causeth a perpetual vicissitude of Days and Nights and so declareth the glory of God 2. It bespeaketh all people at once as a Catholique Preacher of Gods glory vers 4 5. Secondly In the constant course of the Sun that common Servant as his Name importeth vers 4. who with his motion vers 5. enlightneth all things with his Light Foord and pierceth all things with his Heat vers 6. Thus the Heavens declare the glory of God that is they yeeld matter and occasion of glorifying him according to that Psal 145.10 All thy Works praise thee O Lord but thy Saints bless thee Some Philosophers and with them some Rabbins have deemed Maimonides or rather doted that the Heaven was a living Creature and did actually praise and serve God But this conceit is exploded by the wiser sort and that Axiom maintained Formica coelos dignitate superat a Pismire because a living Creature is more excellent than the whole visible Heavens As for the Saints and Servants of God it is truly affirmed by Divines that there is not so much of the glory of God in all his Works of Creation and Providence as in one gracious action that they perform And the Firmament sheweth his handy-work The Expanse or out-spread Firmament It is taken both for the Air Gen. 1.6 and for the Sky Gen. 1.14 the whole Cope of Heaven which sheweth Quà m eleganter ad amussim operetur Deus manibus suis Vatablus how neatly and exactly God worketh with his hands which are attributed to him for our weakness sake Vers 2. Day unto day uttereth speech Some read it one day succeeding another uttereth or Welleth out Sicur fons scaturiens R. Menahem as a Fountain continually and plentifully speech yet without sound by a dumb kind of eloquence eructant by a continual revolution and success of days men are instructed concerning the Power and Providence of God as also concerning his truth and faithfulness for if God hath hitherto kept promise with Nights and Days that one shall succeed the other will he not much more keep promise with his people Jer. 33.20 25. And Night unto Night sheweth knowledge Days and Nights by their perpetual course and order Dei potentiam sapientiam concelebrant there being no less necessity of the Night in its kind than of the Day The knowledge it sheweth us is that man in himself is weak and cannot long hold out hard labour that he is permitted to sleep a while and take his rest that he must abridge himself of some part of his rest to commune with his own heart on his bed and be still that if hee bestir not himself and do up his work quickly the Night of Death cometh when no man can work c. Vers 3. There is no speech nor language where their voyce And yet few hear these Catholique Preachers these Regii Professores these real Postilles of the Divinity as one stileth them who do preach to all people at once Non solum diserte sed exertè at surdis plerumque fabulam they are by the most as little respected as is the Cuckoe in June Vers 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth Or their rule or direction or delineation or Scripture confer Isa 28.13 Quòd in coelis tanquam in volumine omnibus conspicuo descript a sit Dei gloria because that in the Heavens as in an open Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written down the glory of the Creator The like is done also in other less considerable Creatures every of which do after a sort write as well as speak and have a Pen as well as a Tongue The Chaldee word for a Mint signifieth also a Book of Histories because in that one Herb large stories of Gods Wisdom Might and Love are described unto us The same word also that signifieth an ear of Corn signifieth a word because every Field of Corn is a Book of Gods praise every Land a Leaf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Sheaf a Verse every Ear a word every Corn of Wheat a Letter to express the glory of God by Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Deum Antony the Eremite being asked by a certain Philosopher how he could contemplate high things having no help of Books answered That the whole World was to him instead of a well-furnished Library this he had ready by him at all times and in all places Aug. de doct Christ l. 1. Niceph. l 8 c 40 In vita Bern. and in this he could read when he pleased the great things of God Bernard also saith that the time was when he had no other Masters nisi quercus fagos but the Oaks and Beech-trees In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun That Prince of Planets but servant to the Saints of the most High as his name importeth so sweet a Creature he is that Eudoxus the Philosopher professed that he would be content to be burnt up by the heat of it so he might be admitted to come so near it as to learn the nature of it A Tabernacle or slitting-tent it is here said to have in the Heavens because it never stayeth in one place but courseth about with incredible swiftness Vers 5. Which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber sc after long expectation with a great deal of pomp and gayety such is the Sun-rising when hee first she weth himself above our Horizon Kimchi addeth that as the Bridegroom when he is abroad hasteneth home to his Bride so doth the Sun to his descent anhe'at ad occasum Eccles 1.5 And rejoyceth as a strong man or Champion to run a race readily running and effectually affecting all things with his heat The Persian Angari or Posts the Ostrich the wild Asse the Bustard the Dromedary De ascensmentis in Deum grad 7 the Eagle is nothing so swift as the Sun Bellarmine saith that he runneth in the eighth part of an hour seven thousand miles This dumb Creature gives check to our dulness as Balaams Asse also did to that Prophets madness Vers 6. Hâ—â— going forth is from the end of the heaven i. e. from the East unto the West in which course notwithstanding while he compasseth the circle of Heaven and Earth he visiteth the South and the North and is unweariable And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof i.e. from the benefit of the Suns heat who is ut cor incorpore as the heart in the body saith Aben-Ezra all things feel the quickning heat of the Sun not only the roots of Trees Plants c. but Metals and Minerals in the bowels of the earth Vers 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect Or Doctrin the whole Word of God commonly distinguished into Law and Gospel is perfect immaculate sincere entire compleat It Tully durst say that the Law of the twelve Tables in Rome did exceed all the Libraries of Philosophers both in weight of authority and fruit-fulness
thrust me out and do ye come unto me in your distresse Go cry unto the Gods which ye have chosen Let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation Judg. 10. Forsookest them not in the Wildernesse And yet he was neare the matter when he would own them no longer but even fathered them upon Moses saying Exod. 32.7 Thy people which thou broughtest out of the Land of Egypt have corrupted themselves The pillar of cloud departed not It is sad with a people when God sends for his Love-tokens his Ordinances when they have sinned away their light and so wiped off all their comfortables Verse 20. Thou gavest also thy good Spirit Viz. to their Governours and teachers Numb 11.16 17 25 26. Yea to every good soul that they might be all taught of God led into all truth and holinesse Joel 2.28 Eph. 5.9 For which end God hath promised to poure his Spirit upon all flesh that is the best thing upon the basest Next to the sending of his Son in the flesh which is called the gift Joh. 4.10 and the benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 what can God do more for his people then to give them his good spirit this is to give them all good things in one Mat. 7.11 with Luke 11.13 And withheldest not thy Manna See verse 15. It is twice mentioned as a singular and signall mercy And it is well observed by a Reverend Writer that this Manna and water from the Rock which was Christ in the Gospel were given this people before the Law the Sacraments of grace before the legall Covenant The Grace of God preventeth our obedience Therefore shall we keep the Law of God because we have a Saviour Verse 21. Yea fourty yeares didst thou sustaine them Sustaine them this is a meer Miôsis sith never was Prince so served in his greatest Pomp as these rebellious Israelites were in the wildernesse They had their Quailes and their Manna and the Rock to follow them c. So that they lacked nothing No more shall they that seek the Lord lack any good thing Psal 34.10 and 84.11 God will not be a wildernesse to them or a land of darknesse Jer. 2.31 A sufficiency they shall be sure of if not a superfluity yea in the midst of straits they shall be in a sufficiency 1 Tim. 6.6 The ungodly are not so Job 20.22 Their cloths waxed not old They wore not in the wearing this was wonderfull these men lived in an age of miracles here was no need of What shall we put on For the cloths they had of their own and that they borrowed of the Egyptians decayed not but as some think grew up with their persons See Deut. 8.4 and 29.5 And their feet swelled not Nor did any other disease annoy them while they were in the wildernesse There was not one feeble person among them this was a sweet mercy Non est vivere sed valere vita si vales bene est Vincentio Pestiom an Italian Gentleman being asked how old he was answered that he was in health And to another that asked how rich he was answered that he was not in debt This was the happiness of these Israelites in the wilderness Verse 22. Moreover thou gavest them Kingdomes and Nations God gave them all for he is the true proprietary he pulleth down one and setteth up another This Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged after he had been turned a grazing and Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany who in twenty eight battles in America waged by Cortez and Pizarro won eight and twenty Kingdomes Prideaux Introduct And what a world of Nations are swallowed up in the greatnesse of the Turkish Empire America hath the hapinesse to be out of their reach So they possessed the land of Sihon Gods favours must not be mentioned in the lump onely and by whole-sale but particularly enumerated and celebrated Verse 23. Their children also multipliedst thou Judaea was not above two hundred miles long and fifty miles broad not near the halfe of England by much yet what a numerous people were they what huge armies had they And broughtest them into the land Not the nearest way but the best for them that he might humble them and try them and do them good in the latter end If God will bring us to heaven at length as Israel in the wildernesse so must we follow him and the line of his Law though it seeme to leade us in and out backward and forward as if we were treading a maze Concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers And they disposed of it by Will to their posterity as if they had been in present possession Gods promises are good sure-hold the Patriarchs would be buried there though they died in Egypt and keep possession as they could for they knew that all was their own Verse 24. So the children went in After that they had been held a long while under the Egyptian servitude God knows how to commend his favours to us which citò data citò vilescunt lightly come by are lightly set by And thou subduedst before them the Canaanites There is an elegancy in the original Thou bowedst or pressedst down those crookened or depressed ones the Canaanites who had their very name portending their condition from bowing down as born to be servants of servants according to Noahs curse Gen. 9.25 with Rom. 11.16 And gavest them into their hand If any were unsubdued it was through their own sloth for which they are reproved and by which they afterwards smarted It is the observation of a good Divine that as seven Tribes are justly taxed by Joshua for their negligence and sloth in not seeking speedily to possesse the land God had offered them Josh 18.2 so may the most of us be justly rebuked for grievous security about the heavenly Canaan Divers of the better sort have but a title and therefore it justly falleth out that these are buffeted by Christ as those were disgraced by Joshua That they might do with them as they would Save or slay whom they pleased yet not forgetting the Lawes of humanity as the bloody Spaniards have done amongst the miserable Indians causing them to cry out that it had been far better that the Indies had been given to the Devils of hell then to them and that if the Spaniards go to heaven when they die themselves will never come there though they might Verse 25. And they took strong Cities With no great ado like as townes were said to come in to Timotheus the Athenian-Generall his toiles while he slept Plut. in Sylla This he ascribed to his owne prowesse and policy often interlacing this proud speech Herein Fortune had no part and from thenceforth never prospered in any thing he undertook And a fat land Flowing with plenty of dainties though Strabo spitefully slander it for craggy and barren And possessed houses full of all goods Of all pleasant and precious substance for the Canaanites were great Merchants Esay 23.8 Hos 12.7
forth thine hand Thou shalt interpose thy help betwixt mee and them and save mee harmless as the 〈◊〉 feign their Gods did those whom they favoured Thou shalt strike them with thy left hand and save mee with thy right so Tremellius senseth it Vers 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth mee Hee will not do his business to the halves leave it in the midst but carry it on to a consummation and lay the top-stone of grace this I am well assured of See Phil. 1.6 Only I must pray and do my part having an eye still to Gods everlasting mercy in Christ Forsake not the works of thine own hands Look upon the wounds of thine hands and forsake not the works of thine hands prayed Queen Elizabeth And Luthers usuall prayer was Confirm O God in us that thou hast wrought and perfect the work that thou hast begun in us to thy glory So bee it Though the good work of grace bee begun in us yet wee can neither persevere in that grace nor bring it forth to act without new grace Even as trees though they bee fitted to bear fruit yet without the influence of the heavens they cannot put forth that fitnesse in fruit c. PSAL. CXXXIX A Psalm of David There is not in all the five books of Psalms so notable a one as this saith Aben-Ezra concerning the wayes of God and the workings of conscience It was penned saith the Syriack Interpreter upon occasion of Shimeâ—'s railing upon him for a bloody man and a Belialist 2 Sam. 16. Here therefore hee purgeth himself by an appeal to God and delivereth up his false-accusers to Gods just judgement vers 19. Vers 1 O Lord thou hast searched mee and known mee Even mine heart and reins Jer. 17.10 hast thou searched as with lights Zeph. 1.12 by an exact scrutiny by a soul-searching inquisition whereby thou art come to know mee thorough and thorough Not only Mee naturall as vers 15 16. but also Mee civil and morall as verse 2.3 c. neither stayeth thy knowledge in the porch or lobbies my words and wayes but passeth into the presence yea privy-Chamber for Vers 2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising All my postures gestures practices sive sedeam sive sâ—rgam whether I sit stand walk lye thou searchest and knowest all Some search but know not thou dost both thine eyes behold thine eye-lidstry the Children of men Psal 11.4 See the Note there Thou understandest my thought Heb. My familiar thoughts such as I am delighted in voluntatem meam some render it my will others propinquitatem meam my nearness and that afar off even from Heaven being intimo meo mihi intimior not so far from mee as the bark is from the tree the skin from the flesh or the flesh from the bones A far off Eminus à longe pranovisti â—â—tequam moveaâ—ur saith Chrisostom thou knowest my thoughts before I have conceived them my thoughts in Passe from all eternity so great is thy sagacity and perspicacity As a man that knoweth what roots hee hath in his Garden though there bee not a flower appearing yet hee can say when the Spring comes this and this will come up so here God knows our whole frame our Principles c. Vers 3 Thou compassest my path Or Thou wiâ—â—â—â—â—st if there bee any chaff or trash thou wilt make it flye thou art at both ends of all my works and enterprizes both by day and by night Perâ—â—â—â— perâ—â—â— Neither art thou only at my fingers ends but at my tongues end too Vers 4 For there is not a word in my tongue Though not yet uttered or but whispered only Thou knowest it altogether Every tittle of it thou understandest the language of mens hearts Vers 5 Thou hast beset 〈◊〉 behind and 〈◊〉 As a beast that is pursued as an enemy that is begirt and invironed And lest I should think by some means to make escape as David did from Saul and his Host by a providence 1 Sam. 23.27 as Hannibal did from the Romanes by a stratagem Thou 〈…〉 Aâ—by an 〈◊〉 so that I am thy prisoner and cannot stir a foot from thee Vers 6 Such knowledge is too wonderfull for mee I can hardly conceive of this thine omniscience and omnipresence but am ready to measure thee by my self and according to mine own module And indeed for a creature to beleeve the infinite Attributes of God hee is never able to do it thoroughly without supernaturall grace Iâ— iâ— high I cannot attain unto it Sith it far exceedeth the reach of reason and is much above my capacity and understanding I stand at gaze and am agast and that is the nearest that I a poor finite foolish creature can come to so infinite a wisdome It was therefore a good speech of them who being asked what God was answered Si scirem Deus essem If I knew that I should be a God Vers 7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit Here he argueth Gods omniscience from his omnipresence and this the Heathens also had heard of as appeareth by their Jovis omnia plena and quascuâ—que accesseris oras Sub Jove sempâ—â— eris c. Empedocles could say that God is a circle whose center is every where whose circumference is no where They could tell us that God is the soul of the World and that as the soul is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte so is hee that his eye is in every corner c. to which purpose they so pourtraied their goddess Minerva that which way soever one cast his eye shee alwayes beheld him But these divine notions they might have by tradition from the Patriarches and whether they beleeved themselves in these and the like sayings is much to bee doubted Or whither shall I flee from thy presence Surely no whither they that attempt it do but as the fish which swimmeth to the length of the line with an hook in the mouth Vers 8 If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there That 's thy proper place and there Aristotle in his book of the World ad Alexandâ—â—â— affirmeth that God is only essentialitâ—r actâ— This was to proclaim himself an arrant Atheist for God filleth all places and is comprehended of no place being totally present wheresoever present for wee must not conceive that God is commensurable by the place as if hee were partly here and partly elsewhere but every where all-present Vers 9 If I take the wings of the morning The morning light is diffused in an instant all the whole wâ—lkin over If I could flye never so swiftly from one end of the Heaven to the other saith David I should bee never the near This is a poeticall expression And dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea Or of the West whither the Sun setting is said to hasten and hide himself The Syriack and Arabick have it If I take the wings of the Eagle and dwell c. And of the Eagle