John 14.2 no setled abode some huts we have here rather then houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clayie cottages earthy tabernacles as Paul after Plato calleth mens bodies 2 Cor. 5.1 And so the most interpreters understand these words of Eliphaz concerning the body of man rather then of his house he dwells in here made up of clay and dust a little refined and sublimated by art or nature which is nothing else but a clod of clay neatly made up What is man saith Greg. Nazianzen out of Gen. 2.7 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cinis Gen. 3.19 Gen. 18.21 Hor. Carm. l. 4. Od. 7. soule and soile breath and body a puffe of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either Pulvis umbra sumus saith the Poet and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Greeke Proverb Man is but an earthen pot The first man Adam was of the earth earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 And no better are the best quos ex meliore forsan luto finxit Titan who are made of the finest common mould but as the finer the metall the purer the matter of any glasse or earthen vessel the more subject it is to break so are they to die for why Their foundation is in the dust The house is but weak and yet the foundation weaker terra friabilis flying light unstable unmoveable dust that is soone wherried and whirled about with every puffe of wind Hence the Apostle calleth mans body not an house only in respect of 1. the comely and orderly workmanship thereof 2. The soule which inhabiteth it but a tabernacle which hath no foundation and is transportative 2 Cor. 5.1 opposing to it building which is firm and stable Hence David Omnis Adam est totus Abel saith hee Verily every man in his best estate when he is best founded and setled on his best bottome when he is under-layd on all sides and seemes set to live is altogether vanity Psal 39.5 12. So Psal 144.4 Adam is Abels compeere or man is like to vanity what can he be better when as They are crushed before the moth He saith not before the Lion but before the moth Now what a poor thing is man that a moth may crush him that a flie may choak him as it did Pope Alexander that a light bruise on his toe may kill him as it did Aemilius Lepidus Plin. lib. 7. cap. 53. that a poisoned torch may light him to his long home as it did the Cardinall of Lorrain I have known saith one death admitted in by a corn on the toe and though the hurt were so farre off the heart yet the man died upon it Purchas Another I knew who seeming to have conquered the elements the wide Ocean wilde wildernsse wilder beasts wildest men hottest climates after sixteen yeares absence returned home and died of an hurt in his thumb Mr. Terry a great traveller telleth of a Noble man in the great Mogols Court who sitting in dalliance with one of his women had an haire pluckt by her from his brest this little wound Lawl liberty in a Serm. at Pauls by Edm. Terry p. 21. made by that small and unexpected instrument of death presently festered and turning to an incurable Canker killed him God needs no bigger a launce then an hair to kill an Atheist as this dying man acknowledged But besides all ill accidents and casualties from without look how the garment breeds the moth and then the moth eates the garment so mans own distempered body breeds ill humors The New-lander cure pag. 23. they diseases and these breed death as one well observeth upon this Text. It is holden for certain that in every two yeares there is such store of ill humours and excrements ingendred in the body that a vessel of one hundred ounces will scarce containe them Ipsa suis augment is vita ad detrimenta impellitur saith Gregory inde deficit unde proficere creditur Life weareth out by the very meat that maintaineth it and every man hath his bane about him Verse 20. They are destroyed from morning to evening Heb. They are beaten to pieces as in a mortar with one sorrow upon another till the very breath be beaten out of their bodies at length and all this from morning to evening all the day long or all their life long Per totum diem Drus which is here set forth for the brevity of it by an artificial day and such also as no man can be sure he shall have twelve hours to his day for how many are there whose Sun hath set at high-noon in the prime and pride of their dayes have they been suddenly snatcht away by the hand of death yea how many see we whose sun setteth in the very rising so that they are carried from the birth to the buriall Every houre surely we all yield somewhat unto death and a very short cut hath the longest liver of all from the grave of the womb to the womb of the grave Eliphaz here seemeth to compare us to those creatures called Ephemerâ—bii which are young in the morning middle-aged at non Aristot and dead 〈◊〉 night they begin and end their lives in a day Mans life is a vapour saith St. James a bubble say the Heathens a blast a dream a shadow a dreame of a shadow c. They perish for ever That is they die once for all For if a man die shall hee live againe Job 14.14 No such matter In this warre as there is no discharge Eccles 8.8 so neither is it granted to any man to erre twice therefore Austin said that he would not for the gain of a million of worlds be an Atheist for halfe an hour because he knew not but God might in that time call for him and cuâ— him off from all time of repentance acceptation and grace for ever since he could die but once onely and after death judgment every mans deaths-day is his doomes-day Heb. 9.27 Without any regarding it Heb. putting sc his heart to it or laying it upon his heart as every man living should do Eccles 7.2 but that few or none so do See Isa 57.1 David did when hearing of his childs decease he said I shall go to him 2 Sam. 12.23 And Moses seeing the peoples carcasses fall so fast in the wildernesse prayed for himself and the rest So teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome Psal 90.12 Every dead corps is a Monitor a dumb preacher Etiam muta clamant cadavera Abel though dead speaketh but how few hearken to him Dives thought that if one came from the dead to fore-warn his brethren great matters would be done Petrus Sutorius telleth of one that preaching a funerall Sermon on a religious man as he calleth him and giving him large commendations heard at the same time a voice in the Church Mortuus sum judicatus sum damnatus sum I am dead
of this and especially in this book which shewes that we are very apt to forget it A point this is easie to be known but very hard to be believed every man assents to it but few live it and improve it to reformation Mine eyes shâ—ll no more sâ—e good sc in this world for in the world to come hee was confident of the beatificall vision chap. 19.27 Hezekiah hath a like expression when sentenced to die I said in the cutting off of my dayes I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living that is in this life present Psal 27.13 and 52 5. and 142.5 Isa 53.8 called also the light of the living John 9.4 Psal 56.13 I shill behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world Isa 38.11 And this both sick Job and sick Hezekiah tell the Lord and both of them begin alike with O remember Isa 38.3 God forgetteth not his people and their condition howbeit he requireth and expecteth that they should be his Remembrancers for their own and others good Isa 62.6 7. See the Margin Verse 8. Thâ— eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more In death we shall neither see nor be seen but be soon both out of sight and out of mind too It is storied of Richard the third that he caused the dead corps of his two smothered Nephews to be closed in lead and so put in a coffin full of holes and hooked at the ends with two hookes of iron and so to be cast into a place called the Black-deeps Speed 935. at the Thames mouth whereby they should never rise up nor be any more seen Such a place is the grave till the last day for then the sea shall give up the dead which are in it and death ad he grave shall render up the dead that are in them Rev. 20.13 then shall Adam see all his nephews at once c. Thine eyes are upon me and I am not Thou even lookest me to death like as elsewhere God is said to frown men to destruction Psalm 80.16 and Psalm 104.29 they are not able to endure his flaming eyes sparkling out wrath against them What mad men therefore are they that speak and act against Him who can so easily do them to death If God but set his eyes upon them for evil as he oft threatneth to do Amos 9.4 Job 16.9 they are undone Verse 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away A cloud is nothing else but a vapour thickened in the middle Region of the aire by the cold encompassing and driving it together psalm 18.19 vessels they are as thin as the liquor that is in them but some are waterlesse the former are soon emptied and dissolved the later as soon scattered by the wind and vanish away See the Note on verse 7. So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more sc to live and converse here with men as ver 10. Or he shall come up no more sc without a miracle as Lazarus and some others long since dead rose againe he cannot return to me said David of his deceased child 2 Sam. 12.23 God could send some from the dead to warn the living but that is not now to be expected as Abraham told the rich man Luk. 16. Those spirits of dead men that so oft appeared in times of Popery requiring their friends to sing Masses and Dirges for them and that drew this verse from Theodorus Gaza sunt aliquid manes lethum non omnia finit were either delusions or else divels in the shape of men That Job doubted of the Resurrection or denied it as Rabbi Solomon and some other both Hebrew and Greek writers conclude from this text is a manifest injury done to this good man and a force offered to the text as appeareth by that which next followeth Verse 10. He shall return no more to his house Either to dispatch businesses or to enjoy comforts he hath utterly done with the affaires of this world Melanchthon telleth of an aunt of his who having buried her husband and sitting sorrowfully by the fires side saw as she thought her husband coming into the roome and talking to her familiarly about the payment of certaine debts and other businesses belonging to the house and when he had thus talked with her a long time he bid her give him her hand she at first refused but was at length perswaded to do it he taking her by the hand so burnt it that it was as black as a coal and so he departed Was not this the divel Neither shall his place know him any more His place of habitation or his place of honour and ruledome these shall no more acknowledge him and welcome him back as they used to do after a journey Death is the conclusion of all worldly comforts and relations Hence wicked people are so loth to depart because there is struck by death an everlasting parting-blow betwixt them and their present comforts without hope of better spes fortuna valete said one great man at his death Cardinall Burbon would not part with his part in Paris for his part in paradise Fie said another rick Cardinall will not death be hired will mony do nothing Never did Adam go more unwillingly out of paradise the Jebusites out of the strong-hold of Zion the unjust steward out of his office or the divels out of the demoniack then gracelesse people do out of their earthly tabernacles because they know they shall return no more and having hopes in this life only they must needs look upon themselves as most miserable Verse 11. Therefore I will not refraine my mouth Heb. I will not prohibite my month sc from speaking I will bite in my grief no longer but sith death the certaine end of all outward troubles is not farre from mee I will by my further complaints presse the Lord to hasten it and not suppresse my sorrowes but give them a vent I will speake in the anguish of my spirit Heb. In the straitnesse or distresse of my spirit which is almost suffocated with grief I will complaine in the bitternesse my soul his greatest troubles were inward and if by godly sorrow for his sinnes he had powred forth his soule in an humble confession as some understand him here he had taken a right course but thus boisterously to break out into complaints savoureth of humane infirmity and sheweth quantae sint hominis vires sibi à Deo derelicti what a poor creature man is when God leaveth him to himself Mercer and subjecteth him to his judgments Verse 12. Am I a sea or a whale Can I bear all troubles as the sea receives all waters and the whale beares all tempests This as is well observed was too bold a speech to God from a creature for when his hand is on our backs our hands should be upon our mouths as Psalm 39.9 I was dumb or as others read it I should
bespeaking us as once hee did Jacob Fear not to go down to Egypt so down to the grave for I will go with thee and will surely bring thee up again Gen. 46.4 Or as he did his labouring Church Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast That thou wouldst keep me secret In limbo Patrum say the Papists in parabola ovis capras suas quaerentes Vntil thy wrath be passed For it is such as I can of my self neither avoid nor abide Turn it away therefore or turn it into gentlenesse and kindnesse Psal 6.4 and be friends again Jer. 2.35 Or secret and secure me til the resurrection when all thy wrath will be gone from me That thou wouldst appoint me a set time Heb. set me a statute set down even what time thou pleasest either to send me to bed or to call me up again so that thou wilt but be sure at last to remember me And remember me Job is willing to die out of the world but to die out of Gods memory to be out of sight but not out of mind that God should bury him in the grave but not bury his thoughts of him he could be content to be free among the dead free of that company but not as the slain that lie in the grave whom God remembreth no more Psal 88.5 Job would be remembred for good as Nehemiah prayeth and be dealt with as Moses was whose body once hid in the valley of Moab did afterwards appear glorious in Mount Tabor at the transfiguration Verse 14. If a man dye shall he liâ—e again This he speaketh in way of admiration at that glorious work of the Resurrection See the like question chap. 15.11 Gen. 3.1 and 17.17 So the Apostle Rom. 8.30 31. having spoken of those glorious things predestination vocation justification glorification concludeth in these words What shall we say then We cannot tell what to say to these things so much we are amazed at the greatnesse of Gods goodnesse in them Surely as they have a lovely scarlet blush of Christs blood upon them so they are rayed upon with a beam of divine love to them that are in Christ We read of that godly and learned Scotch-Divine Mr. John Knox that a little before his death he gat up out of his bed and being asked by his friends why being so sick he would offer to rise and not rather take his rest he answered that he had all the last night been taken up in the meditation of the Resurrection and that he would now go up into the pulpit that hee might im part to others the comforts which thereby himself had received And surely if he had been able to have done as he desired I know not what text fitter for his purpose he could have taken then these words of Job If a man die shall he live again He shall without question and those that deny it or doubt of it as the Sadduces of old and some brain-sick people of late they erre not knowing the Scriptures this among the rest which are express for it and the power of God Mat. 22.29 being herein worse then divels which believe it and tremble worse then some heathens who held there would be a resurrection as Zoroastres Theopompus Plato c. worse then Turks who at this day confesse and wait for a resurrection of the body at such a time as the fearful trumpet which they call Soor shal be sounded by Mahomet say they at the commandment of the great God of the judgment All the dayes of mine appointed time or warfare will I wait till my change come i. e. till my death Prov. 31.8 men appointed to die are called in the original children of change or till the resurrection come when we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 our vile bodies shall be changed and conformed to Christs most glorious body the standard Philip. 3.23 in beauty agility impassibility and other Angelical perfections When I awake saith David sc at that general Resurrection I shall be full of thine image Psalm 17.15 I shall be brought from the jawes of death to the joyes of eternal life where are riches without rust pleasures without pain c. Three glimpses of this glorious change were seen 1. In Moses his face 2. In Christs transfiguration 3. In Stevens countenance when he stood before the council Such a change as this is well worth waiting for what would not a man do what would he not suffer with those noble professors Heb. 11. to obtain a better resurrection I would swim through a sea of brimstone saith one that I might come to heaven at last The stone will fall down to come to its own place though it break it self in twenty pieces so we that we may get to our center which is upwards c. Sursum cursum nostrum dirigamus manantem imminentem exterminantem mortem attendamus ne simul cum corporis fractura animae jacturam faciamus Let us wait and wish every one for himself as he once did Mî sine nocte diem vitam sine morte quietem Det sine fine dies vita quiésque Deus Verse 15. Thou shalt call and I will answer thee At the Resurrection of the just thou shalt call me out of the grave by thine All-powerful voice uttered by that Archangel with the trump of God 1 Thes 4.16 1 Cor. 15.52 Psalm 50.3 4. and thou shalt not need to call twice for as I shall not need then to fear as the hypocrites will to shew my face so I will readily answer Here I am Mr. Boroughs yea as that dying Saint did so I will say I come I come I come I will even leap out of the grave to obey thine orders and I doubt not but to draw me out of that dark prison thou wilt lend me that hand of thine whereof I have the honour to be the workmanship Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands I know that thou thy self for the love thou bearest me of thy goodnesse who am thy creature Abbot and on whom thou hast shewn favour and reprinted thine image wilt long after the consummation of my happinesse for then I shall be like unto thee more like then ever for I shall see thee as thou art and appear with thee in glory Col. 3.4 1 John 3.2 being next unto thee Luke 22.30 Yea one with thee John 17.21 and so above the most glorious Angels Heb. 1.14 The King shall greatly desire my beauty Psal 45.11 and rejoyce over me as the bridegrom doth over his bride Isa 62.5 See chap. 10.3 The word here rendred Thou wilt have a desire signifieth Thou wilt desire as men do after silver The Lord seemed to deal by Job as men do by drosse to put him away as wicked Psalm 119.119 neverthelesse he believed that he would look
upon him as silver and although he now crushed him together and brake him to pieces as the silver-smith doth an old piece of plate which he means to melt yet that he would in the grave as in a furnace refine him and at the Resurrection bring him out of a new fashion Lo this is the right Logick of faith to make conclusions of life in death and of light in darknesse to gather one contrary out of another Verse 16. For now thou numbrest my steps Or But now thou numbrest c. thou keepest an exact account of every sin of mine of every step that I have trod awry yea though it be but some wry motion of my mind as the Septuagint here translate so curious art thou and critical in thine observations of mine out-strayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See chap. 10.14 But is this Job that speaketh or some other How confident was he 〈◊〉 while and comfortable in the hope of a glorious resurrection but now down again upon all four as we say and like an aguish man in a great fit of impatiency which holdeth him to the end of the chapter But for this who knoweth not that every new man is two men that in the Saints the flesh is ever lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that in the Shulamite is as it were the company of two armies maintaining a continual contest Cant. 0.13 â—said I am cast out of they sight yet I will look againe toward thine holy Temple Jon. 2.4 See the Note there Dost thou not watch over my sin This is the same with the former but without a figure The Rabbines have a saying that there is not any doubt in the law but may be resolved by the context the Scripture is its owne best Interpreter Verse 17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag As the writings or informations of a processe which is ready to be sentenced Deut. 32.34 Hos 13.12 Thou hast as it were sealed up and made sure work with all my sins saith Job to have them forth-coming for the increase of my punishment Look how the Clark of Assizes saith one seals up the indictments of men and at the Assizes brings his bag and takes them out to read the same against them so God dealt with Job in his conceit at least The truth is God had not sealed his transgressions in a bag but had cast them behind his back a bag God hath for mens sins and a bottle he hath for their tears Psalm 56.8 Now Job was one of those penitents that helped to fill Gods bottle and therefore he saw at length though now he were benighted all his sins bag and all thrown into the sea and sinking as a waighty milstone in those mighty waters of free-grace and undeserved mercy And thou sowest up mine iniquity Adsuèsne aliquid iniquitati meae so the Tigurines translate i. e. Wilt thou sew or adde any thing to mine iniquity wilt thou tye to it that tag as a Martyr phraseth it of the Lawes malediction conjoyning the punishment to the sin Adsuere ad iniquitatem est poenas poenis continenter adjungere Merl. Some make this an explication of the former q. d. the bag is not only sealed but for more surety sewed too and that purposely for a purchase of punishment as some sense it Verse 18. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought q. d. If thou Lord proceed to deal thus rigidly with me viz. to number or cipher up my steps to watch over my sins to seal them up in a bag c. and all this in fierce wrath that thou mayest lay load upon me what mountain what rock what other creature is ever able to abide it chap. 6.12 chap. 7.12 Job had said before Is my strength the strength of stones Am I a sea or a whale Were I these or any the like robustuous creatures yet could not I expect to stand before the displeased Omnipotency who takest the hills like tennis-balls and crackest the rocks like a Nut-shell See Hab. 1.4 5 6. with the Notes And the rock is removed out of his place As in earth-quakes it sometimes falleth out See on chap. 9.5 or by reason of the sea underlaking it decayeth in time and waxeth old as the Hebrew word signifieth Verse 19. The waters weare the stones Gutta cavat lapidem c. the weakest things wear out the hardest by often falling upon them or continual running over them so doth Gods wrath though let out in minnums secretly but surely consume Hos 5.12 I will be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottennesse or that little worm teredo that eats into the heart of wood and rots it Thus he plagued the Egyptians by lice and flies There may be much poison in little drops Thou washest away the things that grow out of the earth Or Thou ever-flowest as once in the general deluge when the face of the earth was grown so foul that God was forc'd to wash it with a flood and frequently since we see that after great rains there are huge floods that marre whole meadows and corne fields not only discolouring but drowning all their beauty and plenty This is the fourth comparison used in this and the former verse where a man would wonder saith an Interpreter Olymp. audire Jobum in medus â—rumuis philosophantem to hear Job in the midst of his miseries making use of his philosophy and travelling thus in his thoughts for illustrations of his own case over mountains and rocks c. Thou destroyest the hope of man viz. In destroying the things above-mentioned or so thou destroyest c. though some reserve the raddition to the next verâ—â— so Thou prevailest against him c. i.e. So thou never ceasest with thy might to cast down sorry men till such time as they changing countenance and departing with an heavy and sorrowful heart thou violently throwest them out their lives and hope ending together if they have been wicked as if godly yet their vain and groundlesse hopes of prosperity and plenty c. come to nothing though over the red sea yet Gods people may be made to tack about two and forty times in the wildernesse Verse 20. Thou prevailest for ever against him This and the rest of the words to the end of the Chapter some make to be the Application of the Similitudes Others an Amplification only of what he had said Thou destroyest the hope of man Thou must needs when thou overmatchest and over-masterest him and art never worsted Exod. 15.3 the Lord is called A Man of War the Chaldee there hath it The Lord and Victor of Wars And the word here rendred Ever cometh from a root that signifieth to finish conquer and triumph And he passeth scil Out of the world by a violent or untimely death Violenâ—â— mortâ— aut certe immaturà Merlin with as ill a will many times as the unjust Steward did out
any it is meerly because it stands in the light of their wicked wayes as the Angel did in Balaams way to his sin Nor abide in the paths thereof They have no stability Hos 6.3 nor settledness in well-doing They follow not on to know but soon give over the pursuit and practise of holiness not caring to adde to Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge c. 2 Pet. 1.3 Verse 14. The murderer rising with the light Betimes whiles it is yet darkish for here Job sheweth how those that do evil hate the light and take the fittest opportunities for a dispatch of the deeds of darkness daily digging descents down to Hell and hastening thereto as if they feared it would be full before they come thither They spend therefore the whole day in wicked pranks and practises proùt videtur commodum as shall seem best for their purposes interdin latrones nocte fures agunt By day they do what mischief they may in woods and desarts at night they return into the City and there play the theeves hoping to do it un-observed Bernard Thus every such one may better say then that Ancient did Totum tempus perdidi quia perdite vixi I have lost all my time by spending it loosely and basely I have been too faithful a drudge to the Devil whom Christ calleth a murthâ—rer Joh. 8. and Tertullian calleth Furem Veritatis a thief of the Truth Two notable Theeves of Naples Rain de Idol Rom. prafat whereof one was called Pater-noster and the other Ave-Maria had murthered an hundred and sixteen several persons at several times and in divers places These were worthily put to a cruel death by the Magistrate who possibly might by his connivence and slackness in doing his office be himself guilty of some of those murders sith to restrain justice is to support sin and not to correct is to consent to the Crime Hemingius maketh mention of a Felon who was indicted of seven murders while the Judge was studying what grievous punishment should be inflicted upon such a bloody villain an Advocate steps to the Bar and pleading for him proved That the Judge was guilty of six of the murders for thâ—â— the Felon was not put to death for the first offence Killeth the poor and needy Without Authority such as Magistrates have to kill Malefactors and Souldiers in a lawful Battel to kill their Enemies Sum Talbotti pro occidere inimicâ—s meos Speed this blunt boisterous sentence was written upon the renowned L. Talbots Sword whilest he warred in France and without any present necessity for his own lawful defence as Exod. 2.22 when he must either kill or be killed provided that he endeavour first to save himself by flight if possibly he can For that Tenet of Soto a Popish Casuist is the most false Quia fugs est ignominiosa That it is lawful for a man in his own defence to kill another because it is a shame to flie And that also of Navarrus that for a box on the ear it is not unlawful to kill another Ad bonor em recuper 〈◊〉 for the recovering of his honour And in the night is as a thief That is very thief for this as is magis expreâ—◠〈◊〉 veritatis as Mercer speaketh he would not seem to be but yet is an arrant thief ending the day with theft which he began with murder How these two sins go commonly coupled see Hos 4.2 and Isai 13.16 Verse 15. The eye also of the Adulterer waâ—teth Observeth expecteth and longeth till it cometh Vt videas illâ—m non precare infirmitate sed malitiâ saith Vatablus This sheweth that he sinneth not of infirmity but of forethought malice and wickednesse which he plotteth and ploweth as the Scripture phraseth it purveying for the flesh Quotidie perire me sentio Suer Rom 13. ult putrifying alive under a â—abe of impure lusts and daily perishing therein as Tiberius at Caprea by his own confession This beast was not ashamed of his detestable filthinesse as being a most impure and impudent defiler of other mens beds But the Adulterer here spoken of seeks the covert of the twilight and another of a disguise He putteth hu face in a secret place so the Hebrew hath it wrapping it in his cloak or getting on a Vizzard which saith he shall render me unknown and none eye shall see me For as for Gods eye either he conceits him blind or presumes him indulgent not doubting or an easie and speedy pardon This is charged upon David 2 Sam. 12.10 Because thou hast despised me c. viz. in thinking to sin secretly not considering mine All-seeing eye not caring though I looked on c. therefore shall all come to light verse 12. Sin secretly committed shall bee strangely discovered yea perhaps the sinner himselfe shall confesse his sinnes as Judas So sooner on later God wil bring every work into judgement with every secret thing Ecclesiasâ—es 12.14 See also Ecclesiasticus 23. Verse 16. In the dark they dig through the earth c. Heb. He digs through houses i.e. the Adulterer doth to come at his Strumpet with whom he had agreed upon a place of meeting for that evil purpose and in whose bosome by night the dark and black night as Solomon calleth it Prov. 7.9 he spareth not to bury his name substance soul and carcasse whilst they glut their unclean desires by the favour of the darknesse This is a bitternesse beyond that of death Eccles 7.26 But the divel presenteth his Butter in so Lordly a dish that the soul spies not the hammer and nail in his hand till he have driven it into the Temples Roger Mortimer who digged that hole at Notingham Castle and was afterwards hanged at Tiburn a just reward of his Ambition and Uncleannesse had the experience of this They know not the light i.e. They brook it not but run full butt against it because it discovereth and disquieteth them See on ver 13. Verse 17 For the morning is unto them as the shadow of death i.e. They are in deadly fear lest the light should bewray them and expose them to condigne punishment How fearful was Judah of being shamed after he had thus sinned Gen. 38.23 And how forward to save his credit by sending his Kid by the hand of that hang by Hiram Ter. in Eun. That young man in Terence was sore ashamed to be seen in the Eunuchs garment a token of his Uncleannesse whereas to have done the deed did nothing so much trouble him But the children of light hate and shun sin more for the filth that is in it then for the fire that is in it the blacknesse of that coal offendeth them more then the heat of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato condemneth the Poets for setting forth Jupiters Adulteries whereby the people were drawn to the like wantonnesse and for saying it were no matter though men did commit sin so they could hide it
as those under-ground waters use to do but the Miner bindeth them that is he dammeth them up and diverteth them that they may not fall into his pit and mar his work Thus he removes all lets and devoures all difficulties and all for a little pelfe which perisheth in the use and will rather hinder from then help men to heaven How much more should we labour for the true Treasure Tertul. the Pearl of price the one thing necessary c Si tanti vitreum quanti veram margaritum All those outward things are nec vera nec vestra as Austin elegantly They are neither true riches nor ours but anothers as our Saviour telleth us Luke 16.12 Aristotle also teacheth us That wise men may get riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polit. lib 1. but not make it their businesse Brentius reads this Text Perplexa fluminum gyrat He turneth about the crooked Rivers putting them into a new channel that he may get the gold and precious Stones that lye in the bottom for there are some gold-flowing Rivers such as are Ganges in India Pactolus in Asia Taguâ— in Spain the Rhine in Germany c. And 〈◊〉 that is hid he bringeth to light Contrary to the Design of Nature he revealeth her secrets and discovereth all that she hideth by this raking out of her riches and making those things that lye couchant in her bowels as common as if they grew above-ground Verse 12. But where shall wisdom be found Here is now the other part of the Antithesis and the second part of the Chapter which is nothing so hard as the former was Wisdom is either natural or spiritual 1 Cor. 2. earthly or heavenly Jam. 3 the wisdom here enquired after is supernal and supernatural such as can neither be found upon the earth or digg'd out of it such as cannot be fathomed or found out by humane abilities or by natural reason But God revealeth it unto his by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 And with this Heifer must all those plow that will finde out his riddles Lud. viv in Aug â—e C. D. l. 22. c. 6. Luciosi qui hebeti sunt visu saith Vives Those that are weak-sighted and sand-blind if at any time they look wishly upon any thing with desire to see it the better they see it so much the worse and nothing so well as they did before Think the same of the most accute and perspicacious Naturalist when he comes to look into the things of God he is not only sand-blind but stark-blind 1 Cor. 2.14 he will not see and therefore who so blind he hath an Antipathy to divine truths he loveth the Law better than the Gospel and any Truth better than the Law And as for this high point of heavenly wisdom called here illa sapientia with an emphasis whereby is understood that Gods judgements are all just even then when he afflicteth the godly and prospereth the wicked he cannot comprehend it or yield to it but is ready to turn flat Atheist upon it as Averrces did denying the divine Providence and conceiting that all things were carried on by Fate and Fortune Jobs enemy-freinds herein were no wiser than they should be when they thus rashly censured him for wicked because afflicted and presumptuously took upon them to give a reason of Gods proceedings in his various dispensations with as much confidence as if they had been of Gods privy counsel whereas they should have considered that Gods judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out and that he who herein is scholar to his own reason is sure to have a Fool to his Master And where is the place of understanding As there is no vein to be found of the divine wisdom so neither any known place as there is for gold silver precious stones where it ought to be sought save only of God by Prayer Jan. 1.5 Man whatsoever good success he hath in the forementioned searches he is nothing so happy nor dextrous in that of divine understanding Epiphanius resembleth him to the Mole which doth all his work under ground but if once he be brought above ground as he is stark-blind so is he every way a weak and contemptible creature The best that are see but in part and are sometimes at a loss about the reason of Gods most righteous proceedings which men must mirari non rimari silently adore and not over-curiously search into There is a learned ignorance saith Calviâ— of those things quae scire nec datur nec fas est which it is neither granted us nor fit for us to know and in this the very desire of knowledge is a kind of madness Let that saying of Xenophanes be remembred There is no great difference whether a man set his feet or his eyes in another mans house without his leave Plut. de curiositat Arcaâ— Dei sunt arca Dei Gods secrets are Gods Ark pry not lest ye come halting home for so doing Verse 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof Or the order thereof in what manner and method God proceedeth no though in other things he knew as much as Homer did of whom one saith that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that knew all humane affaires Or as Aristotle did whom some have called an Eagle faln from the clouds or as Hierom quem nullum scibile latâ—it who knew all that was knowable or as Bishop Andrew whom one calleth but how truly I enquire not a gulf of learning Sure it is that man sorry man knoweth neither the price of divine wisdom for it is invaluable nor the place of it for it is investigable nor the order of it for that is unattainable till we come to heaven there being a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1. and Providence shall one day be unriddled Neither is it found in the land of the living That is here upon earth by any humane wit or industry In other texts of Scripture the time while we live in this world is called the day Joh. 9.4 and the light of the living Psal 56.13 in opposition to death which is called a land of darkness as darkness it self Job 10.22 where they that inhahite are said to be free among the dead Psal 88.5 free of that company see Esay 38.11 None but those that live spiritually and have senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult can see any thing of the worth of this wisdom so as to seek after it as silver and prize it above gold for ignoti nulla cupido men covet not what they value not Now the Cock on the dunghil knows not the price or place of this inestimable jewel and therefore slights it Those Epicures especially qui snaviter vivunt as the vulgar here translateth who live in pleasure upon earth and are wanton Jam. 5.5 Verse 14. The depth saith It is not in me It is not
or as a ship tossed in the Sea without an Anchor which presently dasheth on the Rocks or falleth upon the Quick-sands Saul for instance who being in distress and forsaken of God ran first to the Witch and then to the Swords point Save me from all them that persecute me Where the Prince is a Persecutor as in the Primitive times and here in the Marian days many will be very active against Gods people O sancta simplicitas said John Husse Martyr when at the stake he observed a plain Country-fellow busier than the rest in fetching Faggots Vers 2. Lest he tear my Soul like a Lion i. e. put me to a cruel and tormentful death exercising against me both cruelty and also craft by taking me at such a time as there is none to deliver me Vers 3. O Lord my God See on Vers 1. If I have done this i.e. This treachery and treason whereof Saul doth causelesly suspect me and wherewith his pick-thank Partisans unjustly charge me As for Sedition saith Latimer for ought that I know methinks I should not need Christ if I might so say But where malice beareth mastery Serm. 3. before K. Ed. 6. the doing of any thing or of nothing is alike dangerous If there be iniquity in my hands Heb. in the palms of my hands where it may bee concealed If I have secretly acted against my Soveraign Vers 4. If I have rewarded evil c. If I have broke the conditions of our reconciliation or betrayed my trust Yea I have delivered him that c. This was true Christianity to overcome evil with good Matth. 5.44 c. Rom. 12.17 c. O quam hoc non est emnium O how few can skill of this Elisha made the Syrians a Feast who came to make him a Grave David spared Saul and delivered him not without the hazard of his own life Bradford conducted Bourn from the Pulpit at Pauls Cross where hee had cried up Popery at the coming in of Queen Mary safe to his Lodging A certain Gentleman said unto him Ah Bradford Bradford thou savest him that will help to burn thee I give thee his life if it were not for thee I would run him thorow with my sword And it proved as the Gentleman had Prophesied There he sits I mean my Lord of Bath Mr. Bourn said Bradford in his third Examination before Stephen Gardiner which desired me himself for the Passion of Christ I would speak to the people Upon whose words I coming into the Pulpit I had like to have been slain with a Dagger which was hurled at him I think for it touched my sleeve He then prayed me I would not leave him and I promised that as long as I lived I would take hurt before him that day And so went I out of the Pulpit and intreated with the people and at length brought him my self into an house Besides this in the afternoon I preached in Bow Church and there going up into the Pulpit one willed me not to reprove the people For quoth hee you shall never come down alive if you do it And yet in that Sermon I did reprove their Fact and called it Sedition at least twenty times For all which my doing I have received this recompence Prison for a year and half and more and Death now which you my Lord of Bath among the rest go about Acts and Mon. fol. 146◠Let all men bee judge where Conscience is Thus Master Bradford like another David in his own defence Vers 5. Let the enemy persecute my Soul and take it Thus he cleareth himself by an holy imprecation The Spanish Bible hath for Shiggaion Davidis in the Title Purgatio Davidis as the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both Sin and Purification from sin Psal 51. taking God to witness of his innocency and good Conscience and wishing evil to himself if it were otherwise This he did from a good cause in a good manner and for a good end And not as many prophane ones do now adays who taxed though never so truly with some evil they have done seek to justifie themselves by appealing to God and calling for his Curse upon them if guilty who therefore striketh such impudent imprecatours immediately as Anne Averies and others See Mr. Clarks Mirrour And tread down my life Heb. My lives so usually called saith an Interpreter for the many faculties and operations that are in life the many years degrees estates thereof And lay mine honour in the dust Selah Let him brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch and let me lye buried in a bog of indeleble infamy Vers 6. Arise O Lord in thine anger Here David repeateth and re-inforceth his Suit filling his mouth with Arguments for that purpose such as he well knew would be of avail Lift up thy self c. Wherein they deal proudly be thou above them to controle and over-top them And awake for me Sometimes God seemeth to be asleep we must awake him to forget we must in-mind him to have lost his mercy we must finde it for him Where is thy zeal and thy strength c. Isa 53. To the Judgment that thou hast commanded That is promised viz. that thou wilt command deliverances out of Zion Or which thou hast commanded to men in case of wrong done to releeve the oppressed and wilt no◠thou for me great Judge much more do it Vers 7. So shall the Congregation of the people compass thee about As people love to flock to Assizes or such places of Judicature where Sentence is passed upon Great ones that have offended Or thus then shall the publick sincere Service of God be set up and people shall fly to it as the Doves do to their windows For their sakes therefore return thou on high Seat thy self upon thy Tribunal and do justice q. d. Thou hast seemed to come down from the Bench as it were and to have no care of Judgement but go up once again and declare thy power Reverteid est ostende manum tuam esse altam return that is shew that thou hast an high hand saith R. Solomon Vers 8. The Lord shall judge the people The Aethiopian Judges leave the chief Seat ever empty as acknowledging that God is the chief Judge According to my righteousness viz. In this particular Crime whereof I am accused great is the confidence of a good Conscience toward God Such only can abide by the everlasting burnings Vers 9. O let the wickedness c. Put a stop to their rage and rancour But establish the just The overthrow of the one will be a strengthening to the other as it was betwixt the House of Saul and David 2 Sam. 3.1 But who are just The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins i. e. The thoughts and affections or lusts of people Gogitarlonum cupiditatum Junius and accordingly esteemeth of them for Mens cujusque is est quisque and God judgeth of a man according
Vers 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee They can do no otherwise that savingly know Gods sweet Attributes and noble Acts for his people We never trust a man till we know him and bad men are better known than trusted Not so the Lord for where his name is poured out as an oyntment there the Virgins love him fear him rejoyce in him repose upon him Them that seek thee So they do it seriously seasonably constantly Vers 11. Sing praises to the Lord c. This is the guise of godly people to provoke others to praise God as being unsatisfiable in their desires of doing him that service and as deeming that others see him as they do totum totum desiderabilem worthy to bee praised Psal 18.3 highly to be admired vers 1. of this Psalm Vers 12. When he maketh inquisition for bloud for innocent bloud unjustly spilled as he did for the bloud of Abel Gen. 4.10 of Naboth 1 King 9.26 surely I have seen yesterday the bloud of Naboth Murther ever bleeds fresh in the eyes of God of Zechariah the Son of Barachiah 2 Chron. 24.22 those ungrateful Guests who slew those that came to call them And when the King heard it for Bloud cryes aloud he was wroth and destroyed those Murtherers Matth. 22.6 7. These shall have bloud to drink for they are worthy Revel 16.6 God draws Articles of enquiry in this case as strict and as critical as ever the Inquisition of Spain doth the proceedings whereof are with greatest secrecy and severity He forgetteth not the cry of the Humble Heb. of the poor lowly meek afflicted Humility and Meekness are Collactancae twin-sisters as Bernard hath it Vers 13. Have mercy upon me O Lord c. These are the words say some of those humble ones whom God forgetteth not they were Gods remembrancers See Isa 62.6 or it is a prayer of David for further deliverances according to that I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Psal 18.3 Betwixt praysing and praying he divided his time and drove an holy trade between Heaven and Earth Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death i.e. Ex praesentissimo certissimo interitu from desperate and deadly dangers such as threaten present destruction and shew a man the Grave even gaping for him David was oft at this pass and God delivered Paul from so great a death 2 Cor. 1.10 he commonly reserveth his hand for a dead lift and rescueth those who were even talking of their Graves Vers 14. That I may shew forth all thy praises i.e. All that I can compass or attain unto Alitèr omnes laudes Dei dici non possunt quia plures ignorat home quà m novit saith R. David here for all the praises of God cannot be shewn forth sith those wee know not are more than those we know In the gates of the daughter of Zion These are opposed to the Gates of Death as Aben-Ezra here noteth and betoken the most publick places and best frequented Vers 15. The Heathen are sunk down c. Hoc est initium cantici Sanctorum saith Aben-Ezra This is the beginning of the Saints Song knit to the former verse thus saying The Heathen c. In the Net which they bid c. To Hunters they are compared for cruelty and to Fowlers for craft But see their success they are sunk down in their own pit caught in their own Net Thus it befell Pharaoh Exod. 15.9 10. Jabin and Sicera Judg 4. Sennacherib 2 Chron. 32. Antiochus Epiphanes Maxentius the Tyrant Euseb lib. cap. 9 who fell into the river Tiber from his own false Bridge laid for Constantine The Spanish Armado our Powder-Papists c. See the Note on Psal 7.15 Vers 16. The Lord is known by the judgement c. The Heathen Historian observed that the ruine of Troy served to teach men Herod that God punisheth great sinners with heavie plagues Go up to Shiloh c. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Heb. Palms hollows noting the close conveyance of his wicked plots and practises but for his own mischief Higgaion Selah Ainsworth rendreth it Meditation Selah meaning that this is a matter of deep meditation worthy to be well-minded and spoken or sung with earnest consideration always The word is found only here and Psal 92.3 where also the wonderful works of God are discoursed R. Solomons Note here is Ultimum judicium debet esse continua meditatio The last Judgement should be continually thought upon Vers 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell Heb. into into Hell twice that is into the nethermost Hell the lowest Dungeon of Hell The word Lâ—shâ—â—lah hath a vehement inforcement from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locall as Grammarians call it and importeth that they shall be cast into outer darkness August In tenebras ex tenebris infelicitèr exclusi infelicius excludenâ—â— R. Solomons Note here is They shall be carried away from Hell to Judgement and from Judgement they shall be returned to the deepest Pit of Hell This if men did but beleeve they durst not do as they do as once Cato said to Cesar And all the Nations The wicked be they never so many of them they may not think to escape for their multitudes as amongst Mutineers in an Army the tenth man sometimes is punished the rest go free Vers 18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten Because he that shall come will come and will not tarry The Lord is at hand to help those that are forsaken of their hopes Julian Lining was apprehended by Dale the Promooter in Queen Maries days who said unto him You hope and hope but your hope shall be aslope For though the Queen fail she that you hope for shall never come at it for there is my Lord Cardinals Grace Act. Mon. 1871. and many others between her and it c. But the Cardinal dyed soon after the Queen and according to Father Latimers prayer Elizabeth was crowned and England yet once more looked upon Vers 19. Luther Arise O Lord let not man prevail Prayers are the Churches Weapons her Bombards instrumenta bellica whereby she is terrible as an Army with Banners she prays down her enemies Vers 20. Put them in fear O Lord strike them with a panick terrour as once the Canaanites Philistines 2 Sam. 5. Syrians 2 King 7. Germans in the War against the Hussites c. Some read it Put a Law upon them bridle them bound them as thou hast done the Sea Job 38.11 The Greek and Syriack favour this reading That the Nations may know themselves to be but men And not gods as that proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 27. and Antiochus who would needs be stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such an height of pride will Persecutors grow if they prosper and be not taken a link lower as we say Home id est fracti saith R. Obad.
incedis solito divine Sacerdos Túque acris Princeps tu fidissime custos Virginis egregiae quae utroque misella Parente Orba in te Patruele utrumque ô faustâ parentem Repperit Ostentant vestri nunc quanta libelli Jobe tua sumpsit sibi jam nova cornua Moses Quòd tibi sors praesens melior fit sorte priori Mulcet inaudit â mentes dulcedine Psaltes Jam nil triste sonat Testudo Regia at ode Quae modò lugubris jacuit nunc laeta triumphat Arte tuâ haee facilè praestas clarissime Trappe Cui vite eximiâ sobole octuplieà que beato Nestoreos exopto annos illámque salutem Quae mihi dum vixi fuit at cum Conjuge vitae Quae mihi vita fuit dulci cum Conjuge fugit Barfordiae Aug. 28. 1656. Tuus Siquis Sim. THO. DVGARDVS AN ALPHABETICAL Table Of all the Principal things contained in this whole WORK A. ABsolution Ministerial page 293 Accepting persons page b 123 Admonition the fruit of it page 721 Adultery costly a. 120. punished page 265 266. Affliction God afflicteth in measure a. 89. and for good b. 9. crosses come thick b. 11. prepare for them b. 12. See God in them b. 16. praise him for them ib accept of them b. 24. affliction shewes a man b. 39 40 it comes not by chance b. 50. maketh a man blessed b. 56. is a mercy to be tried b. 74 the best may suffer deeply b. 90. and are then subject to be slighted b. 11. crosse providences for our good b. 204. how to finde out the cause of crosses 290. the benefit of affliction 313. chuse it rather then sin 316. good men censured for their afflictions 694. afflictions teach us 882. edge of prayers 902. Affection carrieth men page a. 166 Allegories frothy page 351 Ambition punished a. 149. ruined a. 156. is all for it self page ib. Amen how to be used page 695 Angels how they are Gods sonnes b. 6. servants b. 45. their office b. 6. their comparative impurity b. 45. guard of Angels page 804 Anger an ill Counsellour a. 164. 169 unreasonable a. 109. moderate it ib. furious described 569. 't is a madnesse b. 162. a shame 278. fury is fiery page 775 Antipathies in nature page 342 Antiquitie of what Authority page b. 77 78 Apparel costly a. 178. gorgeous page a. 156. Arrogancy page b. 109. Atheisme 604. Atheists bald conceits of God 199 Pliny an Atheist page ib. And Aristotle page 913 Augustines wish page a. 146 B Backbiting page 605 Beauty compleat what page a. 114. 116 Blasphemy of Papists a. 149. of Hacket b. 23. abhorred b. 6. punished b. 84. Blasphemy of Caligula page 592 Body of man a fabrick b. 19. a house of clay b. 4â— of wonderful formation page 914 Books lest page a. 193 Brotherly unity rare b. 4. happy page ib C Calamities good men may taste of common calamities page a. 11â— Calvins censure of Luther 299. how he was conjâ—red by Farrel page 30â— Censurers shall be censured page b. 7â— Chaldee Paraphrast on Job who and of what credit page b. 2â— Chambones Conversion page 293 29â— Charitie thinketh the best page b. 14â— Childe-birth a wonder page 335 76â— Children provides for them b. 3. good and bad children 899 900. good are a great blessing b. 92â— and b. 59. Gods grace in them page 58â— Chiromancy page 32â— Christ our Surety b. 157. he reigneth and veâ—ruleth a. 155. his humanity exalted b. 825. his Kingdome and Priesthood 853. his King doâ— everlasting 922. he is a Suretie if a better Testament 888. his Sacrifice and Intercession 36â— kisse him 568. he was deserted for a time 62â— he is our pattern 651. his outward and inwâ—â— beanty 702. 703. his Deity 704. fulnesse â— sweetnesse ib. the dream of his earthly Kiâ—â—dom Chronicles use of them page a. 125. 1â—◠〈◊〉 wonder of them page 3â— Comfort all is from God b. 72. receive it b. 141. divine comforts b. 151. worth of an able Comforter page 292 252 Communion of Saints page 337 Confession of sin confesse with aggravation a. 33â— b. 294. mine not 274. how to confesse 661 deal ingenuously 746. confession hath pardon page a. 81 Conference profitable b. 39. forcible page b. 67 Conflict of flesh and Spirit page b. 28 Conscience terrours of it b. 6. b. 144.145 confidence of a good conscience page b. 119 Confidence carnal miscarrieth a. 181. See Trust Constancy in Mordecai page a. 150 Constantines donation page a. 175 Contentious desire the last word page 219 Courtiers pious page a. 155 Covetousnesse cruel a. 137. unsatisfiable b. 182. its meed page 181 Counsellours evil seduce a. 152. good a happinesse a. 155. how such should be qualified page a. 110 Courage page a. 171 Cruelty of Turkes b. 75. of Archb. Hatto a. 62. Immane cruelties page a. 129 130 132 Crown of life unloosable page b. 168 Curiosity dangerous page b. 903 Cursers accurst 851. curse not another b. 273. shall be punished page b. 270 Curates and Substitutes page b. 11 Cyrus whence so called page a. 1. D Dancing mixt condemned page a. 107 Davids Physicks 833. his love to Gods Law 885 his health-cup page 871 Day-river in Peru page 739 Death terrible to wicked a. 166. sudden b. 189. some that died sinning page b. 217 Deformity despised 825. yet preferred page ib. Deluges page b. 113 Depopulatours unblest page b. 147 Desertion what to do in that case b. 127. see 128 876 600 724. Doeg a Leper page 726 A dog King of Denmark page 303 Dreams dreadful b. 73. Pilates wives dream page 290 Drunken tospots page a. 161 E. Eagle see 342.343 how she reneweth her youth page 831 Earth how it is founded page 328 Eclipse dismal page b. 89 Education page a. 13 Elephant wonder of him page 348.349 350 Elihu described 279. He was not Balaam ib. but a Moderator ib. wronged by Gregory 280 he was an excellent Oratour page 312 Eliphaz who b. 37. his vision page 42 Q. Elizabeths clemency page a. 2 Envie poison of it a. 48. 't is divelish b. 9. mischief of it page b. 49 Envy not wickeds prosperity page a. 160 677 Esther mystery of that book a. 104. Esthers dresse and addresse to the King a. 148. her policie commended 148.149 activenesse for God page a. 191 Extortioners described page b. 211 212 Eyes abuse of them a. 116. watch over them 262 eyes full of cruelty page a. 168 Ezra's learning page a. 1.24 F. Face of Malefactours covered why a. 166. the contrary is Faith force of it a. 144. long tried it flaggeth b. 27. yet will hang on still b. 124. faithful men faile page a. 99 Family a good Master of a family b. 826. sincere page 827 Famine misery of it page b. 57 Fasting force of it a. 30. and 139. and 145. long fasts ib. fasting praised page 672 Fatal day page a. 176 Fear of God filial a. 23. and b. 2. 577. and servile a. 22. panick terrour a. 182. be not
otherwise Nehemiah will never do it to dye for it And now is there that being as I am So greatly beloved of God Dan. 9.23 so highly favoured of the King chap. 2.2 4. so protected hitherto so prospered so entrusted with the government and safety of this people more dear to me then my very life Would go into the Temple As a Malefactour to take Sanctuary there or as a Coward to save mine own life with the losse of the lives of many of the precious sonnes of life Zion I will not go in The Heavens shall sooner fall then I will forsake the Truth Will. Flower Act. Mon. 1430. In Epist said that Martyr Omnia de me praesumas praeter fugam palinodiam said Luther to Staupicius I le rather dye then flye burn them turn Latimer was wondrous bold and stout in his dealing with Henry the eighth both before and after he was a Bishop So were Athanasius Ambrose Basil the primitive Confessours This courage in Christians the Heathen persecutours called Obstinacy and not faith Sed pro hac obstinatione fidei morimur saith Tertullian in his Apology For this obstinacy of faith we gladly dye neither can we dye otherwise for the love of Christ constraineth us Life in Gods displeasure is worse then death as death in his true favour is true life as Bradford told Gardiner Verse 12. And so I perceived that God had not sent him By my spiritual sagacity I smelt him out as having mine inward senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult Doth not the eare try words as the mouth tasteth meat Job 12.11 What though we have not received the Spirit of the World we cannot cog and comply as they can yet we have received a better thing the Spirit of God the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.12 16. But that he pronounced this prophecy against me To make my righteous soul sad with his â—yes Ezek. 13.22 and to bring me to disgrace and danger Luther was wont to advise Preachers to see that these three Dogs did not follow them into the pulpit Pride Covetousnesse and Envy For Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him A mere mercenary he was then and had Linguam Vaenalem he could call good evil and evil good justify the wicked for a reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him Isa 5.20 Such false prophets were Dr Shaw and Frier Pinket in Rich. the thirds time who made use of them as his Factours to obtrude bastardy on his brother King Edward the fourth and so to disable his children for the Crown that he might settle it upon his own head Dan. Hist What became of Pinket I know not but Shaw as ashamed of his Sermon at Pauls crosse disconsolately departed and never after that was publikely seen Like unto these were Bishop Bourn and Cardinal Pool in Q. Maries dayes The Cardinal hired with the Archbishoprick of Canterbury took for his Text Esay 66.8 and applyed it to England as then happily reduced to the Popes obedience Bourn for the Bishoprick of Bâ—th preached such staffe at Pauls-cross that the people were ready to tear him in pieces They flang a Dagger at him in the Pulpit Phlugius Melch. Adam and Sidonius Authours of the Popish Book published in Germany by the name of Interim Chrisma oleum pontificium defendebant ut ipsi discederent unctiores defended Chrisme and extreme unction as being liquoured in the fists and promoted to fat Bishoprickes But a Minister as he should have nothing to lose so he should have as little to get he should be above all price or sale Nec prece nec pretio should be his Motto Verse 13. Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid But they were much mistaken in their aimes this matter was not malleable Nehemiah was a man of another spirit of a Caleb-like spirit he was fide armatus Deo armatus and therefore undaunted he was full of Spiritual mettle for he knew whom he had trusted And do so and sin Nehemiah feared nothing but sin and the fruit thereof shame and reproach so great was his spirit so right set were both his judgment and affections But if any thing would have drawn him aside from the straight wayes of the Lord base fear was the likeliest as we see in David at Gath and Peter in the High-priests hall See Zeph. 3.13 with the Note Pessimus in dubiis Augur Timer And that they might have matter for an evil report This wicked men watch for as a Dog doth for a bone and if they get but the least hint oh how happy do they hold themselves what wide mouthes do they open c It is our part therefore by a Nehemiah-like conversation to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men who like Black-moores despise beauty like Dogs bark at the shining of the Moon Of Luther it was said by Erasmus Nec hostes reperiant quod calumnientur Of B. Hooper it is said that his life was so good that no kind of slander although diverse went about to reprove it could fasten any fault upon him Act. Mon. 1366. The like is reported of Bradford and Bucer We should so carry our selves ut nemo de nobis malè loqui absque mendacio possit as Hierom hath it that none might speak evil of us without a manifest lye Verse 14. My God think upon Tobiah and Sanballat Heb. Remember to be revenged on them q.d. I cannot deal with them but do thou do it He doth himself no disservice saith one who when no Law will relieve him maketh God his Chancellour It is a fearful thing to be put over into his punishing hands by the Saints as Joab and Shimei were unto Solomons hands by dying David If men in their best estate are so weak that they are crushed before the moth how shall they stand before this great God According to these their works Qualia quisque facit talia quisque luat Let them drink as they have brewed And on the Prophetesse Noadiah Who joyned with Shemaiah in this dissimulation and was of his counsel Omne malum ex gynaecio False Prophets and Seducers are seldome without their Women Simon Magus had his Helena Carpocrates his Marcellina Apelles his Philumena Montanus his Priscilla and Maximilla c. And the rest of the Prophets Improperly so called but so they pretended to be and here they had conspired a great sort of them to do evil That would have put me in fear By their concurrent prophesies purposely to disgrace and endanger me Suffragia non sunt numeranda sed expendenda Multitude and antiquity are but ciphers in Divinity Verse 15. So the Wall was finished Though with much ado and maugre the malice of all forrein and intestine Enemies So shall the work of grace in mens hearts it is perfected there by opposition and growes gradually but constantly and infallibly In the twenty and fifth day of the moneth Elul Which
wise-men now those only are wise quibus res sapiunt prout sunt 2. They were skilful in the times that is well versed in histories and well furnished with experiences 3. That they knew the Lawes which they had ready and at their fingers ends as we say They knew also judgement that is equity and moderation without which utmost right might be utmost wrong as indeed it proved in the case in hand Memucan not only accuseth the Queen but aggravateth her offence and instead of healing the wound maketh it farre wider This might become a mercenary Oratour but not a grave Counsellour The businesse was this The King was angry and he meant to set him going the Queene was an eye-sore and she must be removed Such slaves are ambitious statists to their own and their Princes lusts but especially when their own plough is driven forward withal Verse 14. And the next unto him was Carshena c. These were his trusty and welbeloved Cousins and Counsèllours primi proximi first in the Kingdome and next unto the King without whom he was to have done no businesse of importance But it is recorded in story that they had no freedome nor liberty of Councel For every one of them had a plate or tile of gold to stand upon in the Councel-house And if he gave counsel that the King thought well of the plate of gold was given him for a reward but if he delivered any thing contrary to the Kings minde flagris caedebatur he was beaten with stripes Keckerm Polit. Lo this was the manner of the Persian Monarchs The seven Princes See Ezra 7.14 Which saw the Kings face That came at pleasure into the presence as they call it It was a piece of the silly glory of these Kings of Persia to secret themselves from their subjects No man might see the King uncalled for on paine of death cùm ejus persona sub specie majestatis occuleretur Lib. 1. hist saith Justin Only these seven might ordinarily take the boldnesse to see his face which lest Haman should do they covered his face And which sate the first in the Kingdome Xenophon telleth us that Cyrus the first Persian Monarch ordained that the Nobles should sit before the King every man according to his degree Cyrop lib. 8. and dignity Aben Ezra upon this text saith the same Verse 15. What shall we do Saith the King who changeth the scene suddenly the banquetting-house into a Councel-chamber the merry-meeting into a most difficult consultation what to do with the Queene and how to repair the Kings honour so much impaired by her Esay 23.9 How easily can the Lord staine the pride of all glory crosse the worlds greatest darlings give an unsavoury verdure to their sweetest morsels and make their very felicity miserable Vnto the Queene Vashti You should determine nothing rashly against her but accept of her lawful excuse hear her plea remember that she is your companion and the wife of your Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A then lib. 13. Mal. 2.14 your fellow and not your footstoole a yoke-fellow standing on even ground with you though drawing on the left side c. This you should do to the Queene Vashti But Plutarch noteth of the Persians that they were none of the kindest husbands but harsh and jealous And Athenaeus saith that the Kings of Persia lord it over their wives as if they were their handmaids According to Law This you should do retaine the decency and gravity of the Law which is never angry with any man Lex non irascitur sed constituit saith Seneca no more must those that administer it The angry man cannot easily keep a meane This Archytas the Tarentine knew and therefore being displeased with his servants for their sloth he flang from them saying Farewell I have nothing to say to you because I am angry at you Because she hath not performed the Commandment c. This was a fault no doubt but not so hainous as was made of it The faults of his wife a man must either tollere or tolerare cure or cover and not go about to kill a fly upon her forehead with a beetle as they say But God had a provident hand in it for the good of his Church Verse 16. And Memucan answered before the King Heb. Mumchan The Junior likely and therefore spake first the rest concurred verse 21. A bold man he was surely whatever else he was that durst deliver his minde so freely of such a businesse and in such a presence c. What if the King and Queen should have grown friends again where had Memucan been If his cause and his conscience had been as good as his courage was great all had been as it ought to be And the Princes Inter pocula de rebus arduis consultabant saith Herodotus concerning the Persian Princes Lib. 1. In the middest of their cups they use to consult of the greatest affairs Here they accuse and uncondemne the Queen heard and unconvicted which was against all Law divine and humane King Henry the eighth though a boysterous man dealt more civily with his first wife Katharine of Spaine when he had a minde to rid his hands of her Her cause was heard before the two Cardinals Wolsey and Campaine ere the Divorce was pronounced and she sent out of the Kingdome Vasthi the Queen hath not done wrong to the King only That she had done wrong or dealt perversely against the King He taketh for granted because the Kings commandment was not obeyed But was that a sufficient reason Was the Kings bare word a Law or rule of right and is not a wife in case of sin commanded by her husband rather to obey God then men Or say she had done wrong must it needs be out of perversenesse might it not be out of fear modesty or for some other civil reason which she might alledge for her self if called to her tryal But here you may see saith one when flattery and malice gives information shadows are made substances and improbabilities necessities so deceitful is flattery malice so unreasonable And yet herein also the Lord is exceeding righteous who meets hereby with other sins of this insolent Queen that whereas no doubt she was an example of pride and vanity more generally to other women then she was likely to be in this point therefore is she hereby found out in her sin and by this unlikely accusation condemned of a true fault But also to all the Princes and to all the people Against the King she had offended by her disobedience against all others by her example And indeed the sins of great ones fly far upon those two wing Scandal and Example they prove both patterns and privileges to their inferiours for the like Howbeit we must necessarily distinguish between scandal given and scandal taken only neither may we judge of a thing by the ill consequences that biassed and disaffected persons can
draw from it there being nothing so well carried but that it may be liable to some mens exceptions Verse 17. For this deed of the Queen shall come abroad The least aberration in a star is soon observed so the miscarriages of great ones are quickly both noted and noticed Publike persons are by Plutarch compared to looking-glasses according to which others dresse themselves to pictures in a glasse-window wherein every blemish is soon seen to common Wells which if they be poysoned many are destroyed The common people commonly are like a flock of Cranes as the first flies all follow So that they shall despise their husbands Which indeed ought not to be no not in their hearts Let the wife see that she reverence her husband Eph. 5. ult God hath a barren womb for mocking Michal when Sarah is crowned and chronicled for this that she obeyed her husband calling him Lord. It is here taken for confessed that Vasthi despised her husband and that others would thereby take heart to do the like is therehence inferred But doth that necessarily follow and must the Queen therefore be presently deposed yea put to death as the Jew-Doctours tell us she was King Asa deposed his grandmother Maacha but that was for Idolatry Our Henry the eighth beheaded his wife Anne Bullen but that was for supposed and but supposed adultery Queen Elizabeth narrowly escaped with her life because she was accused but falsely of conspiracy against the Queen her sister But what had Vasthi done Condemned she is without reprival and the Countrey must come in but was never called to give in evidence against her that haply never saw her nor heard of her offence Is this fair-dealing Verse 18. Likewise shall the Ladies of media and Persia say Say what We will not do as our Lords command us Like enough all this for their tongues were their own and their wills no lesse That free-will about which there is so much ado made when men once lost the women caught it up and hence they are so wedded to their own will saith one merrily Quicquid volunt valdè volunt what they will do they will do contra gentes saith another And for talking and telling their minds The Rabbines have a proverb that ten Kabs measures of speech descended into the world and the women took away nine of them These Ladies of Media and Persia were feasting with the Queen when the King sent for her ubi quid factum est garritur potitatur saltitatur Feverdent in verse 9. saith an Interpreter at which time they were chatting and bibbing and dancing and when their mirth was marred they would not spare to speak their minds and ease their stomachs what ever came of it We read in our own Chronicles of the Lady de Breuse that by her railing and intemperate tongue she had so exasperated King John whom she reviled as a tyrant and a murtherer that he would not be pacified by her strange present four hundred kine Speed 572. and one bull all milk-white except only the eares which were red sent unto the Queen Then shall there arise too much contempt and wrath Contempt on the wives part and wrath on the husbands wives shall slight their husbands and they again shall fall foul upon their wives so that conjugium shall become conjurgium and the house they dwell together in shall be no better then a fencing-school wherein the two sexes seem to have met together for nothing but to play their prizes and to try masteries This made Sylla say I had been happy if I had never been married Verse 19. If it please the King Courtier-like lest he should seem to prescribe to the King or to prejudice the rest of the royal Counsellours he thus modestly prefaceth to his ensuing harsh and hard sentence He knew well enough it would please the King at present in the minde he now was in and to prevent any alteration he moves to have it made sure by an irrevocable Law that he might not hereafter be censured for this his immoderate and unmerciful censure but be sure to save one howsoever Let it be written saith he among the Lawes of the Persians Which the King himself could not repeal Dan. 6.8 15. but once passed and registred they remained binding for ever I have read of a people among whom the Lawes they had lasted in force but for three dayes at utmost Legem dicimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato This was a fault in the other extreme Lawes are to be made with due deliberation and then to be established and not altered without very great reason as sometimes there is sith Tempora mutentur nos mutemur in illis That Vasthi come no more before King Ahashuerus But be absolutely deposed and divorced Here was no proportion betwixt the offence and the sentence This judgement was like the Laws of Draco of which Aristotle saith that they were not worth remembrance but only for their great severity as being written not with black but with blood And let the King give her royal estate unto another The more to vex her Surely such an exauthoration of so great a personage with so great disgrace and ignominy could not but be very grievous yea worse then death High seats as they are never but uneasie so the fall from them must needs be dangerous and dismal How well might holy Esther sing with the Virgin Mary God putteth down the mighty from their thrones and exalteth them of Low degree Luke 1.52 Verse 20. And when the Kings Decree that he shall make shall be published But why should any such thing be published at all unlesse the King be ambitious of his own utter dishonour Is there none wiser then other but that the King must beray his own nest tell all the Empire that he was drunk or little better and did in his drink determine that against his fair Queen that he so soon after repented He should have done in this case as a man doth that having a secret sore clappeth on a plaister and then covereth it with his hand that it may stick the faster work the better Had Ahashuerosh been wise the world had been never the wiser for any thing that Vasthi had done c. But Memucan hath some colour for his bad counsel a goodly vail to cast over it All the wives shall give to their husbands honour They shall not dare to do otherwise unlesse they mean to be likewise divorced But will terrour breed true honour is soothing right submission Quem metuunt oderunt fear makes hatred and people honour none to speak properly but whom they love sincerely Those lordly husbands that domineere over their wives as if they were their slaves and carry themselves like lions in their houses must not look for any great respect there This man promised himself great matters when he thus said The wives shall give iittenu in the masculine gender to signifie the wives voluntary
their lives Not one whereof was lost in this hot encounter in this sharp revenge they took off their avowed enemies This was even a miracle of Gods mercy Who would not feare thee O King of Nations c. And had rest from their enemies Or That they might have rest from their enemies who would not otherwise be quieted but by the letting out of their life-blood but would make an assault upon the harmelsse Jewes though it were to die for it so that upon the matter they were their own deathsmen besides the wilful losse of their immortal soules which our Saviour sheweth Mat 16.26 to be a losse 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand Neither was it any dishonour to them to be God Almighties slaughtermen Even the good Angels are Executioners of Gods righteous judgements as they were at Sodom in Sennacheribs army and oft in the Revelation There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactours But they laid not their hands on the prey They would not once foule their fingers therewith No godly man in Scripture is taxed for covetousnesse that sordid sin See the Note on verse 10. Verse 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar On this day they stood for their lives that they might rest from their enemies And accordingly On the fourteenth day of the same rested they i. e. the very next day after their deliverance they would not defer it a day longer but kept an holy rest with Psalmes and sacrifices of praise those calves of their lips the very next day whiles the deliverance was yet fresh and of recent remembrance This they knew well that God expected Deut. 23.21 and that he construeth delayes for denials Hag. 1.2 4. he gave order that no part of the thank-offering should be kept unspent till the third day to teach us to present our praises when benefits are newly received which else would soon wax stale and putrifie as fish I will pay my vowes now now saith David Psal 116.18 Hezekiah wrote his Song the third day after his recovery Queen Elizabeth when exalted from a prisoner to a Princesse and from misery to Majesty before she would suffer her self to be mounted in her charet to passe from the Tower to Westminster Englands Eliz. she very devoutly lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven and gave God humble thanks for that remarkable change and turn of things And made it a day of feasting and gladnesse Exhilarating and chearing up their good hearts that had long layen low with a more liberal use of the creatures that they might the better preach his praises and speak good of his name and that sith they could not offer up unto him other sacrifices prescribed in the Law because they were far from the Temple they might not be wanting with their sacrifice of thanksgiving which God preferreth before an oxe that hath hornes and hoofs saith the Psalmist Words may seem to be but a poor and slight recompence but Christ saith Nazianzen calleth himself the Word and this was all the fee that he looks for for his cures Go and tell what God hath done for thee With these calves of our lips let us cover Gods Altar and we shall finde that although he will neither eat the flesh of bulls nor drink the blood of goats yet if we offer unto God thanksgiving and pay our vowes unto the most High Psal 50.13 14. it will be look't upon as our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Verse 18. On the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth What they could not do on one day they did it on another Men must be sedulous and strenuous in Gods work doing it with all their might and redeeming time for that purpose Eccl. 9.10 On both these dayes they destroyed their enemies They did their work thoroughly Let us do so in slaying our spiritual enemies not sparing any Agag not reserving this Zoar or that Rimmon but dealing by the whole body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Amos 2.1 burn the bones of it to lime destroy it not to the halves as Saul but hew it in pieces before the Lord as Samuel As Joshua destroyed all the Canaanites he could lay hold on As Asa spared not his own mother as Solomon drew Joab from the Altar to the slaughter and put to death Adoniah the darling so must we deale by our corruptions ferretting and fetching them out of their lurking holes as these Jewes did their enemies on the fourteenth day that had escaped the day before Sith we must either kill them up all or be killed by them for as that one bastard Abimelech slew all Gideons sonnes upon one stone so one lust left unmortified will undo the soul And as one sinner so one sin may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 And on the fifteenth day of the moneth they rested So shall the Saints do after death which will be the accomplishment of mortification for he that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and filled with joy Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Verse 19. Therefore the Jewes of the villages c. Pagani This is expounded in the next words that dwelt in the unwalled townes Such as is the Hague in Holland that hath two thousand housholds in it and chuseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe then a lesser City Made the fourteenth day c. See verse 17. while the Jewes in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Mac. 15.36 This day was afterwards called Mordecai's Holiday And of sending portions one to another See Nehem. 8.10 To the rich they sent in courtesie to the poor in charity and both these to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for their lives liberties and estates so lately and graciously restored unto them Verse 20. And Mordecai wrote these things He wrote with authority as a Magistrate say some that the Jewes should keep these dayes with greatest solemnitie He wrote the relation of these things before-mentioned say others as the ground of this annual festivitie Or else it may be meant more generally that Mordecai was the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost in writing this whole book of Esther as was before hinted And sent letters unto all the Jewes both night and farre Propinquis longinquis that they might all agree together about the time and manner of praising God and so sing the great Hallelujah See 2 Cor. 1.11 2 Chron. 20.26 27 28. Psal 124.1 2. and 126.1 Psal 136. penned for a recorded publike forme to praise God among the multitude Psal 109.20 and in the great Congregation Psal 22.22 25. David would go into the presses of people and there praise the Lord Psal 116.18
they say much lesse sheep and oxen children and servants c. Psal 22.9 10 howbeit God provided for me then and as he took me out of the womb so he made me to hope when I was upon my mothers breasts I was cast upon him from the womb c. And shall I now cast away my confidence which hath so great recompense of reward No though he hath stripped me stark-naked and left me with as little as he first found me yet I will trust in him It is he that maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up againe 1 Sam. 2.7 The will of the Lord be done Here I am let the Lord do with me that which is right in his own eyes 2 Sam. 15.26 He is Lord Paramount the true proprietary and Owner of all I have been only his steward his tenant at will Jamque meos dedo Domino tibijure penaâ—es Tu mihi jus dederas posse vocare Meos And naked shall I return thither again sc to the womb of my Magna Parenâ— the earth Magna parenâ— terra est Ovid. fitly called a Mother because as thence we came in Adam so there-hence shall we be born again as it were at the resurrection called therefore the Regeneration Matth 19.28 for so some read the words there Ye which have followed me shall in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in his glory sit upon twelve thrones c. See Psal 2.7 with Acts 13.33 This Plato hammered at in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or great Revolution To the grave therefore that womb of the earth that Congregation house of all living as Job elswehere calleth it chap. 30.23 shall I return saith he implying that our life is nothing but a coming and a returning Repatriâsse erit hoc saith Bernard concerning death It is but a coming and a going saith a Divine it is but a flood and an ebb and then we are carried into the Ocean of Eternity I read of one who being asked what life was made an answer answerlesse for he presently turned his back and went his way The truth is wee fetch here but a turn and God saith Return againe Psal 90.3 To live is but to lye a dying the earth receiveth us like a kind mother into her entrailes when we have a while troden her underfoot we haste to our long home Eccles 12.5 Heb. to our old home sc to the dust from whence at first we were taken Tremellius rendreth it in domum saeculi to the house of our generation where we and all our Contemporaries shall meet Cajetan in domum mundi the house which the world provideth for us and to this house much in Jobs mind and therefore he here saith Thither this house of the grave as the Chaldâ—e paraphraseth men must return naked As he came forth of his mothers womb naked shall he return to go as he came saith Solomon and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand Eccles 5.15 Death as a porter stands at the gate and strips men of all their worldly wealth leaving them ne obolum quidem unde naulum solvant Haud ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas Nudus ab inferna stulte vehêre rate Propert. Some have had great store of gold and silver buried with them but to small purpose more then to proclaim their own folly Some wiser then some if I must leave all the rest yet this I le take with me said a silly fellow when giving up the Ghost he clapt a twenty shillings piece of gold into his mouth Athenaeus telleth of one Rog. of Lou. that at the hour of his death devoured many pieces of gold and sewed the rest in his coat commanding that they should be all buried with him Hermocrates being loth that any man should enjoy his goods after him made himself by will heir of his own goods These muck-worms like those ten men Jer. 41.8 having treasures in the field of wheat barley oyle c. are full loth to part with them and having much cattle as those Reubenites and Gadites Numb 32.5 they would faine live still on this side Jordan having made their gold their God they cannot think of parting with it they would if possible carry the world with them out of the world But what saith the Apostle We brought nothing with us into this world and it is certain see how he assevereth and assureth it as if some rich wretches made question of it we can carry nothing out nothing but a winding-sheet 1 Tim. 6 7. as Sultan Saladines shirt which he commanded to be hung up at his buriall a bare Priest going before the bier and proclaiming Saladine the mighty Monarch of the East is gone and taketh no more with him then what you here see And to the same sense the Poet speaking of Annibal saith modò quam fortuna sovendo Congestis opibus donisque refer sit opimis Nudum tartareâ portârit navita cymbâ Sil. Ital. The Lord gave It is his blessing upon the diligent hand that maketh rich Pro. 10.22 as without that all pains and policies are but arena sine calce sand without lime they will not hold together Not only every perfect that is spiritual blessings in heavenly things but every good gift that is temporal blessings in creature-comforts come from above from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 as pledges of his love to those that are his and as an earnest of better things hereafter Psal 23.67 Gen. 27.28 God give thee the dew of heaven saith Isaâ—k to Jacob. Esau likewise hath the like but not with a God give thee he profanely sacrificed to his owne net not having God in all his thoughts He said with that Assyrian Isai 10.13 By the strength of my hand have I done this my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me all this wealth c. Is not this great Babel that I have built c Job Deut. 8.10 11. uttereth no such bubbles of words he arrogateth nothing to himselfe but ascribeth all to God whom the heathens also acknowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. The giver of all Good And the Lord hath taken away As well he might for though I had the possession yet he hath the property neither can he possibly do me wrong sith he is Lord of all and may dispose of me and mine as he pleaseth Hierome teacheth his friend Julian to say Tulisti liberos quâ—s ipse dedoras non centristor quod recepisti ago gratias quòd dedisti Thou hast taken away the children which thou hadst given me I grieve not that thou hast taken them but give thee thanks for giving them Vitam reposcenti natura tanquam debitor bona fidei reddituras exultâ— Ammiâ—n l. 25. Julian that vile Apostate said at his death I gladly render up my life to Nature requiring it as a thankfull and faithfull debtâ—r This was sure
sick and have help about thee of friends food physick clean linnen and the like In loc to shew thy self patient poor Job had none of all this Nay the Lord Christ had not whereon to rest his head Sin autem omni curâ solatio es destitutus saith he But say thou be destitute of all cure and comfort forced to lie without doors and upon the hard ground say thou be in such a condition that thou canst neither stand nor go nor sit nor lie nor eat either for want of meat or want of stomack comfort thy self with this and the like examples of the Saints Ye have heard of the patience of Job and what end the Lord made James 5.11 He raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory 1 Sam. 2.8 Againe let no man trust to his present prosperity Job who heretofore spake not to his subjects but from his throne was now seated upon a dung-hill and his hands accustomed to bear the Scepter were employed to wipe the matter which distilled from his sores as the French Paraphrast hath it Verse 9. Then said his wife Was this Dinah Jacobs onely daughter so the Jew-Doctors say and that Job had a fair daughter by her whom Potipher married and that of her came Asenaz whom Joseph married They tell us also but who told them all this that she was hitherto spared when all Jobs outward comforts were taken away for Jacob her fathers sake Moreover the Septuagint here help her to scold adding a whole verse of female passion I must now saith she go wander and have no place to rest in c. Job said nothing all this while not because he was either insensible or sullen but because it was God that did it Psalm 39.2 and he had well deserved it Mic. 7.9 I will bear thinks he the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Yet my soul be silent to Jehovah c. Psal 12.1 Satan therefore who waited for his cursing of God as a dog waiteth for a bone but was defeated cunningly setteth his wife awork by her venemous words to make him speak at least and by her unseemly and sinful counsel to draw him to do wickedly Some think saith Chrysostome that the divel in the shape of Jobs wife spake thus unto him and surely their words agree He will curse thee to thy face saith he Curse God and die saith shee Chrysostome himself thinketh that the divel if he spake not in her yet spake by her as he did once to Eve by the Serpent and that he borrowed her mouth using her as a strong Engine to a wall of adamant as the choicest arrow in his quiver to wound Jobs righteous soule and as a scaling-ladder whereby to get up into this impregnable tower as Gregory hath it Per costam tanquam ser scalam ad cor Adami ascendit Greg. Moral l. 3. c. 3. He had tried this course before with Adam and had singular successe Gen. 3.6 he had by his rib as by a ladder gotten up to his heart yea with his rib broken his head as one phraseth it darting in death at the windowes of his ears This he assayed upon Job but without effect his ears were waxed up his heart fixed c. although he could not but be vexed that his wife should do it especially since hereby his servants and friends would be encouraged to do the like O wives saith one the sweetest poyson the most desired evil c. Sir Thomas Moore was wont to say that men commit faults often women only twice that they neither speak well nor do well This may be true of bad wives such as Jezebel who stirred up Ahab of himself forward enough to do wickedly with both hands earnestly 1 King 21.25 This in Jobs wise might be a particular failing though a foul one Women are the weaker vessels and naturally more passionate they must have their allowance as light gold hath Shee in the text had no small trials and he is a perfect man that offendeth not with his tongue Dost thou still retain thine integrity Cuibono as he said what gettest thou by it Is not this thy fear thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope Lo Eliphaz who should have had more grace and government of his tongue then Jobs wife scoffeth religious Job as some sense that text chap 4.6 rendring the words thus Is not thy fear or religion become thy folly Where is now thine uprightnesse and hope of reward It is an ancient and an ordinary slurre and slander cast upon the waies of God as if they were unprofitable as if God were an austere man an illiberall Lord as if there were no gain in godlinesse nothing to be got by it but knocks crosses losses c. whereas God is a rewarder of all those that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 He recompenseth the losses of his people as the King of Poland did his noble servant Zelislaus to whom having lost his hand in his warrs he sent a golden hand instead thereof He rewardeth the sufferings of his Saints as Caius the Emperour did Agrippa who had suffered imprisonment for wishing him Emperour The History saith that when he came afterwards to the Empire the first thing he did was to preferre Agrippa and gave him a chaine of gold as heavy as the chaine of iron that was upon him in prison The divel could have told this peevish woman that Job did not serve God for nought chap 1.9 See Mal. 1.10 and 3.14 with the Notes Curse God and die What cursed counsel was this and from her who should have administred conjugal help to him How well might Job have turned her off with Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me These were the divels words and not the womans saith Chrysostome it was her tongue but the divel tuned it saith Origen Curse God and die for he will not endure thee to live having once so set thy mouth against heaven but will quickly set thee packing by a visible vengeance or Curse God and then dye by thine own hands having first spit thy venome in his face for having handled thee so hardly after so good service done him Hacket did thus at the gallows Anno 1591. threatning to set fire on heaven Camd. Eli. 403 to pluck God out of his Throne if he would not shew some miracle out of the clouds to convert those infidels that brought him to execution and to deliver him from his enemies having the rope about his neck he life his eyes to heaven and grinning said Dost thou repay me this for a Kingdome bestow'd I come to revenge it c. O wretch I By the way observe that Satan is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hegesias the Philosopher was called a perswader of people that death is an end at least an ease of
There the 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 as do their cruell creditors and hard task-masters There that is in the state of the dead whether by land or sea the 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 the miserable captives â—est such as were those poor Christians shut up so close by Barbâ—rusâ—a the Turkish Generall returning toward Constantinople under hatches among the excrements of nature that all the way as he went Turk hist 750. almost every houre some of them were cast dead over-board Such were many of the Martyrs kept fast shut up â—n â—ollards Tower in the Bishop of London cole-house a dark and ugly prison said Mr. Philpot as any is about London but I thank the Lord I am not alone but have six other faithfull companions who in our darknesse do lightsomely sing Psalms and praises to God for his great goodnesse Acts Mon. 1669 1670. but especially for this that I am so near the apprehension of eternall blisse God forgive me mine unthankfulnesse and unworthinesse of so great glory What pitifull hard usage Gods poor prisoners met with in the late troubles at Oxford especially from which death God graciously delivered me when I was in their hands and in the Western parts pag. 38. see Mr. Râ—nas Sermon called Jâ—b in the West where he compareth the enemies cruelty to that of the American Cannâ—bals who when they take a prisoner seed upon him alive and by degrees to the unutterable aggravation of his horrour and torment They hear not the â—ice of the oppressors Their harsh and hard speeches Jude 15. that were as a murthering weapon in the poor prisoners bones Psal 42.10 Send me back to my frogs and toads again where I may pray for you conversion said one of the Martyrs to his raiâ—â—g adversaries Art thou come thou villain how darest thou look me in the face for shame said Sâ—even Gâ—râ—iner to Dr. Tayloâ— the Martyrâ— who told him his own freely Acts Mon. but fairely for the spirit of grace is 〈…〉 Est autem Saranâ— poctus 〈…〉 saith Luthex the divell and his agents are bitter railers fetching their words as farre as hell to breaâ— the hearts of Gods prisoners Psalm 69.20 But besides that they have their cordiall of a good conscience by them 2 Cor. 1.12 in the grâ—ve they heare not the voice of the oppressor nor the barking of these dead dogs any more Verse 19. The small and the great are there In Calvary are sculls of all sizes say the Hebrewes Stat sun cuique dies It is appointed for all once to die Virg. Aeneid lib. 10. be they great or small low or high Mors sceptra liganibus aequat death makes no difference Kings and captives Lords and losels come then under an equall parity death takes away all distinctions William the Conquerours corps lay unburied three dayes his interment was hindred by one that claimed the ground to be his Daniel King Stephen was interred at Fever sham Monastery but since Speed 498. his body for the gain of the lead wherein it was coffined was cast into the river where at length it rested as did likewise the dead corps of Edward the fifth and his brother smothered in Speed 935. the Tower by Richard the third and cast into a place called the black deeps at the Thames mouth The servant is free from his Master Servant is a name of office he is not his own to dispose of but the masters instrument saith Aristotle and wholly his till he please to manumit him if he do not yet death will and by taking away his life give him his liberty his body resteth from all servile offices for a season howsoever and if with good will hee hath done service as to the Lord and not to men he shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance even a childs part Colos 4.24 Verse 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Job hath not done yet though he had said more then enough of this matter but for want of the oyle of joy and gladnesse his doors move not without creaking his lips like rusty hinges open not without murmuring and complaining Good therefore is that counsel given by David Cease from anger and forsake wrath take up in time before it hath wholly leavened and sowred you fret not thy self in any wise to do evill Psal 37.8 Hee shall not chuse but do evil who is sick of the fret David had the sad experience of this when he had carted the Ark and thereupon God had made a breach upon Vzzah David was displeased saith the Text and how untowardly spake hee as if the fault were more in God then in himself though afterwards he came to a sight of his own error 1 Chron. 13.11 with 15.2 And so did Job no doubt when come to himself but here he proceeds to expresse his peevishnesse and impatience yea against God himself though not by name forsan sese cohibens ob bonae mentis reliquias saith Mercer out of his good respect to God which he still retained and calls for a reason why the miserable should be condemned to live since death would be much more welcome to them How apt are men to think there is no reason for that for which they can see no reason Verse 21. Which long for death and it cometh not The bitter in soul long for death those that are in paine or penury are apt to desire to be dispatch'd upon any terms and would freely pardon them they say that would give them their pasport But these for most part consider not the unsupportablenesse of the wrath to come that eternity of extremity in hell that death usually haleth at the heeles of it so that by death whereof they are so desirous they would but leap out of the frying-pan into the fire as Judas did they do as the asse in the fable who desired to die that he might be no more beaten at post mortem factus est tympanum but when he was dead he was made a drum-head of and so was ten times more laid on then ever in his life-time before And dig for it more then for hid treasures Covetousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-daring saith an Ancient and men for love of wealth will dig to hell light a candle at the divel as they say With such an eagernesse of desire do some that have little reason for it all things reckoned long and labour after death not to bee rid of sin or to bee with Christ as Phil. 1.23 but to bee freed from misery incumbent or impendent Thus Cato having first read Plato's book of the souls immortality laid violent hands on himselfe that hee might not fall into the hands of the conqueror Thus Adrian the Emperour having lain long sick and could get no help by Physicians but was the worse for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he complained at his death would gladly have slaine himselfe if those about him would have suffered
it It is said that Severianus whom this Emperour injuriously put to death wished of God at Adrianus quamvis mortem obire percupiat tamen non possit that Adrian might desire to die and not be able or find opportunity There is an Epistle of his extant saith the Historian wherein is set forth what a misery it is to desire to die Dio Cass in Adrian and yet to be denied it This was the case of those Popelings Rev. 9.6 And in particular of Roger Bishop of Salisbury in King Stevens time who through long and strait imprisonment was brought to that evil passe â—t vivere notuerit mori nescierit live he would not and yet die he could not This is a very typicall-hell and a fore-taste of eternall torment Verse 22. Which rejoyce exceedingly Joy till they skip again so Broughton rendreth it Strange that any should be so glad of death that last enemy that slaughter-man of nature and harbinger of hell to the ungodly but this the divel hideth from them till he hath them where he would have and whence there is no redemption What was it else that moved Augustus at his death to call for a Plâ—udite or that made Julian the Apostate to die so confidently and many now-adayes that have little reason for it to be so prodigall of their lives and seemingly fond of death Is it not because they are fearfully blinded by the god of this present world who holdeth his black hand before their eyes 2. Cor. 4.4 left they should see the evill consequents of death and be saved which because they do not what do they else but rejoyce exceedingly or with exultation as the word here signifieth in their wofull bondage and goe dancing to hell in their bolts not so much as desiring deliverance A man that is to be hanged next day may dream overnight he shall be set free nay that he shall bee a King and rejoyce therein accordingly but the end of such joy is heavinesse Verse 23. Why is light given to a man whose way is hid i.e. Why is the light of life continued to him who is in a maze or labyrinth of miseries whereof he can see no cause and whereout he can descry no issue no hope at all appeareth of ever either mending or ending Therefore Vale lumen amicum as he in Saint Hierome said sweet light adieu Quin morere ut merita es as shee in the Poet Be thine owne deaths-man Seneca counts it a mercy to a man in misery that he may by laying hands on himself set out his life when he will and this he calls valour and man-hood But we have no so learned Christ neither may we leave our station till called for by our Captaine but must stand to our arms and as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ suffer hardship 2 Tim. 2.4 His word to us is the same as the Kings was to his Sonne the Black-Prince Speed either vanquish or dye and as she in the story said to her son when shee gave him his Target See that thou either bring this back with thee or else be thou brought back dead upon it out of the battel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It troubled Job that he could not see his way and that God had hedged him in viz. with a thorn-hedge of afflictions Lam. 3.7 9. Hos 2.6 so that he could find no way out But what if he could not nor any man alive yet the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations 2 Pet. 2.9 He hath his way in the whirlewind and his judgements are a great deepe Psal 36.6 Sometimes secret they are but ever just Surely it had beene more meete for Job to have said unto God That which I see not teach thou mee c. yea Job 34.31 in the way of thy judgments O Lord have I waited for thee the desire of my soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Isa 26.8 Verse 24. For my sighing cometh before I eat It cometh unsent for as evill weather useth to do and most unseasonably surprizeth me at my repast I mingle my meat with my tears with every bit of bread I have a morsell of sorrowes â— and I mingle my drink with weeping Psal 102.9 though indeed Jobs was not so much a showre of teares as a storm of sighs and a volly of roarings betokening extremity of griefe such as was beyond tears and vented it selfe as the noise of many waters for my roarings saith he are poured out like water I am as hungry as a Lion roaring on his prey and as violent as the Torrents ranging the fields and yet I neither have leisure nor lift to eat my bread as loth to prolong such a troublesome life but that I must or be guilty of self-murther Mr Fox reports of Mr. John Glover that not long after his conversion upon a mistake of the sense of that text Heb. 6.5 6. he was strongly conceited that he had fallen into the unpardonable sinne and must necessarily therefore be damned and in that intolerable grief of mind although he neither had not could have any joy of his meat yet was he compelled to eate against his appetite to the end to deferre the time of his damnation so long as he might Acts Mon. 1552. Now who can tell how neere Jobs case might come to this fith the divell was both Author and Actor in a great part of both these Tragicomedies Verse 25. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me Heb. I feared a fear and it came upon me Had Job been wicked this had been no wander Prov. 10.24 Job 15.21 Or had his fear been sinfull it had been lâ—sse pity Prov. 29.25 John 11.48 for why should he by a painfull 〈…〉 suffer before he needed and send for his crosses before they came A good man should 〈◊〉 all and so consequently fearfull in nothing â—â—il 4.6 he should hope the best and beate bravely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Demosthenes whatever God sendeth The Epicunts held that a good man might be cheerfull under whatsoever miseries 1. Ex prateritarum voluptatum recordatione Cic. de finib lib. 2. In consideration of honesty and integrity 2. In consideration of those pleasuâ—es and to 〈◊〉 that formerly he had enjoyed and now cheared up himself with Of neither of these was Job to seek But whereas it might be said unto him Is it fit for thee who hast hitherto been so happy now to take on so heavily because thus and thus afflicted Truly saith he I was never so happy as you took me for because considering how moveable and mutable all outward things are I alwayes feared lest I should out live my prosperity that which now also is unhappily befallen me Sylla had been happy si eundem vincâ—ndi 〈…〉 fâ—cisset saith One that iâ— if he had made an end of conquering and of living together but that he did not In him and many
I am judged I am damned Pet. Sutor de vita Carth. This very much wrought upon the heart of Bruno saith he and occasioned him to found the Carthusian order Waldus a French Merchant was so affected with the death of one that died suddenly in his presence that he thenceforth became a right godly man and the Father of the Waldenses those ancient Protestants in France called also The poor men of Lions But oh the dead lethargy the spirit of fornication that hath so besotted the minds of the most that they can see death and yet not think of it they can look into the dark chamber of the grave and never make the least preparation for it if for present they be somewhat affected and have some good impressions yet they soon vanish as the water circled by a stone cast into it soone returns to its former smoothnesse as chickens run under the wings of the hen whiles the kite is over them or in a storm but soon after get abroad againe amd dust themselves in the Sun As Nebuchadnezzar had seen a vision but it was gone from him so here if men at the house of mourning have â—ome good motions they improve them not to resolutions or draw not forth their resolutions into execution c. Verse 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away Journyeth not their excellency with them so Broughton rendreth it By their excellency here some understand the soule called by David his glory A Philosopher said Favorium there was nothing excellent in the world but man nothing in man but his soul The Stoicks affirmed that the body was not a part of a man but the instrument or rather the servant of the soul Hence the Latines call the body Corpus or Corpor as of old they speak quasi cordis puer sive famulus And Plato saith Camer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that is not the man that is seen of him but the mind of a man that 's the man And in the 19 verse of this chap. man is said to dwell in an house of clay that is the soul to inhabit the body The soul goes away with the name of the whole person the soul indeed is the man in a morall consideration and is therefore elsewhere called the inward man 2 Cor. 4.16 1 Pet. 3.4 and the hidden man of the heart the body compared to it is but as a clay-wall encompassing a treasure a course case to a rich instrument a leathern sheath to an excellent blade Dan. 7.15 or as a mask to a beautiful 〈◊〉 Now at death this excellency of a man departeth returneth to God that gave it Eclesias â— 7 His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish even the most excellent effects of his mind and spirit as the word signifieth Psal 146.4 And as that so all other excellencies go away at death Psal 39.11 and 49.13 even the whole goodlinesse of man Isa 40.6 whether it be the good things of the mind as wisedome science conscience judgment or of the body as beauty and health or of fortune as they call it as favour and applause together with plenty of prosperity No mans glory goeth down with him into the grave Psal 49.16 Where is now the flourishing beauty and gallantry of Caesar saith one his armies and honours his triumphs and trophies where are the rich fools great barnes Nebuchadnezzars great Babel Agrippa's great pomp c Have not all these made their bed in the dark leaving their excellency behind them Are they not many of them gone to their place as a stone to the center or as a foole to the stocks They dye even without wisdome Heb. They die and not with wisedome They die like so many beasts but for their pillow and bolster without any care to lay hold on eternall life 1 Sam. 3.33 they die as a fool dieth Not in wisedome that is in abundance of folly saith Pineda and this is most mens case their wit serves them not in this weighty work of preparing to die they put farre away the thoughts of it and hence they die tempore non suo Eccles 7.17 when it were better for them to do any thing rather then to die To live with dying thoughts is an high point of heavenly wisedome Psal 90.12 Deut. 32.29 How might one such wise Christian chase a thousand foolish and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6.4 which drowne mens soules in perdition and destruction CHAP. V. Verse 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee THe beginning of this chapter is hard saith Mercer till you come to the seventh or eighth verses and then all is plain and easie That which Eliphaz driveth at here is to drive Job out of all good conceit of his own condition and to perswade him that never any good man suffered such hard and heavy things as he or at least suffered them so untowardly and impatiently Call I pray thee saith he call over the roll look into the records of former Saints and see if thou canst find among them all such another knotty piece as thy self that needed so much hewing and made such a deale of complaining Was there ever the like heard of Call now if there be any one answerable to thee Broughton rendreth it Call now if there be any one that will defend thee that is be thy Patron or advocate in word or in the example of their lives And to which of the Sâ—â—nts wilt thou turn q. d. Thou art alone neither maist thou hope to meet with thy match in the matter or manner of thine afflictions unlesse it be among hypocrites and gracelesse persons as verse 2. The Septuagint read it To which of the Angels wilt thou look And the Popish Commentators think they have here an unanswerable ground for their Doctrine of invocation of Saints and Angels But did not the buzzards take notice of an Irony here and that Eliphaz assureth Job that it would be in vain for him to call to any Saint c Is it not plain or probable at least that he here meaneth the Saints living in this world or if not yet is Gregory the great of no authority with them who acknowledgeth none other to be called upon here meant but God and that the Saints are mentioned to Job in derision as if it were a ridiculous thing to call to them departed out of this life who cannot hear us Verse 2. For wrath killeth the foolish man Such as thou art Job hot and hasty pettish and passionate fretting thy self to do evil and so provoking God to fall soule upon thee as a just object of his wrath to thine utter ruine without repentance Surely with the froward God will show himself froward Psal 18.26 Neither hath ever any one hardened himself against the Lord and prospered Job 9.4 For why he is wise in heart and mighty in strength as it is there every way able to
over-master an adversary if he but turn his own passions loose upon him such as are wrath and envy they will soon dispatch him How many are there who like sullen birds in a cage beat themselves to death did not Bajazet do so and was Diodorus any wiser or Homer â—ert lib. 2. who died for anger that they could not resolve certaine questions put unto them or Terence who drowned himself for grief that he had lost certaine Comedies that he had composed We read of some that out of discontent they turned Atheists as Diaâ—oras Lucian Porphyry c. and of others Diod. Sic. that missing of Bishopricks or other Church-preferments they turned hereticks in Jui solatium were not these great sinners against their owne soules like the angry Bee who to be revenged loseth her sting and soon after her life Died they not like fooles indeed that died of the sullens and so were deeply guilty of self-murther especially if their wrath were bent against God Ardâ—lâ—onem if they howle against heaven such are at once twice slain slain with the wrath of God and with their owne And envy slayeth the silly one Him that is under the power of his passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Aâ—â—ce Homer minima afflictione ab officio abducitur saith Mercer and is turned off from duty by every light affliction such an one doth envy at another mans prosperity It is the same with wrath nisi quòd vehementius est but that it is somewhat worse saith the same Author as being a most quick-sighted and sharp-fanged malignity Hence that of Solomon Wrath is cruel and anger outragious but who can stand before envy Prov. 27.4 It is the rottennesse of the bones Prov. 14.30 And like the serpent Porphyrius it drinks the most part of its own venome See the Note on Prov. 14.30 Verse 3. I have seen the foolish taking roote q. d. I grant that wicked men are not alwaies presently punished sed Nemesis in tergo subitò tollitur qui diu toleratur Gods wrath is such as no wicked man can avert or avoid This had Eliphaz well observed I have seen he had set a Memorandum on Gods just judgments and marked his spits with his own starres as one speaketh Eliphaz was a man of much experience see chap. 4.8 In him that was true which Elihu saith should be that dayes spake and multitude of yeeres taught wisedome chap. 32.7 Only herein he is mistaken that he mis-applieth all to Job arguing from his outward condition to his inward as if therefore he were wicked because seemingly wretched Thus the glosse he set was viperous eating out the bowels of the text It was a truth of God that he uttered and the same in sense with that of David Psal 37.35 And that of Solomon Pro. 23.18 But why should he thus writhe it and wrest it to make the tune sound to his own key St Peter speaketh of some that wrest the Scriptures 2 Pet. 3.16 putting them upon the rack Caedem scripturarum faciunt and making them speak that which they never thought And Tertullian saith of others that they do murther the Scriptures for their own turnes and to serye their own purposes But let us hear Eliphaz I have seene saith he and what more sure then sight Numb 16.14 The foolish the wilfull fool and perhaps he points at some one such rich fool as is mentioned Luke 12.20 not unknown to Job and as Eliphaz deemeth a fit parallel for him taking root dwelling alone in the earth confirmed and setled in a fair estate in a prosperous condition as Nebuchadnezzar that goodly tree thought himself Dan. 4.4 22. See Jer. 12.2 and Dionysius tyrant of Sicily Aelian var. hist lib. 2. who conceited that his Kingdome was bound fast unto him with chaines of adamant But he was soone after cast out and thereby convinced of singular folly A tempest or at least an axe of divine vengeance can easily fell these fast rooted and best-fruited trees and lay them low enough as he did Nebuchadnezzar that maule of the Nations and rod of Gods wrath Isa 14.4 5 6 7 8. Dan. 4.22 c. and Attilas the Conquering Hunne who called himself the Wrath of God and Scourge of the world P. Jovius and arrogantly said that the starres of heaven fell before him and the earth trembled but was soone after rooted up by impartiall death in the midst of his nuptial solemnities And suddenly I cursed his habitation His house which he held his castle Subita morte extinctus est sanguine copiose in fauces exundante ex ore crump together with his family verse 4. and his family-provisions verse 5. All these Eliphaz suddenly even when he was in the ruffe of all his jollity in the height of his flourish cursed Heb. pierced or bored through not so much by a malediction as a prediction Male ominatus sum iis I fore-saw and foretold that that happinesse would not hold long I ominously divined it I both thought it and spake it Piâ—â— non decent diâ—ae cursing men are cursed men but a godly person may presage a curse and foretell it according to that Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked yea the flying â—â—â—le of curses that is ten yards long and five yards broad shall remain in the midst of it and consume it Zech. 5.4 Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation and the fire of God shall kindle it so that his rootes shall be dried up beneath and above shall his branch be cut off c. Job 18.15 16. Verse 4. His children are farre from safety This is one principall root of wicked men viz. their children which have their very name in Hebrew from building because by them the house is built up and way made to greatest honours by friendships and affinities of other great families These are farre from safety that is they are in a great deal of danger or by their intemperance they run into many diseases and disasters Lavat by their evil practises they come under the lash of the Law and without repentance under the danger of damnation too salvation is farre from them Psal 119.155 Isa 59.11 They are crushed in the gate That is they are cast in judgement all goes against them and sentence pronounced upon them as it befell Hamans children and Davids enemies Psal 109.7 Neither is there any to deliver them None to plead for them or rescue them Prov. 31.8 9. none to extend mercy to them nor any to favour those fatherlesse children Psal 109.12 and that because their fathers were pitilesse verse 13 14. Haman for instance Verse 15. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up This is another root of the wicked One his estate against which God raiseth up a rout of needy wretches to pillage him These are as a sweeping raine that leaveth no food Prov. 28.3 These as leane lice bite hardest and as
Devil with a Writ of Habeas animam when the cold earth must have his body and hot hell hold his soul according to that of the Psalmist Let death seizâ— upon them and let them go down quick into hell for wickednesse is in their dwellings and among them Psal 55.17 The sad forethought hereof causeth many unutterable griefs and gripings perplexities of spirit and convulsions of soul a very hell above ground and a foretaste of eternal torments The word here rendred terror signifieth utmost affrightments such as put a man well nigh out of his wits and distract him R. Solomon understandeth it of devils others of furies such as the Poets fain Most certain it is Cic. Orat. pro Rosc Amer. that a body is not so tormented with stings or torn with stripes as a mind with remembrance of wicked actions and fear of future evils And shall drive him to his feet As they did Cain that Caitiff Qui factus est à corde sâ—â— fugitivus Tertul. who would fain have fled from his own conscience if he could have known whither and became a Fugitive and a Vagabond upon the earth Gen. 4.12 seeking to outrun his terrors which yet dogged him hard at the heels They shal presse him at his feet so Broughton readeth this Text. Verse 12. Fit famelicum robur ejus His strength shall be hunger-bitten Heb. His strength or wealth shal be famine Or Famine shall be his strength He who whilom having health and wealth at will fared deliciously and gathered strength shall be hunger-starved and hardly have prisoners pittance so much only as will neither keep him alive nor suffer him to dye See 1 Sam. 2.5.36 'T is as much faith Brentius as we use to say of an extreme poore or feeble person his wealth is poverty his strength weaknesse And destruction shall be ready at his side i.e. Shall suddenly and inevitably seize upon him there will be no running away from it for can a man run from his side The word signifieth not an ordinary calamity but a dreadful and direful destruction Some understand it of the Plurisie or Vlcers in the side of a man Others of ribrost as they call it tortures inflicted on condemned persons as Heb. 11.34 who are beaten with bats Verse 13. It shall devour the strength of his skin i.e. his bones which support his skin these destruction shall devour or swallow up at a bit as an hungry Monster The first born of death shall devour his strength i.e. The Devil say some that Destroyer Rev. 9.11 that old Man-slayer John 8.44 Prince of death Heb. 2.14 as Christ is called Prince of Life Act. 3.15 and first born of death as Christ is the first born of the Resurrection Col. 1.18 Others understand it De cruentissima at funestissima morte of the most tragick and cruel kind of death See Isai 14.30 Broughton readeth it A strange death shall cat the branches of his body judgments shal come upon thee in their perfection saith God to Babylon Isai 47.9 Verse 14. And his confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle Whatsoever he trusteth in about his house shall be pulled up by the roots or grub'd up Thus it befel Doeg Psal 52.7 And this disappointment this broken confidence of his shall bring him or make him go to the King of terrors i.e. to death that most terrible of terribles Aristot as the Philosopher calleth it Or the Devil as R. Solomon interpreteth it that black Prince Eph. 6.12 to whom wicked men are brought by death which to them is not only Natures Slaughterman but Gods curse and hels Purveyour hence Rev. 6 8. death haleth hell at the heels of it Verse 15. It shall dwell in his Tabernacles because it is none of his Heb. Not his for why the King of terrors hath turned him out of it and taken it up for an habitation for himself Some render it thus nothing or have nothing that is want shall dwell in his Tabernacle his house shall be replenished with emptinesse scarcity shall be the furniture of his habitation Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation As is also threatned Psal 11.6 And as was executed upon Sodom and her sifters as also upon Dioclesian the Tyrant who giving over his Empire Euseb de Vita Const lib. 5 decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he escaped not so for after that his house was wholly consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven not without a sulphurous smell he hiding himself for fear of the lightning dyed within a little after Verse 16. His roots shall be dryed up beneath c. The meaning is saith Dâ—odate he shall be deprived of Gods grace which is the root of all happinesse and of his blessing which is the top of it Verse 17. His remembrance shall perish from the earth As a tree when root and branch is gone is clean forgotten and no man remembreth where it grew so shall it be with the wicked Mercer Non celebrabitur ejus nomon fama nise in malum Eccles 8. 10. It is reckoned as a great benefit to a wicked man to have his memory dye with him which if it be preserved stinks in keeping and remains as a curse and perpetual disgrace And he shall have no name i.e. no honourable Name no renowne A good name only is a name Eccles 7.1 as a good wife only is a wife Prov. 18.22 Every married woman is not a wife Zillah Lamechs wife was but the shadow of a wife as her name also signifieth In like sort those only have a name in the streets or publick places who are talked of for good as the Martyrs who have left their names for a blessing Isai 65.15 when as their wretched Persecutors have left a vile snuff behind their Lamps being put out in obscurity Verse 18. He shall be driven out of light into darknesse Heb. They shall drive him scil the devils shall drive him out of the light of life into outer darknesse as they did that rich wretch Luke 12.20 confer Mat. 8.12 and 25.30 The Dutch Translation readeth it Men shall drive him Others understand it of his troubles and sorrowes And chased out of the world As Tarquin was by Collatine as Phâ—â—as was by Heraclius kickt off the stage of the world as one phraseth it or as Job saith of some wicked buried before half dead chap. 27.15 Men shall chap their hands at him and shal hiss him out of his place verse 23. Verse 19. he shall neither have son nor Nephew c. A sore affliction to be written childlesse which yet is the portion of some good people as Abel many Prophets and Apostles for whose comfort that is written Isai 56.4.5 God as he will be to his childlesse children better then ten sons so he will give them in his house 1 Sam. 1.8 Isal 96.5 and within his wals a place and a name better then
to be but where Noahs dog lies And now Sirs you that were such men of Renown Gen. 6.4 you that were the brave Gallants of the earth now tell me who is the fool and who is the wise man now Thus he Piscator takes the next verse Where as or though our substance is not cut down but or yet the remnant of them the fire consumeth to be spoken in the person of Noah whom he makes the innocent man here mentioned and adds Saying in the beginning of the next verse As if Noah coming out of the Ark should wash his feet in the blood of those wicked and say God hath preserved me and mine our sincerity hath prevailed for our safety and in his wrath destroyed the ungodly But I rather concur with Tremellius and Merlin and others who make this verse coherent with and preparatory to the following famous Exhortation to Repentance Verse 21 22 23 c. Acquaint thy self now with him and be at peace c. But be sure thou do it now that is speedily and timously Verse 20. When as our substance is not cut down that is Whiles life lasteth and whiles it is called to day before death cometh and after death judgement when the remnant of the wicked fire shall consume Where we have a forcible motive to repent because we must either â—urn or burn Aut poenitendum aut pereundum See Acts 17.31 2 Cor. 5.10 11. Heb. 12.28 29. Eliphaz seemeth here on purpose to have mentioned that fire wherewith wicked men shall be tormented at the last day and before for every mans deaths-day is his doom-day and to have changed the person The remnant or excellency of them the fire consumeth That it might the more effectually move men to repent that they may be delivered from the wrath to come And here I could willingly take up Chrysostomes wish Vtinam ubique de Gehenna dissereretur Oh that men would talk more every where of hell fire unquenchable intolerable and the fuel thereof made of the most tormenting temper Isai 30.33 It was a speech of Gregory Nyssen He that does but hear of hell is without any further labour or study taken off from sinful pleasures and set upon the practice of mortification But mens hearts are grown harder now adayes and he that shall observe their impiety and impenitency may well say to them as Cato once did to Cesar Credo quae de inferis dicuntur falsa existimas I believe thou thinkest all but a fable that is said concerning hell Esse aliquos Manes c. Nec pueri credunt nisi qui nondum aere lavantur Juven Sat. 2. Verse 21. Acquaint now thy self with him Accommoda 〈◊〉 nune illiâ— assâ—esce cum illo Converse with God in an humble familiarity set him at the right hand Psal 16.8 be ever at his hand Vt famulus son accensus as Attendant upon his person In all thy wayes acknowledge him and let him direct thy paths Prov. 3.6 Ask counsel at his mouth aime at his glory be thou in his fear all the day long Prov. 23.17 Account it thine happinesse to be in communion with him and conformity to him in all parts and points of duty The Lord is with you if you be with him 2 Chron. 15.3 And be at peace Return to him by repentance from whom thou hast so deeply revolted and against whom thou hast so shamefully rebelled For Eliphaz here takes it for granted Acquiesce ei that Job had estranged himself from God and therefore could not possibly be at peace till better acquainted with him and acquiescing in him as the Vulgar here hath it No creature is more fearful then a fish flying at the shadow of a man yet it feareth not the roaring Ocean which yet Lions and other fierce creatures feare because it is of its own nature and acquaintance A sheep feareth not his shepherd nor shall we God if once acquainted with him Peâ—â—e shall be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Tabernacles Thereby good shall come unto thee Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Psal 128.2 A Coruncopia a confluence of all manner of comforts and contentments shall betide thee but then thou must humble thy self to walk with thy God Miâ— 6.8 by faith walk with God and by reflection walk with thy selfe Compone emenda vias tuâ—â— coram Domino and then thou needest not say with the worldling Who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 for God himself will say unto thee as once he did to Moses when he gave him but a glimpse of himself and his glory Ostendam tibiomne bonum I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee Exâ—d 33.19 Verse 22 Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth Now he speaks Job fair whom before he had sufficiently rippled up and rough-hewed without mercy or so much as truth That which he here perswadeth him to is to depend upon God for direction and successe in all his enterprizes to consult with him upon all occasions and not to do ought without his warranty and approbation Gods testimonies were Davids delight and his Counsellors Psalm 119.24 All that advise not with these must needs be without understanding a Nation void of counsel Deut. 32.28 And lay up his words in thine heart Heb. Put his word as the Tables were put in the Ark mingle Gods Word with faith in thine heart as in a vessel Cor autem sit carnenâ— fide the flinty heart is made flashly by faith and capable of divine impressions Verse 23. If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up By sin men run from God by repentance they return to him Break off thy sins by repentance and put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacle for iniquity and repentance cannot cohabit and he is no true Penitentiary that reformeth not his family that setteth not up God wherever he hath to do so shalt thou be built up that is thou shalt be restored and all thy losses in wealth and Children shall be made up again prorsus erigeris qui â—am collapsus es thou who art now down on all four shalt be new set up and made to stand in thy former strength Only thou must return usque ad Omâ—potentem all out as far as to the Almighty thou must not give the half-turn only as hypocrites do but with thy whole heart and as Joel 2.12 see the Note there Thus Eliphaz discourseth very well and handsomly of the business in hand Only he was out in this That he looked upon Job as an impenitent person and upon his family as ill-ordered As also in that he conceived that true repentance is ever rewarded with outward and inward prosperity whereas a penitent person may continue under crosses though God will surely save the humble as he saith afterwards verse 29. and repentance can turn crosses into comforts and like the Philosophers stone make golden afflictions 1 Pet. 1.7 As scarlet pulls out the teeth of
hath done them good Josh 24.20 their preservation proveth but a reservation Verse 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty viz. When trouble cometh upon him as in the former verse No this is Christianorum propria virtus a practise that none can skill of but Gods people saith Hierâ—me to rejoyce in tribulation and then to continue instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 for deliverance with some confidence grounded upon former experience Crâ—â— cuiâ—â— is inuncta est saith Bernard Together with the Crosse they have an unction from the Father annointed they are with that Oyle of gladnesse 1 Pet. 2.14 the Spirit of glory and of God which resteth upon â—heâ— and refresheth them amidst all their sorrowes and sufferings and hence their delight in the Almighty yea though he frown and lay upon them as he did upon Jâ—â— with his own bare hand Not so the hypocrite for why he hateth God an his heart as doth every evil-doer Bernard John 3.20 Est 〈◊〉 talium pâ—na Deus utpot◠〈◊〉 est â—t quid talibus am invisuâ— God is light and therefore hated as a punishment to such inanspicate night-birds He is holinesse but the hypocrite filthinesse as his name also importeth How thâ—n can be delight himself in the Almighty What complacency can there be where is such an â—tter contrariety They that love the Lord haâ—e evil Psal 81 2◠〈◊〉 so doth not any hypocrite leave it he may but not loath it Paâ—t with it he may as Jacob did with Benjamin lest otherwise he should starve or as 〈◊〉 with Michael lest he should lose his head but his heart is glued to it still he hath a months mind to be doing if he durst Finally He is without faith and therefore without joy and peace of conscience And as for his Spider-web of hope a little wind bloweth it down The world hath his heart and so the love of the Father cannot be in him 1 John 2.15 He leaneth upon the Lord and saith Is not the Lord amongst us Mic. 3.11 yet is he rootedin the delights of life Like as the Apricock tree leaneth against the wall but is fast rooted in the earth Will he alwayes â—all upon God Heb. Iâ— every time No nor scarce at any time Indeed as beggâ—rs have learned to 〈◊〉 so have some hypocrites to pray Isai 26.16 They have powred forth charm when thy chastening was upon them When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired after God Psal 78.34 But this was only a prayer of the flesh for â—ase and not of the Spirit for grace They spoke God fair as the Divel did Christ only to be rid of him Thus 〈◊〉 when on the rack roâ—â—ed out a consession and called for a Prayer Joaâ— in danger of death hangs on the hornes of the Altar The Captivated Jews fasted and prayed for seventy years to get off their thaines rather then their sins Zech. 7.5 which Daniel therefore reckoned lost labour chap â— 13. But many wiâ—â—â—d men though in prosperity they have some short-wishes such as was that of â—â—laâ—â—s Numb 23.10 wherewith compare that of David Psal 26.9 and see a difference or perhaps are able by strength of wit and one money to pray handsomely yet in adversity they set their mouthes against heaven 〈…〉 Wolves and howle upward they curse their King and their God and look upward saith Isaiah chap. 8.21 they murmure and mutiny as the Israelites in the wilderness they banne and blaspheme as did that Israelitish womans son Lev. 14.11 and Micahs mother Judg. 17.2 A Parrot may be taught to talk like a man Histories tell us of one at Rome that could repeat the whole Creed but let him be but beaten and he returnes to his own natural harsh voice So an hypocrite while all goes well with him may seem very devout at his Orisons but lay thy hand upon him saith Satan to God concerning Job presuming thereby to prove him an hypocrite and he will curse thee to thy face chap. 2.5 But say he be somewhat better conditioned as they call it and for a while pray to God for ease and help yet he will not pray alwayes he will not persevere in prayer follow on to pray wait upon God for an answer and be content to want it if God see good to deny it He cannot draw nigh to God with a true heart such a heart as is well satisfied if God may be glorified though himself be not gratified in full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 Which is saith Brentius Orationis medulla the marrow of prayer Hence Saint James calleth it the prayer of faith chap. 5.15 Afflictions cause a Saint to seek out Gods Promise the Promise to seek Faith Faith to seek Prayer and prayer to find God to find him at length For he is a God that hideth himself Isai. 45.15 But what saith faith I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Isai 8.17 See this exemplified in the woman of Canaan who fetcht Christ out of his retiring room by the force of her faith Mark 7.24 and prayed on though denied She would not be said nay or set down either with silence or sad answers but shewed her self a woman of a well knit resolution such as could credere invisibilia sperare dilaia amare Deum se ostendentem contrarium as Luther speaketh Believe things invisible hope for things deferred and love God when he shewes himself most angry and opposite Now this the hypocrite who is an Infidel cannot skil of He is short spirited and cannot hold out in prayer cannot as our Saviour taught by that Parable Luke 18.1 alwayes pray and not faint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shrink back as sluggards do in work or Cowards in War Oratio est res ardua magni laboris saith Luther Prayer is a hard work and a man must tug at it and stick to it as Jacob did who wrestled and raised dust as the Hebrew word signifieth he held fast and hung on yea he held with his hands when his thigh was lamed Let me go saith God bespeaking his own liberty No thou shalt not saith Jacob until thou blesse me Lo such is the generation of them that seek God in sincerity of them that seek thy face this is Jacob Psal 24.6 One thing have 〈◊〉 desired of the Lord and that I will seâ—k after saith David Psal 27.4 If his suit had not been honest he would never have begun it But being so he will never give it over till he hath prevailed he will pray till he faint and then to it again Psal 119.81 82. Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 So doth not the hypocrite for want of an inward principle If God come not at a call he is out patience and ready to say with that profane Prince 2 Kings 6.33 Behold this evil is of the Lord and what should I wait
extraordinary palpitation or as the Tigurines have it luxation Thunder is so terrible that it hath forced from the greatest Atheist an acknowledgement of a Deity Suetonius telleth us of Caligula that Monster who dared his Jove to a Duel that if it thundred and lightned but a little he would hood-wink himself but if much he would creep under a bed and be ready to run into a mouse-hole as we say Augustus Caesar also was so afraid of thunder and lightning that alwayes and every where he carried about him the skin of a Sex-Calf which those Heathens fondly held to be a preservative in such cases and if at any time there arose a great storm he ran into a dark vault The Romans held it unlawful to keep Court Jove tonâ—nte fulgurante in a time of thunder and lightening as Tully telleth us De Divin lib. 2. And Isidore deriveth tonitru à terrendo thunder from its terrour and others form its tone or rushing crashing noise affrighting all creatures At the voice of thy thunder they are afraid Psal 104. which One not unfitly calleth Davids Physicks Verse 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice Conjunctam commotione vocem ejus the great thunder-crack that now is that angry noise as the word signifieth Hear in hearing you cannot but hear it with the eares of your bodies hear it also with the eares of your minds tremble and sin not contrary to the course of most men who sin and tremble not drowning the noise of their consciences as the old Italians did the thunder by ringing their greatest Bells discharging their roaring-Megs c. But what saith Elihu here to his hearers Audite audite audite etiam atque etiam contremiscetis vos vos testes adhibeo as Mercer paraphraseth it out of Kimchi Hear ye hear ye hear ye again and again and then ye also will tremble I take you to witnesse whether ye consider his greater thunder-claps ringing and roaring in your eares See Psal 29.4 87.7 or the lesser rumblings called here Murmur vel Mussitationem vel habitum citra quem sermo non profertur the sound or breath that goeth out of his mouth Aristot Pliny All 's ascribed to God though Naturalists tell us and truly that there are second causes of thunder and lightning wherein neverthelesse we must not stick but give God the glory of his Majesty as David teacheth Psal 29. and as blind Heathens did when they called their Jove Altitonantem the high Thunderer The best Philosophy in this point is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking to us from heaven as if he were present and to see him in his lightnings as if he cast his eyes upon us to see what we had been doing His eyes are as a flaming fire Rev. 1.14 and the school of nature teacheth that the fiery eye seeth Extra-mittendo by sending out a ray c. Verse 3. He directeth it under the whole Heaven Heb. He maketh it to go right forward meaning the thunder the vehement noise or sound whereof not altogether unlike that of cloth violently torn or of air thrust out of bellows or of a chesnut burst in the fire but far louder is brought through the air to our eares with such a mighty force that it drowns all noises clappings clatterings roarings even of many waters making the earth to shake again Lavat and all things tremble non secùs quà m siquis currum onustum per plateam lapidibus stratam ducat And this dreadful noise is by God directed to this or that place under the heavens at his pleasure The word rendred directeth signifieth also Beholdeth whence some interpret this text of Gods seeing all things under heaven But the former sense is better And his lightning unto the ends of the earth God commands the lightning to cleave the clouds and to scatter its flames through the world Lightning is the brightnesse of a shining flame running through the whole air in a moment rising of a small and thin exhalation kindled in a cloud see Psal 18.13 The natural end and effect of thunder and lightning is to clear the air by wasting poysonous vapours The supernatural is to shew Gods excellent Majesty and Might which the Mightiest must acknowledge Psal 29.1 2. to be his officers about him to make room for him Psal 97.1 4. to execute his wrath upon his enemies Exod. 9.23.27 Psal 77.18 19. 1 Sam. 2.10 Isai 29.6 and his mercy toward his people for the humbling of them 1 Sam. 12.18 19 20 c. raising them again to an assured confidence Psal 29.11 c. But that God can shoot these arrows of his so far Mat. 24.27 Psal 77.18 97.3 4. and here yea and that at the same time when it raineth when one would think that the one should quench the other Psal 135.7 this is a just wonder and Jeremy urgeth it twice as such chap. 10.13 51.16 Verse 4. After it a voice roareth After it that is after the lightning it thundereth indeed before or at least together with it but the lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because the sense of hearing is slower than the sense of seeing thus fire is first seen in a Gun Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures c. Horat. ere the report is heard the Ax of the Wood-cleaver is up for a second blow ere we hear the first if any way distant c. And besides as R. Levi well observeth here that the sight of the lightning may come from heaven to us there needeth no time because our eyes reach up thither in an instant but that a sound may come therehence to us in regard of the distance and because the air must be beaten and many times impressed as into so many circles there must be some space of time neither can it be done so suddenly He thundereth with the voice of his excellency Or of his height or of his pride Proud persons think themselves high and use to speak big-swoln words of vanity bubbles of words as St. Peter calls them If they be crossed never so little verbis bacchantur cum quodam vocis impetu loquunter Oh the tragedies the blusters the terrible thunder-cracks of fierce and furious language that follow thereupon Some have been threatned to death as Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar and Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellour by Queen Elizabeth How much more should men quake and even expire before the thunder of the most high or wriggle as worms do into their holes the corners of the earth And he will not stay them when his voice is heard Them that is new flashes of lightning or rain and haile which usually break out either while it thundreth or presently after in a most vehement and impetuous manner Verse 5. God thundereth marvellously with his voice Or God thundereth our marvellous things with his voice Marvellous indeed if we consider the effects of thunder lightning and
the sea regarded him not Xerxes beat the sea and cast a pair of fetters into it to make it his prisoner but to no purpose God here chides it by an elegant Eclipsis or Aposiopesis Illic ponet sc ventus elationem fluctuum tuâ—rum and it is quieted immediately as Jon. 1. Matth. 8. Think the same of the waters of Afflictions Verse 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes It may be thou wilt say These are ancient things done long before I was born but ask me of things within my reach and remembrance Well then what saiest thou to the Sun-rising Hast thou either lengthened or hastened it at any time since thou wert born causing it to rise at such or such an hour in such or such a point of heaven according to the divers degrees and situations of the Zodiak No this is more than ever any man could do The day is thine the night also is thine saith David Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter Psal 74.16 17. If all the Emperours and Potentates of the earth should conjoyn their forces to hinder or hasten the rising of the Sun they could never do it Joshua did indeed stop the course of the Sun but that was by the power of God set a work by his faithful prayer Whence One cryeth out O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam quibus etiam coelestia cedunt O the admirable power of Prayer force of Faith which is such as the visible heavens are sensible of and giveth way to how then should earth or hell stand before it And cause the day-spring to know his place The word day-spring comes from blacknesse for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clear light at first but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aurorasic à nigrore dicta qui eam comitatur rather dark than light Verse 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth That is suddenly illighten the whole Horizon for which cause also David ascribeth wings to the morning Psal 139. so that the light is not a body nor as some will have it a substance but an accident The truth is no man can tell what it is of any certainty an admirable creature it is surely a divine and heavenly thing than which nothing is more desirable nothing more profitable Two excellent uses of it are here set forth 1. To refresh men by the sight of the earth and the things thereon 2. To set us upon serious employments such as is the punishment of evil doers for so some interpret those next words That the wicked might be shaken out of it sc By banishment or rather by death inflicted upon them in the light for their deeds of darknesse Or at least that those Lucifugae tenebriones those inauspicate night-birds who hate the light because their works are evil might be shamed and shunned Their Motto is Jam lux inimica propinquat See chap. 24. vers Virg. 13 17. Verse 14. It is turned as clay to the seal That is The earth now discerned by reason of the aire inlightened The sense is this Like as clay in the lump that hath no figure stamped upon it is changed by a seal impressed Piscator and receiveth the figure of the seal upon it self so the earth which by night was without form by reason of darknesse when once the Sun is up is figured as it were that is it shewes the several figures stamped upon it And they stand as a garment All the several fruits flowers and various workmanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon Abbot appear as a stately garment or ornament on a man Mat. 6.28 29. the Sun-beams shining upon it as lace Verse 15. And from the wicked their light is with-holden They have no such joy of those comforts which the light affordeth but as it discovereth their dark practises Ephes 5.13 so it bâ—ingeth them forth to condigne punishment Vtpote indignos qui hac luce fruantur And his high arm shall be broken i. e. His strength tyranny and power whereby he oppressed others as with an out-stretched arm lifted up to strike with violence this shall be broken as Moabs was Jer. 48. and as all the wickeds shall be but the Lord upholdeth the righteous Psal 37.17 It is well noted that this verse is an Exposition of the latter part of vers 13. as the former verse was of the former part And well might Mercer say of this and the three following Chapters Sunt hac alta insignia munulla difficilia these are things high and excellent and somthing dark and difficult Verse 16. Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea Heb. Into the teares of the sea Vsque ad ploratamaris Job 28.11 for springs poure out water as eyes do teares and the same Hebrew word signifieth an eye and a spring because saith One the eye is of a watery constitution or to shew that from it as from a spring or fountain did flow both sin it self the cause of sin and misery the punishment of both and because by it came the greatest hurt therefore God hath placed in it the greatest tokens of sorrow iisdem quibus videmus oculis flemus Now if Job cannot fathom the Sea much lesse can he the deep counsels of God Or hast thou walked in the search of the deep Et in vado voraginis ambulasti No that 's Gods walk alone Psal 77.19 whatever the Papists legend of their St. Christopher Verse 17. Have the gates of Death been opened unto thee sc That thou shouldest know when how and of what Disease every man shall die together with the state and condition of the dead Or hast thou seen the doers of the shadow of death No nor any man living hath ever seen those dark and dismal receptacles of the dead called here the shadow of death that is so dreadful that they were enough to strike a man dead Verse 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth Heb. The bredths i. e. the length also and circumference thereof Geographers define the length of the earth from East to West the bredth from North to South and they have their supputations and conjectures Frigidae sunt et leves conjecturae Mercer Pencer and others tell us that if there were a path made round the earth an able foot-man might easily go it in 900. dayes Which if he could yet what mortal man though he should live 900. years could ever visit and view the whole face nature and dimension of the earth wherein are so many deserts and bogs unpassable Or what Job can give a reason why God made the earth of such a length and bredth and no more when he could so easily have done it How much lesse can he of Gods secret and unsearchable judgements and why should he so desire to know the cause wherefore he is
petty-gods within our selves we would be absolute and independent when in truth all that we have is derivative the Churches beauty is borrowed Ezek. 16. and we may say of all that we are as he did of his hatchet Alas Master I borrowed it 2 King 6.5 Verse 15. Behold now Behemoth which I made with thee i.e. The Elephant called Behemoth Vocatur Bellua per Antonomasiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. that is Beasts in the plural for his hugenesse as if he were made up of many beasts So David aggravating his own brutishnesse saith So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast Heb. Behemoth beasts in the plural before thee Psal 73.22 that is as a great beast his sin swelled in his eyes as a toad he befools and be-beasts himself as reason required for nothing is more irrational than irreligion Which I made with thee Thy fellow creature made to serve thee He is in the Chaldee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pil that is Wonderful because the wonders of Gods glory do so marvellously appear in him Made he was the same day with man and hath a kind of familiarity and love to him if brought up with him doing him great good service in Peace and War and may be taught to adore Kings He eaieth grasse like an Ox He is not ravenous nor carnivorous neither eateth he daily the grasse upon a thousand hills Lyra. as the Hebrews foolishly fable and that he is to be killed at the resurrection to feast the Saints as being a creature of a monstrous bignesse As the Ox liâ—â—eth up grasse Numb 22.4 so doth the Elephant yet not with his tongue which for so great a Beast is but little neither read we here any thing at all of his voice to teach great men faith One not to speak bigge swolne words but with his Trunk or great Snout called his tail verse 17 as Beza thinketh because it beares the resemblance of a taile Arist de Nâ—â— Anim l. 2. c. 5 6. and is of most marvellous and necessary use to him With this he grazeth and with this he over-throweth trees and then feedeth upon them But he doth not proudly abuse the mightinesse of his limbs to the hurt of other cattle yet he will not be wronged and is of so great strength that no one man dare assault him Verse 16. Lo now his strength is in his loines Wherein he is so strong that he can beare a wooden Tower upon his back and upon that two and thirty men standing to fight there-from In India where the hugest Elephants are they ride upon the bigger plow with the lesser and carry great loads and burdens with both For which and the like purposes Junius totus robustissimus est supernè infernè Howbeit God hath chiefly placed his strength not in any offensive part his head hath no horns nor his feet no clawes to do mischief with but in his loynes and about his belly And his force is in the navel of his belly Which must needs be very hard undergirded when so great weight is made fast to his back Naturalists observe That the softest part of the Elephant is his belly and therefore the Rhinoceros his deadly enemy setteth upon him there with his crooked horn whetted against a Rock and overcometh him yet is he stronger in his belly then other Creatures are in the back and therfore his Navel is here called Navels in the plural His skin is exceeding hard and rough so that an Arrow can hardly pierce it Yet Eleazer Machab. 6 rushing into the enemies Army gat under an Elephants belly upon which he thought King Antiochus rode and killed him being himself crushed to death with the weight of the Beast falling upon him Verse 17. He moveth his tail like a Caedur The Elephant hath but a small and short taile for his bulk Beza therefore rendreth it his prominent part which is as the Cedar and interpreteth it of his Prâ—bofeis or large Snout Sic. Deodat which truly saith he as being proper to the Elephant and of very great use might not in any wise be pretermitted in this description See vers 15. The sinewes of his stones are wrapt together This is also another of the Elephants properties whose testicles are hidden and stick to his belly fastned there by certaine sinewes and ligaments and do not hang as other beasts testicles do As his genital members are but small considering his bignesse so his lust to the female is not great never coupling with her but in secret and when she is once filled forbearing her company Verse 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brasse Or As Conduit Pipes of brasse whereby may be understood his hollow bones as by bars of Iron the solid ones and by both together with his Trunk composed of gristles and his teeth and tushes eight foot long some of them we may conjecture of the bignesse of his whole body the hugest of all earthly creatures saith Pliny nine cubits high saith Elian of some Now can Job look upon such a monstrous creature or hear his noise or stand before him without great horror and will he not submit to the great God and give him all his glory Verse 19. He is the chief of the wayes of God i.e. The Master-piece among all the beasts and perhaps first made as Man is among all earthly creatures being divini ingenii cura as One calls him Of all earthly irrational creatures the Elephant is the hugest and strongest and of most understanding He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him i.e. God alone can deal with him and kill him for no man dare undertake him unlesse it be by Art and cunning and that in Jobs dayes likely was not yet known or practiced And if God had not given an horn to the Rhinoceros and poison to the Dragon who are the Elephants most mortal enemies there were no beasts to be found that could have the better of him He is of himself long-lived saith Aristotle but God can and doth cut him off at his pleasure and so he will those masterlesse Monsters that persecute his people though they may seem to be out of the reach of his rod. Some read the words thus He that made him made his sword to be near him and intepret it of his Proboscis or Snout wherewith as with a sword he fights and does many feats Curtius saith That when Porus the Indian King being wounded in battle fell down armed to the ground his Elephant with his Trunk gently took him up and set him upon his back again Some in their wars have fastned sharp swords to the Snouts of the Elephants and done much mischief therewith to the enemy Verse 20 Surely the Mountaines bring him forth food And food enough though he be of an huge body Learne we to trust unto Gods providence for our necessary provision the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof
side to shew their numbers and their insolencies all places are full of them such dust-heaps are found in every corner when as the godly are as the salt of the earth sprinkled here and there as Salt useth to be to keep the rest from putrifying When the vilest men are exalted Heb. Vilities the abstract for the concrete quisquiliae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oft empty Vessels swim aloft rotten Posts are gilt with adulterate Gold the worst weeds spring up bravest Chaff will get to the top of the Fan when good Corn as it lieth at the bottom of the heap so it falls low at the feet of the Fanner The reason why wicked men walk on every side are so brisk so busie and who but they is given in to be this because Losels and Rioters were exalted See Prov. 28.12.18 29.2 As Rhewms and Catarrhes fall from the Head to the Lungs and cause a Consumption of the whole body so it is in the Body Politick As a Fish putrifies first in the head and then in all the parts So here Some render the Text thus When they that is the wicked are exalted it is a shame for the Sons of men that other men who better deserve preferment are not only slighted but vilely handled by such worthless Ambitionists who yet the higher they climbe as Apes the more they discover their deformities PSAL. XIII VErs 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever It appeareth that when David penned this Psalm which some think was about the end of Sauls Persecution when he was forced to fly into the Land of the Philistines 1 Sam. 27.1 he was under a dreadful desertion and that for a long while together Hence his many How-longs and for ever Christ saith Greenham was forsaken for a few hours David for a few months and Job for a few years Luther confesseth of himself that after his conversion he lay three days in desperation and the like is reported of Mr. Robert Bolâ—on who felt himself for the time in the Suburbs of Hell as it were So did Heman Psal 88.5 so did David here and elsewhere The final absence of God is Hell it self Depart from me yee cursed is worse than into everlasting fire To be punished from the presence of the Lord is the Hell of Hells 2 Thess 1.9 God seemeth to forget his dearest Children sometimes for a season to the end that they may remember themselves and become every way better as the Lion leaves her Whelps till they have almost killed themselves with roaring that they may become the more courageous But to speak properly God cannot forget his people Isa 44.16 49.14 15 16. Non deserit Deus etiamsi deserere videatur non deserit etiamsi deserat saith Austin If he leave us for a time yet he forsaketh us not at all If he hide his face as in the next words which is a further trial and a greater misery for it importeth indignation contempt and hatred yet it is but for a moment though it should be during life and he therefore taketh liberty to do it saith one because he hath an eternity of time to reveal his kindness in time enough for kisses and embraces mean while as when the Sun is ecclipsed though the earth wants the light thereof yet not the influence thereof so Gods supporting Grace is ever with his deserted Vers 2. How long shall I take counsel in my soul i.e. conceal my grief saith Aben-Ezra which is no small aggravation of it or how long shall I toss and tumble in my mind sundry counsels and purposes but allto no purpose This is no small affliction when we try all courses to get out of durance and nothing will do Such must needs have much sorrow in their hearts Having sorrow in my heart daily Heb. by day sc when others are full of business and forget their sorrows saith R. David But the Greek rendreth it day and night David was a cheerfull man and a great Musician but at this time heavinesse had possest his heart and his harp would not relieve him Sadnesse of Spirit had dryed up his bones Prov. 17.22 and made him a very bag of bones a bottle in the smoak shrinking away to nothing almost See Prov. 12.25 15.13 and the Notes Vers 3. Consider and hear mee O Lord my God Hee turns him to God in this peck of troubles for they seldome come single and pleads the Covenant My God beseeching him to see and hear both at once how it fared with him and to send him feasonable and suitable succour It were wide with the faithfull if they had not their God to repair unto in distresse pouring out their souls into his blessed bosome This they must do most earnestly when under a cloud of desertion as our Saviour being in an agony prayed more fervently Luk. 22.44 and as Micah having lost his Gods set up his Note Judg. 18. Lighten mine eyes lest I sleep death i. e. Comfort my conscience clear up my condition and chear up my drooping spirit lest I faint away as a dying man whose eyes through weaknesse wax dimme lest I fall into that somnus ferreus as the Poets call death that longest sleep Surge ne longus tibi somnus unde Non times detur Mor. lib.3 â— 11. Vers 4. Lest mine enemy say I have prevailed against him This David frequently deprecateth as a great evill because Gods honour was concerned in it and would suffer by it As unskilfull hunters shooting at wild Beasts do sometimes kill a man so Persecutors shooting at Saints hit Christ reproach him and this the Saints are very sensible of And those that trouble me rejoyce when I am moved Compose Comedies out of my Tragedies iram Dei ad calumniam rapiant The wicked are vindictive and implacable sick of the Devills disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejoycing at other mens harms revelling in other mens ruins But this is to inrage God and hasten wrath Prov. 24.17 18. Vers 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy Notwithstanding all the endeavours of Earth and of Hell to cast down this castle of my confidence I will not quit it but be still as a green Olive tree in the house of God I le trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal 52.8 Vers 6. I will sing unto the Lord How farre different is the end of this Psalm from the beginning See the like Psalm 6.1 with the Note there Because hee hath dealt bountifully with mee Qui retribuit mihi so Popish merit-mongers read it and would there-hence collect something in favour of their absurd Tenent But their own Vulgar Translation hath it bona tribuit Aynsworth hath givenmee good things And it is well observed that though the Hebrew word be sometimes taken for rewarding evill for good Psal 7.5 or evill for evill Psal 137.8 yet from God to his people it commonly signifieth a bountifull rewarding of good things instead of evill which
must be as I am not only humbled but humble low but lowly Vers 3. O magnify the Lord with mee As not sufficient to do so great a work himself he calleth in the help of others We read of a Monster rather than a man who lying on his death bed not only himself swore as fast and as furiously as hee could but desperately desired the standers by to help him with oaths Boltons Assize-serm and to swear for him I knew the man saith mine Author And should not wee much more call upon others to joyn their forces with ours in magnifying the Lord Birds when they come to a full heap of corn will chirp and call in for their fellows Charity is no churl goodnesse is diffusive And let us exalt his name together And so begin Heaven afore-hand Aben-Ezra glosseth thus Quasi diceret Nos omnes simul ad laudandum Deum sumus imbecilles we are all too weak for this work though we should all do our utmost at it Vers 4. I sought the Lord Even when I was in the enemies hands and playing my pranks as a mad man amongst them I prayed secretly and inwardly I sent up some ejaculations as Nehem. 2.4 and was heard though unworthy And delivered mee out of all my fears Which were not a few 1 Sam. 21.13 besides his inward terrours upon his unwarrantable practices to save his life Sense fights sore against faith when it is upon its own dunghill in a sensible danger I mean to the great disturbance of the conscience afterwards George Marsh afterwards a Martyr in Queen Maryes dayes being examined before the Earl of Derby kept himself close in the Sacrament of the Altar as they called it But afterward thus he writeth to a friend I departed much more troubled in my spirit than before because I had not with more boldnesse confessed Christ but in such sort as mine adversaries thereby thought they should prevail against mee whereat I was much grieved for hitherto I went about as much as in mee lay to rid my self out of their hands if by any means without open denying of Christ and his word that could be done c. Thus He but no rest he had in his mind Act. Monâ— fol. 1419. till hee had better declared himself though to the losse of his life A man had better offend all the World than his own conscience David not without much ado recovered his peace for which he here heartily blesseth God Vers 5. They looked unto him and were lightened They that is my servants and fellow-souldiers who accompanied mee first to Nob 1 Sam. 21.2 4. Mat. 12.3 4. and afterwards to Gath as it is probable these being in the same danger looked likewise unto God by faith hope and prayer and were lightened that is comforted cheared directed yea delivered together with David Or They flowed together viz. to God as Rivers roll to the Sea or malefactors run to the sanctuary Isa 2.2 60.5 And their faces were not ashamed i.e. They were not repulsed disappointed made to hide their heads as Rev. 6.15 16. Vers 6. This peer man cried Meaning himself to whom it seemeth he pointed the finger or laid his hand on his heart when he said This poor man Hic vilis et evium Pastor saith Theoderèt this mean Shepherd not long since but rather This miserable sinner who whilome rashly ran such an hazard and so unworthily deported himself in the presence of King Achish this poor Soul I say cried but silently and secretly as Moses did at the red Sea as Nehemiah did in the presence of the King of Persia And the Lord Who might better be called the poor mans King than was James 4. King of Scotland Heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles And the like he will do for all that in like case being poor in spirit make their humble addresses unto him It is good to communicate unto others our experiences See the like done Psal 116.6 Rom. 8.2 1 Tim. 1.15 Vers 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about c. Not one Guardian-Angel only as some have hence conceited nor Michael the Arch-Angel only that Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ as Augustine expoundeth this Text but an Host of created Angels those ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 For although Christ the Captain of our Salvation needeth not their help for the safe-guard of his people yet for our comfort he maketh use of the holy Angels who meet us still as they did Jacob at Mahanaim where they made a lane for him as the Guard doth for their Prince as the word importeth Gen. 32.1 they minister many blessings to us though invisibly stand at our right hands Luke 1.11 as ready to releeve us as the Devils are to mischief us Sicut hostes sunt in circuitu Kimchi Zech. 3.1 yea they pitch Camp round about us as here Oh the dignity and safety of a Saint in this respect fight in battel-array against our enemies Dan. 10.20 the Heathens speak much of their Castor and Pollux fighting for them and Hâ—siod telleth of thirty thousand demy-gods that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keepers of Mankind and convey them at death as they did Lazarus through the enemies Country the air into Abrahams bosome Luke 16. Vers 8. O taste and see c. Viz. with the mouth of your minde and with the eyes of your faith perceive and experiment the goodness of God in chusing and using such Instruments as the Angels and otherwise in the manifold expressions of his love to us wherein if we take not comfort the fault is meerly in our selves we being like him who hath pleasant and nourishing meat but will not make use of it The Saints taste how good the Lord is and thence long after him Optima demonstratio est à sensibus as he that feels Fire hot or as he that tasteth Hony sweet yee need not use arguments to perswade him to beleeve it So here let a man but once taste that the Lord is good and he will thenceforth as a new born Babe desire the sincere Milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 3. neither will he take any more content in the Worlds tastless fooleries than in the white of an Egge or a dry chip D. 4. dom Gustato spiritu desipit omnis caro saith Gerson All flesh is savourless to him that hath tasted of the Spirit Paul after his Rapture looked with scorn and pity on all the Worlds glittering Poverty His mouth doth not water after homely provisions who hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance O let us get Spiritual senses habitually bitually exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing saith our Saviour to the Jews q.d. yee accept not my words because yee have not the Spirit yee have but flesh that is a common knowledge no sound
most modern Interpreters conceive that David doth here ingenuously confesse that he grudged against God considering the greatnesse of his grief and the shortnesse of his life And the measure of my dayes An admalorum qua perfero compensationem sufficiant whether they are likely to be enow to make mee amends for my grievous sufferings This hee seemeth to speak either out of impatiency or curiosity at least That I may know how frail I am How soon-ceasing and short liv'd Quam darabilis sum Tremâ— Vatablus hath it quam mandanus sim how long I am like to be a man of this World this vale of misery and valley of tears Vers 5. Behold thou hast made my dayes as an handbreadth i. e. Four fingers broad which is one of the least Geometricall measures or a span-long as some interpret it Now to spend the span of this transitory life after the wayes of a mans own heart is to bereave himself of a room in that City of Pearl and to perish for ever Or take it for an handbreadth should a man having his lands divided into four parts answerable to those four fingers breadth leave three of them untilled should he not make the best of that little time that he hath that he be not taken with his task undone Themistocles dyed about an hundred and seven years of age and when he was to dye he was grieved upon this ground Now I am to dye faith he when I begin to be wise But Stultus semper incipit vivere saith Seneca and such complaints are bootlesse O live quickly live apace and learn of the Devil at least to be most busy as knowing that our time is short Rev. 12.12 To complain of the miseries of life and to wish for death as David here seemeth to do and as did Job chap. 3.19 6.9 7.15 and Moses Num. 11.11 15. Elias 1 King 19.4 Jeremy chap. 20.14 Jonas 4.3 is a sign of a prevailing temptation and of a spirit fainting under it We must fight against such impatiency and learn to do the like by life as we do by a lease wherein if our time be but short we rip up the grounds eat up the grasse cut down the copses and take all the liberty the lease will afford Mine age is as nothing Heb. My world that is my time of aboad in the World is but a magnum Nibil as one saith of honour Punctumest quod vivimus puncto minus a meer Salve vale a non-entity Verily every man at his best estate When hee is best constituted and underlaid set to live Profecto omnimoda vani tas omnis homo est quantumvis constitutus maxime Tremel Kimchi as one would think firmus fixus setled on his best bottom yet even then he is all over vanity All Adam is all Abel as the originall runs elegantly alluding to those two proper names like as Psal 144.3 4. Adam is Abels mate or man is like to a soon vanishing vapour such as is the breath of ones mouth See Jam. 4.14 a feeble flash a curious picture of Nothing Vers 6. Surely every man walkâ—th in a vain shew Heb. In an image or in a shadow as Job 14. 2. in the shadow of death as some sense it his life is like a picture drawn upon the water saith Theodoret it passeth away as an hasty headlong torrent Verily surely surely it is so Selah you may seal to it Surely they are disquieted in vain Heb. They keep a stirre and trouble the World as did great Alexander who surfetting of his excessive fortunes from the darling of Heaven Two fits of an ague could shake greit Tamerlan to death came to be the disdain of the Earth which hee had so oft disquieted So the Emperour Adrian who troubling himself and others to little good purpose dyed with this saying in his mouth Omnia fui nibil profuit I have tryed all conclusions but go nothing And saith not Salomon as much in his Ecclesia stes Hee heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them i.e. Enjoy them See Eccles 2.18 19. and be moderate Think when you lock up your mony in your chest saith One who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin Think how that this very night thy soul may he required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luk. 12.20 Vers 7. â—eza And now Lord what wait I for q. d. Absit ergo ut de ist is quisquiliis sim anxius Farre be it from mee to trouble my self about these transitory trifles I am bent to depend on thee alone to wait for thy favour and desire it above all earthly felicity to place all my hope on thee alone who being my Lord wilt nor canst not cast off thy poor servant who desireth to fear thy Name Vers 8. Deliver mee from all my transgressions But especially from that of impatiently desiring to dye out of discontent vers 4. The sense of this one sin brought many more to remembrance as a man by looking over his debt-book for one thing meets with more God giveth the penitent generall discharges neither calleth he any to an after-reckoning Make mâ—e not the reproach of the foolish Let not any Wicked one for such are all fooles in Gods dictionary lay this folly in my dish that I so foolishly desired death in a pet Vers 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth Or Better thus I should have been dumb and not have opened my mouth according to my first resolution I should not have reasoned or rather wrangled with thee as vers 4. but have kissed thy rod in an humble submission and have known that the rod of Aaron and pot of Manna must go together Macrobius writeth that the image of Angeronia among the old Romans was placed on the Altar of Volupia with the mouth closed and sealed up to signifie that such as patiently and silently bear their griefs do thereby attain to greatest pleasures Because thou didst it This is indeed a quieting consideration and will notably quell and kill unruly passions Set but God before them when they are tumultuating and all will be soon husht This made Jacob so patient in the rape of his Daughter Dinah Job in the losse of his goods by the Sabaan spoylers David in the barkings of that dead dog Shimâ—i that noble Lord of Plessis in the losse of his only son a Gentleman of marvellous great hopes slain in the wars of the Low-Countries His Mother more impatient dyed of the grief of it But his Father laid his hand on his mouth when Gods hand was on his back and used these very words I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Vers 10. Removethy stroke away from mee Having first prayed off his sin hee would now pray off his pain though it lesse troubled him and for ease he repaireth to Jehovah that healeth as well as woundeth Hos 6.1 nam qui
our enemies Vers 10. According to thy Name O God so is thy praise i. e. It is infinite and inexpressible Psal 148.1 Psal 145.3 Gods Name is exalted above all blessing and praise as those holy Levites acknowledge Noh 9.5 The distance betwixt God and us is infinite and we should labour to fill up that distance if possible with our praises Thy right hand is full of righteousuess i. e. of noble Acts which thou hast done for us according to thy promise Psal 25.10 Vers 11. Let. Mount-Zion rejoyce let the Daughters c. Let the Church Catholick and each particular Member thereof give God the glory of his Justice and see that their joy be spirituall Vers 12. Walk about Sion and tell the Towers thereof q.d. Are they not still the same and as many as they were before the approach of the enemy is any thing diminished or defaced by the late siege or assault Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria He shall not come into this City nor shoot an arrow there c. Isa 37.33 Vers 13. Mark ye well her Bulwarks Not at all impaired The great Turk could never have gotten the Rhodes but by treachery notwithstanding his long and mighty batteries made upon that place day and night How he raged at the last assault of Scodra and blasphemed see Turk hist page four hundred twenty three Geneva Hanc urbem non nisi miraculose stetisse stare per multos â—â—nos res ipsa clamst Anton Fayus is invironed with enemies French Spanish Savoy Pope and barred out from all aid of neighbour Cities and Churches yet is upheld as it were by an immediate hand of Heaven as Beza hath set forth in an elegant Emblem Vers 14. For this God is our God To draw them up to this consideration it was that the Propher so calls upon people to view Sion c. and to take notice that she might well have written upon her gates as that City Hippocrates writeth of had Intacta manet the Daughter of Sion is a Maid still through the prowesse of her Champion Even unto death And after too for this is not to be taken exclusive He will never leave us nor forsake us PSAL. XLIX VErs 1. Hear this all ye people This that is of so great consequence and universall concernment viz. that the Saints should not be frighted nor perplexed at the present prosperity of gracelesse persons but consider that death at utmost shall render them extreamly miserable and at the day of Judgement men shall retutn and discern a manifest difference betwixt the Righteous and the Wicked betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal. 3. ult Give ear all ye Inhabitants of the World Hear and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken it Jer. 13.15 The Inhabitants of the World Heb. of the transitory World are like men in a Mill through hurry of businesse or as one that is running a race to whom though never so good counsell be given he cannot stay to hear it Of such we use to say that they hear with their harvest-ears harvest it is a time of great pleasure and of great businesse and hence it is that we have so ill a feed-time for the Word Wee had need to wish as Harding once did that wee could cry out against sin as loud as the bells of Oseney yea as those Catholick Preachers whose voice is heard in all speeches and languages Psal 19.3 Vers 2. Both low and high rich and poor together Heb. Both sons of Adam or earthy-man and sons of Ish or noble-man quorum Exmeliore lute finxit pracordia Titan. Diogenes once made a like out-cry at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear Oyemen and when a company came about him expecting what he would say to them he looked upon them and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I called for men and not for Varlets Vers 3. My mouth shall speak and wisdome Heb. Wisdomes and understandings and yet the matter of this Psalm was nothing extraordinary for the main of it so that a profane person would have come out with his Quid dignum tanto tulit hic promissor hiatu But good points are not therefore to be â—â—ighted because commonly handled but therefore the better to be heeded and proof to be made by practice what that good and holy and acceptable will of God is that is so much pressed upon as Rom. 12.2 Vers 4. I will incline mine ear to a parable q. d. I desire you to do no more than I will do my self I 〈◊〉 therefore have I spoken I have wrought my Doctrin upon mine own affections first and shalt digge it out of mine own bosome for your benefit It is a Parable I must tell you or a Master-sentence yea it is a Mystery a Riddle as the other word here signifieth I will open my dark sayings The doctrine of Life Eternal and the Judgement to come here more clearly deliy ered than any where else almost in the Old Testament is a mystery Vers 5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil All the days of the afflicted are evil Prov. 15.15 But why should either â— or any other afflicted Servant of God be over-muchtroubled as if some strange thing had befaln us or staggered at the better condition of worse men all things considered When the iniquity of my heels Or of my Supplanters mine enemies those naughty men called here iniquity in the abstract who seek to trip up my heels and do surround me with their snares for that purpose See Psal 56.7 Or thus When the iniquity of my heels c. That is as some will have it when my sins come to my remembrance or are chastened upon me Every mans heel hath some iniquity As we shall have some dirt cleaving to our heels whiles we walk in a dirty world so there is some defilement upon all our actions which wee may call the iniquity of ourheels He that is washed saith our Saviour to Peter needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit Joh. 13.10 The comparison seems to be taken from those that wash in Bathes for although their whole bodies are thereby made clean yet going forth they touch the earth with their feet and so are fain to wash again semblably the Saints though bathed in that blessed Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13.1 and thereby freed from the stain and reign of sin yet their feet or heels have some filth on them some reliques of corruption do still cleave to them and cause them some sorrow yet ought they not to fear or be dismayed but by the practice of mortification purge themselves daily from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Vers 6. They that trust in their wealth which was never yet true to those that trusted in it And yet it is wondrous hard to have wealth and not in some
measure to trust in it that is to think our selves simply the better and the safer for it as our Saviour sheweth and this Disciples after some wonderment at length understood him so Mark 10.23 24. Hence that strict charge 1 Tim. 6.17 And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches Contrary to Jer. 9.23 This Psalm sets forth the better gloriation of a Beleever in the grace of God and in his blessed condition wherein he is lifted up above the greatest Worldings Vers 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother And therefore all Mony that hath been given for Masses Diriges Trentals c. hath been cast away seeing Christ is the only Redeemer and in the other World Mony beareth no Mastery neither can a man buy off death though hee would give never so much Death will not regard any Ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts as Solomon saith in another case Prov. 6.35 Fye quoth that great Cardinal Beanford will not Death be hired Act. Mon. in H. 6. Will Mony do nothing Wherefore should I dye being so rich If the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it c. Lewis the Eleventh would not hear of death all the time of his last Sickness but when he saw there was no remedy he sent for the Holy Water from Rhemes together with Aarons rod as they called it and other holy Reliques Epit. Hist Gall. Balth. Exner. Val. Max. Christ p. 391. thinking therewith to stop Deaths mouth and to stave him off but it would not be O Miser saith one thereupon hoc assidue times quod semel faciendum est Hoc times quod in tua mann est ne timeas Pietatem assume superstitionem omitte mors tua vita erit quidem beata atque eterna Vers 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious i.e. the price of life is greater than that any man how wealthy soever can compass it Mony is the Monarch of this World but not of the next And it ceaseth for ever i.e. The purchase of a longer life ceaseth there is no such thing beleeve it Job 36.18 19. Deut. 23.22 Zech. 11.12 To blame then were the Agrigentines who did eat build plant c. as though they should live for ever Vers 9. That be should still live for ever As every wicked man would if it might be had for mony for he knoweth no happiness but to Have and to Hold on the tother side the Grave he looketh for no good whereas a godly manholdeth mortality a Mercy as Phil. 1.23 he hath Mortem in desiderio vitam in patientin as Fulgentius saith he desireth to dye and yet is content to live accepting of life rather than affecting it enduring it rather than desiring it And not see corruption Heb. The pit of corruption The Chaldee understandeth it of Hell to the which the wicked mans death is as a trap-door Vers 10. For he seeth that wise men dye likewise the fool This to be a truth etiam muta clamant cadavera the dead Corpses of both do preach and proclaim by a dumb kinde of eloquence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death maketh no difference Pallida mors equo c. It is appointed for all men once to dye It lieth as a mans Lot as the word signifieth Heb. 9.27 and all men can say We are all mortal but alas we say it for most part Magis us◠quam sensu more of custom than feeling for we live as if our lives were rivetted upon Eternity and we should never come to a reckoning Heu vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Ant velut infernus fabula vana foret And the bruitish person perish His life and his hopes ending together But it would be considered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wise men dye as well as fools good men dye as well as bad yea good men oft before the bad Isa 57.1 Jeroboams best Son dyed before the rest because there was some good found in him And leave their wealth to others Nec aliis solùm sed alienis to meer strangers this Solomon sets forth as a great vanity It was therefore a good speech of a holy man once to a great Lord who had shewed him his stately House and pleasant Gardens You had need make sure of Heaven or else when you dye you will be a very great loser Vers 11. Their inward thought is that their houses c. Some joyn this verse to the former and read the words thus Where as each of them seeth that wise men dye likewise the fool c. yet their inward thought is c. they have a secret fond conceit of their own immortality they would fain beleeve that they shall dwell here for ever The Hebrew runneth thus Their inwards are their houses for ever as if their houses were got within them as the Pharisees goods were Luke 11.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So here Internum vel interiora not the thoughts only but the very inmost of the thoughts of wicked Worldlings the most retired thoughts and recesses of their souls are about these earthly things these lye nearest to their hearts as Queen Mary said when she dyed Open me and you shall find Calice at my heart It was a pittiful case that a rotten town lay where Christ should and yet it is ordinary They call their Lands after their own names So to make them famous and to immortalize them at once Thus Cain called his new-built City Enoch after the name of his Son whom he would thereby have to be called Lord Enoch of Enoch This is the ambition still of many that take little care to know that their names are written in Heaven but strive to propagate them as they are able upon Earth Nimrod by his Tower Absolom by his Pillar Alexander by his Alexandria Adrian by his Adrianople c. But the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 and those that depart from God shall be written in the earth Jer. 17.13 c. Vers 12. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not Howsoever he think to eternalize himself and be grown never so great dye he must whether Lord or Losel and dye like a beast a carrion beast unless he be the better man but only for his pillow and bolster At one end of the Library at Dublin was a Globe at the other a Skeliton to shew that though a man was Lord of all the World yet hee must dye his honour must be laid in the dust The mortal Sythe saith one is master of the royal Scepter and it moweth down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the field Perperam accommodatur bic versiculus saith another this verse is not well interpreted of the first man Adam to prove that he sinned the same day wherein he was Created and lodged not one night in Paradise He
inane Other Kingdoms have their times and their turns their rise and their ruines not so Christs and this is great comfort His name shall be continued Filâ—â—â—â— nomini 〈◊〉 it shall be begotten as one Generation is begotten of another Heb. His name shall be childed that is so continued as Families are continued there shall bee a constant succession of Christs Name to the end of the World there will still be Christians who are his Children Heb. 2.13 14. The old Hebrews tell us that Jâ—nnâ—n the Hebrew word â—ere used is one of Christs Names And men shall be blessed in him Or they shall bless themselves in him viz. in Salomon but especially in Christ of whom Salomon was but a shadow All Nations shall call him blessed If all Generations shall call the Mother of Christ blessed Luke 3.48 how much were Christ himself Vers Sunt verba leribae ut hodit Aben-Ezra ex R. Jehudah 18. Blessed be the Lord God 〈…〉 these are the words of the Psalmist say the Rabines blessing God who had given Leâ—â—gneph church strength to him fainting to finish the Second Book of the Psalms as he had done the Firsst or rather praising God for all the 〈…〉 the Lord Christ Vers 19. And blessed 〈…〉 so unsatisfiable and unweareable are the 〈…〉 a Christ And 〈◊〉 God expecteth that 〈…〉 by all his at all 〈…〉 Vers 20. The Prayer 〈…〉 PSAL. LXXIII A Psalm of Asaph Who was not only an excellent Musician but a Prophet also an Oratour and a Poet not unlike for his stile to Horace or Persius This and the ten next Psalms that bear this name in the front consist of complaints for most part and sad matters Vers 1. Truly God is good to Israel Or Yet God is c. Thus the Psalmist beginneth abruptly after a sore Conflict throwing off the Devil and his fiery Darts where-with his heart for a while had been wounded It is best to break off temptations of corrupt and carnal reasonings and to silence doubts and disputes lest wee be foyled Hee shoots saith Greenham with Satan in his own bow who thinks by disputing and reasoning to put him off To such as are of a clean heart Such as are Israelites indeed and not Hypocrites and dissemblers For as for such as turn a side unto their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity as malefactours are led forth to execution but Peace shall be upon Israel Psal 125.5 upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 Vers 2. But as for mee my feet were almost gone i. e. I was wel-night brought to beleeve that there was no divine providence as the Athenians did when their good General Nicias was worsted and slain in Sicily as Pompey did Thucid. when having the better cause he was overcome by Cesar as Brutus did that last of the Romans as he was called for his courage when beaten out of the field by Anthony he cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now I see that vertue is nothing but all things are moderated by Fortun whom he charged his children therefore to worship as a goddesse of greatest power My steps had welâ—nigh slipt Quasi nihil effusi sunt gressus mei that is as Kimchi interpreteth it Status meus crat tantillus quasi nullus esset pre figendo peds locus I had scarce any fastening for my feet my heels were gone almost What wonder then that Heathens have been stounded and staggered Cum rapiaent mala fata bonos ignoscite fasso Sollicitor nullos esse putare Deos. Saith Ovid. And to the fame purpose another Poet. Marmoreo Licinies tumulo jacet Cato parve Pompeius nullo quis putet esse Deos Vers 3. For I was envious at the foolish Heb. At the Bragadochies the vain-glorious the mad-boasters I aemulated and stomached their prosperity Jact abundis compared with mine own far-worse condition Godly men though cured of their spirituall phrenzy yet play oft many mad tricks one while fretting at the prosperity of their adversaries and another while murmuring at their own afflictions or plotting courses how to conform themselves to the World c. When I saw the prosperity of the Wicked This hath ever been a pearl in the eyes not of the Heathens only but of better meu See Jer. 12.1 2 Habbak 1.3 Psal 37. c. Yet Seneca writeth a treatise of it and sheweth the reasons if at least he beleeved himself therein Erasmus passeth this censure of him Read him as a Pagan and he writeth Christian-like read him as 2 Christian and he writeth Pagan-like Vers 4. For there are no bands in their death Or No knots and knorles they dye without long sicknesse or much pain or trouble of mind If a man dye â—ike a Lamb and pass out of the World like a bird in a shel he is certainly saved think some The wicked are here said to dye quietly as if there were no loosening of the band that is betwixt soul and body Julian the Apostate dyed with these words in his mouth Vitam reposcents natura tanquam debitor bonae fidei redditurum exulto Anomian that is I owe a death to Nature and now that she calleth for it as a faithfull debtour câ—â—t lib. 7. 〈◊〉 Diodor. I gladly pay it The Princes of the Sogdians when they were drawn forth to death by Alexander the great carmen more latumtium etcinerut tripuâ—isque gaudium animi ostentare caperunt They sang and danced to the place of execution But their strength is firm They are lively and lusty they are pingues praevalidi fat and fair-liking fat is their fortitude so some render it Others strong is their porch or Palace Vers 5. They are not in trouble as other men But live in a serene clime under a perpetuall calm as he did of whom it is storied that he never had any crosse but at last was nailed to a cross Polycrates I mean King of Egypt Marullâ—â— telleth us that Ambrose comming once to a great mans house who boasted that he had never suffered any adversity Marul l. 5. c. 3. he hasted away thence and said he did so we una cum â—omine perpetuis prosperitatibus uso periret lest he should perish with the man that bad been so extraordinarily prosperous And no sooner was he and his company departed but the earth opened and swallowed up that mans house with all that were in it Vers 6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain The pride of their hearts breaketh forth in their costly habits whiles they are torquati auro ac gemmis amicti setting up their plumes as Peacocks which have their names in Hebrew from the joy they take in their fair feathers so do these glory in their pride and are puffed up with a foolish perswasion of their own prudence Vermis divitiarum est superbia Charge the rich that they be not high-minded 1 Tim. 6.17 He is a great rich man saith
their lives leaving all behind them The Rabbines expound it they are spoyled of their understanding infatuated They have slept their sleep Their long Iron-sleep as the Poets call it of Death The destroying Angel hath laid them fast enough and safe enough And 〈◊〉 of the men of might Viri diviliâ—rum the vulgar rendreth it Men of riches such as are all 〈◊〉 but men of might is better these men of their hands could not finde their hands when Gods Angel took them to do Vers 6. At thy rebuke O God c. i. e. with thy mighty word of command and without any more ado God can nod men to destruction Psal 80.16 blow them into Hel Job 4.9 rebuke them to death as here do it with as much ease as he that swimeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim Isa 25.11 The Chaiâ—â— and the Horse The Chieftains of the Army Vers 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Herodotus saith that 〈…〉 was written 〈…〉 〈…〉 is Gods Wrath revealed plainly and plentifully Rom. 1.28 and 〈◊〉 he oft appeareth for his people and out of an engine The earth feared All was 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 Thunder 〈◊〉 Vers 9. When God 〈…〉 Being stirred up as it were by the prayers of his people as vers 2 3. To save all the 〈◊〉 of the earth Who cease not to seek the Lord to 〈◊〉 righteousness and judgement Zeph. 2.3 Vers 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise theâ— As when 〈…〉 army was destroyeth the Istraelites sang praise yea the Aegyâ—ians built Altars as Isa 19. God by his wisdom ordereth and draweth the blinde and brute motions of the worst Creatures unto his own honour as the Hiâ—ts-man doth the rage of the Dogge to his pleasure or the Mariner the blowing of the Wind to his voyage or the 〈◊〉 the heat of the fire to his Work or the Physician the bloud-thirstiness of the Leech to a Cure saith a Reverend man The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Heb. Shalt thou gird 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is curb and keep within compass The Greek hath it It shall keep holy day to thee that is cease from working or acting outwardly how restless â—oâ—ver it be within Vers 11. Vow and pay to the Lord A plain precept and yet Bellarmine saith Lib. 2. de Monach cap. 17 De cult Sanctor cap. 9. 〈…〉 est praeceptum As for vowing to Saints hee granteth that when the Scriptures were written the Church had no such custom Saint-worship then is but new worship Let all that he round about him All the neighbouring Nations and so they did after Ashurs overthrow 2 Chron. 32.21 23. To him that ought to be feared Heb. To fear that is to God the proper object of fear called therefore Fear by an appellative property Vers 12. He shall cut off the spirit of Princes Vindâ—â—â—iabit he shall slip them off as one would do a bunch of Grapes or a Flower between ones fingers easily suddenly Auferet de 〈…〉 as he dealt by 〈◊〉 Princes He is terrible to Kings Enemies to his Church as most Kings are PSAL. LXXVII A Psalm of Asaph Or for Asaph Davids melancholy Psalm some call it made by him when he was in grievous affliction and desertion Out of which he seeketh to wind by earnest Prayer by deep Meditation upon Gods former favours and unchangeable nature and lastly by calling to minde Gods wondrous works of old both in proving and in preferving his Church and chosen Vers 1. I cried unto God with my voyce c. I prayed instantly and constantly and sped accordingly No faithful prayer is ineffectual Vers 2. In the day of my trouble The time of affliction is the time of supplication Psal 50.15 My fore 〈◊〉 in the night Heb. My hand was poured out that is stretched out in prayer or wet with continual weeping Non fuit remisse nec 〈◊〉 in lectum And ceased not Or was not tired in allusion belike to Moses his hands held up against Aâ—â—leck though My soul refused to be comforted I prayed on though I had little heart to do it as Daniel afterwards did the Kings work though he were sick or though with much infirmity whilst I rather wrangled with God by cavelling objections than wrastâ—ed with him as I ought to have done by important prayer Vers 3. I remembred God and 〈…〉 troubled 〈…〉 for God seemed to be angry and to cast out my prayers this made mee mourn and little less than 〈◊〉 My 〈…〉 With sense of Sin and seat of Wrath. This was a very grievous and dangerous temptation such as we must pray not to be â—â—d into or at least 〈◊〉 to be left under 〈…〉 Vers 4. 〈…〉 That I cannot speak Cura lâ—â—es loguuntur ingâ—ntes stupent Vers 5. I have considered the days of old What thou diddest for Adam Abraham Israel in Aegypt c. all which was written purposely that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope See Deut. 32.7 Vers 6. I call to remembrance my Song in the night i. e. My former feelings and experiments being glad in this scarcity of comfort to live upon the old store as Bees do in winter I commune with mine own heart Psal 4.4 see there And my spirit made diligent search For the cause and cure of my present distempers Vers 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever No not at all though the extremity and length of the Psalmists grief put him upon these sad Interrogatories with some diffidence touching the Nature and Promise of God Will he be favourable no more So the Devil and carnal reason would have perswaded him and did haply for a time But this very questioning the matter sheweth he yet lay languishing at Hopes Hospital waiting for comfort The Soul may successively doubt and yet beleeve Vers 8. Is his mercy clean gone for over They that go down into the pit of Despair cannot hope for Gods truth Isa 38.18 but so doth not any Saint in his deepest desertions Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath he retracted his Promises recalled his Oracles confirmed with Oath Seal No he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Psal 89.33 Vers 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious So it seemeth sometimes to those that are long afflicted and short-spirited But what saith the Prophet Can a Woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Hâ—yt Geor. yea they may forget they may prove unnatural and grow out of kind as Medea and those Suevian women who threw their young Children at the Romanes under the conduct of Drusus Son in Law to Augustus instead of Darts yet God will not forget his people Isa 49.15 Indeed he can as soon forget himself and change his nature Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies These things the Psalmist speaketh not as utterly despairing but as one couragiously wrastling against an
holy duties no less than if we heard the most exquisite Musick There should be continual Musick habitual joy in the Temple of the Holy Ghost Vers 3. Blow up the Trumpet in the new Moon And the like at other solemn Feasts three whereof all in the seventh Month to be kept Beza thinketh to be here plainly and distinctly noted These Feasts were a shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ Col. 2.16 17. Vers 4. For this was a statute The keeping of it therefore is not arbitrary but necessary Aut faciendum aut patiendum And a Law Which was to be kept as the apple of the eye Prov. 7.2 Vers 5. This he ordained in Joseph Put for all Israel as Psal 80.1 though the Chaldee understandeth it of Joseph in person and the next words of his going through the Land of Aegypt to gather Corn in the seven plentiful years and that at his first coming into Aegypt he understood not their Language Where I heard a Language Idolatrous Language say some contrary to the Language of Canaan this God knew not Isa 19.18 that is liked not Or rather a strange forrein Language which is not small grievance Jer. 5.15 Ezek. 2.6 1 Corinth 14.11 to those especially who understand no otherwise than by blows as Beasts do men Sordidissimo ministerio Vers 6. I removed his shoulder from the burden From the woful slavery of Aegyptian Tyrants and Task-masters His hands passed away from the pots Or Baskets wherein was carried earth for brick-clamping and Pot-making c. whereunto they were so close tied that they might not stir a foot from their daily work till God delivered them Some say that the Pyramides were built by them Vers 7. Thou calledst in trouble Their trouble called though themselves had been silent I have seen I have seen the afflictions of my people c. but they cried to the Lord at the red Sea Exod. 14.10 15. and were delivered I answered thee in the secret place of thunder i. e. In the Pillar of Cloud that stood betwixt the two Armies and thundred against the Aegyptians Exod. 14.24 Confer Lam. 3.44 I proved thee at the waters of Meribah When thou hadst but newly foot out of snare and yet there and then thou shewedst thy self O thine ungratefulness c. this hath been thy manner from thy youth Vers 8. Hear O my people c. Notwithstanding thy many and mighty provocations at Meribah and elsewhere I made a covenant with thee at Mount Sinai and gave thee right Judgements and true Laws good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 Vers 9. There shall no strange god This is the first and chief Commandement wherein all the rest are contained saith Luther Vers 10. Open thy mouth wide c. If thou be straitned t is not in me but in thine own bowels he secretly taxeth them for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in prayer their faithlesness and faint-heartedness whereby they do deny as it were their own prayers Ask largely and speed accordingly Vers 11. But my people would not hearken Here beginneth the Second part of the Psalm which is objurgatory and very suitable to the season of the year at that Feast that if it were a fruitful year the Israelites might see and acknowledge Gods goodness therein as if otherwise they might accuse themselves and not the Lord. Perplexis cogitationibus Vat. Israel would none Heb. acquiesced not in mee was not well affected to mee but had hearts full of harlotry Vers 12. So I gave them up I left them as a ship without a rudder as an horse without reigns to go whither they would and do what they would This is a fearfull Judgement Poena rebellionis maxima Hos 4.14 Rom. 1.28 2 Thes 2.11 12. And they walked in their own counsels To their own ruine because they took counsel but not of God and covered with a covering but not of his Spirit that they might adde sin to sin Isa 30.1 Vers 13. O that my people had hearkened unto mee A wish after the manner of men to set forth Gods great desire of our welfare which he here uttereth as it were with a sigh and a groan Vers 14. I should soon have subdued I would have turned the scales and made them as much over-weight to their enemies as they were to them And turned my hand c. God with a turn of his hand can overturn his enemies and relieve his little ones Zach. 13.7 If he but spread forth his hands as a swimmer spreadeth forth his hands to swim he shall bring down the pride of oppressors together Isa 25.11 Vers 15. The haters of the Lord should have submitted Heb. Lyed that is yeelded feigned obedience as Psal 18.44 But their time should have endured for ever i. e. Their strength saith the Chaldee their tranquillity and prosperity say others Theodoret referreth it to the enemies thus The time of their calamity shall endure for ever they shall be eternally miserable Vers 16. With the finest of the wheat Heb. With the fat or marrow of wheat with the choicest of picked nourishment And with honey c. Hyperbole incomparabilis felicitatis faecunditatis See Deut. 32.13 shadowing out the sweetness of the Word and Sacraments PSAL. LXXXII VEers 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty There God is present and president by a particular providence as Lord Paramount and chief Magistrate Ut praeses Synodi Locus â—raesâ—dis est medius locus in caetibus higher than the highest Eccles 5.8 Job 31.14 Ephes 6.9 The Etheopian Judges they say do ever leave the chief seat of Judicature empty for him and Solomon for like reason calleth that seat The holy place Eccles 8.10 There Elohim that is the Judge and Avenger standeth or setteth himself to behold the actions and affections of Judges and to pass a censure upon their sentences Good therefore was the counsel of Jehosaphat to his Judges when to ride circuit 2 Chron. 19.6 Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the Judgement Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord your God be upon you take heed and do it c. Judges should sit in as great though not so slavish a fear of offending as Olanes in the history did upon the flayd skin of his Father Silannes nailed by Cambyses on the tribunal or as a Russian Judge Turk hist 728. that feareth the boyling caldron or open battocking or the Turkish Senate when they think the great Turk to stand behind the Arras at the dangerous door He judgeth among the Gods i. e. Among the Magistrates as our Saviour interpreteth it Joh. 10.34 35. who are called gods First By analogie tanquam Deum imitantes saith Theodoret as resembling God by having the power of life and death Secondly By participation tanquam lumina illuminata saith Austin as stars participate
and a type of Christ the great Mediator of his Church Aben-Ezra calleth him Cohen baccoâ—aniâ—â— the Priest of Priests And Philo writing his life concludeth This was the life and death of Moses the King the Lawgiver the prophet and the chief Priest And Samuel A man that could do much with God like wise Jer 15.1 and is therefore as some conceive called Pethuel that is a perswader of God Joel 1.1 Alsted Vers 7. They kept his testimonies And so shewed that they called upon God with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 Vers 8. Thou wast a God c. A sin pardoning God Neb. 5â— 17 So thou wast to them under the Law so thou wilt be to those under the Gospel Though thou tookest c. Though Moses might noâ— enter for his unbeleef and Samuel smarted for indulging his sonâ— Vers 9. Exalt the Lord Versus amaelaus See Vers 5. PSAL. C. A Psalm of prcise Suavis gravis short and sweet appointed likely to be sung at the Thank-offerings quando pacifica erant offerende say the Italian Levit. 7. â—â— and Spanish annotators See vers 4. Enter with Thanks-giving or with Thank-sacrifice Vers 1. All ye lands Both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 15.10 11. for your common salvation Vers 2. Serve the Lord with gladness The Caâ—balists have a Proverb The Holy Ghost singeth not but out of a glad heart Cheerfulness is much called for in both Testaments God loveth a cheerful server Vers 3. Know ye that the Lord he is God Be convinced of it ye Heathens whose fantasies have forged false gods and ye Jews acknowledge the true God to be Three in One and One in Three It is he that hath mode us And new made us for we are his workmanship a second time created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 The word signifieth saith Kimchi Ornate beneficiis afficere donis gratiis cumulaâ—e confer 1 Sam. 12.6 and so is distinguished from Barâ— to create and Jaâ—sar to form William of Malmsbury telleth of a certain Emperor of Germany who coming by chance into a Church on the Sabbath day found there a most mis-shapen Priest penè portentum natura insomuch as the Emperor much scorned and contemned him But when he heard him read those words in the Service For it is beâ— that bath made us and not we our selves the Emperor checkt his own proud thoughts and made in quiry into the quality and conditions of the man and finding upon examination that he was a very learned and devout man he made him Archbishop of Collen which place he discharged with much commendations We are his people and the sheep See Psal 95.7 This is a priviledge proper to the Communion of Saints Vers 4. Enter into his gates c. As sheep into his sheepfolds frequent his publick Ordinances wait at the posts of the gates of Wisdome there as at an heavenly Exchange the Saints present duty and God confers mercy Vers 5. For the Lord is good Though we be evil he giveth us all these good things graâ—â—e and although we provoke him daily to punish us yet his mercy is everlasting like a fountain it runneth after it hath run And as the Sun which shineth after it hath shined See Zach 13.1 Job 1.27 And his truth endureth to all generations Heb. to Generation and Generation He saith not for ever saith an Interpreter because his promises are true but under a condition which perhaps the following Generations will not observe The condition is to the promise as an Oar in a Boat or stern of a Ship which turns it another way PSAL CI. A Psalm of David Wherein he promiseth and pre-ingageth that whenever hee came to the Kingdome he will be a singular example both as a Prince and as a Master of a Family In which respect this Psalm should be often read and ruminated by such that their houses may be as the house of David Zach. 12.8 and as the Palace of George Prince of Anbaâ—â— which was saith Melanctben Ecclesia Academia Curia a Church Act. Mon. fol. 1559. an Academy and a Court. Bishop Ridley read and expounded this Psalm oftentimes to his houshold hiring them with money to learn it and other select Scriptures by heart A good Governour is like that Noble-man who had for his Impress two bundle of ripe Miâ—â—et bound together with this Mâ—tto Servare Servari meâ—â— est for the nature of the Miâ—â—et is both to guard it self from all corruption and also those things that lye near it That is a rare commendation that is given the late Reverend and Religious Dr. Chatterton that he was an house-keeper three and fifty years and yet in all chat time he never kept any of his servants from Church to dress his meat His life by Mr. Clark saying That he desired as much to have his servants know God as himself Vers 1. I will-sing of Mercy and Judgement â— Davids Ditty was composed of discords Mercy and Justice are the brightest stars in the sphere of Majesty the main supports of a Throne Royal How heit there should be a preheminence to Mercy as one well observeth from Micah 6.8 Mercy must be loved and not shewn onely Justice must be done and no more The sword of Justice must be bathed in the oyl of Mercy A well-tempered mixture of both preserveth the Commonwealth Rom. 13.34 Vnto thee O Lord will I sing Acknowledge thee alone the bestower of these graces and thy glory â—s the end These are matters that Philosophers and Politicians mind not Vers 2. I will behave my self wisely I will begin the intended reformation at my self and then set things to rights in my family which while Augustus did not he was worthily blamed by his subjects and told that publick persona must carefully observe Aedibus in prâ—priis quae recta 〈◊〉 prava gerantur Pluâ—â— Cate said that he could pardon all mens faults but his own But Cate the wise wanted the wisdome from above and was therefore short of David who promiseth here so be merry I will sing and yet wise I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way that is in an upright conversation and in a faithful discharge of the great trust committed unto me Oâ— when wilt then come unto me In the performance of thy promise concerning the Kingdom For I am resolved not to â—â—â—evert thee but to wait thy coming Est suspirium 〈…〉 ex abrupto like that of Juâ—â—â— I have waited O Lord for thy salvation Gen. 49 18. Or When wilt thou come viz. to reckon with me For come thou wiles I wilt walk within my house with a perfect heart And although my house â—â— not sâ— with God 1 Sam. 23.5 yet this is all my desire and shall be mine endeavour although be make it not to grow ib. Indesinentes â—mâ—ulabo Kimchi I will walk uncessantly walk in the midst of mine house 〈…〉 2 King 4.35 and this I
they were first written And the people which shall be created Created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 Isa 51.16 his regenerated people For God planteth the heavens and layeth the foundations of the earth that be may say to Zion Thou art my people Vers 19. For he hath looked down from the height c. This is no small condescention sith he abaseth himself to look upon things in heaven Psal 113.6 From heaven did the Lord behold the earth That is his poor despised servants that are in themselves no better than the earth they tread on Vers 20. To hear the groaning of the prisoner Those prisoners of hope held so long captive in Babylon the cruelty whereof is graphically described Jer. 51.34 Vers 21. To declare the Name of the Lord in Zion This shall bee the business of the converted Gentiles to make up one Catholick Church with the Christian Jews and to bear a part in setting forth Gods worthy prayses See vers 18. Vers 22. When the people are gathered together sc to the Lord Christ For to Shilâ—â— shall be the gathering of the people Gen. 49.10 And the Kingdoms to serve the Lord As they did under Constantine the Great Valentinian Theodosius which three Emperors called themselves Vasalles Christi as Socrates reporteth the Vassals of Christ And the like may be said of other Christian Kings and Princes since who have yeelded professed subjection to the Gospel and cast their Crowns at Christs feet Vers 23. He weaâ—ned my strength in the way This is the complaint of the poor captives yet undelivered In via hoc est in vita quia bic sumus viatores in coelo comprehensores here wee are but on our way to heaven and wee meet with many discouragements He shortned my dayes viz. According to my account For otherwise in respect of God our dayes are numbred Stat sua cuique dies Vers 24. Take me not away in the midst of my dayes Heb. Make me not to ascend Serus in coelum redeam Fain I would live to see those golden dayes of Redemption Abraham desired to see the day of Christ Job 8. Simeon did and then sang out his soul All the Saints after the Captivity looked hard for the consolation of Israel Thy years are throughout all generations And that 's the comfort of thy poor Covenanters who are sure to participate of all thy goods Vers 25. Of old thou hast laid the foundation c. Here is a clear proof of Christs eternity Heb. 1.10 because he was before the creation of the world and shall continue after the consummation thereof vers 26 27. So the Saints a parte pest 1 Job 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Vers 26. They shall perish i.e. They shall change form and state being dissolved by the last fire 2 Pet. 3.7 10. But thou shalt endâ—re Heb. Stand and with thee thy Church Mat. 22.32 Yea all of them shall wax old as a garment Which weareth in the wearing so do the visible heavens and the earth what ever some write de constantia naturae Isaiah saith It rotteth as a book that is vener andae rubiginiâ— and wasteth away as smoak chap. 65.17 and 66.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tucetu Arab. At a vesture shalt thou change them The Greek hath roul them confer Isa 34 4. Vers 27. But thou art the same Therefore immutable because Eternall ut nihil tibi possit accedere vel decidere Vers 28. The children of thy servants shall continue By vertue of the Covenant and that union with thee which is the ground of communion If it could be said of Cesar that he held nothing to he his own that he did not communicate to his friends how much more of Christ Propterea bene semper sperandum etiamsi 〈◊〉 ruant the Church is immortal and immutable PSAL. CIII A Psalm of David Which he wrote when carried out of himself as far as heaven saith Beza and therefore calleth not upon his own soul onely but upon all creatures from the highest Angel to the lowest worm to set forth Gods praises Vers 1. Bless the Lord O my soul Agedum animulâ— mi intima mea visera A good mans work lyeth most within doors he is more taken up with his own heart than with all the world besides neither can he ever be along so long as he hath God and his own soul to converse with Davids Harp was not ofâ—ner out of tune than his heart which here he is setting right that he may the better make melody to the Lord. Musick is sweet but the setting of the strings in tune is unpleasing so is it harsh to set out hearts in order which yet must be done and throughly done as here And all that is within me All my faculties and senses The whole soul and body must be set a work in this service the judgement to set a right estimate upon mercies the memory to recognize and retain them Dent. 6 11 12. and 8.14 the Will which is the proper seat of thankfulness the affections love desire joy confidence all must bee actuated that our praises may be cordial vocal vital In peace-offerings God called for the sat and inwards Vers 2. Bless the Lord O my soul David found some dulness and drowsiness hence he so oft puts the thorn to the breast hence he so impeâ—â—ously instigateth his soul as One shere phraseth it And forget not all his benefits Forgetfulness is a grave look to it Eaten bread is soon forgotten with us as it is with children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pinâ—u neither perisheth any thing so soon with many as a good turn Alphonsus King of Arragon professed that hee wondred not so much at his Courtiers ingratitude to him who had raised many of them from mean to great estates which they little remembred as at his own to God Vers 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities David not only taketh upon him with an holy imperiousness laying Gods charge upon his soul to be thankful but intending to shew himself good cause why to be so he worthily beginneth with remission of fin as a complexive mercy and such as comprehendeth all the rest He had a Crown of pure gold set upon his head Psal 21. But here hee blesseth God for a better Crown vers 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindness c. And how was this Crown set on his head but by forgiving all his iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Corporal and spiritual Quod saniâ—as in corpore id sanctitas in corde Jehovah Rophe or the Lord the Physician as he is called Exod. 15.26 cureth His people on both fides maketh them whole every whit See Isa 19.22 Mat. 8.17 He bore out diseases Vers 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction From hell saith the Chaldee from a thousand deaths and dangers every day All this Christ our kind kinsman doth for us dying
sing in a strange Land Quid nobis cum fabulis cum risu saith Bernard in hoc exilio in hoc ergastulo in hac valle lachrymarum Let us cast away carnall mirth and groan earnestly to bee cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 Vers 5 Iâ— I forget thee O Jerusalem As I might seem to do should I herein gratifie these Idolaters or otherwise obey them rather than God The Jews at this day when they build an house they are say the Rabbines to leave one part of it unfinished and lying rude in remembrance that Jerusalem and the Temple are at present desolate At least they use to leave about a yard square of the house unplaistered on which they write Leo Modena of the riâ—es of the Jews in great letters this of the Psalmist If I forget Jerusalem c. or else these words Zecher lechorban that is The memory of the desolation Let my right hand forget Fiat abalienata atque emortua Let it bee paralyticall and useless unfit to touch the harp Vers 6 If I do not remember thee Hi gemitus Sanctorum sunt gemitus Spiritus sancti these are the very sighs unutterable that precede joys unspeakable and full of glory Either our beds are soft or our hearts hard that can rest when the Church is at unrest that feel not our Brethrens hard cords through our soft beds If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy Heb. If I cause it not to ascend above the head of my joy Christ in his Ordinances must bee our chiefest comfort overtopping all other and devouring all discontents whatsoever Vers 7 Remember O Lord the Children of Edom Those unbrotherly bitter enemies The Jews call Romists Edomites Rase it rase it Discooperite discooperite Diruite ex imis subvertite fundamentis Buchanan Darius hearing that Sardis was sacked and burnt by the Athenians commanded one of his servants to say to him thrice alwayes at supper Sir remember the Athenians to punish them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod Tâ—rp Vers 8 That art to bee destroyed Spoliatrix saith the Syriack Isa 33.1 Happy shall hee bee i. e. Well rewarded with wealth and good wishes Vers 9 That taketh and dasheth thy little ones So at the destruction of Troy Sed palam raptis heu nefas heu Nescios fari puerâ—s Achivis Ureret flammis etiam latentes Mâ—tris in alve Horat. l. 4. Od. 6. PSAL. CXXXVIII VErs 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart Which no Hypocrite can do though hee may pray in distress from the bottom of his heart A gratefull manis a gracious man viz. if hee come with a true heart as the Apostle hath it Heb. 10.22 Aben-Ezra Before the Gods will I sing praise unto thee That is before Angels who are present in holy assemblies 1 Cor. 11.10 as was represented by those Cherubines pictured in the Temple as also before Princes and Potentates see vers 4. Kimchi Vers 2 I will worship toward thy holy Temple Wheresoever I am the face of my soul shall turn like the needle of a Diall by sacred instinct Abbot towards thee in the Ark of thy presence in the son of thy love For thy loving kindness and for thy truth For thy grace and truth which come by Jesus Christ the Ark and Mercy-seat were never sundred Gods loving kindness in Christ moved him to promise his truth binds him to perform and hence our happiness For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Or Thou hast magnified thy name in all thy Words Or Thou hast magnified above all things thy Name by thy Word that is Thou hast got thee a very great name by fulfilling thy promises and by setting on thy Word with power Vers 3 In the day when I cryed c. This hee worthily celebrateth as a singular favour a badge of grace Psal 66.18 and pledge of glory Act. 2.21 And strengthenedst mee with strength in my soul With strength in the inward man Ephes 3.16 20. with spirituall mettal with supporting grace keeping head above water My body is weak my soul is well said that dying Saint I am as full of comfort as heart can hold said a certain Martyr The Apostle speaketh of the new supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 the joy of the Lord is strengthening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neh. 8.10 Vers 4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee Such of them as shall read these Psalms of my composing or otherwise shall hear of thy gracious dealing with mee according to thy promise Such also as shall hereafter bee converted to the faith for though Not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 yet some are and these shine in the Church like stars of the first magnitude Vers 5 Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord As having tasted the excellencie of the comforts of godliness far surpassing those of the Crown and Scepter and felt the power of Gods Word subduing them to the obedience of faith whereby they come to rule with God to bee faithfull with his Saints and to sing their songs Vers 6 Though the Lord bee high c. Even the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity Isa 57.15 See on Psal 113.6 7. Yet hath hee respect unto the lowly This maketh that Ancient cry out Videte magnum miraculum See here a great miracle God is on high thou liftest thy self up Aug. de Temp. and he flieth from thee thou bowest thy self down and hee descendeth unto thee Low things hee looketh close upon that he may raise them higher lofty things he knoweth a far off that he may crush them down lower The proud Pharisee pressed as near God as he could the poor Publican not daring to do so stood a loof of yet was God far from the Pharisee near to the Publican The Lord Christ is a door to Heaven Aug. in Johaâ— but a low door hee who will enter in thereby humiliet se oportet ut sano capite intrare contingat saith Austin hee must needs stoop to save his head-peece But the proud hee knoweth a far off As not vouchsafing to come anear such loathsome lepers For pride is like a great swelling in the body apt to putrifie break and run with loathsome and foul matter Hence God stands off from such as odious and abominable hee cannot abide the sight of them Superbâ—s à calo longè propellit as the Chaldee here paraphraseth he driveth the proud far enough off from Heaven yea hee thrusteth them into Hell to their Father Lucifer that King of all the children of pride as Leviathan is called Job 41.34 Vers 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble Even in the vale of the shadow of death so that I seem little different from a dead man Thou wilt revive mee That is restore mee from so great a death as 2 Cor. â— 10 Thou shalt stretch
for an Hypocrite and a Belialist Some render it O that thou wouldest slay them in as much as they hate mee for my zeal and forwardness to turn the wheel of Justice over them and to give them their due and condign punishment for for mine own part I cannot abide them but bid them Avaunt with Depart from mee yee bloody men Yee that dare to destroy so goodly a peece of Gods handy work as man is above described to bee See Gen. 9.6 Or yee that seek to double undo mee first by detraction and then by deadly practice See Ezek. 22.9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood Vers 20 For they speak against thee wickedly Inasmuch as they speak against mee Tua causa erit mea caâ—sa said Charles the fifth Emperour to Jutius Pflugiâ—â— who complained hee had been wronged by the Duke of Saxoâ—y so saith God to every David This Luther knew and therefore wrot thus to Melancthon Causa ut sit magna magnus est actor auctor ejus neque enim nostra est The cause is Christs and hee will see to it and us Moses told the people that their murmurings were not against him but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 As unskilfull hunters shooting at wild beasts kill a man sometimes so whilst men shoot at Christians they hit Christ And thine enemies take thy name in vain Whilst they would despoil thee oâ— thine omnipresence omnipotence c. casting thee into a dishonourable mould as it were and having base and bald conceits and speeches of thee and thine Kimchi interpreteth it of Hereticks those false friends but true enemies to God of whom they make great boasts as did the Gnosticks Manichees Novatians and alate the Swenkfeldians who stiled themselves the Confessours of the Glory of Christ and many of our modern Sectaries Vers 21 Do not I hate them O Lord And therefore hate them because they hate thee This the Hebrews understand of Hereticks and Apostates See a like zeal in that Angel of Ephesus Rev. 2.2 And am not I grieved Or irked made ready to vomit at as at some loathsome spectacle fretted vext Vers 22 I hate them with a perfect batred That is unfeignedly and with a round heart saith one for this only cause that they are workers of iniquity It was said of Antony hee hated a Tyrant not Tyranny and of Craessus hee hated a covetous man not covetousness It may as truly bee said of an Hypocrite Hee hates sinners not sins these hee nourisheth those hee censureth David was none such and yet as something mistrusting his own heart hee thinks good to adde Vers 23 Search mee O God and know my heart Look into every corner and cranny and see whether it bee not so as I say viz. that I hate wicked men meerly for their wickedness and for no self-respect have I thus cast down the gauntlet of defiance unto them and bidden them battel Wee should not rest saith a Reverend man in our hearts voice nor accept its deceitfull applause But as once Joshuah seeing the Angel examined him Art thou 〈◊〉 out side or on the adversaries so should wee deal in this case yea beg of God to do it for us and do it thoroughly as here this is a sure sign of 〈◊〉 void of all 〈◊〉 Vers 24 And see if there bee any wicked way in mee Heb. Any way of pain 〈◊〉 of grief or of 〈◊〉 any course of sin that is grievous to God or man Quae spirâ—â—â—â— tuum veâ—â—t â—â— Psal 7â— Aboâ—â— Ezra A Saint alloweth not of any wickedness walloweth not in it maketh it not histrade is not transformed into sins image his 〈…〉 but as in right â—ine or Honie it is continually cast out The good heart admitteth not the 〈…〉 any sin Sin may cleave to it as dross to silver but it entreth not into the frame and constitution it is not weaved into the texture of a good mans heart there is no such way of wickedness to bee found in him no such evill heart of unbelief as to depart away from the living God Heb. 3.12 There is no time wherein hee cannot say as 〈◊〉 1â— â—â— Pray for us for wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to please God And lead mee in the way everlasting Heb. In the way of eternity or of antiquity that good old way Jer. 6.16 traced by Adam Abraham Moses c. and that leadeth to Heaven Rid my heart of those remnants of Hypocrisie and help mee to perfect 〈◊〉 in the fear of God â— Cor. 7.1 PSAL. CXL VErs 1 Deliver mee O Lord from the evill man Made of malice in which is steeped the venom of all vices Preserve mee from the violent man Man of violences who vulture-like Levit. 11.10 liveth by rapine Such were Saul and his Sycophants Vers 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart Where the Devil worketh night and day as a mintman as a Smith in his forge or an Artificer in his shop A godly man is said to have right thoughts Prov. 12.5 and that his desires are only good chap. 11.23 An evill man is called a man of wicked devices Prov. 12.2 14 17. being ingeniose nequam wittily wicked as it was once said of C. Curio the Roman Lawyer They are gathered together for war Heb. They gather wars as Serpents gather poison to vomit out at others Coaceruant praelia q. d. sunt tanquam tube belli Vers 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Which by reason of his sharp tongue striketh more deeply Adders poison Venenum Payados R. Solomon readeth Spiders poison others Aspes Vipers Malice turneth men into Serpents saith Chrysostom Vers 4 Keep mee Who am thus sought and set for but thou canst rescue mee To over-throw my goings Pracipitare to hurl mee down head-long Vers 5 The proud have hid a snare c. They are restless to ruine mee adding all kind of craft to their cruelty Vers 6 I said unto the Lord Danger drove David home to God as bug bears do little Children to their Parents Vers 7 In the day of battel Heb. Of armour for battel David never had any with Saul but declined it Vers 8 Grant not O Lord c. For if they should bee 〈◊〉 competes Masters of their desires they would bee intolerably insolent so as to say Our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this Deut. 32.27 Vers 9 As for the head The chieftain the ring-leader Dâ—â—g or Saul himself Or thus Let mischief cover the heads of my besiegerâ— Let it fall upon their pates as Psal 7. Similitude est a sacreficiis 〈…〉 execrabantur Vers 10. Let burning coals fall upon them Conflagrant 〈…〉 Haec 〈◊〉 vâ—ta quam vaticinia Vers 11 Let not an evil-speaker Heb. A man of tongue whereof Peraldus reckoneth up four and twenty severall 〈◊〉 A world of wickedness St. James calleth it chap. 3. Evil shall 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 man The Angel of death
of his Office as the Jebusites did out of the Fort of Zion or as the Devil out of the Demoniack Sâ—d voluntas Dei necessitâ—s rei he passeth because he can neither will nor chuse as they say Thou changest his countenance and sendest him away Eleganter vero mors notatur immutandi verbo saith one Elegant is death set forth by changing the countenance for death taketh away the faire and fresh colour of a man and makes him look wan and withered pale and ghastly It is easâ—e to see death many times before it come in the sick manâ—face in his sharp nostrils thin cheeks hollow eyes c. Facies Hippocratica those Harbingers of death whereby God sendeth for him and so sendeth him away extrudit amandet as once he did Adam out of Paradise Lavaters Note here is Propone tihi semper horribileus speciem mortis ut eò minus pecces Set before thy self alwayes the horrid face of death to restraine thee from sin Verse 21. His sons come to honour and he knoweth it not Whilst he lyeth sick Omnis in Ascanio chari statcura parentis Vir. he regardeth no earthly thing no not what becometh of his children formerly his greatest care whether they be advanced or impaired in their outward condition As when he is dead he can take no knowledge of any thing done in this world Isai 63.16 Eccles 2.19 and 96. be his children or friends rich or poor high or low he is both ignorant and insensible It was a base slander published by a Jesuit some years after Queen Elizabeths death That as she died without sense or feeling of Gods mercies Cambd. Eliz. Prefat so that she wished she might after her death hang a while in the Aire to see what striving would be for her Kingdome As for that opinion of some Papists That the dead do sometimes returne into the Land of the living that they know how things go here and make report thereof to those in heaven it is contrary to the whole Scripture Verse 22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain That is say some But as long as he is living his body is afflicted with a thousand evils and though his soul by the condition of her creation be exempt from them yet she beares a part in them and becomes miserable with it A dying man hath sorrow without and sorrow within the whole man is in misery as Job here felt himself Others hold Aben-Ezra Mercer Deodate that this Poetical representation hath no other meaning but that the dead have no manner of communication with the living Broughtou rendreth it His flesh is grieved for it self and his soul will mourn for it self q.d. he takes no thought or care for his children or neerest relations CHAP. XV. Verse 1. Then answered Eliphaz the Temanice and said LApides locutus est In this second encounter Eliphaz falls upon Job not so much with stronger Arguments as with harder words reproving him sharply or rather reproaching him bitterly Facundiâ quadam caninâ with more Eloquence then charity So hard a thing is it saith Beza espetially in disputing and reasoning to avoid self-love as even in these times experience daily teacheth us He hinteth I suppose at the publick Conference betwixt himself and Jacobus Andreas at Mompelgard Lib. 35. Hist whereby the strife was rather stirred then stinted as Thuanus complaineth Or else at the Disputation at Possiacum wherein Beza Speaker for the Protestant party Hist of Counc of Trent 453. before the Queen Mother of France the young King Charles and many Princes of the Blood entring into the matter of the Eucharist spake with such heat unlesse the Historian wrongs him that he gave but ill satisfaction to those of his own side so that he was commanded to conclude Such meetings are seldome successeful saith Luther because men come with confidence and wit for victory rather then verity In this reply of Eliphaz to Job we may see what an evil thing it is to be carried away with prejudice and pertinacy which make a man forget all modesty and fall foule upon his best friends Here 's enough said to have driven this sorrowful man into utter despaire had not God upheld his spirit whiles he is fiercely charged for a wicked man Non affert ullaâ—â— consolationem non invitat eum ad panitentiam sed potiâ—â— ad desperationem complelas Lav. and hated of God neither doth any of his friends henceforth afford him one exhortation to repentance or one comfortable promise as Lavater well observeth Verse 2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledg Heb. Knowledg of the wind light frothy empty discourses that have no tack or substance in them but only words that are no better then wind a meer flash or Aiery nothing Solomon thinks a wise man should beware of falling into this fault lest he forfeit his reputation Eccles 10.1 Dead flyes cause the Oyntments of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour as spots are soonest observed in the whitest and finest garments and envy like wormes and moths doth usually feed on the purest cloth Neh. 6.11 A great many dead flies may be found in a Tar-box and no hurt done but one of them falne into a pot of sweet Odours or precious Perfumes may soone taint and corrupt them And fil his belly with the East-wind Per ventrem mentem intellige per ventum Orientalem vanam opinionem saith Vatablus By belly understand the mind and by the East wind a vain conceit or frothy knowledg blown forth out of a swelling breast to the hurt of others for the East wind is destructive to herbs and fruits Hos 12.1 Gen. 41.6 But doth not Eliphaz here by these bubble of words and blustering questions betraying much choler and confidence fall into the very same fault which he findeth with Job Doth not he also fill his belly with heat so the Vulgar rendreth this Text which kindling in his bosom blazeth out at his lips Doth not this angry man exalt folly and shew himself none of the wisest though he were the oldest in all the company Verse 3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk Why But if he do should he therefore be thus rippled up and rough-hewed And not rather reduced and rectified with hard Arguments and soft words Man is a cross crabbed creature Duci vult trahi non vult Perswade him you may compel him you cannot A fit time also must be taken to perswade him to better for else you may loose your sweet words upon him The Husbandman soweth not in a storm The Mariner hoyseth not sail in every wind Good Physicians evacuate not the body in extremity of heat and cold A brother offendâ—d is harder to be 〈…〉 a strong City Prov. 18.19 This Eliphaz should have considered and not so rashly censured Job for a fool and his talk for trash but