the Septuagint there render it but the name of the wicked shall rot as doth now the name of the Powder-plotters of Bonner Gardiner and other Popish Persecutors Should return upon his own head According to Psal 7.17 and haply not without allusion to those Piaculares Obominales among the Grecians which were certain condemned persons on whose heads they put the publick guilt and then tumbled them into the sea or else to those expiatory sacrifices amongst the Egyptians which were first cursed by them and then cast into the river or sold to the Grecian Merchants in an apish imitation of the Hebrews scape-goat and day of Atonement Vers 26. Wherefore they called these days Purim Thereby to perpetuate the memory of that mercy worthy to be engraven in pillars of marble This was a notable name for it served to in-minde the Jewes of all that God had done for them at this bout As there is edification in the choice of fit Psalmes 1 Cor. 14.26 so in the imposing of fit names upon persons things and times As the Christian Sabbath is to good purpose called the Lords day and those festivities of Easter and Whitsontide were not so fitly called Pasch and Pentecost as the Feast of the Lords Resurrection and of the sending of the Holy Ghost It should certainly be the constant care of us all to set up marks and monuments of Gods great mercies so to preserve the memory of them which else will be moth-eaten Such as were Abrahams Jehovah Iireh Jacobs stone at Bethel Moses his Jehovah Nissi Aarons rod and pot of Manna Heb. 9.4 the twelve stones pitcht up in Jordan the names of Gilgal Ramath-Lehi Aben-Ezer those plates nailed on the Altar Numb 16.40 Hereby God shall be glorified the Churches enemies convinced our faith strengthened our joy in the Lord heightened our posterity helped and Satan prevented who seeketh to obliterate Gods works of wonder or at least to alienate them and translate them upon himself as he endeavoured to do that famous execution of divine justice upon Sennacheribs army Herod l. 2. by setting Herodotus a work to tell the world in print that it was Sethon King of Egypt and Priest of Vulcan who obtained of his god that Sennacheribs army coming against Egypt should be totally routed by reason of an innumerable company of rats sent by Vulcan which gnawed in pieces their bowe-strings quivers bucklers c. and so made way for the Egyptians to vanquish them Herodotus addeth also that in his time there was to be seen the statue of Sennacherib holding a rat in his hand in Vulcans Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and uttering these words Let him that beholdeth me learne to feare God Lo the god of this world hath his trophies erected and shall the God of heaven and earth go without Oh let us who have lived in an age of miracles and seen the out-goings of God for our good more then ever did any Nation offer unto him the ransome of our lives as they did Exod. 21.30 and 30.12 in token that they had and held all in meer courtesie from God Let us leave some seale some pawn of thankfulnesse for deliverance from so many deaths and dangers Otherwise Heathens will rise up and condemn us They after a shipwrack would offer something after a fit of sicknesse consecrate something to their gods after a victory set up trophies of triumph as the Philistines did to their Dagon the Romanes to their Jupiter Capitolinus c. Therefore for all the words of this letter In obedience to Mordecai their godly Magistrate And of that which they had seen concerning this matter And especially of God made visible all along in it yea palpable so that they might feele him and finde him Act. 17.27 though his name be not found in all this book And which had come unto them Scil. by report and hear-say but from such hands as that they were fully satisfied thereof as Hamans lot-casting Esthers supplicating the Kings reading the Chronicles c. Verse 27. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and upon their seed See ver 23. Here we have a repetition of what was before recited and this is usual in holy Scripture as Gen. 2.1 Exod. 15.19 that things of moment may take the deeper impression That of Austin is here to be remembred Verba toties inculcata viva sunt vera sunt plana sunt sana sunt Let Preachers do thus and hearers be content to have it so Nunquam satìs dicitur quod nunquam satìs discitur To write to you the same things to me is not grievous and for you it is safe saith that great Apostle Phil. 3.1 And upon all such as should joyne themselves unto them Those Proselytes chap 8 17. or whatever hang-bies So as it should not faile But stand as a law inviolable And yet that Octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus and that never to be forgotten fifth of November are with us almost antiquated little would oue think that God had ever done anything for us either by land or by sea against either fire-works or water-works Vae corpori nostro That they would keep these two dayes Keep them as before by consecrating a rest and feasting before the Lord not by gourmandizing and profane sports nor by running up and down from house to house as whifflers and wassailers Lâ—deâ—cerem Iud. as at this day the Jewes manner is witnesse Antonius Margarita a baptized Jew According to their writing i.e. Mordecai's order by themselves subscribed and ratified Verse 28. And that these dayes should be remembred That the memory of them might be kept a foot in the Church to all perpetuity Nothing is sooner forgotten then a good turn received David found himself faulty this way and therefore sets the thorn to the breast Psal 103.2 Other holy men kept catalogues see one of Gods own making Judg. 10.11 12. They also had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Memorials as is before noted The very Heathens had their triumphal Arches Pillars Trophies Tables Histories Annals Ephemerides c. A soule shame for us to fall short of them and not to wish as Job in another case Iob. 19.23 24. Oh that Gods works of wonder for us were now written Oh that they were printed in a book That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever That famous fifth of November especially Ier. 23.7 This wás written Nov. 5. 1653. which drownes in a manner the memory of all former deliverances as the return out of Babylon did the departure out of Egypt This happy day too too much slighted alas in many places already should never be put out of the English Kalendar whiles the Sun courseth about the earth but be registred for the generation to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord Psal 102.8 Every family every Province and every City They should all recognize their late danger and thereby
name of Sana to hate the word here used because it is most of all to be hated as the greatest evil as that which setteth us furthest from God the greatest good This none can do but those that love the Lord Christ in sincerity for all hatred comes from love A naturall man may be angry with his sin as a man is sometimes with his wife or friend for some present vexation but hate it hee cannot yea he may leave it for the ill consequents of sin but not loathe it If he did he would loathe all as well as any for hatred is ever against the whole kind of a thing saith Aristole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rhetor. lib. 2â— Vers 11. Light is sown for the Righteous The Righteous is haeres cruc â—â— the Heir of the Crosse and many are his troubles A Child of light may walk in darknesse and have no light Isa 50.10 yet Christ will not leave him comfortlesse Joh. 14. Light is sown for him 't is yet seeding-time and that is usually wet and dropping and the seed must have a time to lye and then to grow ere a crop can be expected there must be also weeding and clodding c. behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it By ye also patient stablish your hearts c. Jam. 5.7 8. We look not to sow and reap in a day as He saith of the Hyperborean people far North that they sow shortly after the Sun-rising with them and reap before the Sun-ser so because the whole half year is one continuall day with them Heresbach dâ— rerust Deliverance will come in Gods good time and as before the morning-light is the thickest darknesse as the seed that lyeth longest under ground commeth up at length with greatest increase so here Semen modicum sed me ssis faecunda saith Aben-Ezra on the Text. And gladnesse for the upright This clause expoundeth the former Vers 12. Rejoyce in the Lord See Psal 32. ult with the Note At the remembrance of his holinesse That is of himself for whatsoever is in God is God as also of his works and benefits whereby he giveth you so good occasion to remember him PSAL. XCVIII A Psalm The Greek addeth of David A man might think it were rather of John Baptist pointing out Christ and his Kingdom as it already come with the great good thereby accrewing to the Saints Vers 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song See Psal 96.1 and observe how the compiler of the Psalms hath hereabout set together sundry Psalms of the same subject His right hand and his holy arm His is emphatical and exclusive q.d. Christ alone hath done the deed he is our sole Saviour Isa 59.16 63.5 In the justification of a sinner Christ and faith are alone saith Luther Tanquam sponsus sponsa in thalamo As Wax and Water cannot meet together so neither can Christ and any thing else in this work Away then with that devillish Doctrin of the Saints Merits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot in Meteor Quibuscunque tandem pigmentis illita obtrudatur If any commend or go after any other way to Salvation besides Christ hee doth according to the Greek Proverb draw mischiefs to himself as the Wind Caecius doth Clouds Vers 2. The Lord hath made known his salvation His way of saving his people by his Som Christ Mat. 1.21 this Mystery so long kept secret is now made known to all Nations for the obedience of faith Rom 16.25 26. His Righteousness Made ours by imputation this the Jews to this day deride and the Papists call it putative in a jeer Vers 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth His Mercy moving him to promise and his Truth binding him to perform 2 Sam. 7.18 21. and hence all our happiness Vers 4. Make a joyful noyse Bless God for a Christ The Argives when delivered by the Romans from the tyranny of the Macedonians and Spartans Quae gaudia quae vociferationes fuerunt quid florum in Consulem profuderunt what great joys expressed they what loud out-crys made they the very Birds that flew over them fell to the ground Plut. in Flamin assonied with their noyses They Cryer at the Nemean Games was forced to pronounce the word Liberty Iterumque iterumque again and again Vers 5. Sing unto the Lord with the Harp Tum cithararum tum vocum mutuis vicibus do your utmost in the superlativest manner you can devise Vers 6. Make a joyful noyse By the repeating and inculcating of this exhortation is intimated our dulness and backwardness to a business of this nature the necessity of the duty and the excellency of the mercy that can never be sufficiently celebrated Vers 7 8 9. See the Notes on Psal 96.11 12 13. PSAL. XCIX VErs 1. The Lord reigneth Even the Lord Christ as Psal 97.1 Let the people tremble Let them serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling by the people some understand the Jews and by the Earth all other Nations let there bee a general subjection yeelded to the Scepter of his Kingdom Vers 2. The Lord is great in Zion In his Church he giveth many great testimonies of his power and presence and is therefore magnified by his people And he is high above all people In the things wherein they deal proudly he is above them Exod. 18.11 Vers 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible Name Nomen illud Majestativum Some hereby understand the name Jehovah of which Josh 7. What wilt thou do to thy great Name And Jer. 44. I have sworn by my great Name But Gods Name is usually put for Gods self For it is Holy And therefore to be sanctified in righteousness Isa 5.16 Vers 4. The Kings strength also loveth judgement i.e. abest à Tyrannide God abuseth not his Kingly power to Tyranny but Joyneth it with his Justice and Uprightnese Regiment without Righteousness is but robbery with authority The Ara bick hath it Magnificentia Regis est ut diligat aequitatem Vers 5. Exalt the Lord our God Have high apprehensions of him and answerable expressions Set him up and set him forth to the utmost And worship at his footstool i.e. At his Temple saith the Chaldee At the Ark of the Covenant say the Rabbins Austin interpreteth it of Christs humanity which although of it self it is not to be adored because it is a creature yet as it is received into unity of person with the Divinity and hath a Partner-agency with the God-head according to its measure in the works of Redemption and Mediation 1 Tim. 2.5 it is to be worshipped But how hard driven was that second Synod of Niâ—e when they abused this Text among many others to prove the worshipping of Images and Pictures Vers 6. Moses and Aaron among his Priests or chief Officers as 1 Chron. 18.17 Moses was if not a Priest yet a continual Intercessor for the people
Jer. 30.17 Qui nil sperare potest desperet nihil Vers 3 Hee healeth the broken in heart Pouring the oil of his grace into none but those broken vessels And bindeth up their wounds As a good Shepheard Zech. 34.4 that good Samaritan Luk. 10.34 and as a good Surgion dealeth by his patient But let no man ever think that God will lap up his sores before they bee searcht or scarf his bones before they bee set Vers 4. Hee telleth the number of the stars Which to man is impossible 1322. Alsted Encyclop as Aristotle maintaineth against those Astronomers that tell us they are a thousand and some hundreds But Abraham was a great Astronomer yet hee could never do it Magir. Phys lib. 2. cap. 5. Gen. 15.5 and the wiser sort of Astrologers have rightly distinguished the stars into numerable and innumerable as to men Hee calleth them all by their names As knowing exactly their nature and authoritatively commanding every of them to do his pleasure How much more can God cull together his out-casts and cause them to return especially since hee calleth those things that are not as if they were Rom. 4 Vers 5 His understanding is infinite Heb. Of his understanding there is no number for hee knows not only the kinds and sorts of things but even the particulars though they exceed all number Sic spectat universes quasi singulos sic singulos quasi solos That Philosopher did not say nothing who being in danger of Shipwrack in a light starry night said Surely I shall not perish there are so many eyes of providence over mee Vers 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek This truth was well known to the very Heathens who have said the same thing as Herodotus in Polyâ—nia Euripides in Hera and Esop being asked by Chilâ— one of the seven wise men of Greece what God was doing answered Hee is humbling the haughty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exalting the lowly Vers 7 Sing unto the Lord Heb. Answer that is sing by turnes as Hos 2.15 Deut. 31.21 Or answer Gods goodness by thankfullness and obedience Vers 8 Who covereth the Heaven with clouds as 1 King 18.45 and still as there is need It is not by nature or hap-hazard as men are apt to dream and are therefore so often told this truth and admonished that the second causes do but serve the divine providence in these common occurrents Who prepareth rain for the earth Rain which is nothing else but the flux of a moist cloud out of the middle Region of the air as it commeth by a decree of God Job 28.26 so it is wholly at his dispose when and where it shall fall even to a drop Amos 4.7 Vers 8 Hee giveth to the beast his food See Job 39.3 Psal 104.27 28. with the Notes And to the young Ravens which cry By sending flyes into their mouths as they cry say the Rabbines or by a certain moist air as Euthymius or by small worms put into their mouths magâ—â— providentia symbolâ— though they bee such contemptible creatures and very carnivorous by reason of the vehemency of naturall heat in them so that a little will not satisfie them yet God feedeth them See more on Vers 10 Hee delighteth not in the strength of 〈◊〉 horse Plutarch in Nuâ—â— saith the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God â—areth 〈◊〉 for horses or any such helps as wherein carnal people confide as if they had no heed oâ— God Oriâ—â—â— observeth that in the conquest or Canaan the enemies had horses and Charâ—ets but Israel had none And it is expresly cautioned that the King of Israel shall not multiply horses to himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that hee should multiply horses Deut. 17.16 least they should occasion him or his people to trade with that Idolatrous people 1 King 10.26.28 or to trust in the number and strength of that warlike creature an horse Prov. 11.31 Hee taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man How swift soever as Achilles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Asabel as light of foot as a wilde Roe 2 Sam. 2.18 None sooner perish in the waters nor oftner than those that are most skilfull in swimming and diving because they do too much trust to their skillâ— so t is here for there is no out-running of divine vengeance Nemo soelus gerit in pâ—ctore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo your sin will finde you out Here the 〈◊〉 is not to the sâ—ift nor the battel to the strong Eccles 9.11 Vers 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him That put themselves into the hands of Justice in hope of mercy These are his Hephzibah's his darlings in whom hee taketh singular delight and complacency Meâ—â—â—â— habere queis bonâ—m Et esse â—orâ—â—lis datum est Vers 12 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem Whatever the World doth let not the Church defraud God of his due praises though thou Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend Hos 4.15 Gods blessings go round about graceless and ungratefull people and they are no more moved than the earth that hath the circumference carried about it and it self standeth still But the Saints must bee of another alloy Col. 3.15 and there is good reason for it Vers 13 For hee hath strengthened the bars c. So that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against them God hath promised to break in peeces those gates of brass and cut in sunder those bars of Iron as Sampson did the gates of Gaza Isa 45.2 to perfect stablish strengthen and settle his Saints 1 Pet. 5.10 to bee a wall of fire round about them c. Hee hath blessed thy Children within thee Making them to bee many Isa 54.1 and all taught of God vers 13. children that will not lye Isa 63.8 Vers 14 Who maketh peace in thy borders Peace peace Isa 26.3 peace of Country and of conscience And filleth thee with the finest of the Wheat Heb. With the fat of Wheat called fat of kidneyes of Wheat Deut. 3â— 14 See Psal 81.16 Judaea was once called and counted Sumen totius terrae not so much for the nature of the Country as for the blessing of God thereupon for now it is nothing so fruitfull But the Saints have still the bread of Angels a feast of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25.6 Vers 15 Hee sendeth forth his Commandement c. Hee speaketh the word and it is done immediately hee can make a nation to conceive and bring forth all at once Isa 66.7 8. Ahashâ—erosh had his â—osts to carry abroad his edict God needeth none such all creatures are at his beck and check Vers â—ellera nivis â—rg Georg. 16 Hee giveth Snow like Wâ—â—â—â— For whiteness lightness plenty softness warmth for Snow though it bee very cold yet by keeping in the vapours and exhalations of the earth it causeth an inward warmth to it and
man who is thereby ingaged to bless God Vers 10. Beasts i. e. Wild-beasts that are fullest of life and there-hence have their name in the Hebrew tongue And all Cattel Domestick and tame beasts even to the Elephant which is said to turn up the first sprig towards Heaven in token of thankfulness by a naturall instinct when hee comes to feed Creeping things Whether in earth or Sea all these are summoned in by the Psalmist to pay their tribute of praise and to do their homage to the most high Vers 11 King of the earth These are doubly-bound to God as Queen Elizabeth wrot to the French King first as they are men and next as they are so great men Leunclau Annal Turc But this is little considered Tamerlan having overcome Bajazet asked him whether ever hee had given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour who confessed ingenuously hee never thought of it Princes and all Judges of the earth These are thrice called upon because hardly perswaded to pay God his rent as holding themselves too high to do him homage Vers 12 Both young men and maids Souls have no sexes let the choice youths and the compt lasses quâ— totâ— occupantur in sese ornandis saith Kimchi who are much taken up in tricking and trimming themselves leave that folly and give glory to God Vers 13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord Joyn in this harmony of Halelujah His glory is above Being deeper than Earth higher than Heaven Vers 14 Hee also exalteth the horn i. e. Hee graceth them singularly A people near unto him And in that respect happy above all people on the earth Deut. 4.7 33.29 because in Covenant with him and near-allied to him as the word here importeth PSAL. CXLIX VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord See Psal 148.1 Sing unto the Lord a new song A new-Testament-song of a new argument and for new benefits by the comming of Christ whereof this Psalm is propheticall Old things are past all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.16 new Commandements new promises new sacraments new grace new praises new priviledges For the Congregation of the 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 whose joyne praises must come before him as the found of many waters this is Heaven upon Earth Vers 2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him And new made him Ephes 2.10 and thereby highly advanced him as 1 Sam. 12.6 The Hebrew hath it In his makers to shew the Trinity of persons concurring in the work both of creation and regeneration So Gen. 1 2â— Job 35 1â— Isa 54.5 Eccles 12.1 See Psal 100.3 Bee joyfull in their King i. e. In Christ whose Kingdome is such as should swallow up all discontents and make us everlastingly merry Mic. 4.9 Iâ— Seneca could say to his friend Polybius Fas non est salvo Caesare de fortuna tua queri 〈…〉 salvi tibi sunt tui c. It is not fit for thee to complain of thine hard fortune so long as Cesar is alive and well how much more may it bee said so to Christians so long as Christ is alive and reigneth Vers 3 Let them praise his name in the daunce Or with the pipe tibi is tympanis omni musices organicae genere by all lawfull means possible Vers 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people Psal 35.27 when they are under the Cross especially and thereby meekened This the very Heathen saw Lib. de provid 2 and could say Spectant Diâ— magnos viros cum calamitate aliqua â—ollâ—ctantes Eâ—ce sâ—â—ctaculom ad quod respiciat operi suo intentus Deus saith Seneca of Caâ—â— and other gallant Roman spirits How much more may wee say the like of Gods-looking with singular delight on Abraham Jehova â—ireâ— the Lord seeth Gen. 22.14 Job Stephen Laurence and other faithfull Martyrs suffering couragiously for his truth and â—ealing it with their blood He will beautifie or glorifie the meek with salvation i. e. Not only deliver them Mr. Bolton but dignifie them in the eyes of all Psal 91.15 I will deliver him and glorifie him â—radford and such wee shall look upon likely saith a grave Author with thoughts of extraordinary love and sweetness in the next World through all eternity as Bonner and such with execrable and everlasting detestation Vers 5 Let the Saints bee joyfull in glory i. e. In their glorious estate by Christ notwithstanding their present poverty Let the Brother of low degree rejoyce or gloâ—y in that hee is exalted Jam. 1.9 Let them sing aloud upon their beds How hard soever Act Moâ—â— as Philpot and his fellow-sufferers did when they roused in the straw Jacob had never more sweet intercourse with God than when his head lay upon the hard stone at Bethel Some by beds here understand the Temples and Schools Confer Isa 57. Others render it 〈◊〉 de cubilibus suis They shall sing aloud for their beds that is for their sweet and solid tranquillity Vers 6 Let the high praises or the exaltations of God bee in their mouth Heb. In their throat So Isa 58.1 cry aloud Heb. cry in the throat set up thy note Sic clames ut Stentora vincas And a two-edged sword in their hand Such an invincible power shall the Saints have as whereby they shall subdue all their enemies corporall and spirituall See Heb. 14.12 Rev. 1.16 19.15 there was more than metall and form in Goliahs sword delivered by the Priest to David whose arm was not so much strengthened by it as his faith so is every good Christians by that two-edged sword of the Spirit he may well write upon it as that renouned Talbot in the reign of Henry the sixth did upon his sword Speed in blunt and boisterous language Sum Talbotti this was ingraven upon the one side of the blade and upon the other pro vincere inimicâ—s 〈◊〉 See a Cor. 10.4 5. Vers 7 To execute vengeance upon the Heathen viz. Upon a just calling and not for private revenge yea that souldier can never answer it to God that strikes not more as a Justicer than as an enemy bee his cause never so good But that 's the most noble vengeance that is executed upon mens lusts whilst they thrust the sword of the Spirit into the throats of them and let out their life-blood That 's a good sense that some give of these words viz. that the Saints when they go forth to battel should go with holy songs in their mouths as well as with swords in their hands See Judg. 7.19 20 c. Ussier Brit. â—cles â—mord 2 Chron. 20.21 c. the victoria Hallelujatica was got on this manner here in Britaine under the conduct of Germanus against a mighty army of Pelagian Picte and Saxons This was the course and custome of the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 against their Popish persecutors and the like wee read of the other French Protestants at the siedge of 〈◊〉 that I mention not those gallant
death in its most hideous and horrid representations I will not fear for I fear God and have him by the hand I must needs bee Tutus sub umbra leonis safe by his side and under his safe-guard It God be for us who can be against us For thou art with mee Hence my security see a promise answerable to it Joh. 10.28 Christ is not to lose any of his sheep Joh. 17.12 Having therefore this Ark of Gods Covenant in our eyes let us chearfully passe the waters of Jordan to take possession of the promised land Cur timeat hominem homo in sinu Dei positus saith a Father Thy rod and thy staff Hee pursueth the former Allegory Shepheards in driving their flocks have a rod or wand in their hand wherewith they now and then strike them and a staff or sheep-hook on their necks wherewith they catch and rule them Of Christs rods and staves see Zach. 11.7 c. foolish Shepheards have only forcipes mulctram Zach. 11.15 R. Solomon by rod here understandeth afflictions by staff support under them a good use and a good issue They comfort mee Gods rod like Aarons blossometh and like Jonathans it hath hony at the end of it Vers 5. Thou preparest a table before Here hee makes use of another Metaphor from a liberall feast-maker or as some will have it from a most kind Father making provision for his dearly beloved child So did God for David both in regard of temporalls and spiritualls God had given him as hee doth all his people all things richly to injoy all things needfull for life and godlinesse the upper and nether springs the blessings of the right hand and of the lest bona throni bona scabelli as Austin phraseth it Now outward prosperity when it followeth close walking with God is very sweet as the cipher when it followeth the figure addeth to the number though it bee nothing in it self Davids Table was laden with Gods Creatures and did even sweat with variety of them God had let down to him as afterwards hee did to Peter a vessell with all manner of beasts of the earth and foules of the air in it Act. 10.12 This he is very sensible of and thankfull for as a singular favour In the presence of mine enemies i.e. In fight and spite of them hostibus videntibus ringentibus God doth good to his people maugre the malice of earth and of Hell Thou anointest my head with oyle A peece of entertainment common in those times and amongst that people Luk. 7.36 37 38. to shew the greater respect to their guests And although this is not every good mans case in temporall respects yet at the Word and Sacraments God anointeth his guests with the Oyl of gladnesse My cup runneth over Hee had not only a fullnesse of abundance but of redâ—ndancy Those that have this happinesse must carry their cup upright and see that it overflow into their poor Brethrens emptier vesseâ—â—s Vers 6. Surely goodnesse and mercy c. Vtique bonit as beneficentia Or as Tremellius hath it Nihil nisi bonum benignitas Nothing but goodnesse and loving-kindness c. This is his good assurance of Gods favour for the future grounded upon Gods promise whereby hee was well assured that mercy should follow him though hee should bee so foolish as to run from it like as the Sun going down followeth the passenger that goeth Eastward with his beames And I will dwell c. Devoted to his fear I will stick to him in life in death and after death Apprehensions of mercy in God must work resolutions of obedience in us PSAL. XXIV A Psalm of David The Greek addeth Of the first day of the week Because wont to be sung in the Temple on that day which is now the Christian Sabboth in memory of Christs resurrection and ruledome over all which is here celebrated Vers 1. The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof Hee alone is the true Proprietary Job 41.11 Deut. 10.14 and the earth is Marsupium Domini as One saith the Lords great purse the keeping whereof hee hath committed to the sons of men Psal 115.16 like as also hee hath given the heavenly bodies to all peoples Deut. 4.19 every star being Gods storehouse which hee openeth for our profit Deut. 28.12 and out of which hee throweth down riches and plenty into the earth such as the Servants of God gather and the rest scramble for What use the Apostle putteth this point to See 1 Cor. 10.26 28. with the Notes Other uses may well bee made of it as that Kings and Princes bear not themselves as Lords of all the Turk and Pope so stile themselves the great Cham of Tartary every day assoon as hee hath dined causeth they say his trumpets to besounded by that sign giving leave to other Princes of the earth his Vassals as hee conceiteth to go to dinner but the Lords vicarii villici vicegerents and Stewards to whom they must give an account of all Again that Gods dear Children cannot want any thing that is good for them sith they have so rich a Father who seemes to say unto them as Gen. 45.20 Regard not your stuff for all the good of the land is yours To him that overcommeth will I give to inherit all things I have all things Phil. 4.18 2 Cor. 6.10 The world and they that dwel therein This is Gods universall Kingdome by right of Creation vers 2. besides which hee hath a spirituall Kingdome over his elect ut docet nos pulcherrimus hic Psalmus saith Beza who are here described vers 4 5 6. and encouraged to enlarge their desires after their Soveraigne in the exercise of faith and use of means and to give him the best entertainment vers 7 8 9 10. For the Church is Christs Temple and every faithfull soul is a gate thereof to let him in as Rev. 3.20 Vers 2. For hee hath founded it upon the Seas The solid earth hee hath founded upon the liquid waters This Aristotle acknowledgeth to bee a miracle as also that the waters which are naturally above the earth overflow it not but are kept within their shoares as within doors and barres This is the very finger of God and a standing miracle worthy to bee predicated to his praise all the World over Job 38.6 7 8. c. See the Notes there See also Gen. 1.9 with the Note And established it upon the floods Upon the waves and surges of the Sea which but for Gods decree would soon surmount it The dry land is that which is here called Teb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitable world And this is Gods universall Kingdome which because lesse considerable the Prophet speaketh but little of it in comparison as hastening to the spirituall Vers 3. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord Montem caelestem significat saith Vatablus hee meaneth into Heaven for the Prophets purpose is to shew that although
nor bestow upon them thy crown of righteousness Vers 28. Let them be blotted out c. Wherein they were never indeed written among those living in Jerusalem Isa 4.3 those first-born whose names are written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 but they accounted themselves of that number and were so esteemed by others This was a mistake and the Psalmist prayeth God to make it appear so No videantur in alhum tuorum velats quibus vgra vita 〈◊〉 destinasâ—i Vers 29. But I am poer and sorrowful The Church is usually so and may sing as here Vaâ—nignant c. but her comfort is 1 That Christ saith unto her as Rev. 2.9 I know thy sorrow and poverty but that is nothing Thou art rich 2 That her poverty is not penal but Medicinal Gods dispensation is sit her for better riches As a wise Physician purgeth a foul body till he bring it almost to skin and bone But why That having made it poor there may bee a spring of better bloud and spirits Vers 30. I will praise the Name of God i. e. aquitum Deum I will thankfully agnize and recognize Gods great goodness to me in this deliverance with mine uttermost zeal and skill Vers 31. This also shall please the Lord better c. True thankfulness is epimum optimum sacrificium those calves of our lips Hos 14.3 Heb. 12 1â— These Calves or Bullocks as in the Text must 1 Have burnt and hoofts bee young and tender the very best of the best 2 They must bee slain our thanks must proceed from a mortified minde 3 They must be sacrifised where is required 1 An Altar our praises must be tendred in the mediation of Christ 2. Fire our hearts must be enflamed with zeal and ardency 3 Our hands must be laid on the head of the Bullock That is we must in all humility confess our unworthiness c. This will surely please the Lord better than an Oxe or Bullock that hath â—erns and hâ—â—ofâ— Vers 32. The humble shall see this and be glad Davids great care was for others confirmation and comfort much more Christs witness that holy prayer of his Joh. 17. Your 〈◊〉 shall live Which before was all 〈◊〉 Pray that yet may joy David did so often Psal 6. c. Vers 33. For the Lord he 〈◊〉 the poor He is the poor mans King the wronged mans refuge Trajan the Emperour is renouned for this Aeli spart that when he was mounted for a battel he alighted again to hear the complaint of a poor Woman that cried unto him for Justice and our Edw. 6. for this that he would appoint certain hours to sit with the Master of the Requests Engl. Elis only to dispatch the Causes of the poor God is much more to be magnified Vers 34. Let the heaven and earth praise him As they do in their kind and have good cause so to do for their resstaâ—ration by Christ Rom. 8.11 Vers 35. 〈…〉 The Church universal And will build the Cities The paâ—â—â—dâ— at Churches That they may dwell there viz. The seed of his servants vers 36. 〈◊〉 after them shall be incorporated into the Church and 〈◊〉 thing to all perpetuity PSAL. LXX A Psalm of David Made likely or rather made use of from Psal 40.14 15 c. when Shaba the Son of Bichri was up in rebellion after Absoloms death 2 Sam. 20.1 c. See Psal 69. title To bring to remembrance Worthy to be remembred and followed as a pattern of prayer Some make this Psalm an Appendix to the former as Psal 43. is to Psal 42. Others make it a part of the next Psalm which is therefore say they without a title Vers 1. Make haste O God to deliver me As a Father â—ans without leggs when his childe is hazarded Vers 2. Let them be ashamed See Psal 40.14 35.26 27. Vers 3. Let them be turned back for a reward Vel ficit per insidias vel supplantationem more Athletarum a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them be supplanted defeated That say Aha aha Augustine rendreth it Enge Enge that is Well done and giveth this Note upon it Plus persequitur lingua adulator is quà m manus interfectoris The tongue of a Flatterer may mischief a man more than the hand of a Murtherer The Apostle Heb. 11.37 ranketh their tempting and flattering promises among their bloudy deeds their is sing tongues with their terrifying jaws Vers 4. Let all those that seek thee c. Piorum characteres saith one a godly man caracterized by his search after God his joy in him his love to him his praises of him Let God be magnefied In illo quicquid ego ille non ego saith Augustine Vers 5. But I am poor and needy See Psal 69.29 with the Note PSAL. LXXI VErs 1. In thee O Lord do I put my trusts See Psal 31.1 with the Note It appeareth by vers 9.18 that this Psalm was written by David in his old age when Absolom or Sheba was in rebellion against him though haply for haste and in that fright he could not superscribe it as he did the rest The Greek title viz. of David A Psalm of the Sons of Jonadab and of them that were first captived hath no footing in the Original Hebrew Vers 2. Deliver me in thy righteousness Let my deliverance be the fruit of thy promise and of my prayer and so it will be much the sweeter Vers 3. Thou hast given Commandement sc To thine Angels and all other thy Creatures or thou hast commanded that is thou hast promised Vers 4. One of the hand of the unrighteous That seeketh by fraud to undermine me and by force to overturn me And cruel man Qui totus in fermento jacet soure as leaven sharp as vineger Vers 5. For thou art my hope Helpless I may seem but hopeless I am not Vers 6. Hâ— thee have I been bolden us from the womb As in the Womb I lived upon thee so from the womb The same that breede thus feedeth us that matter that nourisheth the Childe in the Womb striking up into the breasts and by a further concoction becoming white is mode milk for it Thou ar◠〈…〉 me out infamy to other bowels Else I had never been born alive That a childe is bound 〈…〉 saith Galen Sed quomoda fiat admotoritar 〈…〉 calleth it 〈◊〉 supra mirabiloâ— muja mirabila the greatest wonder in the World Surely if a Childe were born but once in an hundred years space we should all then to see so strange a work saith another Vers 7. I am as a wonder 〈◊〉 Or 〈◊〉 the great ones a Monster to the mighty Quia credo 〈…〉 glosseth because I beleeve what I yet see not viz. that this storm shall blow over and I he reâ—â—â—ed in my Throne Vers 8. 〈…〉 Vers 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age For now I have most need of thee The white Rose is soonest cankered so is the white Head soonest corrupted
over asking of God till he had received seeking till he had found knocking till the gate of grace was opened His clothes were good enough unlesse his condition were more comfortable Verse 5. Then called Esther for Hatach She snuffeth not at Mordecai's refusal of her courtesie She saith not Let him chuse the next offer shall be worse Rerum suarum satagat si velit valeat c. Solomon reckoneth among those foure things that the earth cannot bear an handmaid advanced to the state and place of a Mistresse Prov. 30. Sen. epist But Esther was none such In her you might have seen magnitudinem cum mansuetudine as Seneca hath it singular humility in height of honours She calleth here for Hatach a faithful servant and perhaps a Jew a Jew inwardly Honesty flowes from piety One of the Kings Chamberlaines Heb. Eunuchs or gelded men such as used to keep their women in Kings Courts The Chaldees call them Rabrebanim that is Grandees The Persians call them Spadones saith Stephanus The Greeks Eunuchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either because they were Princes Chamberlaines and had the custody of their beds or because they were egregiè cordati homines well-minded men for they generally proved as likewise now they do among the Turks subjects though not of great courage yet of the greatest judgement and fidelity their mindes being set on businesse rather then on pleasure Whom he had appointed to attend upon her Heb. Whom he had set before her in obsequium servitium to be at her beck and obedience probably he was happy in such a service for goodnesse is communicative and of a spreading nature Plutarch saith of the neighbour-villages of Rome in Numa's time that sucking in the aire of that City they breathed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnesse and devotion so it might very well be here It was so with Abrahams servants and Solomons and Cornelius's Acts 10.7 Nero complained and no wonder that he could never finde a faithful servant What could they learn from him but villany and cruelty And gave him a commandment to Mordecai i.e. She commanded him to deliver her minde to Mordecai A servant is not to be inquisitive John 15.15 he knoweth not what his Lord doth but executive ready to do what is required of him He is the Masters instrument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wholly his saith Aristotle The hands must take counsel of the head and be stir them To know what it was and why it was Some great matter she well knew it must needs be that put him to those loud laments Wise men cry not till they are sorely hurt Jobs stroak was heavier then his groaning Job 23.2 He was not of those that are ever whining like some mens flesh if their skin be but razed with a pin it presently rankleth and festereth or like rotten boughes if a light weight be but hung on them they presently creak and break Mordecai she knew was none such She therefore sendeth to see what was the matter that she might help him if possible The teares and mones of men in misery are not to be sleighted as if they were nothing to us Who is afflicted 2 Cor 11. Rom. 12. and I burn not saith Paul Weep with those that weep else you adde to their grief as the Priest and Levite did by passing by the wounded man Is it nothing to you O ye that passe by the way Lam. 1.12 Are not ye also in the body Heb. 13.3 that is in the body of flesh and frailty subject to like afflictions And may not your sins procure their sufferings as a veine is opened in the arme to ease the paine of the head Verse 6. So Hatach went forth to Mordecai He was obedient to his Queen-mistriss pleasing her in all things not answering again Tit. 2.10 unlesse it were I will or the like Servus sit monosyllabus Domino Apelles painted a servant with Hindes feet to run on his Masters errands with Asses eares and with his mouth made fast with two locks to signifie that he should be swift to heare slow to speak Vnto the street of the City The Broad-street as the word signifieth there Mordecai kept him Rechob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latitudiue voomth and might not come nearer the Court because a Mourner See verse 2. Tiberius the Emperour counterfeiting grief at the Funeral of Drusus there was a vâ—ile laid betwixt the dead and him because being High-Priest forsooth he might not see any mournful object The Statues of the gods were transported or covered for like cause in those places where any punishment was inflicted But what saith the wise man The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning whereby we must understand any place or object which occasioneth mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Eccles 7.4 Verse 7. And Mordecai told him all that had happened unto him Not by fate or blind fortune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet time and chance happeneth to all Eccles 9.11 and it was by chance to the wounded man that the Priest and the Levite came down that way Luke 10.31 but by the Providence of God which hath an hand in ordering the most casual and fortuitous events to the execution of his righteous counsels neither is there ever a Providence but we shall once see a wonder or a mercy wrapt up in it And of the summe of money See chap. 3.9 Money is the Monarch of this present world Money is to many dearer then their heart-blood yet to gratifie their lusts they lavish silver out of the bag and care not to purchase revenge or sensual delights with misery beggery discredit damnation Verse 8. Also he gave him the copy of the writing That she might see it and rest assured that it was even so and no otherwise and that therefore now or never she must bestir her self for the labouring Church That was given at Shushan Which if ever it were full of judgement and white as a lilie according to the name is now stain'd with blood of innocents if ever righteousnesse did lodge in it yet now murtherers as Esay 1.21 To shew it unto Esther That her eye might affect her heart and her heart set all awork for her people that is her self according to that Physician heale thy selfe Lam. 3. Luke 4. that is thine own Countreymen And to declare it unto her In the cause viz. his refusing to bow to Haman against his conscience whereof it no whit repented him and in the several circumstances laid forth in the liveliest colours for her thorough-information And to charge her that she should go in unto the King Hoc perquam durum est sedita lex scripta est saith the Civilian This Mordecai knew would hardly be done he therefore makes use of his ancient authority and sets it on with greatest earnestnesse So Saint Paul I charge you by the Lord 1 Thes 5.27 And again I
Let us do up our work and then God will send us to hed all in good time Isa 57.2 Rev. 14.13 Verse 14. With Kings and Counsellors of the earth g. d. Those that here have been most negotious and as the Grandees of the earth have had greatest matters in hand with those should I have been coupled in the grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Congregation-house of all living as it is called Job 30.23 That long or old home Eccles 12.5 Heaven is called the Congregation-house of Gods first born Heb. 12.23 and their house not made with hand 2 Cor. 5.1 But not many Kings or Nobles meeâ—e here 1 Cor. 1.26 because strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth to it there must be stripping and stooping which great men cannot frame to It was a poor comfort to Hen. 8. to be told upon his death-bed that he should now go to the place of Kings And a small commendation to Hen. 2. The Spanish Brier was wone to say there were but few Princes in hell for why because there were but few in all Daniels hist 111. that some sew hours before he died seeing a list of their names who had conspired against him and finding therein two of his own sons he fell into a grievous passion both cursing his sons and the day wherein himself was born and in that distemperature departed the world which himself had so often distempered He went indeed to his grave and slept with his fathers yea he was royally interred under a stately Monument meant here haply by building desolate places for themselves Absolom had erected a pillar for this purpose and the Egyptian Kings their Pyramides â—o perpetuate their memories Confer Ezek. 26.20 With these Iob had he died betime or never seene the light might have been fellowed for death is the only King against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30.31 and the mortall fithe is master of the royall Scepter mowing down the lilies of the crown Sceptra ligonibus aquat as well as the grasse of the field Verse 15. Or with Princes that had gold great store of it Petrarch reporteth of Pope John 22 that his heirs found in his coffers no lesse then 250 tuns of gold Boniface the eighth taken prisoner and plundered by the command of Philip the Faire King of France had as much gold carried away out of his Palace as all the Kings of Europe received for one years revenue from their subjects together with their crown-land What a Masse of Treasure had Cardinal Wolsey gotten here and before him Cardinall Beauford who when he saw that he must needs die and that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time asked Fox Mart. 925. why should I die being so rich fie will not death be hired will mony do nothing The Cardinall Sylberperger took so great a pleasure in mony that when he was grievously tormented with the gout his onely remedy to ease the paine was to have a bason full of gold set before him into which he would put his lame hands turning the gold upside-down Of Nugas the Scythian Monarch it is storied that when Michael Paleologus the Greek Emperour sent him many rich ornaments for a present Pachymer hist l. 5. he asked whether they could drive away calamities diseases and death this because they could not do he slighted them These Princes that had gold and filled their houses with siluer what would not they have given to have bought off death but riches availe not in the day of wrath it is righteousnesse only that delivereth from death Prov. 11.4 Thrice happy then are they who are rich to God as our Saviour phraseth it who have the Almighty to be their gold and who have silver of strength as Eliphaz speaketh chap. 22.25 Who filled their houses with silver That is their graves say some called the dead mens houses chap. 17.13 The Jewes call the burying-place Beth-chajin the house of the living and they used not only to adorn their sepulchers richly but also to put their wealth into the grave with them Iosephus saith that Hircanus found in Davids sepulchre three thousand talents And Ier. 8.1 Lib. 13. Antiq. cap. 15. 〈◊〉 cap. 11. God threatneth that the Chaldeans shal bring out the boxes of the Kings of Iudah and of his Princes out of their graves as searching there for hid treasure so some conceive Sure it is Josephm that in the siege of Jerusalem under Veâ—pâ—sian there was gold found in the entrailes of a Jew that was slain which caused above twenty thousand of them to be ripped up Verse 16. Or as an hidden and untimely birth I had nor been As an abortive or miscarrying Embryâ— that falleth from the mother as untimely fruit falleth off from the tree See Râ—v 6.3 Hidden it is called because cast a deâ— as an unsightly spectacle that cometh in with vanity and departeth in darknesses and his name is covered with darknesse Eccles 6.4 Jâ—â— could have wisâ— eâ—â—ome way or other never to have been rather then to have been in so calamitous aâ— condition and herein he linned Job 3.6 no doubt for that 〈◊〉 as of the flesh is flesh As infants wâ— châ—rever â—aw the â—ight but were still-born as we call them The word rendred infants is taken from a word that signifieth to 〈◊〉 â—ee Job 16.15 for children in the womb are compassed about with pollution and the first sheeâ— or blanket wherewith they are covered is woven of sinne shame blood and filth Ezek. 16.4.6 Verse 17. There the wicked cease from troubling Here they are restlesse as being acted and agitated by the divel who being a discontented turbulent creature maketh adoe in the world and setteth his â—mps awork to do mischief and to vex others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word here rendred wicked signifieth vexatious persons that worry and weary out others molestuous and mischievous In the grave they shall cease from so doing That was a strange mind of our Edward the first who adjured his Son and Nobles that if he died in his journey into Scotland they should carry his corps with them about Scotland and not suffer it to be interred till they had absolutely subdued the Country This was a deure more Martial then Christian saith the â—hronicler Daniels hist 201. shewing a mind so bent to the world as he would not make an end when he had â—one withâ—â—t but deâ—greth his travel beyond his life An 〈…〉 Hence some Heathens also have counted mortality a mercy and some of them appointed contrary ceremonies to those now in use for they brought their friends into the world with mournfull obsequies but they carried them out or the world with joyfull exequies Plotin ap Aug. de C. D.l 9 c. 10 Quntil Inst lib. 5 Hâ—â—ol l. 5. Vaâ— Max. all sorts of sports and pastimes because then they conceived they were at rest and out oâ— gun-shot Verse 18.
the word properly signifieth branches or bought of trees which are many thick intertwined and crossing one another In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me saith David thy comforts have refreshed my soule Psalm 94.19 The same word is rendred vain thoughts or wavering cogitations Psal 119.113 Such as Davids soule hated Carnall hearts are exchanges and shops of vaine thoughts stewes of uncleane thoughts slaughter-houses of cruell and bloudy thoughts a very forge and mint of false politick undermining thoughts but Eliphaz his thoughts were better busied his top-thoughts those uppermost branches of his soul were concerning God and the things of his kingdome when other men became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned he had visions of God In the night-season when dead sleep fell upon others he slept but his heart waked and was free to receive revelations and to contemplate of them or perhaps he was broad awake at that time of night that he might the better converse with God and his own soule Abraham had many such sweet visions Isaac walked out into the fields for the purpose Jacob met with God in this manner both at Bethel and at Penuel Daniel had visions both of the day and of the night so had Paul and other Apostles The Monkes make long relations of revelations and apparitions that they have had So do the Enthusiasts and high-attainers but we are not bound to believe them Matthew Paris reporteth of Gilbert Foliot Bishop of London Anno Dom. 1161. that one night musing of the difference betwixt the King and Becket Arch-bishop of Canterbury he heard a terrible voice saying O Gilberte Foliot dum revolvis tot tot Deus tuus est Ascarot he taking it to be the divel answered boldly Mentiris daemon Deus meus est Deus Sabbaoth Aeneas in Virgil is said to have his visions and conferences with his deceased friends Satan loves to imitate God in what he can that he may deceive with better successe but we have a most sure word of prophesie and yet a more glorious light of the Gospel Heb. 1.2 The promised day-star being risen in our hearts 1 Pet. 1.19 Verse 14. Fear came on me and trembling Feare in the inward man and trembling in the outward And this is Gods method still the more he draweth nigh to any man the more doth rottennesse enter into his bones and he is horribly afraid of Gods judgments with David he trembleth at his word with Josiah that it may be the more efficacious in his soul Let us have grace saith the Apostle whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For even our God also and not the God of the Jewes only is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil Our King will be served like himself served in state and although he alloweth us an humble familiarity yet he expecteth our reverentiall fear acquainted he will be with us in our walks of obedience but yet he takes state upon him in his ordinances and will be trembled at in the addresses we make unto his Majesty he looks we should bring with us a legall faith and a legall repentance as well as an Evangelicall and that wee should work out our salvation with feare and trembling Philip. 2.12 Terrours and humiliations prepare and posture the heart for revelations never is it right till a man lie low at Gods feet putting his mouth in the dust and crying out Isa 28. Speak Lord for thy servant heareth there shall be only fear to make them understand the hearing fear met Eliphaz and made way for the heavenly vision Which made all my bones to shake Heb. the multitude of my bones or the number of my bones how many soever they be and they are as many say the Hebrewes as there are affirmative precepts in the Law These pillars of my body shook sore and threatned a downfall Gelidusque per ima cucurrit Ossa tremor Aeneid 2 Verse 15. Then a spirit passed before my face Some render it a wind as a messenger or fore-runner of God near at hand as 1 Kings 19.11 But better a good Angel in some bodily shape Psal 104.4 Luke 24.37 for else how could he be seen of Eliphaz gliding rather then going as a ship upon the face of the waters The hair of my flesh stood up Horripilatus sum In a fright the heart falleth down the haire standeth up the blood hastening to the heart to relieve it as soldiers do to the castle when all is likely to be lost Dirigui steteruntque comae Verse 16. It stood still As now ready to speak an ambulatory voice is hardly heard The Heavens indeed are walking preachers but then they utter but these three words Lib. 2. de Arca cap. 3. saith Hugo in all Languages Accipe Redde Fuge that is Receive mercies Return duties Fly offences and their just punishments But I could not discern the form thereof Heb. The aspect or countenance Hee was so frighted that his eye could not do its office distinctly to discern the thing that was just before it It is naturall to a man to fear at the sight of an Angel what then will wicked men do at the last day when the Son of man shall bring all his Angels not leaving one behind him in heaven Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men and oh that we could perswade them An image was before mine eyes But I could not tell what to make of it It is not the will of God that man should represent him by an image The Jewes after the captivity Deut. 4.15 16 were so farre from idolatry that they would not admit a Carver or Painter into their City The Turks will not endure any image no not upon their coines because of the second Commandment Varro saith he that first brought in Imagery and that is thought to be Ninus King of Babylon superstitionem auxit metum dempsit increased superstition and tooke away feare The wiser heathers held that God was too subtle for sinew or fight to seize upon and the Greeke Painters when they would draw the image of their Jupiter in a Table they were still mending it but never ending it saying that herein they shewed him to be a god for that they might begin to paint but could not perfect him There was silence and I heard a voice It was fit there should be silence and sedatenesse of spirit when a divine voice was to be heard Let all the earth keepe silence before God Hab. 2.20 When the seventh seale was opened there was half an houres silence in heaven Rev. 8.1 What a noise is there in many mens hearts even whiles they are hearing what the Lord God speaketh unto them what bargaining lawing projecting running into another world as men in dreams do so that they can tell no more what the preacher said then the man in the moon can Silence is a good preparative
yet flies before the beams thereof In carm still leaving it as it is able in sight to follow him and so draws it by degrees to higher things yet interposeth betwixt it and his incomprehensible Essence as many vails as were over the Tabernacle Verse 12. Behold he taketh away Raptim aufert He snatcheth away or taketh by force as a Lion doth his prey or a thief doth another mans goods Confer Prov. 23.28 Which if he do who can repel or turn him back Here Job plainly alludeth to the taking away of his children servants and cattle the likelihood also of losing his life according to the Chaldee paraphrast by his present miseries which if it should befall him from God it would not be safe for him to cavil or once question Gods proceeding to urge him to restitution or charge him with oppression sith he is chief Lord of all and may do with his own what he pleaseth He is uncontrollable as Nebuchadnezzar at length acknowledged Dan. 4.35 and his will is the true and only rule of justice it self nec solum recta sed regula Wherefore let all the earth keep silence before him Hab. 2.20 and let none presume once to ask him what he hath done either to question his right to do it or to question his righteousnesse in doing of it Verse 13. If God will not with-draw his anger That is of his own free accord forbear to execute his judgments the stoutest must stoop for he is in one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desireth even that he doth Job 23.13 his power is altogether irresistible Men though never so puissant may be withstood and over-matched as Asa was 2 Chron 14.8 9. Nature may be resisted and her power suspended as when the fire burned not the three worthies the red Sea drowned not the Israelites passing through it In the creatures there is an essence and a faculty whereby they work between these God can separate and so hinder their working In the Angels there is an essence and an executive power God comes between these sometimes and hinders them from doing what they would But God is most simple and entire and therefore the strong helper Qui portant orbem saith the Vulgar that bear up the pillars of the world which some understand of the Angels others of the Saints who stand in the gap Ezek. 22.30 and others again of carnal Combinations shall not hinder him but shall stoop and buckle under him or under it viz. his wrath as not able to bear up helpers shall prove no helpers against the mind and purpose of God no though they be as potent and as proud as Egypt such an allusion there may be in the Hebrew text or although they be helpers of latitude as one rendreth it that is of the largest extent either in power or by an elate mind and so the meaning is None are so mighty or so high-conceited of their own ability but if he be angry he wil make them to stoop under as not being able to bear his wrath Verse 14. How much lesse shall I answer him If heaven earth sea cannot stand before him if strongest men and strongly befriended and seconded cannot make their party good with him it is not for me to stout it out but rather to stoop and strike sail seeking to disarm his indignation by an humble yeildance especially since I am not able to hold discourse with him to answer him one of a thousand I not only have not arguments but I want fit words not argumentative words only but perswasive also And chuse out my words to reason with him Heb. Shall I chuse out words with him Broughton renders it Shall I chuse to word it with God Surely my best eloquence in this case will be a submissive silence It can be neither wisedome nor duty in me to deal with and undertake God either with an open or a closed hand either with Logical subtilties or rhetorical flourishes If I should either be Respondent or Opponent I should come off with losse Verse 15. Whom though I were righteous Legally righteous as none ever were but the first and second Adam Yet would I not answer viz. by pleading mine own righteousnesse sith no created righteousnesse can answer God Some render it non attollam vocem ne hiscere quidem audebo I will not lift up my voice nor dare to mute against him See 1 Cor. 4.4 No though I were never so innocent and did suffer this misery undeservedly But I would make supplication to my Judge As he doth though it were a good while first in the end of the next chapter It is likely that he intended to do it sooner but was put by by his passions which when they fume up into the head gather oft into so thick a cloud that we lose the sight of our selves and what is best to be done Jonas thought to have prayed chap. 4.1 2. but it proved a brawle and when as by prayer he thought to overcome his anger anger overcame him and his prayer too Verse 16. If I had called and he had answered If in confidence of mine own righteousnesse I had sought some good thing at his hands and he had therein condescended to me yet would I not believe that he had in mercy hearkned to my voice but rather for a further mischief that he might roll himself upon me as Joseph upon his brethren and as God did upon the Israelites after their quails that he might tear them with his tempest c. Some think that Job speaketh these words as despairing of audience or denying Gods particular providence but neither of these is likely Rather it seemeth saith Pineda to be the speech of a mind marvellously cast down and meanly conceited of himself and of his prayer and trusting to the goodnesse of God alone so Drusius Job speaketh not this saith he out of diffidence but out of fear of Gods judgments and sense of his own imperfections Yet I would not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice Namely for any worth that he findeth in it what am I poor creature that I should think I had carried the matter with God Verse 17. For he breaketh me with a tempest q. d. This is one thing also that maketh me think I am not heard because I am not helped but after my prayer I am in as bad a case as before and seem to have a repulse from God Afflictions continued are no evidence that prayer is not heard yet usually it is very inevident to an afflicted person that his prayer is heard The Hebrew and so the Vulgar hath it He will break me that is saith one If I should plead before him as pure although I might temporally or for a time be delivered yet I should not finally escape destruction although I should give him none other cause Whereby we may see upon what danger of being torn in pieces by Gods judgments our justiciaries put
swiftnesse to her wings and maketh her pour or sowce down upon the prey like a thunderbolt so transitory is our time redeem it therefore It is reported of Ignatius that when he heard a clock strike he would say Here is one houre more now past that I have to answer for Verse 27. If I say I will forget my complaint And suffer in silence as thou Bildad hast advised me chap. 8.2 Sorrows are not so easily forgotten Lam. 3.19 remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall The Stoicks boasting of their indolency or ability to bear afflictions without making moane or complaining when it came to their own turn found by experience that they had spoken more trimly then truely and therefore one Dionysius sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Flincher fell off for this reason from the Stoicks to the Peripateticks I will leave off my heavinesse Heb. my face viz. the sowrnesse that used to sit upon it as 1 Sam. 1.18 The Pharisees were vultuosi tetrici inamoeni Matth 6.16 of a sad and sowre countenance grim and ghastly they affected to look like Scythians as the word signifieth that they might seem great fasters when as inwardly they were merry and pleasant Jobs case was far different his heart was heavy as lead neverthelesse to give content to his friends he would endeavour to look lightsomely but found a very hard task of it And comfort my self Heb. strengthen viz. so as not to make moane but bite in my pain Invalidumomne naturâ querulum the weaker any thing is the more apt it is to complaine and on the contrary some mens flesh will presently rankle and fester if but razed with a pin onely so some mens spirits they are ever whining Verse 28. I am afraid of all my sorrows That come thronging thick about me and terrifie me they will surely be doubled and trebled upon me hence my sorrow is uncurable if I should resolve never so much against it I should break my resolution and fall to fresh complaints Psalm 39.1 3. Hîc vides saith Lavater Here we may see how little is to be ascribed to mans free-will in the things of God sith it is not in our power to comfort and chear up our selves under afflictions though we would never so fain I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent But wilt hold me guilty and accordingly punish me This was the language of Johs fear had his faith been in heart it would have quelled and killed such distrustful fears and have gathered one contrary out of another life out of death assurance of deliverance out of deepest distresses Deut. 32.36 So 2 Kings 14.26 going into captivity was a signe of Israels returning out of captivity Verse 29. If I be wicked Heb. I am wicked sc in your thoughts and you have so earnestly and effectually affirmed it and confirmed it that I am almost ready to say as you say I am wicked Plato brings in Socrates in his apology to the Judges thus bespeaking them My Lords I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers eloquence whiles you heard them speak for mine own part I assure you that I whom it toucheth most was almost drawn to believe that all they said though against my self was true when they scarcely uttered one word of truth The Chaldee paraphrase reads it I shall be culpable or I shall be condemned Why then labour I in vain Or for nothing as the Chaldee hath it See the like Psalm 73.13 14. Why put I my self to so much fruitlesse pains either in praying to God or apologising to you my friends sith by God I am still afflicted and by you reputed a wicked person Jobs hope was low his endeavour was therefore little Si nihil sperarem nihil orarem saith one Let us pray on God sometimes defers to come till men have even left looking for him till he scarce findeth saith upon earth Luke 18.8 Verse 30. If I wash my self with snow-water Some take the former words I am wicked to be Jobs confession of his own sinfulnesse in comparison of Gods surpassing holinesse And then this followeth very fitly Though I wash my self with snow water i. e. with water as clear as show is white Some read it aquis vivis for aquis nivis spring-water for snow-water And make my hands never so clean Though I wash my hands with soap so some read it as Jer. 2.22 Mal. 3.2 Or Though I wash mine hands in a well where there is no want of water both in-side and out-side as Jam. 4.8 Verse 31. Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch Thou shalt declare me to be no lesse loathsome then he that having fallen into a foul guzzle or nasty jakes abhorreth himself and his own clothes being ready to lay up his gorge at the sight and smell of them The Vulgar hath it Sorâ—ibus intinges me thou shalt dip me in the dirt over head and ears and stain me all over as Diers doe the cloth they colour By the ditch Beza and others understand the grave and by cloaths grave-cloaths q. d. My very winding-sheet shall abhor my filthinesse Take the proud Pharisee for instance and Popish merit-mongers whom the Lord abhorreth Verse 32. For he is not a man as I am He is not such an one nor can be as I am and must be he hath other eyes and thoughts and wayes then creatures have He who is just before men is unjust before God therefore he is no fit match for me to contend withal Have I an arm like God or can I thunder with a voice like him chap. 40.9 Is it safe to contend with him that is mightier then I Eccles 6.10 Surely if I should be so mad as to justifie my self yet I should soon be given to know that that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 And we should come together in judgment How can that possibly be when as God is the supreme Judge neither is there any appealing from or repealing of his sentence Verse 33. Neither is there any Dayes-man betwixt us Heb. Any Arguer or Reprover as Gen. 31.24 We call him an Umpire or Referree who hath power to reprove and to lay the blame where he findeth it and finally to compromise the businesse The late Judg Dyer amongst us if there came any controversies of poor men to be tried afore him would usually say that either the parties are wilful or their neighbours without charity because their suits were not quietly ended at home Now saith Job as there is no Judg so there is no dayes-man betwixt me and God If one man sin against another saith good old Eli. the Judg shall judg him but if a man sin against the Lord who can mediate 1 Sam. 2.24 That may lay his hand To moderate and keep us both in compasse and to compose the difference Verse 34. Let him take his rod away from me Having sufficiently set
of penitent Suppliants causeth us to abhor our selves and repent in dust and ashes which were anciently the signes and symbols of true contrition And now sith Christians ought to repent all their life long and to grieve for their sins let them be alwayes cloathed with sackcloth not without but within and let them put dust on their heads by remembring that they are but dust and that they cannot be raised out of the dust and in stead of sackcloth be cloathed with the robes of glory but by the mercy of God through the merits of Christ c. Verse 16. My face is foule with weeping Is swelled saith the Vulgar Is shriveled up say the Jew-Doctors is double dirtied so one rendreth it So far was Job from stretching out his hand against God and strengthing himself against the Almighty as Eliphaz hâ—d charged him chap. 15.25 That he lay at Gods feet as a Suppliant with blubbered and beslubbered cheeks having furrowes in his face and Isickles from his lips with continual weeping yea he had wept himself blind almost for so it followeth And on mine eye lids is the shadow of death i.e. Mine eyes doe fail with teares as Lum 2.11 Mercer Largâ lachry marum copiâ aciâ—â—â—oculorum obstruente they are even wasted away and sunk into my head as in a dying man Much weeping spendeth the spirits weakneth the visive power and sometimes blindeth as it did Fanstus the son of Vortiger King of this Island by his own daughter who is said to have wept himself blind for the abominations of his parents See Davids teares and the effects thereof Psa 6.7 and 38.10 Verse 17. Not for any injustice Heb. violence or wrong doing in my hands Job could wash his hands of that rapine and bribery wherewith they had injuriously charged him 3. Serm. before K. Edw. chap. 15.34 and safely say of it as afterwards Father Latimer did of Sedition As for that sin for ought that I know me thinks I should not need Christ if I might so say Some failings there might be in him in doing justice but no intendments of doing injustice Also my prayer is pure As proceeding from an heart washt from wickednesse Jer. 4.14 and presented with holy hands lifted up without wrath or doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 That he regarded not iniquity in his heart he was well assured Psal 66.17 Prayer is the powring out of the heart if iniquity be harboured there prayer will have the sent and savour and that incense will strike off the hand which offereth it God requireth that in every place Incense be offered unto his name and a pure Offering Mal. 1.11 It standeth a man in hand to see that though his work be but mean yet it be clean though not fine yet not foule soiled and shibbered with the flur of a rotten heart An upright man in afflictions is not without his cordial as is to be seen in Job here and 8 Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 Verse 18. O earth cover not thou my blood Job had made an high profession of his innocenty and integrity This he 〈◊〉 confirmeth 1. By an imprecation against himself 2. By an appeal to God ver 19 in this imprecation or wish of his which Mr. Broughton taketh to be meant by the foregoing words Also my prayer is pure rendred by him thus Bar my wish is clean saying Oh earth cover â—â—t c. he hath an eye no doubt to the History of Abelo blood shed by Cain Gen 4. and it is as if he should say If I have committed murder or â—hy the like wickednesse cover it not O earth but do thy office by crying out against me yea cry so loud to God for vengeance as to drowne the voice of my supplication And let my cry have no place A most pathetical speech able to 〈◊〉 the heart of his friends to relent to hear it and straightway to 〈◊〉 their opinion of him whiles he thus bespeaketh the earth and maketh res 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and lifelesse creatures his hearers Verse 19. Also now behold my witnesse is on heaven Here 's his appeal to God so great is the confidence of a good conscience We also may do the like if there be no other way left of clearing our innocency provided that we do it with a cleare conscience and in a matter of consequence not in jest but in judgement Some of the Martyrs appealed thus and cited their Persecutors to answer at Gods Tribunal Yea to help the truth in necessity a private Oath betwixt two or more may be lawfully taken so it be done sparingly and warily for in serious affaires and matters of great importance if it be lawful in private to admit God as a Judge why should he not as well be called to withesse Again the examples of holy men shew the practise of private Oathes as not unlawful Jacob and Laban confirmed their covenant by a private Oath so did Jonathan and David c. Verse 20. My friends scorn me Or Play the Rhetoricians against me David likewise complaineth of his Rhetorical mockers at feasts that made as it were set speeches against him One rendreth it My friends are Interpreters or rather mis-interpreters of my speeches For my love they are my adversaries but I give my solf unto prayer Psal 109.4 But mine eye powres hâ—ut tears unto God Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor The Hebrew hath it Mine eye droppeth or distilleth to God Prayers and tears are the weapons of the Saints whose eyes glazed with tears are fitly compared to the Fish pools of Heshbon Cant. 7.4 These tears have a voice Psal 39.12 Hold not thy peace at my tears they are most powerful Oratours Christ going to suffer on the Crosse could not but turn back and comfort those weeping women God will powre out comforts into their bosomes who can poure out teares into his they can never be at any losse who find out God to weep to Verse 21. Oh that one might plead for a man with God Heb. And he wil plead for a man with God and the Son of man for his friend that is say our late learned Annotators to whom we are greatly bound for this most sweet and spiritual exposition of the words Christ who is God and man will plead my cause with his Father He can prevaile because he is God equal to the Father he will undertake it because he will be man like to me This interpretation agreeth best with the coherence and the words following And it seemeth that Job knew the mystery of Christs Incarnation chap. 1.25 26 27. where he speaketh of him both as God and as a visible Redeemer Christ is frequently called the Son of man in the New Testament and believers are called his friends John 15.13 14 15. By this Text thus expounded wee see that the Doctrine of a Mediatour betweene God and man was knowne and believed in the world long before Christ came into the world He is the Lamb of God slaine from the foundation
and biteth it off with great delight then she conceiveth her young ones which eat out her belly So the Oppressour getting the poor mans goods they seem sweet unto him but at the last his sin findeth him out for it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder as Sermon saith of drunkennesse which Austin calleth dulce vemenum a sweet poyson Prov. 23.32 Verse 17. Mercer He shall not see the Rivers the floods c. that is that plenty and abundance of all good things that cometh in to the righteous Velut confertim certatim affatiâ—â— a confluence of all manner of comforts and contentments These the Oppressour shall have none of for being insatiable and vexed with the furies of an evil conscience they enjoy not any thing though they abound with all things being worse then Tantalized and if after his fall he seek to recruit himself he shall never be able to effect it He shall not see the Rivers c. The Seventy and others after them render it by an elegant Apostrophe Ne spectes rivos Let him never look after the Rivers c. for it will never be He may please himself in hope and expectation of a better condition but God will surely crosse him For his hoped for riches he shall have poverty for pleasure pain for health sicknesse for nourishment poison for dignity disgrace for the favour of God his wrath and hatred for life destruction A further account of the wicked mans non-enjoyment of what he had wrongfully wrested from others Zophar giveth us in the next verse Verse 18. That which he laboured for shall he restore Great paines he hath taken to small purpose in hope to make him self happy the result whereof is Reddet laborem he shall restore his labour either by regret and remorse of conscience or by Law or by force he shall be made to restore his ill-gotten goods which he had laboured for even to lassitude for wicked men are sore work-men and oppressours are great pains-takers Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in getting wealth unweariable And shall not swallow it down Or if he do as vers 15. it shall be but as the fish swalloweth the hook or as the Whale swallowed Jonah ill at ease till he had laid up again According to his substance Ball the restitution be hebr According to the substance fo his exchange Opes compensationis the riches of his recompence so the word is rendred chap. 15.31 The Oppressor is so infatuated that he looks upon his cursed hoards as the reward of his labour and rejoyceth in that where of he hath more reason to repent as Leah said at the birth of her son Issachar but not well God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Gen. 30. 18. Felix scèlus virtus vocatur Dionysius gloryed that the Gods disliked not his Sacriledge because they punished him not presently But what faith Zophar here He shall not rejoyce therein Or if he do for a while yet the tryumphing of the wicked is but short ver 5. as a blaze of thornes under a pot or as a flash of lightning which is followed by rending and roaring he shall be filled with unmedicinable sorrowes when his Gold his God is taken from him when he parteth with that whereon he had set his heart and built his felicity Verse 19. Because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor Hebr. Because he hath crushed or broken in pieces The Original word importeth as One well observeth Tyrannical Oppression without mercy or moderation without ho or hold some give full scope to their rage and wrath they put neither bond nor bridle upon their covetousnesse and cruelty such are characterized by this word And forsaken the poor Or Left men poor viz. by letting them without a livelyhood and so as good as without life A poor man in his house is like a snail in his shell crush that and you kill him They which read it And for saken the poor give us this good Note That as it is sinful to forsake the poor though we have never oppressed them Matth. 25.35 36. Not to do Justice is Injustice not to shew mercy is cruelty Mark 3.4 so to oppresse and then forsake them is far more sinfull Because he hath violently taken away Violently and in open view in an impudent manner He pulleth down mens houses but never thinketh of repairing them so some read this Text. Let our Depopulators look to it who build themselves desolate places and desire to live alone in the earth This hath been noted as a great fault in our Nation And therefore Goropius thinketh the English were called Augli because they were so good Anglers having skil to lay diverse baits when they fished for other mens livings Verse 20. Surely he shall not feel quietnesse in his belly i. e. Peace in his conscience satisfaction in his soul but as he is still coveting more being sick of a Dropsie or Bulimy as it were so he hath many inward gripings and grabbings worse then any belly ache or sicknesse of the stomack he never eateth to the satisfying of his soul as the righteous man doth but the belly of the wicked shall want Prov 13.25 His meat is so sawced and his drink so spiced with the wrath of God that he hath no joy of it His belly is pained his mind is in perpetual turmoile whiles like a Ship laden but not filled up he hath enough to sink him but not enough to satisfie him He shall not save of that which he desired Which he coveted with strong desire and had as lief have been knockt on the head as parted with as his Plate Wardrobe Jewels c. neither can he save them nor they him Broughton rendreth By that which he desired he shall not be safe and to like purpose the Septuagint Verse 21. There shall none of his meat be left Zophar still pursueth the Allegory of the belly and in all striketh at poor Job who had scarce a bit of bread to eat but yet was not without the hidden Manna the feast of a good conscience which made him say with Luther Mendecato pant hic vivamus c. Let us take up with course fare here sith we have better within and better yet we shall have in heaven in our Fathers house is bread enough c. Therefore no man shall look for his goods Heb. His goods or goodnesse It was well said That he that first called riches Bona Goods was a better husband then Divine But it may be thought that the most are such husbands The common cry is Who will shew us any good The Lord answereth Exod. 33.19 I will make all my good passe before thee and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee The Prophet answereth Mic. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good viz. to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Nevessen But most men
a Serpent so this takes away the sting of a judgement As wine draweth a nourishing vertue from the flesh of Vipers c. Verse 24. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust Which is as much as to say saith One thou shalt make pavements of gold see 2 Chron. 1.15 Psal 68.30 Then shalt thou have thy desire for thou shall be rich with content which is worth a million as another paraphraseth it Beza rendreth it thus Cast thy gold on the ground even that worldly pelf whereto thou hast been wholly addicted and let the gold of Opâ—ir beunt thee as the peeble-stonts of the brooks make no more account of it than of those small stones and let the Almighty be thy tower let him be unto thee as plenty of silver The Spaniards are said to have found in the Mines of America more Gold than Earth Perhaps Eliphaz here promiseth Job that upon his return to God his Land should have many rich veines of Gold And so One paraphraseth this text thus Then shall you acquit your self of all your losses Senault and you shall recover with usury what was taken from you for for barren lands which could being forth nothing you shall have such as in their intrails shall produce Porphyry and in stead of those unprofitable Rocks which made a part of your Estate you shall have fertile Mines from whence shall issue Rivers of Gold Agreeable whereunto is that Exposition of Brenâ—ius Repoâ—â—etur pro pulâ—erâ— aurum pro vili preciosumâ— pro fluvâ—is arâ—nam trabentibus terrentes aâ—eis lapillis impleti Thou shalt have for Dust Gold for vile things those that are precious for sandy rivers golden torrents An byperbolical expression And the Gold of Ophir Where the best Gold grew possibly the same with Peru the letters only transposed Ophir Gen. 10. was one of the sons of â—oktan who came of Shem from whom saith Josephus a Country in India abounding with Gold had its name Him aurum obrizune dictum quase Ophirizum Ophir is here put for the Gold of Ophir for the word Gold is not in the original Verse 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence Or thy Gold for the same word signifieth both chap. 36.19 because Gold is the worldly mans defence Prov. 18.11 though but a â—oâ—â—y one Zeph. 1.18 Prov. 11.4 Ezek. 7.19 It is as if he should say Either thou shalt have gold Gods plenty or else then shalt have that which is better than gold viz. God the Maker and Master of all the world saith 〈◊〉 who rendreth the 〈◊〉 And the Almighty shall be thy choicest gold and silver and strenght to 〈◊〉 He shall be all that heart can wish or need require A friend of Cyrus in â—eno pâ—on being asked where him Treasure was Answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Cyrus is my friend Let us answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where God is my friend When David had said The Lord is my portion he subjoyned in the next verse The 〈…〉 pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Psal 10.5 6. When God had said to Abraham Law thy sâ—â—iâ—â— he easily slighted the King of Solâ—oâ—â—â—ith offers And whom 〈◊〉 have 〈…〉 Heb. Silver of strengths or of heights 〈◊〉 that is at the rulgar interpâ—epeâ—h it 〈…〉 coacerâ—abitâ—â— tibi thou shalt have high heapt of silver store of money 〈…〉 hath the promises of both lives and if godly men are not 〈…〉 it is that godliness may he adtmired for it self And they must know◠〈…〉 in remporals shall be made up in spirituals according to 〈◊〉 which folleweth Verse 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty As in thine onely Portion Thou shalt enjoy him which is the top of humane happiness solace thy self in the fruition of him taâ—â—e and see how good the Lord is and thereupon love him dearly Psal 18.1 not only with a love of desire as Psal 42.1 2. but of complacency as Psal 73.25 26. affecting not only an union but an unity with him and conversing with him as we may in the mean while in a fruitful and chearful use of his holy Ordinances And shalt lift up thy face unto God Wrapping thy self in Christs righteousness thou shalt draw nigh to God with an humble boldness in duty and not doubt but he will draw nigh to thee in mercy Melch. Ad. in vita It is said of Luther that he pray'd with so great reverence as unto God and yet with so great confidence as to his friend Verse 27. Then shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall heâ—r thee Yea though thou multiply prayer and intorcession for thy self and others as the word signifieth Multiplicabis verba tua Mer. and as afterwards Job did for Eliphaz and his fellows or else it bad gone worse with them yet he shall hear thee in all Thou shalt as his favourite have the royalty of his eare and he shall say unto thee seriously as Zâ—â—â—kiah did once to his Courtiers soothingly The King can deny you nothing Iste viz potuit apâ—d Dâ—um quod â—oluit said One concerning Luther That man could have of God whatsoever he lifted This David took as well he might for a singular mercy Psal 13. ult Psal 66. ult And thou shalt pay thy vows i.e. Thou shalt return thy thanks and so shalt drive an holy trade as it were betwixt heaven and earth Nulla tibi a Deo nisi gratias agendi accasio dabitur Thou shalt have unmiscarrying returns of thy suits so that thou must be ready with thy praises â—â—ter their prayers for that is all thou shalt have to do Psal 65.1 2. Praise waiâ—â—th for thee O God in Zion and unto thee shall all the vow be performed O thou that heavest prayers note thee shall all flash come with their thanks in their hands as it were Verse 28. Thou shalt also deâ—â—es a thing and it shall be established unto thee God will be better to thee than thy Prayers and prosper all thy Counsels effect thy designes The ungodly are not so as is to be seen in those revolted Israelites Judg. 2. in King Saul and in our King Jobs Oâ— if they have their designes it is for a further mischief to them As if the godly he crossed it is in mercy like as it is storied of our Queen Isabel that being to repass from Zâ—land into Eagland with an Army they hath 〈◊〉 been utterly cast away had she 〈…〉 being there expected by her enemies But providence against her will brought her to another plaâ—â— Mr. Clark in his Life p. 262. where she safely 〈◊〉 The like is reported of Bishop Joâ—el that being sought for by the Popish Persecutors he had been caught but that going to London he â—â—st his way And the light shall 〈◊〉 upon thy waâ—â— That is to say God will inspire thee with good counsel and direction in all thine affairs Diod. and turn thinâ— ill counsels into good unto thee as the Heathens
Si non castè saltem cautè say the Popish Shavelings who are sometimes taken in the manner as was that carnal Cardinal Cremonensis Acts Mon. fol. 1065. Ibid. 1905. Barns Funccius Luth. Coloq the Popes Legat here in Hen. 8. dayes and Dr. Wâ—ston Dean of Windsor in the Raign of Queen Mary apprehended in Adultery and for the same deprived of all his Spiritual Livings by Cardinal Pool Pope John the twelfth being taken a bed with another mans wife was killed immediately by her husband In Germany a Gentleman of note and his Harlot were served in like sort as Luther relateth So was Reâ—â—â—ldus the Eighth King of Lombardy and Sergui a King of Scotland Of all these P.Mel. Chron. Lang. Chron. and many more esusdem furfuris it may well be said as here that being noted and notified they were in the terrors of the shadow of death Which death to escape Verse 18. He is swift as the waters He stayes not long in a place but flies away swiftly like the River Tigris swift as an arrow out of a bow to avoid punishment Heb. He is light upon the face of the waters The meaningâ—s saith One they are as a light thing upon the streams of water running swiftly and carrying it away with speed Some that it is spoken in respect of their swift passing on from one wickednesse to another or their never being settled after such wickednesse committed but alwayes ready to be overturned as a ship that is unballasted and so to be drowned in the sea Their portion is cursed on the earth Cain-like they wander up and down à corde suo facti fugitivi but their sin will surely find them out neither can they run out of the reach of Gods rod c. This Job saith lest any should gather from what he had said before that it should be alwayes well with the wicked and ill with the godly Some take it curse-wise thus Let their portion on earth be accursed neither let them turn themselves to the Vineyards scil either to dresse them or to taste of the fruits of them He beholdeth not the way of the Vineyards That is say some to run away by them which were common wayes to Cities but by some other obscure by-way that he may not be found In Vineyards something is to be done at all times that way therefore they take not lest they should be discovered and punished Beza rendreth it He turneth not into the way that is the nature of the Vines which by cutting and pruning sprouteth out and becometh more profitable Others sense it far otherwise The concise brevity and ambiguity of the words together with the change of number hath caused a cloud upon them Verse 19. Drought and heat consume the snow waters Here also brevity hath bred obscurity Snow waters as they are more subtile so they sooner sink into the dry earth so dye the wickeds quickly and easily See chap. 21.13 31. There are that read the whole verse thus In the drought and heat they rob and in the snow waters they sin to the grave that is they rob and run into other flagitious practises in all weather Summer and Winter and never give over till they dye They persist in their sins saith Calvin wherein they have been nuzzelled up even to their grave This is a good sense Luther tells of one filthy Adulterer so set upon that sin that he was heard to utter these abominable words If I were sure to live here for ever and that I might still be carried from one Brothel-house to another I would never desire any other heaven then that Vae dementiae impietati Theat Hist pag. 568. This beastly man breathed out his wretched soul betwixt two harlots Once I knew a most odious Adulterer of seventy years old saith another great Divine who having wasted his flesh and state with harlots and lying neer death was requested thus Potter call upon God M. Dan. Rog. he replyed with his ordinary oathes Pox and Wounds is this a time to pray I knew saith a third Reverend man a great swearer who coming to his death-bed Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greedinesse after sin Mr. Bolton that though himself swore as fast and as furiously as he could yet as though he had been already among the bannings and blasphemies of hell he desperately desired the standers by to help him with Oathes and to swear for him Athenaeus reporteth of one covetous Mammonist that at the hour of his death he devoured many pieces of Gold and sewed the rest in his coat commanding that they should be all buried with him And our Chroniclers write of King Edward 1. that he adjured his son and Nobles Dan. Hist 202. that if he dyed in his Expedition against Bruce King of Stots they should not interre his Corps but carrie it about Scotland till they had avenged him on that Usurper Verse 20. The Womb shall forget him Some read it The merciful man forgetteth him scil because himself was mercilesse Or because he was a trouble to the world and a common Pest therefore good men are glad to be so rid of him and in stead of sighing over him say Let the worm feed sweetly on him 't is well he is gone as he lived wickedly so he dyed wickedly let him be no more remembred or honourably mentioned but moulder away and fall as a rotten tree Others interpret the words of the sudden and easie death of the wicked thus The womb shall forget him that is saith Beza being once dead neither his mother nor his wife do bewail and lament his death because without that pain and torment that many suffer when they depart the world The wormes shall feed sweetly on him Moritar impunitus he maketh the worms a feast with his fat Corps as Dr. Taylor Martyr made account to have done if buried in Hadley Church-yard and feels no pain He shall be no more remembred And this is reckoned up as a piece of his happiness See Eccles 8.10 with the Note there And wickednesse that is the wicked person that crooked piece that can hardly ever be set straight again Shall be broken as a tree As a rotten tree blown down by the wind Verse 21. He evil intreateth the barren that beareth not Who had more need to be comforted then further afflicted But Homo homini Daemon Jacob and Elkanab loved and comforted their wives under this crosse The Vulgar rendreth it He hath fed the barren whereupon some expound it of wicked mens feeding Whores and maintaining them for their pleasure keeping them barren that they may keep their beauty And doth not good to the widow i.e. Doth her much hurt for not to do good is to do evil Mark 3.4 He hath afflicted his barren wife and evil intreated the poor desolate widow his mother What marvel then if the womb forget him c. if his wife bewail not so unkind an husband
Joseph Moses Samuel Daniel Nehemiah Paul who knew nothing by himselfe Melancthon George Prince of Anhalt John Bradford and many other famous in their generations whom for their piety and patience as their enemies could not but admire so their friends could never sufficiently extoll then This is no smal help to the Cause said Erasmus concerning Luther that his enemies can find no fault or flaw in his life As a Prince would I go neer unto him Id est Animo hereico imperterrito quippe benè sibi conscio that is Piscat With an heroical spirit and anundanted courage I would not shrink back or flinch him a jot as having a clearing chearing conscience that feareth no colours that would not budg or yeild an hair for an Angels Authority Gal. 1.8 Quasi Princeps hoc est animo liberrimo expositissimo c. saith Brentius As a Prince against whom there is no rising up I would speak my mind and lay open the whole matter of my deportment very freely and fully that both present and future ages might judge of it Of Trajan the Emperour it is recorded That he neither hated nor feared any man living Nicepb l. 2. c. 40 And of Trajan General to Valens the Arian Emperour That as he could speak his mind fitly so he durst speak it freely Think the same of Job Verse 38 If my Land cry against me As unjustly gotten Where we have an elegant Prosopopeia not unlike that of the Prophet Hab. 2.11 12. where the stone out of the wall cryes out against the Oppressour and the tignum è ligno the beame out of the timber answereth it by a woful antiphony It hath been noted before that Goropins will have the English to be called Angli because they were good Anglers and had skill to lay divers baits when they fished for other mens livings May it be our care to disprove him Polydor Virgil. and to shew our selves Angels rather as Gregory the Great derived us and our Land to be Regnum Dei the Kingdome of God as it was anciently counted and called by the holinesse and righteousnesse exercised amongst us These two make up one perfect paire of Compasses which can take the true latitude of an upright heart such as Jobs was witnesse this whole Chapter The first like the top of Jacobs Ladder reacheth to heaven the second like the foot of the Ladder resteth on the earth or rather walketh about in a perfect circle of all such duties as one man oweth to another Job was famous for both whatever his friends furmised or suggested to the contrary He was righteously religious and religiously righteous exercising the first Table of the Law in the second and caring to keep alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Act. 24.16 Or that the furrowes thereof likewise complain Heb. Weep scil As it were Siplorant porca out of a desire after their old right Owner from whom they are detained as was Naboths Vineyard Verse 39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money i.e. Not paying the Labourers their wages which is a boney sin Am. 5.12 13. A crying cruelty James 5.4 such as hath a woe hanging on the heeles of it Jer. 22.17 See what sinns it is set amongst and what punishment is awarded to it Malach. 3.5 Let Laban be guilty of it Gen. 31.7 but Job protesteth against it here with an imprecation Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life That is the occupiers thereof the poor Rent-holders by racking their rents to misse of a subsistence so that they could not make a living of it with all their labour Owners of the Land he calleth them improperly sith the Land was his as in the former verse but if he had the propriety they had the paines and therefore should have had a livelihood as Solomons Vine-dressers had Cant. 8.12 but so had not Pharaohs Laboureres the poor oppressed Israelites who toyled like horses and yet were held to so hard allowance that they were weary of their lives and their soules were ready to expire as the Hebrew here hath it Prisoners pitance many poor Tenants have such as will neither keep them alive nor suffer them to dye Verse 40 Let thistles grow in stead of wheat This was a piece of that first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arvum ab Heb. Arur accursed Curse Genes 3.18 under which the earth hath lain bed-ridden as it were ever since waiting for the coming of the Son of God that it may bee delivered from the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.20 and Job wisheth it as due to him Ex lege Taliâ—nis if he should be guilty of the fore-mentioned cruelty Jam. 2.13 And cockle in stead of Barley Lolium lappae stinking stuffe the word signifieth as those were stinking grapes Isaiah 5.2 4. rotten corrupted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frumentum adustum vitiated and as that was blasted corn yeelding nothing better then dust and chaffe Mat. 13.25 Whereas Wheat and Barley are the precious fruits of the earth James 5.7 whereof when the Metapontines had one yeare a great corp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scrabo they dedicated to their god at Delphos in token of thankfulness an Harvest graven in gold The words of Job are ended i.e. His Conference with his three friends whom having before silenced and now for himselfe sufficiently apologized he putteth a period to that discourse having as Octavius once said to Decius to the understanding spoken sufficient and to the ignorant or obstinate too much had he said lesse CHAP. XXXII Verse 1. So these three men ceased to answer Job THey were as quiet as men are on a Sabbath so the word importeth they had tired themselves with talking and now they were resolved to rest them and the rather because they judged there was little good to be done by ought that they should say for Job was set Because he was righteous in his own eyes And so there was no more hope of a fool then of him Pertinacious they held him and contentious self-conceited and opinionate which indeed was a right character of themselves if they could have seen it He was only constant to himselfe and to the truth whereof he shewed himself a stout and resolute Champion Only as every Pomgranate hath some rotten kernels in it so Job had his frailties his outbursts caused by extremitie of pain and excess of passion for the which these three did him wrong to give him up for deplored and desperate Verse 2. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Or Then burnt the nose of Elihu a Periphrasis of anger which appeareth in the nose eyes and other parts of the body Qun enim celaverit ignem Who can hide fire The Rabbins have a saying that a man shewes what he is becos bechis becagnas by his purse his cups and his anger which if it be rash and unadvised is a mortal sin and not venial as
was with Drusius whom when he had called Heretick and Drusius in his own defence alledged that Heresie must be in fundamentis fidei the Jesuite replyed That even that Assertion of his was Heresie I will answer thee that God is greater than men Longè superat friâ—olum hominem say the Tigurines is far above sorry man the distance and disproportion is infinite But how is this an answer to Jobs justifying himself and complaining of God as over-rigid Gods greatness here is not to be understood of his power only which yet should over-awe us when ready to rise up against him but also of his truth wisdome justice goodness c. all which Job by his complaints seemed to question and quarrel with and is therefore fitly minded of this Attribute of Almighty God who is glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Great he is without quantity good without quality everlasting without time omnipresent without place containing all things without extent Exod. 15.11 He is not only great Psal 77.13 but greater as here greatest Psal 95.3 greatness it self Psal 145.3 So he is not only good Psal 106.1 but better Psal 108.9 best of all Phil. 1.23 goodness it self Matth. 19.17 The least glimpse of this knowledge is worth all the gleames of humane wisdome And albeit this is a truth commonly known and acknowledged yet very few are affected with it aright as appears by their crossecarriages toward this great God and malapert misdemeanours as if he were such another as themselves Psal 50.21 Certainly if we were throughly perswaded of Gods infinite greatness so as it is set forth Deut 10.17 and elsewhere we would much more fear to offend him and care to please him then we do The truth is all the exorbitances in mens lives proceed from the weakness of this spring and were they but well assured that God is Almighty they would walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 But to this none can attain but by the help of supernatural Grace Verse 13. Why dost thou strive against him Why dost thou cample and reason it thus unreverently with God whose will alone is the supreme reason nec recta sclùm sed ipsaregula and not only right but the very rule of right He may better say than any Constantine that Arrian Emperour Quod ego volo pro Canons sit Let my will be your soveraign rule sith things are therefore right because I will them I will them not because they are right Who then art thou O man that repliest against God saith St. Paul that chattest and wordest it with him that answerest again and thinkest to hold him to 't and be hard enough for him Rom. 9.20 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth Isai 49.9 Let men learn to meddle with their match and not to contend with God who is much mightier then they Eccles 6.10 and hath assured them that with the froward he will wrestle Psal 18.26 Jeremy who in his distemper would needs reason the case with God concerning his judgements which are sometimes secret but alwayes just did well and wisely to preface thus Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Jer. 12.1 For be giveth not account of any of his matters Heb. Of all his matters for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Highest and therefore not to be reckoned with by any for ought he doth If he so far abase himself as to give account of any of his proceedings for our satisfaction it is dignatio stupenda a wonderful condescension Vatablus rendreth the text thus Non tuim â—mniâ— verba sua loquitur for he uttereth nor all his words that is he revealeth not all his secrets q.d. he doth all for our good though we for present understand it not He oft answereth us as the Eccho doth the voice cutting off the one half of it but stand a while and see the salvation of the Lord he is usually better to his people than their conceits and delighteth to help those that are forsaken of their hopes Verse 14. For God speaketh once yea twice He loveth to fore signifie and although not bound to it yet he usually gives warning as not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 For which purpose God saith Elihu here useth two wayes to nurture his Children the one more milde to keep them from falling into sin verse 15.16 17 18. the other more rigorous when they have committed wickedness to bring them to amendment of life verse 19 20 21 c. Yet man perceiveth it not Pra crassitis supinitate ut ita dicam sua through his forlorn dulness and heedlesness his singular oscitancy and inadvertency Though God say as once O generation see ye the Word of the Lord Jer. 2.31 Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 yet man is not only naturally averse but adverse to listen or lay to heart any thing till it light on his hide to believe till he feeleth yea to his natural dulness he soon addeth an habitual hardness to his sinewes of iron brows of brass Isai 48.4 this is fearful Act. 28.27 and yet common to all whose hard hearts God is not pleased to soften with the oyle of his Grace and to soak in the blood of his Son that they may be supple and soluble Verse 15. In a dream in a vision of the night c. At sundry times and in divers manners God delivered his mind to men of old by dreams in the night by visions in the day-time imprinting upon their minds what by them he would have understood or uttered to others This he did especially before the Law written whereof therefore here is made no mention See Numb 12.6 Indeed with Moses by a specialty of his favour he spake mouth to mouth even apparantly as a man doth to his friend and not in dark speeches the similitude of the Lord did he behold sed non absque aliquo Majestatis ejus involuero but not without some over-shadowing of his Majesty which none can see and live Exod. 33.20 he must needs be oppressed and swallowed up of it as the sight of the eye is dazled with the Sun or a crystal-glass broken with the fire When deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed When men plunged in sleep are neither in the number of the living nor the dead Then many times the reasonable soul cometh into the shop of Phantasie and there doth strange works which are vented in our dreams And somtimes God by an Angel or otherwise causeth men to dream and thereby admonisheth them of weighty matters as he did Abimelech Gen. 20. Jacob Gen. 28. Joseph Gen. 40. the other Joseph Matth 1. 2. the Wise-men Matth. 2. Pilates wife Mat. 27. which though some think it came from the Devil to hinder mans Redemption yet others think it came from God for
and Deodate understand it of the Crocodile others of the Sea-Dragon others of the whirl-pool But most of the Whale in creating whereof Creavit Deus vastitates stupores saith One. Lib. 9. cap. 2. Pliny writeth of them when they swim and shew themselves anâ—are insulas putes you would think them to be so many Ilands Another saith they appear like huge mountaines and that when they grow old they are so fat and corpulent that they keep long together in a place so that upon their backs by the dust and filth gathered and condensed grass and shrubs grow as if there were some Ilands there Heidfeld whereat Sea-men attempting to land have cast themselves into no small dangers Olam Some tell us of a Whale that would have covered four Acres of ground his mouth so wide Plin. lib 9. that he could have swallowed a whole Ship Virgil calleth Whales Monsters the Greeks call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wild Beasts The Majesty and Power of the Creator is much seen in these vast creatures Psal 74.14 Thou brakest the hands of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wildernesse Here. upon the Jew-Doctors have fabled that God at first made two Leviathans only the one whereof he gave to the Israelites in the wilderness to feast with the other he hath salted up for a feast to be made for the Jewes to be gathered together by the Messias at the end of the world Others have turned all this and a great part of the former chapter into allegories whereof see chap. 40 24. Let us by the ensuing description take notice of 1. Gods Omnipotency who hath made such great wonders whereof the sea hath more store then the earth as they know well who are conversant therein 2 His Justice who by these creatures oft punisheth Offenders Procopius telleth us That in his time a great Whale much infested the coasts of Constantinople and did great mischief for fifty yeers together till at length being taken and brought to land he was found to be thirty cubits long and ten broad 3. His Wisdome in making the Whale so complete in all its parts which all have their several uses all which are here noted and numbred how much more are our members yea our very haires 4. His goodnesse in creating such Sea-monsters for mans use and benefit in many particulars as his flesh for meat his fat for oyl his hide for thongs his teeth for combs his bones for building mounding Bodice making c. In Africa the Whales bones serve commonly for rafters of houses Leviathan he is called of the fast joyning together of his scales and members wherein consisteth his strength and so doth ours in unity Verse 2. Canst thou put a hook into his nose Canst thou ring him like a Swine or rule him like a Bear God can and did Sennacherib that crooked Leviathan Isai 27 1. 37.29 And doth still the Great Turk who desireth to devour Christendom Or bore his jaw through with a thorn Or twig as men do lesser fishes taken with an Angle or Herrings from the fish-market These are facetious and ironical questions that are put to Job in these five first verses hinting to him that although he could not do any of these things yet God could with ease Verse 3. Will he make many supplications unto thee As conquered Captives use to do witnesse Benhadad 1 King 20.32 and Teridates King of Parthians who being brought prisoner to Nero thus bespake him I come unto thee as unto my God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio in Neron and will henceforth worship thee as I do the Sun in heaven I will be whatsoever thou shalt appoint me for thou art my Fate and Fortune c. Will he speak soft words unto thee Verba byssina as unto his Lord and Master An elegant and pleasant Prosopopaeia No his stomack is too great to stoop so low Verse 4 will he make a Covenant with thee And compound where he cannot conquer Wilt thou take him for a servant for ever To be at thy dispose and to do thy drudgery q.d. He scornes the motion Before the fall this and all other Creatures were at mans service Gen. 1.28 2.19 20. But now alass it is otherwise Howbeit to those that are in Christ this part of Gods lost image is in part restored Heb. 2.6 with Psalm 8.4.5 and shall be perfectly Revelat. 2.26 What singular service the Whale did Jonas in shipping him to Land who knows not Verse 5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird Shall he make thee sport as those poor birds that serve as pastime for little children Or as the foolish Emperor Honorius delighted in his bird Roma so he called it at the losse whereof when the City was taken by the Vandals he grieved more then at all the rest I â—diguum sanè regem aves praeferre viribus saith the Divine Chronologer Wilt thou bind him for thy maidens Shall your daughters tye him with a thred which lengthning or straightning at their discretion shall make his prison either larger on straiter Sena Verse 6. Shall the companions make a Banquet of him The Cetarii Whale-fishers who usually go out in companies It was anciently held impossible and is still perillous to take the Whale and make a banquet of him as the tongue and some other parts of the Whale are good meat Or Make a Banques for him shall they feast those Merchants they meane to sell him to they may get the better price for him Shall they part him among the Merchants Who might sell him out for sundry uses See vers 1. Verse 7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons Harpagâ—â—ibus Heb. With thornes scil to pull him to the shore Opianus Albertus Magnus Gesner and others now write how Whales are to be taken and experience proves it to be feisable They are sometimes cast upon the Land by the surging rage or violence of the sea or by the ebbing thereof left in a ford where they cannot swim and so they become a prey to the fishermen with their guns darts c. Verse 8. Lay thy hand upon him Stroke him clap him on the back and see if that way thou canst winne upon him sith by force thou canst not catch and kill him Or draw neer and offer but the least violence to him if thou darest and he will quickly make thee repent it so that thou wilt have little joy either to flatter him or to fight it out with him for he will be the death of thee Verse 9. Behold the hope of him is in vain Heb. Is lying A man may promise himself or others to take the Whale but how or when will he effect it It is a misery to lye languishing at Hopes Hospital and after all to be disappointed to labour all night and take nothing c. Shall not one be cast downe even at the fight of him
I Water my Couch with my tears By Couch some understand that whereon David lay in the day time for ease and refreshing the same perhaps which David arose off when he beheld Bathsheba washing her self where began his misery 2 Sam. 11.2 Others take it for his Pallet his under-bed which he also watered by the abundance of his penitent tears Ainsworth rendreth it I water or melt my bed-stead These are all excessive figurative speeches to set forth the greatness of his grief and the multitude of his tears Weeping becomes not a King saith Euripides But King David was of another mind and so was he who said Faciles motus mons generoscapit Ovid. Tears instead of Gems were the ornaments of Davids bed saith Chrysostom Vers 7. Mine eye is consumed Heb. gnawn moth eatâ—n That eye of his that had looked and lusted after his Neighbours Wife is now dimmed and darkned with grief and indignation he had wept himself almost blinde Prideaux his Introduct to Hist p. 289. as it is storied of Faustus the Son of King Vortiger by his own Daughter that he wept himself stark blinde for the abominable incest of his Parents It waxeth old or is sunk in my head Doth not do its office but is become like an old dusty window that lets in little light An heavie affliction to those whose eyes have been loop-holes of Lust and windows of wickedness the remembrance whereof is a thorn to their blinde eyes and puts them to grievous pain especially when their enemies shall have got it by the end as Davids had his ill pranks and spared not to lay it in his dish Vers 8. Depart from me all yee workers of iniquity What a strange change is here all on the sudden well might Luther say Oratio est birudo animae Prayer is the Leech of the Soul that sucks out the venom and swelling thereof Prayer saith another is an Exorist with God and an Exorcist against sin and misery The Prophet I saiah calleth it a Charm chap. 26.16 because it lays our Soul-distempers and like Davids Harp drives away the evil spirit that is upon us Pray therefore when out of order though not so fit to pray fall upon the duty by Davids example here and that will further fit thee for the duty Thy leaden lumpish heart cast into this holy fire will heat and melt Quoties me oratio quem poeè disperantem susceperat reddidit expultantem prâ—sumentem de venia saith Bernard How oft hath prayer found me despairing almost but left me triumphing and well assured of pardon The same in effect saith David here Depart from me c. What a word is that to his insulting enemies Avoyd come out vanish These bee words used to Devils and doggs but good enough for a Doeg or a Shimei And the Son of David shall say the same to his enemies when he comes to Judgement For the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Tears then have a voyce as well as Bloud hath and God hath an Ear for them And as Musick upon the waters soundeth further and more harmoniously than upon the Land so do prayers joyned with tears R. Obad. Gaon in Psal 6. Portae Lachrymarum ne sint clausae let not the wounds of godly sorrow be ever so healed up in us but that they may bleed afresh upon every just occasion Vers 9. The Lord hath heard my supplication And thereby sealed up sweetest love to my Soul as Ahashuerus afterwards did to his Hester by granting her request But how knew David and how may another man in like sort know that God hath heard his prayer though as yet no visible return appeareth I answer This he may know 1 By a cast of Gods pleased countenance 2 By the testimony of his own Conscience Phil. 4.6 7. and by the assurance of faith which faith to a man as the Angel once did to Cornelius Thy prayers are heard and answered Of Luther we read that having been once wrastling hard with God by prayer for the prosperous proceeding of the Reformation in Germany about which there was a general meeting of the States at that time he came leaping out of his Closet with Vicimus Vicimus in his mouth that is we have prevailed we have got the day God sometimes answereth his people before they pray sometimes whiles they are praying as here and sometimes after they have prayed but sooner or later they shall be sure of it The Lord will receive my prayer He hath and therefore he will This is the Language of faith this is the triumph of trust Vers 10. Let all mine enemies be ashamed When they see all their hopes of my death and downfall disappointed Let them return Retrocedant in terram cadant saith the Arabick Interpreter let them go backward and fall to the earth Some make this a Prayer some a Prophecy it comes all to one And be ashamed suddenly Let them be double ashamed or debosht and that in a moment These sudden and still revenges are very terrible God usually premonisheth before he punisheth but not always Now as blessings the more unexpected the more welcome so Judgments the more suddain the more grievous PSAL. VII SHiggaion of David i.e. Davids delight or solace say some his mixt Song or Synodee say others Which he sang unto the Lord He could sing away care and punish his Reproachers with a merry contempt as knowing his own innocency the property whereof is to throw off slanders as Paul did the Viper yea in an holy scorning it laughs at them as the wilde Asse doth at the Horse and his Rider Concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite which some take to be some Cousen and Courtier of Sauls who had falsly accused good David far from any such thought Psal 131.1 of affecting the Kingdom and seeking Sauls life See 1 Sam. 24.10 But I rather understand with the Chaldee Paraphrast Sauls self who was of Kish and of Jemini 1 Sam. 9.1 and that by a disguise of name he is called Cush the Benjamite that is an Aethiopian because of his obstinate impenitency according to Jer. 13.23 So Am. 9.7 Rebellious Israel is to God as Aethiopia Professors shall be as deep in Hell and deeper than Turks and Infidels because of their dissembled sanctity which is double iniquity Wrath shall bee upon the Jew first Rom. 2. and when the foul sinner goes to Hell what shall become of the fair Professor may such be asked as are both in one In the Aethiopian is nothing white but his teeth so in an Hypocrite c. Vers 1. O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust Or I betake me to thee for safety David found it always best to run to the old Rock Isa 26.4 and to cry O Lord my God pleading the Covenant This no wicked man can do but being beaten out of earthly comforts he is as a naked man in a storm and an unarm'd man in the field
the Greeks for like cause call it is the tenderest piece of the tenderest part the eye which is kept most diligently and strongly guarded by Nature with tunicles David therefore fitly prayeth to be so kept Hide me under the shadow of thy wings Another excellent similitude taken from Fowls which either cover their Young with their wings from the scorching heat of the Sun beams as doth the Eagle or keep them thereby from the cold or from the Kite as Hens do Gods love to and care of his poor people is hereby shadowed out as it was likewise by the out-spread wings of the Cherubins in the Sanctuary See Ruth 2.12 Deut. 32.10 Zach. 2.8 Psal 36.8 57.2 Matth. 23.37 Vers 9. From the wicked that oppress me Heb. That waste me i.e. that cast me out into banishment despoyled of all This hard usage of his enemies drove David into Gods blessed Bosom as Children misused abroad run home to their Parents From my deadly enemies Heb. My enemies against the soul i. e. the Life at least if not the soul which they would gladly destroy Some malice is so mischeivous that it would ruine Body and Soul together as that Monster of Millain the enemies of John Husse and Hierom of Prague whose bodies they delivered to the fire and their Souls to the Devil David elsewhere complaineth of his enemies that they did Satanically hate him Psal 55 4. Beware of men saith our Saviour Mat. 10. for one man is a Devil to another Vers 10. They are inclosed in their own fat See Job 15.27 with the Note They abound in all delights Adipem suum obesant Trem. and therefore spare not to speak proudly They have closed up their eyes in their fulsome fat ut non videant nec timeant te saith R. Solomon that they can neither see nor fear thee With their mouth they speak proudly Heb. in pride that is Palam plenis buccis openly and with full mouth they contemn God and men they belch out Blasphemies and do what they please Vers 11. They have now compassed us in our steps i.e. Me and my company so that we cannot stir any whither but we are in danger of them In all thy ways acknowledge God and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3.6 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him c. Psal 37.5 Keep within Gods Precincts and thou shalt be under his protection He took order that a Bird should be safe upon her own Nest They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth i.e. Hoc unum spectant ut ruamus Junius They are earnestly bent and firmly resolved upon our ruine as one that fixeth his eyes upon another to mark him or to know him again or as Bulls ready to run at one set their eyes downward Vers 12. Like as a Lion that is greedy c. Cruelty and Craft are conjoyned in the Churches enemies as the Aspe never wandreth alone they say without his companion David here pointeth out some one special enemy Saul likely who should have been a Shepherd but proved a Lion As a young Lion lurking Therefore as we tender our safety keep close to God out of whose hands none can take us no not the roaring Lion of Hell Vers 13. Arise O Lord disappoint him Anticipa faciem ejus that is that raging and ravening Lion step between me and him and stop his fury defeat his purpose and disable his power Which is thy Sword As Assyria is called the Rod of his Wrath. Attilas stiled himself Orbis flagellum the wrath of God and the scourge of the World Turk Hist So Tamerlan was commonly called The Wrath of God and Terrour of the world Some render it by thy Sword i.e. or thy might and power See Job 40.41 or by thy Word execute thy judgement Vers 14. From men which are thy hand This saith one is Davids Letany From those men c. good Lord deliver me Gods hand they are called as before Gods Sword Titus Son of Vespasian being extolled for destroying Jerusalem said I have only lent God my hand but he hath done the work From men of the World Heb. A mortuis i. e. impiis qui sunt mortui in vits eorum R. Gion From Mortals of this transitory world qui sunt mundani mundum spirant sapiunt the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea as opposed to the Citizens of the New Jerusalem Rev. 12.12 such as having incarnated their souls as that Father speaketh are of the earth speak of the earth and the earth heareth them Job 3.31 mind earthly things only as if they were born for no other purpose Terrigene fratres animam habentes triticeam as those Stall-fed beasts in the Gospel Which have their portion in this life And they love to have it so saying with the Prodigal Give me the Portion that belongeth to me They crave it and they have it but with a vengeance Munera magna quidens misit sed misit in hamo As the Israelites had Quails to choke them and afterwards a King to vex them a table to be a snare to them c. By the way observe that wicked men have a right to earthly things a man must needs have some right to his portion what Ananias had was his own whilst be had it Acts 5. and it is a rigour to say they are Usurpers As when the King gives a Traitor his life hee gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life So is it here neither shall wicked men be called to account at the last day for possessing what they had but for abusing that possession As for the Saints who are heirs of the world with faithful Abraham and have a double portion even all the blessings of Heaven and of Earth conferred upon them though here they be held to strait allowance let them live upon reversions and consider that they have right to all and shall one day have rule of all Rev. 3. Mendicato pane hic vivamus annon hoc pulchrè sarcitur c. What though we here were to live upon Alms saith Luther is there not a good amends made us in that here we have Christ the bread of life in his Ordinances and shall hereafter have the full fruition of him in Heaven The whole Turkish Empire is nothing else but a crust cast by our Father to his Doggs and it is all they are likely to have let them make them merry with it Wilt not thou saith another bee content unless God let down the vessel to thee as to Peter with all manner of Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air Acts 10.12 Must you needs have first and second course Difficile est ut praesentibus bonis quis fruatur futuris ut hic ventrem illic mentem reficiat ut de deliciâ—s ad delicias transeat ut in coelo in terra gloriosus appareat saith Hierom It is a very hard thing to have Earth and Heaven
rejoyce in the Holy Ghost but take heed we let not fall the watch of the Lord. Crede mibi res sevâ—ra est gaudium verum Beleeve me true joy is a severe matter said Seneca Wee may better say so of Spiritual joy which he never tasted of neither doth any stranger meddle with And if Plato could tell the Musicians Philosophers could tell how to be merry without Musick much more may Gods people Quid nobis cum Fabulis cum risu saith Bernard What have we to do with carnal mirth and jollity c we have Meat to eat and Musick to our Meat that the World knoweth not of let us make us merry with it For praise is comly for the upright For them and for none but them High words are not fit for a fool saith Solomon Laudari ab illaudato to be praised by a praiseless person Seneca is no praise at all That State in story would not approve of good words from an evil mouth no more doth God Psal 50.15 16. Christ would not suffer the Devil to confess him Hypocrisie slurrieth all it toucheth If a man should sing a good Song with his voyce and play a bad one on his Instrument it would make but a black sanctis Such is the praise of the unupright who had better therefore be silent unless themselves were better sith they do not only lose their labour but commit sin Displeasing service is double dishonour and dissembled sanctity double iniquity Vers 2. Praise the Lord with Harp Or Cittern Jubals invention Gen. 4.21 much used by David and others of old under the Jewish Pedagogy as an help to devotion as were also other Musical Instruments here and elsewhere mentioned Now it is otherwise the best melody is to sing Psalms with grace in our hearts and for other Musick when Aristotle was asked what he thought of it he answered Jouem nec canere neque cit haram pulsare that Jupiter regarded it not Vers 3. Sing unto him a new Song sc upon every new emergent occasion God reneweth his Mercies not only every morning but every moment so thould we out praises every breath we draw should praise the Lord Psal 150. ult Doth God give comforts praise him and they shall be continued Doth hee send Crosses praise him and they shall be removed saith a Father but in every thing 〈◊〉 thanks and that not coldly and cursorily but ardently and with utmost affection for which cause this duty is so reiterated here and pressed with such forcible arguments in the following verses as might work upon the very stones almost much more men for whose sakes all this fair Fabrick of the World was erected Play skilfully or lustily with a loud noyfe Make good Musick set all your skill and might a work to magnifie the Lord. It is not an easie matter to praise God aright it must be done Corde ore operâ— with the very best of the best Benefacite canendo cuns jubilatione Vers 4. For the Word of the Lord is right Every Word of God is pure and precious Prov. 30.5 his Commandement holy and just and good Rom. 7.12 but by Word here we are to understand Gods Counsel and Decree concerning the Creation and government of the World which is unquestionably right and agreeable to sound reason and therefore they are too blame that dislike of his doings If any evil befall them the Saints confess Gods righteousness and praise him as Isa 12.1 Psa 10.1 faith Kimchi here And all his works are done in truth 〈◊〉 In faith that is in faithfullnesse without deceit or ficklenesse This is to be understood of the execution of Gods decree all is done well and equitable Vers 5. 〈◊〉 loveth righteousness and judgement q. d. How can he do otherwise than right whose nature is such that he loveth righteousness and judgement that is 〈…〉 〈…〉 Verse 〈…〉 gave them a Being Or by his essentiall Word Solo ipsius 〈◊〉 su nutu which is his Son the second person in Trinity Prov. 8.27 Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 And all the hoast of them These are first mentioned because the most glorious of all the works of God so Psal 19.1 By the breath of his mouth By his word and command Or rather by his Holy Spirit the third person in Trinity inseparable from the other two as well in essence as in operation See Gen. 1.1 2. with the Notes It hath been else-where noted that in Thebe a Town of Aegypt they worshiped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortall But how painted they him In the likenesse of a man blowing an egge out of his mouth to signify tha hee made the round World by his Word and by the breath of his mouth as here Vaâ—â—o addeth that in way of thank-fullnesse Plut. de Isidâ— Osicid Var. de re rufâ— l. 2. cap. 1. they dedicated a sheep to him to be offered in Sacrifice This Text was commonly urged by the Ancients for the Trinity of persons in the Godhead which Olymphus an Arrian Bishop denying was struck with three thunderbolts and killed in a Bath Vers 7. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together Confining them to their concave to the pit he digged for them Ecce altera misericordia saith kimchi here Behold another mercy without the which the earth would be inhabitable unlesseby fishes only because the waters would cover the earth As an heap This sheweth that the Sea is higher than the Earth Saylers observe that their ships flie faster to the shore than from it whereof what other reason can be given but the height of the waters above the land Hee layeth up the depth in store-houses In his treasuries that is he secretly hideth them and limiteth then to a certain place that they overwhelm not the earth by his Almighty power Jer. 5.22 Job 38.16 See there Vers 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord viz. For these stupendious works of his sufficient to strike an a we into all creatures of the divine Majesty Jer. 5.22 Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob Psal 114.7 Vers 9. For he spake and it was done So true is that saying Dei dicere est facere And a great shame it is to men to disobey the great Creatour and not rather to follow the example of the unreasonable and insensible creatures And it stood fast The whole order of nature remaineth as he set it firm fast and unmoveable Vers 10. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to noughi i. e. He counter-worketh the Devill and his imps who would overturn and destroy the fair order of nature mingle heaven and earth together as it were and soon marre all God frustrateth the counsells and attempts of such tumultuating boutefeaus and trouble-States and maugre their malice preserveth polities lawes judgements and naturall equity without which mankind could not long subsist Who then would not fear thee O King of Nations
shall go to the generation of his fathers i.e. To the grave or albeit he come to the age of his Fathers that is live here very long They shall never see light Either have any sound comfort at death or any part in Gods Kingdom Vers 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not Versus amabeus See ver 12. there is but little difference Stultitians patiuntur opes The more a man hath of worldly wealth and the less of Spiritual and heavenly understanding therewith the more bestial he is and shall be more miserable Caligula called his Father-in-law Marcus Silanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a golden brute Quid cervo ingentia cornua cum desit animus Vel mihi da clavem vel mihi telle seram PSAL. L. A Psalm of Asaph Who was both a Musick-master 1 Chron. 25.2 and a Psalm-composer 2 Chron. 29.30 The most are of opinion that this Psalm was made by David and committed to Asaph to be sung after that Israel had been afflicted with three years Famine and three days Pestilence and the Angel had appeared to David Jun. and set out the place where the Temple should be built 2 Sam. 21. 24. 1 Chron. 21.18 22.4 Vers 1. R. Nahum ap Nebien The mighty God even the Lord Heb. The God of gods whether they be so deputed as Angels Magistrates or reputed only as Heathen-deities 1 Cor. 8.9 Jehovah or Essentiator is Gods proper Name Some say God is here thrice named to note the Trinity in Vnity Hath spoken sc By the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Henoch the seventh from Adam spoke much like Jude 14. The Rabbines say that this Psalm is De die judecii futuro of the Day of Judgement Others that it is the Lords judging of his Church drawn according to the model of the great and last Judgement whereunto it serveth as a preparation or a warning-peece And called the earth from the rising c. The habitable part of Gods earth the sons of men Prov. 8.31 with Mal. 1.11 These are all called to attest the equity of Gods proceedings against an hypocriticall Nation Children that were corrupters For God hath thus farre instructed all men that He is to be honoured of all with all manner of observance Rom. 1.20 Let this be pressed upon all sorts said Zalencm the Locrian Law-giver in the preface to his Laws 1. That there is a God 2. That this God is to be duely worshiped Vers 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty Heb. The whole Perfection Perfectissim◠pulchritudini◠locus Tre◠or the Universality of beauty because there especially was Gods glory set forth in his holy ordinances and more clearly manifested than in all his handy-work besides See Psal 48.2 God hath shined Like the Sun in his strength sometimes for the comfort of his people as Psal 80.1 sometimes for the terrour of evill-doers as Psal 94.1 and here But evermore God is terrible out of his holy places Psal 68.35 89.7 Vers 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence He doth daily come and sit upon the tribunall in his Church by the Ministery of his Servants Mat. 18.17 who must reprove sinners with all authority and shew themselves sons of thunder that they may save some at least with fear snatching them out of the fire Jude 23. as Peter Act. 2.40 and Paul 2 Cor. 5.11 but especially when to work upon the Proconsul Paulus Sergius he set his eyes upon Elymas the sorcerer as if he would have looked thorough him After which lightening followed that terrible thunder crack O thou full of all subtlety and all mischief thou child of the Devill thou enemy of all Righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the streight wayes of the Lord Act. 13.9 10. A fire shall devour before him As he gave his law in fire so in fire shall he require it And it shall bee very tempestuous round about him Not before him only but round about him lest the Wicked should hope to escape by creeping behind him That was a terrible tempest that befell Alexander the great Curtius lib. 8. ex Dioder and his army marching into the Country of Gabaza when by reason of continuall thundering and lightening with hailstones and light-bolts the army was dis-ranked and wandred any way many durst not stirre out of the place c. Tremellius rendreth it wish-wise but in a parenthesis Les our Lord come and let him not be silent The Saints know that they shall bee safe when others shall smoak for it because God is their God Vers 4. Hee shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth That these dumbCreatures may be as so many speaking evidences against an unworthy people and witnesses of Gods righteous dealings against them See Deut. 32.1 Isa 1.2 Mic. 6.2 The Chaldee thus paraphraseth He will call the high Angels from above and the just of the earth from beneath Vers 5. Gather my Saints together unto mee This seemeth to be spoken to the Angels those active Instruments and executioners of Gods Judgements By Saints here understand professors at large all that live in the bosome of the Church visible and partake of the externall priviledges only such as are in the Vine but bear no fruit Joh. 15.2 have a name to live but are dead Rev. 3. such as whose sanctity consisteth only in covenanting by sacrifice Basil saith that such are called Saints to aggravate their sins as a man that hath an honourable title but hath done wickedly and is therefore the rather to be condemned When one pleaded once with a Judge for his life that he might not be hanged because he was a Gentleman hee told him that therefore he should have the Gallows made higher for him Those that have made a Covenant with mee by Sacrifice But were never brought by mee into the bond of the Covenant for then the rebels would have been purged out from among them as it is Ezek. 20.37 38. Vers 6. And the Heavens shall declare his Righteousnesse Those Catholick Preachers whose voice goeth out aloud to the end of the World Psal 19.4 See vers 4. For God is Judge himself And front him is no appeal every transgression and disobedience from him shall receive a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 even those corruptions that are most inward and lye up in the heart of the Country as it were those pollutions not of flesh only i.e. worldly lusts and grosse evills but of spirit also 2 Cor. 7.1 more spirituall lusts as pride presumption formality self-flattery carnall confidence in externall legall worships the sin principally taxed in this Jewish people here in the next verses Vers 7. Hear O my people and I will speak c. What sweet and winning language is here for a preface Gods proceedings against sinners whom he might confound with his terrours is with meeknesse and much mildnesse Gen. 3.9.11 4.9 Mat.
God is above them Exod. 18.11 Vnto God that performeth all things for mee And in mee Isa 26.12 doth not his work to the halves but is both author and finisher of my faith and other affairs Heb. 12.2 Phil. 1.6 Psal 138.8 Here are the two props of Davids prayer First Gods sufficiency he is the Most High Secondly his efficiency he perfectly accomplisheth all things for mee Vers 3. He shall send from Heaven and save mee Rather than fail I shall have an Angel to rescue mee for although the Lord usually worketh by means yet he can work by miracles and will do it if there be a just occasion howsoever his mercy and his truth he will be sure to send and that 's enough He will be seen in the Mount he will repent for his servants when he seâ—th their power is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is dignus vindice nodus an extremity fit for divine power to interpose Vers 4. My soul is among Lions And so is a lively picture of the Church in all ages Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wilderness compassed about with hungry Lions Wolves Boars and Bears c. Talis est Ecclesia in has vita sicut in historia Danielis pingitur And I lie even among them that are set on fire sc With rage and hellish hatred Others expound it actively of those Ardeliones anlici those Court-Incendiaries who enraged Saul and the Nobles against David as a traitour and Pest See 1 Sam. 24 10. Even the sons of men i. e. Carnall men that being in their pure naturalls have no goodnesse at all in them Whose teeth are spears and arrows Such was Doeg that dead dog and others void of the Spirit which is neque mendax neque mordax Vers 5. Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens That is saith the Chaldee above the Angels And let thy glory be above all the Earth That is above the inhabitants of the earth There are saith Kimchi that think thou either wilt not or else canst not save O let thy power appear for the conviction of all such who now lift up themselves and seem at least to touch the Heaven with one finger Vers 6. They have prepared a net for my steps So that I can hardly keep foot out of snare I dare not lift up one foot till I find sure footing for the other and that 's hard to do See Sauls charge to the Zâ—phites 1 Sam. 23.22 My soul is bowed down I am glad to shrink in my self as fearfull people use to do that I may shun those gins and snares that they have set to maim and mischieve mee They have digged a pit c. They have forced mee into this subterranean cave and behold Saul himself is cast into mine hands in this mine hiding-hole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 7. My heart is fixed O God I am both ready and resolute I doubt not of deliverance and am well prepared to praise God It is fit he should have the fruit of his own planting and that of the best too Otherwise it is no better than the refreshing of him that standeth by a good fire and saith Aha I am warm Vers 8. Awake up my glory He rouseth himself out of his natural drousinesse as Sampson once went forth and shook himself I my self will awake early Or I will awaken the morning as the Cock by his early crowing is said to do Non vigil ales ibi cristati cantibus oris Evocat auroram Ovid. Metam lib. 11. Vers 9. I will praise thee O Lord Among the Nations This was done by Christ calling the Gentiles Psal 18.49 Rom. 15.9 Vers 10. For thy mercy is great c. Gods mercy is ordinarily in the Psalms bounded by his truth that none may either presume him more mercifull than he hath declared himself in his word or else despair of finding mercie gratis according to his promise Vers 11. Be thou exalted c. Versus amaebaeus see vers 5. only that 's in way of prayer this of praise PSAL. LVIII VErs 1. Una ligati ut Gen. 37.7 vel ab â—â—N Mutus quia congregatio ante oratorem eftquasi mutus Aben-Ezra Do yee indeed speak righteousness O Congregation Or O Councell you that are gathered together on a knot under a pretence of doing justice and promoting the publick good by giving faithfull advice to the King Colloquitur Abnerâ— reliquis saith Kimchi David here talketh to Abner and the rest who to please Saul pronounced David a rebel and condemned him absent for an enemy to the State And for as much as there is no greater injury than that which passeth under the name of right he sharply debateth the matter with them whom he knew of old to be very corrupt painting them out in their colours and denouncing Gods heavy judgments against them for their unjust dealings with him The word rendred Congregation is not found elsewhere in that sense It signifieth dumbnesse and is by the Spanish translators rendred O audiencia by Antiphrasis ut lucus quia non lucet Do ye judge uprightly O yee sons of men i.e. O ye carnall profane persons that savour not the things of the Spirit q. d. ye are fit persons to make Counsellors of State Sedes prima vita ima agree not Dignitas in indigno est ornamentum in luto saith Salvian You do much mis-become your places Vers 2. Yea in heart you work wickednesse There the Devill worketh it as in a forge ye are alwaies plotting and plowing mischief and that not so much for fear of Saul or to please him as out of the naughtinesse of your own hearts and all this you know in your consciences to be true Kimchi saith that the word Aph or yea importeth that their hearts were made for a better purpose and therefore their sin was the greater Corruptio optimi pâ—ssima You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth i.e. Your bribes saith Kimchi these ye weigh or poise Manus vesâ—rae â—oncinnant iniquitatem Vul. quasi essent recta as if there were no hurt in them so Demosthenes weighed Harpalus his goblet to the great danger of his Country and his own indeleble infamy The Arabick rendreth it Manus vestra in tenebris immerse sunt your hands are drowned in darknesse you seem to do all according to law and Justice pictured with a pair of balances in her hand when indeed you weigh out wrong for right Trutina justior Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Symb. and do things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by partiality 1 Tim 5.21 by tilting the balance o't'one side Vers 3. The wickedare estranged from the womb q.d. These enemies of mine are old sinners hardened and habituated in wickednesse from the very womb it hath also grown up with them and quite turned away their hearts from God and goodnesse whereunto
they stand utterly across and have an innate Antipathy they are not only averse thereto but adverse also yea to their sinews of Iron they have added brows of brass Isa 48.4 sinfull indeed we are all by nature and a birth-blot we bring into the World with us making us strangers to and strayers from God But some God sanctifieth even from the womb as he did Jeremy and some by the light of nature not altogether extinct and by Gods restraining grace are reigned in from notorious outrage in sin Whereas others cast off by God and suffered to walk after their own hearts lusts in peâ—us indies proficiunt wax every day worse and worse as the Apostle speaketh till their iniquity be full and so wrath come upon them to the utmost But as young Nettles sting strait and young Crab-fishes go backward and young Urchins are rough so naughty nature soon appeareth in little ones Vaâ—ezatha the youngest of Hamans sons is by the Hebrews said to be the most malicious and hath therefore one letter in his name bigger than the rest They go astray assoon at they be â—orn Heb. From the bâ—â—y Partus sequitur vâ—ntrem no sooner could they do any thing but they were doing evill lisping out lyes and slanders beâ—imes Vers 4. Their poyson is like the 〈◊〉 a Serpent Their inbred corruption the spawn of that old Serpent Gen. 3. is strong and full of infection able to kill both the party in whom it is and the other also upon whom it is cast Malice drinketh up the most part of its own Venome but some it spetteth out upon others for it is not like the Maid whom Aviâ—en mentioneth who feeding upon Poyson was her self healthy yet infected others with her venemous breath Deut. 32.31 Hot poyâ—on have they like as the Hot poyson of a Serpent so some render it yea of the worst sort of Serpents the Asp for Serpentum quot colores tot dolores Lib. 8 c. 3 saith Isidore the venome whereof is incurable saith Pliny unless the members touched therewith bee immediatly cut oft They are like the deaf Adder or Asp that stoppeth her ear So that their naughtiness is not natural only but habitual acquired wilful they refuse to bee reformed they hate to be healed and must therefore be turned over to God with a Noluerunt incantari they would not be reclaimed they are uncounselable unperswadeable The Adder or Asp here hath her name Pethen from perswadeableness but it is by Antiphrasis Wicked men are likewise said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unperswaded or disobedient Tit. 1.16 and children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 such as whom Non persuadebis etiamsi per suaseres speak you never so perswasively yee shall never perswade Nay but we will have a King said they of old when they had nothing else to say So Pharaoh when clearly convinced sent for the Sorcerers Vers 5. Which wil not hearken to the voyce of Charmers Such there are Vide Plin. lib. 2 c. 7 l. 8. c. 3. Qâ—um caeperet incantatoreâ—â— suum pati allidit unam aurem terrae caudâ— obrurat alteram Aug. in 〈◊〉 Horat. Epist 2 the Devils spel-men Eccles 10.8 that can inchant some kind of Serpents and some they cannot as Jerem. 8.17 That the Serpent here spoken of when she beginneth to feel the Charmer clappeth one of her ears close to the ground and stoppeth the other with her tayl is affirmed by Hierom Austin and Cassiodore And that shee doth this although by harkening to the Charmer provoking her to spet out her poyson she might renew her age is affirmed by others semblably perverse people will not be perswaded to live happily reign everlastingly At Paris ut vivat rogâ—etque beatus Cogiposse negat Vers 6. Break their teeth O God Disarm and disable them from doing mee mischief See Psal 3.7 10.13 57.4 to which last hee seemeth here to referre Vers 7. Let them melt away as waters As Snow-waters before the Sun-beams quickly melted and soon drunk in by the dry earth Job 24.19 In Pern they say there is a River called the Diurnal-river or the Dayâ—river because it falleth with a mighty current in the day but in the Night is dry because it is not fed by a Spring but caused meerly by the melting of the Snow which lyeth on the Mountains thereabouts When he bendeth his how i.e. Let him be utterly frustrated let all his mischievous designs and endeavours be blasted and come to nothing In that famous Battel betwixt Theodosius and Maximus Milites nobis qui aderant retulerunt De civ Dell. 5. c. 26 saith Augustine extorta sibi esse de mantbus quacunque jaculabaâ—tur cum à Theodosii partibus in adversaries vehemens ventus iret non solum quacunque in eos jaciebantur concitatissime raperet verum etiam ipsorum tela in eorum corpora retorqueret the Souldiers told us Iithmalalu reciprocam haber significationem Et hoc Sauls contigit that their Darts thrown against the Christians were by a violent wind brought back upon themselves Accordingly some render this Hemistick thus When he bendeth c. let him be as they that cut off themselves Vers 8. As a snail which melteth The Psalmist heapeth up many very fit Similitudes agreeable to these mens avarice and ambition which was to raise themselves and their posterity to great estates but all should come to nothing suddenly Vers 9. Before your pots can feelthâ— thâ—rns c. Of this Text we may say as one doth of another it had been easie had not Commentatours made it so knotty Proverb 〈◊〉 2. l. 2. Prov. 〈◊〉 I am for that of Drusius Tractum à semicrudis carâ—ibus ollâ exiractis priusquam ignis calorem senscriut 'T is a comparison taken from raw flesh taken out of the pot before it hath felt the full force of the fire Both living and in his wrath i.e. When they are most vigorous and vivacious to see to his wrath shall sweep them away Vers 10. The righteous shall rejoyce c. giving God the glory of his justice against his enemies and care of his poor people See Exod. 15.1 Rev. 15.3 Hâ—st 7.10 8. 9. Prov. 11.10 He shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked A speech borrowed from great Conquerours wading up to the anckles in the bloud of their enemies or as some think from those that tread the Wine-press with joy Some make this the sense the righteous seeing the ruine of the wicked shall become more cautious according to that Alterius perditio â—ua sit cautio Vers 11. So that a man shall say verily there is a reward Not the religious only but the rational Passim palam hâ—c duo profitebuntur shall every where and all abroad say as here There is a reward See my Righteous mans recompence Verily he is a God that judgeth the earth Sitteth not idle in Heaven letting things run here at sixes and sevens
their lives leaving all behind them The Rabbines expound it they are spoyled of their understanding infatuated They have slept their sleep Their long Iron-sleep as the Poets call it of Death The destroying Angel hath laid them fast enough and safe enough And 〈◊〉 of the men of might Viri diviliâ—rum the vulgar rendreth it Men of riches such as are all 〈◊〉 but men of might is better these men of their hands could not finde their hands when Gods Angel took them to do Vers 6. At thy rebuke O God c. i. e. with thy mighty word of command and without any more ado God can nod men to destruction Psal 80.16 blow them into Hel Job 4.9 rebuke them to death as here do it with as much ease as he that swimeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim Isa 25.11 The Chaiâ—â— and the Horse The Chieftains of the Army Vers 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Herodotus saith that 〈…〉 was written 〈…〉 〈…〉 is Gods Wrath revealed plainly and plentifully Rom. 1.28 and 〈◊〉 he oft appeareth for his people and out of an engine The earth feared All was 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 Thunder 〈◊〉 Vers 9. When God 〈…〉 Being stirred up as it were by the prayers of his people as vers 2 3. To save all the 〈◊〉 of the earth Who cease not to seek the Lord to 〈◊〉 righteousness and judgement Zeph. 2.3 Vers 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise theâ— As when 〈…〉 army was destroyeth the Istraelites sang praise yea the Aegyâ—ians built Altars as Isa 19. God by his wisdom ordereth and draweth the blinde and brute motions of the worst Creatures unto his own honour as the Hiâ—ts-man doth the rage of the Dogge to his pleasure or the Mariner the blowing of the Wind to his voyage or the 〈◊〉 the heat of the fire to his Work or the Physician the bloud-thirstiness of the Leech to a Cure saith a Reverend man The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Heb. Shalt thou gird 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is curb and keep within compass The Greek hath it It shall keep holy day to thee that is cease from working or acting outwardly how restless â—oâ—ver it be within Vers 11. Vow and pay to the Lord A plain precept and yet Bellarmine saith Lib. 2. de Monach cap. 17 De cult Sanctor cap. 9. 〈…〉 est praeceptum As for vowing to Saints hee granteth that when the Scriptures were written the Church had no such custom Saint-worship then is but new worship Let all that he round about him All the neighbouring Nations and so they did after Ashurs overthrow 2 Chron. 32.21 23. To him that ought to be feared Heb. To fear that is to God the proper object of fear called therefore Fear by an appellative property Vers 12. He shall cut off the spirit of Princes Vindâ—â—â—iabit he shall slip them off as one would do a bunch of Grapes or a Flower between ones fingers easily suddenly Auferet de 〈…〉 as he dealt by 〈◊〉 Princes He is terrible to Kings Enemies to his Church as most Kings are PSAL. LXXVII A Psalm of Asaph Or for Asaph Davids melancholy Psalm some call it made by him when he was in grievous affliction and desertion Out of which he seeketh to wind by earnest Prayer by deep Meditation upon Gods former favours and unchangeable nature and lastly by calling to minde Gods wondrous works of old both in proving and in preferving his Church and chosen Vers 1. I cried unto God with my voyce c. I prayed instantly and constantly and sped accordingly No faithful prayer is ineffectual Vers 2. In the day of my trouble The time of affliction is the time of supplication Psal 50.15 My fore 〈◊〉 in the night Heb. My hand was poured out that is stretched out in prayer or wet with continual weeping Non fuit remisse nec 〈◊〉 in lectum And ceased not Or was not tired in allusion belike to Moses his hands held up against Aâ—â—leck though My soul refused to be comforted I prayed on though I had little heart to do it as Daniel afterwards did the Kings work though he were sick or though with much infirmity whilst I rather wrangled with God by cavelling objections than wrastâ—ed with him as I ought to have done by important prayer Vers 3. I remembred God and 〈…〉 troubled 〈…〉 for God seemed to be angry and to cast out my prayers this made mee mourn and little less than 〈◊〉 My 〈…〉 With sense of Sin and seat of Wrath. This was a very grievous and dangerous temptation such as we must pray not to be â—â—d into or at least 〈◊〉 to be left under 〈…〉 Vers 4. 〈…〉 That I cannot speak Cura lâ—â—es loguuntur ingâ—ntes stupent Vers 5. I have considered the days of old What thou diddest for Adam Abraham Israel in Aegypt c. all which was written purposely that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope See Deut. 32.7 Vers 6. I call to remembrance my Song in the night i. e. My former feelings and experiments being glad in this scarcity of comfort to live upon the old store as Bees do in winter I commune with mine own heart Psal 4.4 see there And my spirit made diligent search For the cause and cure of my present distempers Vers 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever No not at all though the extremity and length of the Psalmists grief put him upon these sad Interrogatories with some diffidence touching the Nature and Promise of God Will he be favourable no more So the Devil and carnal reason would have perswaded him and did haply for a time But this very questioning the matter sheweth he yet lay languishing at Hopes Hospital waiting for comfort The Soul may successively doubt and yet beleeve Vers 8. Is his mercy clean gone for over They that go down into the pit of Despair cannot hope for Gods truth Isa 38.18 but so doth not any Saint in his deepest desertions Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath he retracted his Promises recalled his Oracles confirmed with Oath Seal No he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Psal 89.33 Vers 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious So it seemeth sometimes to those that are long afflicted and short-spirited But what saith the Prophet Can a Woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Hâ—yt Geor. yea they may forget they may prove unnatural and grow out of kind as Medea and those Suevian women who threw their young Children at the Romanes under the conduct of Drusus Son in Law to Augustus instead of Darts yet God will not forget his people Isa 49.15 Indeed he can as soon forget himself and change his nature Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies These things the Psalmist speaketh not as utterly despairing but as one couragiously wrastling against an
wickedness By asking meat for their lust Not for their necessity that had been more excusable Prov. 6.30 but to satisfie their inordinate appetite to gratify their licorish palat Vers 19. Yea they spake against God Their villanous and foul thoughts blistered and brake out at their lips Can God furnish a table This was a blasphemous question God can do more than he will but whatsoever he will do that shall be done and nothing can hinder it Lord if thou wilt thou canst make â—iâ—e clean said he in the Gospel And this was better than that of the other who said If thou canst do any thing help us Mar. 9. Vers 20. Behold he smote the Rock c. And so shewed his power we cannot deny it but now for his will Can he give bread also c. They should have said will he serve our lusts but that they were ashamed to say Can he provide flesh for his people i. e. Dainty and delicate flesh such as is that of Quailes meat for a King for they carryed their cattle out of Egypt with them and so they could not be without ordinary flesh too good for such unthankful miscreants Vers 21. Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth Efferbuit excanduit Anger is a kind of fire a boyling of the blood about the heart thorough desire of revenge But fury is not in mee saith God Isa 27.4 If anger be ascribed unto him as here it is an expression fitted to our apprehension because he doeth that which angry men use to do viz. chide and smite for sin but all in a way of justice and without the least perturbation So a fire was kindled It began to smoak and burn And anger also came up Ascended i. e. Flamed for anger beginneth at the heart and then commeth up into the brain face nostrils Vers 22. Because they beleeved not in God As faith is a radicall and complexive grace so is unbeleef a radicall sin a teeming vice Heb. 3.12 a wel-spring of wickedness Many sins are bound up in it as Cicero saith of Parricide And trusted not in his salvation i. e. In his saving promises Vers 23. Though he had commanded the clouds Though he had served them as never Prince was served in his greatest state yet all served not turn And opened the doors of heaven Rupturas nubium raining down upon them plenty of Manna so that it was not hunger but humour that set them a lusting Vers 24. And had rained down Manna upon them Manna signifieth what 's this whereunto in the Allegory answereth This is my body Or according to others it signifieth a prepared portion prepared by God so that they might presently eat of it though they might grinde or pun or bake or boil it also they might do any thing with it as they might with meal whence it is here called the corn of heaven that is a seed which was unto them in stead of corn Vers 25. Pan de nobles Hispan Man did eat Angels food Heb. the bread of the mighty Angells are called mighties Isa 10.34 Rev. 18.21 such delicate bread as might beseem Angels to eat if they did eat any at all such as the Poets fain to be their Nectar and Ambrosia Or the bread of the mighty sc that mightily strengthened them He sent them meat to the full Heb. Meat taken in hunting so called because dainty as venison or quia semper ambulabant in via quasi eam venabantur sc Josh 1.11 Aben-Ezra Vers 26. He caused an East-wind to blow Pergere to go to pass away and to give place to the South-wind And by his power hee brought in the South-wind That it might bring in the Quails Lib. 10. c. 23. Now Pliny writeth that Quails though they love to flye with the wind because of their heavy bodies and small strength yet not with the Southwind because it is moist and so more heavy than the Northwind which therefore they rather delight in And if this be true here 's another miracle faith an Expositour that these Quailes were brought in by that wind which when it bloweth they commonly rest and hide themselves Vers 27. He rained flesh also upon them as dust Dapibus illos compluit This he had done once afore for them See Exod. 16. with Numb 11. their unbeleef therefore and impatiency this second time was the more hainous Vers 28. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp A dayes journey on each side and about two cubits above the earth Num. 11.31 in such abundance that Moses could not beleeve it were possible to be done though all the fish in the Sea should be gathered together and turned into flesh â—ib Vers 29. So they did eat and were filled But better they had fasted Many eat that on earth which they must dâ—â—gest in hell these here were murthering 〈◊〉 He gave them their own desire They were heard ad voluntatem non ad utilitatem Deus saepe dat iraâ—â— quod negat propitius Gods gifts to a graceless man are giftless gifts and he had better a great deal be without them Vers 30. They were not estranged from their lust Satiated they were but not satisfied It is as easie to quench the fire of Aetna as the thoughts set on fire by lust Vers 31. The wrath of God came upon them Heb. Ascended as a flame which the bigger it groweth the higher it getteth And slew the fattest of them Those that had glutted and stuffed themselves like a wool-pack being nitida bene curata cute pingues fat and fair-liking And smote down the chosen men of Israel Or The young men who by a hasty Testament bequeathed that new name Kibroth hattaanah that is the graves of lust to the place they lay buried in Vers 32. For all this they sinned still They utterly lost the fruit of their calamities which godly men hold a very great loss And beleeved not Neither mercies nor crosses duly affected them Vers 33. Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity So that they never saw the promised land for the which they came out of Egypt but their carkasses fell in the wilderness Who knoweth saith a Reverend man whether God purpose not to wear out this present Generation that hath been defiled with the superstition of the land that we may not see the good that he will bring upon this Church And their years in trouble Or in terrour for they were in continuall fear of Gods wrath of their enemies round about of wild beasts fiery Serpents c. Vers 34. When he slew them then they sought him Fictis scilicet quibusdam fucatis pollicitationibus with a few dissembled devotions So many now Plin. Ep. 26. l. 7. when deadly sick will be wondrous good Nuper me amici eujusdem languor admonuit optimos esse nos dum infirmi sumus As Iron is very soft and malleable whiles in the fire but soon after returneth to its former hardness so
the mercies of the Lord Gods Mercies moved him to promise his faithfulness bindeth him to perform Ethan promiseth to celebrate both were the times never so bad their case never so calamitous I will make known thy faithfulness Which yet I am sometimes moved to make question of Thus the Psalmist insinuateth before he complaineth Vt faclendum docent Rhetores in causis invidiosis wherein he sheweth himself a right Rhetorician Vers 2. For I have said I beleeved therefore have I spoken it I dare say it shall be so because thou hast said it so the Greek here hath it what God saith we may write upon it because all the words of his mouth are in righteousness neither is there any thing froward or perverse in them Prov. 8.8 Mercy shall be built up for ever Till the top-stone be laid and judgement bee brought forth into victory Mat. 12.20 the sure mercies of David fail not Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the heavens Or with the very heavens that is so sure as they are established If that Martyr could say The Heavens shall sooner fall than I will forsake the truth I have learned how much more may we say so of Gods unfaileable faithfulness See vers 33. Vers 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen i.e. With Christ who is Gods elect one Isa 42.1 and in him with all his people Ephes 1.4 I have sworn unto David The Father and Figure of Christ who is frequently called David and is here chiefly to be understood O happy we for whose sake God hath sworn saith Tertullian and O most wretched if we beleeve him not thus swearing Vers 4. Thy Seed will I establish for ever Davids for a long time but Christs for ever and aye And build up thy throne to all generations Christs Kingdom hath no end Isa 9.7 Luke 1.33 This is very comfortable The Jews understanding this promise of Davids Kingdom have oft attempted the restauration of it but in vain and to the ruine of their Nation Vers 5. And the heavens shall praise thy Wonders Heb. Thy Miracle viz. in their circumgyration which sheweth a first mover in their embroidery influences c. yeelding matter and occasion of praise And thus All thy Works praise thee O Lord but thy Saints bless thee Psa 145.10 and so by Heavens here we may understand the Angels of Heaven as they are called Mat. 24 36. as by the Congregation of Saints the Church universal in heaven and earth by whom God is highly praised for the Covenant of Grace Vers 6. For who in the heaven can be compared c Thou farre transcendest the brightest Cherub all whose excellency is but derivative a drop of thine Ocean a spark of thy flame Who among the Sons of the mighty Inter chores Angelorum saith the Chaldee What Angel what Man Vers 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly c. Heb. Daunting terrible in the socret of the Saints very much The holy Angels make their addresses unto him with greatest reverence and self-abasements for they know that he humbleth himself to behold things in heaven Psal 113. How much more then should we set our selves to serve him with reverence and godly fear sith our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Vers 8. Who is a strong Lord like unto thee Heb. Who is like thee mighty Jab This is to magnifie God when we get above all Creatures in our conceptions of him Or to thy faithfulness 〈◊〉 out thee those that are round about thee or thou art full of faithfulness Vers 9. Thou 〈◊〉 the raging of the sea That it overwhelm not the earth this work of Gods Power is often celebrated as well it may all things cinfideâ—â—â— Vers 10. Than hast broken Rahab in 〈◊〉 i. e. which is called Rahab for it strengtheâ—â—â—â—de As a 〈◊〉 is slain Or as one deadly wounded as such an one is soon dispatcht so here Vo Halal vulneratum lethaliter designat Then hast 〈◊〉 c. See Isa 25. â—â— with the Note Vers 11. 〈◊〉 heaven is 〈◊〉 thâ—â—earth also in thine Thâ—â—â— madest them by thy Power and thou maintainest them by the Provideâ—â—â— thou doest whatsoever thou wilt in both Psal 115.3 As for the World c. See Psal 24. 〈…〉 Vers 12. Tabor and Hermon That is the West and East of Judea but put here for the West and East of the World Judea was the World of the World as Atheâ—s the Greece of Greece as Solon the Epitome of Athens Vers 13. Thou hast a mighty arm Men should therefore both tremble before God and trust in him 1 Pet. 2.6 Strong is thy hand Even thy left hand q. d. tu polles utraque manu thou hast both hands alike powerful Vers 14. Justice and Judgement are the â—â—bitation or basis of thy 〈◊〉 these are the supporters and pillars Mercy and Truth c. These are the fore-runners or satellites I should much fear Justice and Judgement saith Austin were it not that Mercy and Truth comfort me Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Johâ— Vers 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Jubilatioâ—â—â— the sound of thy Word the free use of thine Ordinances serving thee with cheerfulness and giving thee thanks with exaltation of heaâ—â—â— and rapture of spirit Scias unde gauâ—â— quod verbâ—â— explicate 〈◊〉 possis saith Aâ—stiâ—s Accipa quod seâ—â—â— antequam 〈◊〉 faith Cyprian writing to Donatur concerning the joy of his Conversion They shall walk O Lord in the light of thy 〈◊〉 In the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the holy Ghost Vers 16. In thy name shall they rejoy 〈◊〉 a day Or every day Bonis semper ferie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Diâ—genes in Plutarch God crowneth the Kalender of good mens lives with many feâ—tivals Vers 17. For thou art the glory of thew strength And hence it is that they are filled to pfull with comfort and do over-abound exceedingly with joy in all their tribulation 2 Cor. 7.4 Vers 18. For the Lord is our defence Heb. our shield the body cannot bee wounded but through the shield And the holy one of 〈◊〉 our King How then can any one cry aloud Mich. 4.9 Vers 19. Then thou spakest in Vision to thy holy one i. e. to Samuel thy Priest and Prophet â— 1 Sam. 16.12 one of those few that lived and dyed with glory I have 〈…〉 upon one 〈◊〉 is migthy I have called David to the Kingdom and qualifie him 〈…〉 chiefly intended here is Christ able to save them to the 〈…〉 to God by him Heb. 7.29 〈…〉 One of them 〈◊〉 or one of singular 〈…〉 of the vulgar Vers 20. 〈…〉 and in 〈…〉 With my holy oyl have I annoynted him How Christ was appointed and annoy 〈…〉 Vers 21. 〈…〉 and carry him thorough all conditions with comfort See Ezra 22 with the Note 〈…〉 i.e. 〈…〉 more strength than the hand Vers 22. The enemy shalt 〈…〉 Or shall profit nothing 〈…〉 at all as
unto the lord the glory c. It was hard for the Heathens to forgo their superstitions Tully resolved he would never do it c. therefore they are here so pressed to it See â—ev 14.6 7. With the Notes there One Expositor geiveth this note here Ternarius numerus est sacer â—b mysterium Triadis ideo enim co scriptura gaudet The Scripture oft presseth or expresieth things thrice over in reference to the mystery of the holy Trinity Bring an offering Reasonable service Geneb Rom. 12.1 spirituall sacrifices acceptable by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Vers 9. O worship the Lord c. Supplicate proni fall flat on your faces See Psal 95.6 In the beauty of holinesse i.e. In his courts as verse 8. or in holy beauty as some render it that is in true faith and with good affections Fear before him Rejoyce before him with trembling Psal 2. Vers 10. Say among the Heathen Proclamate undique praecones c. Make proclamation every where that now the Lord Christ reigneth and that there shall bee a generall Jubilee The World also shall be established There is no true stability but where Christ reigneth he will settle peace and good order which the Devil that turbulent spirit and his agents desire to disturb and to set all on an hurry-comb Vers 11. Let the Heavens rejoyce c. Let there be a general joy for the general renovation by the comming of Christ Rom. 8.22 after which the whole creation groaneth also Basil and others by Heaven Earth c. understand Angels men of all sorts an Islanders seamen fieldmen woodlanders c. Vel est similâ—tudo ad denotandam in mundo pacem saith Kimchi Or it is a similitude to note peace all over the World And surely when Christ came there was an universal aut pax aut paectio saith Florus peace or truce under the government of Augustus Let the Sea roar Heb. Thunder Externo fragore bombo testetur internam animi laetitiam let it testify its joy perstrependo reboando by roaring its utmost Vers 12. Let the field be joyfull c. And so give check to the hardnesse of mans heart not at all affected with those benefit by Christ wherein they are far more concerned than these insensible creatures which yet have lain bed-ridden as it were ever since mans fall and earnestly wait for the manifestation of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 Vers 13. Before the Lord for he commeth for he commeth Certainly suddainly happily c. for this is the summe of all the good news in the World that Christ commeth and commeth that is saith Basil once to shew the World how they shall be saved and a second time to judge the World for neglecting so great salvation c. PSAL. XCVII VErs 1. The Lord reigneth This is matter of greatest joy to the Righteous Gandeo quod Christus Dominus est alâ—oqui totus desperassem I am glad that Christ is Lord of all for otherwise I should utterly have been out of hope saith Miconâ—us in an Epistle to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies Let the multitude of Isles be glad As more happy herein than any of those called the Fortunate Islands Turk Hist or than Cyprus anciently called Macaria that is The blessed Isle for her abundance of commodities Vers 2. Clouds and darknesse are round about him As once at the delivering of the Law so now in the publishing Gospel he is no lesse terrible having vengeance in store for the disobedient 2 Cor. 10.6 It is a savour of death to unbeleevers Christ came to send fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 Righteousnesse and judgement c. Mercy Christ hath for the penitent judgement for the rebellious who seek to dethrone him Woe to those Gospel-sinners Vers 3. A fire goeth before him For even our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and not the God of the Jews only as shall well appear at the last day 2 Thes 1.8 See the Note on verse 2. Vers 4. His Lightenings enlightened the World His Apostles those fulmina Ecclesinstica shall spread Gospel-light and amaze people the Lord working with them and confirming their word with signes following Mar. 16.20 Vers 5. The hills melted like wax Nothing shall be so stout and steady as to be able to stand before them Before the Lord Adon Dominator The Maker and Master of all the rightfull Proprietary and Paramount The Latine translation hath it All the earth is before the face of the Lord. Vers 6. The Heavens declare his Righteousnesse As so many Catholick Preachers Psal 19.1 50.4.6 By Heavens some understand Angels concurring with men to glorifie God Others the heavenly bodies pleading Gods cause against Atheists and Idolaters They that worshipped the Sun were Atheists by night and they that worshipped the Moon were Atheists by day as Cyrill wittily Vers 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images Those Instruments of Idolatry and lurking-places of Devils diabolicae inspirationis instineâ—us participes Such and their Servants we may lawfully pray against That boast themselves of Idols As did that Idolatrous Micah Judg. 17. Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. Julian called therefore Idolian the Papists at this day See D. Rainolds de Idololatria Romana Worship him all ye Gods i. e. All ye Angels saith the Greek and Arabick and the Apostle saith the same Hob. 1.6 proving Christ to be God-man This Psalm saith Beza is highly to be prized of all Christs as containing a most divine Epitome of all Gospel-mysteries Vers 8. Sion heard and was glad Heard what the downfull of the Devills Kingdom and the erecting of Christs scepter this was good news to the Church and her Children Bern was the first Town that after the Reformation burnt their images Zurich followed on an Ashwensday which they observe and celebrate every year to this day with all mirth playes and pastimes Act. Mon. as an Ashwednesday of Gods own making Vers 9. For thou Lord art high above all the earth Declared now to be so with power as Rom. 1.4 and the World convinced of singularr sottishnesse in fancying other divinities Thou art exalted far above all gods Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come Ephes 1.21 Here then we have the superexaltation of Christs person and the Apostle manifestly alludeth to it Ephesians 4.10 Phil. 2.9 Vers 10. Ye that love the Lord As having tasted of Christs sweetnesse being justified by his merit and sanctified by his Spirit 1 Pet. 2.4 1 Cor. 6.11 carried after him with strength of Desire Psal 42.1 and Delight Psal 73.25 Such as these only are Christs true subjects others will pretend to him but they are but Hangbies unlesse the love of Christ constrain them to hate evill to hate it as Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.9 Sin seemeth to have its
119.4 5. If they cannot open the door yet if they give a pluck at the bolt or a lift at the latch there is comfort Vers 19. The Lord hath prepared Or fixed founded firmed established Here God is further praised for his most excellent Majesty which appeareth first From the loftiness of his Throne secondly From the largeness of his Dominion Vers 20. Bless the Lord ye his Angels In stirring up the Angels to praise God he awakeneth himself and for this purpose Incipit à superioribus finit in infimis saith Kimcbi here he calleth in the help of all the creatures from the highest to the lowest and after all concludeth as he began with a saying to himself That excel in strength Heb. Giants for strength such as can prevail and do great exploits yet is all their strength derivative they have it from God who it Hagibbor the Mighty One Deut. 10.17 and hence the Angel Gabriel hath his name God is my strength Labour we to be like unto the Angels strengthened with all might c. Col. 1.11 walking about the world as Conquerors able to do all things through Christ who strengthneth us Philip. 4.13 That do his Commandements viz. Cheerfully speedily universally humbly constantly Let us do accordingly else we mock God when we pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Vers 21. Bless ye the Lord all his hosts That is all his creatures which are fitly called Gods hosts First For their number Secondly For their order thirdly for their obedience Yee Ministers of his Whether in State or Church Kings are Gods Ministers Rom. 13.4 6. So are Angels Heb. 1.14 like as Ministers are Angels Rev. 2.1 they have exchanged names their office is Angel-like to wait upon God to stand before him to serve in his presence and to bless his Name Vers 22. Bless the Lord all his works Whether living or liveless For all thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints bless thee Psal 145.10 Benedicite ter ad mysterium Triadis saith an Interpreter Bless the Lord O my soul Whatever others do let me be doing at it as Josh 24.14 15. PSAL. CIV Vers 1. Bless the Lord O my soul This was much in Davids mouth as Deo gratias was in Austines See Psal 103.1 and 22. after which this Psalm is fitly set There he blesseth God for his benefits to himself and the whole Church here for his works of Creation and Government common to the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek and Latine Translations prefix this title David de generation Mandi Continet opera Bereshith saith Kimchi It is of the same subject with the first Chapter of Genesis the first five dayes works are here after a sort considered and celebrated as a mirror wherein Gods Majesty may be clearly discerned This Psalm is by some called Davids Physicks Thou art very great Non molis dimensionâ— sed virtutis rerum gestarum gloria Thou hast made thee a great Name by thy works of wonder Thou are cloathed with Honour and Majesty i.e. With thy creatures which are as a garment both to hide thee in one respect and to hold thee forth in another to bee seen Vers 2. Who coverest thy self with light That lovely creature that first shone out of darknes and is chief among all things sensible as coming nearest to the unapproachable glory of God like as the robe royal is next unto the King Herod upon a let day came forth arrayed in royal apparel in cloath of silver saith Josephus which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams dazled the eyes of the people and drew from them that blasphemous acclamation Act. 12.21 God when he made the world shewed himself in all his royalty neither can we ascribe too much unto him Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain The whole expanse or firmament is as a Canopy over Gods Throne or rather as a Curtain or Skreen betwixt us and the Divine Majesty the fight whereof we cannot bear Vers 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters God as he hath founded the solid earth upon the fluid waters Psal 24.2 So the highest heaven upon those waters above the firmament Gen. 1.7 Psal 18.11 This notably sets forth the wisdome and power of this Almighty Architect sith Artists say In solido extruendum the foundation of a building should be hard and rocky and experience sealeth to it Who maketh the clouds c. These are his Charriot royal drawn or rather driven by the winds as his Charriot-horses Vers 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits Immaterial substances fit to attend upon the Father of spirits and with speed to move suddenly and invisibly into most remote parts His Ministers a flaming fire Seraphims they are called for their burning zeal like so many heavenly Salamanders as also for their irrestible power the Angel that destroyed Sennacheribs Army is held to have done it by burning them within although it appeared not outwardly as some have been burnt by lightning Vers 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth Heb. He hath founded the earth upon her bases See Psal 24.2 Job 38.4 6. with the Notes That is should not be removed for ever Neither can it be by reason of its own weightiness whereby it remaineth unmoveable in the center of the universe Say it should move any way it must move towards heaven and so ascend which is utterly against the nature of heavy bodies Vers 6. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment Operueras Thou hadst at first covered it till thou for mans sake hadst made a distinction for else such a garment would this have been to the earth as the shirt made for the murthering of Agamemnon where he had no issue out The waters stood above the mountains As the garment in the proper use of it is above the body and so they would still did not God for our sakes set them their bounds and borders Vers 7. At thy rebuke they fled At thy word of command and angry countenance overawing that raging and ranging creature So Christ rebuked the winds and waves They hasted away They ran away headlong as for life Vers 8. They go up by the mountains They run any way in post hasle breaking through thick and thin and no where resting till imbodied in the Abysse their elemental place and station This is check to our dulness and disobedience If a man had been present saith One when God thus commanded the seas to retreat from the earth hee might have seen both a terrible and a joyful spectacle Vers 9. Thou hast set a bound c. A certain compass and course an argument of Gods singular and sweet power and providence See Job 38.10 11. with the Notes Vers 10. He sondeth the springs into the vallies God doth this he by certain issues or venâ—s sendeth forth the waters of the Sea which here and there break out in springs leaving their saltness behind them that
for in God we live move and have our being Act. 17. A frown of Augustus Cesar Camden proved to be the death of Cornelius Gallus Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor of England dyed Sept. 20.1591 of a flux of his urine and grief of mind conceived upon some angry words given him by Q. Elizabeth Thou takest away their breath Heb. Thou gatherest it callest for it again viz. their vital vigour Vers 30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit Virtutem vivificam They are created Others of the same kind are and so the face of the earth is renued whiles another generation springeth up This is matter of praise to their maker Vers 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever Or Let glory be to the Lord for ever so For his great works of Creation and Conservation The Lord shall rejoyce in his words As he did at the Creation when he saw all to bee good and very good so still is doth God good as it were to see the poor creatures feed and men to give him the honour of all Vers 32. He looketh an the earth and it trembleth This must be considered that God may be as well feared as loved and praised He toucheth the hills and they smoak It s therefore ill falling into his hands who can do such terrible things with his looks and touches Vers 33. I will sing unto the Lord Though others be slack to do God this right to help him to his own to give him the glory due to his Name yet I will do it and do it constantly so long as I have a breath to draw Vers 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet Or Let it be sweet unto him let him kindly accept it though it be mean and worthless through Christs odours powred thereinto I will be glad in the Lord Withdrawing my heart from other vile and vain delights or at least vexed at mine own dulness for being no more affected with such inexplicable ravishments Vers 35. Let the sinners be consumed c. Such sinners against their own souls as when they know God or might know him by his wonderful works glorifie him not as God neither are thankful Rom 1.21 but pollute and abuse his good creatures to his dishonor fighting against him with those lives that he hath given them Bless the Lord O my soul The worse others are the better be thou kindling thy self from their coldness c. PSAL. CV VErs 1. O give thanks unto Lord Some tell us that this and the two following Psalms were the great Hallelujah sung as solemn times in their assemblies But others say better that the great Hallelujah as the Hebrews called it began at Psal 113. and held on till Psal 119. which they at the Passover began to sing after that cup of wine they called Poculum bymni sen laudationis Call upon his Name Call upon the Lord whe is worthy to be praysed Psal 18.3 See the Note there Our life must be divided betwixt praises and prayers Vers 2. Sing unto him sing Both with mouth and with musical instruments Talk ye Or meditate ye Let your heart indite a good matter and your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 Vers 3. Glory ye in his holy Name Of his power and goodness See 1 Cor. 1.31 Alsted with Jer. 9.23 Non est gloriosier populus sub caelo quam Judaicus saith One there iâ— not a more vain-glorious people under heaven than the Jews But we are the circumcision which worship in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Philip. 3.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce c. All others are forbidden to rejoyce Hos 9.1 and bidden to weep and howl Jam. 5.1 Vers 4. Seek the Lord and his strength That is his Ark at the remove where of to Jerusalem this Psalm was sung 1 Chron. 16.7 8. c. Called it is Gods strength and Gods face here yea even God himself Psal 132.5 It s as if he should say Frequent holy Assemblies as ever you desire to draw nigh to God and to have your faith in him confirmed Vers 5. Remember the marvellous works c. Deeply and diligently ponder both the works and words of God comparing the one with the other that ye may the better conceive of both Vers 6. O yee seed of Abraham c. Do thus or else your pedigree will profit you no more than it did Dives in the flames that Abraham called him Son An empty title yeeldeth but an empty comfort Vers 7. For he is the Lord Jehovah the Essentiator the promise-keeper therefore praise him He is also in Covenant with us and will we not do him this right His judgement are in all the earth His executions upon the Egyptians and Philistims are far and near notified and discoursed Vers 8. He hath remembred his Covenant I Chron. 16.15 it is Bee ye mindful alwayes of his Covenant God ever remembreth though we many times forget it and out selves The word which be commanded The conditions of the Covenant Vers 9. which Covenant be made with Abraham c. Whom hee found an Idolater Josh 24.2 he justified the ungodly Rom. 4.5 And his Oath That by two immutable things c. Heb. 6. Vers 10. And confirmed the same c. So God sealeth and sweareth to us again and again in every Sacrament that all doubts of his love may be taken away and out hearts lifted up as Jebosaphats 2 Chron. 17.6 in the way of the Lord. Vers 11. Vnto thee will I give the land of Canaan That pleasantest of all lands Eâ—â—k 20.6 a type and pledge of heaven to the faithful Vers 12. When they were but a few men in member Seventy souls at their going down into Egypt which yet say the Hebrews truly were more worth than the Seventy Nations of the whole world besides Howbâ—â—t God chose them not for their worth or number but loved them meerly because he loved them Deut. 7.7,8 Vers 13. When they went from one Nation to another There were seven several Nations in that Land wherein they sojourned flitting from place to place and having no setled habitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4.11 From one Kingdome Forced by Famine or other necessity See Gen 10.12 and 20.1 2 c. and 26.1 c. Vers 14. He suffered no man c. So as utterly to oppress them for otherwise they had their ill usages such as was the taking away of Sarah casting out of Isaac the rape of Dinah c. Strangers meet many times with hard measure Yea be reproved Kings Gen. 12.17 and 20.3 Kings and Queens must not think themselves to good to nurse Gods little ones yea to do them homage licking up the dust under their feet Isa 49.23 Vers 15. Touch not mine anointed c. This God speaketh not of Kings but to Kings concerning his people who have an unction from the Father being sanctified and set apart for his
present wheresoever present The Heavens have a large place but they have one part here and another there Not so the Lord hee is not commensurable by the place but every where all-present But the Earth hath hee given Or let out as to his Tenants at will for he hath not made them absolute owners to do therein what they will and to live as they list Yee have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been wanton Jam. 5.5 A heavy charge Calvin tells of a loose fellow that used in his cups to alledge this text Vers 17 The dead praise not Therefore bee active for God while wee are upon Earth where for this hee give thus life and livelihood See Psal 6.6 Vers 18 But wee will blesse the Lord For if hee lose his praise in us hee will lose it altogether and so all things will come to nothing quod abfitâ— PSAL. CXVI VErs â— I love the Lord Heb. I love because the Lord hath heard c. Vox abrupta ecliptica an abrupt concise ecliptical expression betokening an inexpressible unconceiveable passion or rather pang of love such as intercepteth his voice for a time Saâ—â—â—beo Tremel till recollecting himself and recovering his speech hee becometh able to tell us not only that hee loveth or is well satisfied but also why he loveth and is all on a light flame as it were viz. Because hee hath heard my voice Though but an inarticulate incondite voice Lam. 3.56 Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry And my supplications My prayers for grace when better formed and methodized Vers 2 because hee hath inclined his ear As loth to lose any part of my prayer though never so weakly uttered therefore hee shall have my custome Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come As long as I live Heb. in my dayes that is say some whilst I have a day to live Others sense it thus In the time of my affliction confer Psal 137.7 Lam. 1.21 which by the word dayes hee noteth to bee of long continuance Vers 3 The sorrows of death compassed mee See Psal 18.4 5. Pictura poetica ingentium periculorum Sorrows or pangs and those deadly ones and these compassed mee as a bird in a snare or a beast in a grin The pains of Hell or the griefs of the grave gat hold Heb. Found mee as Num. 32.23 I found trouble and sorrow Straits inextricable cause sorrows inexplicable The word signifieth such sorrow as venteth it self by sighing Isa 35.10 51.11 Vers 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord That strong Tower whereto the Righteous run and are safe Prov 18.10 Others have other refuges the witch or Endor the god of Ekron the arm of flesh c. O Lord I beseech thee Ana blandiontis deprecantis particula The Psalmist here hath a sweet way of insinuating Sic Nâ—ì Philem. 20. Rev. 1.7 and getting within the Lord which oh that wee could skill of Deliver my soul q.d. It is my soul Lord my precious soul that is sought after oh deliver my soul from the sword my darling from the power of the dog Psal 18.20 Vers 5 Gracious is the Lord c. Gracious God is said to bee and mercifull that wee despair not Righteous also that wee presume not Or faithfull in performing his promises as 1 Joh. 1.9 and this was Davids comfort amidst his sorrows Vers 6 The Lord preserveth the simple Heb. The perswasible opposed to the scorner Prov. 19.25 the plain-hearted opposed to the guilefull 2 Cor. 1.12 11.3 Rom. 16.19 the destitute of humane help that committeth himself to God and patiently resteth on him for support and succour Psal 102.1 17. I was brought low Or drawn dry I was at a great under at a low ebbe I was exhausted or emptied as a pond strengthlesse succourlesse clean gone in a manner And hee helped mee The knowledge that David had of Gods goodnesse was experimentall See the like Rom. 8.2 A Carnal man knoweth Gods excellencies and will revealed in his word only as wee know far Countries by Maps but an experienced Christian as one that hath himself been long there 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. Vers 7 Return unto thy rest O my soul The Psalmist had been at a great deal of unrest and much off the hooks as wee sayâ— Now having prayed for prayer hath vim pacativam a pacifying property hee calleth his soul to rest and rocketh it asleep in a spirituall security Oh learn this holy art Acquaint thy self with God acquiesce in him and bee at peace so shall good bee done unto thee Job 22.21 Siâ— Sabbathum Christi Luth. For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Of Sertorius it is said that hee performed his promises with words only And of the Emperour Pertinax that he was magis blandus quam beneficus rather kind spoken than beneficiall to any Hinc dictus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noâ— so the Almighty Vers 8. For thou hast delivered my Soul c. The better to excite himself to true thankfullnesse hee entreth into a particular enumeration of Gods benefits It is not enough that wee acknowledge what God hath done for us in the lump and by whole-sale See Exod. 18.8 how Moses brancheth out Gods benefits So must we rolling them as Sugar and making our utmost of them Vers 9. I will walk before the Lord Indefinenter aâ—bulabo I will not onely take a turn or two with God go three or four steps with him c. but walk constantly and in all duties before him with him after him Hypocrites do not walk with God but halt with him they follow him as a Dog doth his Master till hee comes by a carrion they will launch no further out into the main than they may be sure to return at pleasure safe again to the shore In the land i.e. here in this world called also the light of the living Psal 56.13 and 52.5 Job 28.13 Vers 10. I beleeved therefore have I spoken Fundamentum et fulcrum vera spei est fides viva Hope is the daughter of faith but such as is a staff to her aged mother and will produce a bold and wise profession of the truth before men as also earnest prayer to God It is as the Cork upon the Net though the lead on the one side sink it down yet the Cork on the other keeps it up Some translate the words thus I beleeved when I said I am greatly afflicted I beleeved when I said in my haste all men are Lyars q. d. Though I have had my offs and my ons though I have passed through several frames of heart and tempers of soul in my tryals yet I beleeved still I never let go my hold my gripe of God in any perturbation Vers 11. I said in my haste in my heat trepidation concussion out-burst Saints may have such as being but men subject to like passions and as
evil tongue See James 3. Psal 52. Psal 12.3 with the Notes Vers 3 What shall hee given unto thee c That is as Austin senseth it wâ—at remedy is there for thee q. d. None at all Contra sycophantarum morfum non est remedium saith Seneca But others better what gain gettest thou what profit makest thou of thy lying and slandering Hurt thou mayest another but not help thy self Thou art not like the Maid whom Avicâ—â— speaketh of who feeding her self with poyson was her self healthy yet infected others with her venomous breath But rather like the traitour of whom Augustus said I like the treason but hate the traitour The slander is oft applauded when the slanderer is abhorred Or what shall bee done unto thee Heb. Added Nihil prater plagas durissâ—â—â— aâ— as vers 4. Thou false tongue This he seemeth to say to Dâ—â—g who is here called a false fellow and a Lyar though he spake but the truth against the Lord Priests because not for any love to the Truth nor for respect to Justice nor for the bettering either of Saul or the Priests but only to prejudice these and to incense the other Vers 4 Sharp Arrows of the mighty Arrows sharp and shot with a force A false tongue is likened to a sharp razour Psal 52.4 to a sharp sword Psal 57.5 to sharp arrows Prov. 25.18 here it hath sharp for sharp as God loveth to retaliate and he is the Giant or mighty one here that shooteth these sharpest shaâ—ts that inflicteth most exquisite punishments on such as once on Dives whose tongue smoaked for it Quia lingua plus peccaverat as saith a Father because hee had so offended with his tongue With coals of Juniper Which being a â—at kind of wood of gummy or salty matter Flamma redardescit quae modo nulla â—â—it Theophrast Plin. maketh a very scorching fire and quick coals such as last long some say a month and more and smell sweet loc upon these coals will God broyl lying lips and a deceitful tongue pleasing himself and others in that execution Vers 5. Wo is â—e that I sojourn in Mesech that is in Muscoviâ— say some in Hetruria say others in Cappadocia rather Magâ—gs Country Ezek 38. any where out of the bosome of the true Church or as some sense it in the Church but among Israelites worse than any Israelites oâ— Pagans That dwell in the 〈◊〉 of Kâ—dar With Câ—darens or Saâ—acâ—â— as they were afterwards called Among these David was in danger Ne cum lupi◠〈◊〉 tandeâ— ipse 〈◊〉 Guilt or grief a good man is sure to get by being in bad company which maketh him cry O that I had the wings of a Dove c. or if that Oh will not set him at liberty then he taketh up this Waâ— is me to express his misery Piâ— vâ—re est 〈…〉 si dici 〈…〉 vitiis alienis tribulari 〈…〉 saith Austin It is hard and happy not to comply with ill company Vers 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace With Saul that implacable tyrant and with other 〈…〉 The very society of such oe they 〈…〉 to a good soul 〈…〉 Toads and other 〈…〉 it to a Saint to 〈…〉 Death-bed and 〈…〉 the wicked for thou 〈…〉 Vers 7 I am for 〈…〉 But it is not peace but paâ—â—y that many men mind 〈…〉 But when I speak they are for Warre They cry the alarm being 〈…〉 like they live in the fire of contention Scorpion-like that are always putting forth the sting Their spirits lye like that haven Act. 27.12 〈…〉 South-west and North-west two opposite points neither will they be otherwise but the more they are sought to the worse they are This is the guise of graceless persons PSAL. CXXI A Song of degrees Or of ascensions in singing whereof there should be ascensions in our hearts See Psal 120.1 Vers 1. I will life up 〈◊〉 unto the hills Not to your 〈◊〉 Psal 11.1 human helps and carnal combinations Jer. 3.23 much less to those mountains In quibus gentes idela sua cellâ—â—â— wherein the Heathens set and serve their Idols Deut. 12.2 but to Sion and Mâ—riah where Gods Sanctuary is Psal 87.1 or rather to heaven Psal 18.8 with 2 Sam. 22.8 where God himself is and so it followeth Vers 2. My help cometh from the Lord To whom therefore alone I must look for help Bodin theat Naturae 413. Sursuâ— corda sursuâ— etiam capita Nauralists tell us that of those twenty eight Muscles whereby the head is moved twelve lift up the head behind and two only before let it downward to teach us to contemplate Heaven more and Earth less Columb de re 〈◊〉 l. 5. c 9. Others advertise us that it is one main end why God hath set in mans eye a fifth Muscle whereas other Creatures have but four one to turn downward another to hold forwards a third to turn the eye to the right hand a fourth to the left hand but no unreasonable Creature can turn the eye upward as Man can that he may look up to God Which made heaven and earth And will rather unmake both again than his people shall want seasonable help Vers 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved Not greatly moved Psal 62.2 an utter prâ—lapsion He that keepeth thee will not sâ—umber And if King Philip could say that he could sleep securely because his friend Antipater watched by him may not we be much more confident who have God to keep us Vers 4. Behold he that keepeth c. He repeateth that sweetest promise that we may roll it as sugar under our tongues that wee may suck and bee satisfied Isa 66.11 and setteth it forth with a Behold q. d. mark it and knâ—w than it for thy 〈◊〉 Job 5.27 Shall neither sâ—umber nor 〈◊〉 Shall not fetch one winâ—â— of sleep 〈…〉 wee slumber before wee sleep but God shall do neither His seven eyes Zâ—ch 3.9 aâ—â—ever open yea they 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 through the whole earth Zech. 4.10 scil 〈…〉 Howbeit hee looketh with speciall care and complacency on the godly Isa 66.2 Vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.7 5 The Lord is thy 〈◊〉 His peace within thee and his poâ—eâ— without thee shall safeguard thee to his heavenly Kingdome The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand To 〈◊〉 and shield thee from all annoyances as the pillar of cloud did the Israeliâ—â—s in the wildernesse as the 〈◊〉 that Paris overmatcht by Meâ—â—laâ— in a duell 〈…〉 in a cloud and carried off Vers 6 The 〈…〉 So choice and 〈◊〉 is God of his children that 〈…〉 or pinching cold by 〈…〉 and all 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 the Moon as the 〈…〉 day nor the Moon by 〈…〉 Pope and 〈…〉 Vers 7. 〈…〉 punishment from the hurt it not form the smart thereof Hee shall preserve thy soul Which is oft untoucht when the body is in durance A sick servant of Christ being asked how hee did answered my
Sanctuary-men continens pro contento Hearts and hands must both up to Heaven Lam. 3.41 and God bee glorified both with spirits and bodies which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6.20 And bless the Lord Like so many earth'y Angels and as if yee were in Heaven already say Vers 3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth And therefore hath the blessings of both lives in his hand to bestow See Num. 6.24 Bless thee out of Zion They are blessings indeed that come out of Zion choice peculiar blessings even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth Compare Psal 128.5 and the promise Exod. 20.24 In all places where I put the memory or my name I will come unto thee and bless thee PSAL. CXXXV VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord praise yee Praise praise praise When duties are thus inculcated it noteth the necessity and excellency thereof together with our dulness and backwardness thereunto O yee Servants of the Lord See Psal 134.1 Vers 2 Yee that stand in the house See Psal 134.1 In the Courts Where the people also had a place 2 Chron. 4.9 and are required to bear a part in this heavenly Halleluiah Vers 3 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good scil Originally transcendently effectively hee is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and is therefore to bee praised with mind mouth and practice For it is pleasant An angelicall exercise and to the spirituall-minded man very delicious To others indeed who have no true notion of God but as of an enemy it is but as musick at funerals or as the trumpet before a Judge no comfort to the mourning wife or guilty prisoner Vers 4 For the Lord hath chosen God 's distinguishing grace should make his elect lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to him And Israel for his peculiar treasure Such as hee maketh more reckoning of than of all the World besides The Hebrew world here rendred peculiar treasure seemeth to signifie a Jewell made up of three precious stones in form of a triangle Segullâ—h 〈◊〉 dici Sâ—gol 〈…〉 The Saints are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his ornament yea the beauty of his ornament and that set in Majesty Ezek. 7.20 his royall Diadem Isa 62.3 Vers 5 For I know that the Lord is great As well as good vers 3. This I beleeve and know Job 6.69 saith the Psalmist and do therefore make it my practice to praise him And that our Lord is above all Gods Whether they bee so deputed as Magistrates or reputed as Idols Vers 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased This the Heathens did never seriously affirm of any their dunghill deities sure it is that none of them could say I know it to bee so De diis utrum sint non ausim affirmare said one of their wise men Vers 7 Hee causeth the Vapours Not Jupiter but Jehovah See Jer. 10.13 Hee is the right Nubâ—coga Maker of the Metcors whether fiery aiery or watery Job 26.8 9 28.26 27 37.11 15 16. 38.9 See the Notes there Hee maketh lightenings for the Rain Or With the Rain which is very strange viz. that fire and water should mingle and hard stones come cut of the midst of thin vapours Hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries Or Coffers store-houses where hee holdeth them close prisoners during his pleasure This the Philosopher knew not and thence it is that they are of so diverse opinions about the winds See Job 36.27 28 c. Job 37. throughout Vers 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt And thereby roused up that sturdy rebell Pharaoh who began now to open his eyes as they say the blind mole doth when the pangs of death are upon him and to stretch out himself as the crooked Serpent doth when deadly wounded Vers 9 Who sent tokens and wonders Vocall wonders Exod. 4.8 to bee as so many warning-peeces Vers 10 Who smote great Nations Who by their great sins had greatly polluted their land and filled it with fiâ—th from one end to another Ezra 9.11 And slow mighty Kings Heb. Bony big mastiff fellows quasi â—ssâ—tâ—s five 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth Vers 11 Sihon King of Amorites A Giant like Cyclops And Og King of Bashan Of whom the Jews fable that being one of the 〈◊〉 Giants hee escaped the flood by riding affride upon the Ark. Vers 12 And gave their lands for an heritage Which hee might well do as being the true Proprietary and Paramount Vers 13 Thy Name O Lord c. Else O nos ingratos Vers 14 For the Lord will judge his people Judicabit id est vindicabit hee will preserve them and provide for their wel-fare And hee will repent himself This is mutatio rei non Dei effectus non affectus Some render it Hee will bee propitious Others hee will take comfort in his Servants See Judges 10.16 Vers 15 16. The Idols of the Heathen See Psal 115.4 5 6 c. Vers 17 Neither is there any breath in their mouths If they uttered Oracles it was the Devil in them and by them As for those statues of Daedalus which are said to have moved Aristot Diod. Sic. Plato spoken and run away if they were not tyed to a place c. it is either a fiction or else to be attributed to causes externall and artificiall as quick-silver c. Vers 18 They that make them c. See Psal 115.8 Vers 19 Bless the Lord And not an Idoll Isa 66.3 as the Philistines did their Dagon and as Papists still do their hee-Saints and shee-Saints Vers 20 Yee that fear the Lord Yee devout Proselytes Vers 21 Blessed bee the Lord out of Sion There-hence hee blesseth Psal 134.3 and there hee is to bee blessed Which dwelleth at Jerusalem That was the seat of his royall resiance per inhabitationis gratiam saith Austin by the presence of his grace who by his essence and power is every where Enter praesenter Deus hic et ubique potenter PSAL. CXXXVI VErs 1 O give thanks unto the Lord This Psalm is by the Jews called Hillel gadel the great Gratulatory See Psal 106.1.107.1.118.1 For his mercy endureth for ever His Covenant-mercy that precious Church-priviledge this is perpetuall to his people and should perpetually shine as a picture in our hearts For which purpose this Psalm was appointed to bee daily sung in the old Church by the Levites 1 Chron. 16.41 Vers 2 For his mercy endureth for ever This is the foot or burthen of the whole song neither is it any idle repetition but a notable expression of the Saints unsatisfiableness in praising God for his never-failing mercy These heavenly birds having got a note record it over and over In the last Psalm there are but six verses yet twelve Hallelujahs Vers 3 O Give thanks to the Lord of Lords That is to God the Son saith Hierâ—â— as by God of Gods saith hee in the former verse is meant God the Father who because they are no more but one God
sing in a strange Land Quid nobis cum fabulis cum risu saith Bernard in hoc exilio in hoc ergastulo in hac valle lachrymarum Let us cast away carnall mirth and groan earnestly to bee cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 Vers 5 Iâ— I forget thee O Jerusalem As I might seem to do should I herein gratifie these Idolaters or otherwise obey them rather than God The Jews at this day when they build an house they are say the Rabbines to leave one part of it unfinished and lying rude in remembrance that Jerusalem and the Temple are at present desolate At least they use to leave about a yard square of the house unplaistered on which they write Leo Modena of the riâ—es of the Jews in great letters this of the Psalmist If I forget Jerusalem c. or else these words Zecher lechorban that is The memory of the desolation Let my right hand forget Fiat abalienata atque emortua Let it bee paralyticall and useless unfit to touch the harp Vers 6 If I do not remember thee Hi gemitus Sanctorum sunt gemitus Spiritus sancti these are the very sighs unutterable that precede joys unspeakable and full of glory Either our beds are soft or our hearts hard that can rest when the Church is at unrest that feel not our Brethrens hard cords through our soft beds If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy Heb. If I cause it not to ascend above the head of my joy Christ in his Ordinances must bee our chiefest comfort overtopping all other and devouring all discontents whatsoever Vers 7 Remember O Lord the Children of Edom Those unbrotherly bitter enemies The Jews call Romists Edomites Rase it rase it Discooperite discooperite Diruite ex imis subvertite fundamentis Buchanan Darius hearing that Sardis was sacked and burnt by the Athenians commanded one of his servants to say to him thrice alwayes at supper Sir remember the Athenians to punish them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod Tâ—rp Vers 8 That art to bee destroyed Spoliatrix saith the Syriack Isa 33.1 Happy shall hee bee i. e. Well rewarded with wealth and good wishes Vers 9 That taketh and dasheth thy little ones So at the destruction of Troy Sed palam raptis heu nefas heu Nescios fari puerâ—s Achivis Ureret flammis etiam latentes Mâ—tris in alve Horat. l. 4. Od. 6. PSAL. CXXXVIII VErs 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart Which no Hypocrite can do though hee may pray in distress from the bottom of his heart A gratefull manis a gracious man viz. if hee come with a true heart as the Apostle hath it Heb. 10.22 Aben-Ezra Before the Gods will I sing praise unto thee That is before Angels who are present in holy assemblies 1 Cor. 11.10 as was represented by those Cherubines pictured in the Temple as also before Princes and Potentates see vers 4. Kimchi Vers 2 I will worship toward thy holy Temple Wheresoever I am the face of my soul shall turn like the needle of a Diall by sacred instinct Abbot towards thee in the Ark of thy presence in the son of thy love For thy loving kindness and for thy truth For thy grace and truth which come by Jesus Christ the Ark and Mercy-seat were never sundred Gods loving kindness in Christ moved him to promise his truth binds him to perform and hence our happiness For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Or Thou hast magnified thy name in all thy Words Or Thou hast magnified above all things thy Name by thy Word that is Thou hast got thee a very great name by fulfilling thy promises and by setting on thy Word with power Vers 3 In the day when I cryed c. This hee worthily celebrateth as a singular favour a badge of grace Psal 66.18 and pledge of glory Act. 2.21 And strengthenedst mee with strength in my soul With strength in the inward man Ephes 3.16 20. with spirituall mettal with supporting grace keeping head above water My body is weak my soul is well said that dying Saint I am as full of comfort as heart can hold said a certain Martyr The Apostle speaketh of the new supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 the joy of the Lord is strengthening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neh. 8.10 Vers 4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee Such of them as shall read these Psalms of my composing or otherwise shall hear of thy gracious dealing with mee according to thy promise Such also as shall hereafter bee converted to the faith for though Not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 yet some are and these shine in the Church like stars of the first magnitude Vers 5 Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord As having tasted the excellencie of the comforts of godliness far surpassing those of the Crown and Scepter and felt the power of Gods Word subduing them to the obedience of faith whereby they come to rule with God to bee faithfull with his Saints and to sing their songs Vers 6 Though the Lord bee high c. Even the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity Isa 57.15 See on Psal 113.6 7. Yet hath hee respect unto the lowly This maketh that Ancient cry out Videte magnum miraculum See here a great miracle God is on high thou liftest thy self up Aug. de Temp. and he flieth from thee thou bowest thy self down and hee descendeth unto thee Low things hee looketh close upon that he may raise them higher lofty things he knoweth a far off that he may crush them down lower The proud Pharisee pressed as near God as he could the poor Publican not daring to do so stood a loof of yet was God far from the Pharisee near to the Publican The Lord Christ is a door to Heaven Aug. in Johaâ— but a low door hee who will enter in thereby humiliet se oportet ut sano capite intrare contingat saith Austin hee must needs stoop to save his head-peece But the proud hee knoweth a far off As not vouchsafing to come anear such loathsome lepers For pride is like a great swelling in the body apt to putrifie break and run with loathsome and foul matter Hence God stands off from such as odious and abominable hee cannot abide the sight of them Superbâ—s à calo longè propellit as the Chaldee here paraphraseth he driveth the proud far enough off from Heaven yea hee thrusteth them into Hell to their Father Lucifer that King of all the children of pride as Leviathan is called Job 41.34 Vers 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble Even in the vale of the shadow of death so that I seem little different from a dead man Thou wilt revive mee That is restore mee from so great a death as 2 Cor. â— 10 Thou shalt stretch
so maketh it very fruitfull say Philosophers In which respects the Rabbines say that one day of Snow doth more good than five of Rain Hee scattereth the houre frost like 〈◊〉 When blown about by the winde It heateth also and dryeth as ashes the cold and moist earth nippeth the buds of trees c. â—mis monet â—em subesse â—â—m foveaâ— Vnde 〈◊〉 dicitur a 〈◊〉 saith 〈…〉 Vers 17 Hee casteth out his Ice like morsels Or Shivers of bread It is a 〈◊〉 saying of One from this text The lee is bread the Rain is drink the Snow is wool the Frost a Fire to the earth causing it inwardly to glow with heat teaching us what to do for Gods poor 〈…〉 Who can 〈◊〉 it when and where it is extreme especially as in Russia Freesland c. Vers 18. Hee sendeth out his word and melteth them See vers 13. Of the force of Gods word of command are given all the former instances Hee can as easily melt the hardest heart by his word made effectual to such a purpose by his holy Spirit If that wind do but blow the waters of penitent tears will soon flow as in Josiah 2 Chron. 34.27 See Zech. 12.10 Vers 19 Hee sheweth his word unto Jacob The Jews were Gods library keepers and unto them as a speciall favour were committed those lively and life giving oracles Rom. 3.2 there is a chiefly set upon it like as Luk. 12.48 to know the Masters will is the great talent of all other there is a much in that His Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel Even right Judgements true 〈◊〉 good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 See Rom. 9.4 5. Prospers conceit was that Judaei were so called because they received jus Dei the Law of God Vers 20 He hath not dealt so with any Nation He had not then but now blessed be God hee hath dealt so with many Nations in these last happy days of Reformation especially wherein the knowledge of Gods holy Word covereth the earth as the waters cover the Sea and of England it may bee said as once of the Rhodos somper in Sole situ est Rhodos that it hath the Sun ever shining upon it This wee should prize as a precious treasure and praise the Lord for it â—orde ore operâ— And as for his Judgements they have not known them And therefore lye in deadly darkness wherein though they wander wofully yet not so wide as to miss of hell PSAL. CXLVIII VErs 1 Praise the Lord And again Praise yee the Lord and so often in this and the rest of the Halelujaticall Psalms In praising God the Saints are unsatifiable and would bee infinite as his perfections are infinite so that they make a circle as one phraseth it the beginning middle and end whereof is Halelujah From the Heavens praise him in the heights Or high places As God in framing the World began above and wrought downward So doth the Psalmist in this his exhortation to all creatures to praise the Lord. Vers 2 Praise him all his Angells Whose proper office it is to adore and praise God Job 38.7 Isa 6.3 Heb. 1.6 which also they do constantly and compleatly as those that both perfectly know him and love him Jacob saw them 1 Ascending to contemplate and praise the Lord and minister to him Luk. 2.13 Dan. 7.10 Mat. 18.10 Psal 103.20 2 Descending to execute Gods will upon men for mercy to some and for Judgement to others which tendeth much to his praise And David by calling upon these heavenly courtiers provoketh and pricketh on himself to praise God Praise yee him all his Hoasts i e. His Creatures those above especially which are as his cavalry called his Hoasts for their 1 Number 2 Order 3 Obedience Verse 3. Praise yee him Sun and Moon These do after a sort declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 2. Habak 3.3 not with mind and affection as if they were understanding creatures as Plato held but by their light influences admirable motions and obedience whereby quasi mutis vocibus by a dumb kind of eloquence In Epimeniâ— saith Nazianzen they give praise to God and bid check to us for our dulness and disorders Praise him all yee stars of light A light then they have of their own besides what they borrow of the Sun which they with-hold at Gods appointment Isa 13.10 and influences they have which cannot bee restrained or resisted Job 38.31 32. Vers 4 Praise him yee Heavens of Heavens Whereby hee meaneth not the lowest Heavens the air whereon wee breath and wherein birds flye clouds swim c. as some would have it but the highest Heaven called by St. Paul the third Heaven the habitation of the crowned Saints and glorious Angels called by Philosopher calâ—â—â— Empyreum and hereby the Psalmist the Heavens of Heavens as King of Kings song of songs c. by an excestency See Deut. 10.14 And the waters that â—ee above the Heavens i. e. Above the air and that do distinguish betwixt the Air and the Sky as the 〈…〉 doth betwixt the Sky and the highest Heavens Superius supensae aquarum forniâ— Vers 5 For hee commanded and they were 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 only made all this is celebrated by that heavenly quite Rev. 4.11 Vers 6 Hee hath also established them for ever viz. The course and appointed motions of the Heavens which hee hath setled by a Covenant and hath not falsified with them Jer. 33.25 much less will hee with his faithfull people Vers 7 Praise the Lord from the earth The Psalmist proceedeth to factour for God among the inferiour creatures beginning with the lowest in the waters beneath as the Dragons oâ— great whales and then comming to Rain and Snow c. which are made out of the waters above Yee Dragons and all deeps Of Sea-Dragons See Aelian lib. 4. Animal cap. 12. they live partly in the Sea and partly on the land as do Crocodiles These also yeeld matter of Gods praise Vers 8 Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour This latter is the matter of those former meteors which hee purposely mingleth with those forementioned miracles of land and waters the more to set forth the power of God because these seem to have no setledness of subsistence and yet in them hee is made visible Stormy winds fulfilling his word The winds blow not at randome but by a divine decree and God hath ordered that whether North or South blow they shall blow good to his people Cant. 4.16 Hee saith to all his Creatures as David did to his Captains concerning Absolom Handle them gently for my sake Vers 9 Mountains and all hills These praise God by their form hugeness fruits prospects c. Fruitful trees These by the variety of their natures and fruits do notably set forth the wisdome power and goodness of the Almighty whilst they spend themselves and the principall part of their sap and moisture in bringing forth some pleasant berry or the like for the use of