and severe punishments of God are threatned against it and shall pursue as a most just revenge every man that shall be guilty of it 30. Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfie his soul when he is hungry 31. But if he be found he shall restore seven fold he shall give all the substance of his house 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul Paraphrase 30 31 32. For indeed this sin hath a vast aggravation of guilt compared with most other sins Theft for example is not near so heinous That is supposed to be committed upon the importunity of hunger to satisfie the necessities of nature and accordingly the punishment by the Law apportioned to that is that of restitution Exod. 22.1 five oxen for an ox four sheep for a sheep and how oft soever he steals thus shall he pay as far as all his wealth or possessions will extend which was very regularly provided by the Law against those which shall by stealth invade other mens possessions But adultery is not capable of this excuse or extenuation that it is done to satisfie any natural want God having afforded a regular course to satisfie all such desires as are planted in men by nature and adultery is a violation of that course a breach of the Laws of Wedlock neither proceeds it from any other defect or want but what is most unexcusable a want of a good and orderly will and choice see Note on ch 4. i an effect of great inordinacy of desires which hath rased out that Law of reason and justice imprinted in the soul and so it is a most wilfull enormous wasting and crying sin and that which by political Laws is awarded with death 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Paraphrase 33. To which most just punishment is added that other of perpetual ignominy and reproach which inseparably and constantly attends this sin 34. For jealousie is the rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance 35. He will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts Paraphrase 34 35. And as the law directs this revenge so there is small hope the guilty shall escape the utmost severity of it in this case The wronged husband is his prosecutour and he is sure to be excited and armed with the utmost rage that jealousie can suggest and that is as cruel and implacable as the grave Cant. 8.6 In other injuries some reparation may possibly be made but here 't is not imaginable no bribe can be thought on so great as may hope to propitiate or intercede for him he will never be perswaded to let such a wrong pass unpunished but will be sure to pursue to death him that hath thus provoked him Annotations on Chap. VI. V. 3. Humble thy self and make sure thy friend The rendring of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be difficult and uncertain did not all the ancient Interpreters joyn together in one notion to secure us of the true and literal meaning of it The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not onely to tread on but to trouble so Ezek. 32.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and troubledst the waters with thy feet and so Ezek. 34.18 so Prov. 25.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a troubled fountain Hence here in Hithpael being in the reciprocal sense it may fitly note troubling exciting stirring up himself Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to prevail Isa 3.5 and so both together join'd with the antecedents and consequents will thus be rendred go stir up thy self and prevail with thy companion i. e. as soon as ever thou seest thy danger by suretiship make haste and importune him for whom thou art bound to free thee presently from thy engagement give not sleep to thine eyes c. v. 4. without any delay take this course to disintangle thy self The Chaldee reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excite him stir him up quickly i. e. solicite him and so the Syriack in the same words and the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not remiss but provoke i. e. stir him up using the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it belongs to the coward or sluggard to which importunity of solicitation is most contrary as Luk. 18.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one is opposed to praying always so also the Latin festina suscita amicum tuum hasten stir up thy friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Symmachus incite i. e. importune him till thou prevail V. 5. From the hand of the hunter The Hebrew here hath no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar render de manu from the hand the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snares But as the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to dart or shoot or throw so the noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely an hand but a blow or stroke or any kind of hurt The Chaldee Deut. 32.36 render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stroke and so frequently elsewhere Here they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latin renders pedica a snare or toil but the Translatour of the Syriack which useth the same plagis strokes and so it most probably signifies the wound or shot or stroke that the roe receives from the hunter's arrow or dart In the latter part of the verse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the hand of the fowler the Chaldee and Syriack reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snare and so the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the snare but this probably as a paraphrase of the fowlers hand which layeth the snare and into which it comes by being caught there And so here the double use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for a stroke and an hand hath a special elegance in it V. 7. Guide For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a captain or guide the ancient Interpreters seem to have read somewhat else either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summer-fruit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural in the same sense for the Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mow signifies any thing that is mowed or reaped and is used for the time of harvest in the next verse and herein the Syriack agrees with the Chaldee and the LXXII vary but little reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 husbandry meaning I suppose the fruit of husbandry as 1 Cor. 3.9 those whom by Paul's preaching God had brought in to the faith are call'd God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 husbandry by the same proportion that they are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 building the one ripe for harvest as the other for habitation Onely the Latin of all the ancients reade ducem captain which agrees so well with the other two
the meer eating of an apple In the next place as Adam was no private person but the whole humane nature so this sin is to be considered either in the root or in the fruit in its self or in its effects In its self so all mankind and every particular man is and in that name must humble himself as concerned in the eating of that fruit which only Adams teeth did fasten on is to deem himself bound to be humbled for that pride that curiosity that disobedience or whatsoever sin else can be contained in that first great transgression and count you this nothing to have a share in such a sin which contains such a multitude of Rebellions 'T is not a slight perfunctory humiliation that can expiate not a small labour that can destroy this monster which is so rich in heads each to be cut off by the work of a several repentance Now in the last place as this sin of all mankind in Adam is considered in its effects so it becomes to us a body of sin and death a natural disorder of the whole man an hostility and enmity of the flesh against the spirit and the parent of all sin in us as may appear Rom. vii and Jam. 1.14 Which that you may have a more compleat understanding of consider it as it is ordinarily set down consisting of three parts 1. A natural defect 2. A moral affection 3. A legal guilt i. e. a guiltiness of the breach of the Law for these three whatsoever you may think of them are all parts of that sin of our nature which is in and is to be imputed to us called ordinarily original sin in us to distinguish it from that first act committed by Adam of which this is an effect And first that natural defect is a total loss and privation of that primitive justice holiness and obedience which God had furnisht the Creature withal a disorder of all the powers of the Soul a darkness of the understanding a perverseness of the will a debility weakness and decay of all the senses and in summ a poverty and destruction and almost a nothingness of all the powers of Soul and Body And how ought we to lament this loss with all the veins of our heart to labour for some new strain of expressing our sorrow and in fine to petition that rich grace which may build up all these ruines to pray to God that his Christ may purchase and bestow on us new abilities that the second Adam may furnish us with more durable powers and lasting graces than we had but forfeited in the first The following part of this sin of our nature viz. A moral evil affection is word for word mentioned Rom. vii 5 For there the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinarily translated motions of sins and in the margin the passions of sins are more significantly to be rendred affections of sins i. e. by an usual figure sinful affections That you may the better observe the encumbrances of this branch of this sin which doth so over shadow the whole man and so fence him from the beams and light of the spiritual invisible Sun I am to tell you that the very Heathen that lived without the knowledge of God had no conversation with and so no instruction from the Bible in this matter that these very Heathens I say had a sense of this part of original sin to wit of these evil moral lusts and affections which they felt in themselves though they knew not whence they sprang Hence is it that a Greek Philosopher out of the antients makes a large Discourse of the unfatiable desire and lust which is in every man and renders his life grievous unto him where he useth the very same word though with a significant Epithet added to it that S. James doth c. 1. ver 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinite lust with which as S. James saith a man is drawn away and enticed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith he that part of the mind in which these lusts dwell is perswaded and drawn or rather fall backward and forward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which lust or evil concupiscence he at last defines to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unsatiable intemperance of the appetite never filled with a desire never ceasing in the persecution of evil and again he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our birth and nativity derived to us by our parents i. e. an evil affection hereditary to us and delivered to us as a Legacy at our Birth and Nativity all which seems a clear expression of that original lust whose motions they felt and guest at its nature Hence is it that it was a custom among all of them I mean the common Heathen to use many ways of purgations especially on their children who at the imposition of their names were to be lustrated and purified with a great deal of superstition and ceremony such like as they used to drive away a plague or a cure for an House or City As if nature by instinct had taught them so much Religion as to acknowledge and desire to cure in every one this hereditary disease of the soul this plague of mans heart as 't is called 1 Kings viii 38 And in summ the whole learning of the Wisest of them such were the Moralists was directed to the governing and keeping in order of these evil affections which they called the unruly citizens and common people of the soul whose intemperance and disorders they plainly observed within themselves and laboured hard to purge out or subdue to the government of reason and virtue which two we more fully enjoy and more Christianly call the power of grace redeeming our Souls from this Body of sin Thus have I briefly shewed you the sense that the very Heathen had of this second branch of original sin which needs therefore no farther aggravation to you but this that they who had neither Spirit nor Scripture to instruct them did naturally so feelingly observe and curse it that by reason of it they esteemed their whole life but a living death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their body but the Sepulchre of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which together are but a periphrasis of that which S. Paul calls in brief the body of death And shall we who have obtained plenty of light and instruction besides that which nature bestowed on us with them shall we I say let our Eyes be confounded with abundance of day shall we see it more clearly to take less notice of it Shall we feel the stings of sin within us which though they do but prick the regenerate prove mortal to the rest of us and shall we not observe them Shall we not rather weep those Fountains dry and crop this luxury of our affections with a severe sharp sorrow and humiliation Shall we not starve this rank fruitful Mother of
Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prayer the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer the Latine deprecationem and so the Arabick and the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cry and so the not despising or abhorring or casting ouâ— will best agree with it and the subsequents also when I cryed unto him he heard And so the word will well enough bear from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak as that is here applyed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor of whom the wise man saith the poor man speaketh supplications V. 2â— Keep alive Where the Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he hath not quickened his soul the LXXII and Syriack Latine Arabick Aethiopick render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my soul lives to him for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soul reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him and then joyning the masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the foeminine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Chaldee rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the soul of the wicked he shall not enliven do evidence our vulgar reading of the Hebrew to be that which they then used and so the LXXII to have mis-read it The literal meaning of it is somewhat difficult Castelliâ—'s conjecture is not unfit to be taken notice of who joyns it with that which follows thus and he that hath not quickened his soul i. e. who is dead his seed shall serve him Eorum progonies quorum vita non perdurat cum colont the pâ—â—gony of them whose life continues not shall serve or worship And thus may the ellipsis be well enough supplied and with as little violence as any other way Yet because both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in the singular not plural number and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seed without any affix of any number must agree with those it will be more reasonable to change his plural eorum and quorum into ejus and cujus and then reteining that his way of interpretation the rendring will be literally this and for him who doth not enliven his soul i. e. who dies his seed or posterity shall serve him i. e. God This may have a commodious meaning in respect of David himself that when he is dead and so can praise God no longer himself for these his mercies yet his posterity shall praise God for them and by that ingagement be moved to undertake and adhere to his service But in respect of Christ the completion is more signal that though he dye yet he should have a numerous posterity and those begotten as it were by his blood-shedding as Isa 53.10 when he hath made his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed and this seed of his shall serve him viz. the multitude of Christians that adore the crucified Saviour of whom it very agreeably follows that they shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation being the men that make up the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the future age as Christianity is called of which Christ is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father in the LXXII their rendring of Isa 9.6 If this be not the meaning of the place then taking the words by themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and enlivens not his own soul must probably be thus supplied as our English hath it and none can keep or more literally to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath kept alive his own soul i. e. in relation to David 't is God that hath delivered and preserved him and none else could have done it being destitute of all worldly aides and the same by way of pious aphorisme is appliable to all others all deliverance from the least to the greatest streight or danger is totally to be imputed to God But most eminently and signally to Christ who being dead in the flesh was quickened by the spirit being put to that shameful death of Crucifixion in his humane nature was raised again by the power of his divine nature and in that was founded the propagation of the Christian Religion as the interpretation of that which follows His seed shall serve him and be numbred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or accounted to God for a generation V. 31. That he hath done this Where the Hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that or because he hath done it the Chaldee renders paraphrastically and in sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the miracles which he hath wrought The LXXII applying it to the people that should be born reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Lord hath made and so the Latine and Aethiopick and the Syriack also save that they read it in the future That which is most exact and according to the letter will be to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath wrought it by it meaning the righteousness praecedent so Castâ—llio renders it ut exponant quâ— sit usus justitiâ— that they may shew what righteousness he hath wrâ—ghâ— by righteousness meaning either fidelity and perâ—ce of promise or more fitly in the sacred notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benâ—gnâ—y or beneficence The Twenty Third PSALM A Psalm of David Paraphrase The Twenty Third Psalm was composed by David and is a most passionate expression of Gods abundant care and providence toward all those that faithfully depend on him And hath its most eminent completion in Christ the great shepheard and Bishop of our souls of whom that this Psalm is a Prophecy see Maximus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 3. c. β. and l. 2.55 c. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Paraphrase 1. The Lord my God is to me and all that diligently wait on him as a Pastor is to his flock of sheep though it be in a wilderness he is able to provide for me I shall not be left destitute 2. He maketh me to ly down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters Paraphrase 2. He provideth abundantly both for my food and refreshment 3. He restoreth my soul he leadeth â—he in the paths of righteousness for his names sake Paraphrase 3. He revives and refreshes and comforts me by his spirit affords me a full and plenteous baite and thereby enables me for the hardship of a journey as he did Elias 1 King 19.8 and then leads me forth in the even paths of pious duties gently and carefully as I am able to goe by this means directing me to that true felicity even of this life the exercising my self and guiding my steps by his excellent laws and rules of living and this out of his free mercy to me the greatest and most valuable that any mortal is capable of 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Paraphrase 4. And though this course should engage me
themselves that they shall perpetuate the wealth and greatness which they have gathered but are very wide of their expectations find themselves foully deceived and frustrated And yet they that succeed them in their estates go after them in the same track imitate that folly which was so fatal to them and think themselves happy that they shall enjoy the fruits of it 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Paraphrase 14. But then death comes upon them all and defeats all their expectations As sheep or other such creatures they die remove from all their splendid possessions to those dark invisible plains where they continue as a flock in a pasture till that great morning of the resurrection when the righteous shall be assumed by God to assist in judicacature and so shall arise in their old shapes when the earth shall give up her dead and the grave wherein their beauty strength and form decayed and was consumed shall at length it self decay and lose its strength death having lost its sting and the grave its victory and so being no longer the mansion for the bodies of just men 15. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me Selah Paraphrase 15. And accordingly my comfort is that God will after my death one day restore me again to life into his hands I commend my spirit not doubting but he will hereafter receive me to glory And so for all others that constantly adhere to and wait on God whatever terrors they meet with here they have this full matter of confidence that God hath particular care of them and will either deliver them out of their dangers or convert them to their greatest good rewarding them abundantly in the resurrection 16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased Paraphrase 16. It is therefore most unreasonable to be troubled at or to envy the increase of wordly riches or honour or any kind of greatness or prosperity to the worldly man 17. For when he dyeth he shall carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him Paraphrase 17. For death will soon overtake him and then he cannot carry his wealth with him his present glory and greatness shall not then yield him the least advantage 18. Though whilst he lived he blest his soul and men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self Paraphrase 18. Indeed might his own word be taken he were an happy man for so he flattereth himself that he hath goods laid up for many years and as long as this life lasts he entertains no other thoughts But when death comes all these flattering fallacies vanish 'T is not thine own mouth but anothers whose commendation will be worth the having and that will not be had but for the real kindnesses and good turns thou dost unto thy self in doing that which will prove thy durable good and not in saying magnificent things of thy present state applauding thy temporal felicities 19. He shall go to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light Paraphrase 19. The just shall be gathered to their fathers in peace die indeed as their fathers did before them but the wicked shall be destroyed for ever their death shall be their entrance into endless unexpressible darkness and misery and to that they shall be for ever confined 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish Paraphrase 20. The conclusion then is There is not a more brutish creature more fit to be pitied than envied than a worldly wicked man advanced to greatness in this world and pleasing himself in it he doth not at all understand his own condition he triumphs and thinks himself very happy and whilst he doth so death unexpectedly seises upon him and confutes him sweeps him away helpless and friendless as a beast of the field that just now took himself for one of the greatest men in the world just as they perish and leave all behind them so doth he Only the wise and virtuous the upright v. 10 14. have better hopes and shall not fail of atteining them Annotations on Psalm XLIX V. 2. Low and high The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may here briefly be noted The former is taken for a great or eminent person in any respect of virtue extraction strength c. So 1 Sam. 26.15 Art thou not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man is expounded by what follows and who is like thee in Israel signifying there the military valour and reputation of Abner and many the like Whereas as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth signifies an earthy or frail mortal mean man And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here sons of this mean man are the lower and ordinary sort of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of the earth say the LXXII not that they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because they would in their reading allude to the original of the word as oft they do And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the contrary to these persons of the higher quality The Chaldee express the former phrase by the sons of old Adam the latter by the sons of Jacob making this difference between the rest of mankind and the people of Israel and giving the latter the preeminence over all other and so they make them comprehensive words containing Gentiles and Jews i. e. all the men in the world and that very fitly the Psalm following being the equal concernment of them both But 't is more likely that the phrases denote only the several conditions of men of the lower and higher rank for so the consequents interpret it rich and poor the former according to the sacred style frequently observable explicative of the latter of those and the latter of the former by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 4. Dark saying The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proverb or parable is of great latitude signifies primarily any similitude by which another thing is exprest thence a figurative speech either by way of fiction and fable such are riddles or significant apologues as that of Jotham Jud. 9.7 and many others in Scripture both in the old and new Testament or by way of application of some true example or similitude as when the sluggard is bid go to the ant the impenitent sinner to the swallow and crane which return at their certain seasons and so are fit to preach returning or repentance to sinners And finally it belongs to all moral doctrine either darkly or only sententiously delivered because the wise men of the world were wont to deliver that in short concise sentences
morning in the resurrection in which the just shall judge the world and so subjugate the wicked wordlings to all eternity Then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their beauty or form or figure so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effinxit formavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a contraction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being an imperfect sense must be supplied from that which went before and their form i. e. so likewise shall their form do as the upright shall in the resurrection have dominion over the wicked rise and raign joyfully so likewise shall their form or figure referring to the restauration of their bodies they shall rise again in their old shapes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the failing of Hades from an habitation to it i. e. where Hades shall fail to be an habitation to it i. e. when the grave or common repository of the dead in which their beauty form and figure was consumed shall it self decay and lose its strength death having forfeited her sting and the grave her victory no longer to be a mansion to the bodies of the just And this being here spoken in general of all just men is by David particularly applied to himself v. 15. But God will deliver my soul from the power of the grave c. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their help as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petra a rock and by metaphore strength refuge and so help and the Latine follows them but Syriack reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their form or image And so this is the interpretation of this whole verse the principal part of difficulty in this parable or dark saying for which this Psalm was designed V. 15. Receive me God 's receiving here is to be understood in the same sense as Enochs being received or taken by God Gen. 5.24 or as we find Psal 73.34 thou shalt after receive me to glory Thus Jonah 4.3 he prays take I beseech thee my life And then it will signifie Gods future receiving him to glory V. 18. Though whilst he lived The Hebrew of the 18. verse is thus literally and clearly rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in his living or life time he blest his soul the impious worldling applauded much his own present state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but men shall praise thee or thou shalt be praised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if or when thou dost well to thy self i. e. for doing well to thy self for doing that which may tend really and eternally to thy good and not for saying well for applauding thy present felicity V. 19. Shall go To go or to be gathered to the fathers is a known expression of dying in peace and the same is the importance of the phrase here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall go to the generation of his fathers So the Chaldee read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the memory of the just shall come and be added to the generation of their fathers but the wicked shall never see light The Fiftieth PSALM A Psalm of Asaph Paraphrase The Fiftieth Psalm is a solemn magnifying of Gods power and majesty and a description of the calling of the Gentiles and of the true Evangelical way of worshipping God It was composed probably by David and appointed to be sung by Asaph a Levite appointed by David to attend the Ark and to record and to thank and to praise the Lord God of Israel 1 Chron. 16.5 1. The mighty God even the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof Paraphrase 1. The decree is gone out from the Omnipotent God of heaven the supreme eternity Lord and Judge over all the world that he will assemble and convocate the whole Nation of the Jews from Dan to Bersheba from sea to sea from East to West to reduce and take them off from their hypocritical and abominable practises and bring them to the due acknowledgment and pure worship of the true God and the practise of all virtue 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined Paraphrase 2. To this end as God hath fixt his Tabernacle on Mount Sion presentiated himself as illustriously there as he did at the giving the Law on Mount Sinai so shall the Son of God in the fulness of time descend to this earth of ours the true light John 1.9 shall shine forth the Messias shall be born of our flesh of the seed of David and having preacht repentance to the Jews and being rejected by their Sanhedrim and Crucified by them he shall rise from death and ascend to his Father and then send his Spirit on his Apostles thereby commissionating them to reveal his Gospel to all the world beginning from the place where God hath been pleased in a special manner to reside this most beautiful mount of Sion there he now presentiates himself and from thence he shall then begin to shine forth and inlighten the heathen world the preaching of his Gospel to all the world shall commence and proceed from thence 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him Paraphrase 3. What is thus decreed shall certainly come to pass in its appointed time and be lookt on as an extraordinary and signal work of Gods power wherein much of his divine presence shall be discernible and the immediate attendants of it shall be very dreadful and terrible above that of the giving the Law to the Jews from Mount Sinai 4. He shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people Paraphrase 4. And it shall begin with a summons as to a solemn Assises for the examining the actions of men good and bad those that have resisted and despised the Messias and those that have subjected themselves to him All shall be judged by him the former punished and the latter rewarded And Angels and Men shall be summoned and called in to be executioners of these his judgments 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Paraphrase 5. And the good Angels his ministers of preservation shall be appointed to take special care of all the pious believing Jews Mat. 24.31 Rev. 7.3 who have sincerely given themselves up to his service received the Christian faith and in their baptism made vow of performing it faithfully which adore and pray constantly to him and not to suffer any harm to come nigh to these 6. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness for God is Judge himself Selah Paraphrase 6. And so accordingly shall they do rescuing all faithful believers out of the calamities that attend the crucifiers A thing much to be taken notice of as an act of most
righteous judgment in God and a testimony that all that should pass should be from Gods particular disposing And so it was in the story before the fatal siege of Hierusalem all the Christians in obedience to Christs admonition Mat. 24.16 fled out of Judea unto Pella and so none of them were found in Judea at the taking of it See note on Mat. 24. g. 7. Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God Paraphrase 7. Then shall he establish a new law with these his faithful servants the disciples of Christ the members of the Christian Church entring into a stedfast covenant of mercy with them ratified and sealed in the death of his Son 8. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings to have been continually before me Paraphrase 8. And abolish the old Mosaical way of Sacrifices and holocausts of bullocks c. constantly offered up unto God by the Jews 9. I will take no bullock out of thy house nor he-goats out of thy fold Paraphrase 9. And never any more put the worshipper to that chargeable gross sort of service of burning of flesh upon Gods Altar that the smoak might go up to heaven and Atone God for them as was formerly required whilst the Jewish Temple stood 10. For every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattel upon a thousand hills 11. I know all the fouls of the mountains and the c wild beasts of the field are mine 12. If I were hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof 13. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats Paraphrase 10 11 12 13. For indeed this kind of service was never appointed by God as that which he had any need of or pleasure in it If he had he might have provided himself whole hecatombs without putting the Israelites to the charge or trouble of it having himself the plenary dominion of all the cattel on the earth and fouls of the air and the certain knowledge where every one of them resides so that he could readily command any or all of them whensoever he pleased But it is infinitely below God to want or make use of any such sort of oblations sure he feeds not on flesh and blood of cattel as we men do There were other designs of his appointing the Israelites to use these services viz. to adumbrate the death of his own eternal Son as the one true means of redemption and propitiation for sin and the more spiritual sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving and almes to the poor members of Christ which may receive real benefit by our Charities which cannot be imagined of God 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Paraphrase 14. And such are the sacrifices which under the Messias are expected and required of us 1. That of the Eucharist the blessing God for all his mercies but especially the gift of his Son to dye for us and this brought to God with penitent contrite mortified hearts firm resolution of sincere new obedience and constantly attended with an offertory or liberal contribution for the use of the poor proportionable to the voluntary oblations among the Jews and these really dedicated to God and accepted by him Phil. 4.18 Heb. 13 16. 15. And call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Paraphrase 15. 2. That of prayer and humble address unto God in all time of our wants to which there is assurance of a gracious return and that must ingage us to give the praise and glory of all to the Messias in whose name our prayers are addrest to God 16. But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth 17. Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Paraphrase 16 17. But as for those that make no other use of these mercies of God than to incourage themselves to go on in their courses of sin which think to perform these sacrifices of prayer and praise and yet still continue in any wilful known vice unreformed make their formal approaches unto God but never heed his severe commands of reformation these have no right to the mercies of this Evangelical Covenant and do but deceive themselves and abuse others when they talk of it and the more so the more solemnly they pretend to piety and talk of and perhaps preach it to others 18. When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with adulterers Paraphrase 18. Such are not only the thief and adulterer those that are guilty of the gross acts of those sins but such as any way partake with them in these 19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Paraphrase 19. Such the evil speaker and lyer 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Paraphrase 20. The backbiter and slanderer 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Paraphrase 21. When men commit such sins as these God doth not always inflict punishment on them immediately but defers and gives them space to repent and amend that they may thus prevent and escape his punishment And some make so ill use of this indulgence and patience of his which is designed only to their repentance as to interpret it an approbation of their course and an incouragement to proceed securely in it But those that thus deceive themselves and abuse Gods mercies shall most deerly pay for it God shall bring his judgments upon them here cut them off in their sins and pour out his indignation on them in another world 22. Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Paraphrase 22. This therefore is matter of sad admonition to every impenitent sinner that goes on fearless in any course of evil immediately to stop in his march to return betimes lest if he defer Gods judgments fall heavily upon him selfe him and carry him to that place of torment for then there is no possible escaping 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Paraphrase 23. Whereas on the other side the Christian duties required v. 14. Repentance and charity c. and the orderly spending of these few days of our life in this world are beyond all the sacrifices of the Law an eminent means of glorifying God and providing for the present bliss and eternal salvation of our souls Annotations on Psalm L. V. 3. Shall come The notion of Gods coming must here first be established as that
all the Angels that ministred at the giving the Law in Sinai are constantly attendant on this place of Gods service V. 20. Issues from death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must literally be rendred goings forth to death and must signifie the several plagues and judgments inflicted by God on impenitent enemies the ways of punishing and destroying the Egyptians and Canaanites drowning in the Sea killing by the sword infesting by hornets c. And these are properly to be attributed and imputed to God as the deliverances of the Israelites his people in the former part of the verse And to this sense the consequents incline v. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Even God shall wound The Jewish Arab interprets it kinds of death or several ways of death R. Tanchum causes The LXXII render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the passages of death the ways by which death goes out upon men to destroy them the Latine exitus mortis goings out of death the Chaldee more largely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. from before the Lord death and the going out of the soul to suffocation do contend or fight against the wicked The Syriack most expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord God is the Lord of death but then adds also ex abundanti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of escaping V. 27. Their rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominatus est is here by contraction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their ruler and being applied to Benjamin hath respect to Saul who was of this tribe the first King that was placed over that people Which gives the first place to that tribe in this enumeration so saith the Targum Benjamin was little among the tribes which first descended into the sea therefore at first he received the Kingdom as the second is given to Judah who saith the Chaldee received the Kingdom next after them in respect to David As for Zebulon and Nephtali why their names are here added rather than any of the other tribes the reason may perhaps best be taken from what we find prophesied of those two Gen. 49. and Deut. 33. and Jud. 5. by Jacob and Moses and Debora that learning and knowledge should be most eminent in those two tribes Of Nephtali 't is said Gen. 49.21 Nephtali is a bind let loose he giveth goodly words and of Zebulon Jud. 5.14 they shall handle the pen of the writer Whence it is thought to be that Isa 9.1 the comparison is made between the knowledge which should be after Christs coming in the regions where he preached and Zebulon and Nephtali on the other side because those were the most learned tribes and yet should now be obscured and far outgone by those to whom Christ was first preached V. 27. Their counsel The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a stone but is here used in a metaphorical sense for a ruler or governour as a foundation-stone which supports the whole building may fitly be applyed to a commonwealth and then signifie the Prince thereof Thus 't is certain the LXXII understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their governors and the Syriack in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Sultans of rulers Abu Walid their assembly the Jewish Arab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their captains or leaders The Chaldee are willing to refer it to three stones by which say they they of that tribe overthrew their enemies V. 30. Rebuke Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi and Aben-Ezra observe that as when it is in construction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies to rebuke so without it as here it is to destroy the most real and sharp way of rebuking so Psal 9.5 where 't is interpreted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroying that follows Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies a congregation and so is here interpreted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an assembly that follows Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arundo a reed the Latine canna it is taken for an arrow or a lance or perhaps a spear and so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the company of the reed will denote a military company of archers or lances or spear-men Then in the next words all difficulty will be removed if by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we understand not a company of bulls or beasts but of men which behave themselves like bulls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the calves of the people i. e. behave themselves toward other men as bulls in the fields do toward lesser or younger cattel For then that will denote the most lofty Princes which fight and disturb and tyrannize over all their neighbour-nations and by force indeavour to propagate their Empire and Dominions and will not be restrained within any bounds And to this belongs that other part of the character that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conculcavit trending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon pieces of silver the Syriack render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operuit obduxit covered with gold to denote those that covet the wealth of the world and get it and yet never have enough of it that disturb all mens quiet to get themselves possessors of it and then are not satisfied with it till they are covered over with it tread on it c. and so out of that insatiate desire delight in war as it follows Abu Walid interprets this parcel of the period by giving ב the notion of ob or propter because of goes about or treads it about because of pieces of silver probably he means because they abound with pieces of silver or perhaps that they may get peices of silver The Sixty Ninth PSALM TO the chief Musitian upon Shoshannim A Psalm of David Paraphrase The sixty ninth Psalm is a prayer and complaint to God against his enemies and a prediction of the judgments that should befal them 'T was composed by David in time of eminent distress and committed to the Praefect of his Musick to be sung to the instruments of six strings 1. Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my soul Paraphrase 1. Lord be thou pleased to interpose thy hand of deliverance in this so seasonable a time of exigency when I am so near to be overwhelmed with dangers 2. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me Paraphrase 2. I am not able to secure or defend my self to find any way to support me in this distress or deliver me out of it my enemies are many and mighty and without thy help I am sure to be overborn by 〈◊〉 3. I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God Paraphrase 3. I have long calle◠〈◊〉 uncessantly made my complaint to thee and am ready to faint
spirit of Prophecy Yet it may have been Historical and so it is most probable by the stile and then it must have been composed by some of that name of after-times and if so then there is no reason to doubt but the rest which bear Asaphs name were so also V. 4. Bands What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies will be hard to define it being uncertain from what root it comes and there being but one place more of Scripture wherein 't is used Isa 58.6 There 't is by all the antient interpreters rendred knots or bonds and so 't is generally expounded by Grammarians 't is saith David de Pomis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantamount to the word which from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to binde signifies bonds and to the same effect saith Kimchi in his Roots But this doth not secure us of the importance of the word in this place there being many possible rendrings of it to each of which this of bands will be appliable For 1. the word bands in Hebrew stile oft signifies child-bed pangs so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seems to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indifferently used for bands or pangs and so is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pangs Acts 2.22 see note c. on that chapter and this because the child-bed pangs are caused by the breaking of those ligatures which joyn the infant to the wombe which consisting of a texture of nerves and membranes parts of a most accurate sense cannot be severed without causing intolerable pains Hence therefore the notion of bands may here fitly be ingredient in the expression of pains or agonies especially when all pain of what kind soever is some degree of solutio continui a rupture at least straining of those fibers of which the sensible parts of our bodies are composed and accordingly pain is either more or less in proportion to this breach of union the torments of abortions greater than those of regular births and those of an untimely violent death exceed the pains of a natural where age is the only sickness where there are no bands to be forced asunder but the ripe fruit drops willingly from the tree men come to their grave in a full age like as a shock of corn comes in in his season in Jobs language ch v. 26. whereby he concludes his description of a prosperous life Upon these grounds this seems to be the most probable signification of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are no pangs because no ligaments in their death their death is not caused by those violent and painful assaults as other mens frequently are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dye with ease as Kimchi speaks and to the same purpose Abu Walid who renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difficulties hardships molestations To this notion the Syriack seem to have particular respect rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latine interpreter translates terminus as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnino prorsus from whence saith Ferrarius is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finis terminus but then likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies chordae and fides strings to which most probably that translator had an eye and withal it signifies apostemata suppurationes apostems or boils according to the Oriental way of expressing all pain and torment by bands and ligatures Secondly therefore and in good agreement with this first notion by hands we may understand any kind of disease or pain or pressure or heavy burthen which is wont to be bound on them on whom 't is laid so Mat. 23.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bind heavy burthens and hard to be borne where the heavy and most unsupportable burthens are laid on them by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands to which the Prophet refers when he mentions the yoke of his burthen Isa 9.4 a burthen tyed on as a yoke is wont to be And thus diseases are exprest in Scripture-style See the story of the woman which had a spirit of infirmity a sore disease Inflicted on her by an evil spirit eighteen years Luk. 13.11 to her Jesus saith v. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art loosed from thine infirmity and loosing we know is proper to bands and v. 15. he compares her cure to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loosing or untying an oxe and v. 16. in express terms this daughter of Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom Satan hath bound loe these eighteen years where her spirit of infirmity v. 11. is in other words exprest by Satans binding her and again in the end of that verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought she not to be loosed from this band i. e. cured from this sickness In that story this violent disease with which she was so affected that she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowed together is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a band and consequently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands here may by analogy fitly signifie violent diseases which Aquila owns in his translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are no diseases or hard sufferings To either of these acceptions of the word for child-bed-pangs or whatsoever other pains or pressures the use of it Isa 58.6 will well accord where to loose the bands of wickedness signifies the rescuing the oppressed from their injurious pressures that afflict them as sore as pangs or pains do those that are under them but most commodiously it will be interpreted of burthens or weights which are unjustly bound upon them and press them sore The Chaldee there have a paraphrase which will give us a third acception of the word for a bond or obligation in judicature which binds one to undergo the award of it a decree or sentence as it were for so they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands of wickedness by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bonds of writings of false judgments And thus among us men are said to be bound over to judgement when they are before a Tribunal to answer any thing laid to their charge and so again to be bound over to punishment when judgment is past upon them And in this sense there are no bands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their deaths will be there are no writs signed for their execution And to this well agrees the Paraphrase of the Chaldee in this Psalm they are not frighted nor troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for or because of the day of their deaths as they that are sentenced or bound over to death be it by form of law in judicatures or be it by disease or any thing else as 2 Cor. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having the sentence of death signifies being in imminent danger of it are supposed to be And the phrase being here poetically used may reasonably be extended to all other ways of death disease slaughter in the field as well as that by judicature and any kind of danger to the life be thus exprest by bands or obligations to their
and planting an uniform obedience to thy commandments in the depth thereof TETH 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy word Paraphrase 65. O Lord I cannot but acknowledge thy great bounty toward me to the utmost that any promise of thine gave me confidence to hope 66. Teach me good judgment and knowledge for I have believed thy commandments Paraphrase 66. I am fully resolved to adhere to and obey thy precepts O be thou pleased by thy grace to rectifie my inclinations and natural bent of mind to work all corruption perverseness or contumacy out of it and then to illuminate my understanding to give me that knowledge of my duty and that resolvedness of mind that I may never swerve from it 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Paraphrase 67. To this end I must acknowledge the chastisements and afflictions which thou hast sent me to have been very advantageous and instrumental to me I was out of the way but thy rod hath reduced and brought me into it again 68. Thou art good and dost good teach me thy statutes Paraphrase 68. Thou art a gracious father and all that thou dost is acts of grace and goodness even the sharpest of thy administrations v. 67. see Rom. 8.28 are sent by thee as that which is absolutely best for us O lead and direct and assist me in thy obedience and then I have no farther care to exercise me 69. The proud have forged a lye against me but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart Paraphrase 69. My malicious adversaries have contrived slanders against me But I shall not be much concerned in their practices I shall indeavour carefully to preserve my conscience upright to God and then not fear their suggestions or machinations 70. Their heart is as fat as grease but I delight in thy law Paraphrase 70. They are obstinately and imperswasibly bent upon their course and please themselves very much in it But I shall not envy their felicities but take infinitely more pleasure in a strict adherence to thy law than they in all their impieties 71. It was good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Paraphrase 71. Nay the afflictions and chastisements thou hast sent me are to me much more beneficial and valuable than all their prosperity can be to them being very contributive to the reforming what was amiss and so most wholsome profitable discipline to me V. 67. 72. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver Paraphrase 72. And all the wealth in the world is not near so considerable to me as this JOD 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may know thy commandments Paraphrase 73. Lord thou art the author of my life and being I am a meer creature of thy forming and therefore obliged by that title to pay thee all the obedience of my life Lord be thou pleased by thy grace to instruct and assist me to it 74. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word Paraphrase 74. By this means shall I be cause of joy to all pious men who know that I have depended on thy promised assistances when they see me thus answered and supported by thee 75. I know O Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me Paraphrase 75. All the dispensations of thy providence O Lord be they never so sharp are I am confident made up of a perfect justice and not onely so but it is an act of thy sovereign mercy which thou hadst promis'd to make good to me to send me such afflictions as these These are but a necessary discipline and so a mercy to me and having promised not to deny me real and principal mercies thou wert obliged in fidelity thus to send them 76. Let I pray thee thy mercifull kindness be my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant Paraphrase 76. But there is one mercy more of which I am capable thy favour and loving-kindness thy sealing pardon and peace unto my soul and that thou hast promised me also and if thou affordest me this it will be an allay abundantly sufficient to all my afflictions 77. Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live for in thy Law is my delight Paraphrase 77. Without this favourable aspect of thine I am even a dead man thy restoring it to me will raise me as it were from death to life there being now no joy that I take in the world but in thy favour and my obedience And this I hope may render me capable of this mercy from thee 78. Let the proud be ashamed for they dealt perversely with me without a cause but I will meditate in thy precepts Paraphrase 78. My malicious enemies have without all guilt of mine accused defamed and depraved my actions this shall bring shame and mischief as well as disappointment to them but shall never disturb me in my course of obedience by that I hope I shall refute all their calumnies 79. Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies Paraphrase 79. And as long as all that truly fear thee and have lived conscientiously in thy service continue faithfull to me I have no reason to wonder at the defection of others But if any man that is truly pious be seduced by their slanders and ingaged against me Lord in mercy to them be thou pleased to disabuse and reduce them 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Paraphrase 80. As for me I desire and beg of thee that if there be any degree of unsincerity in me any spared sin still remaining it may be effectually wrought out of my heart that I may approach thee with confidence and never be in danger of being rejected by thee CAPH 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word 82. Mine eyes fail for thy word saying When wilt thou comfort me 83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoak yet do I not forget thy statutes Paraphrase 81 82 83. It is long O Lord that I have waited and attended with great desire for deliverance from thee the expectation hath even worn me out yet have I not forsaken my hope or permitted my self to be tempted to any sin whether of impatience or applying my self to any indirect means for my relief but remain still confident that thou wilt in thy good time still send me release 84. How many are the days of thy servant When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me Paraphrase 84. How long Lord wilt thou permit this weight to continue upon me and not take my part against my enemies punishing or restraining them and delivering me out of their hands
thy estate and enrich her own family with the spoils of thine 11. And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof 13. And have not obey'd the voice of my teachers nor enclined mine ear to them that instructed me 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly Paraphrase 11 12 13 14. Thus is it evident before hand what cause of repentance and indignation at himself and his own folly this sin if indulged to is sure to bring upon any man when he hath exhausted and rotted his very flesh and brought himself to utter ruine he will too late to mend his temporal condition most sadly bewail and lament his madness wish every vein of his heart that he had taken the advice I now give him betimes that he had believed the serious and sad truth of such documents as these by despising of which and so adventuring on some beginnings and degrees of this sin he at last comes to be a most scandalous spectacle of misery and woe to all the people marked and pointed at for a wretched sottish creature that hath brought himself to the brink of endless ruine by his own imperswasible folly and obstinacy 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern and running rivers out of thine own well Paraphrase 15. Having thus represented to thee the dangers and wasting miseries of incontinence the advice will be but seasonable and necessary that every man resolve to satisfie himself with his own wife and most strictly abstain from wandring lusts 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waters in thy streets Paraphrase 16. This shall beside all other felicities yield thee the comforts of a numerous and flourishing offspring which as streams or rivers from a fountain shall flow from a chast conjugal bed 17. Let them be onely thine own and not strangers with thee Paraphrase 17. This shall give thee assurance that the children thou ownest are truly thine whereas those which come from the strange woman and call thee father 't is very uncertain whose they are she being no enclosure of thine but common to others also 18. Let thy fountain be blessed and rejoyce in the wife of thy youth Paraphrase 18. This shall secure God's blessing of fruitfulness to thy wife and that flourishing state to thy offspring which bastard slips cannot pretend to This shall yield thee a constant never fading pleasure in the love and embraces of her whose purity and loyalty thou hast so long been acquainted with and the longer thou art afforded this blessing the more pure unallayed satisfaction thou wilt find in it when wandring lusts end in satiety and misery and being thus furnished by her thou hast no temptation to aliene thy self from her and take any other into thine embraces 19. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht always with her love Paraphrase 19. Thou mayst alwaies find matter of pleasure and kindness in her the same that the stag or rain-deer doth in his beloved mate which he hath long associated with and so perfectly confine thy love to her and never wish for the society of any other or be weary of hers 20. And why wilt thou my son be ravisht with a strange woman and embrace the bosom of a stranger 21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Paraphrase 20 21. If all this be not sufficient to engage thee to a constancy to thine own wife and an exact abstinence from all others if the true joy and delights resulting continually from the one ballanced with the consequent satieties and miseries of the other be not competent motives effectually to prevail with thee then sure this one determent may work on thee the consideration of the law of marriage made by God in Paradise that every man shall forsake all others and cleave to his own wife and the severe judgments threatned against the violaters of this obligation and the no possibility that be it never so close it should be kept secret from God's all-seeing eye which discerns and observes and will severely avenge all such enormous sins in all that are guilty of them 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins 23. He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray Paraphrase 22 23. And an eminent act of his vengeance and providence it is that this sort of sinners seldom goes unpunished in this life His sin without any other aid constantly brings sore punishments upon him seises on him as the Hound or Vulture on its prey or as the Lictor and Serjeant on the malefactour lays him under the custody of some noisome disease His unnurtured unsavoury life his disobedience to the laws of marital chastity and continence is the exhausting his body and perhaps estate and good name and all that is valuable and brings him to a scandalous death he goes out unpittied and scorned as guilty of the highest folly and mistakes as well as injustice and such like enormous crimes against his wife and others and himself he thought he had pursued his pleasure and at least gratified his senses but in the end he finds it quite contrary he acquires nothing but loathsome maladies and untimely death and so appears cheated of all that he projected to gain by his sin beside the yet sadder losses and pains both of body and soul to all eternity Annotations on Chap. V. V. 6. Lest thou shouldest ponder That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here to be rendred not and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to the strange woman whose feet and steps are mentioned v. 6. is agreed on by all ancient Interpreters and there is no cause of doubting it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she goes not in the paths of life saith the Chaldee and so the Syriack in the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she enters not on the ways of life say the LXXII and the Latin applying it to her feet precedent per semitam vitae non ambulant they walk not by the path of life Which agree also to give us the right notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here for directing the steps i. e. walking or going which it is acknowledged to signifie as well as pondering and which properly belongs to it in this place the steps being mentioned in the former verse To this interpretation agrees that which follows her paths are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wandring vagi saith the Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dangerous say the LXXII because they that wander run into danger but unstable saith the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally not to know i. e. either thou canst not know them non scies
that follow that we have no reason to doubt of the present reading V. 12. A froward mouth The Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perverseness of mouth by which the Syriack understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quarrelling strife from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 litigare jurare or as their Latin renders it detraction the cause of quarrels among neighbours the Chaldee render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pervert deprave distort and having for the man of Belial in the beginning of the verse set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that is a calumniatour they seem to direct it wholly to this signification of detracting and depraving the actions of other men and so perverting all to the worst sense that is possible The LXXII reades more loosely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he goes ways that are not good But Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by distortions of the mouth i. e. either making wry mouths as detractours use to doe or by his speech distorting depraving the actions of other men This is here affirm'd of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of Belial as that is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profit i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unprofitable person as that signifies a very wicked man The phrase is used of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.25 and there rendred by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fool as elsewhere 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of wickedness Deut. 13.13 But in the New Testament it is applied to the Devil 2 Cor. 6.15 who we know is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calumniator as here the Chaldee render it The LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foolish man as folly and wickedness are all one The Latin homo apostata an apostate that being the notion of the word Deut. 13.13 In this place it most probably denotes an idle foolish and withall a wicked man that cares not for God's directions of his tongue or life for of such a one that is true which follows he goes about depraving and calumniating idleness folly and wickedness leads to this course see 1 Tim. 5.13 V. 30. Despise What is the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here will reasonably be resolved by the consent of all the ancient Interpreters The Chaldee reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no cause why we should be astonished or wonder and the Latin non grandis est culpa it is no grand crime But this I suppose not from any special notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wondring but from that use of it for contumely or reproach as that notes the capital punishment of malefactours paradeigmatizing bringing exemplary punishment upon them To this sure the learned Castalio refers reading Non tractatur contumeliose he is not handled contumeliously V. 31. Sevenfold That the Law of Moses required not a sevenfold restitution is manifest by the express words Exod. 22.1 fourfold of sheep fivefold of oxen it prescribes but not sevenfold of any thing And in the New Testament when Zacheus Luk. 19. converts to Christ and proffers a full restitution for all that he had injuriously taken from any and by his abundant charity giving to the poor half that he had demonstrates his care of exact justice yet the restitution he mentions is not seven-fold but fourfold It cannot then with truth be said of the thief here that he shall restore sevenfold And when some endeavour to salve this by saying that seven is the perfect number and restoring sevenfold signifies making perfect restitution it is not reasonable to admit this Scholion because the perfect restitution being by the Law specified to be four or fivefold and not left indefinite it were strange that the legal definite proportion should be omitted and another definite proportion that of sevenfold named when but four or five at most was intended It is therefore much more reasonable what the learned Franzius from Martin Luther observes that the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred seven times not seven fold so the word is used and rendred by us Psal 12.6 And then the meaning will be evident he that steals if he be found shall restore according to the legal rate of amercement and if he steal again so shall he suffer again if he steal seven times he shall be forced to restore seven times yea though it amount to all the substance of his house all that he is worth And then the comparison in the Text betwixt the Thief and the Adulterer lies thus The Thief pays dear for his stoln goods sometimes whatever he is worth but these other sort of stoln goods which to some men are the sweetest prize that of his neighbour's wife this costs him much dearer even the loss of his life and soul The Thief as oft as he stole so oft had he ways of redeeming himself but the Adulterer cannot ransome himself by any price his life is forfeit to the Law nay if by secresie he avoid that he oft brings foul and destructive diseases upon himself and his soul is in the same danger as his life see Note g. V. 32. He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul The Hebrew setting of this passage is most fully expressed by the Chaldee The Hebrew literally sounds thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that corrupteth his soul or destroyeth his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall doe this And the Chaldee reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he that seeks to corrupt his own soul or destroy his life he will doe this All the difficulty is whether it be to be rendred of destroying the life or corrupting the soul the words signifying both indifferently If the latter then it signifies this sin of adultery to be against the notions of common ingenuous nature and founded in a corruption of those principles of right judgment as Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasures are corruptive of principles and this foul sin is an effect of that corruption which was noted before when it was said of him that commits adultery that he is destitute of a heart But it is more probably interpretable of destroying the life either by bringing diseases and so death it self or by calling down capital punishment on the malefactour that so it may be here fitly opposed to theft in the comparison here made theft being punished by the Law with restitution but adultery with death V. 6. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold and be wise the LXXII reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing imitate and become wiser than he An usefull paraphrase V. 8. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gathereth her food they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maketh great provision by way of paraphrase also But after this they add another example agreeable to the Ant that of the Bee in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or go to the bee
and void Gen. i. 2 or like that at Lots Door among the Sodomites or that of Aegypt thick and palpable and this have we created to our selves a sky full of tempestuous untamed affections this cloud of vapours have we exhaled out of the lower part of our Soul our sensitive faculty and therewith have we so fill'd the air within us with sad black meteors that the Sun in its Zenith the height or pride of its splendor would scarce be able to pierce through it So that for to make a search for this light within thee before thou hast removed this throng and croud of passions which encompass it and still to complain thou canst not meet with it were to bring news that the Sun is gone out when a tempest hath only masked it or to require a Candle to give thee light through a Mud-wall Thou must provide a course to clear the Sky and then thou shalt not need to entreat the Sun to shine on thee especially if this Cloud fall down in a showre if thou canst melt so thick a viscous meteor as those corrupt affections are into a soft rain or dew of penitent tears thou mayest then be confident of a fair bright Sun-shine For I dare promise that never humble tender weeping Soul had ever this light quite darkned within it but could at all times read and see the will of God and the law of its Creation not drawn only but almost engraven and woven into its heart For these tears in our Eyes will spiritually mend our sight as what ever you see through water thought it be represented somewhat dimly yet seems bigger and larger than if there were no water in the way according to that rule in the Opticks Whatever is seen through a thicker medium seems bigger than it is And then by way of use shall we suffer so incomparable a mercy to be cast away upon us Shall we only see and admire and not make use of it Shall we fence as it were and fortify our outward man with Walls and Bulwarks that the inner man may not shine forth upon it Or shall we like silly improvident Flies make no other use of this Candle but only to singe and burn and consume our selves by its flame receive only so much light from it as will add to our hell and darkness 'T is a thing that the flintiest heart should melt at to see such precious mercies undervalued such incomparable blessings either contemned or only improved into Curses Arrian calls those in whom this light of the Soul is as I shewed you clouded and obscured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead trunks and carkasses of flesh and to keep such men in order were humane laws provided which he therefore calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miserable hard laws to keep dead men in compass and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth and Hell the places to which dead bodies are committed And certainly if so then by way of contrary all the life that we possess is but by obedience to this law within us and 't is no longer to be called life but either sleep or death or lethargy every minute that we move out of the circle of its directions There is not a step or moment in our lives but we have a special use and need of this law to manage us every enterprize of our thoughts or actions will yield some difficulty which we must hold up and read and judge of by this Candle nay sometimes we have need of a Glass or instrument to contract the beams and light of it or else 't would scarce be able to get through to our actions passion and folly and the Atheism of our lives hath so thickned the medium Wherefore in brief remember that counsel Mal. ii 15 Take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth the Wife of his youth i. e. saith Jeroms gloss legem naturalem scriptam in corde the law of nature written in his heart which was given him in the Womb as a Wife and help to succour him Let us set a value on this polar Star within us which hath or should have an influence at least directions on all our actions let us encrease and nourish and make much of the sparks still warm within us And if Scholars and Antiquaries prize nothing so high as a fair Manuscript or ancient Inscription let us not contemn that which Gods own Finger hath written within us lest the sin of the contempt make us more miserable and the mercy profit us only to make us unexcusable And so I come to my second part the sin of contemning or rejecting this law For this cause he gave them up i. e. because the contempt of his law thus provoked him The guilt arising from this contempt shall sufficiently be cleared to you by observing and tracing of it not through every particular but in general through all sorts of men since the fall briefly reducible to these three heads First The Heathens Secondly The Jews Thirdly Present Christians and then let every man that desires a more distinct light descend and commune with his own heart and so he shall make up the observation The Heathens sin will be much aggravated if we consider how they reckon'd of this law as the square and rule and canon of their actions and therefore they will be inexcusable who scarce be ever at leisure to call to it to direct them when they had use of it The Stoick calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise that every man makes the obligation that he is bound in to nature at his shaping in the Womb and upon which condition his reasonable Soul is at his conception demised to him so that whosoever puts off this obedience doth as he goes on renounce and even proclaim his forfeiture of the very Soul he lives by and by every unnatural that is sinful action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the natural man within him and by a prodigious regeneration is in a manner transubstantiate into a Beast of the Field Which conceit many of them were so possest with that they thought in earnest that 't was ordinary for souls to walk from men into Cocks and Asses and the like and return again at natures appointment as if this one contempt of the law of nature were enough to unman them and make them without a figure comparable nay coessential to the beasts that perish 'T were too long to shew you what a sense the wisest of them had of the helps that light could afford them so that one of them cryes out confidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If all other laws were taken out of the world we Philosophers would still live as we do those directions within us would keep us in as much awe as the most imperious or severest Law-giver And again how they took notice of the perversness of men in refusing to make use of it for who saith
Ezra iii. 12 or building or repairing of it with all alacrity as all Israel did through that whole Book their whole endeavour and project was even to destroy the ruins and utterly finish the work of destruction which Adam had begun as being impatient of that shelter which it would yet if they would but give it leave afford them Thus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two sparks of that primitive sacred flame which came from Heaven still alive and warm though weak in them intended by God to direct them in his will and for ever set either as their Funeral Pile or their Ordeal Fire their punishment or acquâ—ttal either as their Devil or their God to accuse or else excuse them were both in their practice neglected and slighted nay in a manner opprest and stifled For any natural power of doing good God knows it was utterly departed and therefore this thin measure of knowledge or judgment betwixt good and evil that was left them which my awe to Gods sincere love of his Creature makes me hope and trust he bestowed on them for some other end than only to increase their condemnation to stand them in some stead in their lives to restrain and keep them in from being extreamly sinful This I say they horribly rejected and stopt their Ears against that charmer in their own bosoms and would not hear that soft Voice which God had still placed within them to upbraid their ways and reprove their thoughts What a provocation this was of Gods justice what an incentive of his wrath may appear by that terrible promulgation of the ten Commandments at Mount Sinai They despised the law in their hearts where God and nature whisper'd it in calmly insensibly and softly and therefore now it shall be thunder'd in their Ears in words and those boisterous ones at which the whole mount quaked greatly Exod. xix 18 And in the 16. verse it must be usher'd with variety of dismal meteors upon the Mount and the Voice of a trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the camp trembled Thus upon their contempt and peevishness was this manuscript put in print this Privy Seal turned into a Proclamation and that a dreadful one bound and subscribed with a Cursed is he that continues not in every tittle of it to perform it Mean while the matter is not altered but only the dispensation of it That which till then had taught men in their hearts and had been explain'd from tradition from Father to Son Adam instructing Seth and Seth Enoch in all righteousness is now put into Tables that they may have Eyes to see that would not have hearts to understand that the perverse may be convinced and that he that would not before see himself bound may find and read himself accursed And after all this yet is not the old Law within them either cast away or cancel'd by the promulgation of the other for all the Book is Printed the old Copy is kept in archivis though perhaps as it always was neglected soil'd and moth-eaten and he shall be censured either for ambition or curiosity that shall ever be seen to enquire or look after it Still I say throughout all their wayes and arts and methods of Rebellions it twing'd and prickt within as Gods judgments attended them without and as often as sword or plague wounded them made them acknowledge the justice of God that thus rewarded their perverseness Nay you shall see it sometimes break out against them when perhaps the written Law spake too softly for them to be understood Thus did Davids heart smite him when he had numbred the people though there was no direct commandment against mustering or enrolment yet his own Conscience told him that he had done it either for distrust or for ostentation and that he had sinned against God in trusting and glorying in that arm of flesh or paid not the tribute appointed by God on that occasion To conclude this Discourse of the Jews every Rebellion and Idolatry of theirs was a double breach of a double Law the one in Tables the other in their heart and could they have been freed from the killing Letter of the one the wounding sense of the other would still have kept them bound as may appear in that business of Crucifying Christ where no humane Law-giver or Magistrate went about to deter them from shedding his blood or denying his Miracles yet many of their own hearts apprehended and violently buffetted and scourged and tormented them At one time when they are most resolved against him the whole Senate is suddenly pricked and convinced within and express it with a Surely this man doth many miracles John xi 48 At another time at the top and complement of the business Pilate is deterr'd from condemning and though the fear of the people made him valiant yet as if he contemn'd this Voice of his Conscience against his will with some reluctance he washes his hands when he would have been gladder to quench the fire in his heart which still burnt and vext him Lastly When Judas had betray'd and sold him and no man made huy and cry after him his Conscience was his pursuer Judge and Executioner persecuted him out of the World haunted him would not suffer him to live whom otherwise the Law of the Country would have reprieved till a natural death had called for him Lastly Even we Christians are not likely to clear our selves of this Bill 't is much to be feared that if our own hearts are called to witness our Judge will need no farther Indictments 'T was an Heathen Speech concerning this rule of our lives and actions that to study it hard to reform and repair all obliquities and defects in it and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set it up strong and firm as a pillar in our hearts was the part and office of a Philosopher and then afterwards to make use of it in our whole Conversation this was the part of a virtuous man compleat and absolute And how then will our contempt be aggravated if Christianity which Clemens calls spiritual Philosophy and is to be reckoned above all moral perfections hath yet wrought neither of these effects in us if we have continued so far from straightning or setting up or making use of this rule that we have not so much as ever enquired or mark't whether there be any such thing left within us or no Theodoret in his second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very passionate in the expression of this contempt of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of truth shining in our understandings There be a sort of Birds saith he that fly or move only in the night called from thence Night-Birds and Night-Ravens which are afraid of light as either an Enemy to spy to assault or betray them but salute and court and make love to darkness as their only Queen and
of the obligation to obedience in us Christians who injoy that light and are precluded those excuses of ignorance that a Jew might be capable of From whence I may sure conclude that the Ego autem of not retaliating or revenging of injuries for that is sure the meaning of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render resist not evil the strict precept of loving and blessing and praying for Enemies and the like is more clearly preceptive and so more indispensably obligatory to us Christians than ever it was to the Jews before And there you have one part of the Spirit of the Gospel in opposition to a first notion of the legal Spirit And by it you may conclude that what Christian soever can indulge himself the enjoyment of that hellish sensuality that of revenge or retributing of injuries nay that doth not practise that high piece of but necessary be it never so rare perfection of overcoming evil with good and so heap those precious melting coals of love of blessings of prayers those three species of sacred vestal fire upon all Enemies heads Nescit qualis spiritus He knows not what kind of spirit he is of But there is another thing observable of the Law and so of the Judaical Legal Spirit to wit as it concerned the planting the Israelites in Canaan and that is the command of rooting out the nations which was a particular case upon God's sight of the filling up of the measure of the Amorites sins and a judicial sentence of his proceeding upon them not only reveal'd to those Israelites but that with a peremptory command annext to it to hate and kill and eradicate some of those Nations Which case because it seldom or never falls out to agree in all circumstances with the case of any other sinful people cannot lawfully prescribe to the eradicating of any other though in our opinion never so great enemies of God until it appear as demonstrably to us as it did to those Israelites that it was the will of God they should be so dealt with and he that thinks it necessary to shed the blood of every enemy of God whom his censorious faculty hath found guilty of that charge that is all for the fire from Heaven though it be upon the Samaritans the not receivers of Christ is but as the Rabbies call him sometimes one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of blouds in the plural number and sons of fire yea and like the Disciples in my Text Boanerges sons of thunder far enough from the soft temper that Christ left them Ye know not what kind of spirit ye are of In the next place Elias Spirit was a Prophetick Spirit whose dictates were not the issue of discourse and reason but impulsions from Heaven The Prophetick writings were not saith St. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive in an agonistick sense of their own starting or incitation as they were moved or prompted by themselves but as it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were carried by the Holy Ghost not as they were led but carried when the Lord speaks who can but prophesie And so likewise are the actions Prophetick many things that are recorded to be done by Prophets in Scripture they proceed from some peculiar incitations of God I mean not from the ordinary or extraordinary general or special direction or influence of his grace cooperating with the Word as in the brest of every regenerate man for the Spirit of Sanctification and the Spirit of Prophecy are very distant things but from the extraordinary revelation of God's Will many times against the setled rule of duty acted and animated not as a living creature by a Soul but mov'd as an outward impellent a sphear by an intelligence and that frequently into eccentrical and planetary motions so that they were no further justifiable than that prophetick calling to that particular enterprize will avow Consequent to which is that because the prophetick office was not beyond the Apostles time to continue constantly in the Church any further than to interpret and superstruct upon what the Canon of the Scripture hath setled among Christians Christ and his Word in the New Testament being that Bath-Col which the Jews tell us was alone to survive all the other ways of Prophecy he that shall now pretend to that Prophetick Spirit to some Vision to teach what the Word of God will not own to some incitation to do what the New Testament Law will not allow of he that with the late Fryar in France pretends to ecstatical revelations with the Enthusiasts of the last age and Phanaticks now with us to ecstatical motions that with Mahomet pretends a dialogue with God when he is in an Epileptick fi◠sets off the most ghastly diseases I shall add most horrid sins by undertaking more particular acquaintance and commerce with the Spirit of God a call from God's Providence and extraordinary Commission from Heaven for those things which if the New Testament be Canonical are evaporate from Hell and so first leads captive silly women as Mahomet did his Wife and then a whole Army of Janizaries into a War to justifie and propagate such delusions and put all to death that will not be their Proselytes is far enough from the Gospel Spirit that lies visible in the New Testament verbum vehiculum spiritûs and the preaching of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is not infused by dream or whisper nor authorized by a melancholy or phanatick phansie and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knows not what kind c. In the third place Elias was the great precedent and example of sharp unjudiciary procedure with Malefactors which from the common ordinary awards on Criminals in that execution proceeded Trial and the Malefactor suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without attending the formalities of Law Of this kind two Examples are by Mattathias cited 1 Macab ii one of Phinces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that zeal'd a zeal and in that run thorough Zimri and Cozbi and so as the Captain once answered for the killing the drowsie Sentinel reliquit quos invenit found them in unclean embraces and so left them And the variety of our interpretations in rendring of that passage in the Psalm Then stood up Phinehas and prayed in the Old and then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment in the New Translations may perhaps give some account of that action of his that upon Phinehas Prayer for God's direction what should be done in that matter God raised up him in an extraordinary manner to execute judgment on those offenders And the other of Elias in the Text and he with some addition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In zealing the zeal of the Law called fire from Heaven upon those that were sent out from Ahazia to bring him to him And this fact of his by God's answering his call and the coming down of the fire upon
them was demonstrated to come from God also as much as the prediction of the Kings death which was confirm'd by this means It may very probably be guest by Mattathias his words in that place that there were no precedents of the zelotick spirit in the Old Testament but those two for among all the Catalogue of examples mentioned to his sons to enflame their zeal to the Law he produceth no other and 't is observable that though there be practices of this nature mentioned in the story of the New Testament the stoning of St. Stephen of St. Paul at Iconium c. yet all of them practised by the Jews and not one that can seem to be blameless but that of Christ who sure had extraordinary power upon the buyers and sellers in the Temple upon which the Apostles remembred the Psamists Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the zeal of Gods house carried him to that act of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of indignation and punishment upon the transgressors And what mischief was done among the Jews by those of that sect in Josephus that call'd themselves by that name of Zelots and withal took upon them to be the saviours and preservers of the City but as it prov'd the hastners and precipitators of the destruction of that Kingdom by casting out and killing the High-Priests first and then the Nobles and chief men of the Nation and so embasing and intimidating and dejecting the hearts of all the people that all was at length given up to their fury Josephus and any of the learned that have conversed with the Jewish Writers will instruct the enquirer And ever since no very honourable notion had of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament one of the fruits of the flesh Gal. v. of the Wisdom that comes not from Heaven Jam. iii. and in the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter zeal a gall that will imbitter all that come near it The short of it is the putting any man to death or inflicting other punishment upon any terms but that of legal perfectly legal process is the importance of a zelotick Spirit as I remember in Maimonides him that curses God in the name of an Idol the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that meet him kill him i. e. the zelots permitted it seems if not authorized to do so And this is the Spirit of Elias that is of all others most evidently reprehended and renounced by Christ. The Samaritans no very sacred persons added to their habitual constant guilts at that time to deny common civility of entertainment to Christ himself and the Disciples asked whether they might not do what Elias had done call for fire from Heaven upon them in that case and Christ tells them that the Gospel-Spirit was of another complexion from that of Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turn'd to them as he did to Peter when he said Get thee behind me Satan as to so many fiery Satanical-spirited men and checkt them for that their furious zeal with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The least I can conclude from hence is this that they that put any to death by any but perfectly legal process that draw the sword upon any but by the supream Magistrates command are far enough from the Gospel-Spirit whatever precedent they can produce to countenance them And so if they be really what they pretend Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are in a prodigious mistake or ignorance They know not what Spirit they are of Yet farther it is observable of Elias that he did execrate and curse call for judgments from Heaven upon mens persons and that temper of mind in the parallel you may distribute into two sorts First in passing judgments upon mens future estates the censorious reprobating Spirit which though we find it not in Elias at this time yet is a consequent of the Prophetick Office and part of the burthen received from the Lord and layed upon those guilty persons concerning whom it hath pleased Almighty God to reveal that secret of his Cabinet but then this rigor cannot without sin be pretended to by any else for in the blackest instances charity believes all things and hopes all things and even in this sense covers the multitudes of sins Now this so culpable an insolent humour rashly to pass a condemning sentence was discernible in the Pharisees this Publican whose profession and trade is forbidden by that Law and this people that know not that Law is cursed so likewise in the Montanists nos spirituales and all others animales and Psychici so in the Romanists who condemn all but themselves and in all those generally whose pride and malice conjoined most directly contrary to the Gospel-Spirit of humility and charity doth prepare them one and the other inflame them to triumph and glut themselves in this spiritual assassinacy this deepest dye of blood the murthering of Souls which because they cannot do it really they endeavour in effigie anathematize and slaughter them here in this other Calvary the place for the crucifying of reputations turning them out of the Communion of their charity though not of bliss and I am confident reject many whom the Angels entertain more hospitably Another part of this cursing Spirit there is more peculiarly Elias's that of praying and so calling for curses on mens persons and that being upon the enemies of God and those appearing to Elias a Prophet to be such might be then lawful to him and others like him David perhaps c. in the Old Testament but is wholly disliked and renounced by Christ under this state of higher Discipline to which Christians are designed by him in the New I say not only for that which concerns our own enemies for that is clear When thine enemy hungreth feed him and somewhat like that in the Old Testament When thine enemies Ox c. But I extend it even to the enemies of God himself and that I need not do upon other evidence than is afforded from the Text the Samaritans were enemies of Christ himself and were barbarous and inhumane to his person and they must not be curst by Disciples And he that can now curse even wicked men who are more distantly the enemies of God can call for I say not discomfiture upon their devices for that is charity to them to keep them from being such unhappy Creatures as they would be contrivers of so much mischief to the world but Plagues and Ruine upon their persons which is absolutely the voice of Revenge that sulphur-vapor of Hell he that delighteth in the misery of any part of Gods Image and so usurps upon that wretched quality of which we had thought the Devil had gotten the Monopoly that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joying in the Brother's misery but now see with horror is got loose out of that Pit to rave among us he that would mischief if it were in his power and now it is not by unprofitable