of hypocrites but he hears the prayers of penitents 313. Psal 19. 4. Their line went out into the ends of the earth Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went out into the whole world Paul interprets the Psalme concerning the Doctrine of the Gospell and saith that it is the Canon of the holy Ghost and rule of faith and manners of Christians appointed by God by the sound and voice of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles in which the will of God is revealed and therefore it is called the Canonicall Scripture 314. Psal 19. 8. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart 2 Cor. 3. 7. The law is the ministration of death engraven in stones In the Psalme by the Law is understood all the will of God revealed from above The Apostle speaks only of the morall law not as it is in it self for so it is the perfect law of righteousnesse and brings life but in respect of us who are transgressors of the Law and obtain nothing but death by it 315. Psal 19. 11. And in keeping of thy commandments there is great reward Luk. 17. 10. When you have done all ye were commanded ye shall say We are unprofitable servants we have done nothing but what we are obliged to do David commendeth the Law of God and that there is great reward in the keeping of it In which the goodnesse of God is commended who may of right require obedience from us yet he freely gives a reward unto us which he oweth not Christ sheweth that we and all that we have are due unto God therefore we can aske nothing for a reward and it is presumption to think that we can deserve any thing at Gods hands 316. Psal 22. 1. My God my God wherefore hast thou forsaken me Joh. 14. 10. Chap. 16. 32. I am not alone for the Father is with me In the first place is signified the sense of Gods wrath and the effect thereof in Christ who taking upon him our person is made sin for us though he complained that he was forsaken as man yet he was not forsaken as the Son of God nor was the divine nature separated from the hnmane nature but supported it In the latter place when Christ saith I am not alone he hath respect to the flight of the Apostles and fortifyeth himselfe against it by the presence of his Father 317. Psal 22. 3. My God I cryed by day and thou heardest not Joh. 11. 42. I knew because thou hearest me alwayes Christ was not heard in his passion because he was to die In the latter place he speaks of his prayer for believers he gives thanks to his Father that he was always heard 318. Psal 24. 1. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Luk. 4. 6. I will give to thee saith Satan unto Christ all this power and glory Satan being the spirit and father of lying Joh. 8. 44. Mat. 28. Psal 23. 8. doth falsly appropriate to himself the power of the world Christ being appointed by his father King of Kings to whom was given all power in heaven and earth he rules in heaven and earth from sea to sea from the rivers unto the ends of the earth 319. Psal 24. 2. The Lord hath founded the earth upon the seas Exod. 20. 4. The waters are under the earth The earth hath its stability from the first creation the foundation thereof is the power of God which is the center of the whole and it doth as it were move upon the waters above and beneath it hath the waters on the sides so that the sea is higher then the earth it is therefore the wonderfull work of God that he preserveth mankind from drowning in the midst of the waters 320. Psal 26. 2. Prove me O Lord. 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man prove himself God because he proves our thoughts words and deeds therefore we must prove our selves that we may make our selves approved to God 321. Psal 32. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old Vers 3. Through my roaring all the day long Silence respects the suppression of sinnes Crying the complaints and lamentations for grief of mind 322. Psal 32. 10. Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked 73. 5. The righteous are punished more then the wicked Punishments internall and sempiternall are for the wicked but externall and temporary are understood by the last place 323. Psal 34. 5. They lookt unto him and were lightned 1 Tim. 6. 16. He dwels in a light that no man can approach unto God is said to dwell in light not properly but metaphorically for by this his glory and manifest presence is understood 324. Psal 34. 10. There is no look to them that fear God 2 Tim. 3. 12. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution The Godly suffer no want in spirituall good but in corporall and temporall good yet their persecutions are good for them and are rewarded with eternall life 325. Psal 34. 22. None that trust in the Lord shall be desolate Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God In the first place is understood delinquency to death and eternall destruction but they that believe in Christ their faults shall not be imputed to them unto death 326. Psal 35. 6. Let their way be made slippery and dark and let the Angell of the Lord persecute them Mat. 5. 44. Love your enemies In the first place are meant the incorrigible and obdurate enemies of Christ and his Gospel In the latter place those of whose conversion we have hope 327. Psal 36. 8. Thou shalt preserve both man and beast O Lord. 1 Cor. 9. 9. Doth God take care for oxen Under the generall care of God are comprehended all creatures but under his speciall care Men for whose sake God hath made the beasts Ambrose saith God cares not for beasts for themselves but for our sake for which he created all things and therefore his principall care is for us 328. Psal 37. 21. The wicked borrowes and payeth not again Luk. 6. 35. Lend looking for nothing again If the Debter be fallen into extreme want that he cannot pay we must not kill him or forsake him in his utmost necessity 329. Psal 37. 25. I have been young and now am old yet saw I never the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread Luk. 16. 20. Lazarus a begger desired to be satisfied with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table Beggery is a punishment to the wicked but to the godly a fatherly punishment and it is found in the unlawfull begging of Monks sturdy obstinate and idle people which refuse to work but the lawfull begging is for the members of Christ which are brought to extream poverty by banishment war fire water sicknesse c. 330. Psal 40. 7. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye as living stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall
They that trust in the Lord shall not be moved Rom. 11. 17. Some of the boughs were broken off for their incredulity Christ makes fruitfull and barren Vines the Apostles boughs by which he represents the faithfull and Infidels those that were broken off it was for their unbelief 365. Psal 128. 1. Blessed are all they who fear the Lord. 1 Joh. 4. 18. There is no fear in love for love casts out fear Filiall fear proceeds from faith by which we apprehend God as present all the faithfull have this and consolation accompanieth it The Apostle speaks of the servile fear of the Infidels which proceeds from a sense of the presence of God as a Judge and there is no consolation in this but confusion 166. Psal 132. 13. God hath chosen Sion for his habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell because I have chosen it Act. 6. 14. We heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy this place and change the traditions of Moses In the first place is a promise of the conservation of the Temple and of the Jewish politie upon condition of their obedience if the Jews should do that which God commanded them and keep his holy Covenant In the last Stephen from the predictions of Christ and the Prophets concerning the ruine of the City and Temple at Jerusalem invites them to repentance 367. Psal 139. 1. O Lord thou hast proved me Gal. 6. 4. Every man shall prove his own work The Psalmist prayeth that God would prove him not that he was free from sinne but he desires by mercy to be cleansed The Apostle sheweth what is our duty namely to make our works approved to God which he will prove 368. Psal 136. 1 to 26. The goodnesse and mercy of the Lord is for ever and ever Tit. 3. 4. When the gentlenesse and love of God our Saviour appeared The Fathers under the old Covenant did no otherwise taste the goodnesse of God then we do by looking unto Christ to whom God commended his goodnesse and him that he promised to give our Fathers for their salvation he hath given unto us revealed in the flesh 369. Psal 145. 8. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion Exod. 33. 19. I will have mercy on whom I will Rom. 9. 15 19. God is gracious and mercifull so that he offereth his goodnesse to wicked men also and declares in them the effects of his grace and clemency he made them he gives them temporall goods he defers his temporall and eternall judgments though they are ungratefull to him but he sheweth mercy to whom he will not looking on our worth but he saveth us freely without being obliged he doth all of his own goodnesse and mercy The PROVERBS of Solomon WIthout doubt it was taken out of his 3000 Parables and his most wise sentences for the good of the Church teaching good men patience and wisdome and the fruit of it is to be imbraced and sinne to be fled from Relating the works of the wise and foolish he commends the manners of an honest woman 370. Prov. 1. 15. My son walk not with sinners remove thy foot from their paths Luk. 15. 1. All the publicans and sinners came unto him to hear him and he received them Solomon forbids us to run to evill with wicked men or to allow of their wickednesse Christ receiving publicans and sinners reproved their faults exhorted them to repentance by his great love toward them 371. Prov. 1. 26. I will mock at your trouble and laugh when your destruction cometh Ezek. 18. 32. I will not the death of a sinner for I take no pleasure in the destruction of a sinner God is delighted in his justice when he punisheth those which despise his grace and that will not hearken to his fatherly vocation but of his mercy he will not the death of sinner as death is the destruction of Nature The former place belongs to Gods consequent will the latter to his antecedent will that is ruled by justice this by mercy 372. Prov. 6. 6. Go to the Ant thou sluggard and consider her wayes Psal 55. 22. Cast thy way upon the Lord and he shall bring it to passe Solomon by the example of the Pismire would bring idle slothfull people to honest labour The Psalmist warns all to trust in God and his providence yet not so that we should omit any thing of our duty for so God doth govern all things that he will have us to use lawfull means and effect all our works by them So when Christ saith Be not carefull for the morrow he doth not forbid us to Luk. 12 15. Theoph. work but to give our selves over to care and to neglect Gods providence for we are commanded to till the ground and to take care to live 373. Prov. 4. 3. Solomon was the only son of his 1 Chron. 3. 5. Mother 2 Sam. 11. 27. Bathsheba bare sons to Davaid Simaa Sobab Nathan Solomon was so beloved of his Mother for the singular gifts of nature as though he had been her only son 374. Prov. 6. 30. It is no great fault for a man to steal to fill his hungry soul Exod. 20. 15. Thou shalt not steal Solomon compareth Theft with Adultery and he determines that the punishment and the offence is lesse in Theft then Adultery 375. Prov. 6. 31. A Theef if he be found shall restore seven fold he shall give all the substance of his house Exod. 22. 1. If any man steal an oxe or a sheep or have killed or sold it he shall restore five oxen for one and four sheep for a sheep If a man stole money or cloaths he must restore seven fold for the seventh number being perfect he must redeem his life by it Thefts which could be hid were more heavily punished then such as could not so well be hid as Cattell 376. Prov. 8. 23. I Wisdome was created from the beginning 2 Pet. 1. 19 21. Holy men spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost in time First is meant the essentiall wisdome of God that is Christ the Lord but the Apostle means wisdome revealed by the Prophets 377. Prov. 8. 35. He that findeth wisdome findeth life Eccl. 2. 16. There shall be no remembrance more of the wise then of the fool for ever In the former place we must understand divine wisdome which confers eternall life In the latter humane wisdome which profits nothing after death 378. Prov. 15. 27. He that hates gifts shall live Chap. 17. 8. A gift is as a pretious stone in the eyes of him that hath it Chap. 18. 16. A mans gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men A gift to corrupt covetous Judges is accepted and causeth that he that corrupts the Judges may attain his end that he desires for he that bribes oft-times obtains what his mind wished for 379. Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for himself Vers 4. The wicked also for the day
from the holy Ghost 395. Eccl. 7. 16. Be not over righteous Revel 22. 11. Let him that is just be just still Ecclesiastes understands a mans judgement of himself and forbids us that we should not have too great opinion of our own righteousnesse when it is not so with us John speaks of the oath of Justice and continuing the benefit of justification 396. Eccl. 8. 14. There are righteous men to whom evills happen according to the manner of the wicked Psal 1. 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the river side Vers 4. So shall not the ungodly Ecclesiastes sets down the judgement of carnall men concerning the righteous and the wicked from their outward condition and they judge of them both alike yet the condition of good and bad men is most different in this life and in the end of it Here the state of the godly is more excellent and after this life they shall rejoyce for ever Wicked men are abominable here and hereafter they shall be punished eternally 397. Eccl. 9. 1. No man knoweth either love or hatred Rom. 8. 35 38. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ 2 Tim. 1. 12. The first place teacheth that it cannot be gathered by outward happinesse or unhappinesse who it is that God loveth or whom he hateth because these fall out alike to good and evill righteous and unrighteous men Therefore we must not judge according to outward things and accidents but according to the testimony of our faith and the holy Ghost concerning the love of God being certain that no things that befall us for adversity can seprate us from the love of God 398. Eccl. 9. 1. No man knoweth whether he be worthy of love or hatred 2 Tim. 4. 8. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord shall give me A man knoweth not from himself or his own strength or humane wisdome whether he be worthy of love or hatred because God bestoweth riches honour strength c. withouâ— any difference Ecclesiastes speaks of discerning good men from bad by naturall judgement the Apostle of the certainty of his salvation 399. Eccl. 9. 8. Let thy garments be alwayes white Isai 2. 8. Luk. 16. 19. Luxurie in cloathing is disallowed Ecclesiastes commends not Luxury but decent and comely cloathing according to our quality which God doth not detest but approves that being refreshed in body and mind we may the better undergoe the labours of our vocation The SONG of SONGS HEb Sirhastrim and Kodes Kodassin that is the Holy of Holies Wherein Solomon under the similitude of a Bridegroome and his Bride describeth Christ and his Church the heavenly and spirituall treasure and the mysteries of salvation to the godly 400. Cant. 1. 5. I am black Vers 6. Look not upon me because I am black Vers 8. O thou fairest amongst women Chap. 4. 1. Behold thou art faire First the Spouse of Christ purgeth herself amongst her friends that is her members that they should not be offended at her blacknesse that is with the scorns and reproaches that her adversaries cast upon her and so she speaks of herself as she is in herself In the latter place as she pleaseth the Bridegroom in which is considerable how he purgeth her by beginnings of holinesse in this life and will in the next life set her compleatly holy before his Father without spot or rinckle 401. Cant. 5. 1. Eat O friends drink yea Eph. 5. 14. Luk. 21. 34 Amb. l. 1. c. 5. de Cain Abel drink abundantly beloved Isai 5. 11. Woe be to yee that rise early in the morning to drink strong drink Drunkennesse with grace not with wine which makes us rejoyce not stumble must be here understood To be drunk here is to be filled with the grace of the holy Ghost and with spirituall joy concerning the Gospell which thing produceth healthfull and pleasant fruit Isaiah cries out Woe to drunkards filling themselves with wine and luxuriating in over much drink 402. Cant. 6. 10. The Church is terrible as an Army with banners Chap. 7. 6. How fair how pleasant art thou O love for delights She is terrible to the Devil the World to Hell but most dear and delightfull to her Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ ISAIAS Prophesie IT was written by Isaiah the son of Amos He prophesied 90 years the brother of Amasiah King of Judah about the year of the World 3190. It contains legall Prophesies from Chap. 1. to the 40. with the History of Ezechias And from Chap. 40. to the end it contains Evangelicall Prophesies 403. Isai 1. 2. I have nourished children and they have rebelled against me Vers 4. Ephes 5. 27. The Church is glorious without spot or wrinckle The Church of it self and from it self is full of sins and deformities but she is without spot or wrinkle in her Husband and head Christ who loved her and gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her cleansing her with the laver of water in the word of life Eph. 5. 26. 404. Isai 7. 14. And they shall call his name Emanuel Luk. 2. 21. His name was called Jesus In the Scriptures sometime the name is given to the person not according to the word but the thing signified Emanuel in effect is the same with Jesus Emanuel is God with us by this word the Prophet would explain the person the office and the benefits of Christ and the mystery of the personall Union and that that Son should be God and Man and live amongst men in his humane nature that he should assume that he might redeem them and save them from their sinnes 405. Isai 8. 20. To the Law and the Testament 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined to know nothing amongst you but Jesus Christ and him crucified Mat. 1. 21. Since Christ is the end of the law and the Prophets it is most profitable for us to beleive in him and to seek comfort in his Crosse for without he had been crucified he had not wrought salvation for mankinde 406. Isai 9. 3. Thou hast multiplyed the Nation and hast not increased their joy Chap. 60. 5. Then thou shalt see and shalt flow together and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee The joy of the Nation and the people under the yoak of Rome though it be not increased yet it is enlarged whilst the Heathen people being called into the Church forsaking their heathenish rites do embrace the Christian Religion 407. Isai 9. 6. Vnto us a child is borne unto us a son is given Luk. 2. After 700. years Christ was born under Augustus Caesar It is usuall in the Scripture to have the present tence and pretertence put for the future tence and the future tense for the present and preter tence So Psal 22. 8. All make a mock of me 408. Isai 9. 6. His name
inflicts it hath the nature of good 450. Lam. 5. 7. Our fathers have sinned and are not and we have born their iniquities Ezek. 18. 20. The sons shall not bear the Fathers iniquities The children succeeding the Parents in their sins succeed them also in their punishments Godly and penitent children shall not beare the iniquities of their parents for ever though they be afflicted with temporall punishments 451. Lamen 5. 21. Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Psal 119. ult Hosea 14. 2. Turn O Israel to the Lord thy God Conversion and Repentance is the worke Act. 11. 8. of God he gives it to the Gentiles and none but those that are enlightned in their hearts can truly turn unto God EZEKIELS Prophesie THe Priest the son of Buzi who was brought into Babylon under Jekonias and confirmed the Prophesie of Jeremiah and comforted the captives about the year 3350. by the river Chebar he had the visions from God He prophesied 20 years 452. Ezek. 8. 12. The Lord seeth us not Heb. 4. 13. All things are naked and open before the eyes of God The Prophet makes mention of what foolish men say who thought both by their words and deeds that God saw them not whose perverse judgement doth not hinder the truth which maintains that all things be they never so secret yea the thoughts of our hearts are open before God 453. Ezek. 18. 4. The soul that sins that shall die Rom. 5. 6. Christ died for us The first sentence is legall and teacheth what must be done by the law divine or humane legally The last is Evangelicall shewing that God for Christs sake freely gives us his grace and salvation 454. Ezek. 12. 13. I will bring Zedekiah into Babylon to the land of the Chaldees yet shall be not see it though he shall die there Jer. 34. 3. Thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the King of Babylon and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth Zedekias being taken saw the King of Babylon afterwards they put out his eyes that he could not see the Land of the Caldees nor Babylon in his captivity 455. Ezek. 18. 19. Walke in my precepts keep my judgements 1 Tim. 19 The law was not made for the righteous but for the wicked and disobedient The Prophet understands the law that teacheth and enlightens us The Apostle the law that condemns us For there is no condemnation Rom. 8. 33 to those that are justified in Christ Jesus 456. Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed he shall not die Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible for those that were once illuminated if they shall fall away to renew them again by repentance It is hard and impossible in respect of those who bar themselves out from Gods mercy and shut their hearts that they may not be enlightned by the Sun of righteousnesse but it is not so in respect of God who would have all men to repent and be saved yet he justly punisheth with finall impenitency all obstinate and malicious Apostates and such as sin against the holy Ghost 457. Ezek. 18. 23. 33. 11. God will not the death He hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth God will not the death of a sinner by his antecedent will but by his consequent will or his justice because he justly punisheth him who rejects the grace of God offered unto him He hardens therefore permissively not effectively 458. Ezek. 18. 23. I will not the death of him that dyeth Chap. 3. 18. Thou shalt die the death God as our Father will not by the Gospell but as he is our judge and revenger he will by the law that a sinner shall die 459. Ezek 18. 23. 32. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth 1 Joh. 5. 16. A sin unto death God will not the death of him that repents for his mercy is over all his works A sin unto death is a sin against the holy Ghost and so it is called because it is iustly punished with finall impenitency 460. Ezek. 18. 26. When a righteous man turns away from his righteousnesse and doth iniquity he shall die in it Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them he glorified Righteous in the first place is not truly so but only in opinion so Christ came not to call the just but the Apostle speaks of Mat. 9. 13. those that are truly just who are justified in Christ and shall be surely glorified Or if the place of the Prophet be to be interpreted of him that is truly just it is conditionall and so proves nothing and the contradiction is reconciled 461. Ezek. 20. 25. I gave them also Statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live Psal 19. 9. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether Precepts that are not good are either legall threatnings by which God menaces curses to the wicked or false doctrine when God by his just judgement suffers those that would not believe the truth but go forward in iniquity to believe lies 462. Ezek. 44. 9. No stranger uncircumcised in heart and flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary Gal. 5. 2. If you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing The Prophet means spirituall circumcision by faith in Christ but the Apostle means nothing but corporall and legall circumcision which was that the Jews strove to be justified by Col. 2. 15. DANIELS Prophesie DAniel was carried young with Joakim to Babylon there he lived 70 years to the time of Cyrus in the year 3370. He interprets Nebuchodonozors dream of the image and writeth what was done under Nebuchodonozors reign Balshazars and Darius And describes the four Monarchies and the eternall kingdome of Christ he numbred also the weeks of years of the coming of Christ 463. Dan. 1. 5. The King appointed for Daniel and his fellowes a dayly provision that at the end of three years they might stand before the King Chap. 2. 1. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar the King dreamed a dream wherewith his spirit was troubled Vers 16. Daniel went in and desired of the King that he would give him time That was done in the second year after these things were ended which were appointed for the education of Daniel and his companions under the government of Nabuchodonozor 464. Dan. 1. 21. 6. 28. And Daniel continued unto the first year of King Cyrus Chap. 10. 1. In the third year of Cyrus King of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel In the former place the two following years are not excluded but it is noted that God prolonged the life of Daniel untill the time of the return of the people of the Jews from Babylon Daniel was in his office at Court to the first year of Cyrus then being grown old he led a quiet private life 465. Dan. 2.
God who promiseth for Christs sake a reward of his grace to them that ask him and crowns his gifts in us Nor doe the afflictions and sufferings of this life merit the free rewards of eternal life 543. Mat. 5. 12. Great is your reward in heaven Ephes 2. 8. By grace you are saved through faith it is the gift of God Our salvation properly is not a reward but Rom. 5. 6. c. 3. 28. Phil. 2. 13. 1 Tim 4. 8. the gift of God in respect of acquiring it and application conservation and perfection 544. Mat. 5. 14. You are the light of the world Joh. 8. 12. I saith Christ am the light of this world All Doctors of the Church and all Christians enlightned by Christ are light not of themselves but from Christ of whom they receive their splendor and divine light or Christ is of himself the true original light who enlightens every man that comes into the world 545. Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works c. 6. 1. Beware that you give not your alms before men All that are enlightned with the light of the Gospel must study to doe good works Rom. 13. 12. That by the works themselves the faith and godlinesse in our hearts may be known to men But in the latter place all works of ambition and boasting are forbidden by Christ for hypocrites they doe so desiring to be praised and seen of men 546. Mat. 5. 17. I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Gal. 3. 13. Christ came to redeem us from the curse of the law There is a difference between the law and the curse of it as Christ hath fulfilled the law so must we walk in his commandements and by applying Christs satisfaction to our selves we are said spiritually to fulfill the law from the curse and condemnation whereof we are redeemed by Christ 547. Mat. 5. 22. Whosoever is angry with his brother is in danger of judgement Ephes 4. 6. Be angry but sin not That anger is unlawful when any one without just cause is angry and more with the person then the faults for his own cause and not for Gods cause Thou shalt not kill It is lawful when for Gods glory we are angry with the sins and not with the persons also the Apostle warn's us to moderate this just anger that we offend not by anger against God or our Neighbour 548. Mat. 5. 22. He that saith to his brother Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire Luk. 24. 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe Gal. 3. 1. O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you Christ condemns a contumelious despising of our brother and a reproachful aspersion of foolishnesse but he in his way to Emaus cals Cleophas and his fellows fools not out of a vitious desire but for their dulnesse and folly because they believed not the Prophets nor the Word of God so the Apostle called the Galatians foolish 549. Mat. 5. 25. Agree with thine Adversary 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist strong in faith The first place is concerning all adversaries in general with whom we must agree according to the rule of charity The latter is concerning the Devil in particular whom we must alwayes resist being armed with heavenly weapons against him 550. Mat. 5. 32. Whosoever puts away his wife unlesse it be for fornication causeth her to commit adultery 1 Cor. 7. 11. If she depart let her remain unmarryed or be reconciled to her husband Fornication or Adultery is the principal cause of divorce betwixt those that are marryed but other causes as witchcraft impotency malicious forsaking doe not so dissolve the band of Matrimony The Apostle speaks of desertion and in that case reconciliation must be first endevoured before the party forsaken or forsaking should be left out of Matrimony 551. Mat. 5. 39. Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn the other to him also Joh. 18. 23. If I have spoken evill bear witnesse of the evill if well why smitest thou me The manner of resisting evill is either of retaliation with injury and this Christ forbids or of just defence by which without injury we drive off injuries by reason or law So Christ said Why dost thou smite me Not out of a mind desirous of revenge but from a well composed heart he spake that and it is lawful for godly men to complain to the Judge of injuries done unto them 552. Mat. 5. 43. Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy Ver. 43. Love your enemies Luk. 6. 35. Rom. 12. 20. doe good to those that hate you The first place was corrupt and came into use from the time of the Maccabees The latter was not delivered by Christ as a new law but the true sense of the divine law concerning love to our neighbours is explained by him For God in the Old Testament expressely commands men to love their enemies Deut. 22. 2. 553. Mat. 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy closet and shutting the dore pray 1 Tim. 2 8. I will that men pray in every place Christ against boasters teacheth us that our duty in prayer is that we seek to please God rather then men because God considers our hearts men look only on the outside and he that is alone prayeth better with a composed mind then he that prayeth amongst a multitude of People whether therefore we pray privately or publickly let us alwayes pray so as if we were hid in our closets The Apostle witnesseth that our prayer is accepted with God be it in private or publick when God is worshipped in spirit and truth 554. Mat. 5. 40. If any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat from thee let him have thy cloak also Rom. 13. 1. There is no power but of God Christ doth here prescribe the law of patience to his followers that they should not be troubled for the losse of their goods but wait on the Lord quietly untill he take revenge on wicked men yet he forbids not the lawful means of recovering goods fraudulently or forcibly taken away or appeal to the Magistrate for power much lesse doth he condemn it 555 Mat. 6. 7. When you pray use not vain repetitions Luk. 18. 1. Men ought to pray alwayes and not to faint Col. 4. 2. 1 Thes 5. 17. Christ taxeth the vain babling and foolish Isa 23. 13. prating of those who suppose to move God with words often repeated though they be cold and distrustful in their prayers But he forbids not continuance in prayers but will have us to pray alwayes if not in words yet in desires for the prayers of godly men are arrows that are shot into heaven 556. Mat. 6. 13. Lead us not into temptation Jam. 1. 13. Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God Temptation is either good for a good end as when God proves
but the wicked to eternall death 298. Job 19. 25. In the last day I shall rise out of the earth Vers 26. And I shall be clothed again with my skin and in my flesh shall I see God 1 Cor. 15. 49. It shall rise a spirituall body We shall rise with this nature and body that Mat. 22. that we now carry about us and shall enjoy eternall felicity it is called a spirituall body by the Apostle not in respect of the substance but the qualities virtues and proprieties we shall have no need of meat drink or wedlock we shall be like the Angels 299. Job 19. 17. Whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another Rev. 1. 7. Every eye shall see him Job speaks confidently that in his flesh he should see God to his salvation face to face as he is after this ordinary seeing by faith so 2 Cor. 13. 1 Joh. 3. 2. shall the godly see God a gracious father the wicked shall see him as a just and a revenging judge 300. Job 31. 30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin 1 Joh. 1. 10. If we say we have no sin we make God a liar Job was not without sin before God but his conscience did not accuse him of manifest sin and wickednesse towards men 301. Job 42. 10. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before Vers 13. He had seven sons and three daughters His faith of the resurrection is here commended because his children were not doubled but only were as many as before saith Augustine Ep. 120. c. 10. for these did signifie that those children which Job had lost should rise again and so joyned together they are doubled The PSALTER from singing HEb Sepher Tehilin the Book of Praises It 2 Sam. 23. 2. is called the Book of Psalms the small Bible The Psalms are in number 150. The most are Davids who was an excellent Psalmist and is called the sweet singer of Israel All of them were wirtten by the dictate of the holy Ghost The most before and some in the time and after the Babylonish captivity unto the times of the Macchabees Some are Didacticall some Propheticall some Eucharisticall containing Instructions Doctrines Exhortations Consolations 302. Psal 1. 2. In the law of the Lord is his delight Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law Godly men have a singular delight in the Law and in the holy Commandements of God Yet they are not under the yoak and curse of the law which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we hope to be saved as well Act. 15. 10. as they 303. Psal 1. 5. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgement 2 Cor. 5. 10. We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ The first place is to be understood of temporall judgements which wicked men cannot endure when they are examined according to Gods judgments because they are convinced of their sins The latter speaks of the last judgment when all good men shall rise to life eternall and wicked men to eternall death 304. Psal 2. 9. Thou shalt break them with an Iron rod like a potters vessell Isa 42. 3. He shall not break a bruised read The Son of God will break the wicked with an iron rod and the blast of his mouth but he receives the weak in faith into favour and he perfects his strength in their weaknesse 305. Psal 2. 10. Serve God in fear 1 Pet. 2. 18. Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear c. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdome and before all it is necessary to have that yet we must obey earthly Masters next under God 306. Psal 5. 5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity Rom. 9. 18. Whom he will he hardneth God since he is just and mighty will and can punish all iniquity though he suffer the deceit and violence of the wicked for a time Hardning is imputed to God not as if he Aug. cont Faust Exod. 4. 21. 7. 3. 10. 27. 11. 10. were the author of it as it is evill but as it is a punishment and God useth evill to good ends and governs the wicked for good 307. Psal 5. 6. Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Luk. 16. 8. Christ praysed the unjust steward because he dealt wisely God hates all iniquity and deceitfull persons are an abomination unto him God praised the unjust Steward not for his wickednesse deceit or wealth but he admired his subtilty and craft so we use in criminall things to commend the cunning of men though we detest their wickednesse 308. Psal 7. 8. Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and my innocency Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified In the first place he speaks of the justice and the judgment of the good cause of David which he upheld against the enemies of God who oppressed him with their false calumnies and violence and therefore he appeals to God the judge of his just cause that he would defend his innocency In the latter he speaks of the justice of man and so no man is just in the fight of God if God should try him according to the rigor of his justice 309. Psal 7. 12. God threatens and God is angry every day Ephes 4. 31. Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger be taken from you Anger is commendable when we are angry for our sins and detest evill justly and as we should so God is dayly angry with us for our sins But damnable anger and unlawfull is joyned with sin of those who for every light offence do maintain their anger reckoning more of what is committed against them then against God 310. Psal 9. 8. God shall judge the world in righteousnesse 1 Cor. 6. 2. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world The manner of judging of the world is either by authority so the whole Trinity will judge or of subordinate authority so Christ as Mediator and man will judge or of assertion so the Apostles will judge the world or of approbation so all the Saints and Angels shall allow of the sentence pronounced by the supreme judge Chrysostome the Saints shall judge the world by exemplary judgement because by example of their faith the infidelity of the world shall be condemned 311. Psal 14. 1. The fool said in his heart There is no God Psal 19. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Wicked men if not in words yet in their deeds and actions they deny God and as much as in them is they wish there were no God and no hell 312. Psal 18. 42. They cryed unto the Lord and he heard them not Jer. 29. 12. Ye shall call upon me and I will hearken unto you God doth not hear the prayers