cloathed with flesh or in the likenesse of man And here do but think with thy self though it far passe the reach of any mortal thought faith One what an infinite inexplicable happinesse it will be to look for ever upon the glorious body of Jesus Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty and to consider that even every vein of that blessed body bled to bring thee to heaven And that it being with such excesse of glory hypostatically united to the second Person in Trinity hath honoured and advanced thy Nature in that respect far above the brightest Cherub The whole verse may be read thus And after I shall awake though this body shall be destroyed yet out of my flesh shall I see God And being thus read it is a plainer and fuller confession of the Resurrection saith an Interpreter It is common is Scripture to compare death to sleep and Resurrection to awaking Dan. 12.2 Psal 17.15 The bodies of the Saints are laid in the grave as in a bed of Roses to ripen and mellow against the Resurrection and they write upon their graves as One did once Resurgam I shall surely rise again Moses his body hid in the valley of Moab appeared afterwaths glorious in Mount Tabor D. King This is matter of joy and triumph as it was here to Job and to those good souls who were to lose all Dan 12.2 and those Heb. 11.35 considering that God by rotting would refine their bodies and in due time raise them conformabley to Christs most glorious body the standard The forethought of this cheared up Davids good heart Psalm 16 9. and those in Isaiah chap. 26.19 and the good people in our Saviours time Beauchama John 11.24 I know saith Martha concerning her brother Lazarus that be shall rise again at the Resurrection at the Consolation saith the Syriack Interpreter Resurrection and Consolation then were termes equivalent Hence that great Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 For this cause we faint not saith he For what cause Because we believe that be which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus and shall present us with you And the same Apostle maketh this Doctrine of the Resurrection the Canon of Consolation 1 Thes 4.13 14. c. to the end Verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self He speaketh confidently as one full assured of a Resurrection which if it should not be how should there be a remuneration of the body Say not We cannot see how t is possible See we not a yearly Resurrection of grasse grain herbs flowers fruits every Spring tide Know we not that men can of ashes make glasses that a Chymist can of several metals mixt to get her Lavâ— in Job 14.12 extract the one from the other and reduce every metal to its own species or king Etiam animalula quaedam typi Resurrectiones sunt saith Lavater Some little living creatures are Types of the Resurrection He instanceth in Dormise which sleep all wintes and revive in the spring in Silk wormes which dying leave nothing behind them but a certain excrement which being born about in the bosomes of women takes heat and reviveth Wherefore if Nature do such things shall it be held havd for the God of Nature to raise the dead The keeping green of Noah Olive tree in the time of the flood the blossoming of Aarons dry Rod the flesh and sinewes coming to Ezekiels dry bones what were these but lively emblemes of the Resurrection And mine eyes shall behold and not anothers Here he maintaineth the identity of his flesh and body in the Resurrection an identity I say not specifical only but numerical or individual The self saâ—â— particular body which fell shall rise Tert de Resurrect lib. 2. This was denyed of old by the Marcionists Basilidians and Valentinians those Simi-Sadduces as Tertullian termeth them and after them Entuchius Bishop of Constantinople who as Gregory saith taught that men rising again should have ayery bodies and not fleshly yea more subtile then the Aire abusing that place of the Apostle It is â—â—wen a natural body it is raised again a spiritual body c. but his book was burnt as Heretical A spiritual body it is called for its great strength and activity wherewith it shalt be endowed and where by it is enabled to bear a weight of glory as also for that it shall have no need of food sleep or other natural helps but we shall be as the Angels of God Matth. 22 30. yet still the same men that now we are Let no man say with Nicodemus How can this be There is no difficulty to Omnipotency Phil. 3. 〈◊〉 Besides there is a substance still preserved even when the body is turned to dust and this shall be raised 〈◊〉 and reunited to the soul He that made man at first of nothing can easily remake him of something And what though his dust be scattered hither and thither and mixt with that of others The skilful Gardener having sundry sorst of seeds mixt together can soon sever them and shall not he who hath the whole earth in his fist discern the dust of his Saints one from another Little balls or pickles or Quick-silver being scattered on the ground mix not themselves with any of another kind But if any man gather them they run together into one of their own accord So it is here greg Nyssen saith a Father Though my raines be consumed within me Though from my skin outward to my raines inward all be wasted yet all shall be raised and restored The Vulgar rendreth these words thus This hope is laid up in my bosome and is by Burgensis expoundod thus This is the only thing that I do most earnestly wish and wait for viz. to see Christ in the flesh at the last day the raynes are the sent of strong desires Verse 28. But ye should say Why persecute we him This ye shall one day surely say Then shall ye return and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked c. Nam â—lim dicitiâ— cur cum persequebamâ—r Tigur Mal. 3.18 Then shall it repent you it should do so now that ye have rated and reviled me for an by poerite viz. when God hath cleared mine integrity as he did chap. 42. or at the last day howsoever what time there shall be a Resurtection of names as well as of bodies Would ye but say so now it would be some satisfaction Queâ— panites precasse poene est innâ—cons You have heard by the confession I have made I am no miscreant no misbeliever but that I do hold fast the faithful Word The root of the mentor is in me Or the root of the Word the engrafied word of God that is able to save my soul hath taken deep root in me Jâ—n 1.21 I hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 this is the Cabinet that the Jewel hept therein And with what face can ye censure such an one for
maintenance begrudg'd them a. 98. must be faithful page a. 143 Mockings cruel a. 51. punished a 56. God appeareth for his mocked 696. See b. 102.604 Mony matter of it precious and vile 234.235 't is most mens study 241. love of it pernicious 236 237 Morning fittest for prayer page 576 Mordecai who a. 194. his constancy page a. 150 Mortification practise of it 713. let it be speedie a. 185. thorough page 187 Moses praised page b. 825 Murther crieth for vengeance a. 133. descried by a dog b. 59. self-murther b. 35 36 ready rode to hell page ib. Musick Temple-Musick antiquated page 930 N. National sins page a. 64 Nature Book of Nature a. 83. b. 621.622 Naturalists to be prized page 335 Naughty nature soon seen 738. Natural man hollow b. 106. wilde ib. Nehemiah his book is the last of the Old Testament page a. 102 Nightingale sings uncessantly page 309 O. Oath a private Oath may be taken page b. 155 Obey God rather then man a. 127. obedience universal 876.883 obedience of faith page 360 Obstinacy senselesse b. 64 resisteth God b. 146.147 uncounsellable page 739 Old age good b. 60. foolish 113. must prepare to die b. 156. 't is dangerous page 767 One for first page a. 1. Oppression accursed page b 179 181 182 Opportunity to be taken page a. 163 Ordinances wicked banished page 874 Original sinne b. 131. filâ—hinesse 143. a filthy fountain page 723 Orphans provided for page a. 116 Ostrich described page 339.340 P. Parents wicked woful legacy to their children b. 191. they are parricides page 339 340 79â— Passions transport the best b. 871. b. 35. chide them down page 697 Patience fained and unfained b. 16. whence ib. in sicknesse page b. 70 Peacock praised page 339 Perfection Christian perfection page b. 2 Perjury punished page 606 Pellicans errour page a. 192 Persian Monarchy and superstition page a. 2 Persecution cruel page a. 135 136 Persecutours shall perish a. 169. soon confounded b. 41.567 585 Philip of Spaines diseases page b. 21 Piaculars and Scape-goat page a. 190 Plague a good man may die of it page 903 Poors complaints heard by the great Turk a. 138. right the poor 765. penury b. 145. feed and clothe the poor page 926 Pleasures sinful to shunned page b. 189 Pliny an Atheist page b. 199 Politicians frustrated page b. 54 Powder-plot discovered page b. 117 Pope his polling England a. 91. popish piae fraudes b. 122. Pope a grosse hypocrite page 303 Prayer beg grace a. 92. easie accesse to God a. 143 hands held out in prayer b. 106 prescribe not to God b. 126. fall not from affections of prayer b. 139. power of joynt prayer a. 145. ask enough a. 148. ask in Gods own words a. 149. it causeth joy 582. how to know that it is answered ib. life up the heart in prayer 641. pray to God alone 656. keep times of prayer 733. shun customarinesse ib. prayer short and pithie 736. ply the prayer-hearing God 751. sin hindreth the success of prayer 755 it speedeth a battel 780. flattering devotion 788. pray for the publike 895. 't is incense 917. indent not with God page 171 Praise God to the last gasp 923. unsatisfiably 927 with ravishment a. 188. how Angels praise God page 927 Preferment befalleth the poorest oft b. 600. a. 126 it puffeth them up ib. it is from God b. 53. and why ib. it is oft for a mischief a. 151. be humble under it ib. it is of God page 779 Prepare to serve God page b. 5. Prognostication page 325 Promise keep promises page a. 171 Prosperity of the wicked b. 188. prosperity-proselytes a. 180. it maketh men worse a. 88. 't is somtimes in wrath a. 134. 't is like lights and how b. 162. wickeds prosperity stumbled at page 771 Promises pray them over page a. 2 Providence divine doubted of b. 10. denied by Epicurus 845. questioned 771. God Providence in the creatures 336. he provides for mans safety 334. for young ravens 335. observe Providences page 117 119 Provocations are blasphemy page a. 86 Proud persons abased 348. rich and proud 774. prides picture a. 17. Spanish pride page a 3 Preaching what page a 82 Profess truth boldly page a. 20 Psalmes of degrees what 892. Psalm 119. praised b. 876. sung by good souldiers page 929 Publike-spirited a. 139.141 contra page 144 Punishment of sin 263. in kinde 591. page See b. 49 Purgatory exploded page b. 171.902 Purpose of sin punished page a. 85 Printing when first invented page b. 172 Q. Queens some good page a. 191 R. Rain sent by God b. 52.318 procured by prayer page 319 Rainbowe wonder of it page 323 Ranters blaspheme Christ page 288 Ravens young how fed page 925 Rawlins Martyr resolute page a. 150 Reading some thereby converted page a. 153 Reformation of Religion succeeded page a. 96 Renting of garments used by Heathens also page b. 26 Repentance best remedy 221. see it described 358 practised by Theodosius and Hen 4.721 press men to repent more page 344 Report do things of good report page a. 18 Reproach for Christ is glory page 276 Reproof friendly b. 38. wish't and well taken 918 accept it 275. harsh reproof is fruitlesse b. 138 lost page b. 166 Reservedness discreet page a. 148 Resurrection asserted b. 100. see b. 133.134 135 173 174.175 Revenge is barbarous 273. sweet 272. but pernicious ib. see page a. 177 Reward Persian Kings rewarded bountifully a. 154. God much more ib. b. 22.362 yet his service is held unprofitable page b. 190 Restitution page a. 65 Riches why called goods a. 6. they are too much loved ib. part with them for Christ 7. temporals are transitory 331. slight them 589. the soul resteth not in them 685. hang loose to them 688 once they were not so admired a 63. uncertain 64 rich wretches b. 33 die neverthelesse ib. See Money World Rome no peace with Rome page a. 14 S. Sabbath when first given a. 85. sanctifie it a 109 profaned a. 99. that sin punished 26. 100. See b. 29. page 805 Saints their safety 648.712 they have their interchanges page a. 174 Sanctius his fooles bolt page 282 Sanders famished page 727 Satan his malice a 19. he is restlesse b. 7.17.565 so are his impes ib. he is chased away by the Scripture 756. he is a jugler page a. 180 Scripture read chapters also full of names and numbers a. 10. search the Scriptures b. 562. Scripture-comforts at death 578. Scriptures commended 623.624 625. Scripture strumbled at 806.809 the summe of them 902. the longest verse in them a. 174. read in an unknown tongue 175. high esteem of them page 209 Security carnal 655 punished in Saints a. 87. See spiritual security Self self-denial difficult 705. self-examination 574. self-love hideth sin 274. self-sufficiency a fancy page 348 Self-defence lawful a. 176. self-conceitednesse b 94. and 178 Sensualists page 350 Separatists holy ones page a. 91 Servant a good one described page a. 140 Sicknesse
I am judged I am damned Pet. Sutor de vita Carth. This very much wrought upon the heart of Bruno saith he and occasioned him to found the Carthusian order Waldus a French Merchant was so affected with the death of one that died suddenly in his presence that he thenceforth became a right godly man and the Father of the Waldenses those ancient Protestants in France called also The poor men of Lions But oh the dead lethargy the spirit of fornication that hath so besotted the minds of the most that they can see death and yet not think of it they can look into the dark chamber of the grave and never make the least preparation for it if for present they be somewhat affected and have some good impressions yet they soon vanish as the water circled by a stone cast into it soone returns to its former smoothnesse as chickens run under the wings of the hen whiles the kite is over them or in a storm but soon after get abroad againe amd dust themselves in the Sun As Nebuchadnezzar had seen a vision but it was gone from him so here if men at the house of mourning have â—ome good motions they improve them not to resolutions or draw not forth their resolutions into execution c. Verse 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away Journyeth not their excellency with them so Broughton rendreth it By their excellency here some understand the soule called by David his glory A Philosopher said Favorium there was nothing excellent in the world but man nothing in man but his soul The Stoicks affirmed that the body was not a part of a man but the instrument or rather the servant of the soul Hence the Latines call the body Corpus or Corpor as of old they speak quasi cordis puer sive famulus And Plato saith Camer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that is not the man that is seen of him but the mind of a man that 's the man And in the 19 verse of this chap. man is said to dwell in an house of clay that is the soul to inhabit the body The soul goes away with the name of the whole person the soul indeed is the man in a morall consideration and is therefore elsewhere called the inward man 2 Cor. 4.16 1 Pet. 3.4 and the hidden man of the heart the body compared to it is but as a clay-wall encompassing a treasure a course case to a rich instrument a leathern sheath to an excellent blade Dan. 7.15 or as a mask to a beautiful 〈◊〉 Now at death this excellency of a man departeth returneth to God that gave it Eclesias â— 7 His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish even the most excellent effects of his mind and spirit as the word signifieth Psal 146.4 And as that so all other excellencies go away at death Psal 39.11 and 49.13 even the whole goodlinesse of man Isa 40.6 whether it be the good things of the mind as wisedome science conscience judgment or of the body as beauty and health or of fortune as they call it as favour and applause together with plenty of prosperity No mans glory goeth down with him into the grave Psal 49.16 Where is now the flourishing beauty and gallantry of Caesar saith one his armies and honours his triumphs and trophies where are the rich fools great barnes Nebuchadnezzars great Babel Agrippa's great pomp c Have not all these made their bed in the dark leaving their excellency behind them Are they not many of them gone to their place as a stone to the center or as a foole to the stocks They dye even without wisdome Heb. They die and not with wisedome They die like so many beasts but for their pillow and bolster without any care to lay hold on eternall life 1 Sam. 3.33 they die as a fool dieth Not in wisedome that is in abundance of folly saith Pineda and this is most mens case their wit serves them not in this weighty work of preparing to die they put farre away the thoughts of it and hence they die tempore non suo Eccles 7.17 when it were better for them to do any thing rather then to die To live with dying thoughts is an high point of heavenly wisedome Psal 90.12 Deut. 32.29 How might one such wise Christian chase a thousand foolish and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6.4 which drowne mens soules in perdition and destruction CHAP. V. Verse 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee THe beginning of this chapter is hard saith Mercer till you come to the seventh or eighth verses and then all is plain and easie That which Eliphaz driveth at here is to drive Job out of all good conceit of his own condition and to perswade him that never any good man suffered such hard and heavy things as he or at least suffered them so untowardly and impatiently Call I pray thee saith he call over the roll look into the records of former Saints and see if thou canst find among them all such another knotty piece as thy self that needed so much hewing and made such a deale of complaining Was there ever the like heard of Call now if there be any one answerable to thee Broughton rendreth it Call now if there be any one that will defend thee that is be thy Patron or advocate in word or in the example of their lives And to which of the Sâ—â—nts wilt thou turn q. d. Thou art alone neither maist thou hope to meet with thy match in the matter or manner of thine afflictions unlesse it be among hypocrites and gracelesse persons as verse 2. The Septuagint read it To which of the Angels wilt thou look And the Popish Commentators think they have here an unanswerable ground for their Doctrine of invocation of Saints and Angels But did not the buzzards take notice of an Irony here and that Eliphaz assureth Job that it would be in vain for him to call to any Saint c Is it not plain or probable at least that he here meaneth the Saints living in this world or if not yet is Gregory the great of no authority with them who acknowledgeth none other to be called upon here meant but God and that the Saints are mentioned to Job in derision as if it were a ridiculous thing to call to them departed out of this life who cannot hear us Verse 2. For wrath killeth the foolish man Such as thou art Job hot and hasty pettish and passionate fretting thy self to do evil and so provoking God to fall soule upon thee as a just object of his wrath to thine utter ruine without repentance Surely with the froward God will show himself froward Psal 18.26 Neither hath ever any one hardened himself against the Lord and prospered Job 9.4 For why he is wise in heart and mighty in strength as it is there every way able to
of the Rock Golden words they are indeed that here follow Clarks Lives and well worthy to be written in Lotten of God In the Life of Ziscn that Warlike Babeâ—â—ian it is recorded that in the famous Monastery called the Kings Court a mile from Pragus in the walls there of the whole Bible was most exquisitely engraven in Letteâ—s of Gold For ever To last longer then the would lasteth Those bloody Tyrants of the Primitive times made account they had made sure work in rooting out true Religion when they sounded the triumph before hand and engraved the victory upon Pillars of Marble in these bubbles of words Nomine Christianorum deloâ—o qui Râ—â—s ovâ—rebant c But Christ shall reigne and the Church shall stand upon his right hand as a Queen in gold of Ophir Psal 45 9 When all earthly greatnesse shall lye in the dust Thy throne O God is for ever and ever Psal 45.6 and there shall be a new succession of Saints to all perpetuity Psal 72 17. His name shall endure for ever His name shall be continued Heb. childed as long as the Son as long as the world as long as the Word of our God which according to Jobs wish here shall stand for ever Isai 40.8 But what meaneth the Vulgar translation here by this insignificant word Celte And why should Hugo feek to salve the matter Celte vox est nihili Merc. by reiling us that Celtes is a Tool wherewith Letters or Pictures are cut in the flint Whereupon Vide quaeso mi Lector saith Brentius See I pray thee good Reader how only they interpres Scripture that want Learning for neither is Celte such a Tool nor can it be Celte for centa sith the Hebrew word Lâ—guad doth not signifie Surely but For ever Verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth Clarissima fidei confessio saith Brentius A most famous Confession of his faith Breves longe â—â—taque aurea est hac Apologia saith Another This is Jobs short and yet long Apology bat golden all oven and such as hath fulness of matter in fewnesse of words Calvin and Mercar viri alioqui judioiosissimi are mistaken here when following the Raâ—hins they interpret this text of a temporal restauration of Job to such an estate of honour and riches as he had enjoyed in the former part of his life this they call Jobs Resurrection and Redemption c. But his thoughes soared higher then so I know faith he it is as if he should say you take your selves to he the only knowing men and as for me Bilded hath set me among such as know not God Chop 18.21 But hereby I know that I know him 1 John 2.3 Because I know him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 Net only as a Redeemer but as my Rodeemer by a particular application of him to my self which is the very pith and form of faith This great Mystery of godlinesse I know what ever else I am ignorant of and I know it savingly because I am secure of my interest in Christ my Kinsman and Redeemer and therefore I am no hypocrite or wicked man as you would make me Were it not for this word of possession Mine the worst man alive â—ay the divel might say at Job here doth yea repeat al the Articles of the Creed to as good purpose as he but that which tormenteth the divel is he can say My to never a one of them I know saith Job when condemned for an hypocrite that Christ is my Redeemes and that this my Redeemer liveth for over and is for ever mine So Doctor Taylor Martyr when condemned for an Heretick subsribed his last Will and Testament Acts Mon. in these words Row hand Taylor departing hence in a sare hope without all 〈◊〉 of a glorious Resurrection I thank God my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ my certains Saviour And that he shall stand As keeping the field when all his foes shall be his footstool Psal 1 10.1 So he standeth Rev. 10.2 setting his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth maugre all Hereticks and Anti-christs that therehence arise as Lord Paramount of both At the latter day Or last of all Theodesius rendreth it Novissimè a general judgment of quick and dead at the last day was in Jobs time and after wards by Zoroaster and other Heathens as Lucretius Theopompus Plato Cicero Ovid c believed and foretold But in processe of time this true and pure Doctrine was darkned amongst them and when once it was extinct Superstitions and other vaine fopperies over grew the greatest part of the world The ancient tradition was that the latter age of the world should be so filthy all over that as it could not bee washed with water as once so it should he wasted with fire 2 Pet. 3.10 Vpon the earth Or Over the earth to wit in the aire For there it is probable Christ will sit in the clouds of the aire neer unto the earth whether the Elect shal be caught up to meet the Lord and so shal they ever be with the Lord 1 The. 4.17 There the divels shall be subdued and sentenced where they have ruled and plaid Rex Eph. 2.2 see Mat. 24.30 some read it And this pointing to his body shall stand up at the last day upon the earth Verse 26. And thought after my skin wormes destroy this body Here he pointeth again as doth likewise David when Psal 34.6 he saith This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him c. So the ancient Believers when they came to that Article in the Creed I believe the Resurrection of the flesh were wont to add Etiam bujus carnis even of this flesh pointing to some naked part of their body or else alluding to that of the Apostle This mortal must put on c. Wormes destroy this body Heb. They destroy this he saith not this body quod oh deformitatem summam non licerit corpus dicere faith Vatablus So worn it was and wasted with sores and sicknesses that it could scarce be called a body And yet it was not at the worst neither for in the grave it should be worm-eaten and something more Serm. 48. ad frat in erem Mihi exper to credite saith Austin Believe me who have tryed it open dead mens Sepulchers and upon their heads ye shall find toads crawling begotten of their brains on their loynes serpents begotten of their Rains in their bellies wormes begotten of their bowels c. Yet in my flesh Hebr. Out of my flesh as out of a casement I shall see God I shall see Christ Christum in corpore Austins wish the humane and glorified body of Christ who is god blessed for ever as also the mystical body of his Church perfectly united unto him 1 John 3.2 To this sense some render the Text thus I shal see God in my flesh that is I shall see Christ sitting in glory
remarkable their notes are here called their tokens By those that go by the way others understand Abraham the Hebrew so he is called Gen. 14.13 that is that Trans-Euphrataean Or He that passed over the River Euphrates when he passed by the way from Chaldea to Canaan and his Progeny Isaac and Jacob who were passengers and pilgrims and could tell by experience that men greatly afflicted may be yet favoured of God and in due time delivered Abraham had ten sore trials and yet the friend of God Isaak besides many other sharp afflictions all along his pilgrimage was blind for above twenty years before his death Few and evil were the dayes of the years of Jacob his whole life almost one continuate affliction and yet it was Jacob have I loved Of all this Job likely was not ignorant and why should his friends And do ye not know their tokens Or Their tokens you shall not be estranged from Broughton thus So ye would not make their signes strange There will be so much evidence of truth in what they say that you will not be able to gainsay it Verse 30. That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction Here 's the Passengers verdict viz that wicked men shal scape scot-free and flourish for a season neverthelesse their preservation is but a reservation as Pharaoh Sennacherib and others have found it and if they flourish for the present it is that they may be destroyed for ever Psal 92.7 Others read this verse more suitably to the next thus That at the day of destruction the wicked is kept back and they are carried out in the day of wrath that is they are oft spared whey the testimonies of Gods wrath are rife against others Verse 31. Who shall declare his way to his face c Who shall be so bold as to deal plainly with this rich wretch and tell him his own Divitibus ideo deest amicus quâ—a nihildeest Great men have many flatterers and not a few mutterers against them but very few that will faithfully shew them their sin and forewarn them of their danger lest they meet with the same hard measure that the Hares in the Fable did who taking upon them to reprove the Lion were torn in pieces by him for the same Truth breedeth hatred and although she be a good Mistresse yet they that follow her too close at heels may hap to have their teeth-struck out But truth downright truth must be spoken however it be taken Elias dealt roundly and impartially with wicked Aâ—ab Jeremy with â—â—siah â—s sons and successours the Baptist with Herod Christ with the Elders and Pharisees that noble General Traâ—an with Valens the Arian Emperour telling him That by his persecuting the Orthodox he had lost the day abandoning the Victory and sending it away to the enemy And who shall repay him what he hath done q.d. Men dare not for who will take a Lion by the beard or a Bear by the tooth God will not punish him here therefore he must needs scape unpunished This is by Gregory fitly referred to Antichrist who may not be admonished and wil not be punished but thinks to bear out his most malapâ—rt misdemeanour because it is facinus majoris abolle the fact of a great one Verse 32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave He that was erst so stern and terrible shal shortly be laid low enough and then leâ—ni mortuo vel mus insultabiâ— Though he were such a son of Belial that none could speak to him as Nabal was 1 Sam. 25.17 yet death will speak with him and confute this proud haughty Scorner that dealeth in proud wrath Hist of World When death comes saith Sir Walter Raleigh which hates and destroyes men that 's believed and obeyed But God that loveth and maketh men he is not regarded O mighty death O eloquent death whom none could advise thou art able to prevail with And shall remain in the Tomb Heb. He shall watch over the heap super tuâ—â—lum oâ—mul◠〈◊〉 in area constructo similem as a Watch-man there he is fixed and keeps this place Lavat Or He shall be watched in the Tomb. Verse 33. The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him Here he saith the same as before but more poetically and is variously rendred The Vulgar alluding to an old Poeticall Fable readeth it thus He shall he sweet to the sand of Cocytus which is fained to be one of the Rivers of Hell or an infernal Lake so called from the moan there made by damned Ghosts who should be glad of his arrival there Hell from be â—â—ath as â—â—â—ured for him to meet him at his coming as 't is said of the Assyrian Tyrant Isai 14.9 Others better expound it thus He shall taste so much bitterness whiles he treads upon the clods of the earth that the clods under the earth shall be reckoned sweet unto him And Oh how well pleased would he be if he might forever lye hidden there and never rise up again to come to judgement Caten Grac. And as it is with one wicked man departed so it is with all other whether they dyed before or shall dye after Verse 34. How then comfort ye me in vain Sith ye apply nothing rightly to me nor affirm nothing rightly of me but instead of comforting me which you came for ye trouble me And such are all those consolatiunculae creaturulae as Luther finely phraseth it petty-creature-comforts waterish and empty businesses an unsubstantial sustance as one saith of the bulrush Seeing in your answers remaineth false-hood Or Provarication or double-dealing fowle mistakes and little lesse then malice CHAP. XXII Verse 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said ABruptly without any Preface he sets upon Job as doth likewise Bildad chap 25. acting the part of a spiteful Caviller rather then of an ingenuous Accuser reckoning and ranking just Job among the wicked not covertly as before but overtly and expresly and then thinking to salve all by an exhortation to repentance backed with a faire promise of a full restauration Pulcherrima paâ—anesis sed quid ad Johum saith Brentius A very good exhortation but ill applyed We shall do well to take notice what a dangerous thing it is to give way to unruly passions which like heavy bodies down steep hills once in motion move themselves and know no ground but the bottom Verse 2 Can a man be profitable unto God No neither doth Job say he can but the contrary chap. 21.22 Howbeit the God of glory as he is called Act. 7.2 although his glory is as himself infinite and eternal and therefore not capable of our addition or detraction the Sun would shine though all the would were blind yet to try how we prize his glory and what we will do for him he hath declared that he accounteth himself made glorious by us when we get so far as to conceive of him above all creatures As he that is wise may be
warme when he c. Canst thou give a reason of the extreme heat that is about the Summer-Solstice when the warm South-winds blow so gently that they are scarce felt at all and thy cloathes heated by thy body are a burden to thee so that thou art ready to cast them off and but for common honesty thou couldst go naked Brentius thinks That although one of the winds only is here instanced yet the disposing of them all is intended wherein much of God may be seen for it is he alone who holdeth them in his fist hideth them in his Treasures sendeth them out as his Postes rideth upon them as his Chariot 2 Sam. 22.10 Psal 104.3 checks them at his pleasure whence they concluded Christs Deity Matth. 8.27 makes them pace orderly appointing them their motion c. chap. 28. Nos motum sentimus modum nescimus Joh 3.8 Thou hearest the sound of the wind but knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Now if in these common matters men are so blind how much more in the deep judgements of the most High Verse 18. Hast thou with him spread out the Skie He had convinced Job of his ignorance and now he will of his impotence and imbecility and this by an irony q.d. Tunè ille gigaâ—es Art thou indeed that Gyant or Demi-god that helped the Almighty when he spred the heavens when he laid the foundation of the earth c Age itaque si tantus vir es quantum te ostentas c. Go to then if thou be indeed such an one as thou wouldst seem to be whiles thou takest upon thee to be viz. to contend with God and to complain of his hard dealing with thee Teach us what we shall say unto him c. as ver 19. for we dare not as thou hast done dare him to come into the lists with us as hoping to have the better of him Which is strong Not by reason of any hard massie Elemental thickness but by reason of their airy Diod. incorruptible indissoluble nature composed of very thin and even parts Hence the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Firmamentum See the Note on Gen. 1.7 And as a molten Looking-glass Perspicuum sapphirinum clear and transparent as a mirrour wherein God maketh himself visible R. Levi. as it were who of himselfe is too subtle for sight or sinew to seize upon The Hebrew hath it which is strong as a molten Looking-glasse i.e. as a polished brazen Looking-glass being more solid then brass more transparent then christal Verse 19. Teach us what we shall say unto him A notable scoffe a sharp sarcasme Verba sunt urgentis insultantis q d. Velim ut è tot argumentis cap. 23.4 aliqua nunc proferas I would that thou wouldst bring out some of those many Arguments thou didst brag of for we are at a fault neither can we such is our ignorance find what to say in thy just defence had we never so good a mind to it For we cannot order our speech by reason of darknesse We are benighted and word-bound forced to acknowledg our ignorance our infancy and to complain as Anaxagoras afterwards did omnia esse circumfusa tenebris and as Empedacles angust as esse sensuum semitas that we are far to seek of what to say in this case and ready to think that silence would be our safest eloquence Verse 21. Shall it be told him that I speak An in acta referetur â—i si loquar Shall it be recorded before him c q.d. Then wo be to me for I am sure to rue it yea and without mercy to be ruined for it Did not Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesie long since saying Behold the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all and to convince them of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15. If a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up If he speak in thy behalf or after thine example presuming to controle Gods works and to quarrel his proceedings as thou hast done he is sure to be undone Some read the words thus For if he speak man shall be devoured That is if God speak man who before he cometh to speak thinks that he shall be able to reason with him shall be quite confounded and his words as it were swallowed up by his profound wisdome and he made unable to speak one word for himself Wherefore let all fâ—â—sh be silent before the Lord for if any presume to chat against his judgements he shall have his words driven down his throat again by a divine vengeance Cave ne lingua feriat collum Take heed thy tongue cut not thy throat say the Arabians Proverb-wise Verse 21. And now men see not the bright light that is in the clouds It seemeth saith an Expositor that at that very instant the cloudy weather did begin to clear up and that thereupon Elihu took occasion to speak these words The Sun is called Light by an excellency the Egyptians call him Orus from the Hebrew Or. q.d. Thou art not able to look into the body of the shining Sun quia nimium sensibile laedit sensum How much lesse canst thou behold God in his glory in comparison of whom the Sun in his strength is but as a clod of clay Hereafter we shall see God as he is see him face to face 1 John 3. See as we are seen c. but here we can see his back parts only and live Exod. 33. Surely out of what Elihu had hitherto said Job should have reasoned thus with himself I cannot bear the force of a flash of lightning of a clan of thunder of a violent showre of an overturning whirl-wind of an extreme frost of the out-shining Sun c. how much lesse of God in his Majesty Verse 22. Fair weather cometh out of the North Heb. Gold cometh c. Serenitas aur similis Tig. that is the golden beames of the Sun as golden Oyle Zech. 4.12 The North-wind also cleanseth the clouds and shewes us the pleasant face of the Sun that Gold-maker all whose rayes come tipt and gilt with a glistering glory upon them With God is terrible Majesty Far beyond that of the Sun or of the most dread Soveraign upon earth be it an Augustus Caesar or a terrible Tamberlane Turk hist 23â— 415. in whose eyes sate such a rare and reverend Majesty as a man could hardly endure to behold them without closing his own The Tigurines render it Ad Deum reverendissimum pertinet confessia To the most reverend God belongeth praise Others by way of Doxology Vnto God be reverend Majesty a fit perclose of Elihu's excellent Discourse It was the last speech of dying Chrysostom Glory be to God from all creatures Let it be the badge of the Beast Laus Deo beatae Virgini Cry we Deus terribilis laudeter as Brentius rendreth this Text Let God alone be
petty-gods within our selves we would be absolute and independent when in truth all that we have is derivative the Churches beauty is borrowed Ezek. 16. and we may say of all that we are as he did of his hatchet Alas Master I borrowed it 2 King 6.5 Verse 15. Behold now Behemoth which I made with thee i.e. The Elephant called Behemoth Vocatur Bellua per Antonomasiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. that is Beasts in the plural for his hugenesse as if he were made up of many beasts So David aggravating his own brutishnesse saith So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast Heb. Behemoth beasts in the plural before thee Psal 73.22 that is as a great beast his sin swelled in his eyes as a toad he befools and be-beasts himself as reason required for nothing is more irrational than irreligion Which I made with thee Thy fellow creature made to serve thee He is in the Chaldee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pil that is Wonderful because the wonders of Gods glory do so marvellously appear in him Made he was the same day with man and hath a kind of familiarity and love to him if brought up with him doing him great good service in Peace and War and may be taught to adore Kings He eaieth grasse like an Ox He is not ravenous nor carnivorous neither eateth he daily the grasse upon a thousand hills Lyra. as the Hebrews foolishly fable and that he is to be killed at the resurrection to feast the Saints as being a creature of a monstrous bignesse As the Ox liâ—â—eth up grasse Numb 22.4 so doth the Elephant yet not with his tongue which for so great a Beast is but little neither read we here any thing at all of his voice to teach great men faith One not to speak bigge swolne words but with his Trunk or great Snout called his tail verse 17 as Beza thinketh because it beares the resemblance of a taile Arist de Nâ—â— Anim l. 2. c. 5 6. and is of most marvellous and necessary use to him With this he grazeth and with this he over-throweth trees and then feedeth upon them But he doth not proudly abuse the mightinesse of his limbs to the hurt of other cattle yet he will not be wronged and is of so great strength that no one man dare assault him Verse 16. Lo now his strength is in his loines Wherein he is so strong that he can beare a wooden Tower upon his back and upon that two and thirty men standing to fight there-from In India where the hugest Elephants are they ride upon the bigger plow with the lesser and carry great loads and burdens with both For which and the like purposes Junius totus robustissimus est supernè infernè Howbeit God hath chiefly placed his strength not in any offensive part his head hath no horns nor his feet no clawes to do mischief with but in his loynes and about his belly And his force is in the navel of his belly Which must needs be very hard undergirded when so great weight is made fast to his back Naturalists observe That the softest part of the Elephant is his belly and therefore the Rhinoceros his deadly enemy setteth upon him there with his crooked horn whetted against a Rock and overcometh him yet is he stronger in his belly then other Creatures are in the back and therfore his Navel is here called Navels in the plural His skin is exceeding hard and rough so that an Arrow can hardly pierce it Yet Eleazer Machab. 6 rushing into the enemies Army gat under an Elephants belly upon which he thought King Antiochus rode and killed him being himself crushed to death with the weight of the Beast falling upon him Verse 17. He moveth his tail like a Caedur The Elephant hath but a small and short taile for his bulk Beza therefore rendreth it his prominent part which is as the Cedar and interpreteth it of his Prâ—bofeis or large Snout Sic. Deodat which truly saith he as being proper to the Elephant and of very great use might not in any wise be pretermitted in this description See vers 15. The sinewes of his stones are wrapt together This is also another of the Elephants properties whose testicles are hidden and stick to his belly fastned there by certaine sinewes and ligaments and do not hang as other beasts testicles do As his genital members are but small considering his bignesse so his lust to the female is not great never coupling with her but in secret and when she is once filled forbearing her company Verse 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brasse Or As Conduit Pipes of brasse whereby may be understood his hollow bones as by bars of Iron the solid ones and by both together with his Trunk composed of gristles and his teeth and tushes eight foot long some of them we may conjecture of the bignesse of his whole body the hugest of all earthly creatures saith Pliny nine cubits high saith Elian of some Now can Job look upon such a monstrous creature or hear his noise or stand before him without great horror and will he not submit to the great God and give him all his glory Verse 19. He is the chief of the wayes of God i.e. The Master-piece among all the beasts and perhaps first made as Man is among all earthly creatures being divini ingenii cura as One calls him Of all earthly irrational creatures the Elephant is the hugest and strongest and of most understanding He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him i.e. God alone can deal with him and kill him for no man dare undertake him unlesse it be by Art and cunning and that in Jobs dayes likely was not yet known or practiced And if God had not given an horn to the Rhinoceros and poison to the Dragon who are the Elephants most mortal enemies there were no beasts to be found that could have the better of him He is of himself long-lived saith Aristotle but God can and doth cut him off at his pleasure and so he will those masterlesse Monsters that persecute his people though they may seem to be out of the reach of his rod. Some read the words thus He that made him made his sword to be near him and intepret it of his Proboscis or Snout wherewith as with a sword he fights and does many feats Curtius saith That when Porus the Indian King being wounded in battle fell down armed to the ground his Elephant with his Trunk gently took him up and set him upon his back again Some in their wars have fastned sharp swords to the Snouts of the Elephants and done much mischief therewith to the enemy Verse 20 Surely the Mountaines bring him forth food And food enough though he be of an huge body Learne we to trust unto Gods providence for our necessary provision the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof
administration whereof Christs Birth-dew that is the influence of his Spitis and his presence in those Ordinances is from the womb of the morning i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue that the dew of the teeming morning is to the seeds and plants of the earth An apt similitude both to express the multitude of Christâ— converts and the manner of their heavenly generation See Mac. 5.7 with the Note Vers 4. The Lord hath sworn c. Christs Priestly Office as well as his Kingly is here described whereof how many and how great mysteries there are see Heb. 7. with the Notes The Church is collected and conserved not onely by Christs Kingly power but also by his Priestly mediation Thou art a Priest 1. To expiate 2. To intercede After the order of Melchisedeck Who whether he were Shem or some other is not easie to determine Melchisedeck was a King and a Priest Christ was more a Priest a Prophet and a King These Offices have met double in some others as Melchisedech was King and Priest Samuel a Priest and a Prophet David a King and a Prophet but never met all three in any but in Christ alone Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand Before Christ was at the Fathers right hand here the Father at his this is to shew the equality of the Father and the Son falsh Hierom. Athanasius by Lord here understandeth the Holy Ghost Others by thy right hand will have the Church to be meant who is promised protection and victory The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battel vers 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs vers 6. pursue them flying vers 7. as Judg. 7.5 c. Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen Do execution upon his enemies as vers 1. whether Kings or Caitives He shall fill the places The ditches of their own camps He shall wound the heads Heb. Head cruontabit caput whereby some understand the Roman Empire with its Image Antichrist with his adherents who are called Heathens Rev. 11.2 Others Turks and Saracens reading the next words Over the land of Rabbab the chief City of the Ammonites who were likewise Arabians and so they make it an allusion to Davids victories over the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 12. Vers 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty Viver paupâ—rem vitem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—st Aeâ—umnas omnes dutisâ— mae militiae perferet Beâ— pointing to Christs state of humiliation as in the next words to his exaltation Or he shall content himself with a low condition here such as was that of Eliâ—â— when he drank of the brook I King 17. Or in the eager pursuit of his enemies he shall drink hastily of the water next at hand i.e. as Gideon and his Souldiers did Therefore shall be lift up the hand Maugre the heads of his enemies he shall rise again reign and triumph and so shall all his members after that through many â—â—ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven Christs and their 〈◊〉 but a drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity they are 〈◊〉 a dark entry into out Fathers house a dirty lane to a stately Pallace shut but your eyes as that Martyr at the stake said and there will be a change immediately Look how the Disciples after they had taken Christ into the ship were presently at shore after a Tempest So the Saints have no sooner taken death into their besomes but they are landed presently at the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at the Kingdome of heaven PSAL. CXI Vers 1. 〈◊〉 ye the Lord At the 〈◊〉 especially for this and the other Hallelujatical Psalms that follow called by the Jews the Great Hallelujah were sung as that and other solemn 〈◊〉 in praise of God for his manifold mercies I will praise the Lord Musica hujuâ— Psalmi insignis est siquis com consequi potuit The great are used in the composure of this and some other Psalms after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet serveth both to set forth their excellency and for the help of memory Vers 2. The works the Lord aye great Magnalia no small things are done by so great a hand Grandior solet esse Deus in parvulis quam in magnis in formic is major anima quam in Elephantis in nanis quam in gigantibus Sought out of all them q.d. Great though they be yet are they seriously sought into and found out by those that delight therein and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them Basil diligently described many creatures and so did Ambrose after him Pliny who was himself a very great searcher in Natures secrets telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Et non duns assecutus sit omnies and yet could not attain to all Our Anatomists find still new wonders in the body of a man c. God hath shewed singular skill in his works that men might admire him But woe to such as regard not his handy-work Isa 5.12 Vers 3. His work is honourable Heb. Honour and glory they all come tipt and gilt with a glory upon them à centro ad coelum This the bruitish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 His righteousness endureth for ever His judgements are sometimes secret but alwayes just Vers 4. He hath made his wonderful c. Memorabilia reddedit mirabilia sua clemens misericors Jehova Vers 5. He bath given meat Heb. a prey Escam demensam as he did Manna to the Israelites to each an Homer so to all his he giveth food convenient for them Prov. 30.8 Cibum petum quae sunt divitiae Christianorum Hieron He will ever be mindful of his Covenant To pass by his peoples sins and to supply all their necessities All his pathes to such are not mercy onely but truth Psal 25. Vers 6. He hath shewed his people c. To them it is given to see but not to others who are delivered up to a judiciary blindness Call unto me and I will answer theâ— and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 That he may give them c. Yea power over all Nationâ— Rev. 2. Vers 7. The works of his hands They speak him a true and just God Chrysostome taketh truth here for mercy and noteth that God usually mixeth mercy with justice yet sometimes he sendeth an evil an onely evil Ez. k. 7. All his commandements That is his promises added to his commandements or they are so called because firm and sure as the commandements of an Emperor Vers 8. They stand fast for ever and ever The promises are infallible good sure hold not yea and nay but Yea and Amen And are done i.e. Ordained made and ratified Vers 9. He sent redemption to his people Once out of Egypt ever out of Satans thraldome He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Sic cum
abased c. Bern. Sine Deo omnis copia est egostas In pleasant places From the delectable Orchard of the Leonine Prison Quis in Deo 〈◊〉 poâ—tio mea 〈◊〉 quasi in loco 〈◊〉 maeno R. David said that Italian Martyr dating his Letter Tua praesentia Domine Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit said that Ancient Thy presence Lord made Laurence his gridiron pleasant to him Yea I have a goodly heritage I have as much in content at least as hee who hath most The Bee is as well pleased with feeding on the dew or sucking from a flower as Behemoth that grazeth on the Mountaines The Lark when alost seeth further with a little eye than the Oxe on the ground with a greater Atque suum tirilitirilitiritirlire cantat Vers 7. I will blesse the Lord who hath given mee counsel David frequently consulted with God by Abiathar the Priest whom God by a sweet providence sent unto him with an Ephod for a comfort in his banishment 1 Sam. 22.20 Saul had slain those that ware the Ephod therefore God answered him not neither by dreams nor by Vrim nor by Prophets 1 Sam. 28.6 as hee did his Servant David who therefore blesseth him when the other runneth from him to the Witch for counsel and from her to the swords point My reines also instruct mee God hath not only illuminated mee whereby I shall bee the better able to endure a great fight of affliction Heb. 10.32 but hee hath also sanctified mee and honoured mee with holy inspirations and feeling of the Spirit of Adoption whereby mine internall thoughts and secret motions do dictate and suggest unto mee what I ought to do and undertake Methinks I hear a sweet still voice within mee saying This is the way walk in it and this in the night-season when I am rapt in rest and silence or night after night the Spirit is a continuall spring of counsel and comfort within mee prompting mee to make God my portion and to chuse this good part that shall never be taken away from mee In the night-seasons When commonly we are prone to evill Nox Amor c. Ovid. Illa pudore vacat c. and which is the wicked mans fittest opportunity Job 24.13 15 16. c. It must not content us that God by his word hath given us counsel but wee must labour to be inwardly taught of God A man may read the figure upon the Diall but hee cannot tell how the day goes unlesse the Sun shine upon the Diall Wee may read the Bible over and hear it opened and applied but can learn nothing till the Spirit shine into our hearts 2 Cor. 4. and so our reines instruct us c. Vers 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before mee Heb. I have equally set or proposed Ex Syro Serm. The Apostle translateth it I foresee the Lord alwaies before my face Act. 2.25 I set the eye of my faith full upon him and suffer it not to take to other things I look him in the face oculâ—irretorto as the Eagle looketh upon the Sun and oculo adamantino with an eye of Adamant which turns only to one point so here I have equally set the Lord before mee without irregular affections and passions And this was one of those lessons that his reines had taught him that the holy Spirit had dictated unto him Because hâ—e is at my right hand To help mee that I fall not saith R. David or as a thing that I cannot but remember as being of continuall use to mee It is as necessary to remember God as to draw breath saith Chrysostome I shall not be moved i.e. not greatly moved as Psal 62.2 though Satan stand at the right hand of a godly man to resist and annoy him Zech. 3.1 yet so long as God is at his right hand to assist and comfort him and hee at Gods right hand Psal 45.9 which is a place of honour and safety hee cannot bee moved The gates of Hell shall never prevail Christ our Sampson hath flung them off their hinges Vers 9. Therefore my heart is glad c. That is I am all over in very good plight as well as heart can wish or need require I do over-abound exceedingly with joy God forgive mee mine unthankfullnesse and unworthinesse of so great glory as that Martyr said In all the dayes of my life I was never so merry as now I am in this dark dungeon c. Wicked men rejoyce in appearance and not in heart Mr. Philpot. 2 Cor. 5.12 their joy is but skin-deep their mirth frothy and flashy such as wetteth the mouth but warmeth not the heart But David is totus totus quantus quantus exultabundus his heart glory flesh answerable as some think to that of the Apostle 1 Thes 5.23 Spirit Soul and Body were all over-joyed My flesh also shall rest or confidently dwell in hope Namely in this World as in a wayfaring lodging Diod. then in the grave as a place of safeguard and repose and at last in heaven as in its true and eternall mansion Vers 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell that is my body in the grave animamque sepulchro condimus or in the State of the dead Gen. 37.35 That Soul is sometimes put for a carcass or dead corps Virg. de Polydori funere Aeneid 3. See Job 14.22 Lev. 19.28 21. 1.11 Num. 5.2 6.6 19.13 which place is expounded Ezek 44.25 David can confidently write upon his grave Resurgam I shall rise against This many Heathens had no hope of 1 Thes 4.13 Cum semel occider is Non Torquate tuum genus aut facundia non te Restituet pietas c. Horat. lib. 4. od 7. Yet some Heathens beleeved both the immortality of the soul and therefore durst dye animaque capaces Mortis and the Resurrection of the body as did Zoroastes Theopompus Plato and as do the Turks at this day Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One c. that is the Messiah that is to come out of my loines and who saith to mee and all his Members 2s Isa 26.19 in effect Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust c. See the Note on the Title Michtam The former part of this verse seems to be spoken of David the latter of Christ like as Job 35.15 the former part is of God the latter of Job See the Margin Christs resurrection is a cause pledge and suerty of the Saints resurrection to glory for joy whereof Davids heart leapt within him Christs body though laid in the corrupting-pit could not see that is feel corruption It was therefore a pious errour in those good women who brought their sweet odours to embalm his dead body Luke 24.1 Vers 11. Thou wilt shew mee the path of life This being applied to Christ seemeth to shew that as man
hee did not yet fully understand that inexplicable glory wherewith the Father would glorifie him after death with himself Job 17.5 Sure it is that David did not nor can any man living 1 Cor. 2.9 Contra Aâ— ron ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit illaetab unda vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut vule Plâ—â— quòd fluaâ—â— ctuosis undâ—â— here is as much said as can be said but words are too weak to utter it For quality there is in Heaven joy and pleasures For quantity a fulnesse a torrent whereat they drink without let or loathing For constancy it is at Gods right hand who is stronger than all neither can any take us out of his hand it is a constant happiness without intermission And for perpetuity it is for evermore Heavens joyes are without measure mixture or end PSAL. XVII A Prayer of David Hee was a man of prayer but this was his appeal to God the supreme Judge as the word importeth Vers 1. Hear the right O Lord Heb. Righteousnesse which cryeth unto God no lesse than blood doth Gen. 4. Or hear the right that is my prayer faith R. David rightly made with heart and voice Or Hear O righteous Lord as Christ also faith O righteous Father Joh. 17. Attend unto my cry Some prophane persons bear well their crosses because their cause is good but they cry not when God bindeth them Job 36.13 Or Thucyd Dio. if they cry they cry out of hard fortune as the Athenians did when their good Generall Nicias was slain and their army routed in Cicily or against Dame Vertue as if it were no more than a meer name as Brutus did when beaten out of the field Or against Providence as if there were a mist over the eye of it as Pompei did when discomfited by Caesar so blaming the Sun because of the sorenesse of his own blear eyes But David greatly wronged by Saul and his Courtiers by humble and hearty prayer maketh his request known to God with thanksgiving Phil. 4.6 And this like his harp drove away the Evill spirit of grief and discontent That goeth not out of feigned lips His devotion was not ludibrious as is that of Hypocrites it was not an empty ring a meer out-side the labour of the lips but the travell of the hurt it was sincere and thorough-wrought as St. James hath it Wicked men speak God fair but it is as the Devill did our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.16 to bee rid of him or as those Psal 78.36 who flattered him with their mouthes and lyed unto him with their tongues Vers 2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence Let it be both pronounced and executed forthwith Let thine eyes behold c. i.e. Make it appear that thou both leest and likest mine integrity and that thou winkest not at mens wickednesses Vers 3. Thou hast proved my heart And knowest mee to bee no dissembler and traytor as they wrongfully charge mee whilst they muse as they use Thou hast visited mee in the night In which God is wont to stir up and in mind men of his will Job 4.13 14. as being all gathered within themselves and when the darknesse doth unmask them of worldly dissimulation Thou hast tryed mee As Metallaries do their gold and silver And shalt find nothing Heb. hast not found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deficit saith Aben-Ezra no blot or blemish that is not the spot of Gods Children Deut. 32.5 no drosse or deceit that may not well consist with godlinesse I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse My generall purpose is such though I may have my particular failings I speak my whole heart so sarre as I know it Magna est concordia cordis oris Vers 4. Concerning the works of men sc which ought to bee done by them according to thy Law Or which they are wont to do whether right or wrong I have not now to say but this I can safely say by thy mercy that By the word of thy lips Which I have taken for the rule and rudder of my life I have kept mee from the paths of the destroyer Effractoris of the breach-maker such as is the Bridge-maker of Rome at this day David meaneth that hee had shunned the society of gracelesse persons Psal 26.4 Prov. 24.21 Jer. 15.17 and taken heed to his wayes that hee offended not with his tongue whilst the wicked was present Psalm 39.1 2. lest the Wicked should rejoyce at his Misdemeanors Psal 38.17 Vers 5. Hold up my goings in thy paths c. Keep me within the circle of thy Word as thouhitherto hast done make me to walk exactly and as in a frame Ephes 5.15 Grant me thy preventing concomitant and subsequent grace O thou God of all grace perfect strengthen stablish me 1 Pet. 5.10 That my foot-steps slip not by the malice of Satan who seeks to subvert such as are most eminent to the scandal of the weak and scorn of the wicked by the corruption also of mine own heart Qua quisque sibi Satan est as one well faith whereby every man is a Satan to himself could we but divorce the flesh from the Devil there would be no such danger And lastly by the allurements or affrightments of this present evil world the way whereof is like the vale of Siddim slimy and slippery full of Lime-pits and Pit-falls Springs and stumbling-blocks Vers 6. I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me q. d. Thou wast always wont to hear me and therefore I presume thou wilt Experience breeds confidence Incline thine ear See how he re-enforceth his former request as if he would wring the blessing of out Gods hands by an holy violence and take no denial Vers 7. Shew thy marvellous loving kindness c. Mirificas benignitates tuas less than a marvellous mercifulness will not serve Davids turn he was so hardly bestead ut nisi miabiliter feceris pereo We now alive have lived in an age of Miracles and God hath dealt with our Land not according to his ordinary course but according to his Prerogative by a Miracle of his Mercy have we hitherto subsisted and by a prop of his extraordinary patience O thou that savest c. Servator sperantiam Choyce must be made in Prayer of fit Titles and Attributes of God such as may strengthen faith and quicken affection From those that rise up against them Or against thy right hand The Saints are at Christs right hand Psal 45.9 as Christ is at the Fathers and he puts his holy hand betwixt them and harm Vers 8. Keep me as the apple of the eye Heb. As the black of the apple of the eye two words to the same sense for more vehemency q. d. Serva me studiosissimè The apple of the eye that little man in the eye as the Hebrew word importeth the girl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Huc pertinet locus Cicer. a De nat deor as