainless service such scandalous mean submissions had been reproach enough to any that had not divested
Martyr and directed to the Philippians 't is observed that whilst he was at a pretty distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devil hastned the structure of Christs Cross as much as he could set Judas and all the Artificers of Hell about the work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when all was even ready Christ for the Cross and the Cross for Christ then he began to put i◠demurs shews Judas an Halter frights Pilar's Wife in a dream she could not sleep in 〈…〉 and in summ uses all means possible to prevent Christs Crucifixion Yet this saith Ignatius not out of any repentance or regret of Conscience but only being started with the foresight of his own ruine by this means Christ's suffering being in effect the destruction of his Kingdom his death ou◠Triumph over Hell and his Cross our Trophy By this you may discern what a miracle of God's love was this giving of his Son the conceiving of which was above the Devil's reach and wherein he was providentially ingaged and if we may so speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried blindfold by God to be an Instrument of his own ruine and in a kind be a Co-worker of our Salvation Not to inlarge or expatiate upon Circumstances Man being thus involved in a necessity of damnation and no remedy within the sphere either of his power or conceit left to rescue him nay as some have been so hold to say that God himself had no other means besides this in his Store-house of miracles to save us without intrenching on some one of his Attributes for God then to find out a course that we could never prompt him to being solicited to it by nothing in us but our sins and misery and without any interposition any further consultation or demur to part with a piece of himself to redeem us Brachium Domini The Arm of the Lord as Isaiah calls our Saviour Isa liii Nay to send down his very Bowels amongst us to witness his compassion to satisfie for us by his own death and attach himself for our liberty to undergo such hard conditions rather than be forced to a cheap severity and that he might appear to love his Enemies to hate his Son In brief to fulfil the work without any aid required from us and make Salvation ready to our hands as Manna is called in the sixth of Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bread baked and sent down ready from Heaven Wisd xvi 20 to drop it in our mouths and exact nothing of us but to accept of it this is an act of love and singleness that all the malice we carry about us knows not how to suspect so far from possibility of a treacherous intent or double dealing that if I were an Heathen nay a Devil I would bestow no other appellation on the Christians God than what the Author of the Book of Wisdom doth so often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the friend or the lover of Souls But this is a vulgar though precious subject and therefore I shall no longer insist on it Only before I leave it would I could see the effect of it exprest in our Souls as well as acknowledged in our looks your hearts ravished as thorowly as your brains convinc'd your breasts as open to value and receive this superlative mercy as your tongues to confess it then could I triumph over Hell and death and scoff them out of countenance then should the Devil be reduced to his old pittance confined to an empty corner of the World and suffer as much by the solitariness as darkness of his abode all his engines and arts of torment should be busied upon himself and his whole exercise to curse Christ for ever that hath thus deprived him of Associates But alas we are too sollicitous in the Devil's behalf careful to furnish him with Companions to keep him warm in the midst of fire 't is to be feared we shall at last thrust him out of his Inheritance 'T is a probable argument that God desires our Salvation because that Hell wheresoever it is whether at the Center of the Earth or Concave of the Moon must needs be far less than Heaven and that makes us so besiege the gate as if we feared we should find no room there We begin our journey betimes lest we should be forestall'd and had rather venture a throng or crowd in Hell than to expect that glorious liberty of the Sons of God 'T is to be feared that at the day of Judgment when each Body comes to accompany its Soul in torment Hell must be let out and inlarge its territories to receive its Guests Beloved there is not a Creature here that hath reason to doubt but Christ was sent to die for him and by that death hath purchased his right to life Only do but come in do but suffer your selves to live and Christ to have died do not uncrucifie Christ by crucifying him again by your unbelief do not disclaim the Salvation that even claims right and title to you and then the Angels shall be as full of joy to see you in Heaven as God is willing nay desirous to bring you thither and Christ as ready to bestow that Inheritance upon you at his second coming as at his first to purchase it Nothing but Infidelity restrains Christs sufferings and confines them to a few Were but this one Devil cast out of the World I should be straight of Origens Religion and preach unto you Universal Catholick Salvation A second Argument of God's good meaning towards us of his willingness that we should live is the calling of the Gentiles the dispatching of Posts and Heralds over the whole ignorant Heathen World and giving them notice of this treasure of Christ's blood Do but observe what a degree of prophaneness and unnatural abominations the Gentile World was then arrived to as you may read in all their stories and in the first to the Romans how well grown and ripe for the Devil Christ found them all of them damnably Superstitious and Idolatrous in their Worship damnably unclean in their lives nay ingaged for ever in this rode of damnation by a Law they had made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never to entertain any new Laws or Religion not to innovate though it were to get Salvation as besides their own Histories may be gathered out of Act. xvii 18 And lastly consider how they were hook'd in by the Devil to joyn in crucifying of Christ that they might be guilty of that bloud which might otherwise have saved them and then you will find no argument to perswade you 't was possible that God should have any design of mercy on them Peter was so resolv'd of the point that the whole succession of the Gentiles should be damned that God could scarce perswade him to go and Preach to one of them Act. x. He was fain to be cast into a Trance and see a Vision about it and for all that he is much
coals of fire which hath a vehement flame She had before often lost her beloved which made her so fiercely fasten on him for having roused him ruit in amplexus she rusht into his embraces she held him and would not let him go Thus you see the jealousie and eagerness of love produc'd by either a former loss or present more than ordinary want of the object both which how pertinent they are to the regenerate man either observing his past sins or instant temptations this Discourse hath already made manifest The Vse of this Thesis to wit that the greatness of ones sins makes the regenerate man apply himself more fiercely to Christ is first by way of caution that we mistake not a motive for an efficient an impulsive for a principal cause For where we say It makes him apply himself c. we mean not that the encrease of sin produces faith formally but only inciteth to believe by way of instruction by shewing us what distress we are in and consequently in what a necessity of a deliverer The meditation of our sinful courses may disclose our misery not redress it may explore not mend a Sinner like a touchstone to try not any way to alter him It is the controuling spirit which must effectually renew our spirits and lead us to the Christ which our sins told us we had need of The sense of sin may rouze the Soul but it is the spirit of God that lays the toils the feeling of our guilt may beat the Waters but it is the great Fisher of our Souls which spreads the Net which entraps us as we are in our way to Hell and leads us captive to salvation The mere gripings of our Conscience being not produced by any Pharmacon of the spirit but by some distemper arising from sin what anxiety doth it cause within us What pangs and twinges to the Soul O Lord do thou regenerate us and then thy holy spirit shall sanctifie even our sins unto our good and if thy grace may lead us our sins shall pursue and drive us unto Christ Secondly By way of character how to distinguish a true convert from a false A man which from an inveterate desperate malady shall meet with a miraculous unexpected cure will naturally have some art of expression above an ordinary joy you shall see him in an ecstasie of thanksgiving and exultancy whilst another which was never in that distress quietly enjoys the same health and gives thanks softly by himself to his preserver So is it in the distresses of the Soul which if they have been excessive and almost beyond hope of recovery as the miracle must so will the expression of this deliverance be somewhat extraordinary The Soul which from a good moral or less sinful natural estate is magis immutata quam genita rather chang'd than regenerate into a spiritual goes through this business without any great noise the spirit entring into it in a still small voice or at a breathing but when a robustous obdurate Sinner shall be rather apprehended than called when the Sea shall be commanded to give up his ship-wrack't and the Sepulchre to restore her dead the Soul surely which thus escapeth shall not be content with a mean expression but will practise all the Hallelujahs and Magnificats which the triumphant Liturgies of the Saints can afford it Wherefore I say if any one out of a full violent course of sinning conceive himself converted and regenerated let him examine what a degree of spiritual exultancy he hath attained to and if he find it but mean and flight and perfunctory let him somewhat suspect that he may the more confirm the evidence of his calling Now this spiritual exultancy of the regenerate consists both in a solemn humiliation of himself and a spiritual rejoycing in God his Saviour both exprest in Maries Magnificat where she specifies in the midst of her joy the lowliness of his handmaid and in S. Pauls victory-song over Death So that if the conversion of an inordinate Sinner be not accompanied with unwonted joy and sorrow with a godly sense of his past distress and a godly triumph for his delivery if it be not followed with a violent eagerness to fasten on Christ finally if there be not somewhat above ordinary in the expression then I counsel not to distrust but fear that is with a sollicitous not suspicious trembling to labour to make thy calling and election sure to pray to that Holy Spirit to strike our hearts with a measure of holy joy and holy sorrow some way proportionable to the size of those sins which in our unregeneracy reigned in us and for those of us whom our sins have separated far from him but his grace hath called home to him that he will not suffer us to be content with a distance but draw us close unto himself make us press toward the mark and fasten our selves on that Saviour which hath redeemed us from the body and guilt of this so great death The third Vse is of comfort and confirmation to some tender Souls who are incorporate into Christ yet finding not in themselves that excessive measure of humiliation which they observe in others suspect their own state and infinitely grieve that they can grieve no more Whereas this Doctrine being observed will be an allay to their sorrow and wipe some unnecessary tears from their Eyes For if the greatness of sin past or the plentiful relicks of sin remaining do require so great a measure of sorrow to expiate the one and subdue the other if it be a deliverance from an habituate servitude to all manner of sin which provokes this extraordinary pains of expression then certainly they who have been brought up with the spirit which were from their baptism never wholly deprived of it need not to be bound over to this trade of sorrow need not to be set apart to that perpetual humiliation which a more stubborn sin or Devil is wont to be cast out by I doubt not but a soul educated in familiarity with the spirit may at once enjoy her self and it and so that if it have an humble conceit of it self and a filial of God may in Earth possess God with some clearness of look some serenity of affections some alacrity of heart and tranquillity of spirit God delights not in the torment of his children though some are so to be humbled yea he delights not in such burnt-offerings as they bestow upon him who destroy and consume and sacrifice themselves but the Lords delight is in them that fear him filially and put their trust i. e. assurance confidence in his mercy in them that rejoice that make their service a pleasure not an affliction and thereby possess Heaven before they come to it 'T is observed in husbandry that soyl laid on hard barren starved ground doth improve it and at once deface and enrich it which yet in ground naturally fruitful and kept in heart and good case