was quite gone from the City then followed the fatal calamity in the ruine thereof But that he went away by degrees and not soon and at once was an argument of his very great love and long-suffering He left them step by step as it were and plaid Loth to depart but that there was no remedy Tyed he is not to any place as these fond Jews thought he was to their visible Temple which now he is about therefore to abandon and to make their very Sanctuary a slaughter-house Ver. 4. And the Lord That great Induperator Goe through the midst Discriminate make a difference take out the precious from the vile God will sever his Saints from others in common calamities and deliver them if not from the common destruction yet from the common distraction And set a mark upon the foreheads Vulg. Et signa Thau Whatever this mark was it was signum salutare The letter Tau some think it was as part of the word Tichieh i. e. Thou shalt live according to that The just shall live by his faith or as part of the word Torah i. e. The Law to shew that these had the Law of God written in their hearts and this made them mourn to see it so little set by Howsoever it is not the sign of the crosse as Papists would have it but rather the blood of the crosse wherewith when believers are sprinkled from an evil conscience as the houses of the Israelites in Goshen were with the blood of the Paschal-lamb they are sure of safety here and salvation hereafter The Election of God is sure and hath this seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and it shall appear by them Psal 91. Tau is the basis of the Hebrew Alphabet saith One and marking by Christ is the basis of all true comfort and sound profession Tau endeth and closeth up the Alphabet saith another so he who persevereth to the end shall be saved The mark here mentioned was not corporal but spiritual even the Merit and Spirit of Christ the Value and Virtue of his death and sufferings Of the men that sigh and cry That sigh deeply and cry out bitterly for their own and other mens sinnes and miseries and this out of Piety and Pitty These are not many yet some such are found in all ages Rev. 11.3 Inter vepres rosa nascitur inter feras nonnullae mitescunt Ammian Le us mourn in time of sinning so shall we be marked in times of punishing Ver. 5. Goe ye ofter him Goe not till he hath marked the Mourners so chary and choise is God of his jewels Mercy is his first-born saith One and visites the Saints ere Judgements break out Isa 26.20 21. Ver. 6. Slay utterly old and young A dreadful commission see it fully executed 2 Chron. 36.17 all sorts sexes and sizes of people were corrupted Immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum and sith there was no hope of curing there must be cutting But come not near any upon whom is the mark These were the precious sons of Zion the excellent ones of the earth as whatsoever is sealed is excellent in its kind Isa 28.25 hordeum signatum these are the darlings the favourites handle them gently therefore for my sake touch not mine anointed come not near any such to fright them but keep your distance And begin at my Sanctuary From whence went forth prophanesse into the whole land Jer. 23.15 These Sanctuary-men were an ill generation at them therefore begins the Judgement God will be sanctified in all that draw near unto him Nadab and Abihu found the flames of jealousy hottest about the Altar Vzza and the Bethshemites felt that justice as well as mercy is most active about the Ark. Murtherers must be drawn from the Altar to the slaughter Exod. 21.14 Holy places were wont to be refuges not so here but the contrary Then they began at the Ancient men At those seventy Seniours chap. 8.11 whose foul offences had flown far upon the two wings of evil example and scandal Ver. 7. Defile the house Once hallowed by my self but now abhorred and rejected as a stews or sty of filthiness Fill the courts That where they have sinned there they may suffer as did Ahab 1 King 22.38 2 King 9.26 Ver. 8. And I was left And as I was apt to think alone Rom. 11.3 I fell upon my face and cryed This is the guise of the gracious in evil times as may be seen in Moses Jeremy Paul Athanasius Ambrose c. Ah Lord God Adonai Jehovi not Jehova as elsewhere usually so the Saints have sometimes prayed Polan tanquam singultientes in patheticis precibus or rather sighed out their most earnest suits to God as Gen. 15.28 Deut. 3.24 and 9.26 Lavat Wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel Brevis quidem est haec querimonia Prophetae at multa complectitur This is a brief but a complexive complaint and hath much in it Nimis valde Ver. 9. The iniquity of Israel is exceeding great Still there is a cause to be sure and Gods judgements are sometimes secret ever just And as swift rivers when they once fall into lakes or seas are at rest so are our restlesse minds when once they fall into the depth of the Divine Justice duely considered Declinatione detorsione judicii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the City full of perversenesse Or wresting of judgement Mutteh id est mishpat din Mitteh saith the Hebrew Scholiast that is judgement turned from the biasse as it were when the ballance of Justice is tilted o' t 'one side as Pauls word importeth 1 Tim. 5.21 For they say The Lord hath forsaken the earth See on chap. 8.12 Hic est fons omnium scelerum saith à Lapide hinc ruunt homines in scelerum abyssum saith Theodoret When men are once turned Atheists what will they not dare to do what should hinder them from laying the reines in the neck and running riot in wickednesse Ver. 10. And as for me also Quapropter etiam ego wherefore also I and there 's a stop by an elegant Aposioposis Mine eye shall not spare Chap. 5.11 7.4 8.18 See a just Commentary upon these words Jer. 9.3 4 5. 17. Ver. 11. And behold the man reported the matter The Vulgar hath it Respondit verbum as if he had been asked before whether he had done as was bidden I have done as thou hast commanded me So did David Psal 119.112 Act. 13.22 and the son of David Joh. 17.4 14.51 and Paul witnesse his famous vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. Let every of us so carry the matter toward God that at death we may say with that servant Luk. 14.22 Lord it is done as thou hast commanded CHAP. X. Ver. 1. THen I looked and behold in the firmament Heb. In that expanse or firmament mentioned chap. 1.22 That was above the head of the Cherubims Called before
is our iniquity Nature sheweth no sin it is no causelesse complaint of a grave Divine that some deale with their souls as others do with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses Ver. 11. Because your fathers See chap. 2.5 and 7.24 25. Ver. 12. And you have done worse See chap. 7.26 For behold ye walk See chap. 9.13 and 11.8 and 13.10 Ver. 13. Therefore I will cast you Chap. 10.18 Because ye have sinned wilfully and willingly ye shall be cast out of this land though full sore against your wills And there shall ye serve other gods Will ye nill ye for a just punishment of your voluntary idolatries being compeld by your imperious enemies so to do Notatur poena talionis except ye will taste of the whip as now the Turkes gally-slaves Where I will not shew you favour This was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity like as that was a sweet promise Zech. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off and I will hear them Ver. 14 Therefore behold Or notwithstanding sc these grievous threatnings and extream desolations Thus the Lord still remembreth his Remnant and the Covenant made with them Ministers also must comfort the precious as well as threaten the vile and vicious Evangelizatum non maledictum missus es laudo zelum modo non desideretur mansuetudo said Oecolampadius to Farellus in a certain Epistle Thou wert sent to preach Gospel and not Law only to poure oyle as well as wine into wounded consciences I commend thy zeal so it be tempered with meeknesse of wisdom That it shall no more be said i. e. Not so much be said the lustre of this deliverance shall in some sort dimme the lustre of that but both must be perpetually celebrated Ver. 15. But the Lord liveth c. Or let the Lord live and let the God of our salvation be exalted Psal 18.46 See the Notes there How much more then should our Redemption from Sin Death and Hell by Jesus Christ obscure all temporal deliverance See for this chap. 23.7 8. Confer also chap. 3.16 Ver. 16. Behold I will send for many fishers c. sc To inclose in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 large and capacious nets whole shoales of them together These were the Chaldees whom God sent for arcano instinctu cordium by putting it into their hearts to come up against Jerusalem Howbeit some by fishers understand the Egyptians who lived much by fishing and by hunters the Chaldeans as Gen. 10.8 9. And they shall hunt them Out of all their starting holes and lurking places as the Romans afterwards pul'd them out of their privies c. Ver. 17. For mine eyes are upon all their wayes And though they hide me from themselves yet can they not hide themselves from me possibly nor from my hunters who shall ferret them out Paenarum abund◠Jun. Ver. 18. And first i. e. Before I restore them I will recompence their iniquity and their sin double i. e. Abundantly I will have my full pennyworths of them not double to their deserts as Isa 40.2 and 60.1 With the carcasses i. e. With their Idolatries more odious and loathsome then any stinking carcasses can be Ver. 19. My refuge Better then those of the fugitive Jews out of which they were hunted and murthered The Gentiles shall come to thee By faith and repentance Ver. 20. Should a man make gods to himself Nonne res haec stupore digna Is not this a strange sottishnesse The Gentiles here see it and yet the Papists will not Ver. 21. I will for this once And this once shall stand for all Affliction shall not rise up the second time Nah. 1.9 And I will make them to know Effectu magis quam affectu My hand and my might i. e. My mighty hand mine irresistible power in their just punishment CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. THe sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron The foure first verses of this Chapter are left out by the Septuagint Hierom saith they omitted them in gratiam honorem populi sui in favour and for the honour of their country-men the Jews but that was no just reason For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in heaven Psal 119.89 though there were not a Bible left on earth These sinners against their own souls had their Idolatry so deeply engraven on their hearts that they could not get out the stamp and the guilt thereof stuck so fast to their consciences that they could hardly get off either the sting or the stain thereof It is graven upon the Tables of their hearts Their sin lay there where the law should have lain Ezek. 31.33 Like as Queen Mary when she dyed told those about her that the losse of Callice lay at her heart a place far fitter for Jesus Christ And upon the hornes of your Altars Whereon the blood of your sacrifices are sprinkled and so your sin proclaimed Ver. 2. While their children remember their Altars Or as they remember their children so they remember their Altars and their Groves sc with greatest love and delight The Greeks call children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comedian Charissima so were their Idols to these Jews Ver. 3. O my mountain in the field Or O my mountain and field i. e. O ye mountaneirs and fieldlings Montani fere asperi sunt inculti molliores corpore atque moribus pratenses they should all be spoiled one with another for the sin of their high-places Ver. 4. And thou even thy self shalt discontinue Or intermit sc the tillage of thy land See Exod. 23.11 with Levit. 26.33 34. it shall keep her Sabbaths Ver. 5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man Disserit hic de summo bono de summo malo saith one here the Prophet discourseth of the chief good and of the chief evil This later he pronounceth to be to depart from God and to depend upon the creature for help for such a man seem he never so manly a man haggheber is accursed of God whom he robbeth of his chief jewel that which giveth him the soveraignty and setteth as it were the crown upon his head See Judg. 9.15 Psal 78.22 and 52.7 And maketh flesh his arm i. e. His strength for in brachio est robur Now three wayes saith a Reverend man we make flesh our arm Mr. Case 1. By sitting down in a faithlesse sullen discontent and despair when we can see no second causes 2. By rising up in a corky frothy confidence when we see sufficient humane help 3. When we ascribe the glory of our good to it sacrificing to our own net Habak 1. This is to pull the curse upon our heads with twisted wrath and indignation Whose heart departeth from God He trusteth not God at all who trusteth him
knowledge Hos 4.6 Infatuaci seducentur seducti judicabuntur being infatuated they shall be seduced and being seduced they shall be judged as Austin's Note is on 2 Thess 2.10 Ver. 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away sc By Antiochus as hath been before said and with the knowledge whereof I would have thee to rest satisfied There shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes Which are the three years and a half mentioned before saith Diodate with thirteen dayes over for some unknown reason The Wonderful Numberer hath all in numerato The Russians use to say in a difficult question God and our great Duke know all this The Jews in like case say Messias when he comes will tell us all things we desire to be informed of Ver. 12. But blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty dayes Here are forty five dayes more then in the former number and Probably they were from the restauration of Gods service until the death of Antiochus a blessed time to Gods poor persecuted people as was here the death of Queen Mary or else until some other signal mercy as the victory that Judas Machabaus and his brethren had about that time over the Edomites Ammonites and Moabites who thought to root Israel quite out Ver. 13. But go thou thy way Here Daniel to his great comfort hath a fair and favourable dismission out of this life before those great clashings and confusions should come which had been foreshewn to him So Austin and Paraeus dyed a little before Hippo and Hidelberg were taken Till the end be Whenever it shall be sooner or later thou shalt be sure to awake out of the dust of death unto everlasting life as ver 2. Yea thou shalt shine as the Stars for ever and ever ver 3. All that thou hast to do now is to prepare for such an end and to wait till thy change shall come comforting thy self against death with the hope of a blessed resurrection For thou shalt rest Thy soul shall rest in Abraham's bosom thy body in the grave as in a bed of down until the Resurection of the Just Mors aerumnarum requies was Chaucers Motto And stand in the lot i. e. In thine own order 1 Cor. 15.23 and in that degree of heavenly glory which shall be given thee as thy lot in allusion to the promised land divided amongst the Israelites by lot and as the reward of a faithful Prophet instrumental to the good of many who shall blesse God for thee thoroughout all eternity Ipse quidem studuì bene de pietat◠mereri Sed quicquid potui gratia Christe tua est Sel◠Quid sum Nil quis sum Nullus sed gratia Christi Quod sum quod vivo quodque laboro facit FINIS AN Alphabetical TABLE OF All the Principal things contained in this whole WORK A ACtion Life consisteth in it b. pag. 125. being acted by God let us act vigorously for him b. 207 353. a. 164 Adultery See Whoredom Affliction make the best of it a. 12. Men are best when worst a. 139. faint not in adversity a. 161. God afflicteth his in measure and for good b. 63. rejoyce in affliction b. 86. t is but short b. 71. it instructeth b. 92. exciteth devotion b. 94. it is in love not fury b. 96. in measure 97. for a cure or for a curse ib. purgeth out sin ib. God afflicteth not willingly b. 102. but most wisely b. 102 103. and in measure b. 152. why God afflicteth his own b. 173. Affliction sanctified is a great mercy b. 258. Some are good only in Afflictions b. 322 Alcair a great City b. 473 Alexander the great described b. 552 557 Alms Give liberally a. 16 131. chearfully a. 150. of your own a. 296. Motives and Directions a. 297 298 299. Alms-deeds are acceptable b. 189 Ambition Limitless a. 166. masked with Religion b. 341. pernicious b. 439 Angels Gods Agents b. 393. their knowledge swiftness serviceableness c. ib. See also on Dan. 9 10 11 12. Anger defer it a. 129. it is allayed by time a. 168. proud wrath stigmatized a. 145. t is unruly a. 177. moderate it and why a. 263. Rash anger is over-hot b. 532. angry not fit to be conversed with a. 154 Antinomy Dogmatical and Practical a. 195 Apostates are dangerous creatures a. 241 249. their doom a. 84 Arnold martyred for plain dealing b. 300 Arrogancie intollerable b. 470. arrogant boasters b. 539 Astrologers their vain predictions b. 150. their covetousness b. 151. they befool folk b. 543 B BAbylons strength b. 364. ruine b. 360 Bancrofts Epitaph b. 114 Beauty abused a. 62 Bellarmines rash censure a. 348 Blasphemy b. 485 Blind folk are sharp-witted b. 136 Boasting a. 134. proud boasters a. 168 b. 539. praise not thy self a. 176 Brittain soon converted and perverted b. 195 Butas a cunning thief b. 228 C CAto Major commended b. 520 Causes of things are unknown to us b. 395 Chaldee tongue b. 521 Chinois are a great people b. 156 Children to be corrected a. 79 194 195. Catechized 140. children cruelly punished for parents faults b. 441. Duke Dudleyes children dyed all childless b. 290 Cities die as well as men b. 85 Colosse Rhodian huge b. 531 Company good keep such a. 77. comfort and benefit of it a. 240 241 242. Man a sociable creature b. 26 27 Company evil danger of it a. 33. shun it a. 20 Compassion excelleth alms b. 190. Saints pitty the wickeds misery b. 69 70 Conscience is a divine faculty a. 139. power of it a. 270. what it is b. 192. t is spring of duty b. 531. comfort of a good Conscience a. 96 97 120. force of a clear Conscience b. 533. burthen of a wounded Conscience a. 125. terrour of an evil Conscience b. 542 549 281 Confession findeth mercy a. 186. b. 232 233 Content hath comfort a. 97 Christ Affect a unity with him a. 314. his sweetness a. 315. run to him a. 316. let him alone have the heart a. 323. his dear love to his Church a. 326. why he is compared to common creatures a. 328. his fulness a. 329. b. 175 176 197. his gifts to all his b. 512. Love the Lord Jesus a. 333. provoke him not ibid. he is at hand to help his a. 334. our safety is from him 332. his death a pledge of Gods greatest love a. 349. deny thy self for Christ ibid. He is a branch b. 21. his Incarnation and Government 39. by him we conquer b. 46. his names offices c. b. 46 47 55.56 57 197 198. The Lord our Righteousness a sweet name b. 290 291. his humiliation b. 168 169. his satispassion is our satisfaction ibid. our sins are imputed to him b. 170. his singular patience ib. come freely to him b. 170 Church not alway so visible a. 337. it is Christs workmanship a. 347. a Vineyard b. 24. Her beauty a. 350. t
read of in holy-writ Ezechiels wife was the delight of his eyes hee took singular complacency in her company This conjugal joy is the fruit of love which therefore hee commendeth to all married men in the next words Vers 19. Let her bee as the loving Hind c. The Hind and the Roe are the females of the Hart and Roebuck of which creatures it is noted Inter utrumque ardor amoris summus ut Oppianus de cervis agens scribit that of all other beasts they are most inamoured as I may so speak with their mates and even mad again in their heat and desire after them This being taken in a good sense may set forth the ardent affection that husbands should bear to the wives of their bosomes so they are called too because they should be as dear to them as the hearts in their bosomes A wife is the most proper object of love Col. 3.18 above Parent Friend Childe or any other though never so dear to us And bee thou ravished alwaies Heb. Erre thou alwaies in her love Mercer velut extra te sis rerum aliarum obliviscare It implies saith one a lawful earnest affection so as first to oversee some blemishes and defects Love is blind In facie naevus causa decoris erit Secondly so highly to esteem her Ovid. and so lovingly to comport with her that others may think him even to dote on her Howbeit muliâ—rosity must bee carefully avoided as a harmful errour and that saying of Hierome duly pondered and beleeved Quisquis in uxorem ardentior est amator adulter est As a man may bee drunk with his own drink and a glutton by excessive devouring of his own meat so likewise one may bee unclean by the intemperate or intempestive abuse of the marriage-bed which ought by no means to bee stained or dishonoured with sensual excesses Vers 20. And why wilt thou my Son The premises considered there is no reason for it but all against it Nothing is more irrational than irreligion and yet nothing more usual with the Devil than to perswade his vassals that there is some sense in sinning and that they have reason to bee mad And truly though there were no Devil yet our corrupt nature would act Satans part against it self it would have a supply of wickedness as a Serpent hath of poison from it self it hath a spring within to feed it Nitimur in vetitum semper petimusque negata Nothing would serve the rich mans turn but the poor mans Lamb if Ahab may not have Naboths Vineyard hee hath nothing The more God forbids any sin the more wee bid for it Rom. 7.8 Nay but wee will have a King said they when they had nothing else to say why they would Vers 21. For the waies of man c. Turpe quid acturus te sine teste time Ausâ—â— A man that is about any evil should stand in awe of himself how much more of God sith hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All eye and beholdeth the secretest of thine actions The Proverb is Si non caste saltem caute carry the matter if not honestly yet so closely and cleanly that the world may bee never the wiser How cunningly did David art it to hide his sin but it would not bee there is nothing covered that shall not bee revealed Luk. 12.2 If I make my bed in Hell said hee Psal 139.8 as indeed the places where fornicatours use to lodge are little better Behold thou art there This God alledgeth as a forcible reason against this sin Jer. 13.27 I have seen the lewdness of thy whoredomes And Jer. 29.23 Even I know and am a witness saith the Lord. Vers 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked As so many Serjeants set on by God who will surely hamper these unruly beasts that think to shift and scape his fingers with the cords of their own sins binding them hand and foot and bringing them to condign punishment So that say the Adulterer bee not punished by the Magistrate or come off by commutation yet hee shall feel himself in the gall of bitterness and bond of perdition hee shall finde that hee hath made a halter to hang himself No body can be so torn with stripes as a mind is with the remembrance of wicked actions Tiberius felt the remorse of conscience so violent that hee protested to the Senate Taci that hee suffered death daily Vers 23. Hee shall dye without instruction To spend the span of this transitory life after the waies of ones own heart is to perish for ever But oh what mad men are they that bereave themselves of a room in that City of Pearl for a few dirty delights and carnal pleasures CHAP. VI. Vers 1. My Son if thou bee Surety THe wise-man having exhorted his Son to marry rather than burn and to nourish a family rather than to haunt Harlots houses to the end that hee may shew himself a good Oeconomick and provide for the comfortable subsistence of wife and children hee bids him here beware 1 Of unadvised suretiship 2 Of idleness two great enemies to thrift without which there can be no good house kept The royalty of Salomon could not have consisted for all his riches without forecast and frugality Vers 2. Thou art snared i. e. Endangered to slavery or poverty or both Hence the proverb Sponde noxa praesto est Give thy word and thou art not far from a mischief Shun therefore suretiship if fairly thou canst or if not propound the worst and undertake for no more than thou canst well perform without thy very great prejudice ne ut leo cassibus irretitus dixeris Si praescivissem lest thou being got into the hamble trambles come in too late with thy tools Had I wist Thou art taken For a bargain binds a man by the Law of Nature and of Nations Judah though in a shameful business would make good his engagement to the Harlot Gen. 38.23 Every godly man will do so though it bee to his own hinderance Psal 15.4 The Romans had a great care alwaies to perform their word insomuch that the first Temple built in Rome was dedicated to the goddesse Fidelity The Athenians were so careful this way that Atticus testis is used for one that keeps touch and Attica fides is sure hold as contrarily Punica fides there was no hold to bee taken of Carthaginian promises Of a certain Pope and his Nephew it is said that the one never spoke as hee thought the other never performed what hee spake Rom. 13. This was small to their commendation Debt is a burden to every well-minded man neither can hee bee at rest till hee come to Owe nothing to any man but this that yee love one another When Arch-bishop Cranmer discerned the storm which afterwards fell upon him in Queen Maries daies Act. Mon. vol. 2. p. 1541. hee took express order for the payment of all his debts and
or by any mans perswasion The Monarch of Morocco told the English Ambassadour for King John that hee had lately read Saint Pauls Epistles which he liked so well Heyl. Geog. that were he now to chuse his Religion he would before any other embrace Christianity But every one ought saith he to dye in the religion received from his Ancestors and the leaving of the faith wherein he was born was the only thing that he disliked in that Apostle But the prudent are crowned with knowledge They know that dies diem docet and therefore are not so wedded to their old Principles Superstitions and Fopperies but that they can as right reason requires relinquish and abjure them glorifying the Word Acts 13.48 Acts 13. And receiving the truth in love 2 Thes 2.10 whereby it soon comes to passe that they get good repute and report of all men as Demetrius had yea and of the truth it self 3 Joh. 12. which is the Crown of all commendation Haud velim Erasmi gloria aut nomine vehi saith Luther I care not to be cried up as Erasmus is c. Vers 19. The evil bow before the good Here they do so many times as Josephs brethren before him in his greatnesse as Saul before Samuel Balshazzar before Daniel Euseb the persecuting tyrants before Constantine the great yea one of them viz. Maximinus Galerius being visited with grievous sicknesse not only proclaimed liberty to the poor persecuted Christians but also commanded their Churches to be re-edified Cresius and publick Prayers to be made for his recovery So Ezra 6.10 Pray for the Kings life and for his Sons some of which had dyed in their minority for the rest therefore Prayer must be made by the Church That place is wel known Isa 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their Queens thy nursing mothers they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet c. The Prophet seems to allude to the manner of the Persians Pictorum solea basiare regum Martial who when they were to speak to their King did first kisse the pavement whereon he trod Howsoever natural consciences cannot but doe homage to the Image of God stamped upon the natures and practices of the righteous as is afore-noted and the worst cannot but think well of such and honour them in their hearts In the life to come these things shall have their full accomplishment and at the last day when the Saints shall judge the world and Christ shall have put all things under his feet so that they shall have power over the Nations Rev. 2.26 Vers 20. The poor is hated i. e. Lesse loved little respected as Gen. 29.31 Mal. 1.5 Luke 14.26 The Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adversity findes few friends Et cum fortuna statque caditque fides Few will appear for suffering Saints This Job and David much complain of but as when a Deer is shot the rest of the Herd push him out of their company so here Tempora si fueriut nubila solus eris The same Hebrew word that signifies Winter an Embleme of Poverty signifies reproach This thy son Luke 15.30 Not this my brother Joseph because in poverty The Samaritans would not once own the Jewes when they were at an under but disavow them as they did to Antiochus Epiphanes But when in prosperity then they would curry favour with them and call them their sweet Cousins When it was sometimes disputed among the Romans in the Council using to deifie great men whether Christ having done many wonderful works should bee received into the number of the gods it was resolved that he should not Propter hoc quod paupertatem praedicarit elogerit quam mundus contemnit because he preached poverty and chose poor men whom the world cares not for Purchas But the rich man hath many friends Such as they are ollares amici trencher-flies such as follow the scent and like Bohemian Curtes will fawn upon a good suit As for faithful friends divitibus ideo amicus deest quia nihil deest saith one few such to be found such as with Ittai the Gittite and Hushai the Archite will stick close to a David when stripped of all Josephus relates of the Jewes that they were very careful how they received Proselites in Salomons time because then the State of the Jews flourished Vers 21. Hee that despiseth his neighbour sinneth His poor neighbour Where the hedge is low the beast will easily break over None usually are so trampled on with the feet of pride and contempt by the great Bulls of Basan as the necessitous and afflicted Hence poor and afflicted are set together Zeph. 3.12 so are to want and to be abased Phil. 4.11 This is a great sin saith Salomon it is to commit sin and to bee convinced of the Law as transgressors saith Saint James chap. 3.9 But he that hath mercy on the poor happy is he His sins shall be remitted his necessities relieved and the blessings of God multiplied upon him even a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See my Common-place of Almes Vers 22. Doe they not erre that devise evil Heb. That plow it and plot it that dig it and delve it that whet their wits and beat their brains about it Toto errant calet doe not these erre are they not heavenly wide utterly out shall they not misse of their purpose and meet with disappointment witnesse those Babel-builders Gen. 11. those Kil-Christs Psal 2. those State Traytors Sheba Shebna c. divers English Traytors who drew their last thread in the Triangle of Tiburn Knute the first Danique King caused the false Edrics head to bee set on the highest part of the Tower of London Daniels Hist 19. therein performing his promise of advancing him above any Lord in the Land Traytors always become edious though the treason bee commodious Philip Duke of Austria Parei Hist prof madul 769. paid the Ambassadours of Charls the fourth who had betrayed their trust in counterfeit coyn whereof when they complained he answered that false coyn was good enough for false knaves James the first King of Scots was murdered in Perth by Walter Earl of Athol in hope to attain the Crown Hect. Boeth but his hopes failed him Crowned indeed he was but with a Crown of red hot Iron clapt upon his head being one of the tortures wherewith hee ended at once his wicked dayes and devises But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Mercy and truth were the best that David could wish to his fast friend Ittai 2 Sam. 15.20 These two Attributes of God shall cause that good devises shall not miscarry His mercy moves him to promise his truth binds him to perform 2 Sam. 7.18 21. For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these things According to thine own heart that is of meer
all may bee well betwixt you Vers 2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright Heb. deals kindly with her offers her no abuse by venting her unseasonably and making her over-cheap and little set by Eloquence wisely ordered is very commendable and avails much Daniels Hist But what a poor praise was that to the Duke of Buckingham that speaking to the Londoners in the behalf of that Usurper Richard the third hee gained the commendation that no man could deliver so much bad matter in so good words and quaint phrases Here was eloquentiae satis sapientiae parum The tongue was given us for better purpose 't was Davids glory and hee used it accordingly But the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness Heb. Bubbleth it out blurteth it out as a fountain casteth out its waters with a great force and swiftness non quid Quicquid in buccam sed quantum is all their care being talkative above measure and forward to utter whatsoever comes into their chaps Vers 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place Hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-eye and his providence like a well-drawn picture that vieweth all that come into the room Rev. 2. I know thy works and thy labour not thy works onely but thy labour in doing them And as for the Offender though hee think to hide himself from God by hiding God from himself yet God is nearer to him than the bark is to the tree for in him all things subsist Col. 1.17 and move Vide Sen. Ep. ad Lucil. 34. Act. 17.28 understand it of the minds motions also And this the very Heathen saw by natures rush-candle For Thaeles Milesius being asked whether the gods knew not when a man doth ought amiss yea said hee if hee do but think amiss Interest animis nostris cogitationibus Sen. Deus intimior nobis intimonostro saith another God is nearer to us than wee are to ourselves Repletively hee is every where though inclusively no where Nusquam est ubique est As for the world it is to him as a Sea of glasse Rev. 4.6 corpus diaphanum a clear transparent body hee sees thorow it Beholding the evil and the good The evil are first mentioned because they make question of this truth But what saith a worthy Divine yet alive Think not that hee who is invisible cannot see God like the Optick virtue in the eye sees all and is seen of none No man needs a window in his breast as the Heathen Momus wish'd for God to look in at every man before God is all window Job 34.22 The eyes of Christ are as a flaming fire Rev. 1.14 And the school of nature teacheth that the fiery eye needs no outward light that sees extra mittendo by sending out a ray c. Vers 4. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life As uttering words that have a healing property in them pure precious and profitable not unlike that tree of life in the midst of Gods Garden that would have given immortality to the eaters See August de Civit. dei lib. 15. cap. 20. But perversenesse therein is a breach of the spirit That is in the conscience which it goreth and gasheth and in the heart which it defileth and disposeth to further evil it leaveth both a sting and a stain in a mans own soul besides the much mischief that it doth to the spirits and manners of other men that are corrupted by it Gods Spirit also is not a little grieved and vexed when the godly man suddenly falls as sometimes hee doth into bitter words clamours and evil-speakings these are even as smoak to the eyes and make the Spirit of God ready to loathe and leave his lodging as the Apostle intimates Ephes 4.30 31. There are that thus translate the Text But the mischievousnesse of it is as a breach made by the wind and set this sense upon it as a blustring wind which throws down trees and houses doth much harm so a violent and venemous tongue causing troubles and calamities is very pernicious and hurtful Job 8.2 Pray wee therefore with David Psal 120. Deliver mee Lord from a lying lip and a deceitful tongue c. Vers 5. A fool despiseth his Fathers instruction Heb. Entertains it with contumelious and opprobrious language as a mad man doth a potion offered him for his health Hierome oft renders the word to blaspheme and indeed to reject good counsel of a Father especially with scorn and reproach is blasphemy in the second Table But hee that regardeth reproof is prudent Wise hee is and wiser hee will bee This made David prize and pray for a reprover Psal 141.5 And 't is said of Gerson that great and wise Chancellour of Paris that hee took pleasure in nothing more In vita Gers quam si ab aliquo fraternè charitativè redargueretur than in a friendly reproof The like is reported of Sir Anthony Cope by Dr. Harris Samuels fun Epist who preached his Funeral and of that famous man of God Mr. William Wheatly by Mr. Scudder who writes his life Hee was glad saith hee Mr. Wheatlyes Archery p. Pref. when any of the righteous smote him and would take it well not from his superiours onely but from his equals and far inferiours Vers 6. In the house of the righteous is much treasure Every righteous man is a rich man whether hee hath more or less of the things of this life For first hee hath plenty of that which is precious Secondly Propriety what hee hath is his own hee holds all in Capite-tenure in Christ hee shall not bee called to account as an usurper All is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 because you are Christs and Christ is Gods And although he hath little many times in present possession yet hee is rich in reversion rich in bills and bonds rich in an apparent pledge that is worth all the world besides that is in Christ for having given us his son how shall hee not with him give us all things also Rom. 8. But in the revenues of the wicked are trouble For besides the curse of unsatisfiableness in the very pursute of them hee meets with many grievances fears jealousies disgraces interruptions discontentments and then after the unsanctified enjoyment of them follows the sting of conscience that dissweetens all and that will unexpressibly vex and torment him through all eternity Hee hath swallowed down riches and hee shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly c. Job 20.15 Disgorge hee shall surely those murthering morsels either by remorse and restitution in the mean time or with despair and impenitent horrour hereafter Vers 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge They are the lights of the world and they diffuse light where-ever they come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. shining as Lamps or Luminaries and seeking to save themselves and those that hear them How did those learned Scribes our famous
Reformers bring forth their rich treasure and liberally disperse it by preaching writing and every way trading their Talents for the Churches good Farellus with his Talent Hic est ille Farellus qui Genevenses Novocomenses Monipelgardenses c. Christo lucrifecit Melch. Adam in vit gained to the Faith five Cities of the Cantons with their territories Wickliff Hus Luther Calvin c. how active and fruitful were they in their Generations to dispread and scatter light over the Christian world to wise and win souls to Christ Prov. 11.30 These surely shine as stars in Heaven Dan. 12.3 that like stars by their light and influence made such a scatter of riches upon earth Every Star saith one is like a purse of Gold out of which God throws down riches and plenty upon the sons of men And as it is the nature of gold to bee drawn forth marvellously Zinch de oper dei part 2. l. 3. c. 6. so that as the learned affirm an ounce of gold will go as far as eight pound of silver so it is the nature of sound knowledge to be spreading and diffusive But the heart of the foolish doth not so Or is not right 'T is little worth Prov. 10.20 as having no true treasure in them but froth and filth vanity and villany hence they do not onely not disperse knowledge which they have not Psal 14.4 but patronize and promote ignorance and errour sow Cockle as fast as wiser men do Corn and are as busie in digging descents to Hell as others are in building stair-cases for Heaven Vers 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination Their very incense stinks of the hand that offers it Isa 1.13 Good words may bee uttered but wee cannot hear them because uttered with a stinking breath and good meat may bee presented but wee cannot eat of it because cook'd or brought to Table by a nasty sloven Works materially good may never prove so formally and eventually viz. when they are not right quoad fontem quoad finem 1 When they proceed not from a right principle a pure heart a good conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 2 When they tend not to a right end the glory of God in our own or other mens salvation Christus opera nostra non tam actibus quà m finibus pensat Zanchius The glory of God must consume all other ends as the Sun puts out the light of the fire Cant. 4.11 Psal 141.2 Hos 14.2 But the prayer of the righteous is his delight His musick his hony-drops his sweetest perfume his Calves of the lips with which when wee cover his Altar hee is abundantly well-pleased For as all Gods senses nay his very soul is offended with the bad mans sacrifice Isa 1.13 14 15. his sharp nose easily discerneth and disgusteth the stinking breath of his rotten lungs though his words bee never so sented and perfumed with shews of holiness So the prayer that proceeds from an upright heart though but faint and feeble doth come before God even into his ears Psal 18.6 and so strangely charms him Isa 26.16 see the Margin that hee breaks forth into these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incantamentum Ask mee of things concerning my sons and concerning the works of my hands command yee mee Isa 45.11 O that wee understood the latitude of this Royal Charter then would wee pray alwaies with all prayers and supplications in the Spirit then would wee watch thereunto with all perseverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not faint or shrink back Ephes 6.18 Luk. 18.1 Vers 9. The way of the wicked is abomination Not his sacrifices onely but his civilities all his actions natural moral recreative religious are offensive to all Gods senses as the word signifies The very plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 all they do is defiled yea their very consciences Their hearts like some filthy bog or fenn or like the lake of Sodome send up continual poisonous vapours unto God And hee not able to abide them sends down eftsoons a counterpoison of plagues and punishments Psalm 11.6 Rom. 1.18 But hee loveth him that followeth after righteousness Although hee fulfil not all righteousness yet if hee make after it with might and main as the word signifies if hee pursue it and have it in chase as ravenous creatures have their prey if by any means hee may attain to the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.11 That is that height of holiness that accompanieth the resurrection This is the man whom God loves Now Gods love is not an empty love It is not like the Winter Sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little warmth and comfort Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness Aug. those that remember thee in thy waies Isa 64.5 that think upon thy commandements to do them Psal 103. qui faciunt praecepta et si non perficiant that are weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but willing Heb. 13.18 that are lifting at the latch though they cannot do up the door Surely shall every such one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 Righteousness that is mercy to those that come over to him and Strength to enable them to come as the Sea sends out waters to fetch us to it Vers 10. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way Hee pleaseth himself in his out-straies and would not bee reduced hee is in love with his own ruine and takes long strides towards Hell which is now but a little afore him And if any man seek to save him Jude 23. with fear pulling him out of the fire hee flies in his face This is as great madness as if they whom our Saviour had healed or raised should have raged and railed at him for so doing And hee that hateth reproof shall die Hee that is imbittered by rebukes and not bettered by chastisements shall die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint shall die shamefully yea shall die eternally as the next verse shews shall bee swallowed up of Hell and destruction which even now gapes for him They that will not obey that sweet command Come unto mee all yee c. shall one day have no other voice to obey but that terrible Discedite Go yee cursed into everlasting flames Vers 11. Hell and destruction are before the Lord Tophet is prepared of old and where ever it is as it skils not curiously to enquire below us it seems to bee Pareus in loc Rev. 14.11 ubi sit sentient qui curiosius quaerunt so it is most certain that Hell is naked before God and destruction uncovered in his sight Job 26.6 Wee silly fishes see one another jerked out of the pond of life by the hand of death but wee see not the frying-pan and the fire that they are cast into that die in their sins and refuse to bee reformed Cast they are into utter darkness
Matth. 8.12 In tenebras ex tenebris infaeliciter exclusi Aug. Hom. 16. infelicius excludendi Howbeit this thickest darkness hideth not from God but the light shineth as the day Psal 139.12 hee perfectly knows the state of the dead and the damned Oh that men knew more of it and did beleeve in any measure that eternity of extreamity that is there to bee endured Oh that they would bee forewarned to flie from this wrath to come Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end those quatuor novissima Deut. 32.29 Utinam ubique de Gehenna dissereretur saith Chrysostome Hee that doth but hear of Hell is without any further labour or study taken off from sinful pleasures saith Nyssen But if a man had but one glimpse of it it were enough saith Bellarmine to make him not onely turn Christian and Sober but Anchorite and Monk to live after the strictest rule that can bee But alass wee cannot get men to think of it till they bee plunged headlong into it Esse aliquos manes c. Vel pueri credunt nisi qui nondum aere levantur Juvenal No though one should come from the dead to testifie unto them they would not be perswaded Luke 16.31 How much more then the hearts of the children of men Though deep and deceitful full of turnings and windings Multae sunt in animo lateâ—rae multi recessus saith Tully yet God can fathom and finde them out Jer. 17.9 10. Hee searcheth the hearts and reins which yet are the most remote and abstruse of all the entrails covered from the eye of the Anatomist with fat and flesh c. By hearts and reins understand thoughts and affections the reins being the seat of the strongest affection that which is for Generation Lo these are pervious and patent to the eyes of God yea dissected quartered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lux altissima coeli Occultum nihil esse sinâ—t latebrasque per omnes Intrat Claudian cleft in the back bone as the Apostles word Heb. 4.13 signifies how much more then their evil actions these cannot possibly bee hid from Gods all-seeing eye though they dig deep to secure themselves as those Gun-powder-traitors though they throw thereupon wood stones and rubbish all these to God would bee but as spectacles to make their sins appear the greater or as perspectives to multiply them Vers 12. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him Nay hee hateth those that reprove him in the gate Amos 5.10 as Ahab did Micaiah Herodias John Baptist the Pharisees our Saviour c. Bishop Ridley lamenting a little before his death the state of England even of the greatest Magistrates some the Kings highness excepted evermore unkindly and urgently against those that went about most busily and wholesomely to cure their sore backs spurned privily and would not spare to speak evil of them even to the Prince himself and yet would they toward the same Preachers outwardly bear a jolly countenance and fair face As for Latimer Lever Bradford and Knox their tongues were so sharp they ripped so deep in their galled backs to have purged them no doubt of their filthy matter that was festered in their hearts of unsatiable covetousness of filthy carnality and voluptuousness of intollerable ambition and pride of ungodly loathsomeness to hear poor mens causes and to hear Gods word Act. Mon. 1616. And these men of all others these Magistrates then could never abide c. Thus that godly Martyr and much more to the same purpose Neither will hee go unto the wise Men should run to and fro to encrease knowledge 2 King 4.23 Dan. 12.4 The Shunamite rode ordinarily to the Prophet on the Sabbaths and other holy daies Those good souls Psal 84.7 passed on from strength to strength setting the best foot forwards for like purpose yea those that were weak and unfit for travel would bee brought to the ordinances upon horses in chariots and in litters Isa 66.20 But now the Scorner holds it not worth while to put himself to this pains and is ready to say with Jeroboam It is too much for men to go up to Jerusalem to go up to the mountain of the Lord to learn his wayes Isa 2.3 Yea hee set watchers to observe who would go from him to Judah to worship that hee might shame them at least if not slay them Hos 5.1 Hee would never have gone to the Prophet to bee reproved and when the Prophet came to him hee stretcht forth his hand to apprehend him So Herod had a desire to see Christ but could never finde a heart to go to hear him And yet our Saviour looked that men should have come as far to him Mat. 12.42 as the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon Vers 13. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance It sits smiling in the face and looks merrily out of the windows of the eyes This is not till faith have healed the conscience and till grace have hushed the affections and composed all within Saint Stephen looked like an Angel when hee stood before the Council Act. 6. and the Apostles went away rejoycing Act. 5. There are that rejoyce in the face onely and not in the heart 2 Cor. 5.12 this is but the hypocrisie of mirth and wee may bee sure that many a mans heart bleeds within him when his face counterfeits a smile It is for an Abraham onely to laugh for joy of the promise Psal 119.162 and for a David to rejoyce at the word as one that findeth great spoyl wherein the pleasure is usually as much as the profit Christs Chariot wherein hee carries his people up and down in the world and brings them at length to himself is paved with love Cant. 3.9 10. hee brings them also into his Wine-cellar Cant. 2.4 where hee cheers up their hearts and clears up their countenances and this is praemium ante praemium Heaven afore-hand These are some few Clusters of the Grapes of the Celestial Canaan But by the sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken As the looks are marred so the spirits are dulled and disabled as a limb out of joynt can do nothing without deformity or pain Dejection takes off the wheels of the soul hinders comfortable intercourse with God and that spiritual composedness that habitual cheerfulness that Sabbath of spirit that every man should strive to enjoy Afflictions saith one are the wind of the soul passions the storm The soul is well carried when neither so be-calmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed with tempests of wrath grief fear care c. to move disorderly Of these wee must bee careful to crush the very first insurrections storms rise out of little gusts but the top of those mountains above the middle region are so quiet that ashes lightest things are not moved out of place Vers 14. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh
knowledge As an hungry man seeks meat or a covetous man gold the more he hath the more hee desires Moses was no sooner off the mount where hee had seen God face to face but hee cryes Lord shew mee thy glory David that knew more than his teachers cryes ever and anon Teach mee thy statutes Job 23.12 Job prefers knowledge before his necessary food Chrysippus was so studious that hee would not take time to eat his meat but had perished with hunger if his maid Melissa had not put meat into his mouth John eat the book that the Angel gave him Rev. 10.9 Jacobus de Voragine and Petrus Comestor had their names from devouring the Bible Let fools feed on foolishness as swine do on swill as flyes do on botches as carrion kites do on stinking carcases as Tartarians do on dead Camels Asses Dogs Cats c. The Wise-man findes no such sweetness in the most delicate and dainty dishes as in the search after divine knowledge Psal 119.103 Even Aristotle saith that a little knowledge though conjectural about heavenly things is to bee preferred above knowledge though certain about earthly things And Agur saith it is to ascend into heaven Prov. 30.4 Vers 15. All the dayes of the afflicted are evil The guilt of sin puts a sting into afflictions and makes them very grievous Plaâ—t Nihil est miserius quam animus hominis conscius said the Heathen Such an affliction may well bee called as Am. 6.6 shebharim a breaking to shivers for then God is a terrour to man Jer. 17.17 and runs upon the thick bosses of his bucklers Job 15.26 Himself is also a Magor-missabib to himself so that hee is for the time in the very suburbs of Hell and ready to become his own deathsman as Judas Hence Anselm Mallem purus à peccato saith hee Geheunam intrare quà peccati sorde pollutus coelorum regna tenere But hee that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast The sincere heart the quiet conscience will not onely stand under greatest pressures as Paul 2 Cor. 1.9 12. but goes as merrily to dye in a good cause as ever hee did to dine as divers Martyrs bee the air clear or cloudy hee enjoyes a continual serenity and sits continually at that blessed feast whereat the blessed Angels are Cooks and Butlers as Luther hath it and the three Persons in Trinity gladsome guests Mr. Latimer saith that the assurance of heaven is the sweet-meats of this feast There are other dainty dishes but this is the Banquet Another saith In minimo maximum est bonamens in corpore humano quae si ad sit deliciosius vivit etiam is qui teruntium non habet in orbe quam si in unum hominem sexcentos confles Sardanapalos All other feasts to this are stark hunger It is a full feast a lasting feast not for a day as that of Nabal not for seven dayes as that of Sampson no nor of ninescore dayes as that of Ahashuerosh but a durable continual feast without intermission of solace or interruption of society Vis ergo ô homo semper epulari vis nunquam tristis esse saith Bernard bene vive Wilt thou therefore O man never bee sad wilt thou turn thy whole life into a merry festival get and keep a good conscience The Heathen Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diogen A good man keeps holy-day all the year about Vers 16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord This is one special consideration that keeps up the good heart in continual comfort Contented godliness is great riches Misera est magni custodia census Great treasures Juvenal bring great troubles It is not the great Cage that makes the bird sing It is not the great estate that brings alway the inward joy the cordial contentment The little Lark with a wing sees further than the Oxe with a bigger eye but without a wing Birds use not to sing when they are on the ground but when got into the air or upon the top of trees If Saints bee sad it is because they are too busie here below and Martha-like troubled about many things with neglect of that one thing necessary They that will bee rich pierce themselves thorough with many sorrows If the bramble bear rule fire will rise out of it that will consume the Cedars the lean Kine will soon eat up the fat and it shall not bee seen by them It is hard to handle these thorns hard and not to prick ones fingers Riches though well got are but as Manna those that gathered less had no want and those that gathered more it was but a trouble and annoyance to them Vers 17. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is Mensa consecrata est amicitiae saith one The Table is dedicated to friendship and an absurd thing it is there to raise quarrels or to revenge wrongs as Absolom did when hee killed his brother Amnon as Alexander did when hee killed his friend Philotas and as the Great Turk when hee intends the death of any of his great Bashaws hee invites them to a feast in the midst whereof hee commandeth the black gown to bee cast upon their shoulders and then they are presently taken from Table and strangled Isaac made a feast for Abimelech and Phicol to shew that hee was heartily reconciled to them Gen. 26.30 The Greeks had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or love-feasts for like purpose Among the Latines as Varro testifieth it was held a compleat feast Varro In veter fragm si belli conveniant homines si temporis sit habita ratio si locus fit non ingratus si non negligens apparatus if they were merry men that met if they sate not over-long nor over late if the place were pleasant and the cheer indifferent Green Herbs it seems was a great dish with them which therefore they called Holus ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they thought no dish were wanting if that were set upon the Table These Herbs they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acetaria Becman because they used to dip them in vinegar and thereunto if they had bread which they called Panis of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they held they had all that heart could wish or need require Vers 18. A wrathful man stirreth up strife Miscet lites hee mingleth strife with his meat and feeds upon chafing-dishes Such troublesome guests Augustine forbad his table by these two verses written round about it Possid in vit Quisquis amat dictis aliorum rodere famam Hanc mensam vetitam noverit esse sibi This is the worst musick at meat that may bee But some men maledictis aluntur ut venenis capreae David met with such hypocritical mockers in feasts that most uncivilly gnashed upon him with their teeth Psal 35.16 Hence much mischief many times ariseth For as Basil noteth ira excitat rixam rixa parit convicia convicia
ictus ictus vulnera saepe vulnera morâ— consequitur Wrath stirs up strife strife causeth ill words ill words draw on blows bloodshed and losse of life sometimes But hee that is slow to anger appeaseth strife Is as busie to stint strife as the other to stir it brings his buckets to quench this unnatural fire betwixt others and puts up injuries done to himself as Jonathan did when his Father flung a Javelin at him hee rose from Table and walked into the field David also though provoked yet hee as a deaf man heard not and was as one dumb in whose mouth there was â—â— reproof Such peaceable and peace-making men are blessed of God and â—â—ghly esteemed of men when wranglers are to be shunned as perilous persons Make not friendship with an angry man saith Solomon Prov. 22.24 And they are not much to bee regarded that with every little offensive breath or disgraceful word are blown up into rage that will not bee laid down without revenge or reparation to cure their credits Vers 19. The way of a slothful man is as a hedge of thorns Perplexed and let some so that hee gets no ground makes no riddance hee goes as if hee were shackled when hee is to go upon any good course so many perils hee casts and so many excuses hee makes this hee wants and that hee wants when in truth it is a heart onely that hee wants being wofully hampered and inthralled in the invisible chains of the Kingdome of darkness and driven about by the Devil at his pleasure This will bee a bodkin at these mens hearts one day to think I had a price in my hand but no heart to make use of it I foolishly held Germani dicunt Anser est in porta that a little with ease was best and so neglected so great salvation shifting off him that spake to mee from Heaven Heb. 12.25 and pretending some Lion in the way some Goose at the gate when I was to do any thing for my souls health Never any came to Hell saith one but had some pretence for their coming thither Vâ—a strata But the way of the righteous is made plain Or Is cast up as a Causey a Gabbatha John 19.13 a rode raised above the rest There seems to bee an allusion to that bank or causey that went from the Kings house to the Temple 1 Chron. 26.16 18. 1 King 10.5 2 Chron. 9.11 And the sense is that the godly by much practice of piety having gotten an habit dispatch duty with delight and come off with comfort See Isa 40.31 Vers 20. A wise Son maketh a glad Father See the Note on chap. 10.1 Vers 21. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of understanding See the Note on chap. 10.23 But a man of understanding walketh uprightly And hee doth it with delight as the opposition implies Christs burden is no more grievous to him Sinceritas screnitatis mater siâ—e qua tranquillitas omnis tempestas est Isidor than the wing is to the bird Matth. 11.30 1 John 5.3 His sincerity supplies him with a serenity the joy of the Lord as an oyl of gladness makes him lithe and nimble in waies of holiness And this spiritual joy in some is an habitual gladness of heart which constantly after assurance is found in them though they feel not the passions of joy but in others there are felt at sometimes the vehement passions of joy but not any constant gladnesse Vers 22. Without counsel purposes are disappointed The word here rendred Counsel signifies Secret because counsel should bee kept secret which to signifie the old Romans as Servins testifieth built the Temple of Consus their God of Counsel sub tecto in Circo in a publick place but under a covert And it grew to a proverb Romani sedendo vincunt The Romans by sitting in Counsel conquer their enemies But what a strange man was Xerxes and it prospered with him accordingly who in his expedition against Greece called his Princes together but gave them no freedome of speech Val. Max. lib. 9. cap. 5. nor liberty of Counsel Lest said hee to them I should seem to follow mine own counsel I have assembled you And now do you remember that it becomes you rather to obey than to advise Daniels Hist Such another was that James that reigned in Scotland in our Edward the fourths time Hee was too much wedded saith the Historian to his own opinion and would not endure any mans advice how good soever that hee fancied not hee would seldome ask counsel but never follow any See the Note on chap. 11.14 Vers 23. A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth It reflects comfort upon a man when hee hath spoken discreetly to the benefit and good content of others Some degree of comfort follows every good action as heat accompanies fire as beams and influence issue from the Sun which is so true that very Heathens upon the discharge of a good conscience have found comfort and peace answerable A word spoken in due season how good is it One seasonable truth falling on a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation Galeacius was converted by a similitude used by Peter Martyr reading on 1 Corinth Junius was reduced from Atheism by conference with a country-man of his Luther having heard Staupicius say that that is kinde repentance which begins from the love of God ever after that time the practice of repentance was the sweeter to him Also this speech of his took well with Luther Melch. Adam Doctrina praedestinationis incipit à vulneribus Christi The doctrine of predestination begins at Christs wounds Melancthon tells how that one time when Luther as hee was naturally passionate fell into a great distemper upon some provocation he quickly quieted him by reciting this verse Vince animos iramque tuam qui catera vincis At the hearing hereof Luther curbs in his passion and smiling said Non volumus de his amplius sed de aliis colloqui Joban Manâ— loc com Wee 'l talk no more of these matters Vers 24. The way of life is above to the wise Hee goes an higher way than his neighbour even in his common businesses because they are done in Faith and Obedience Hee hath his feet where other mens heads are and like an heavenly Eagle delights himself in high-flying Busied hee may bee in mean low things but not satisfied in them as adequate Objects A wise man may sport with children but that is not his business Domitian spent his time in catching flyes and Artaxerxes in making hafts for knives but that was the baseness of their spirits Wretched worldlings make it their work to gather wealth as children do to tumble a snow-ball they are scattered abroad throughout all the land as those poor Israelites were Exod. 5.12 to gather stubble not without an utter neglect of their poor souls But what I wonder will these men do when Death
that distemperature departed the world which himself had so oft distempered Vers 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Septuagint render it And indeed it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All true mirth is from rectitude of the mind from a right frame of soul When Faith hath once healed the conscience and grace hath husht the affections and composed all within so that there is a Sabbath of Spirit and a blessed tranquillity lodged in the soul then the body also is vigorous and vigetous for most part in very good plight and healthful constitution which makes mans life very comfortable For si vales bene est And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go thy waies saith Solomon to him that hath a good conscience eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart Eccles 9.7 8 9. sith God accepteth thy works Let thy garments bee alwaies white and let thy head lack no ointment Live joyfully with the wife of thy youth c. bee lightsome in thy cloaths merry at thy meats painful in thy calling c. these do notably conduce to and help on health They that in the use of lawful means wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not bee weary they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 But a broken spirit drieth the bones By drinking up the marrow and radical moisture See this in David Psal 32.3 whose bones waxed old whose moisture or chief sap was turned into the drought of Summer his heart was smitten and withered like grass his daies consumed like smoak Psal 102.3 4. his whole body was like a bottle in the smoak Psal 119.83 hee was a very bag of bones and those also burnt as an hearth Psal 102. Aristotle in his book of long and short life assigns grief for a chief cause of death And the Apostle saith as much 2 Cor. 7.10 See the Note there and on Prov. 12.25 All immoderations saith Hippocrates are great enemies to health Vers 23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome i. e. closely and covertly as if neither God nor man should see him The words may bee also read thus Hee that is the corrupt Judge taketh a gift out of the wicked mans bosome there being never a better of them as Solomon intimateth by this ambiguous expression Stapleten Rain is good and ground is good yet ex corum conjunctione fit lutum So giving is kind and taking is courteous yet the mixing of them makes the smooth paths of justice foul and uneven Vers 24. Wisdome is before him that hath understanding Or Vultut index animi Profecto oculis animus inhabitat Plin. the face of an understanding man is wisdome his very face speaks him wise the government of his eyes especially is an argument of his gravity His eyes are in his head Eccles 2.14 hee scattereth away all evil with them Prov. 20.8 Hee hath oculum irretortum as Job had chap. 31. and Joseph had oculum in metam which was Ludovicus vives his Motto his eye fixt upon the mark hee looks right on Prov. 4.25 hee goes through the world as one in a deep muse or as one that hath haste of some special businesse and therefore over-looks every thing besides it Hee hath learned out of Isa 33.14 15. that he that shall see God to his comfort must not onely shake his hands from taking gifts as in the former verse but also stop his ears from hearing of blood and shut his eyes from seeing of evil Vitiis nobis in animum per oculos est via saith Quintilian Quintil. declam sin entereth into the little world thorow these windows and death by sin as fools finde too oft by casting their eyes into the corners of the earth suffering them to rove at randome without restraint by irregular glancing and inordinate gazing In Hebrew the same word signifies both an eye and a fountain to shew saith one that from the eye as from a fountain flows both sin and misery Shut up therefore the five windows that the house may be full of light as the Arabian Proverb hath it Wee read of one that making a journey to Rome and knowing it to bee a corrupt place and a corrupter of others entred the City with eyes close shut neither would hee see any thing there but Saint Peters Church which hee had a great mind to go visit Alipius in Austin being importuned to go to those bloody spectacles of the gladiatory combats resolved to wink and did But hearing an out-cry of applause looked abroad and was so taken with the sport that hee became an ordinary frequenter of those cruel meetings Vers 25. A foolish Son is a grief to his Father See the Note on chap. 10.1 and 15.20 Vers 26. Also to punish the just is not good The righteous are to be cherished and protected as those that uphold the state Semen sanctum statumen terrae Isa 6.13 What Aeneas Sylvins said of learning may bee more properly said of righteousness Vulgar men should esteem it as silver Noble-men as gold Prines prize it as pearls But they that punish it as persecutors do shall bee punished to purpose when God makes inquisition for blood Psal 9. Nor to strike Princes for equity Righteous men are Princes in all Lands Psa 45. yea they are Kings in righteousnesse as Melchisedec Indeed they are somewhat obscure Kings as hee was but Kings they appear to bee by comparing Mat. 13.17 with Luk. 10.24 Many righteous saith Matthew many Kings saith Luke Now to strike a King is high-treason Daniels Hist 198. And although Princes have put up blows as when one struck our Henry the sixth hee onely said Forsooth you do wrong your self more than mee to strike the Lords annointed Another also that had drawn blood of him when hee was in prison hee freely pardoned when hee was restored to his Kingdome saying Alass poor soul hee struck mee more to win favour with others than of any evil will hee bare mee So when one came to cry Cato mercy for having struck him once in the Bath hee answered that hee remembred no such matter Likewise Lycurgus is famous for pardoning him that smote out one of his eyes yet hee that shall touch the apple of Gods eye as every one doth that wrongeth a righteous man for equity especially shall have God for a revenger And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. Vers 27. Hee that hath knowledge spareth his words Taciturnity is a sign of solidity and talkativeness of worthlesness Epaminondas is worthily praised for this saith Plutarch that as no man knew more than hee so none spake less than hee did And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit Or of a cool spirit The deepest Seas are the most calm Where river smoothest
speak hath not God given us two ears and one tongue to teach us better to precipitate a censure or passe sentence before both Parties bee heard to speak evil of the things that a man knows not or weakly and insufficiently to defend that which is good against a subtle adversary Austin professeth this was it that hardened him and made him to triumph in his former Manichism that hee met with feeble opponents and such as his nimble wit was easily able to overturn Oecolampadius said of Carolostadius that hee had a good cause but wanted shoulders to support it Vers 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity Some sorry shift a man may make to bustle with and to rub thorow other aylements and aggrievances disasters or diseases sores or sicknesses of the body as the word here properly importeth Let a man bee sound within and upon good terms at peace with his own conscience and hee will bravely bear unspeakable pressures 2 Cor. 1.9 12. Paul was merry under his load because his heart was cheary in the Lord as an old beaten Porter to the Crosse maluit tolerare quà m deplorare his stroak was heavier than his groaning as Job chap. 23.2 Alexander Aphrodiseus gives a reason why Porters under their burdens go singing because the mind being delighted with the sweetnesse of the musick Problem 1. Numb 78. the body feels the weight so much the lesse Their shoulders while sound will bear great luggage but let a bone bee broken or but the skin rubbed up and raw the lightest load will bee grievous A little water in a leaden vessel is heavy so is a little trouble in an evil conscience But a wounded spirit who can bear q. d. It is a burthen importable able to quail the courage and crush the shoulders of the hugest Hercules of the mightiest man upon earth who can bear it The body cannot much lesse a diseased body And if the soul bee at unrest the body cannot but co-suffer Hence Job preferred and Judas chose strangling before it Bilney and Bainbam Act. Mon. fol. 938. after they had abjured felt such an hell in their consciences till they had openly professed their sorrow for that sin as they would not feel again for all the worlds good Daniel chose rather to bee cast into the den of Lions than to carry about a Lion in his bosome an enraged conscience The primitive Christians cried likewise Ad Leones potiùs quà m ad Lenones adjiciamur What a terrour to himself was our Richard the third after the cruel murther of his two innocent Nephews and Charls the ninth of France after that bloody massacre Hee could never endure to bee awakened in the night without musick or some like diversion But alass if the soul it self bee out of tune these outward things do no more good than a fair shooe to a gowty foot or a silken stocken to a broken legg Vers 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge Such as can keep the bird singing in their bosome and are free from inward perturbations these by meditating on the good Word of God and by listening to the wholesome words 〈◊〉 others get and gather knowledge that is great store of all sorts of knowlâ—â—â—e that which is divine especially and tends to the perfecting of the soul Vers â—â— A mans gift maketh roomth for him This Jacob knew well Gen. 43.11 and therefore â—â—de his Sons take a present for the Governour of the Land though it were but of every good thing a little So Saul 1 Sam. 9.7 when to go to the man of God to enquire about the Asses But behold said hee to his servant if wee go what shall wee bring the man what have wee See more in the Note on Chap. 17. vers 8. 23. Vers 17. Hee that is first in his own cause seemeth just The first tale is good till the second bee heard How fair a tale told Tertullus for the Jews against Paul till the Apostle came after him and unstarcht the Oratours trim speech Judges had need to get and keep that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Alexander boasted of to keep one ear clear and unprejudiced for the defendant for they shall meet with such active Actors or Pleaders as can make Quid libet ex quolibet Candida de nigris de candentibas atra as can draw a fair glove upon a foul hand blanch and smooth over the worst causes with goodly pretences as Ziba did against Mephibosheth Potiphars wife against Joseph c. Hee must therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Athenian Judges were sworn to do hear both sides indifferently and as that Levite said Judg. 19. Consider consult and then give sentence doing nothing by partiality or prejudice Vers 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease As it did Josh 14.2 Where it is remarkable that Joshua that lotted out the Land left none to himself and that portion that was given him and hee content withall was but a mean one in the barren mountains So again Act. 1.26 where it is remarkable that this Joseph called Barsabas seeing it was not Gods mind by lot to make choice of him now to succeed Judas in the Apostleship was content with a lower condition therefore afterwards God called him to that high and honourable office of an Apostle if at least this Joseph Barsabas were the same with that Joseph Barnabas Act. 4.36 as the Centurists are of opinion See the Note on Chap. 16.23 Vers 19. A brother offended is harder to bee won c. Whether it bee a brother by race place or grace Corruptio optimi pessima Those oft that loved most dearly if once the Devil cast his club betwixt them they hate most deadly See this exemplified in Cain and Abel Esau and Jacob Polynices and Eteocles Romulus and Remus Caracalla and Geta the two sons of Severus the Emperour Robert and Rufus the sons of William the Conquerour the Civil dissentions between the houses of York and Lancaster wherein were slain eighty Princes of the blood-royal the dissentions between England and Scotland Daniel 192. which consumed more Christian-blood wrought more spoil and destruction and continued longer than ever quarrel wee read of did between any two people of the world As for Brethren by profession and that of the true Religion too among Protestants you shall meet with many divisions and those prosecuted with a great deal of bitternesse Eucholcer Nullum bellum citius exardescit nullum deflagrat tardius quà m Theologicum No war breaks out sooner or lasts longer than that among Divines or as that about the Sacrament a Sacrament of love a Communion and yet the occasion by accident of much dissention Melch. Adam in vita This made holy Strigelius weary of his life Cupio ex hac vita migrare ob duas causas saith hee For two causes chiefly do I desire to depart out of this world First That I may injoy the
devitatur impletur humana sapientia dum reluctatur comprehenditur Gods decree is fulfilled by those that have least minde to it Humane wisdome whiles it strives for masteries is over-mastered Vers 31. The horse is prepared against the day c. A very serviceable creature and in battel full of terrour so swift in service that the Persians dedicated him to their god the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pausanias hath it But as the Sun in heaven can neither bee out-run nor stopt in his race so neither by men though wise nor by means though likely can Gods purposes bee disappointed An horse is a vain thing for safety Neither shall hee deliver any by his great strength Psal 33.17 But safety or victory is of the Lord Hee gives it to which side hee pleaseth as hee did to the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan though they had no horses to help them as their adversaries had and Charets too both Aegyptians and Canaanites CHAP. XXII Vers 1. A good name is rather to bee chosen HEb A name as Chap. 18.22 a wife for a good wife better no wife than an ill wife so better no name than an ill name This good name proceeding from a good conscience this honour from vertue Isa 43.4 this perfume of faith and obedience this splendor and sparkle of the white stone which onely shines upon heavenly hearts is far more desirable than great riches For first These oft take away the life of the owners thereof Prov. 1.19 the greater wealth the greater spoil awaits a man As a tree with thick and large boughes every man desires to lop him Whereas a good name saves a man oft from that danger as it did Jonathan whom the people rescued Secondly Riches breed and bring their cares and cumbers with them Qui habet terras habet guerras saith the Proverb Many Law-sutes and other vexations c. when a good name as a precious oyntment powred out gets loving favour with which it is therefore fitly coupled in this Text. Thirdly Riches are enjoyed but till death at utmost but a good name out-lives the man and is left behinde him for a blessing Isa 65.15 See Prov. 10.7 with the Note there Other people went beyond Gods Israel in wealth and riches but none in fame and renown 2 Sam. 7.23 Deut. 4.6 Fourthly Riches are oft gotten by fame let a mans name bee up and there will bee great recourse to him But let him once crack his credit and riches cannot repair him Infamy will not bee bought oft with money Lastly Riches are common to good men with bad men but a good name truly so called is proper to Gods peculiar confined to the Communion of Saints Hee was therefore a better husband than Divine that first called Riches Bona Goods And that Heathen was nearer the truth than many profligate professors of it who said Ego si bonam famam servasso Plaut sat dives ero That is If I may but keep a good name I have wealth enough And loving favour rather than silver and gold Which what is it else but white and red earth And therefore no way fit to come in competition with good repute and report among the best such as Christ had Luke 2.52 and Joseph and Daniel and David and Demetrius Joh. 3.12 and they had it as a special favour from God who fashions mens opinions and hides his people from the strife of tongues Job 5. Vers 2. The rich and the poor meet together They have mutual need one of another and meet many times as it were in the mid-way by an alteration of their condition They that were full were hired forth for bread and the hungry are no more hired 1 Sam. 2.5 The mighty are put down from their seats and those of low degree are exalted Luk. 1.53 The Lord is the maker of them all The maker of the men the maker of their estates and the maker of that change and alteration which often happeneth that the one might become grateful the other humble See Job 31.15 Vers 3. A prudent man foreseeth an evil c. Prevision is the best means of prevention A wise mans eyes are in his head Eccles 2.14 his heart is also at his right hand Eccles 10.2 The Chineses say of themselves that all other Nations of the world see but with one eye they only with two The Italians give out that they only do sapere ante factum look before they leap fore-cast an evil before it befall them But these are praises proper to them that have learned holy and heavenly wisdome that by certain sights and signs discern a tempest in the clouds and seek seasonable shelter under the hollow of Gods hand under the shadow of his wings Such prudent persons were Noah Joseph Jonadab Josiah the Christians at Pella c. But the fool passeth on Pusheth on without fear or wit as being resolved to have his will what ever it stand him in And is punished As a just reward of his rashness Sin ever ends tragically Flagitium flagellum ut acus filum Who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered Job 9.4 With the froward thou wilt wrestle saith David Psal 18.16 Upon the wicked God shall rain snares c. Psal 11.6 And then ut leo cassibus irretitus dixit sipraescivissem as the Lion when hee was caught in the Hunters toyl said If I had fore-known this mischief I would have shunned it So these after-wits these post-masters these Epimetheusses shall come in but all too late with their Fools Had-I-wist which they should have timously foreseen and prevented Vers 4. By humility and the fear of the Lord Heb. The heel of humility c. The humble heart that lyes low and hearkens what God the Lord will say unto it that follows him trembling as the people followed Saul 1 Sam. 13.7 shall have hard at the heels of it riches a sufficiency if not a superfluity and honour which is to bee chosen before riches v. 1. See the Note there and life above the danger of those thorns and snares mentioned in the next verse not life present onely but length of dayes for ever and ever Psal 21.4 O the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heaped up happiness of a man that humbles and trembles before the Lord Hee that doth the former cannot but do the latter Hence that close connexion of these two graces in this Text By humility the fear of the Lord so the original runs without the grammatical copulative And to shew that they go alwayes together yea the one is as it were predicated of the other neither want they their reward Riches honour life What things bee these Who would not turn spiritual purchaser Vers 5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward In opposition to the reward of righteousness vers 4. which is to say The ungodly are not so Or if they have riches they prove thorns to them to prick and choak
skill of those good words that do ingratiate with God and man Gen. 49.21 compared with Deut. 33.23 Hee is fit to make a Courtier a Favourite such as was Joseph Mordecai Daniel who though hee used not alwayes verbis byssinis soft and silken words but delivered heavy messages from God to Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar yet God so wrought their hearts though Tyrants that they greatly honoured him and highly preferred him And when out of his love to pureness of heart hee chose rather affliction than sin to bee cast to the Lions than to bear a Lion in his own bosome by offending his conscience God made the Kings heart yearn towards him c. So that this plain-dealing Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian Dan. 6.28 Vers 12. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge That is knowing persons Those in the former verse that love truth in the inward parts and hold this a rule Truth must bee spoken however it bee taken these howsoever they may suffer for a season as Daniel in the den Micaiah in the stock-house yet the watchful providence of God will preserve them and provide for them Hee will clear their innocency and so plead for them in the hearts of greatest Princes that they shall find the truth of this divine Proverb and the falsity of that other so common amongst men Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Flattery gets friends but truth hatred And hee overthroweth the words or matters of the transgressors That is of the Court-parasites who speak onely pleasing things saepe leonum laudibus murem obruunt flatter abominably as those Acts 12. did Herod as the false Prophets did Ahab God will confute and convince their soothing words 2 King 21.13 of singular vanity he will also overthrow their matters attempts practices as a man wipeth a dish turning it upside down See in that claw-back Amalekite 2 Sam. 1.4 5 6. c. in Ahitophel Haman Scianus c. Vers 13. The sloathful man saith There is a Lion c. The Lion is not so fiere as is painted saith the Spanish Proverb much less this sluggards Lion a meer fiction of his own brain to cover and colour over his idleness Hee pretends two Lions for failing first Leo est Foris There is a Lion abroad or in the field where his work lyes Psal 104.23 and another in the streets A likely matter Lions haunt not in streets but in Woods and Wildernesses Here is no talk of Satan that roaring Lion that lyes couchant in the sluggards bed with him and prompts him to these senseless excuses Not yet of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who will one day send out summons for sleepers and tearing the very caul of their hearts in sunder send them packing to their place in hell Matth. 10. But to hell never came any yet that had not some pretence for their coming thither The flesh never wants excuses Corrupt nature needs not bee taught to tell her own tale Sin and shifting came into the world together and as there is no wool so coarse but will take some colour so no sin so gross but admits of a defence Sin and Satan are alike in this they cannot abide to appear in their own likeness Some deal with their souls as others deal with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by idle excuses Vers 14. The mouth of a strange woman Diabolus capite blanditur venire oblectat caudâ ligat saith Rupertus These shee-sinners as their stallions call them are most dangerous See the Notes on Chap. 2.16 and 5.3 Solomon had the woful experience of it Eccles 7.26 and Sampson Judg. 16. who Lenam non potuit potuit superare leaenam Quem fera non potuit vincere vicit hera How did David moyl himself in this deep pit Psal 57. and there might have stuck in the mire had not God drawn him out by a merciful violenc and pureged him with hyssop from that abhorred filth Hee that in abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein As the Jesuits those odious Connubisanchfugae Commeretricitegae too often do though they boast that they can talk and dally with the fairest women without danger and the people must beleeve no otherwise but that when they are kissing a woman they are giving her good counsel David George that execrable Heretick was so far from accounting Adulteries Fornications Incests c. for being any sins Hist David Georgii that hee did recommend them to his most perfect Scholars as acts of grace and mortification and was confident that the whole world would submit to his doctrine Peccatum peccatum trabit as the Hebrew Proverb hath it One sin draws on another and the latter is oft a punishment of the former God by a peculiar kinde of revenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delivering up such to a reprobate sense or a minde disallowed or abhorred of God as the Apostles word Rom. 1.28 signifies Vers 15. Foolishness is bound in the heart c. As a pack or fardle is bound to an horses back Errour and folly bee the knots of Satan wherewith hee tyes children to the stake to bee burnt in hell Better see their brains dashed out against the stones saith one than suffer the ignorance of God to abide in their heads Therefore that wee may loose the bands of death and works of the Devil Parents must bring their sons in their arms and their daughters upon their shoulders to the house of God that they may learn to know him Isa 49.22 They must also see to their profiting and exact of them a daily growth nurturing as well as nourishing them Eph. 6.4 the one being as needful as the other and using the rod where words will not do so to chase away that evil by chastisement seasoned with admonition and seconded with prayer that else will prove pernicious to their souls Eli brought up his sons to bring down his house Davids sons were undone by their Fathers fondness A fair hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee say makes a foul wound Correction is a kinde of cure saith Aristotle and God usually blesseth it to that purpose Corrections of instructions are the way of life Prov. 6.23 Vers 16. Hee that oppresseth the poor c. By fraud or force or any indirect means This man layes his foundation in fire-work Job 20. hee walks upon a Mine of Gun-powder brimstone is scattered upon his habitation Job 18.15 if but a flash of Gods lightning light upon it all will bee on fire all blown up and brought to nothing And hee that giveth to the rich Either to ingratiate and curry favour for countenancing their oppressive practices or with a mind to get more than they give for so saith one that clause To increase their riches must here
not when thine enemy falleth If thou dost it is a sure sign of devilish hatred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the devils disease what good will innocency or ignoscency soever thou makest shew off Job cleareth himself of this fault Job 31.24 and so doth David notably Psal 35.13 14. See his practice 2 Sam. 1.11 12. Caesar wept when Pompey's head was presented to him and said Victoriam volui non vindictam See the Notes on Mat. 5.44 and on Rom. 12.19 Vers 18. Lest the Lord see it viz. Thy pride and cruelty as he will for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-eye and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he see he will kindle and turn the wheel upon thee as he threatned to do upon Edom for looking with liking upon Israels calamity For prevention hereof think thus with thy self Either I am like mine enemy or else I am better or worse than he If like him Ezek. Obad. 12. why may not I look for the like misery If better who made me to differ If worse what reason then have I to insult Vers 19. Fret not thy self because of evill men We are wondrous apt to be sick of the Fret hence so many precepts to this purpose See chap. 23.17 and 24.1 Vers 20. For there shall be no reward He shall suffer both pain of loss and pain of sense which whether is the more grievous is hard to determine Sure it is that the tears of hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of heaven their worm of grief gnaws as painfully as their fire burns Depart from mee yee cursed sounds as harsh in their ears as that which follows into everlasting flames Vers 21. My sonne fear the Lord and the King Who would not fear thee O King of Nations Psal 76.11 for unto thee doth it appertain Jer. 10.7 God is the prime and proper object of fear Whence by an Appelative proper he is called Fear by the Psalmist The Greeks call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some think from the fear that is due to him Princes also must be feared and honoured 1 Pet. 2.17 as those that are invested with Gods Authority and intrusted with the administration of his Kingdome upon earth by the exercise of vindictive and remunerative Justice And whiles they be just ruling in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23.3 and commanding things consonant to the word and will of God they must be obeyed for conscience sake Rom. 13.3 otherwise not See the note on Acts 4.19 And meddle not with them that are given to change i. e. with seditious spirits that affect and effect alterations law lesse persons as Saint Paul calls them Male-contents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present government is ever grievous as Thucydides noteth Such were Kore and his complices Absolom Sheba the ten tribes that cried Alleva jugum Ease our yoke and before them those in Samuels time that cried Nay but we will have a King Novatus hath still too many followers of whom Saint Cyprian under whom he lived thus testifieth Novatus rerum novarum semper cupidus arrogantia inflatus that he was an arrogant innovatour These turbulent spirits prove oft the pests and boutefeaus of the state they live in and it is dangerous having to deal with them Vers 22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly When they think they have made all cock-sure Had Zimri-peace that killed his master Had Absolom Sheba Rhodolphus Duke of Suevia Sanders Story Parry Campian Daniels Hist the powder-plotters Raviliac c. Knute the first Danique King caused the false Edrics head that had been his Agent to be set upon the highest part of the tower of London therein performing his promise of advancing him above any Lord in the Land James the first King of Scots was murdered in Perth by Walter Earl of Athol in hope to attain the Crown Crowned indeed he was but not as his witches and sorcerers had ambiguously insinuated with the Crown of that Realm but with a Crown of red hot Iron clapt upon his head Speed Chron. being one of the tortures wherewith he ended at once his wicked days and desires And who knoweth the ruine of them both i. e. That both God and the King will inflict upon the Rebels Or of them both i. e. both of the King if a Tyrant and of those that seditiously move against him Vers 23. These things also belong to the wise As subjects must know their duties so Magistrates theirs neither may they hold themselves too wise to learn God can send even a Salomon to School to the Raven to the Pismire yea to the Lillies of the Field as being able to teach the wisest man by the weakest Creature It is not good to have respect of Persons Hebr. to know faces to regard not so much the matter as the man to hear Persons speak and not Causes to judge not according to truth and equity but according to opinion and appearance to fear or favour This cannot be good lawful or safe Job 13.13 Hee will surely or thorowly reprove you not verbally only but penally too if you secretly accept Persons Of Trajan it is said that he neither feared nor hated any man but that he heard the Causes of his Subjects without praejudicate impiety judiciously examined them without sinister obliquity and sincerely judged them without unjust partiality Vers 24. Him shall the people curse Hebr. They shall run him thorow with their evil wishes for his evil sentence he shall be generally hated and set against as was Herod Pilate Festus Ferres c. Vers 25. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight Those Judges that reprove and punish the wicked shall besides the Euge of a good Conscience which is farre better than the worlds Plaudite delight themselves in the Lord and reign in the affections of all good men who shall eftsoons also say Gods blessing be on such a good Judges heart for he saveth the innocent and punisheth the wicked c. As he hath done worthily in Ephrata so he shall be famous in Bethlehem Ruth 4.11 See Job 29.11 12. Vers 26. Every man shall kisse his lips That is shall doe him honour as Gen. 41.40 All the people shall kisse at thy mouth saith Pharaoh to Joseph and Samuel kissed Saul when hee annoynted him King 1 Sam. 10.1 and Kisse the Son saith David Psal 2.11 That is give unto him the honour due unto his name Vers 27. Prepare thy work without c. God would have all his to be not good men only but good husbands too to order their affairs with discretion Lib. 18. cap. 1 and to take their fittest opportunities for dispatch of houshold businesses Pliny hath a saying to like sense with this Aedificandum saith he consito agro tunc quoque cunctanter Let building alone till thy field be tilled vined planted c. Vers 28. Be not a witnesse against thy neighbour without
ward off his blow to moâ— up ones self against his fire Why should vain man contend with his Maker Why should hee beat himself to froth as the surges of the Sea do against the Rock Why should hee like the untamed Heifer unaccustomed to the yoke gall his neck by wrigling make his crosses heavier than God makes them by crosseness and impatience The very Heathen could tell him that Deus crudelius urit Tibul. Eleg. 1. Quos videt invitos succubuisse sibi God will have the better of those that contend with him and his own Reason will tell him that it is not fit that God should cast down the bucklers first and that the deeper a man wades the more hee shall bee wet Vers 12. For who knoweth what is good for man Hee may think this and that to bee good but is mostly mistaken and disappointed Ambrose hath well observed that other creatures are led by the instinct of Nature to that which is good for them The Lion when hee is sick cures himself by devouring an Ape the Bear by devouring Ants the wounded Dear by feeding upon Dittany c. in ignoras O homo remedia tuo but thou O man knowest not what is good for thee Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good saith the Prophet and what doth the Lord require of thee but this instead of raking riches together to do justly and to love mercy and instead of contending with him to humble thy self to walk with thy God Micah 6.8 For who can tell a man what shall bee after him When the Worms shall bee scrambling for his body the Devils haply for his soul and his friends for his goods A false Jesuite published in print Camd Elis Dilexi virum qui cum corpore solveretur magit de Ecclesiarum statu c. some years after Queen Elizabeths death that shee died despairing and that shee wished shee might after her death hang a while in the air to see what striving would bee for her Kingdome I loved the man said Ambrose of Theodosius for this that when hee died hee was more affected with care of the Churches good than of his own CHAP. VII Vers 1. A good name is better than precious ointment YEa than great riches Prov. 22.1 See the Note The initial letter of the Hebrew word for Good here is bigger than ordinary Majusculum to shew the more than ordinary excellency of a good name and fame amongst men If whatsoever David doth doth please the people Rom. 1.2 if Mary Magdalens cost upon Christ bee well spoken of in all the Churches if the Romans Faith bee famous throughout the whole world if Demetrius have a good report of all good men and St. John set his seal to it this must needs bee better than precious ointments the one being but a perfume of the nostrils the other of the heart Sweet ointment olfactum afficit spiritum reficit cerebrum juvat affects the smell refresheth the spirit comforts the brain A good name doth all this and more For First As a fragrant scent it affects the soul amidst the stench of evil courses and companies It is as a fresh gale of sweet air to him that lives as Noah did among such as are no better than walking dunghills and living sepulchres of themselves stinking much more worse than Lazarus did after hee had lain four daies in the grave A good name preserveth the soul as a Pomander and refresheth it more than musk or civil doth the body Secondly It comforts the conscience and exhilatates the heart cheers up the mind amidst all discouragements and fatteth the bones Prov. 15.30 doing a man good like a medicine And whereas sweet ointments may bee corrupted by dead flies a good name proceeding from a good conscience cannot bee so Fly blown it may bee for a season and somewhat obscured but as the Moon wades out of a cloud so shall the Saints innocency break forth as the light and their righteousness as the noon-day Psal 37.6 Buried it may beee in the open sepulchres of evil throats but it shall surely rise again A Resurrection there shall bee of names as well as of bodies at the last day at utmost But usually a good name comforts a Christian at his death and continues after it For though the name of the wicked shall rot his lamp shall bee put out in obscurity and leave a vile snuff behinde it yet the righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance they shall leave their names for a blessing Isa 65.15 And the day of death than the day of ones birth The Greeks call a mans birth-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of his Nativity they call the begetting of his misery Man that is born of a woman is born to trouble saith Job chap. 14.1 The word there rendred Born signifieth also generated or conceived to note that man is miserable even so soon as hee is warm in the womb as David hath it Psal 51.5 If hee lives to see the light hee comes crying into the world Ad Marc. cap. 11. a flet is vitam anspicatur saith Seneca Insomuch as the Lawyers defined 〈◊〉 by crying and a still-born childe is all one as dead in Law Onely Zoâ—â—staâ— is said to have been born laughing but that laughter was both monstrous and ominous Justin lib. 1. For hee first found out the black Art which yet profited him not so far as to the vain felicity of this present life For being King of the Bactrians hee was overcome and slain in battel by Ninus King of the Assyrians St. Austin who relates this story saith of mans first entrance into the world Nondum loquitur tamen prophetat Ere ever a childe speaks hee prophesies by his tears of his ensuing sorrows Nec prius natus quam damnat no No sooner is hee born but hee is condemned to the Mines or Gallies as it were of sin and suffering Hence Solomon here prefers his Coffin before his Cradle And there was some truth in that saying of the Heathen Optimum est non nasci proximum quam celorrime mori For wicked men it had been best not to have been born or being born to dye quickly sith by living long they heap up first sin and then wrath against the day of wrath As for good men there is no doubt but the day of death is best to them because it is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness and after a short brightness as that Martyr said gives them Malorum ademptionem bonorum ademptionem freedome from all evil fruition of all good Hence the antient Fathers called those daies wherein the Martyrs suffered their birth-daies because then they began to live indeed sith here to live is but to lye a dying Eternal life is the onely true life saith Austin Vers 2. It is better to go to the house of mourning To the terming-house as they term it where a dead corps is laid forth for
burial and in that respect weeping and wailing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the dues of the dead whose bodies are sown in corruption and watered usually with tears It is better therefore to sort with such to mingle with mourners to follow the Herse to weep with those that weep to visit the heavy-hearted this being a special means of mortification than to go to the house of feasting where is nothing but joy and jollity slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine yea therefore eating and drinking because to morrow they shall dye Ede Sardanapali vox belluina bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas What good can bee gotten amongst such swinish Epicures What sound remedy against lifes vanity It is far better therefore to go to the house of mourning where a man may bee moved with compassion with compunction with due and deep consideration of his doleful and dying condition where hee may hear dead Abel by a dumb eloquence preaching and pressing this necessary but much neglected lesson that this is the end of all men and the living should lay it to heart or as the Hebrew hath it lay it upon his heart work it upon his affections inditurus est illud animo suo so Tremelius renders it hee will so minde it Job 30.33 Psal 39.4 5 as to make his best use of it so as to say with Job I know that thou wilt bring mee unto death And with David Behold thou hast made my daies as a span c. And as Moses who when hee saw the peoples carkasses fall so fast in the wilderness Lord teach us said hee so to number our daies Psal 90.12 as to cause our hearts of themselves never a whit willing to come to wisdome Vers 3. Sorrow is better than laughter Here as likewise in the two former verses is a collation and praelation Sorrow or indignation conceived for sin is better than laughter i. e. carnal and prophane mitth This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaks in another case a Paradox to the world but such as may sooner and better bee proved than those Paradoxes of the antient Stoicks The world is a perfect stranger to the truth of this sacred position as being all set upon the merry Pin and having so far banished sadness as that they are no less enemies to seriousness than the old Romans were to the name of the Tarquins These Philistins cannot see how out of this Eater can come Meat and out of this Strong Sweet how any man should reasonably perswade them to turn their laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness James 4.9 A pound of grief say they will not pay an ounce of debt a little mirth is worth a great deal of sorrow there is nothing better than for a man to eat and drink and laugh himself fat Spiritus Calvinianus Spiritus Melancholicus a Popish Proverb to bee precise and godly is to bid adue to all mirth and jollity and to spend his daies in heaviness and horrour This is the judgement of the mad world ever beside it self in point of Salvation But what saith our Preacher who had the experience of both and could best tell Sorrow is better for it makes the heart better It betters the better part and is therefore compared to fire that purgeth out the dross of sin to water that washeth out the dreggs of sin yea to eye-water sharp but soveraign By washing in these troubled waters the conscience is cured and Gods Naamans cleansed By feeding upon this bitter-sweet root Gods penitentiaries are fenced against the temptations of Satan the corruption of their own hearts and the allurements of this present evil world These tears drive away the Devil much better than Holy-water as they called it they quench Hell flames and as April showers they bring on a man the May-flowers both of grace 1 Pet. 5.5 and of glory Jer. 4.14 What an ill match therefore make our Mirth-mongers that purchase laughter many times with shame loss misery beggery rottenness of body distress damnation that hunt after it to Hell and light a candle at the Devil for lightsomeness of heart by haunting Ale-houses Brothel-houses conventicles of good fellowship sinful and unseasonable sports and other vain fooleries in the froth whereof is bred and fed that worm that never dies A man is nearest danger when hee is most merry said Mr. Greenham And God cast not man out of Paradise saith another Reverend Man that hee might here build him another but that as that bird of Paradise hee might alwaies bee upon the wing and if at any time taken never leave groaning and grieving till hee bee delivered This will bring him a Paradise of sweetest peace and make much for the lengthening of his tranquillity and consolation Dan. 4.27 Oh how sweet a thing is it at the feet of Jesus to stand weeping to water them with tears to dry them with sighs and to kiss them with our mouths Onely those that have made their eyes a fountain to wash Christs feet in may look to have Christs heart a fountain to bathe their souls in Vers 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning Hee gladly makes use of all good means of minding his mortality and holds it an high point of heavenly wisdome so to do Hence hee frequents funerals mingles with mourners Monimenta quasi mentem momentia hears etiam muta clamare cadavera makes every tomb a teacher every Monument a Monitor laies him down in his bed as in his grave looks upon his sheets as his winding-sheet Ut somnus mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri If hee hears but the clock strike sees the glass run out it is as a Death-head to preach Momento mori to him hee remembers the daies of darkness as Solomon bids Eccles 11.8 acts death aforehand takes up many sad and serious thoughts of it and makes it his continual practice so to do as Job and David did The wiser Jews digged their graves long before as that old Prophet 1 King 13.30 Joseph of Arimathea had his in his garden to season his delights John Patriarch of Alexandria sirnamed Eleemosynarius for his bounty to the poor having his tomb in building gave his people charge it should bee left unfinished and that every day one should put him in minde to perfect it that hee might remember his mortality The Christians in some part of the Primitive Church took the Sacrament every day because they looked to dye every day Austin would not for the gain of a million of worlds bee an Atheist for half an hour Quid hic facio Aug. Descript of the Isle of Man abbridg Arist because hee had no certainty of his life for so short a time His Mother Monica was heard oft to say How is it that I am here still The women of the Isle of Man saith Speed whensoever they go out of their doors gird
of life Money also is a thorn-hedge of very good use Job 1.10 so it be set without the affections and get not into the heart as the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did Luk. 11.41 their riches were got within them and by choaking the seed kept wisdome out Wisdome giveth life to them that have it For God is both a Sun and a shield or shadow he will give grace and glory c. Psal 84.11 Life in any sense is a sweet mercy but the life of grace and of glory may well challenge the precellency No marvel therefore though wisdome bear away the bell from wealth which as it serves only to the uses of life natural so being misused it drowns many a soul in perdition and destruction 1 Tim. 6.9 and proves the root of all evil ch 16.10 yea it taketh away the life of the owner thereof Prov. 1.19 See the Note there It is confessed that wealth sometimes giveth life to them that have it as it did to those ten Jewes that had treasures in the field Jer. 41.8 and doth to those condemned men that can take a lease of their lives But Nabals wealth had undone him if Abigails wisdome had not interposed And in the other life money bears no mastery Adam had it not in Paradise and in Heaven there is no need of it Vers 13. Consider the work of God c. q. d. Stoop sith there is no standing out See God in that thou sufferest and submit God by a crooked tool many times makes straight work he avengeth the quarrel of his Covenant by the Assyrian that rod of Gods wrath though hee thinks not so Esay 10.7 Job could discern Gods arrows in Satans hand and Gods hand on the Armes of the Sabcan robbers He it is that killeth and maketh alive saith holy Hannah he maketh poor and maketh rich hee bringeth low and lifteth up 1 Sam. 2.6 7. All is done according to the counsel of his will who as he may doe what he pleases so he will be sure never to over-doe his holy hand shall never bee further stretched out to smite than to save Esay 59.1 This made David dumb for he knew it was Gods doing It is the Lord said Eli let him doe Psal 39. 1 Sam. 3.18 and I will suffer lest I adde passive disobedience to active Aaron his Predecessor had done the like before him upon the same consideration in the untimely end of his untowardly children Levit. 10.3 Jacob likewise in the rape of Dinah Gen. 34.5 Agnovit hand dubie ferulam divinam saith Pareus on that text hee considered the work of God in it and that it was in vain for him to seek to make that straight which God had made crooked There is no standing before a Lion no hoysing up sayl in a tempest no contending with the Almighty Whoever waxed fierce against God and prospered Job 9.4 Who ever got any thing by kicking against the pricks by biting the rod which they should rather have kissed See Esay 14.27 Job 9.12 13. 34.12.10 Set God before your passions when they are up in a hurry and all will bee husht Set down proud flesh when it bustles and bristles under Gods fatherly chastisements and say soberly to your selves shall I not drink of the cup that my Father who is also my Physician hath put into mine hands stand under the cross that he hath laid on my shoulders stoop unto the yoke that he hangeth on my neck Drink off Gods cup willingly said Mr. Bradford the Martyr and at first when it is full lest if we linger wee drink at length of the dregs with the wicked Ferre minora volo ne graviora feram That was a very good saying of Demosthenes who was ever better at praising of vertue than at practising of it good men should ever doe the best and then hope the best But if any thing happen worse than was hoped for let that which God will have done be born with patience Vers 14. In the day of prosperity be joyful Here wee have some fair days some foul crosses like foul weather come afore they are sent for for as fair weather the more is the pity may doe hurt so may prospenity as it did to David Psal 30.6 who therefore had his interchanges of a worse condition as it was but needful his prosperity like checker-work was intermingled with adversity See the circle God goes in with his people Circulus quidem est in rebus humanis Deus nos per contraria crudit Naz. Orat. 7. in that thirtieth Psalm David was afflicted vers 5. hee was delivered and grew wanton Then troubled again vers 7. cries again 8 9 God turns his mourning into joy again Thus God sets the one against the other as it were in aequilibrio in even balance for our greatest good Sometimes he weighes us in the balance and findes us too light Then he thinks best to make us heavie through manifold temptations 1 Pet. 1.6 Sometimes hee findes our water somewhat too high and then as a Physician no less cunning than loving he fits us with that which will reduce all to the healthsome temper of a broken spirit But if wee bee but prosperity-proof there is no such danger of adversity Some of those in Queen Maries dayes who kept their garments close about them wore them afterwards more loosely Prosperity makes the Saints rust sometimes therfore God sets his Scullions to scoure them make them bright though they make themselves black This scouring if they will scape let Solomons counsel be taken In the day of prosperity be joyful i. e. serve God with cheerfulness in the abundance of all things and reckon upon it the more wages the more work Is it not good reason Solomons Altar was four times as big as Moses his and Ezekiels Temple ten times bigger than Solomons to teach that where God gives much he expects much Otherwise God will curse our blessings Jer. 12.13 Mal. 2.2 Make us ashamed of our revenues through his fierce anger and destroy us after he hath done us good Josh 24.20 In the day of adversity consider Sit alone and be in meditation of the matter Psal 4.4 Lam. 3.28 commune with your own consciences and be still or make a pause See who it is that smites thee and for what Lam. 3.40 Take Gods part against thy self as a Physician observes which way nature works and helps it Consider that God afflicts not willingly or from his heart it goes as much against the heart with him Psal 119.75 as against the hair with us Lam. 3.33 Hee is forced of very faithfulnesse to afflict us because hee will be true to our souls and save them he is forced to diet us who have surfeted of prosperity and keep us short He is forced to purge us as wise Physicians doe some Patients till he bring us almost to skin and bone and to let us bloud even ad deliquium animae till we swoon
Church and take away you so worthy a workman and labourer in the Lords Vineyard Acts and Mon. 1744. c And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing Wise a man may bee and yet not so apt and able to wise others Those wise ones that can wise others so as to turn them to righteousness shall shine as the brightness of the firmament yea as the Stars Dan. 12.3 they do so whilst upon earth Wisdome makes their very faces to shine Acts 6 15. as St. Stephens did and as Holy Jobs whiles hee was in a prosperous condition Chap. 29.8 9 10. Jobab hee was then the same some think that is mentioned Gen. 36.33 as when in distress his name was contracted into Job And then though himself were otherwise wise hee might want an Interpreter One of a thousand for such are rare every man cannot sell us this precious oyl Matth. 25.9 to shew unto him his uprightness that is the righteousness of his own experience how himself hath been helped and comforted in like case or to clear up to an afflicted Job his spiritual estate and to shew him his Evangelical Righteousness Oh how beautiful are the feet of such an Interpreter I have seen thy face saith the poor soul to such as though I had seen the face of God Gen. 33.10 A mans wisdome maketh his face to shine Godliness is venerable and reverend Holy and Reverend is his name Psal 112. Gods Image is amiable and admirable Natural conscience cannot but stoop and do obeysance to it What a deal of respect did Nebuchadnezzar and Darius put upon Daniel Alexander the Great upon Jaddus the High-Priest Theodosius upon Ambrose Constantine upon Paphnutius kissing that eye of his that was bored out for the cause of Christ c Godly men have a daunting presence as Athanasius had and Basil to whom when Valens the Arrian Emperour came whiles hee was in holy exercises it struck such a terrour into him Greg. Orat. de lande Basilii that hee reeled and had fallen had hee not been upheld by those that were with him Henry the second of France being present at the Martyrdome of a certain Taylor burnt by him for Religion was so terrified by the boldness of his countenance Epit. hist Gall. 82. and the constancy of his sufferings that hee swore at his going away that hee would never any more bee present at such a sight And the boldness of his face shall bee changed Or doubled his conscience bearing him out and making him undaunted as it did David Psal 3. and the Dutch Martyr Colonus who calling to the Judge that had sentenced him to death desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and then asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges By this boldness Jonathan and his Armour-bearer set upon the Garrison of the Philistims David upon Goliah their Champion The Black-Prince was so called not of his colour Speed 688. but of his valour and dreaded acts in battel Vers 2. To keep the Kings commandement Heb. Mouth i. e. The express word of command go not here by guess or good intention lest you speed as that Scotch Captain did who not expecting Orders from his Superiours took an advantage offered him of taking a Fort of the Enemies Speed for which good service hee was knighted in the morning but hanged in the after-noon of the same day for acting without order And that in regard of the Oath of God Thine Oath of Allegiance to thy Prince This Papists make nothing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pascenius scoffs King James for the invention of it They can swear with their mouths and keep their hearts unsworn as shee in the Comedy Mercatorum est stare juramentis say they at Rome They can assoil men of their allegiance at pleasure and slip their solemn Oaths as easily as Monkies do their Collars And I would this were the sin of Papists onely and that there were not those found even amongst us that keep no oaths further than makes for their own turn like as the Jews keep none unless they swear upon their own Torah Weems brought out of their Synagogues Vers 3. Bee not hasty to go out of his sight Turn not thy back discontentedly fling not away in a chase for this will be construed for a contempt As it was in the Earl of Essex Anno 1598. Dissention falling out between the Queen and him about a fit man for Governour of Ireland hee forgetting himself and neglecting his duty uncivilly turned his back with a scornful countenance Shee waxing impatient gave him a cuff on the ear bidding him bee gone with a vengeance Hee laid his hand upon his sword the Lord Admiral interposing himself hee swore a great oath Camd. Elisch fol. 494. that hee neither could nor would swallow so great an indignity nor would have born it at King Henry the Eighths hands and in great discontentment hasted from the Court But within a while after hee became submiss and was received again into favour by the Queen who alwaies thought it more just to offend a man than to hate him Blunts voyage pag. 97. The very Turks are said to receive humiliation with all sweetness but to bee remorseless to those that bear up Vers 4. Where the word of a King is there is power Ibi dominatio Hee hath long hands and can reach thee at a great distance as Mithridates did when with one letter he slew fourscore thousand Citizens of Rome Val. Max. lib. 9 that were scattered up and down his Kingdome for Trading-sake So Selimus the Great Turk Turk hist. fol. 885 in revenge of the loss received at the battel of Lepanto was once in a minde to have put to death all the Christians in his Dominions in number infinite Charls the Ninth of France is reported to have been the death of thirty thousand of his Protestant Subjects in one years space Anno 1572. See Dan. 5.19 And who may say unto him What dost thou viz. Without danger What safety can there bee in taking a Bear by the tooth or a Lion by the beard I dare not dispute said the Philosopher to the Emperour Adrian with him that hath thirty Legions at his command Neque in cum scribere qui potest proscribere Praescus praesentem Pontisicem redarguit Polycraticon conscripsit Jac. Rev. 145. nor write against him that can as easily undo mee as bid it to be done How be it Elias Micaiah John Baptist and other holy Prophets and Ministers have dealt plainly with great Princes and God hath secured them John Bishop of Salisbury reproved the Pope to his face and yet the Canonists say that although the Pope should draw millions of souls to Hell with him none may dare to say unto him What dost thou But Philip the Fair made bold with his Holiness when hee began his letter to him with Sciat Fatuitas Tua c. So did
Churches hair here may bee meant the community of true Christians that being as the hair innumerable do adhere to Christ as to their head and have a promise that not one hair of that sacred head shall fall to the ground and that if any son of Belial shall offer to shear or shave them 2 Sam. 10. hee shall answer it as dearly as the Ammonites did the like abuse done to Davids Embassadours Vers 2. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep c. Handsome teeth set forth a woman very well and they are then held handsome when they are 1. Even and well matcht 2. Fair and white 3. Thick and full All this wee have here daintily set forth in an allegory And by teeth the Chaldee Paraphrast will have meant and I dissent not the Priests and Levites of the Law the Pastours and Preachers think I of the Church who as they must bee eyes to see so they must bee teeth in another regard viz. 1. To chew 2. To bite First they must champ and chew the childrens meat for them as good Nurses such as Paul was 1 Thes 2.7 and before him Isaiah chap. 28.9 Whom shall hee teach knowledge and whom shall hee make to understand Not the wise and prudent not conceited persons that make Divinity onely a matter of discourse or come to hear onely to exercise their Criticks and to sit as Judges on their Ministers gifts But such as are weaned from the Milk and drawn from the Breasts And how will hee do to deal with such and to divide the word aright to them Hee will praemansum cibum in os indere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.25 mollifie their harder meat for them that it hurt not the tender toothless gumms of these weanlings weaklings Precept saith hee shall bee upon Precept Precept upon Precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little They shall have it as they can take it neither will hee put that upon them that is not fit for them They shall have Milk and not strong meat or if they have it shall bee ready chewed for them Our Saviour spake as the people could hear and not as hee could have spoken Mark 4.33 If wee have spoken to you saith hee of earthly things that is of spiritual matters under earthly similitudes borrowed from wind water c. and yee beleeve not how shall yee beleeve John 3.12 if I tell you of heavenly things that is of more sublime matters and mysteries of eternal life Ministers must stoop to their hearers capacities and not bee up in their Altitudes or deliver their discourses in an high language in a Roman English c. For what is that but to beat the air to lose their labour and to bee as Barbarians to their hearers c Non oratorum filii sumus sed piscatorum nec verborum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed Spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said that great Divine to Libanius the Rhetorician Wee are not Oratours but Preachers neither come wee with excellency of words but with evidence of the Spirit and of power and by manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Cor. 4.2 This is preaching the Art whereof plus operis habet quam ostentationis as Quintillian saith of the Art of Grammar is not a matter of shew but of service And to the ears of that which St. Peter calls the hidden-man of the heart the plain song alwaies makes the best musick But secondly As Ministers must masticate the childrens meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuttingly and make it fit for their eating so they are bound to bite that is to rebuke sharply those that are unsound in their Faith or enormous in their practice Tit. 1.13 to gore their very souls with smarting pain and to sting their consciences to the quick with the forked arrows of biting reproofs and unquestionable convictions Thine arrows art sharp in the hearts of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under thee Psal 45.5 Ministers must not onely whet their teeth against the wicked as Boars do their tusks when provoked but set their teeth in the sides of those Boars that root up the Vineyard and those Foxes that destroy the Grapes Thus the antient Prophets prickt and peirced the hearts of their hearers so did the holy Apostles St. Peter for instance Act. 2. hee so handled the matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were punctually prickt at heart Act. 2.37 they felt the nails wherewith they had crucified Christ sticking fast in their own spirits and driven home to the head by that Master of the Assembly Eccles 12.11 Penitency and pain are words of one derivation and are very near of kin Hardly will men bee made to repent till toucht to the quick till the Preacher do mordaci radere vero Horat. deal plainly and roundly with them stab them to the heart with the menaces of the Law and lay them for dead at Christs feet that hee may revive them as the Pellican doth her young ones with her blood Oâ—iand hist Eccles Cent. 5. l. 1. c. 6. It is said of Chrysostome that hee took the same liberty to cry down sin that men did to commit it Of Mr. Bradford that as hee did earnestly perswade to a godly life and sweetly preach Christ crucified so hee did sharply reprove sin and zealously impugn errours Of Mr. Perkins that â—ee came so close in his Applications that hee was able almost to make his hearers hearts fall down and their hairs to stand upright This was preaching indeed preaching in the life of it I know well that most men are sick of a Noli me tangere and are apt to hate him that reproveth in the gate As loth they are to bee searched as Rachel when shee sate upon the Idols to have their lusts mortified as David was to have Absalom executed Handle him gently for my sake c. Cannot Preachers meddle onely with toothless truths say they as Balak bade Balaam neither curse nor bless at all But why hath Christ given his Ministers teeth but to bite and bee bitter against sin and wickedness personal invectives indeed proceeding from private grudge hee allows not Spiritus Christi nec mendax noc mordax The Rule here is Parcere nominibus dicere de vitiis Of Erasmus it is said that hee was Mente dente potens sharp with discretion Every Minister should bee so and his Doctrine should distill as hony as the property whereof is to purge wounds but to bite Ulcers it causeth pain to exulcerate parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alex. Aphrod Probl. though of it self sweet and medicinable That are even shorn The commendations of a set of teeth whereof before 1. Even they must bee and well matcht so should Ministers bee like-minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind Phil. 2.2
consciences and causing them as by a new spring of holy desires and endeavours to reflourish Phil. 4.10 And my Bowels were moved for him They rumbled tumultuated and made a humming noise as the Hebrew hath it She means that shee had no rest in her Spirit her heart that chiefest of the bowels or inwards did even quake and ake within her her thoughts afflicted her shee was greatly disquieted and all for him for the unkindness shee had offered him or concerning him or over him as those Penitentiaries in Zachary that looked upon him whom they had pierced and by an instinct of the Spirit of grace powred plentifully upon them mourned for him or over him till their hearts became a very Hadadrimmon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and fell asunder in their bosomes like drops of water and all for the indignities and injuries they had done to Christ This is a sorrow according to God or as God would have it 1 Cor. 7.9 this is a repentance never to bee repented of vers 10. This is that Rain-bow which if God see shining in our hearts hee will remember his holy Covenant The Church here for instance That shee sorrowed after a godly sort appears by those seven signs set down 2 Cor. 7.11 and here in this Chapter exemplified and evidenced I sleep there 's Indignation but my heart waketh there 's Apology or clearing herself I arose to open there is study or carefulness and diligence My soul failed when hee spake there is her Zeal I called on him I sought him there 's her vehement desire The Watchmen found mee they smote mee they unveiled â—ee there 's her self-revenge whiles shee shrank not for any danger but bearing patiently the Lords indignation because shee had sinned against him shee followed him through thick and thin in the night among the watch c. followed him hot-foot and would not rest till shee had recovered him Lo this is the guise of a godly heart it runs into sinne sometimes but riseth again soon after by repentance it is at as much unrest till reconciled to God as hee that hath broke a bone till it be well set again When as a prophane Esau can sell his birth-right Hac congerie impaenitentia Esaui describitur Piscat and with it his title to heaven and when hee hath so done hee can eat and drink and rise up and go his way without any the least remorse or regret Geâ— 25.34 Wicked men grow worse and worse saith the Apostle and take long strides towards hell as if they feared it would bee full ere they â—ome there Some seek to out-sin one another like unhappy boys that strâ—ve who shall go furthest in the dirt Noluit solita peccare saith Seneca et pudet non esse impudentes saith Austin Sin hath woaded an impudenâ—â—â—n their faces their spot is not the spot of Gods children Deut. 32. â— Vers 5. I rose up to open to my Beloved This was repentance from sinne as that in the former verse was repentance for sinne To repent and yet to lye still in sinne is to repent with a contradiction saith Tertullian Optima et aptissima paenitentia est nova vita saith Luther A new life is the best repentance Up gets the Church when once soundly sensible of her sinne and leaving her bed of carnal security makes after Christ with all her might with a redoubled diligence to make some amends for her former negligence Nunquam sero si serio Late though it were ere shee started and stirred yet better late than not at all Wee are too much after-witted for most part Postmasters Epimetheusses wee see not our folly but cry with him In crastinum seria till wee have smarted for it and then wish O mihi praeteritos c. And my hands drop with myrrhe That is with the testimonies of his sweetness left behinde him on the lock-handles the better to allure her to his love Philip Beroaldus and many others In Apulâ—â—um lib. 2. M. Les tell us of a very precious unguent Cinnamimum because made of Cinnamon and other sweet odours whose chief commendation is that the very smell thereof if a man carries it about him draws any woman though passing by and minding other things to draw nigh to him What truth is in this relation I know not but sure it is that the smell of the Gospell and those spiritual blessings which the presence of Christ had left behinde it did notably attract and draw after him the Churches affections Goodness is of it self attractive Velut aliqui volunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it doth as it were invite and call to it and every man is willing to run after it Christ puts a secret instinct into his people to do so like as nature hath put an instinct into the Bee the Stork and other creatures And as the needle in a Sun-dial that hath been touched with an adamant though it may bee forced this way and that way yet it rests not till it look toward the North-pole So the soul that hath aliquid Christi in it that hath been once hand-fasted to Christ by a lively faith though for a season it may Jam. 1.14 2 Pet. 3.17 by the malice of Satan working with corruption suffer some decays of her first love be drawn aside by some lust and enticed so as to fall from former stedfastness yet after a while her thoughts will work and the sweet remembrance that Christ hath left behinde him will make her to say I will go and return to my first husband Hos 2 7. for then it was better with mee thâ—n now Vers 6. I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had with-drawn himself and was gone Or Hee was gone hee was gone a passionate complaint for his departure which lay so much the heavier upon her spirit because by her unworthy usage of him shee had foolishly occasioned it Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquity are afflicted And when affliction comes with a sting in the tail it is very grievous Psal 107.17 19 20. But then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distress He sendeth his word and healeth them he sendeth for them by his Spirit and brings them back again into his own bosome that his banished be not expelled from him 2 Sam. 14.14 though to themselves and others they may for present seem to bee as water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again Those fragrant foot-steps and heart-attracting stamps of his favour that sweet smelling Myrrhe mentioned in the former verse had so eneagered and edged her affections that shee could not rest till shee had recovered him Shee opened
Moab A burthen saith Hierom ever betokeneth sad things to follow A vision doth joyfull at last howsoever The Chaldee paraphraseth thus The burthen of a cup of cursing for Moab to drink off Moab was the brat of an incestuous birth as his name also De Patre declareth There is now no such nation their very name is rooted out ever since they were destroyed first by Salmaneser as is here fore-threatened and then by Nebucadnezzar as Jer. 48. where we meet with many like passages as here so that they live but by fame only as they are mentioned in holy Scripture but never for any good Their destruction is foretold for a comfort to the poor afflicted Jews to whom they were near-allyed but very ill-affected â—iscat Because in the night nocte intempestâ the night is dark and dreadful or in the night i. e. subitò derepentè praeter opinionem suddenly unexpectedly These Moabites dwelt in a fruitful countrey near to those five Cities of the Plain and giving themselves up to loose and luxurious living saith Hierom they worshipped Chemosh or Bacchus as they had been incestuously begotten by Lot in his drink so they proved accordingly Ebrius te Pater genuit said One to a desperate drunkard Some think they are threatened with wasting in the night in allusion to that dismal night-work and that deed of darkness the begetting of their father and founder Moab Gen. 19. Whence other nations were wont to reproach the Moabites as children of the night saith Hierom. Ver. 2. He is gone up to Baiith and to Dibon two chief places of their Idolatrous service whereunto they ran in their distress but all in vain The like at this day do the Papists to their Ladies of Loretto Sichem c. and the Turks to their Mahomet at Mecha scituate in the same countrey as once Moab and perhaps in the same place with one of these Idol-temples by troops and Caravans but they do worse then lose their devotion To weep and to pray too chap. 16.12 but to no good purpose for want of a right object principle motive end So afterwards the Romans in a like exigent cum conjugibus ac liberis jussi sunt à Senatu supplicatum ire pacemque exposcere Deum Liâ— lib. 3. omnia delubra implent c. they were by the Senate commanded to go with they wives and children into the temples of their gods and there to pray make their peace and to seek for ayd Moab shall houle over Nebo and over Medeba Cities surprized and sacked by the enemy But this chapter is so much the more obscure to us because the Cities here mentioned are long since destroyed and the Scripture setteth not forth the manner of their site or downfal On all their heads shall be baldness and every beard cut off This was commonly done in those Eastern parts in times and in token of lamentation Job 1.20 Ezra 9.3 Ezek. 7.18 Alexander mourning for the death of his friend Ephestion not only tore off his own hair but clipped his horses and mules hair yea he plucked down also the battlements of the walls of the City as Plutarch writeth In vita Pelopidae Pudeat nos lathrymis delicta non abstergere spiritualia damna non deplorare saith Oecolampadius What a shame is it then for us Christians not to weep over our sins and to bewail our spirituall wounds and wants Ver. 3. In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth Saccum cilicium non curat Deus God careth not for these externals where there is not an heart sprinkled with the blood of his son The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21.27 On the tops of their houses thence as it were to require help from heaven Weeping abundantly Heb. descending with weeping Miseros ergo Papicolas qui ipâ—i cum fletu ad divos divasque suas ascendunt cum ululatu descendunt Scultet like as with weeping they ascended they get nothing of their Gods though they cryed to them But He that goeth to the true God with an honest heart and lawful petitions is sure to speed See Isa 45.19 Ver. 4. And Heshbon shall cry and Elealeh See on ver 2. The armed souldiers of Moab shall cry out as being faint-hearted and unwilling to fight because to no purpose His life shall be grievous to him Heb. his soul shall be ill-affected to him or for himself that is say some all his care shall be for himself let others shift as they can Ver. 5. My heart shall cry out for Moab Let others do as they will Heu quam dâ—leo corde toto Oecol saith the Prophet here I can do no less then bewail the wofull condition of Moab bad though they be Tu quibus ista legis incertum est Lector ocellis Ipse quidem siccis scribere non potui His fugitives shall flee unto Zoar Whither once their father Lot fled for refuge but it was too hot to hold him Or His fugitives shall cry to Zoar. An heifer of three years old Which being in her prime loweth aloud coelum mugitibus implens so shall these fugitives set up their Note clamore fragosâ— boantes as they pass thorough the countreys they shall even break or rend themselves with crying Ver. 6. For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate What these waters of Nimrim were it doth not appear Hierom saith that Nimrim is a Town near the dead Sea where the waters are salt and the countrey about it barren so should the Land of Moab now be forlorn and fruitless Ver. 7. Therefore the abundance they have gotten Here the Prophet seemeth to tax the covetousness of the Moabites qui coacervandis thesauris operam dederint who made it their work to hoard and heap up riches And that which they have laid up Heb. their visitation that is their treasures which they often looked upon Shall they carry away to the brook of the willows The Moabites shall cast it into the water as hoping there to find it again when the enemy was gone Or shall they the Assyrians carry away to the valley of the Arabians who were their confederates and for such good offices spared as Herodotus saith Lib. 3. that that they might keep and convey home for them the spoils they had taken from other nations Piscat Ver. 8. For the cry is gone round about c. When the Prophet thus describeth the mourning of the Moabites as excessive and as a fruit of their unbelief we must learn to moderate our mourning for outward losses and crosses and that out of hope of Gods mercy promised to his penitent suppliants The howling thereof unto Eglaim See on ver 2. Ver. 9. For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood Non tingentur solum sed etiam inundabunt and the bloody enemy shall haply be heard to cry out as once Hannibal did when he
their confidence was the fruit of prayer At the lifting up of thy self If God do but arise only his enemies shall be scattered and all that hate him shall flee before him Psal 68.1 See the Note there Ver. 4. And your spoiles shall be gathered The spoile of the Assyrians Camp now become yours as 1 Sam. 30.20 Like the gathering of Catterpillars Quae ad hominum concursum omnes repente disperguntur which are soon rid when men set themselves to destroy them Ver. 5. The Lord is exalted He hath made him a name gained abundance of honour For he dwelleth on high Whence he can poure down plagues at his pleasure on his proud enemies and fill Zion with Judgement and Righteousness Ver. 6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times Thy times O Hezekiah but especially O Christ Or the stability of thy times and strong safeguard shall thy wisdom and knowledge be By his knowledge that is by faith in him shall my righteous servant Jesus Christ justifie many Chap. 53.11 but these are also sanctified by him the fear of the Lord is their treasure they hold faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack 1 Tim. 1.19 See the Note there The fear of the Lord is his Treasure The spirit of this holy fear rested upon Christ Paradin in symbol chap. 11.2 and good Hezekiah was eminent for it not for civil prudence only this was flos regis the fairest flower in all his garland this is solidissima regiae politiae basis as one saith the best policy and the way to wealth Ver. 7. Behold their valiant ones or their Heralds Messengers Heb. Hen Erelam Behold their Erel or their Ariel chap. 29.1 2. that is their Altar shall they i. e. the Assyrians cry without sc in mockery twitting the Jews with their Sacrifices as no way profitable to them Mr. Clarkes Eng. Martyrol So the profane Papists when they murthered the poore Protestants at Orleans sang in scorn Judge and revenge my cause O Lord Others Have mercy on us Lord. And when in the late persecution in Bohemia divers godly Nobles and Citizens were carried to prison in Prague the Papists insultingly cried after them Why do ye not now sing The Lord raigneth The Embassadours of peace thar went for peace having for their Symbol Pacem te poscimus omnes but could not effect it Weep bitterly so that they might be heard before they entered the City Vide quam vivide see here how lively things are set forth and what a lamentable report these Embassadours make of the state of the country and the present danger of losing all Ver. 8. The high-ways lye waste and by-waies are more frequented through fear of the enemy He hath broken the Covenant Irritum factum est pactum He took the money sent him but comes on nevertheless though he had sworn the contrary 2 King 18.14 17. It is said of the Turks at this day that they keep their leagues which serve indeed but as snares to intangle other Princes in no longer then standeth with their own profit Turk Hist 755. Their Maxime is There is no faith to be kept with dogs whereby they mean Christians as the Papists also say There is no faith to be kept with Hereticks whereby they mean Protestants But why kept not Vladislaus King of Hungary his Faith better with Amurath the great Turk or our Henry the third with his Barons by Papal dispensation Vah scelus vae perjuris He hath despised the Cities and will not take them for his Subjects he scorneth the motion He regardeth no man He vilipendeth and slighteth all Jewels generally Metaphora Prosâ—popoetica Ver. 9. The earth mourneth and langisheth Or the land luget languet thus they go on in their doleful relation Miserrima sunt omnia atque miseranda What sad work hath Antichrist made of late years in the Christian world what desolations in all parts Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down Sharon is like a wilderness East West North P. al. 80 13. and South of the Land are laid wast by the enemy and the avenger that boare out of the wood that bear out of the Forest Ver. 10. Now will I rise saith the Lord now Now now now Emphasin habet ingeminatio vocis Nunc This now thrice repeated importeth both the opportunity of time and Gods readiness to relieve Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses When things are at worst they 'le mend we say Now will I lift up my self who have hitherto been held an underling and inferiour to the enemy Ver. 11. Ye shall conceive chaff ye shall bring forth stubble Gravidi estis stramine parietis stipulam So did Pharaoh Antiochus Julian c. so doth Antichrist and his Champions notwithstanding his bloody alarmes to them such as was that sounded out in the year 1582. Vtere jure tuo Caesar sectamque Lutheri Ense rota ponto funibus igne neca And that other to the King of France not many years since exhorting him to kill up all the Protestants per Galliam stabulantes the very words of the Popes Bull that had any stable-room in France Your breath as fire shall devoure you shall blow up the fire that shall consume your chaff and stubble Your iniquity shall be your ruine Ezek. 18.38 Turdus sibi malum cacat Hic est gladius quem ipse fecisti this is a sword of thine own makeing said the Souldier to Marius when he ran him thorough with it Ver. 12. And the people shall be as the burning of lime As hard chalk-stones which when burnt to make lime crumble to crattle As thorns cut up Sear-thornes that crackle under a pot and are soon extinct The Hebrews tell us that the Assyrian Souldiers were burnt by the Angel with a secret fire that is with the pestilence as Berosus cited by Josephus witnesseth and our Prophet hinteth as much in many passages Lib. 10. cap. 1. Ver. 13. Hear ye that are afar of Longinqui propinqui Gods great works are to be noted and noticed by all The Egyptians heard of what God had done to the Assyrian Army and memorized it by a monument as Herodotus relateth Ver. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid At the invasion of the Assyrian Herod l. 2. Justin those that formerly fleared and jeared Gods Prophets and their menaces now fear and are crest faln ready to run into an anger-hole as we say It is as natural for guilt to breed fear and disquiet as for putrid matter to breed vermine Sinners especially those in Zion where they might be better and are therefore the worse a great deal have galled consciences and want faith to fortify theâ—r hearts against the fear of death or danger and hence those pitiful perplexities and convulsions of soul in the evil day what wonder if when they see all on fire they ring their Bells backwards if instead of mourning for their sins and
seem to groan together with the fathfull Rom. 8. so here by a Prosopopâ—ia they are brought in as congratulating and applauding their deliverance Ver. 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree There shall be a blessed change of men and of manners those who before were stark naught or good for naught yea vexatious and mischievous shall become fruitful and beneficial Spinis paliurus acutis Virg. Eclog. The Fir-tree is good for many uses the Myrtle brings berriers of excellent taste as Pliny tells us The Chaldee thus paraphraseth here Just men shall rise up instead of sinners and such at fear the Lord in the room of the unrighteous Sed cave ne hic somnies saith Oecolampadius but be warned you dream not as some do that in this world and before the day of Judgement the wicked shall all be rooted out For there will alwaies be Cains to persecute Abels c. And it shall be to the Lord for a name i. e. For an honour it shall be much for his glory which is the end that he propoundeth to himself in all that he doth and well he may sith 1. He is not in danger of doing any thing through vain-glory 2. He hath none higher then himself to whom to have respect For an everlasting sign In monumentum non momentaneum Heb. for a sign of pepetuity or eternity That shall not be cut off Or that it the Church shall not be cut off CHAP. LVI Ver. 1. Thus saith the Lord Keep ye judgement and do justice i. e. Repent ye as ye were exhorted chap. 55.6 7. and bring forth fruits meet for repentance as Matth. 3.8 for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 3.1 Tit. 2.12 Christ came to call sinners to repentance Mar. 2.17 and to good works of all sorts which are here called Judgement and Justice as he himself is here called not only Gods salvation but his righteousnesse Ver. 2. Blessed is the man that doth this And withal layeth hold on that i. e. That performeth the duties of both Tables of Piety and of Charity that maketh conscience of keeping the Sabbath especially the fourth Commandement standeth fitly in the heart of the Decalogue and betwixt the two tables of the Law as having an influence into both From polluting it Either by corporal labour or spiritual idlenesse spending the holy time holily And keepeth his hand from doing any evil That is righteous as well as religious not yielding his members as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sin Rom. 6.13 Ver. 3. Neither let the son of the stranger If a Proselite let not him interline the Covenant of Grace in Christ and say It belongeth not to me Let not him turn the back of his hand to the promise as if he were not concerned in it because no Jew born for now the partition-wall is by Christ to be broken down and the rigour of that old prohibition taken away Acts 10.34 35. Gal. 3.28 Colos 3.11 Ezek. 47.22 Neither let the Eunuch See the Note on Mat. 19.12 Ver. 4. For thus saith the Lord Who comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 those that are forsaken of their hopes Jer. 30.17 That keep my Sabbaths Which who so do not are worthily deemed to have no true goodnesse in them at all And choose the things that please me Chuse them upon mature deliberation and good advice as Moses did Heb. 11.25 By a free election as Psal 119.30 so shewing themselves wise Eunuchs Ennius such as have their name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Scaliger deriveth it i. e. well-minded men egregiè cordati homines And take hold of my Covenant By a lively faith which is said to have two hands one wherewith she layeth hold on Christ and another whereby she giveth up her self unto him and although the Devil rap her on the fingers for so doing yet she is resolute and holds her own Ver. 5. Even unto them will I give in mine house In the Church of the New Testament Ephes 2.19 20 21. A place Heb. a hand A door-keepers place in Gods House is worth having Psal 84. this was that one thing that he so dearly begged Psal 27.4 And a name That new name Rev. 2.17 that power or prerogative royal that heavenly honour Nonnus there calleth it Joh. 1.12 viz. to be the Sons of God and so to be called 1 Joh. 3.1 to have both the comfort and the credit of it this is nomen in mundo prastantissimum none to this 2 Cor. 6. ult for if sons then heirs c. Rom. 8.16 17. Ver. 6. Also the sons of the stranger that joyneth Relinquishing his heathenish superstition and devoting himself to my fear The Levites had their name from the word here used and Leviathan whose scales and parts are so fast joyned and joynted together To love the name of the Lord to be his servants Plato could say Parere legibus est Deo servire haec summa est libertas To obey the laws is to serve God and this is the chiefest liberty this is perfect freedom But Plato never knew what it was to love to be Gods servant In Psal 1. Lex voluntarios quaerit saith Ambrose All Gods Souldiers are volunteires all his people free-hearted Psal 110.3 they wait for his Law Isa 42.8 See Deut 10.12 Every one that keepeth the Sabbath See on ver 2. Ver. 7. Even them will I bring unto my holy mountain i. e. Into my Church and Church-Assemblies Quaere whether Eunuches and strangers were made partakers of all holy services in the second Temple according to the letter Sure we are that that holy Eunuch Acts 8. and the rest of the Gentiles had and still have free admission under the Gospel And will make them joyful in mine house of prayer by their free accesse unto me and all good successe in their suits Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 Draw water with joy out of this well of salvation Isa 12. Rejoyce evermore and that you may so do Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.16 17. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar Their Evangelical Sacrifices of prayer praise alms obedience c. shall be accepted through Christ Heb. 13.10 15. who is the true altar that sanctifieth all that is offered on it Rev. 8.3 4. For mine house shall be called c. See on Mat. 21.13 Ver. 8. Which gathereth the out-casts of Israel According to that ancient promise of his Deut. 30.4 None of his shall be lost for looking after he will fetch back his banished as that witty woman said 2 Sam. 14.14 Yet will I gather others to him Strangers Eunuches all mine other sheep that are not yet of this fold Joh. 10 16. together with all my straglers those that are relapsed will I recover Ver. 9. All ye beasts of the field come to devour Statim quasi vehementer ira accensus c. All upon the suddain as one much enraged against
save them till they seek me they 'l never be saved Therefore I will work for mine own name sake See Ezek. 20.8 14 22 44. And restore comforts unto him and to his mourners To those that mourn in secret for his sins and miseries Ezek. 9.4 Matth. 5.4 and to others for their sakes ratione consortii Ver. 19. I create the fruit of the lips i. e. I speak peace to my people by the mouths of my faithful Ministers applying and setting home the promises And this I doe most magnificently and mightily Peace peace See on chap. 26.3 Ver. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea Whose surges are not more lofty then muddy The sea is of it self unquiet and troublesme much more when tossed with winds and tempests So wicked men when t is at best with them are restless but under terrours and temptations they cast up the mire and dirt of desperation and blasphemy as did Cain Judas Julian Latomus c. God in afflictions marks men out and then conscience will prey upon them as Simeon and Levi did upon the Shechemites when sore then as Prov. 5.12 men shall cry out How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof Then as Gen. 42.21 Afflictions are to the soul as storms are to the sea or as earthquakes to the ground which discover a great deal of filth Vatablus rendreth the text thus Impâ—i autem Euripi instar fremunt Now Euripus ebbeth and floweth seven times a day His life in Mr. Clark and must needs therefore be in continual motion and agitation Mr. Dod was wont to compare wicked men to the waves of the sea those which were of a great estate were great waves said He those that were of small estate were small waves but all were restless as waves Job 20.20 Ver. 21. There is no peace a truce there may be for a time and a seeming peace but it is pax infida Liv. pax incerta a peace no peace The sea may seem sometimes still but it is never so no more are the wicked And this is twice here affirmed for more assurance like as he had twice said I will heal them ver 18.19 and as he had promised peace peace to the mourners â— ib. who having soaked themselves in godly sorrow are washed from their wickednesse by the blood of Jesus Christ and being justified by faith have peace with God This is a peerlelesse pearl which no cock on the dunghil ever knew the worth of CHAP. LVIII Ne frigidè arguas in aenigmatibus ac obscure Oecol Ne parcas gutturi voci A Lap. Ver. 1. CRy aloud Heb. Cry with the throat or with full throat as Jer. 12.6 plenis faucibus voce sonora quasi tubali set up thy Note not only say to the wicked it shall be ill with him chap. 3.11 there is no peace to him chap. 57.21 but cry it aloud Spare not Singulae particulae habent emphasin use utmost intention of spirit and contention of speech thou hast to do with an hypocritical Nation then which kind of people nothing is more stupid more uncounselable or impenitent for how should such repent as have converted conversion it self into a form yea into sin Bestir thee therefore against these deaf Sea-monsters Sic clames ut Stentora vincere possis If a mans house be on fire we must not speak softly as loth to awaken him Sir your house is on fire Lift up thy voice like a trumpet Non ut tibia sed ut tuba Not as a pipe for delight but as a trumpet alarm against sin and Satan as all the Country was filled with the sound of that trumpet at the giving of the Law Exod. 19.16 and as all the world shall hear the sound of that trumpet of God 1 Thes 4.16 when the Law shall be required so let the Preachers voice be a summons to speedy repentance or else to unavidable judgement There is one that descanteth thus upon the words Divers things there are saith he D. Play s on Matth. 5.19 that sound louder then a trumpet the Sea the Thunder or such like Yet he saith not Lift up thy voice as the Sea or as the Thunder but as a trumpet because a Trumpeter when he sounds his trumpet he winds it with his mouth and holds it with his hands and so a Preacher which is a spiritual Trumpeter must not only by preaching well sound forth the word of Truth with his mouth but also by doing well he must support and hold it up with his hands and then doth he lift up his voice as a Trumpet And shew my people their transgressions Let Gods watch-men cast away the inverse trumpets of Furius Fulvius which sounded a retreat when they should have sounded an alarm but deal freely and faithfully with men souls taking the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit sin Ver. 2. Yet they seek me daily In pretence at least and this their dissembled sanctity double iniquity is one of those great transgressions of theirs against which thou must declaim yea proclaim hell-fire in case they amend it not And delight to know my wayes They seem to do so by frequenting mine Ordinances and attending to my Priests whose lips preserve and present knowledge As a Nation that did righteousness But it is but as a Nation that did it they had but a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and a form of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 Ejusdem farinae nobiscum sunt religiosu i quidam in speciem saith Oecolampadius the Church is still full of such hypocrites that only act religion play devotion wherein they may out do better men for the external part of religion and pretence of zeal as the Pharrisees in the Gospel fasted more then the Disciples wanzing their visages and weakning their constitutions with much abstinence The Sorcerers of Egypt seemed to do as much as Moses so do these as much or more then sound Christians The Apostles were as deceivers and yet true 2 Cor. 6.8 but these are as true and yet deceivers They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice As not willing to deviate but they are ever learning yet never come to the knowledge of the Truth And take delight in approaching to God Which yet no hypocrite can do from the heart Job 27.10 for God is light and holinesse and therefore hated by the blind and soul hypocrite Joh. 3.20 all whose devotions are effects rather of Art and parts then of the heart and grace hence God abhorreth them for he loveth truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 Ver. 3. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Ecce non diu occultant se hypocrisis superbia Oecol Antonin Philos reference Vulgar Gallic Here they begin to bluster and their hypocrisy to blister out at their lips God they held was not a little beholden to them and now also behind hand with them For as that Heathen Emperour
tempora O mores Weeping all along as he went O deep dissimulation and Crocodiles-tears That creature having killed some living beast lyeth upon the dead body washeth the head thereof with her warm tears which she afterwards devouteth together with the body Tears saith the Author of the Turkish History speaking of Andronicus another Ishmael by nature were ordained to expresse the heavinesse of the heart flowing from the eyes as showers of rain from the clouds In good men the most certain signs of greatest grief and surest testimonies of inward torment but in Andronicus you are not so Turk Hist fol. 56. you proceed of joy you promise not to the distressed pitty or compassion but death and destruction How many mens eyes have you put out how many have you drowned how many have you devoured Thus He and much more to like purpose Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam This he saith fraudulently like Sinon in the Poet that he might fish and find out how they stood affected to Gedaliah whom he so deadly hated that he slaughtered these poor folk for once owning him or owing him any service Ver. 7. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them This hell-hound having once as other hounds dipt his tongue in blood can put no period to his unparalleld cruelty He and the men that were with him His slaughter-slaves his Assassines to help him for he alone could not have done this bloody execution unlesse he had taken as much time thereunto as that Popish villain did in doing to death those poor Protestants of Calabria Anno 1550. For as Ishmael here brought these Eighty innocent men into the midst of the City as into a pound and there slew them so Eighty-eight poor Professours of the truth according to godlinesse being all thrust up in one house together as in a sheep fold the Executioner comes in saith Mr. Fox and among them takes one and blindfolds him with a muffler about his eyes and so leads him forth to a larger place where be commandeth him to kneel down which being done he cutteth his throat and so leaving him half dead and taking his butchers knife and muffler all of gore blood Act. Mon. â—59 commeth again to the rest and so leadeth them one after another till he had dispatcht them all Ver. 8. But there were ten men found among them Qui miro astu sibi ab indigna morte provident who pleaded for their lives were spared Slay us not for we have treasures in the feild And these we will willingly part with for the redemption of our lives They knew that Souldiers would do much for mony and what is wealth in comparison of life Wicked worldlings would say the like to Death if their tale might be heard Henry Beauford Cardinal Bishop of Winchester Fox Mart. vol. 1. p. 925. and Chancellour of England in the reign of Henry the sixt perceiving that he must dye murmured at death that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time So he forbare and slew them not Ambition and Covetousnesse strove for mastery in this man and here covetousnesse conquereth cruelty This also was it that put him upon carrying his poor country-men captive as hoping to make prize of them Ver. 9. Now the pit was it which Asa the King had made for fear of Baasha He had made it for some unknown use in the wars and now is was filled with the dead bodies of men for a punishment say some of his confederating with Benhadad King of Syria Vt semper impiorum foedera confilia nobis sint suspecta Ver. 10. Then Ishmael carried away captive Auri sacra fames quid non mortalia cogit Pectora Even the Kings daughters His own kinswomen whom the Babylonian had spared It may be he meant to marry one of them as our Richard the third would have done his neice Elizabeth and so to have reigned in her right And all the people that remained in Mizpah Who found lesse favour from a false brother then they had done from a professed enemy so hath the Church ever done from hereticks then from heathens Ver. 11. But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the Captaines heard of all the evil Ishmael did what he could to conceale the wickednesse till he had gotten away with his prize but Rumour outran him even Fama malum quo non aliud velocius â—llum Ver. 12. Then they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael This act of theirs carrieth the commendation of fortitude of charity and of piety like as did that of Abraham in rescuing Lot of Gideon and Jehosaphat in delivering the Israelites from their barbarous and blood-thirsty enemies of Scanderbeg Hunniades Gustavus King of Sweden c. Unlesse Ismael and Johanan did as Ismael the Persian King and Selymus the great Turk who fighting for the Empire of the East Turk hist 515. masked their aspiring thoughts under the veile of zeale to their Religion It well appeareth now to the world that neither of them were right whatever they pretended And they found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon Where in Davids dayes those youngsters of Helkath-hazzurim had sheathed their swords in their fellows bowels 2 Sam. 2.16 Ver. 13. Then they were glad God when he pleaseth can suddenly and beyond all hope exhilarate men in the midst of miseries and give deliverance Turk hist 269. The like hereunto befell the poor Christian captives when Hunniades had overthrown Mesites the Turks General Ver. 14. So all the people cast about and returned Their hearts were with Johanan before the battle as the Athenians were with Flamimus the Roman General who came to rescue them though their bodies were detained by the tyrants within the walls of their City Ver. 15. But Ismael the son of Nethaniah escaped But with what honour with what conscience could this Judas live among the Ammonites surely this defeat could not but be more shame to him before the King of Ammon and more vexation to his proud heart then death it self The like befell Stukely the English traitour in Spain Ver. 16. Then took Johanan all the remnant This evil act of theirs doth quite overturn the glory of the former whilest against the ancient command of God the Covenant made with the Chaldees and the consent of the Prophets they will needs down to Egypt to lean upon that broken reed that never did them good but evil Ver. 17. And they departed They roused from place to place but being out of Gods precincts they were also out of his protection and could expect no good And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham which is by Bethlehem Where it seemeth that David or Solomon 1 King 2.7 had given him some lands which he called by his own name as men love to do Psal 49.11 Goruth Chimham Josephus saith there is a village near Bethlehem that is still so called See 2 Sam. 19.38 To go
Doeg may set his foot as far within the Sanctuary as a David And sat before me Demurely and to see to devoutly But why could they not stand to hear the Word of God for reverence sake Balac did so Num. 23.18 though a King And Eglon though unweildy Judg. 3.20 and a better man then they both Constantine the Great as Eusebius recordeth and further telleth us that being pressed after long time of hearing to sit down De vâ—ta conâ— with a stern countenance he answered It were a great sin in me not to hear with utmost attention when God is speaking Ver. 2. And the word of the Lord came Lest the Prophet seeing these seniors coming thus unto him should favour them too far God uncaseth them as he doth mostly such grosse hypocrites in this present life Jerobâ—am and his wife Ananias and Sapphirah Simon Magus and others for instance How else indeed should the name of such wicked wretches rot as they must Prov. 10. Ver. 3. These men have set their Idols in their hearts Though they would seem to abhor idols yet the devil is at inne with them and their hearts are no beter then so many Idol-temples as thou wouldest easily perceive hadst thou but my fiery eyes and couldest see their insides as I do Piscat Sustulerunt stercoreos deos suos super cor suum they have laid their dungy-deities upon their very hearts a place where I only should be by right for it is the bridal-bed And put the stumbling-block of their iniquity i. e. They are impudent sinners as the Scholiast interprets it and resolved of their course whatever comes of it Hoc significat crassum Dei contemptum quali professam rebellionem Should I be enquired of at all by them q. d. No never I scorn the motion I abhor such ludibrious devotion as this is Away with it Piscator rendereth the words An ergò seriò interrogor ab eis Thinkest thou that I am seriously sought unto by these q. d. Nothing lesse Ver. 4. I the Lord will answer him Or as I am the Lord oath-wise I will answer him but with bitter answers According to the multitude of his idols i. e. As by his abominations he hath well deserved or concerning the multitude of his idols that 's a sin he shall be sure to hear of and to suffer for Ver. 5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart Vt deprehendam or as others ut reprehendam that I may convince their consciences of their impieties and sting them to the heart with unquestionable conviction and horrour Because they are all estranged from me And fallen in with the devil who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Synesitu a great promoter of idolatry Idola sunt prima saliva Oecolamp initium deficiendi à Deo Idolatry paveth the way to utter Apostacy Ver. 6. Repent and turn your selves Or turn others for true converts will be converting their brethren They like not to go to heaven alone And turn away your faces Alii dicunt uxores vestras saith Lavater here your wives which are according to your hearts like as in water face answereth to face Wean them from their idols and win them over to the true God Ver. 7. For every one of the house of Israel The same over again and yet no vain repetition duris enim illis capitibus res non potuit satis inculcari to these dizzards nothing could be said too much Or of the stranger But proselyted to the Jewish religion as Jethro who was the first of that kind that we read of Which separateth himself from me As an harlot doth from her husband See Hos 4.14 9.10 I the Lord will answer him by my self Non verbis sed verberibus not with words but with blows Or according to my most holy Truth and Justice Or by my self sc do I swear that I will do it See ver 4. Ver. 8. And I will set my face against that man I will look him to death Or Vultuosè torveque illum intuear laying aside all other businesse I will see to it that he be soundly paid And will make him a sign and a proverb That when men would expresse a great punishent upon any Ier. 29.22 Tantalus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut vult Plato they shall resemble it to his as the Jews did to Ahab's and Zedekiah's that naughty couple and the Heathens to that of Tantalus and Tityus And I will cut him off from the midst of my people This is yet a further and a more formidable menace this is far worse then to be a by-word to the people Ver. 9. I the Lord have deceived that Prophet I had not only a permissive but an active hand in that imposture not as a sin but as a punishment of other sins See 1 Kings 22.20 Job 12.16 Jer. 4.10 2 Thes 2.11 And I will stretch out mine hand upon him i. e. Upon that false-prophet who although he hath thus acted not without my providence yet hath sinned against my Law which is the rule men must walk by or else suffer for their transgression Aut faciendum aut patiendum Now God hath long hands as we use to say of Princes neither may any think to live out of the reach of his rod. Ver. 10. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity Neither shall excuse other but as they have sinned together so shall they suffer together quia volentes scientes errabant they wilfully went astray Quandoquidem hic populus vult decipi decipiatur they shall infallibly perish An evil Pilot may easily drown himself and all that are with him on the same bottom Ver. 11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray Thus when Gods Judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Isa 26.9 Those elect that were bad will become good and they that were good will be made better Paena ad paucos metus ad omnes Ver. 12. The Word of the Lord came again to me The utter destruction of this perverse people is once again denounced and declared to be inevitable Ver. 13. Son of man See on chap. 2.1 When the land sinneth against me i. e. The Inhabitants of the land not as if the land it self were alive and endued with reason as Origen doated and as Plato held that the Spirit of God was the soul of the world Hom. 4. in loc By trespassing grievously Praevaricando perfidè by doing evil as men could Then will I stretch out my hand See ver 9. And will break the staff See chap. 4.16 5.26 And I will send famine Extream famine a heavy Judgement as hath elsewhere been shewed out of sacred and profane history Ver. 14. Though these three men See on Jer. 15.1 Noah Daniel and Job What could not these three so mighty with God have done if the matter had been feâ—sible Daniel was now
many mens bodies are in sacellis Haram domisticam arae Dominicae prafer their hearts are in sacculis as Austin complaineth as Serpents have their bodies in the water their heads out of the water so here As those Gergesites they more mind a swine-stye then a Sanctuary Ver. 32. As a very lovely song Or a love-song Canticum amatorium Vatab. The word leaves no more impression upon carnal mens consciences then a sweet lesson upon the Lute in the ear when it is ended for then both the vocal and instrumental sweetnesse dissolve into the air and vanish into nothing Happy was Austin who coming to Ambrose to have his eares tickled had his heart touched Ver. 33. That a Prophet See on chap. 2.5 CHAP. XXXIV Ver. 1. ANd the Word See chap. 18.1 Ver. 2. Prophecy against the Shepherds Good Shepherds they should have been but they were naught Jer. 23. and naught would come of them for their mal-administration Wo be to the Shepherds of Israel Both to Princes and Priests by whose evil governement the people were so bad as in the former Chapter is fully set forth Qualis rex talis grex the Sheep will follow the Shepherd the common people are like a flock of Cranes as the first flye all follow Should not the Shepherds feed the flocks Such flocks especially as have golden fleeces precious souls Oh feed feed feed saith our Saviour to Peter Joh. 21.15 feed them for my sake as the Syriack there hath it rule them well teach them well go before them in good example do all the offices of a faithful Shepherd to them and be instant or stand close to the work 2 Tim. 4.2 Dominus propè the Arch-shepherd is at hand Ver. 3. Ye eat the fat Ecce lac lanam recipitis this ye might do if in measure for the workman is worthy of his wages see 1 Cor. 9.7 but ye gorge your selves with the best of the best si ventri benè si lateri as Epicurus in Horace if the belly may be filled the back fitted that 's all you take care for In parabola ovis capras quaeritis vestrum maximè compendium spectatis ye are all for your own ends nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter or of good chear Jam. 5.5 Ye kill them that are fed Heb. ye sacrifice them so ye pretend but mind your own fat paunches See Prov. 7.14 But ye feed not the flock As being falsi sicti imò picti pastores mock-shepherds Ver. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened Five sorts of sheep are here reckoned up that needed the shepherds best care and cure but nothing was done or if any thing it was overdone for with force and cruelty they ruled over them See 1 Pet. 5.3 Ver. 5. And they were scattered because there is no shepherd None but an idol-shepherd Zach. 11.17 a foolish shepherd ver 15. and the sheep being a foolish creature even to a proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and apt to wander into harmes way will never return to the fold if not fetcht back but stick in the thornes or dye in a ditch or run into the wolves mouth Ver. 6. My sheep wandered Through the shepherds supine negligence or bloody truculence Surely as the herd of Deer forsake and push away the wounded Deer from them so did these cruel shepherds being non pastores sed impostores non Episcopi sed Aposcopi non praelati sed Pilati as Bernard wittily sheep-biters rather then shepherds greedy dogs Esa 56.10 11. grievous wolves Act. 20.29 And none did search or seek after them Nec erat qui quaereret aut requireret Ver. 7. Therefore ye shepherds hear the Word of the Lord And oh that this Word might ever sound aloud in the eares of all shepherds as the voyce of heavens trumpet Hyperbaton aetiolog cum Ver. 8. As I live saith the Lord surely because God here seemeth to be in a great heat in a perturbation of spirit causing a kind of impediment in his speech so throughly was he moved against these leud shepherds whose faults he rippeth up again to make better way to their sentence Because my flock became a prey To the Chaldees but especially to that old manslayer Because there was no shepherd None but a company of Nominals or rather Nullities Ver. 9. Therefore O ye shepherds See ver 7 8. Ver. 10. Behold I am against the shepherds Heb. Lo I against by an angry Aposiopesis And cause them to cease from feeding the flock They shall be Officiperdae Quondams laid aside like broken vessels as have been some Kings of this land in their several generations one of recent remembrance Popish Bishops not a few Bonner and others outed and deprived .. Ego ego Nominatium absolute â—o tuâ— Oeconom lib. 1. Ver. 11. Behold I even I will both search Ego ego reposcam anquiram rather then the work shall be undone I le do all my self and then 't is sure to be well done Aristotle telleth of a certain Persian who being asked What did most of all feed the horse answered the Masters eye And of a certain African of whom when it was demanded What was the best manure or soil for a field answered the owners foot-steps that is his presence and perambulation Praesul ut praesit profit suis ab iis non absit Shepherds should reside with their flocks the Archshepherd will not fail to do so Ver. 12. Aâ— a shepherd He prosecuteth the Allegory drawn from shepherdy all along striking still upon the same string with much sweetness So will I seek out my sheep Mat. 15.24 Psal 119. ult Esa 40.11 In the cloudy and dark day i. e. In the time of their calamity and captivity When things are at worst God himself will set in he reserveth his holy hand for a dead lift Ver. 13. And I will bring them out from the people This they could very hardly beleeve therefore he assureth them of it again and again God will do the like for all his Elect seem it never so impossible And feed them upon the mountaines of Israel Which are very high mountaines but the Church Gods hill is higher Esay 2.2 See the Note there Ver. 14. I will feed them in a good pasture Dayly and daintily feed them among the Lillyes Cant. 2.16 Psal 23.1 2 3. feed them with the flesh and blood of my dear Son Joh. 6. There shall they lye in a good fold Having a blessed calm in their consciences full of spiritual security and freed from all annoyances Mic. 5.5 Ver. 15. I will feed my flock Doing all the offices of a good shepheard for them and charging mine undershepheards to do so too And I will cause them to lye dowâ— By giving rest to their souls Mat. 11. together with many happy Halcyons that they may serve me without fear Luk. 1.74 Ver. 16. I will seek that which was lost c. As he did Peter Paul the good thief
to his choice by the French King whether to go to Masse to suffer death or to endure perpetual imprisonment answered As for the first by the grace of God I will never do it And for the two last I humbly submit to his Majesty let him do with me what he pleaseth That he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat That which Scaliger saith of Matthew Beroaldus Vir doctus quod familiam ducit pius that he was a learned man but that which was his chief commendation he was also a godly man may be better said of the Prophet Daniel Godly he was betimes and of a childe as was also his Master Jeremy in whose works he was well read Dan. 9.2 Samuel Timothy Athanasius Beza who amongst many other things blessed God chiefly for this in his last will and Testament that at the age of sixteen years He had called him to the knowledge of the truth Daniel had this happinesse at twelve or thirteen De vita obitu Sanct. neither was he like rath-ripe fruit that are soon rotten Hermogenes was old in his childhood and a childe in his old age but although he lived 110 years as Isidor reckoneth some say 130 yet he was best at last and may very well passe for a Martyr though he came again safe out of the Lions den like as John the Evangelist also did out of the caldron of scalding oyle wherein he was cast by the command of Domitian in contempt of Christianity Daniel's piety appeareth in this that he maketh conscience of smaller evils also such as most men in his case would never have boggled at He would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat he scrupled the eating of it and why 1. Because it was often such as was forbidden by the Law of God Levit. 11. Deut. 14. 2. Because it was so used Ante câ—bum sua habebant prothymata laudabant deos suos Jun. as would defile him and his fellows against the Word of God for the Heathens to the shame of many Christians had their Grace afore meat as it were consecrating their dishes to their Idols before they tasted of them Dan. 5.4 1 Cor. 8.10 3. They could not do it without offence to their weaker brethren with whom they chose rather to sympathize in their adversity then to live in excesse and fulnesse Amos 6.6 4. They well perceived that the Kings Love and provisions were not single and sincere but that he meant his own profit to assure himself the better of the land of Judah and that they might forget their Religion Lastly They know that intemperance was the mother of many mischiefs as in Adam Esan the rich glutton c. That 's a memorable story that is recorded by William Schickard concerning eleven Jew doctors whom the Heathen King of Pirgandy having in his power Schickard Jus reg Hebr. c. 5. p. 149. put them to this hard choice either to eat swines-flesh or to drink wine that had been consecrated to idols or to lie with certain harlots They chose rather to drink the wine then to do either of the other two But when they had drunk wine liberally they were easily drawn to do the other two things also Any one of these five reasons had been of force enough to prevail with Daniel and the other three to forbear They knew well that the least hair casteth its shaddow a barly-corn laid on the sight of the eye will keep out the light of the Sun as a mountain The eye of the soul that will see God must be kept very clear Matth. 5.8 c. Therefore he requested Modstly and prudently he propounded it non convitiando sed supplicando and petitioneth for liberty of conscience confessing his religion Ver. 9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour God is never wanting to the truly conscientious let them chuse rather to offend all the world then to do things sinful and they shall be sure of good successe The Prince of the Eunuchs durst not yield to Daniel's request but he connived at the Sewards yieldance Ver. 10. I fear my Lord the King This made him stand off as he did in pretence at least Tertullian taxeth the Heathens for this Tert. cont Act. 4.19 quòd majore formidine Caesarem observarent quam ipsum de Olympo Jovem that they feared Caesar more then they did their greatest god Jupiter But he who truly feareth God needeth not fear any else Ver. 11. Then said Daniel to Melzar Or to the Steward alimentator the Purveyour for the Pages of honour The Prince of the Eunuchs might haply give him an hint to go to this Melzar who might do it with lesse danger Ver. 12. Prove thy servants I beseech thee ten dayes All good means must be used for the keeping of a good conscience and then God must be trusted for the issue But did not Daniel herein tempt God No for besides that he had a word 1. Of precept Deut. 14. And 2. Of Promise Exod. 23.25 ex arcana revelatione certior factus est it might be revealed unto him that no inconvenience should follow upon this course And let them give pulse to eat and water to drink Poor fare for Noble-mens sons but such as they were well apaid of Nature is contented with a little Te ver innoc cap. 56. Grace with lesse The sobriety of Democritus and Demosthenes is much celebrated among the Heathen But what saith Austin Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est nihil bonum sine summo Bono Whatsoever is not of faith is sin c. Daniel's sobriety was of another nature of a better alloy Papists crack much of their abstinence from certain meats and drinks at certain times But Daniel's and Papists Fasts agree as harp and harrow See my Common-place of Abstinence Ver. 13. Then let our countenances be looked upon See the Note on ver 12. And as thou seest deal with thy servants Thus humbly they bespeak the Butler or Purveyour though themselves were nobly descended God had made them Captives and they now carry their sails accordingly Ver. 14. So he consented to them in this matter This had been well done if done for Gods sake but it was nothinglesse he had a hawks eye herein to his own profit he favoured them because he meant to finger something from them These four made a messe Ver. 15. Their countenances appeared fairer They had both better health for Tenuis mensa sanitatis mater saith Chrysostom Gustato spiritu de sipit omnis caro Bern. Spare diet is very healthful and their good conscience or merry heart was a continual feast to them They had also Gods blessing upon their courser fair and this was the main matter that made the difference Ver. 16. Thus Melzar took away See on ver 14. And gave them pulse This slender diet was some help to their studies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for
who so falleth not down and worshippeth c. Fire and sword are Idolaters best arguments But Conscience is the fountain and spring of duty and if that be not directed and awed by the Word of God in vain are Acts of Parliament and Proclamations though backed with menaces as if the spring of a clock be down in vain are all the wheels kept clean and put in order Ver. 7. All the people nations and languages fell down They that come of the yielding Willow and not of the sturdy Oak will yield with the time and ever be of the Kings religion In Queen Maries dayes here and so in the Palatinate lately scarce one in five hundred stood out but fell to Popery as fast as leaves fall in Autumn See on ver 5. Ver. 8. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews All the Jews are accused because some refused to worship So still all the generation of the righteous must be charged with the pretended miscarriages of some few amongst them The world we see is no changeling antiquum obtinet The Jews indeed ever since the Captivity have abhorred idolatry and the Papists worshipping of images for which both Jews and Turks call them idolatrous Christians is a main scandal to them Spec. Eur. and a let to their conversion Ver. 9. They spake and said O King live for ever Thus they insinuate themselves by flattery so Act. 24.2 3. Ver. 10. Thou O King hast made a decree Kings decrees are much urged by such as are resolved to be of King Harries religion whether he stand for the old Mumpsimus or the new Sumpsimus Ver. 11. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth that he should be cast c. This with a graceless man is a swaying argument he will rather turn then burn as he came not frying into the world as one said in Queen Maries dayes so he cannot go frying out of it Aug. de â—iv D. lib. 18. c. 41. Epicurus in word confessed a God but indeed denyed him because Anaxagoras was put to death for denying God at Athens where Epicurus flourished Lib. 15. Ver. 12. There are certain Jews Everywhere spoken against as were afterwards Christians odio humani generis saith Tacitus hated for their religion Whom thou least set over the affaires This was it that irked these spiteful accusers Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious but who is able to stand before envy Prov. 27.4 Shadrach Meshac and Abednego Whom though thou hast highly preferred and by calling them by the names of thy gods engaged them to thy religion yet will they not yeild to it but be singular and refractory These men O King have not regarded thee Chald. have set no regard upon thee This was ever unicum crimen eorum qui crimine vacabant Ver. 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury His blood boyling at his heart as brimstone doth at the match for preventing whereof nature hath placed the heart near to the lungs ut cum irâ accenditur Pulmonis humore temperetur for an allay to the heat of it lest perturbations should boyle it into brine Commanded to bring Shadrach Who it seems were present at first with an holy boldness confronting their idolatries in the very teeth of the King and Nobles Daniel is excused by his absence and ignorance But perhaps Nebuchadnezzar might shew him the like favour as our Henry the eight did Cranmer who disputing zealously against the six Articles Act. Mon. 1037. was willed by the King to depart out of the Parliament-house into the Council-chamber for a time till the Act should passe and be granted which he notwithstanding with humble protestation refused to do and so its likely would Daniel who must therefore be excused as before Ver. 14. Is it true O Shadrach Meshac c. q. d. I can very hardly believe it Certè tu non occidisti patrem sure thou didst not kill thy father said Augustus Cesar once to a parricide whom he had in examination And Suetonius saith that it was usual with him to examine malefactors in that sort as if he could not believe any such thing of them Tremel Buxtoâ—f Some render the text Num de industria aut certo consilio Do ye this on set purpose to cross and provoke me others as Montanus Nunquid desolatio q. d. what you to oppose the command of a King If this be suffered what disorder yea desolation must needs follow Pride ever aggravateth any thing done against its own mind Ver. 15. Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear Many can no sooner hear flattering promises of preferment as it were Nebuchadnezzars instruments but they presently fall down and worship the Babylonish idol but these three Worthies were none such And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand What God is he Sure a mean God he were thou poor thimbleful of dust could he not stay thy hand and stop thy blasphemous mouth with a spadeful of mould and that in a trice Ver. 16. Shadrach Meshac and Abednego answered With an heroical faith and well-knit resolution A sound faith and a clear conscience saith one are able by their native puissance to pull the very heart as it were out of hell and with confidence and conquest to look even death and the devil in the face We are not careful to answer thee The Saint hath a Quietus est that supersedeth all his cares Philip. 4.6 Some render it Non necesse habemus As the King would admit no discussing his decree but would have it absolutely obeyed so they were at a point never to do it nor to be removed from their religion The heavens shall sooner fall said that Martyr then I will start or stir an inch from what I have professed With the like undaunted courage answered Cyprian the Proconsul Bâ—sil the Arrian Emperour Valens D. Taylor Stephen Gardiner Mr. Hawkes bloody Bonner A faggot will make you believe the Sacrament of the Altar said Bonner Act. Mon. 1445. No no answered Hawkes a point for your faggot what God thinks meet to be done that shall ye do and no more Paenae sunt pennae queis super astra vehor Ver. 17. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us And deliver us he will either from death or thorough it and we are by his grace in utrumque parati wholly at his dispose Never ask then O King Who is that God that shall deliver you Our God is in heaven and doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth He well knoweth how to deliver his out of temptations and to reserve the unjust be he King or Caytiffe unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 From the burning fiery furnace Sic fortissimum Martyrem saith Ambrose of Laurentius may we as well say of these saevissima presecutoris flamma superare non potuit quod longe ardentius veritatis radiis