according to the common rule of interpretation in such cases therefore a cruel messenger c Or a cruel Angel the Angel of Death the Devil or some bloody men employed by God to avenge his quarrel or some dreadful punishment it being very usual in Scripture to represent things under the notion of Persons as Rom. 7. and elsewhere shall be sent against him 12 Let * 〈◊〉 13. 8. a bear robbed of her whelps d When she is most cruel and fierce meet a man rather than a fool in his folly e In the heat of his lust or passion because the danger is greater all things considered and more unavoidable 13 Whoso * 〈◊〉 12. 17. 〈◊〉 5. 15. 1 〈◊〉 3. 9. rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house f From his Person and Family because such a Man is most hateful to God and to all Mankind God will punish him and men will not pity nor relieve him 14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water g By cutting the Bank of a River in which case the Water quickly widens the breach and breaks in with irresistible violence and fury and causeth great mischief and destruction therefore * 〈◊〉 20. 3. leave off contention before it be meddled with h Avoid the occasions and prevent the beginnings of contention 15 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch. 〈◊〉 â—…4 Isa. 5. 23 He that justifieth i That acquitteth him as innocent by a judicial Sentence or otherwise approveth or commendeth his evil practices By which we may easily understand what it is to condemn the just the wickâ—… and â—…e 〈◊〉 condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the LORD 16 Wherefore k The Question implies that it is unworthily placed and that it is to no purpose or benefit of the Possessor is there a price l Possessions or Riches as all the ancient Translators render it of which this word is used Isa. 55. 1. and elsewhere under which all opportunities and abilities of getting it are comprehended in the hand of a fool to get wisdom m â—…or the obtaining whereof rich Men have many and great advantages above others seeing he hath no heart to it n Neither common discretion to discern the worth of Wisdom and his advantage to get it nor any sincere desire to get it for the heart is commonly used in Scripture both for the understanding and for the will and affections 17 * Ch. 18. 24. A friend o A sincere and hearty Friend loveth at all times p Not onely in prosperity but also in adversity when false Friends forsake us and a brother q Who is so not onely by Name and Blood but by brotherly affection is born for adversity r Was sent into the World for this among other ends that he might comfort and relieve his Brother in his adversity So this Proverb compareth a Friend with a Brotherand sheweth that a Friend doth that freely and by choice which a Brother doth by the force and obligations of Nature But this last clause may be and is by divers otherwise rendred and he to wit the Friend is Born a Brother or becomes or is made a Brother i. e. puts on brotherly affection as if he had received a second Birth and was born his Brother such expressions being not unusual both in Scripture and in other Authors in or against the time of adversity So the sense is He is a Friend at all Times but in adversity he is more than an ordinary Friend even a Brother 18 * Ch. 6. 1. 11. 15. A man void of †Heb. heart understanding striketh hands s In token of his becoming Surety of which Phrase and of the thing it self see on Prov. 6. 1. 11. 15. and becometh surety in the presence of his friend t The Friend here is either 1. before and to the Creditor Or rather 2. before and with and for the Debtor for whom as being his Friend he becomes Surety as the manner of Friends is See on Prov. 6. 3. And this Proverb is fitly placed after that v. 17. to intimate that although the laws of Friendship oblige us to love and help our friends in trouble as far as we are able yet they do not oblige us to become Surety for them rashly and above what we are able to pay for by that means we make our selves unable to do good either to them or to others or to our selves 19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife u Because contention is in it self a sin and is commonly accompanied or followed with many sins as detraction malice hatred pride c. and he that exalteth his †Or. house Gen. 28. 17. gate x Either 1. his mouth i. e. who speaketh loftily for we read of the gate or door of ones Mouth in Mich. 7. 5. and elsewere but then the word Mouth or Tongue is added to determine the sense but the Mouth is nowhere called the gate simply or absolutely Or 2. the Gate of his House that maketh it and consequently his House lofty and Magnificent beyond what befits his quality which being an evidence and effect of pride and haughtiness of Spirit is here mentioned for all the rest So the sense is He who carries himself loftily and scornfully seeketh destruction y He seeks those things which will expose him to destruction because he maketh himself odious both to God and men Or findeth destruction seeking being put for finding or procuring as above v. 9. 20 †Heb. the froward of Heart He that hath a froward heart z Whose Heart is not plain and upright but false towards God or men findeth no good a Shall not get that advantage by his dissimulation which he intends and expects but shall fall into mischief as is implied from the opposite Clause and he that hath a perverse tongue b That speaks deceitfully or wickedly So here is a comparison between an evil heart and an evil Tongue and the ill effects of both of them falleth into mischief 21 †He that begetteth a fool c Not a Natural but a wilful fool or a wicked Son doth it to his sorrow * Ch. 10. 1â—… and the father d And consequently the Mother also of a fool hath no joy e Which Parents usually have in the Birth of a Child and especially of a son but hath great cause of sorrow the contrary being implied in this and such like expressions as in Scripture as Prov. 10. 2 c. so also in profane Authors whose words see in my Latin Synopsis 22 A merry heart f Chearfulness of Soul especially that which is solid and ariseth from the witness of a good Conscience doth good g Even to the Body it contributes very much to the restoration or preservation of bodily Health and Vigour as
there 14 And Ephron answered Abraham saying unto him 15 My LORD hearken unto me the land is worth four hundred * Exod. 30. 15. Ezek. 45. 12. shekels of silver y He speaks of the common shekel which many value at fifteen pence of English money but others more probably at two shillings and six pence rightly as I conceive supposing that this was of the same weight and value with the Shekel of the Sanctuary which was so called not as if that were double to the former but onely because all shekels were to be examined by that standard which was kept in the Sanctuary what is that betwixt me and thee z Both Friends and rich men It is not worth any words oâ—… trouble between us bury therefore thy dead 16 And Abraham hearkned unto Ephron and Abraham weighed a For in those times silver was paid by weight Gen. 43. 21. Ier. 32. 10. to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant money with the merchant b i. e. Right for quality as well as weight in the judgment of Merchants whose frequent dealing in it makes them more able to judge of it 17 And * chap. 25. 9. and 50. 13. the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah which was before Mamre the field and the cave which was therein and all the trees that were in the field that were in all the borders round about were made sure 18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth before all that went in at the gates of his City 19 And after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan 20 And the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth. CHAP. XXIV 1 AND Abraham was old a Being one hundred and forty years old by comparing Gen. 21. 5. with Gen. 25. 20. and †Heb. gone into days well stricken in age and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things 2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house b viz. Eliezer Gen. 15. 2. that ruled over all that he had * chap. 47. 29. Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh c A ceremony used in swearing as now so antiently in the Eastern parts as Gen. 47. 29. Either as a testimony of subjection and promise of faithful service for this rite was used onely by inferiours towards superiours or as some think with respect to the blessed seed Christ who was to come out of Abrahams thigh as the phrase is Gen. 46. 26. because this rite was used onely to Believers 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD the God of heaven and the God of the Earth that * chap. 24. 3. and 27. 46. 28. 2. Exod. 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. thou shalt not take a wife unto my son d i. e. Not perswade nor engage my Son to take for Isaac though forty years old was not onely willing to be governed by his Father in this affair but also to hearken to the counsel of this wise and faithful servant of whom both his Father and himself had such long and large experience of the daughters of the Canaanite e For he knâ—…w that they were not onely gross Idolaters and hainous sinners for so many others were but that they were a People under Gods peculiar curse Gen. 9. 25. and devoted to extirpation and utter destruction which was to be inflicted upon them by Abrahams Posterity And therefore to marry his Son to such persons had been an high degree of self-murder whereby the holy and blessed Seed had been in danger of great infection from them and utter ruine with them And Abraham's practise was afterwards justified by God who hath oft shewed his dislike of such unequal matches of his People with those Infidels and Idolaters by severe prohibitions and sharp censures See Exod. 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. Ios. 23. 12. Esd. 9. 1 2 3. Nehem. 13. 23 25. 2 Cor. 6. 14 15. among whom I dwell 4 But thou shalt go unto my Countrey f i. e. Mesopotamia ver 10. which being largely taken for the Countrey between those two famous Rivers Euphrates and Tigris from which scituation it hath that name so Chaldaea whence Abraham came Gen. 11. 31. and 12. 1. was a part of it and to my kindred g The Family of Nahor concerning the increase whereof he had received information Chap. 22. 20 c. Which he justly preferred before the Canaanites partly because though they were Idolaters as appears from Gen. 31. 19 30 32 35. and Ios. 24. 2. yet they did Worship the true God together with Idols aâ—… may be gathered from ver 31 50 of this chapter and from other places and therefore there was more hopes of the conversion of one of that Family and partly because they lived at a great distance from the place where Abraham and his Posterity did and should live and therefore one of that stock would be more easily disintangled from her Superstition and Idolatry because she was removed from the influences of the evil counsels and examples of her nearest relations and partly because they were of the race of blessed Shem and not of cursed Canaan and take a wife unto my son Isaac 5 And the servant said unto him Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land h Note here the prudence and piety of this good man who before he would take an Oath doth diligently enquire into the nature and conditions of it and expresly mentioneth that exception which might seem to be of course supposed in it must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest 6 And Abraham said unto him Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again i In case she will not come hither do not thou engage that he shall go thither Why so 1. Because there was more danger of infection from his wife and her kindred because of their friendly and familiar and constant converse with him than from the Canaanites who were strangers to him and lived separately from him and had but little conversation with him 2. Because the command of God to Abraham to come out of Chaldaea and into Canaan did extend to his posterity also whom God would oblige to dwell there as long as they could that they might live in constant Faith and expectation of the performance of Gods promise in giving this Land unto them Quest. How could he bring Isaac thither again where he never was Answ. 1. Isaac might be said to be there before vertually or in the Loyns of his Father as Levi is said to pay Tithes to Melchisedek by Abraham in whose Loyns he was 2. This
The chief Rulers of each Tribe who were to communicate it to the rest concerning the children of Israel saying This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded 2 If a man b Which notes both the Sex as appears by v. 3. and the Age that he be grown up for none can be so weak as to think the vow of a young Child would bind it vow a vow c i. e. A simple vow to do something possible and lawful unto the LORD d To the Honour and Service of God or swear an oath e Confirm his Vow by an Oath to bind his Soul with a bond f To restrain himself from something otherwise lawful as suppose from such a sort of Meat or Drink or to oblige himself to the performance of something otherwise not necessary as to observe a private day of fasting he shall not †Heb. profanâ—… break his word g Heb. not pollute or prophane his word as the same phrase is used Psal. 55. 20. and 89. 34. i. e. not render his word and consequently himself prophane or vile and contemptible in the eyes of others he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his own mouth h And that without delay Deut. 23. 21. Eccles. 5. 4. provided the thing be not unlawful and forbidden by God Act. 23. 14. for it is an idle conceit that a man can give away Gods right or that he can make void Gods commands by his own vows which was the dotage of the Pharisees Mark 6. 23 26. 3 If a woman i Or a man in the same circumstances a son or a servant as plainly appears from hence because the reason of this Law is perfectly the same in both Sexes which is that such persons have given away what was not their own but anothers even their superiours right which is against the Rule and Law of Natural Reason and against the Word of God which binds all persons to give to every one their due He instanceth only in the Woman because that Sex is both by Creation and Sin put into a state of subjection but under the chief and most unquestionable kind all other Subjects in like circumstances are comprehended as is very usual also vow a vow unto the LORD and bind her self by a bond being in her fathers house k i e. Under his Care Power and Government which she is whilest she continues in her Fathers House being a Virgin as appears by the opposition of a married Woman v. 6. and of a Widow and Divorced Woman v 9. and by this Phrase of being in her Fathers house for when she marries she is removed into her Husbands house Ruth 1. 9. Or being in or of her Fathers Family the word House being commonly used for Family for when she marries she is translated and removed into another Family in her youth l When not onely her Sex but her Age disenables her for vowing and this clause is added not by way of restriction as if Virgins in their riper yearâ—… were freed from their Parents jurisdiction and at their own disposal which undoubtedly they are not but by way of addition or amplification q. d. especially which particle is here to be understood such defects of particles being frequent in the Hebrew Tongue in her youth which is commonly reckoned about her Twelfth or Thirteenth year 4 And her father m Under which Title seem to be comprehended as in other places of Scripture Masters Magistrates and all other superiours in such cases wherein their right is given away by the inferiour vow as for instance when a Servant vows to go a long journey for his Friend and his Master will not permit him to do so but not in other cases as if a Servant vows to do something for another in that time which his Master alloweth to his own use and disposal in this case his vow binds him but not in the former hear her vow and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul and her father shall hold his peace at her n His silence being an interpretative consent and much more if he declares his approbation of it then all her vows shall stand and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand o i. e. Be established or confirmed or be in force 5 But if her Father disallow her in the day that he heareth p i. e. Speedily or without delay allowing onely necessary and convenient time for deliberation And it is hereby intimated that the day or time he had for disallowing her vow was not to be reckoned from her vowing but from his hearing or knowledge of her vow not any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand and the LORD shall forgive her q Or will forgive either her rashness of making such vows or rather her not performing of it But this is to be understood only of such vows which could not be performed without invading the Fathers or Superiours right for if one should vow to forbear such or such a sin and all unnecessary occasions or means leading to it and to perform such or such duties when he had opportunity no Father nor Superiour can discharge him from such vows because her Father disallowed her 6 And if she had at all an husband r To whose Will and Authority she was thereby made subject when †Heb. Her vows were upon her she vowed s To wit when she was in her Fathers house as is evident by comparing v. 10. and this clause seems to be added by way of exception to that which was said v. 3 4. to signifie that though she were in her Fathers house yet if she were married her Husband onely and not her Father could disoblige her from her vow or uttered ought out of her lips t Either 1. By way of vow and so this clause explains and determines the former i. e. if she express her vow in words Or 2. By way of Oath concerning which this same phrase is used Levit. 5. 4. and so this clause is distinct from the former which the disjunctive particle or implies wherewith she bound her soul 7 And her husband heard it and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it then her vows shall stand and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand 8 But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it then he shall make her vow which she vowed and that which she uttered with her lips wherewith she bound her soul of none effect and the LORD shall forgive her 9 But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced u Though she be in her Fathers house whether such persons oft returned which limitation may be gathered both from the opposition of her being in her Husbands house v. 10. and from hence that this was the onely doubtful case for if such a
season v. 8. upon some pretence or other and he gave them and they did eat but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion 10 ¶ So his father went down unto the wâ—…man and Samson made there a feast for so used the young men to do 11 And it came to pass when they saw him q Or observed or considered him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and countenance and carriage which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they brought thirty companions to be wiâ—… him r Partly in compliance with the Custom of having 〈◊〉 men of which see Matt. 9. 15. Mark 2. 19. â—…oh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though they were not so numerous and principally by 〈◊〉 of caution and as a Guard put upon him under a preteâ—… of respect and affection 12 ¶ And Samson said unto them I will now put forth a riddle s i. e. An obscure sentence for you to resolve and explair unto you t For so long Marriage-feasts lasted See Gen. 29. 27. if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feastâ—… and find it out then I will give you thirty ‖ Or shiâ—…ts sheets u Fine linnen Cloathes which were used for many purposes in those parts See Matt. 27. 59. Mark 14. 51. and thirty change of garments x i. e. Changeable suits of Apparel as below v. 19. and Gen. 45. 22. 13 But if ye cannot declare it me then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments And they said unto him Put forth thy riddle that we may hear it 14 And he said unto them Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness y i. e. Out of that strong and devouring Creature the Lyon came forth sweet Meat to wit honey withall it is covertly implyed that the Philistines though now they had strength on their side and Dominion over Israel whom they did devour upon all occasions yet at last they should become Meat to the Israelites And they could not in these days expound the riddle 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day z They had doubtless spoken to her before this time but with some remisness supposing that they should find it out but now their time being nigh slipped they press her with more vehemency and put her under a necessity of searching it out that they said unto Samsons wife Entice thy husband that he may declare unto us the riddle lest we burn thee and thy fathers house with fire Have ye called us ‡ Heb. to possess us or to impoverish us to take that we have a i. e. To strip us of our Garments and so your civility will end in gross unkindness and injustice is it not so 16 And Samsons wife wept before him and said Thou doest but hate me and lovest me not thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people and hast not told it me And he said unto her Behold I have not told it my father nor my mother b Though I have had much more experience of their fidelity and taciturnity than of thine and shall I tell it thee 17 And she wept before him ‖ Or the rest of the seven days c. the seven days while the feast lasted c i. e. On the residue of the seven days to wit after the third day It is a familiar Synecdoche Or on the seventh of the days on which the Feast was And then the following Clause on the seventh day is only the Noun repeated for the Pronoun on that day as is most frequent as 1 King 8. 1. Solomon assembled unto Solomon i. e. unto himself and it came to pass on the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him and she told the riddle to the children of her people 18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down What is sweeter than honey and what is stronger than a lion And he said unto them If ye had not plowed with my heifer d If you had not employed my Wife to find it out as men Plough up the ground with an Heifer thereby Discovering its hidden parts he calls her Heifer either because he now suspected her wantonness and too much familiarity with that Friend which she afterwards Married or because she was joined with him in the same Yoak or rather because they used such in Ploughing ye had not found out my riddle 19 ¶ And the spirit of the LORD came upon him e Though he had a constant habit of eminent Strength and Courage yet that was exceedingly increased upon special occasions by the extraordinary influences of Gods Spirit and he went down to Ashkelon f Either to the Territory which oft comes under the name of the City or to the City it self where he had both Strength and Courage enough to attempt what here follows and upon the doing hereof they were doubtlesâ—… struck with such a Terrour that every one sought onely to preserve himself and none durst oppose or pursue him and slew thirty men of them and took their ‖ Or apparâ—… spoil and gave change of garments g Together with their Sheets or Shirts which it sufâ—… to imply here being expressed above v. 13. unto them which expounded the riddle and his anger was kindled h For the Treachery of his Wife and Companions and he went up i To wit alone or without his Wife to his fathers house 20 But Samsons wife was given k By her Father to his companion whom he had used as his friend l i. e. To the chief of the Bride-men to whom he had shewed most respect and kindness CHAP. XV. BUT it came to pass within a while after in the time of wheat harvest a Which circumstance is noted as the proper season for the following exploit that Samson visited his wife with a kid and he said I will go in to my wife into the chamber b Into her proper Chamber which Women had distinct and separate from the mens But her father would not suffer him to go in 2 And her father said I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her c Because thou didst desert her in great Wrath But this was not sufficient cause for he should have endeavoured a reconciliation or waited for it and not have disposed of another mans Wife without his consent which is not onely against the Law of God but of Nature also therefore I gave her to thy companion is not her younger sister fairer than she ‡ Heb. Let her be thine take her I pray thee instead of her 3 ¶ And Samson said concerning them ‖ Or 〈◊〉 shall I be blameless from the Philistines thirst Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines though I do them a displeasure d Because they have first
thread of tow is broken when it ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 toucheth the fire so his strength was not known 10 And Delilah said unto Samson Behold thou hast mocked me and told me lies now tell me I pray thee wherewith thou mightest be bound 11 And he said unto her If they bind me fast with new ropes ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 done that never were occupied then shall I be weak and be as ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 men 〈◊〉 another man 12 Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber And he brake them from off his arms like a threed 13 And Delilah said unto Samson Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound And he said unto her If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web p Or threed which is woven about a Weavers loom or with a Weavers beam If my hair which is all divided into seven locks be fastned about a Weavers Beam or interwoven with Weavers threeds Understand out of the foregoing Verses then I shall be weak as another man 14 And she fastened it with the pin q Having done what Sampson directed she adds this for sureness-sake she fastned the hair thus woven with a pin and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web 15 ¶ And she said unto him How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me r When thy love consists only in outward expression not in Affection and thou wiltst not open thy heart to me as one true friend doth to another thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth 16 And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him so that his soul was ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ned vexed unto death s Being Tormented by two contrary and violent Passions desire to gratifie her whom he so much doted upon and fear of betraying himself to utmost hazard But being deserted by God it is no wonder that he chuseth the worse part 17 That he told her all his heart and said unto her * Numb 6 〈◊〉 There hath not come arasor upon mine head for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mothers womb If I be shaven then my strength will go from me t Not that his Hair was in it self the Seat or Cause of his Strength but because it was the chief condition of that Vow or Covenant whereby as he stood obliged to him so God was pleased graciously to ingage himself to fit him for and assist him in that great Work to which he called him but upon his violation of his condition God justly withdraws his help and leaves him to himself and I shall become weak and be like any other man 18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart u Which it was not hard for her to discover by the change of his Countenance and the matter of his Discourse and the whole carriage of the business she sent and called for the Lords of the Philistines saying Come up this once for he hath shewed me all his heart Then the Lords of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their hand 19 And she made him sleep x By some sleepy Potion which it is like she gave him upon other pretences agreeable enough to his present and vitiated inclination upon her knees y Resting his head upon her knees and she called for a man and she caused him to shave off z With a gentle hand as if she her self had but been sporting with him She did this more securely partly because she had cast him into a deep Sleep and partly because if he had discovered it before it was finished she would have said it was onely an innocent intention to try the sincerity of his Affection to her and the truth of this last relation which she had so just reason to doubt of from his frequent dissimulation and lyes the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him a i. e. To disturb and awaken and affright him as by other ways so particularly by crying out in a terrible manner The Philistines are upon thee as she had done before and as it follows v. 20. and his strength went from him b Which as is here implyed the perceived because he could not now shake himself as he did before i. e. with equal vigour and might as is intimated in the neâ—…t verse or because she had bound him though it be not here expressed and found him unable to break his bonds 20 And she said b The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awoke out of his sleep and said c Within himself i. e. he purposed and attempted it I will go out as at other times before and shake my self d i. e. Put forth my strength to crush them and to deliver my self And he wist not e Being not yet well awake and not distinctly feeling the loss of his Hair or not duly considering what would follow upon it that the LORD was departed from him f In respect of the strength and help he had formerly given him 21 ¶ But the Philistines took him g Who now durst Apprehend him because they rested in the Assurance which Delilah had given them that now all was discovered and done and ‡ Heb. bâ—…red oâ—…t put out his eyes h Which was done by them out of Revenge and Policy to disenable him from doing them much harm in case he should recover his strength but not without Gods Providence punishing him in that part which had been greatly instrumental to his sinful Lusts. and brought him down to Gaza i Because this was a great and strong City where he would be kept safely and upon the Sea-coast at sufficient distance from Sampson's People and to repair the Honour of that Place upon which he had fastned so great a scorn Iudg. 16. 3. God also ordering things thus that where he first sinned Iudg. 16. 1. there he should receive his Punishment and bound him with fetters of brass and he did grind in the Prison-house k As Captives and Slaves use to do See Exod. 11. 5. Isa. 47. 2. Matt. 24. 41. l He made himself a Slave to vile Lusts and Harlots and now God suffers men to use him like a Slave 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again l This circumstance though in it self inconsiderable is noted as a sign of the recovery of Gods favour and his former strength in some good degree upon his bitter Repentance and his renewing of his Vow with God which was allowed for
unto the high place for ye shall eat with me to day and to morrow I will let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart m Either all that thou desirest to know as concerning the Asses or rather the secret thoughts of thy heart or such actions as none know but God and thy own heart that so thou mayst be assured of the truth and certainty of that which I am to acquaint thee with And this might be done though it be not here particularly related 20 And as for thine asses that were lost ‡ Heb. to day three days 〈◊〉 days ago set not thy mind on them n Trouble not thy mind about them for they are found And ‡ Cr. for whom are the â—…ble things on whom is all the desire of Israel o Who is he that shall be that Thing or Person which all Israel desire to have to wit a King is it not on thee and on all thy fathers house p That Honour is designed for thee and after thy Death for thy Family or Posterity if by thy Sin thou dost not cut off the Entail 21 And Saul answered and said Am not I a * Psal. 68. 27. Benjamite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel q For so indeed this was having been all cut off except 600 Iudg. 20. which Blow they never recovered and therefore they were scarce reckoned as an intire Tribe but only as a Remnant or Fragment of a Tribe and being Ingrafted into Iudah in the division between the Ten Tribes and the Two they in some sort lost their Name and they together with Iudah were accounted but one Tribe as 1 King 11. 32. c. and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin r i. e. One of the least obscure and inconsiderable in comparison of divers others Whence it may seem that Saul's Family was not so Noble and Wealthy as some imagine See on v. 1. wherefore then speakest thou ‡ Heb. according to this word so to me s Why dost thou feed me with vain hopes of the Kingdom 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant t Whom he honoured for Saul's sake thereby both giving all the Guests occasion to think how great that Person was or should be whose very Servant was advanced above the Chief Persons of the City who were doubtless present upon this occasion and shewing how far himself was from envying Saul that Honour and Power which was to be translated from him to Saul and brought them into the parlour and made them sit in the chiefest place u Thereby to raise all their expectation and to prepare them for giving that Honour to Saul which his approaching Dignity required among them that were bidden which were about thirty persons 23 And Samuel said unto the cook Bring the portion which I gave thee x Or I appointed or disposed to thee i. e. which I bad thee reserve for this use of which I said unto thee Set it by thee 24 And the cook took up the shoulder y To wit the left Shoulder for the right Shoulder was the Priests Levit. 7. 32 33. This he gives him either First As the best and noblest part of the remainders of the Sacrifice the best parts being usually given by the Master of the Feast to such Guests as were most Honourable or best Beloved as Gen. 43. 34. Or Secondly As a secret Symbol or Sign of that burden which was to be laid upon Saul and of that strength which was necessary for the bearing of it the Shoulder being both the Seat of burdens and the subject of strength and that which was upon it z Something which the Cook by Samuel's order was to put upon it when it was drest either for Ornament or in the nature of a Sauce and set it before Saul and Samuel said Behold that which is ‖ Or reserved left a To wit left of the Sacrifice but so all or most of the rest of their Provisions were left Or rather reserved or laid by by my order for thy eating when the rest of the Meat was sent up and disposed of as the Cook pleased set it before thee and eat for unto this time b Till thou shouldst come hither and sit down here whereby thou maist know that thy coming hither was not unknown to me and was designed by God for an higher purpose hath it been kept for thee since I said c To wit to the Cook who was before mentioned as the Person to whose care this was committed I have invited the people d i. e. I have Invited or Designed some Persons for whom I reserve this part For since the word People is not here taken properly but for some particular Persons of the People which were not in all above thirty v. 22. why may not the same word be understood of two or three Persons whom Samuel specially Invited to wit Samuel and his Servant So some Learned Men understand this word People of three Men 2 King 18. 36. And they further Note That in the Arabick and Aethiopick and Persian Languages all which are near a-kin both to themselves and to the Hebrew and do oft-times communicate their signification each to other the word that signifies People is oft used for some few particular Persons Or if the word People be meant of the Chief of the People mentioned above v. 22. then Samuel was the Principal Author of this Sacrifice and Feast and it was not a Sacrifice of the People as it is rendred v. 12. but a Sacrifice and Feast made by Samuel for the People as it should be rendred there and the sence is When I first spake or sent word to the Cook that I had Invited the People first to joyn with me in my Sacrifice and then to partake with me of the Feast I then bad him reserve this part for thy use so Saul did eat with Samuel that day 25 ¶ And when they were come down from the high place into the city Samuel communed with Saul e Concerning the Kingdom designed to him by God and his Duty to expect it patiently till God actually called him to it and to Administer it Piously and Justly and Valiantly upon the top of the house f Which was flat after the manner Deut. 22. 8. and so fit for walking and for secret Prayers Dan. 6. 10. Act. 10. 9. or any private and familiar Discourses among Friends 26 And they arose early and it came to pass about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house g A second time to impart something more to him saying ‡ 〈◊〉 other 〈◊〉 Up that I may send thee away h Prepare thy self for thy departure and journey and Saul arose and they went out both of them he and Samuel abroad i Samuel accompanying Saul part
and my Cause and not according to the rigours of his justice 16. If I had called p i. e. Prayed as this word is commonly used to wit unto my Judge for a favourable sentence as he now said and therefore it was neeedless here to mention the Object of his Calling or Prayer and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice q I could not believe that God had indeed granted my Desire though he had done it because I am so infinitely below him and obnoxious to him and still full of the tokens of his displeasure and therefore should conclude that it was but a pleasant Dream or Fancy and not a real thing Compare Psalm 126. 1. 17. For he breaketh me r This is the Reason of his foregoing Diffidence that even when God seemed to answer him in words yet the course of his actions towards him was of a quite contrary nature and tendency with a tempest s As with a Tempest i. â—… unexpectedly violently and irrecoverably and multiplieth my wounds without cause t Not simply without any desert of his or as if he had no sin in him for he oft declares the contrary but without any evident or special cause of such singular Afflictions i. e. any peculiar and extraordinary guilt such as my Friends charge me with 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath u My pains and miseries are continual and I have not so much as a breathing-breathing-time free from them but 〈◊〉 me with bitterness x My Afflictions are not only long and uninterrupted but also exceeding sharp and violent contrary to the common course of God's Providence 19. If I speak of strength y If my Cause were to be decided by power lo he is strong z i. e. stronger than I. and if of judgment a If I would contend with him in a way of right who shall set me a time to plead b There is no superiour Judge that can summon him and me together and appoint us a time of pleading before him and oblige us both to stand to his Sentence and therefore I must be contented to sit down with the loss 20. If I justifie my self c If I plead against God mine own Righteousness and Innocency mine own mouth shall condemn me d God is so infinitely wise and just that he will find sufficient matter of condemnation from my own words though spoken with all possible care and circumspection or he will discover so much wickedness in me of which I was not aware that I shall be forced to joyn with him in condemning my self if I say I am perfect e If I were perfect in my own opinion If I thought my self compleatly righteous and faultless it f i. e. My own mouth as he now said Or he i. e. God who is easily understood by comparing this with the former Verses where the same he is oft mentioned shall also prove me perverse 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul I would despise my life g i. e. Though God should acquit me in Judgment and pronounce me perfect or righteous yet would I not know i. e. regard or value as that word is oft used my soul i. e. my life as the soul frequently signifies as Gen. 19. 17. Iob 2. 6. Iohn 10. 15 17. and as it is explained in the following branch where life is put for soul and despising for not knowing and so the same thing is repeated in differing words and the latter clause explains the former which was more dark and doubtful according to the usage of sacred Scripture So the sense is Though God should give sentence for me yet I should be so overwhelmed with the dread and terrour of the Divine Majesty that I should be weary of my life And therefore I abhor the thoughts of contending with my Maker whereof you accuse me and yet I have reason to be weary of my life and to desire death Or thus If I say I am perfect as the very same Hebrew words are rendred v. 20. i. e. If I should think my self perfect yet I would not know i. e. not acknowledge my soul I could not own nor plead before God the perfection and integrity of my soul but would onely make supplication to my Judge as he said v. 16. and flee to his grace and mercy I would abhor or reject or condemn my life i. e. my conversation So the sense is I would not insist upon nor trust to the integrity either of my soul and heart or of my life so as to justifie my self before the pure and piercing Eyes of the all-seeing God 22. This is one thing h In the other things which you have spoken of God's greatness justice c. I do not contend with you but thi one thing I do and must affirm against you therefore I said it i I did not utter it rashly but upon deep consideration he de stroyeth the perfect and the wicked k God sends afflictions promiscuously upon good and bad men Compare Psal. 73. 2 c. Eccles. 9. 2. Ier. 12. 1 c. 23. If the scourge slay suddenly l Either 1. If some common and deadly Judgment come upon a people which destroys both good and bad Or 2. If God inflicts some grievous and unexpected stroke upon an innocent person as it follows he will laugh at the trial of the innocent m As he doth at the destruction of the wicked Psal. 2. 4. His outward carriage is the same to both he neglects the innocent and seems not to answer their prayers and suflers them to perish with others as if he took pleasure in their râ—…ne also But withal he intimates the matter and cause of this laughter or complacency which God takes in their afflictions because to them they are but trials of their saith and patience and perseverance which tends to God's honour and their own eternal advantage 24. The earth n i. e. The possession and dominion of men and things on earth is given o To wit by God the great Lord and disposer of it by his providence into the hand of the wicked p Into their power As good men are scourged v. 23. so the wicked are advanced and prospered in this world he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof q i. e. He blinds their eyes that they cannot discern between truth and falshood justice and unrighteousness He. Who Either 1. the wicked last mentioned who either by power or by gifts corrupts the Officers of justice Or rather 2. God whom the pronoun he designed all along this Chapter Who is oft said to blind the minds of men which he doth not positively by making them blind but privatively by withdrawing his own light and leaving them to their own mistakes and lusts Or by Iudges he may here mean
those who are worthy of that name and duly administer that Office Whose faces God may be said to cover because he removeth them from their high places into obscurity and covers them with contempt and in a manner passeth a sentence of condemnation and destruction upon them Covering of the face being the usual posture of condemned persons and of men in great misery Of which see Esth. 7. 8. Psal. 44. 22. Isa. 15. 17. Ier. 14. 4. So the sense of this verse is God commonly advanceth wicked men into power and honour and casteth down men of true worth and vertue from their Seats if not r If it be not as I say If God do not these things where and who is he s Either 1. Who will conâ—…ute me by solid arguments Or 2. Who doth these things Who but God doth dispose of the world in this manner 25. Now t What he had said of the calamities which God usually inflicted upon good men he now exemplifieth in himself * 〈◊〉 7. 6. my days u The days either of my prosperity For the time of affliction is commonly described by the night or rather 2. Of my life as the last clause sheweth For it were an absurd and contradictious speech to say that his prosperous days saw no good are swifter than a Post x Who runs or rides upon swift horses they flee away they see no good y I enjoy no good in them Seeing is oft put for experiencing either good or evil Iob 7. 7. Psal. 34. 12. Ioh. 3. 36. 8. 51. 26. They are passed away as the †Heb. Ships 〈◊〉 ‖ Or Ships of 〈◊〉 swift ships z Heb. ships of desire which make great hast as if they longed for their desired Haven as it is called Psal. 107. 30. Or ships of pleasure Which sail more swiftly than ships of great burden * 〈◊〉 1. 8. as the Eagle a Which geneally flies most swiftly Deut. 28. 40. Ier. 4. 13. Lam. 4. 19. especially when it s own hunger and the sight of its prey quickens his motion that hasteth to the prey 27 * Chap. 7. 13. If I say b If I resolve within my self I will forget my complaints c I will cease complaining I will leave off my †Heb. face heaviness d Heb. mine anger wherewith Iob was charged by his friends Ch. 18 4. my angry expressions and comfort my self e I will endeavour to take comfort 28. I am afraid of all my sorrows f Or my pains and griefs I find all such endeavours vain for if my griefs be suspended for a little time yet my fears continue I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent g I plainly perceive that my changing my note is to no purpose for thou O God to whom he makes a sudden Apostrophe as he doth also v. 31. wiltst not clear my innocency by removing those afflictions which make them judge me guilty of some great crime words proceeding from great impatience and despair of relief 29. If I be wicked h Heb. I shall be wicked or guilty to wit before thee Whether I be holy or wicked if I dispute with thee I shall be found guilty Or thus I shall be used like a wicked man and punished as such So this is opposed to his not being held innocent v. 28. i. e. not being acquitted or exempt from punishment why then labour I in vain i Why then should I not indulge my griefs but restrain them why should I comfort my self with vain hopes of deliverance as thou advisest me Ch. 8. 6. or seek to God as I was directed Ch. 5. 8 for that ease which I see he is resolved not to give me why should I trouble my self with clearing mine innocency seeing God will still hold me guilty 30. * Jer. 2. 22. If I wash my self k Either 1. really by sanctification cleansing my heart and life from all filthiness or rather 2. declaratively or judicially i. e. â—…f I clear my self from all imputations and fully prove my innocency before men with Snow-water l i. e. As men cleanse their bodies and as under the Law they purified themselves with water which he here calls water of Snow either because by its purity and brightness it resembled Snow or because in those dry Countries where fresh and pure water was scarce Snow-water was much in use or because that water might be much used among them in some of their ritual purifications as coming down from Heaven and make my hands never so clean 31. Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch m i. e. In miry and puddle water whereby I shall become most filthy But as Iob's washing so God's plunging him c. is not understood really as if God would make him filthy but onely judicially that God would prove him to be a most guilty and filthy creature notwithstanding all the professions and evidences of his purity before men and mine own cloths shall ‖ Or make me to be abhorred abhor me n i. e. I shall be so altogether filthy that my own cloths if they had any sense in them would abhor to touch me A figure called Prosopopoeia 32. For he is not a man as I am o But one infinitely superiour to me in Majesty and Power and Wisdom and Justice that I should answer him p That I should presume to debate my cause with him or answer his allegations against me and that we should come together q Face to face to plead upon equal terms before a superiour and indifferent Judge in Judgment 33. * 1 Sam. 2. 25. ver 19. Neither is there †Heb. one that shall argue any ‖ Or Umpire days man q Or a Reprover or a Judge or Umpire whose office was to reprove the guilty person betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both r i. e. Use his power and authority to appoint the time and place of our meeting to order and govern us in pleading and to oblige us to stand to his decision The hand is oft put for power and laying on the hand upon another was oft-times an act and sign of superiority and dominion 34. * Chap. 13. 21. 33. 7. Let him take his Rod away from me and let not his fear s Objectively so called i. e. The fear and dread of him of his Majesty and justice Let him not deal with me rigorously according to his soveraign dominion and perfect justice but according to his wonted grace and clemency terrifie me 35. Then would I speak and not fear him t i. e. I would speak freely for my self being freed from the dread of his Majesty which takes away my spirit and courage and stoppeth my mouth †Heb. But I am not so with my self but it is not so with me u i. e.
This may be understood either 1. By way of opposition The Waters go or flow out of the Sea and return thither again Eccles. 1. 7. and a Lake or River sometimes decayeth and drieth up but afterwards is recruited and replenished But man lieth c. as it follows Or 2. By way of resemblance As Waters i. e. some portion of Waters fail from the â—…a being either exhaled or drawn up by the Sun or received and sunk into the dry and thirsty Earth or overflowing its Banks and as the Flood or a River or a Pond for the word signifies any considerable confluence of Waters in a great drought decayeth and is dried up in both which cases the self same Waters never return to their former places So it is with man Or thus as when the Waters fail from the Sea i. e. when the Sea forsakes the place into which it used to flow the River which was fed by it Eccles. 1. 7. decayeth and drieth up without all hopes of Recovery So man when once the Fountain of his radical moisture is dried up dies and never revives again 12. So man lieth down c To wit in his Bed the Grave or to sleep the sleep of Death as this Phrase is used Gen. 46. 30. Deut. 31. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 12. 1 Kin. 1. 21. and riseth not d To wit to this Life For he speaks not here of the Life to come nor of the Resurrection of the Body after death by the divine Power of his belief whereof he giveth sufficient evidences in divers places till the Heavens be no more e i. e. Either 1. Never because the Heavens though they shall be changed in their Qualities yet shall never cease to be as to the Substance of them And therefore everlasting and unchangeable things are expressed by the duration of the Heavens of which see Psal. 72. 5 7 17. 89. 30 36 37. Mat. 5. 18. 24. 35. Or 2. not until the time of the general Resurrection and the restitution of things when these visible Heavens shall pass away and be no more at least in the same form and manner as now they are of which see Psal. 102. 26. Luk. 21. 33. 2 Pet. 3. 7 10. Rev. 21. 1. they shall not awake nor be raised out of their Sleep 13. O that thou wouldest hide me in †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grave f Either 1. In some dark Vault under ground such as good men hide themselves in in times of Persecution Heb. 11. 38. Lord hide me in some hiding place from thy Wrath and all the intolerable effects of it which are upon me for I cannot be hid from thee but by thee Or 2. In the Grave properly so called Though I know Life once lost is irrecoverable yet I heartily desire Death rather than to continue in these Torments And if the next words and wish seem to suppose the continuance of his Life that is not strange For he speaks like one almost distracted with his miseries sometimes wishing one thing sometimes another and the quite contrary as such persons use to do And these Wishes may be understood disjunctively I wish either that I were dead or that God would give me Life free from these torments Or the place may be understood thus I could wish if it were possible that I might lie in the Grave for a time till these storms be blown over and then be restored to a comfortable Life that thou wouldst keep me secret g In some secret and safe place under the shadow of thy Wings and favour that I may have some support and comfort from thee until thy Wrath be past h Whilst I am oppressed with such grievous and various Calamities which he calls Gods Wrath because they were or seemed to be the effects of his Wrath. that thou wouldst appoint me a set time i To wit to my sufferings as thou hast done to my Life v. 5. and remember me k i. e. Wherein thou wiltst remember me to wit in mercy oâ—… so as to deliver me For it is well known that God is frequently said to forget those whom he suffers to continue in misery and to remember those whom he delivers out of it 14. If a man die shall he live again l i. e. He shall not namely in this World as was said before The affirmative question is equivalent to an absolute denial as Gen. 18. 17. Psal. 56. 7. Ier. 5. 9. and every where all the days of †Heb. my warfare my appointed time will I wait till my change come m Seeing Death puts an end to all mens hopes of any comfortable being here because man once dead never returns to Life I will therefore wait on God and hope for his favour whilest I live and it is possible to enjoy it and will continue waiting from time to time until my change come i. e. either 1. Death the great and last change which is expressed by the Root of this word Iob 10. 17. Or 2. The change of my condition for the better which you upon your Terms encourage me to expect and which I yet trust in God I shall enjoy for this word properly signifies Vicissitudes or Changes in ones condition and this seems to suit best with the following verse And this Change or a comfortable Life here Iob so heartily wisheth not only from that love of Life and Comfort which is naturally implanted in all men good and bad and is not forbidden by God which also was stronger in those Old Testament Saints when the discoveries of Gods Grace to sinners and of eternal Life were much darker than now they are but also because this would be an effectual vindication of his own Integrity and Good-name and of the honour of Religion both which did suffer some Eclipse from Iob's extream Calamities as is evident from the discourses of his Friends 15. Thou shalt * Chap. 40. 3. call and I will answer thee n I trust there is a time coming when thou wiltst grant me the mercy which now thou deniest me to wit a favourable hearing when thou wiltst call to me to speak for my self and I shall answer thee which I know will be to thy Satisfaction and my Comfort Compare this with Chap. 13. 22. where the same words are used in this same Sense Or thou shalt call me out of the Grave of my Calamities and I shall answer thee and say Here I am raised out of the Pit in which I was buried by thy powerful and gracious Command thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands o i. e. To me who am thy Workmanship in divers respects from whom thou now seemest to have an aversion and abhorrency but I doubt not thou wiltst have a desire i. e. shew thy Affection or Good-will to me or a desire to look upon me and to deliver me Nor is it strange that Iob who lately was upon the brink of despair
destruction expressed v. 12. and designed by this particle it v. 13. shall not come upon him and his for a season for then there might be some hopes of Recovery but it shall fix its abode with him because it is none of his m This may be added either 1. By way of correction did I say his Tabernacle I must retract the expression for in truth it is none of his it is become another mans Or 2. As a reason of the ruine of his Tabernacle because it is none of his own but got from others by deceit or violence But these words are and may be joined with the former and both thus rendred A stranger Heb. one that is not his that is not descended from him and hath no relation to him shall dwell in his Tabernacle i. e. shall possess his House and Goods brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation n It shall be utterly and prodigiously destroyed as it were by Fire and Brimstone He seems to allude both to the destruction of Sodom upon which God did scatter Brimstone and Fire which happened not long before these times and could not be unknown to them who lived near that place and were diligent observers of Gods works and to the judgment which beâ—…el Iob Ch. 1. 16. when the stranger hath taken and rifled his dwelling he shall forsake it as an accursed place and shall burn it with Fire and Brimstone that there may be no monument of so vile a person left upon the Earth 16. His roots shall be dried up beneath and above shall his branch be cut off o i. e. He shall be destroyed both root and branch i. e. both himself and all his posterity Compare Mal. 4. 1. 17. * Psal. 109. 13. Prov. 2. 22. 10. 7. His remembrance shall perish p Instead of that Honour and Renown which he designed to have both whilest he lived and after his death he is not so much as remembred unless it be with contempt and reproach from the Earth and he shall have no name in the street 18. †Heb. 〈◊〉 shall 〈◊〉 He shall be driven q Heb. They shall drive him i. e. his Enemies or those whom he hath oppressed or they whom God shall appoint to do it whether Angels or men Or it is an impersonal Speech and to be rendred passively as it is also Iob 7. 3. Luk. 12. 20. 16. 9. from light into darkness r From a splendid and prosperous Life to disgrace and misery and to the Grave the Land of Darkness and Forgetfulness as the following words explain it and chased out of the World 19. * Isa. 14. 2â—… Jer. 22. 3â—… He shall neither have Son nor Nephew among his People s But if any such survive they shall be in the hands and power of strangers or rather of their Enemies nor any remaining in his dwellings 20. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day t i. e. At the day of his destruction as the word day is used Psal. 37. 13. 137. 7. Ezek. 21. 25. Obad. 12. They shall be amazed at the suddenness and dreadfulness and prodigiousness of it as Iob's Friends were at his Calamities Ch. 2. 12 13. as they that ‖ Or 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 went before u i. e. Before the persons last mentioned Those who lived in the time and place where this judgment was inflicted †Heb. 〈◊〉 â—…old or 〈◊〉 were affrighted x Or filled with horrour partly through Humanity and Compassion and partly for Fear lest the Judgment should overtake them also 21. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and this is the place of him that knoweth not God y i. e. Who doth not acknowledge nor fear nor serve God as this Phrase is used 1 Sam. 2. 12. Psal. 79. 6. 2 Thes. 1. 8. CHAP. XIX 1. THen Job answered and said 2. How long will ye vex my Soul and break me in pieces with words a With meer empty words void of Sense or Argument with your impertinent and unedifying discourses and bitter reproaches as it followeth 3. These ten times b i. e Many times A certain number for an uncertain So this Phrase is oft used as Gen. 31. 7. Numb 14. 22 c. have ye reproached me ye are not ashamed that ye ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gainst me make your selves strange to me c That you carry your selves like strangers to me and are not concerned nor affected with my Calamities and condemn me as if you had never known my former Piety and Integrity 4. And be it indeed that I have erred d If my Opinion in this point be faulty and erroneous as you pretend it is Or if I have sinned for sin is oft called errour in Scripture and am therefore punished mine errour remaineth with my self e Either 1. It is likely to continue I see no cause from your reasons to change my Judgment Or 2. I suffer deeply for my sins and therefore deserve your pity and help rather than your reproaches whereby you add affliction to the afflicted 5. If indeed ye will magnifie your selves against me f i. e. Use lofty and imperious and contemptuous Speeches against me Or seek Praise and Honour from others by your conquering or out-reasoning of me So called either 1. Your reproaches of me If your reproachful and censorious Speeches must pass for solid Arguments Or 2. My wickedness which if true were just matter of reproach and the cause of all my miseries Or 3. My contemptible and calamitous condition for which you reproach and condemn me as an Hypocrite and wicked man and plead against me my reproach g 6. Know now h Consider what I am now saying that God hath overthrown me i Hath grievously afflicted me in all kinds Therefore it ill becomes you to aggravate my miseries and if my passions hereby raised have broken forth into some extravagant and unmeet expressions I might expect your pitty and favourable construction and not such severe censures and reproaches Heb. God hath perverted me i. e. either my state or condition as was now said or my right and cause He oppresseth me with power and will not give me a fair hearing as it follows v. 7. He giveth me very hard measure and dealeth worse with me than I might in reason and justice expect from so wise and gracious a God This is an harsh reflection upon God but such passages have sometimes come from good men when under sore afflictions and temptations which was Iob's case and hath compassed me with his Net k i. e. With afflictions on every side so that I cannot escape nor get any freedom to come to him and plead with him as I desire 7. Behold I cry out l To wit unto God by Prayer or Appeal of †Or 〈◊〉 wrong m That I am oppressed either 1. by my Friends Or rather
the end of the World and which is called the last day Iohn 6. 39 40 44. 54. 11. 24 12. 48. 1 Pet. 1. 5 For this was the time when Iob's Resurrection of which he speaketh 〈◊〉 was to be Heb. at the last By which word he plainly intimates that his hope was not 〈◊〉 things present and of Worldly Felicities of which his Friends had discoursed so much â—…ut of another kind of and a far greater blessedness which should accrue to him in after-times long after he was dead and rotten Or the last who is both the first and the last Isa. 44. 6. Rev. 1. 11. who shall subdue and survive all his and his peoples Enemies and after others the lâ—…t enemy death 1 Cor. 15. 26. and then shall raise up his people and plead their Cause and vindicate them from all the Calumnies and Injuries which are put upon them and conduct them to Life and Glory upon the earth p The place upon which Christ shall appear and stand at the last day Heb. upon the dust in which his Saints and Members lie or sleep whom he will raise out of it ' And therefore he is fitly said to stand upon the dust or the Grave or Death because then he will put that among other Enemies under his feet as it is expressed 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. Some render the Words thus and that very agreeably to the Hebrew The last or at the last he shall arise or stand up against for so this very Phrase is used Gen. 4. 8. Iudg. 9. 18. Psalm 54. 3. the dust and fight with it and rescue the bodies of the Saints which are held in it as Prisoners from its Dominion and Territories Some understand this of God that He should stand last in the field as Conquerour of all his Enemies But this neither agrees with the words the Hebrew Aphar signifying dust and being never used of the field or plâ—…e of Battel nor with Iob's scope which was to defend himself against his Friends Accusations and to comfort himself with his hopes and assurance of God's Favour to be exhibited to him in due time Which end the words in that sense would by no means serve because God might and would be Conqueror of all his Enemies though Iob himself had been one of them and though his Cause had been bad and his Friends should with God have triumphed over him 26. ‖ 〈…〉 And though after my skin worms destroy this body q The style of this and other Poetical Books is concise and short and therefore many words are to be understood in some places to compleat the sense The meaning of the place is this Though my skin is now in a great measure consumed by Sores and the rest of it together with this body shall be devoured by the Worms which may seem to make my case quite desperate Heb. And though which â—…article as it is oft elsewhere is here to be understood as the opposition of the next branch sheweth after my skin which either now is or suddenly will be consumed by Sores or Worms they i. e. the destroyers or devourers as is implyed in the Verb such Impersonal speeches being usual in the Scripture as Gen. 50. 26. Luke 12. 20. 16. 9. where the actions are expressed but the persons or things acting are understood And by the Destroyers he most probably designs the Worms which do this work in the Grave destroy or cut off or devour this i. e. all this which you see left of me this which I now point to all this which is contained within my skin all my flesh and bones this which I know not what to call whether a living Body or a dead Carkass because it is between both and therefore he did not say this body because it did scarce deserve that name yet r For the Particle and is oft used adversatively Or then as it is oft rendred in my flesh s Heb. out of my flesh or with as the Particle Mem is used Can. 1. 2. 3. 9. Isa 57. 8. my flesh i. e. with eyes of flesh as Iob himself calls them Chap. 10. 4. Or with bodily eyes my flesh or body being raised from the Grave and restored and reunited to my soul. And this is very sitly added to shew that he did not speak of a mental or spiritual but of a corporeal Vision and that after his death shall I see God t The same whom he called his Redeemer v. 25. i. e. Christ of which see the note there who being God-man and having taken flesh and appearing in his flesh or body with and for Iob upon the earth as was said v. 25. might very well be seen with his bodily eyes Nor is this understood of a simple seeing of him for so even they that pierced him shall see him Revel 1. 7. but of seeing him with delight and comfort as that word is oft understood as Gen. 48. 11. Iob 42. 16. Psalm 128. 5. Isa. 53. 11. of that glorious and beautiâ—…ying Vision of God which is promised to all God's people Psalm 16. 11. 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 2. 27. Whom I shall see u In manner before and after expressed No wonder that he repeats it again and again because the meditation of it was most sweet to him for my self x i. e. For my own comfort and benefit as that Phrase is oft used Or which is much of the same importance on my behalf to plead my Cause and vindicate me from all your reproaches and mine eyes shall behold and not †〈…〉 another y To wit for me or in my stead I shall not see God by anothers eyes but by my own and by these self-same eyes in this same body which now I have Heb. not a stranger i. e. This priviledge shall be granted to me and to all other sincere Servants of God but not to strangers i. e. to wicked men who are oft called strangers as Psal. 18. 44 45. 54. 3. Prov. 21. 8. because they are estranged or alienated from God and from his service and people And if I were such an one as you suppose me to be I could never hope to enjoy that happiness though my reins be consumed †Heb. in my 〈◊〉 within me z This I do confidently expect and hope for though at present my Case seems desperate my very inward parts being even consumed with grief and though as I have said the Grave and the Worms will consume my whole Body not excepting the Reins which seem to be fasest and furthest out of their reach Or without though which is not in the Hebrew My reins are consumed within me So this may be a sudden and passionate ejaculation or exclamation such as we find Gen. 48. 18. and oft in the Book of Psalms arising from the contemplation and confident expectation of this his unspeakable happiness wherein he expresseth
and the chief time for its adoration or the moon walking †Heb. bright in brightness n When it shines most clearly or when it is at the full for then especially did the Idolaters worship it 27. And my heart hath been secretly o In my inward thoughts or affections whilest I made open profession of my adherence to God and to the true religion enticed p Or seduced or deceivea by its plausible and glorious appearance which might easily cheat a credulous and inconsiderate person to believe that there was something of a Divinity in them and so induce him to worship it This emphatical expression seems to be used with design to teach the World this necessary and useful truth that no mistake or errour of mind would excuse the practice of Idolatry or q Heb. and which seems more proper here because the secret errour of the Mind without some such visible action and evidence as here follows had not been punishable by the Judges †Heb. 〈◊〉 hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my mouth hath kissed my hand r In token of Worship whereof this was a sign whether given to men as Gen. 41. 40. Psalm 2. 12. or to Idols 1 Kings 19. 18. Hos. 13. 2. And when the Idols were out of the reach of Idolaters that they could not kiss them they used to kiss their hands and as it were to throw kisses at them of which we have many examples in Heathen Writers Of which see my Latine Synopsis on this place 28. This also s No less then the other forementioned sins Adultery Oppression c. were an iniquity to be punished by the judge t i. e. By the civil Magistrate who being advanced and protected by God is obliged to maintain and vindicate his Honour and consequently to punish Idolatry And this did not cease to be his duty although the Magistrates of the world in Iob's time were so far from this that they themselves also were Idolaters Yet considering that both Iob and his Friends who lived in his time and neighbourhood were most probably the Posterity or Kindred of Abraham and his Family and by him or his instructed in the knowledge of the true God and were also men of great Power and Authority in their places it seems most likely that they did restrain and punish Idolatry in their several Jurisdictions or at least in their own large and numerous Families where the Masters anciently had power of Life and Death without controll for I should have denied the God u Not directly for nothing is more evident than this that divers of the wiser Heathens who did worship the Sun and Moon did yet acknowledge and adore the soveraign and supream God over and above all but by consequence and construction because this was to rob God of his Prerogative by giving to the â—…reature that religious honour or worship which is peculiar to God that is above x Who is above the Sun and Moon not only in place his glorious Mansion and Palace being far above all visible Heavens but also in power and dignity or adorable excellency 29. * 〈◊〉 17. If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me y I was so far from malice and revenging my self of mine Enemy which is the common and allowed practise of ungodly men that I did not so much as desâ—…re or delight in his ruine when it was brought upon him by other hands Compare Exod 23. 4. Prov. 24. â—…7 18. Whence we may judge whether the great Duty of loving and forgiving our Enemies be a peculiar Precept of Christianity or whether it be a natural and moral Duty and a part and act of that Charity which now is and ever was the Duty of one man to another in all ages or lift up my self z Heb. stirred up my self to rejoyce and insult over his misery when evil found him 30. * 〈◊〉 5. 4 Roâ—… 12. 14 Neither have I suffered †Heb. my Palate my mouth a Heb. my palate which being one of the Instruments of Speech is put for another or for all the rest The sense is If any secret passion or desire of his hurt did arise in me I forthwith suppressed it and did not suffer it to grow and break forth into an Imprecation of hurt to him to sin by wishing a curse to his soul 31. If the men of my tabernacle b i. e. My Domesticks and familiar Friends who were much conversant with me in my House and were Witnesses of my carriage to others and of their carriages to me and therefore best able to judge in the case said not Oh that we had of his flesh c Either 1. of Iob's flesh which is thought to be an expression either 1. of their servent love to him caused by his great tenderness and kindness to them But his meek and gentle carriage to his Servants he had expressed before in plain terms v. 13. and therefore it is not likely he would repeat it at least in such an obscure and ambiguous phrase as is no where used in this sense and is used in a contrary sense Chap. 19. 22. Or 2 of their hatred and rage against him for the excessive trouble he put upon them in the entertainment of strangers which follows v. 32. But it is very improbable either that so just and merciful a man as Iob would put intolerable burdens upon his Servants or that some extraordinary trouble brought upon them by hospitality would inflame them to such an height of rage as this phrase implies against so excellent and amiable a Master Or 2. of the flesh and other provisions made by Ioâ—… for strangers He feeds them liberally but scarce alloweth us time to satisfie our selves therewith which also is very unlikely Or rather 3. of the flesh of Iob's enemy of whom he last spoke v. 29 30. And so this is an amplification and further confirmation of 〈◊〉 charitable disposition and 〈◊〉 to his Enemy although his cause was so jâ—…st and the 〈◊〉 of his Enemies was so notorious and unreasonable that all who were daily 〈◊〉 with him and were Witnesses of his and their mutual carriages did condâ—… and abhor them for it and were so conâ—… and 〈◊〉 in Iâ—…'s quarrel that â—…hey protâ—… they could 〈◊〉 their very 〈◊〉 and could not be satisfied without it And yet notwithstanding all these Provocaâ—…ions of others he restrained both them and himself from executing vengeance upon them as David afterwards did in a like case 1 Sam. 24. 5 2 Sam. 1â—… â—… 10. we cannot be satisfied d To wit without caâ—…ing his flesh 32. * 〈◊〉 12. 13. 〈◊〉 13. 2. 〈◊〉 4. 9. The stranger e Or 〈◊〉 as it follows did not lodge in the street f But in my house according to the Laws of Hospitality and the usage of those times when there were no publick Inâ—…s provided for the conveniency
to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meant of the Hipopotamus whose constant residence is in or near the River of Nilus or the Willows that grow by it But it is well alledged by our learned and judicious Caryl that this word Naal is never used to express Nilus when it is put by it self as here it is but onely where the word Egypt is added to it as it is in all the places which Bochart produceth And this very phrase the Willows of the Brook is used of other Brooks or Rivers besides Nilus as Levit. 23. 40. Comp. Isa. 15. 7. compass him about 23. Behold †〈…〉 he drinketh up r Or He snatcheth or draweth or drinketh up as it were with force and violence as the word signifies a river s i. e. A great quantity of water hyperbolically called a River as it is also Psal. 78. 16. 105. 41. This may be fitly applied to the Elephant which because of its great bulk and vehement thirst drinks a great deal of Water at one draught as Naturalists and Historians have observed and hasteth not t He drinks not with fear and caution and sparingly as the Dogs do at Nilus for fear of the Crocodile but such is his courage and self-confidence that he fears no enemy either by Water or by Land but drinketh securely and liberally he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his Mouth u He drinks as if he designed or hoped or desired to drink up the whole River He mentions Iordan either as a River well known in and nigh unto Iob's land or because possibly there were many Elephants which used to drink at it or as a River in some parts of it but small which therefore might give more colour to the Hyperbole and to the Elephants fancy or expectation than a vaster River such as Euphrates would have done Bochart expounds this also of the Hippopotamus which though he cannot swim and may be drowned as Naturalists report yet will continue securely under Water at the bottom of Nilus for some days together and he renders the Verse thus Behold if a River oppress or cover him he fears not he is confident or secure though Iordan which is here put for any River should break forth or over-flow above his mouth i. e. should overwhelm him But the judgment of this I leave to the Reader 24. ‖ 〈…〉 He taketh it with his Eyes his nose pierceth through snares x According to this Translation the sense is this He taketh or snatcheth or draweth up as was now said v. 23. it to wit the River Iordan with his Eyes i. e. when he sees it he trusteth that he can drink it all up as we use to say The Eye is bigger than the Belly his Nose or Snout pierceth c. i. e. He securely thrusteth his Snout into the River even to the bottom of it to stir up the mud because he delights to drink muddy Water and if there be any Snares laid for other Creatures he breaks them to pieces But this Verse is otherwise translated by others Will or Can any man take him in his Eyes i. e. openly and by manifest force Surely no. His force and strength is too great for Man to resist or overcome and therefore men are forced to use many wiles and engines to catch him which is true both of the Elephant and of the Hippopotamus Or pierce his Nose with Snares or Gins No. He may be taken by art and cunning but not by violence CHAP. XLI 1. CAnst thou draw out ‖ 〈…〉 Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord †〈…〉 which thou lettest down a Canst thou take him with a Hook and a Line as Anglers take ordinary Fishes Surely no. Quest. What is this Leviathan Ans. This is granted on all hands that it is a great and terrible Monster living in the Sea or Rivers as Behemoth is a Land-monster It is the general and received Opinion that it is the Whale which is unquestionably called the Leviathan Psal. 104. 25 26. which having been discovered in the Seas next bordering upon Arabia probably was not unknown to Iob who was a very inquisitive Person and well studied in the works of God as this Book manifests But some later and very learned Interpreters conceive that it is the Crocodile which was very well known in Egypt and all the parts adjacent to it And this is evident that the Hebrew word Thannin which is Parallel to this word Leviathan these two words being synonymous and the one promiscuously used for the other as appears from Psal. 74. 13 14. Isa. 27. 1. Ezek. 32. 2. is used of the Crocodile Ezek. 29 3 4. 32. 2 3. But I shall not positively determine this Controversy but onely shew how far the Text may be understood of both of them and then submit it to the Readers Judgment this being a matter of no great moment wherein Christians may vary without any hazard Onely this I will say That whatever becomes of the Behemoth of the former Chapter whether that be the Elephant or the Hippopotamus that doth not at all determine the sense of this Leviathan but leaves it indifferent to the Whale or the Crocodile as the context shall determine which I confess seems to me to savour the latter more than the former To which may be added that it seems more probable that God would speak of such Creatures as were very well known to Iob and his Friends as the Crocodile was than of such as it is very uncertain whether they were known in those parts and in Iob's time This Verse noting either the impossibility or rather the great and terrible difficulty of taking this Monster with his Hook or Line or such like instruments may agree to either of them For the Whale there is no doubt nor much doubt as to the Crocodile the taking whereof was generally esteemed by the Ancients to be very difficult and perillous whatsoever peculiar vertue or power from Nature or Art the Tentyritae had against them as the Psylli were said to have against Serpents Some indeed object that the last Clause cannot agree to the Crocodile because that hath no Tongue as is affirmed by Aristotle Pliny and other ancient Authors But that is a mistake and the ground of it is plain because their Tongues are but small in proportion to their vast Bodies and withal fastned to their under Jaws as the self-same Authors note And that the Crocodile hath a tongue is positively affirmed by the said ancient Authors and by the Hebrew Writers and by the Arabians to whom this Creature was best known and by later Authors 2. Canst thou put an hook b Heb. a Bulrush i. e. an Hook like a Bulrush with its head hanging down as is expressed Isa. 58. 5. into his nose c To hang him up by it for Sale or to carry him home for
speaks both these words and all the rest of this Psalm in his own Name and Person And David might well call them his People either because they were his Friends and Favourers Or because he being anointed their King they were consequently his People Or because he was now actually their King and so they were actually his People For some conceive that this Psalm was made in the time and upon the occasion of Absalom's Rebellion as they eat bread p i. e. With as little regret or remorse and with as much greediness and delight and Constancy too as they use to eat their Meat The Particle as is here understood as it is Psal. 125. 2. Prov. 26. 9. and in many other places and call not upon the LORD q They are guilty not only of gross Injustice and Oppression towards men but also of horrid Impiety and Contempt of God whose Providence they deny and whose Worship they wholly neglect and despise 5. There r i. e. In the place or upon the spot where they practised these Insolencies God struck them with a panick fear Or Then i. e. In the height of their Tyranny and prosperous Impiety when they seemed to have no cause for it An Adverb of Place for an Adverb of Time of which there want not Examples in Scripture and other Authors as hath been noted before Or thence as this Particle is rendered Gen. 2. 10. and 49. 24. Isa. 65. 20 i. e. From that time or for that Cause as some take it and it may be taken Iob 35. 12. Psal. 36. 12. i. e. For this their contempt of God and manifest injury to Men. †Heb. they feared a fear were they in great fear s From their own guilty Consciences and the just Expectation of divine Vengeance Heb. They feared with fear i. e. Vehemently where there was no cause of fear as is here implied for they are now supposed to be in a State of Power and Tyranny as is expressed in the Parallel place Psal. 53. 5. Or they shall be greatly afraid the past Tense being put for the future Prophetically for t For they remembred what a potent Adversary they had and therefore had cause enough to fear Or Bâ—…t as this Particle is taken Gen. 45. 8. Psal. 37. 20. Eccles. 2. 10. and 6. 2. So he describes the contrary and safe Condition of the Righteous Or when as it oft signifies and so it Answers to the then in the beginning of the Verse when God shall once appear for his People a dreadful Horror shall seize upon their wicked Enemies God is in the generation of the righteous u i. e. Among them with his gracious and powerful Presence to defend them and to fight against their Enemies Or God is for c. as the Hebrew beth oft signifies that is God is on their side and therefore their Enemies have great cause to tremble 6. * Psal. 22. 7. 8. Ye have shamed x i. e. Desired and endeavoured to bring it to Shame or disappoint it Comp. Psal. 6. 10. Or ye have reproached or derided it as a foolish thing the counsel of the poor y i. e. The cause which he hath taken to defend himself which is not by lying and flattery and violence and all manner of Wickedness which is your Counsel and usual Practice but by trusting in God and keeping his way and calling upon his Name because z This was the ground of their Contempt and Scorn that he lived by Faith in Gods promise and Providence Or but as in the foregoing Verse So there seems to be an Elegant and fit Opposition You reproach them but God will own and Protect them and justifie their Counsel which you deride the LORD is his refuge 7. †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Psal. 53. 6. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ‖ These words directly and immediately Concern the deliverance of the People of Israel out of that sinful and deplorable Estate in which they now were which having described in the Body of the Psalm he concludes after his manner with a prayer to God to hear and help them out of Zion where the Ark then was whence God used to hear and Answer his Peoples prayers But ultimately and principally they Design a further even the spiritual Redemption and Salvation of all Gods Israel by the Mâ—…ssias as may appear by divers Considerations 1. That the Ancient Jews did thus understand it and among others Ionathan's Targum or Paraphrase on the Bible expound it thus I do not expect Gideon's Salvation which was but Corporeal nor that of Sampson but the Salvation of the Messias With whom agrees the Targum of Ierusalem 2. That the Doctrine of Israel's Redemption or Salvation by Christ was very well known as to other ancient Patriarchs Iob 8. 56. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. so particularly to David of whom it is expresly said that he knew and â—…oresaw this Mystery Act. 2. 30 31. in whose Book of Psalms there are divers and very distinct and clear Prophecies of it as we have in part seen upon Psal. 2. and 8. and shall see more fully and Evidently hereafter 3. That David and other holy Prophets in the midst of their sad Thoughts and Fears and Troubles did usually Comfort themselves with the Promise and Expectation of the Messias by whom and by whom alone they should receive that plenary Salvation for which they groaned of which it is thought we have one instance Gen. 49. 18. but we have many unquestionable Instances in the Prophecy of Isaiah as Ch. 7. 14. and 9. 6. c. And this Course might be the more seasonable for David because he speaks here of his Troubles after he was settled in his Kingdom as may be gathered from the mention of Zion where the Ark was not till that time and possibly of the sad and sinful State of his Kingdom during Absolom's Rebellion and therefore finding himself so strangely disappointed of that Peace and Happiness which he Confidently expected when once he came to the Kingdom and wisely and justly presaging that his Children and the following Generations of Israelites for the same Causes were likely to meet with the same or greater Calamities than this he wearieth himself with the Expression of his Belief and desire of the coming of the Messias to save his People 4. To this also suits the mention of Zion because the Prophets knew and foretold that the Messias or Deliverer should first come to Zion and should set up his Throne there and from thence send forth his Laws and Edicts to the Gentile World as is positively affirmed Psal. 2. 6. and 110. 2. Isa. 2. 3 and 59. 20. Comp. with Rom. 11. 26 and in many other place 5. The following words agree only to this time wherein he speaks of bringing back the Captivity of his people with the universal joy of all Iacob and Israel which
of shouting or resounding i. e. Of Thanksgiving Which were accompanied with the sound of Trumpets and other Instruments Numb 10. 10. 1 Chron. 16. 41 42. Psal. 33. 3. I 〈◊〉 of shouting will sing yea I will sing praises unto the LORD 7. Hear O LORD when I cry with my voyce have mercy also upon me and answer me 8. ‖ Or my Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Face 〈◊〉 When thou saidst p Either by thy Word Commanding aud inviting me so to do Or by thy Spirit directing and inclining me to it seek ye my face q i. e. Seek my Presence and Favour and Help by Fervent and faithful Prayer my heart said unto thee r My heart readily and thankfully Compâ—…ed with the Motion and upon the Incouragement of this Command or Invitation and Promise couched in it I resolved I would do so and do so at this time But this Verse is a little otherwise rendred by divers learned Men. And the words lye in another Order in the Hebrew Text which runs thus To thee my Heart said Thou hast said Which Verb may well be understood here as it is also 1 Kings 20. 34. and as divers other Verbs are understood in the sacred Text as Levit. 24. 8. 2 Sam. 18. 12. and 23. 17. Compare with 1 Chron. 11. 19. and in many other places which is not strange in so Conciâ—…e and short a Language as the Hebrew is Seek ye my Face This is thy great Command so oft and so Vehemently urged as containing the very Substance and Foundation of all true Piety Thy face Lord I will seek I cheerfully do and will Obey thy Command therein Or the Verse may be thus translated without any Supplement which where it can be done is Confessedly the best way of Translation Concerning thee as the Particle Lamed is oft used Or For or Instead of thee as it is unquestionably used Gen. 11. 3. Exod. 13. 16. Prov. 21. 18. i. e. In thy Name and Words and according to thy Mind My Heart said To wit â—…o or within my self as the Word said is frequently taken i. e. I seriously consider within my self this following Command of thine oft Inculcated in thy Word and press it upon my own Conscience Seek ye my Face Thy Face Lord will I seek Thou commandest it and I will Obey thee therein thy face LORD will I seek 9. Hide not thy 〈◊〉 s Which I in Obedience to thy Command am now seeking 〈◊〉 from me â—…ut not thy servant away t To wit from thy Face or Presence or 〈◊〉 the place of thy Worship 1. From which he either now was or formerly had been driven two ways God and he might be parted either by God's departure or withdrawing from him which he might â—…o even in the plcce of 〈◊〉 Worship or by God's putting him away from 〈◊〉 Presence Against the first he seems to 〈◊〉 his Prayer in the first Clause and against the Latter in 〈◊〉 iâ—… 〈◊〉 thoâ—… hast been my help leave me not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me O God of my salvation 10. ‖ Or 〈◊〉 * Iâ—…a 49. 15 When my father and my mother forsake me u Or 〈◊〉 me as being unable to Help me and rather a Burden than an Help to me fâ—…r which Reason Dâ—…id desired them to leave him and disposed of them in another place 1 Saâ—… 22. Or his Father and Mother were now Dead Or by his Father and Mother he may signifie his near Relations and Friends which forsook him in the time of Trouble as men usually do Or the Words may be rendred Though my Father and Mother should forsake me ‖ Or but. then x Or yet as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 frequently signifies the LORD †Heb. will gather me will 〈◊〉 me up y Or will receive mâ—… to wit to himself as this Verb is used Ioâ—… 20. 4. Iudg. 19. 15. Mat. 23. 37. 11. * Psal. 〈◊〉 4. 86. 11. 119. 27. Teach me thy way z i. e. What Course I shall take to please thee and to discharge my Duty and to save my self from Ruine O LORD and lead me in †Heb. a way of Plainness a plain path a Of which see the Note on Psal. 26. 2 where the Hebrew words are the same because of †Heb. those which observe me mine enemies b That I may neither open their Moâ—…hs against me or Religion by my Miscarriages nor fall into their Hands by my folly nor give them any Occasion of Triumphing ouer me 12. Deliver me not over unto the will c Or Lust or Desire Heb. Soul which is so taken Psal. 41. 2. and 78. 18. Ezek. 16. 2â—… of mine enemies for * Psal. 35. 11 false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breath out cruelty d He presseth his Request from the quality of his Enemies who were both falâ—…e and Cruel and in both Respects hateful to God and Men. 13. I had fainted e These words are added to compleat the Sence For the Speech is abrupt and Imperfect as is very usual not only in the Holy Scripture but in many other Authors in all vehement Passions or Commotions of mind such as David was in at this time Having declared what perfidious and cruel Enemies did now assault and encompass him he now subjoyns what impression the Thoughts thereof made upon him and speaks like one that wanted Words to express how sad and desperate his Condition would have been if he had not been supported by Faith in God's promises unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD f To enjoy which is oft expressed by seeing the Mercy which God hath promised me in the land of the living g i. e. In this World which is oft so called as Iob 28. 13. Psal. 52 5. and 116. 9. and 142. 5. Isa. 38. 11. and 53. 8. Ier. 11. 19. Ezek. 32. 32. and is opposed to the Grave which is the place of the Dead And David was thus earnestly desirous of this Mercy in this Life not because he placed his Portion in these things which he so solemnly Disclaims Psal. 17. 14. but because the Truth and Glory of God were highly concerned in making good the Promise of the Kingdom made to him 14. * Psal. 31. â—…4 130. 5. Iâ—…a 25. 9. Heb. 2. 3. Wait on the LORD h O my Soul to which he now turneth his Speech as he frequently doth in this Book be of good courage and ‖ Or let thine Heart be strong So Gr. he shall strengthen thine heart i He will uphold thee and keep thee from fainting and sinking under thy Burdens wait I say on the LORD PSAL. XXVIII The ARGUMENT This Psalm seems to be made upon the same Occasion with the former and is mixed as many others of his Psalms are of Hopes and Fears of Prayers and Praises A Psalm of David 1. UNto thee will I cry O
proceeding from a malignity of mind whereby a man is grieved for another mans happiness in which he should rejoice partly because it is more deeply rooted and implacable whereas the other passions are commonly allayed and partly because it is more secret and undiscernable and therefore the mischievous effects of it are hardly avoidable whereas wrath and anger discover themselves and so forewarn and forearm a man against the danger 5 Open f Heb. which is manifested or discovered either 1. Publickly and before others when it is needful in which case though it put a man to some shame yet it doth him good Or 2. Privately and to the offenders face a plain and down-right reproof rebuke is better g More desirable and beneficial than secret h Which lies hid in the heart and doth not shew it self by friendly Actions and particularly by free and faithful Reproof which is a principal end and benefit of friendship love 6 * 〈◊〉 141. 5. Faithful are i They proceed from an upright and truly loving and faithful Soul and really promote the good of the person reproved the wounds k The sharpest reproofs which for the present wound his Spirit and Reputation of a friend but the kisses l All the fair Speeches and outward Professions of Friendship of an enemy are ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceitful m Or are to be deprecated are perfidious and pernicious and such things as one may pray to God to be delivered from them Or are forced like things which are procured with great difficulty and many intreaties 7 The full soul n A man whose appetite or desire which is oft expressed in Scripture by the name of Soul is fully satisfied †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot loatheth an honey comb o The most delicious meats The design of this Proverb is to shew the inconvenience that oft times attends upon plenty and the advantage of Poverty that the rich might learn moderation and the poor content but * 〈◊〉 6. 7. to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet 8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest p That flies very much abroad from place to place whereby she is exposed to all the arts of Fowlers and to Birds of Prey from which she is safe whilest she keeps her nest so is a man that wandereth from his place q That through vanity or lightness changeth the place of his abode or his Calling and course of Life the ill effects whereof have been frequently observed and noted even in vulgar Proverbs as when we say A rolling Stone gathers no Moss 9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart r By increasing and comforting the spirits so doth the sweetness of a mans friend †〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 of the by hearty counsel s No less grateful and pleasant is the company and conversation of a true friend in respect of his good and faithful counsel which comes from his very Heart and Soul and contains his most inward and serious Thoughts whereas deceitful persons give such counsels not as they think to be best but as most serve their Lusts or designs 10 Thine own friend and thy fathers friend t Of whose friendship thou hast had long experience forsake not neither go into thy brothers house u To wit for comfort and relief and so as to forsake or neglect thy friend for him in the day of thy calamity for * Ch. 17. 17 18. 24. better is a neighbour x The friend mentioned in the beginning of the verse who hath shewed himself to be a true and a good neighbour that is near y Either 1. In place by cohabitation Or rather 2. In affection in which respect God is oft said to be near to the righteous and far from the wicked than a brother far off 11 * Ch. 10. 1 23. 24. My son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that reproacheth me z For being the father of a wicked son as if I had either deserved him as a curse from God or made him so by my example or by the neglect of his education See Ezek. 16. 44. 1 Tim. 3. 4. 12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished a This was delivered Ch. 22. 3. and is here repeated to enforce the foregoing exhortation by representing the great advantage of Wisdom 13 * Ch. 20. 16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger and take a pledg of him for a strange woman b Possibly this is here repeated as a part of the fathers counsel to his Son begun v. 11. to avoid rash Suretyship to which young men are most prone and by which they are exposed in the beginning of their days to many sins and miseries which they carry with them to their graves 14 He that blesseth his friend c That saluteth or praiseth and applaudeth him to his face as the manner of flatterers is with a loud voice d That both he and others may be sure to take notice of it rising early in the morning e To perform this Office to shew his great forwardness and diligence and zeal in his service which was the custom of the Romans afterward and possibly of some of the Jews at this time it shall be counted a curse to him f His friend will value this kind of blessing no more than a curse because it plainly discovers a base design and is an high reflection upon him as if he either did not understand such gross and palpable flattery or were so ridiculously vain-glorious as to be pleased with it 15 * Ch. 19. 13 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike g Are equally troublesom the first not suffering a man to go abroad with comfort the latter not permitting him to stay at home with quietness 16 Whosoever hideth her h i. e. Attempts to smother or bridle her passion that it may not break forth to her shame and to his own discomfort and reproach hideth the wind i Undertakes that which is impossible and the ointment of his right hand k Which being the great instrument of action by its much stirring diffuseth the savour of it which bewrayeth it self 17 Iron sharpeneth iron l Iron cutting tools are made bright and sharp and fit for use by rubbing them against the file or some other Iron so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend m So a man who being alone is sad and dull and unactive by the company and conversation of his friend is greatly refreshed his very wits are sharpened and his spirit revived and he is both fitted for and provoked to action The countenance is here put for the mind or spirit whose temper or disposition is commonly visible in mens countenances 18 Whoso
and from the Nature of the Thing for this really was the last Time and State of the Church in the World the Jewish Pedagogy was to be abolished but Christs Institutions were to continue to the end of the World that the mountain of the LORDS house d The Temple of the Lord which is upon Mount Moriah which yet is not to be understood literally of that Material Temple but mystically of the Church of God as appears from the next following Words which will not admit of a literal Interpretation and from the flowing of all Nations to it which was not to that Temple nor indeed was fulfilled till that Temple was destroyed and from the frequent use of this Metaphor the Temple or the House of the Lord concerning the Christian Church both in the Old and the New Testament shall be ‖ Or prepared established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills e Shall be placed and setled in a most conspicuous and glorious manner being advanced above all other Churches and Kingdoms in the World and all nations f Those Gentiles whom you now despise and judge to be abhorred and quite forsaken by God shall flow g Shall come in great abundance and with great eagerness like a River as the Word signifies unto it 3 And many people shall go h Shall not onely have some weak desires of going but shall be ready to take pains and shall actually go and say i Such shall be their Zeal that they shall not onely go themselves but shall perswade and press others to go with them * Jer. 31. 6. 50. 5. Zech. 8. 21. Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths k They shew the truth of their Conversion by their hearty desire to be instructed in the way or method of worshipping and serving God acceptably and by their firm purpose of practising the Instructions given to them for l This last Clause contains the Reason why the People should be so forward to go and to invite others to go with them and they may be the Words either of the People continuing their Speech or of the Prophet now returning to speak in his own name out of Zion shall go forth the law m The New Law the Doctrine of the Gospel which is frequently called a Law because it hath the Nature and Power of a Law obliging us no less to the Belief and Practice of it than the Old Law did and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem n For the Accomplishment of this Promise see Luk. 24. 47. Act. 1. 8. Rom. 10. 18. 4 And he shall judge among the nations o Christ shall set up and use his Authority among and over all Nations not onely giving Laws to them as other Rulers do but doing that which no other Powers can do convincing their minds and Consciences conquering and changing their Hearts and ordering their Lives and shall rebuke p Either verbally by his Word and Spirit reproving or convincing the World of Sin or really by his Judgments upon his implacable Enemies which obstruct the Propagation of the Gospel many people and * Psal. 46. 9. Hos. 2. 18. Zech. 9. 10. they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into ‖ Or Sithes pruning-hooks nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more q He shall root out those great Animosities and Hostilities which were between the Jews and Gentiles Eph. 2. 13 c. and between several Nations subduing Mens Pride and Passions and Lusts which are the Causes of all Wars and Contentions and working Humility and Meekness and Self-denial and true and fervent Love to all Men from whence Peace necessarily follows This was the Design of the Gospel in all and the Effect of it in those that rightly received it And that War and Dissension which was occasioned by the Preaching of the Gospel as was foretold Mat. 10. 21 22. it was wholly accidental by reason of Mens corrupt Interests and Lusts which the Gospel opposed and it was not amongst those who received the Gospel in the love of it but between them and those who were either open Enemies or false Friends to them and to the Gospel But if this Place â—…e understood of an external and general Peace which was to be in the World in the Days of the Messias this also may in due time be verified when all Israel shall be saved and the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in and both Jews and Gentiles shall be united together into one Fold under Christ their great Shepherd all which is prophecied and promised Ioh. 10. 16. Rom. 11. and elsewhere For it is not necessary that all the Prophecies concerning the Kingdom of the Messias should be accomplished in an instant or at the beginning of it but it is sufficient if they be fulfilled before the end of it And some of them do manifestly belong to the last days of that Kingdom And therefore there is no truth nor weight in that Argument which the Jews bring from this Place against our Messias because of those Wars that have hitherto been and still are amongst Christians for this doth not prove that these Wars shall never cease or that there shall not be such a Peace in the World as they understand before the end of Christs Kingdom 5 O house of Jacob come ye r Seeing the Gentiles are thus ready and resolved to go to the Lords House let this oblige and provoke you O ye Israelites to go with them or before them Whereby he secretly intimates their backwardness and that when the Gentiles did come into the Church they would apostatize from it and let us walk * Chap. 10. 17. in the light of the LORD s Take heed that you do not reject that Light which is so clear that even the blind Gentiles will discern it 6 Therefore t For the following Reasons Or But as this Particle is oft used But why do I perswade the Israelites to receive the Light of the Gospel My labour is in vain I foresee they will refuse it and God for their many and great Sins will give them up to Apostacy and Infidelity thou hast forsaken u Wilt certainly forsake and reject thy people the house of Jacob x The Body of that Nation because they be replenished ‖ Or more than the east from the east y Their Land is full of the impious and superstitious and idolatrous Manners of the Eastern Nations the Syrians and Chaldaeans and * Deut. 18. 14. are soothsayers z These undertook to discover secret things and to foretel future contingent things by the superstitious Observation of the Stars or Clouds or
They lie upon the backs of your Cattel like dull and unprofitable and heavy burdens to the beasts as they had been to men before they are a burden to the weary beast 2. They g Either 1. The Idols of whom these words are used ver 1. Or 2. The Babylonians who are sufficiently implied in that expression their idols ver 1. stoop they bow down together h Either 1. one as well as another Or 2. the Babylonians and their Idols together neither could help the other they could not deliver the burden i Either 1. the Idols could not deliver themselves who were now a burden to the Beasts and carried away by them Or 2. the Babylonians could not deliver their Idols which he now had called burdens And this Sence seems most probable from the following Clause which clearly speaks of the same persons or things but themselves c. Heb. their Souls For although the Soul is here put for the Person as it commonly is yet that Title is never given to any Idol or lifeless thing but onely to such Creatures as have or had Souls within their Bodies So the meaning of this and the foregoing Verse is this That neither the Babylonians nor their Idols could Save either themselves or one another but both are bowed down and gone into Captivity together but †Heb. their soul. themselves are gone into captivity 3. Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel i Fitly so called with respect Either 1. to all the Tribes of Israel Ten of which were now lost and gone Or 2. to the state of the Iews at their return from Babylon there being onely a remnant of the two Tribes which did return * Chap. 44. 2. which are born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb k Whom I have nourished and cared for from time to time ever since you were a People and came out of Egypt and that as affectionately and tenderly as Parents bring up their own Children 4. And even to your old age I am he and even to hoar hairs * Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 1. 31. 32. 11. will I carry you l And that care and kindness which I have had for you from the beginning I will continue to you to the end never forsaking you unless you wilfully and obstinately cast me off as the Iews did when their Messiah came I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you m You are my Workmanship both as you are Men and as you are my peculiar People and therefore I will preserve and deliver you 5. * Chap. 40. 18. 25. To whom will ye liken me and make me equal and compare me that we may be like n If you are tempred or inclined at any time to exchange me for an Idol do me and your selves this Right seriously to consider Whether you can find another God who will be more able and more ready to do you good than I have been which if you can do I am content you should prefer him before me but if not as will appear by what I am now saying ver 6 7. then it is best for you to adhere to your ancient God and Friend 6. * Chap. 40. 19. 41. 6. 44. 12. Jer. 10. 3. They lavish gold out of the bag and weigh silver in the balance and hire a goldsmith and he maketh it a god o Let us suppose a god made with the greatest Cost and Art * Chap. 44. 17. they fall down yea they worship 7. They bear him upon the shoulder they carry him p Either 1. in pomp upon solemn Occasions Or 2. 〈◊〉 that place where he is made unto that place where they intend to set him up as it is expressed in the following words and set him in his place and he standeth from his place shall he not remove q Or rather he cannot remove He can stir neither hand nor foot to help his People yea * Chap. 45. 20. one shall cry unto him yet can he not answer nor save him out of his trouble 8. Remember this r Consider these things which I now speak O ye Israelites and shew your selves men s Act like reasonable Creatures and be not so brutish as to worship your own Works Be so wise and couragious as to withstand all Solicitations to Idolatry * Chap. 44. 19. bring it again to mind t Think of this again and again O ye transgressors u You who have been guilty of this foolish Sin and therefore are obliged to take the better heed that you do not relapse into it again 9. ‖ What I have done for you and in the World my evident Predictions of future things justified by the event and those other miraculous Works whereby I have abundantly proved my Divinity Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me 10. Declaring the end from the beginning x Foretelling from the beginning of the World or from the beginning of your Nation those future Events which should happen in succeeding Ages even to the end of the World or to the end of your Common-wealth for such Predictions we find delivered by Moses the first Founder of their Common-wealth and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying * Psal. 33. 11. Prov. 19. 21. 21. 30. Heb. 6. 17. My counsel shall stand y As I will not so no other Power can disappoint my Purposes and Predictions and I will do all my pleasure 11. Calling a ravenous bird z Cyrus called a bird for his swiftness and great expedition and ravenous for his fierceness and victoriousness over his Enemies from the East a From Persia as Isa. 41. 2. †Heb. the man of my counsel the man that executeth my counsel b Concerning the deliverance of my People and the destruction of their cruel oppressors the Babylonians from a far country c From Persia which was far from Babylon but much farther from Iudea yea I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed it I will also do it 12. Hearken unto me ye stout hearted d Or Ye whose hearts are proud or hard or stubborn He speaks either 1. To the Babylonians you who are stout against God and say or think that neither God nor any man can deliver my people out of your hands Or rather 2. To the House of Iacob expressed ver 3. Where he bespeaks them in the same words here used hearken to me and to whom alone he directeth his speech in this whole Chapter for though he speaketh of the Babylonians yet he doth not speak to them and to whom the Prophet for the most part turneth his speech in all his Prophecies unless
And he doth not only say this light shall appear but break forth dart itself forth not withstanding all difficulties as the Sun breaks and pierceth through a cloud noting how ready God is to help his People when they are rightly humbled how quickly and how clearly Salvation shall break â—…orth upon them and thine health z Another Metaphor to express the same thing unless there may be this difference the Light with reference to their outward state and Health with reference to the inward delight of their Minds in both to describe the compleat satisfaction they should have Deliverances out of great pressures are often in Scripture represented by the Recovery of Health as ch 57. 18. Ier. 8. 22. and this Prophet especially delights in this Metaphor because all affliction is as it were a sickness to the Soul altering the Heart and Countenance See Neh. 2. 2 3. and a recovery out of this estate maketh the Heart glad and the Countenance chearful Esth. 8. 16 17. Ier. 33. 6. compare v. 10 11. Hence the LXX render it Medicines shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness a Either 1. Thy uprightness and sincerity Gen. 30. 33. Or 2. The reward of thy Righteousness by a Metonymy ch 48. 18. Psal. 24. 5. and here perhaps it may particularly relate to their works of Mercy and Charity it being the thing in hand and often so called Psal. 112. 9. and applied by the Apostle to this purpose 2 Cor. 9. 9. It brings temporal spiritual and eternal Blessings and all this not of desert but free Grace as a reward that naturally springs forth from the faithfulness of his Promises as the Harvest from the Earth when the seed is sown see Hos 10. 12. so the fruit and reward of our Righteousness springs not from our deserts but from Gods Righteousness Heb. 6. 10. Oâ—… 〈◊〉 The witness of thy Righteousness by what thou doest thou wilt appear to be righteous Psal. 37. 6. For such a notion as this was vulgarly sucked in that Adversity did never befal a person or People but for their sins and was strongly urged by way of argument against Iob's Integrity by his Friends therefore thy being delivered shall be as a testimony of thy Righteousness Or 4. The fruit and effect of thy Righteousness viz. the due just and right order of thy Government which as Calvin saith is a sign of Gods fatherly kindness things that are now in a confusion he will bring into right order again i. e. Justice shall be duly administred and men shall carry themselves justly all the Land over See Isa. 32. 16 17 18. Or 5. Christs Righteousness Ier. 23. 6. compare with 33. 16. Then the meaning is He shall go in and out before thee shall go before thee b As it were making way for thy better state as the break of day or the morning Star goes before the Sun the * Ch. 52. 12. glory c i. e. The glory of his Power and Providence or his glorious Power shall be seen in bringing thee up from Captivity and defending thee from their pursuit or as some a glorious state shall succeed this thy calamitous condition and called the Glory of the Lord to express the greatness of this glory as very great mountains are called the mountains of God and tall Cedars the Cedars of God the glorious Lord by a Metonymy of the Adjunct of the LORD †Heb. â—…hall gather thee up shall be thy rereward d Heb. shall gather thee thus the word is used concerning Dan who was appointed to bring up the Rear or to close up the march of the Israelites when they marched from the Wilderness of Sinai Num. 10. 25. This Office God takes upon himself for it argues great skill and courage and makes much for the Honour and Glory of a Commander both to gather up all the stragglers that none be picked up by the Enemy which relates to the Hebrew word of gathering and to secure and cover the Rear of his Army Thus the Angel of his presence secured the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt Exod. 14. 19. 9 Then shalt thou call e and the LORD shall answer f He will give an effectual demonstration that he hears thee by the real answer that he will give to thy request Psal. 34. 17. 99. 6. 118. 5. thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am g A Phrase that notes a person to be ready at hand for Work as Isaiah ch 6. 8. or for Help as God here and Psal. 46. 1. or both Psal. 145. 18 19. if thou take away from the midst h Not a Geometrical middle or center but having a place among others the meaning is from among you of thee the yoke i i. e. All those pressures and Grievances before mentioned v. 6. all that barbarous slavery they brought their Brethren into the particulars expressed by that one Hebrew word motah three times used in this Chapter the putting forth of the finger k There being often an indication of a mans Mind by the postures of several parts of the Body as of Lust Malice Scorn Revenge c. Prov. 6. 12 13 14. this putting forth of the finger may point at divers things all springing from two roots either the secret malice of the Heart or unjust and open violence It is used 1. Sometimes by way of scoff reproof or disdainful insulting as the Pharisee seems to point at the Publican Luke 18. 11. pointing with the Finger like winking with the Eye seeming to indicate somthing that may cause shame in another and this is reckoned among great afflictions Hebr. 11. 36. See 2 Chron. 36. 16. Ier. 20. 7. 2. Sometimes for beating or other injurious treating men seizing either their Persons or Estates such a putting forth of the Hand you have mentioned 1 Sam. 22. 17. and this agrees well to the fist of wickedness v. 4. and so the Finger may be put by a Synecdoche for the Hand and that which before was called the Fist may be here called the Finger 3. Sometimes as a token of putting Suitors by and refusing to hear their Petitions and requests seeking to them for Mercy and Pity 4. Sometimes to express an angry Mind stirring up itself either to the imperious commanding of a thing or to Revenge whether by the gesture alone or accompanied with menacing expressions signifying thereby a purpose to put our power in execution and speaking vainly l Heb. aven it signifies a Lye or Iniquity as Psal. 5. 5. and 6. 8. and so the sense may be if thou dost not proceed to indecent Expressions in thy strifes brawls and threatnings with thy Finger which seldom is done without sin and thus the counsel here may suit with our Saviours Matt. 5. 21 22. viz. not only not stretch out thine hand against thy Brother but not so much as be lavish with thy tongue so speaking vanity may be
ye with Hierusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her i There is nothing more ordinary amongst men then for friends and neighbours to meet together with their friends recovered from affliction or brought into a better state to rejoice with them especially such friends as in their afflictions have mourned with them Thus Mary Luk. 1. 40. went to rejoice with Elizabeth and Iobs friends came to rejoice with him Iob 42. 11. The Prophet in like manner calls to all the friends of Hierusalem especially such as in the days of her affliction had mourned for her to come and â—…joice and be glad with her upon the prospect of her better state after the Babylonish Captivity or at least in the time of the Messiah for though joy and gladness be the affection of the Soul that works upon its union with its desirable object and the deliverance of the people out of Babylon was not to be for many years after this nor the Mâ—…ssias to come or many years after that yet faith being the evidence of things not seen there is a rejoicing of hope hope giving the Soul an union with its object hoped for and these things were now prâ—…sent to believers who by faith called the things that were not as if they were because they had the security of a divine Revelation for them and they were already existent in their necessary causes 11 That you may suck and be satisfied with the k Hierusalem is here sâ—…t out as the mother of us all as indeed she was for out of Zion wenâ—… forth the law and the word of the Lord from Hierusaleâ—… Iâ—…aiah 2 3. Christ was of the seed of Abraham he was sent to the losâ—… Sheâ—…p of the house of Israel and is called Rom. 15. 8. the Minister of the Circumcision they were the Olive the Branches the Gentiles but a wild Olive grafted in amongst them Rom. 11. 17. we sucked at their breasts Christ was first preached to them the 12. the 70. were all of them breasts of her consolations l The Gospel doctrine was their breasts of consolation Christ was in the first place that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory m The glory of the pâ—…ple Israel though he was also a light to lighten the Gentiles Lu. 2. 32. we are required to rejoice with Hierusalem That we may suck and be Satisfied c. Intimating that our joy should not be a meer act of charity to them but a proper expression of our sense of Gods goodness to our selves who should suck and be Satisfied from the glad tidings of the Gospel first published unto them and our selves be inlightned from what was at first the glory of Israel 12 For thus saith the Lord Behold I * Chap. 48. 18. 60. 5. will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles n That this promise respects the times of the Messias seems plain not only from the consideration that no history giveth us any account of any great or long peace or prosperity the Jews had before that time nor indeed then if we understand it not of a Spiritual Gospel peace which Christ preached to them that were nigh as well as to those â—…sar off Eph. 2. 17. like a flowing stream o It also appears from the mention of the glorâ—… of the Gentiles aâ—… a flowing stream which can hardly be understood of any thing but Christ and the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles But I leave it to the issues of Providence to expound and determine whether the Prophecy of this text doth not relate to a further conversion and calling of the Jews then â—…ath been yet seen then shall ye * Cha. 60. 16. suck p When Christ was revealed to the Jews not those only of the Gentiles but those of the Jews who belonged to Gods election sucked Gospel doctrine the Gentiles were born upon the sides of Hierusalem and dandled upon her knees as first hearing from the Apostles who were some of the Daughters of Hierusalem members of the Jewish-Church the glad tidings of Salvation ye shall be * Chap. 49. 22. 60. 4. born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees q. 13 r That is in the most tender and compassionating way imaginable the husband doth not comfort his wife with that tenderness and those bowels that the mother comforteth the Child after it hath received some fall or mischief Hierusalem now mourneth and you moâ—…rn with her but she shall recover from her affliction and from her sorrows and shall be comforted and you that mourn for her shall partake of her joys as you now share with her in her afflictions God in the day that he wipeth tears from her Eyes shall also wipe them from yours and you shall have as great an occasion of joy from the happy as now you have of sorrow from the afflicted state of Hierusalem As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Hierusalem 14 And when you see this your heart shall rejoice and your bones shall flourish like an herb u The peace and tranquillity of the Church and the propagation of the Kingdom of Christ is always the cause of an heart rejoycing to such as fear God Psal. 105. 3. the reason is because it is the greatest object of their desires which are then satisfied and their thoughts are then at rest and besides they are members of the same body so as their own bones which before are dry and withered Eze. 37. 1 2. and the sinews and the flesh comes again upon them and the skin covers them above so as they flourish like an herb in the spring all whose verdure and beauty in the winter was concealed in the root hid in the earth and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants x And in this the power protection and influence of God for of and upon such as truly serve and obey him shall be made manifest and known and his indignation toward his Enemies y But the wicked shall be under a quite contrary dispensation Psal. 1. 4. As they have had a day which hath been to you the power of darkness so you shall have a day which shall be to them the power of darkness as Gods hand shall be upon and toward such as fear me to cover and bless and influence them so his indignation shall in that day be shewed towards those of your nation who have declared themselves the enemies of the Lord. 15 For behold the Lord will come with fire z Here the Prophet comes more particularly to expound what indignation should be shewed towards his enemies That is with terrible Judgments nothing being more terrible and wasting then fire or with fire in a proper sense understanding it of the