but a copy of his countenance and meerly for a name And what shall we think of Quinâ—us Fabius Maximus who when he heard that his mother and wife whom he loved dearly were slain by the fall of an house and that his younger son a brave hopefull young man died the same time in Vmbria he never changed his countenance though his friends lamented the losse with many tears but went on with the businesses of the Common-wealth as if no such calamity had befallen him was this patience or stupidity whether Patience is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 so that Aquinas needed not to have questioned Aquin. 2 2. q. 136. whether a man can have patience sine auxilio gratiae without the help of Gods grace A natural man may for sinister ends bite in his paine as Marius did when his leg was cut off by the Chirurgion he may conceale his grief as Mithridates did for a time but all the while he was in a kind of fever Epialis the Physicians call it wherein men be cold without but hot as fire within And the like we may judg of Philip the second King of Spaine who is said to have born the losse of his invincible Armado that had been three years a rigging with much patience giving and commanding to be given all over Spain thanks to God and the Saints that it was no more grievous This was but a fained and a forced patience Camd. Elis 371. it was rather pertinacy then patience it was an obstinate stiffenesse of mind c. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and what was the ground of it he beheld God in all the Lord hath taken away saith he not a word of the Caldean and Sabean plunderers not a tittle against the divel who had employed them and why Job easily discerned Gods arrowes in Satans hand and Gods hand on the arms of those that had robbed him and wronged him hence Taceo Fero Spero was his motto It is the Lord said Eli when threatned with the losse of all I was dumb saith David because it was thy doing So was Jacob for the same reason 1 Sam. 3.18 Psal 39. Gen. 34.5 in the rape of Dinah his only daughter afterwards married to Job say the Jew-Doctors So was Aaron in the untimely end of his untowardly children Lev. 10.3 So was Mauricius the good Emperour when he saw his wife and children slain before his eyes by the traitor Phocas And so was lastly that noble Lord of Plessis who when he had lost his only son a Gentleman of marvellous great hope in the Low-Countries and shortly after his Lady died of that griefe hee took up those words of David See his life I was silent and said no word because thou Lord hadst done it Blessed be the Name of the Lord As well for taking away as for giving This was a rare bird that would thus sing in winter It is easie to swim in a warm bath and every bird can sing in a warm sun-shine but to blesse God heartily when afflicted most heavily this this is the breathing of an excellent spirit In every thing to give thanks ô quam hoc non est omnìum In this theme of blessing God for afflictions also Basil spendeth all his Sermon which he entitleth Giving of thanks in all things Christianorum propria virtus est saith Hierome it is a vertue proper to true Christians Hicr in Eph. 5. heartily and not hollowly to give God thanks for crosses for it proceeds from the joy of faith and some taste of Gods fatherly care of us in our corrections If good things befall thee blesse God and they shall be increased if evill things blesse God and they shall be removed saith Austin of whom also it is reported that he had alwaies in his mouth Deo gratias Thanks be to God for whatsoever befalleth us Si bona dedâ—rit Dâ—us grattas agiâ— augebuntur c. The Prophet Psalm 89.38 to 52. lamentably complaineth of the Churches miseries and yet concludeth Blessed be the Lord for evermore and this he doth not formally and sightly but earnestly and with much affection Lo this is the guise of those that be gracious But how blank think we was the Divel when hoping to heare Job blaspheme God he heareth him blessing Gods Name in this sort The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. blessed be the Name of the Lord The Greek and Latine translations insert here another sentence that is not found in the Hebrew verity viz. even as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe Our late Common-prayer-book also hath the same words in the form for Burial of the dead Verse 22. In all this Job sinned not The Greek and Latine versions adde here with his lips but I could rather be of Mercers judgement who referreth the former part of this verse to the mind and the later to the mouth shewing that Job neither thought in his heart nor uttered with his mouth any thing unmeet and unworthy of God insomuch that both within and without he carried away the victory and conquest over Satan Bâ—zâ— and so better deserved to be Sainted then our Henry the sixth of whom the Chronicler writeth thus This King in both estates so demeaned himselfe that he modestly carried the one and moderately under-went the other yea such was his deportment that the inconstancy of his state could not alter the constancy of his minde insomuch that one of his successours Dan. hist contin by Trussel King Henry the seventh laboured for that onely vertue to have him canonized for a Saint and had obtained to have done it had not the charges thereof so farre exceeded mediocrity as to cause him to leave it undone God himself hath here canonized crowned and chronicled holy Job for his many good properties before and here for his humility and patience The triall of his faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire is found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 It was a saying of Philostratus that one Jupiter set out by Homer the Poet was worth ten set out by Phydias the carver because the former flew abroad through all the world whereas the other never stirred from his pedistal at Athens so one Job thus renowned by Gods owne pen is farre beyond all that have been memorized in humane histories for their aequanimity and constancy In all this that Job suffered acted and uttered he sinned not scil sinningly he was not transformed into sins image he sinned not by cursing God as Satan hoped and would have had it or charged God foolishly or with folly with any thing insolent insulse unsavory he charged him not in the least to have dealt unwisely or unworthily with him and this is here mentioned as Grace Jam. 1.4 almost to a miracle as Patience having her perfect work and proving
most modern Interpreters conceive that David doth here ingenuously confesse that he grudged against God considering the greatnesse of his grief and the shortnesse of his life And the measure of my dayes An admalorum qua perfero compensationem sufficiant whether they are likely to be enow to make mee amends for my grievous sufferings This hee seemeth to speak either out of impatiency or curiosity at least That I may know how frail I am How soon-ceasing and short liv'd Quam darabilis sum Tremâ— Vatablus hath it quam mandanus sim how long I am like to be a man of this World this vale of misery and valley of tears Vers 5. Behold thou hast made my dayes as an handbreadth i. e. Four fingers broad which is one of the least Geometricall measures or a span-long as some interpret it Now to spend the span of this transitory life after the wayes of a mans own heart is to bereave himself of a room in that City of Pearl and to perish for ever Or take it for an handbreadth should a man having his lands divided into four parts answerable to those four fingers breadth leave three of them untilled should he not make the best of that little time that he hath that he be not taken with his task undone Themistocles dyed about an hundred and seven years of age and when he was to dye he was grieved upon this ground Now I am to dye faith he when I begin to be wise But Stultus semper incipit vivere saith Seneca and such complaints are bootlesse O live quickly live apace and learn of the Devil at least to be most busy as knowing that our time is short Rev. 12.12 To complain of the miseries of life and to wish for death as David here seemeth to do and as did Job chap. 3.19 6.9 7.15 and Moses Num. 11.11 15. Elias 1 King 19.4 Jeremy chap. 20.14 Jonas 4.3 is a sign of a prevailing temptation and of a spirit fainting under it We must fight against such impatiency and learn to do the like by life as we do by a lease wherein if our time be but short we rip up the grounds eat up the grasse cut down the copses and take all the liberty the lease will afford Mine age is as nothing Heb. My world that is my time of aboad in the World is but a magnum Nibil as one saith of honour Punctumest quod vivimus puncto minus a meer Salve vale a non-entity Verily every man at his best estate When hee is best constituted and underlaid set to live Profecto omnimoda vani tas omnis homo est quantumvis constitutus maxime Tremel Kimchi as one would think firmus fixus setled on his best bottom yet even then he is all over vanity All Adam is all Abel as the originall runs elegantly alluding to those two proper names like as Psal 144.3 4. Adam is Abels mate or man is like to a soon vanishing vapour such as is the breath of ones mouth See Jam. 4.14 a feeble flash a curious picture of Nothing Vers 6. Surely every man walkâ—th in a vain shew Heb. In an image or in a shadow as Job 14. 2. in the shadow of death as some sense it his life is like a picture drawn upon the water saith Theodoret it passeth away as an hasty headlong torrent Verily surely surely it is so Selah you may seal to it Surely they are disquieted in vain Heb. They keep a stirre and trouble the World as did great Alexander who surfetting of his excessive fortunes from the darling of Heaven Two fits of an ague could shake greit Tamerlan to death came to be the disdain of the Earth which hee had so oft disquieted So the Emperour Adrian who troubling himself and others to little good purpose dyed with this saying in his mouth Omnia fui nibil profuit I have tryed all conclusions but go nothing And saith not Salomon as much in his Ecclesia stes Hee heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them i.e. Enjoy them See Eccles 2.18 19. and be moderate Think when you lock up your mony in your chest saith One who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin Think how that this very night thy soul may he required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luk. 12.20 Vers 7. â—eza And now Lord what wait I for q. d. Absit ergo ut de ist is quisquiliis sim anxius Farre be it from mee to trouble my self about these transitory trifles I am bent to depend on thee alone to wait for thy favour and desire it above all earthly felicity to place all my hope on thee alone who being my Lord wilt nor canst not cast off thy poor servant who desireth to fear thy Name Vers 8. Deliver mee from all my transgressions But especially from that of impatiently desiring to dye out of discontent vers 4. The sense of this one sin brought many more to remembrance as a man by looking over his debt-book for one thing meets with more God giveth the penitent generall discharges neither calleth he any to an after-reckoning Make mâ—e not the reproach of the foolish Let not any Wicked one for such are all fooles in Gods dictionary lay this folly in my dish that I so foolishly desired death in a pet Vers 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth Or Better thus I should have been dumb and not have opened my mouth according to my first resolution I should not have reasoned or rather wrangled with thee as vers 4. but have kissed thy rod in an humble submission and have known that the rod of Aaron and pot of Manna must go together Macrobius writeth that the image of Angeronia among the old Romans was placed on the Altar of Volupia with the mouth closed and sealed up to signifie that such as patiently and silently bear their griefs do thereby attain to greatest pleasures Because thou didst it This is indeed a quieting consideration and will notably quell and kill unruly passions Set but God before them when they are tumultuating and all will be soon husht This made Jacob so patient in the rape of his Daughter Dinah Job in the losse of his goods by the Sabaan spoylers David in the barkings of that dead dog Shimâ—i that noble Lord of Plessis in the losse of his only son a Gentleman of marvellous great hopes slain in the wars of the Low-Countries His Mother more impatient dyed of the grief of it But his Father laid his hand on his mouth when Gods hand was on his back and used these very words I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Vers 10. Removethy stroke away from mee Having first prayed off his sin hee would now pray off his pain though it lesse troubled him and for ease he repaireth to Jehovah that healeth as well as woundeth Hos 6.1 nam qui
with his meat the Centurion with his money to build those Synagogues that wicked Antiochus had thrown down and these in the Text with their most precious things to reedifie that Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had burnt Besides all that was willingly offered A free-will offering then there was as verse 4. brought in by Gods willing people Psal 110.3 that wait for Gods Law as Esay 42.8 and hold with that Ancient that it is nimis angusta innocentia ad legem bonum esse to do no more service to God then needs must to get so much grace onely as will keep life and soul together that is soul and hell asunder this they judge to be a low and unworthy straine of some good people David voweth free-will-offerings often Psal 5.6 1 Chr. 29 8 9. and could beteeme God a great deale more love and service then he is able to performe to him Those good souls Zach. 8.21 call upon themselves and one another 1 Sam. 1.4.21 Luke 2.41 42 to be continually going before the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts I saith each for himself will go also Hannah went up with her husband every year to the Feast so did the Virgin Mary to the Passeover with her Sonne Jesus yet none were expressely commanded so to do but males and those also nothing under twenty years of age as fit to be numbered Exod. 30.14 So those amongst us that hear week-day-Sermons as Mary did Luke 10.42 and many other good people in our Saviours dayes Luke 19.47 48. and 21.37 38. Hereby we shall shew our love and do a service highly accepted in heaven Verse 7. Also Cyrus the King brought forth the vessels For example to others jussit gessit he did himself what he commanded to be done and so became a living Law a walking Statute So Justinian would not put the vessels of the Temple taken by Titus and recovered from Gensericus into the publike treasury but restored them Which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth With profane and sacrilegious hands some of these sacred vessels and utensils of the Temple he had cut in pieces 2 Kings 24.13 and others he carried away 2 Chron. 36.7 whole and entire This he did out of covetousnesse that auri sacra fames and in scorne of all religion rather then hatred of the Jewish superstition or to avenge the quarrel of Gods Covenant like as for the same reason his successour Cambyses destroyed the Egyptian Idols Virg. Isa 10. And had put them There was a sweet providence in that to the end that being there reserved they might in due time be restored as here they are to the house of God at Jerusalem And although that was a most unfit place to keep them in for what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols and Belshazzar most profanely abused them 2 Cor. 6.16 Dan. 5.2 in that drunken feast of his hence he is called the festival King Ezek. 21.5 6. yet being sanctified againe and dedicated to the true and first owner the God of Israel they might lawfull be made use of Not only things indifferent abused may yet be used in the service of God as those six water-pots were by our Saviour John 2. though they had beene superstitiously abused for private purification but also Idolatrous things and places As Gideon took the Bullock appointed for Baal and the Grove and offered the Bullock with that wood in sacrifice to the Lord Judg. 6.26 The like the Bethshemites did by the Philistines Cart and Kine The Mount of Olives was shamefully abused to idolatry by Solomon and others so that it was called The Mount of corruption 2 Kings 23.13 and yet was it our Saviours usual Oratory or place of Prayer In the house of his Gods Bel and Nebo Esay 46.1 These were Babylons chief gods The Original of Bel is said to be this Ninus having made an Image of his father Belus all that came to see it were pardoned for all their offences whence in time that Image came to be worshipped and then afterwards a multitude more Insomuch as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hef that in Hesiods time the number of Heathenish gods was grown to thirty thousand And in China at this day some tell us that there are no fewer then an hundred thousand Idols O curas hominum O quantum est in rebus inane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Gods these Mawmets are called here not because they were so for there is one God onely said Pythagoras and other Heathens but because Nebuchadnezzar falsely held them so Like as elsewhere the gods of Damascus are said to have smitten Ahaz who therefore sacrificed to them 2 Chron. 20.23 not as if those Idols were any thing in the world or could do any thing at all to him Jer. 10.5 1 Cor. 8.4 but onely that he conceited so and that the devil who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Synesius truly saith abused his credulity Ver. 8. Even those did Cyrus King of Persia so stiled because though he was Monarch of many Countries yet Persia was his hereditary Kingdom and Persepolis the place of his residence which great City was afterwards burnt by Alexander the Great at the motion and by the request of a base harlot By the hand of Mithridath the treasurer Heb. Gizbar Inde Gaspar saith one Mithridates King of Pontus was famous in after-ages or rather infamous for his craft in saving himself Val. Max. and his cruelty to the Roman Merchants trading thorow his territories killing fourscore thousand of them with one letter And numbred them unto Shezbazzar Joy in tribulation this is the signification of the word A fit name for a Prince Neminen à se dimisit tristem Sucton who should be Decliciae orbis as Titus the Emperour of whom it is said that he never sent away any suitor sad or discontented and remembring on a day that he had not done any poor man good he cried out to his friends Hodie non regnavimus Amici diem perdidi accounting that day lost wherein he had not shewed some man courtesie Such a gracious Prince was Job chap. 29.12 I delivered the poore that cried saith He Grand Sign Seâ—ag 148. and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him The great Turk stileth himself The worlds refuge professing that all that lament unto him shall have redresse and succour James the fifth of Scotland was called The poor mans King for his readinesse to right and relieve the afflicted Zerubbabel however he came by this name Shesbazzar for that he was the man I take for granted Ezra 5.16 with chap. 3.8 Zech. 4.9 though Junius think otherwise he deserved it doubtlesse and of him it might well be said Vopisous as the Historian doth of Probus the Emperour Si probi nomen non haberet habere cognomen posset Speed 723. pity he had beene called any thing but Probus so honest a Prince he was think
Arian-Bishops out of banishment to breed new broyles in the Church The Jesuites have a practice at this day of running over to the Lutheran Church pretending to be Converts and to build with them but it is onely to keep up that bitter contention that is betweene the Calvinists and the Lutherans And what ill offices they do amongst us at this day to heighten our divisions and hinder the Reformation by their wiles much ensnared and hindered good men are very sensible of The Lord detect and defeat them For we seeke your God as ye do Nay not as ye do See 2 Kings 17.32 33 34. they feared the Lord not filially but for his Lions as the old Romanes worshipped their Veiones lest they should hurt them and as the Caffrani a people in India worship Devils in most terrible figure that they may not punish them Since the dayes of Esar-haddon Sonne and successour to Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.37 grand son to Salmaneser after whom it seemes he brought a new colony into the Land of Samaria who proved deadly enemies to Gods people Verse 3. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua Jeshua would be one to keep them out though they slighted him in their application to Zerubbabel and the chiefe of the fathers verse 2. You have nothing to do with us You shall neither conquer us nor compound with us This was right Roman resolution They were wont to say of cowards in Rome that there was nothing Roman in them I can never sufficiently admire saith one the speech of blessed Luther who though he was very earnest to have the Communion administred in both kinds contrary to the Doctrine and custome of Rome yet he professeth if the Pope as Pope commanded him to receive in both kinds he would receive but in one kinde lest he should seeme to receive the mark of the Beast As for these Reconcilers and Moderatours saith another learned man were they the wisest under heaven and should live to the worlds end they would be brought to their wits end before they could accomplish this works end to make a reconciliation betwixt Rome and us They have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God From such stand off saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.5 Say to them when they offer their cost and service as here Pura Deus mens est procul ô procul este profani This was one of those ancient Lawes of the twelve tables among the Romanes Impius ne audeto placare donis iram deorum Let no profane person presume to think to pacifie the gods with their pains or presents But we our selves together will build c. This the adversaries call combination conspiracy faction sedition c. See verse 13. But what saith Tertullian Cùm boni cùm probi coeunt non est factio dicenda sed curia Et è contrà illis nomen factionis accommodandum est qui in odium piorum proborum conspirant When good men get together Apol. advers gent. num 520. and hold together it is not to be called a faction but a Court. As on to'ther side they are to be counted factious who conspire against the godly as these Malignants in the Text did As King Cyrus c. They had good authority for what they did and they hold them to it Verse 4. Then the people of the land Who the nearer they came unto a conjunction with the Jewes in matters of Religion the deeper hatred they bare them Thus at this day a Jew hates a Christian worse then he doth a Pagan so doth a Turk hate a Persian worse then he doth a Christian a Papist a Protestant worse then he doth a Turk a Formallist a Puritan worse then he doth a Papist Odia Theologica sunt acerbissima Weakened the hands of the people of Judah Discouraged them all they could endeavouring to transfuse as it were a dead-palsie into their fingers that they might surcease or at least slack their paines Well might Solomon say Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious but who can stand before envie surely the venome of all vices is found in this sharp-fanged malignity And troubled them in building Heb. Kept ado about them and terrified them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was to do the work of their father the Devil that troubler of Gods Israel ad injuriam inferendam totus comparatus set upon 't to vex such as begin but to build the Tower of godlinesse and to hinder them to the utmost Verse 5. And hired Counsellours against them But good Counsellours would not have beene hired either to bolster out a bad cause or to out-face a good to justifie the wicked for a reward or to take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him Spartian There is a notable instance of this in Papinian a Pagan Counsellour Thou mayest said he to Antoninus the fratricide command my neck to the block but not my tongue to the barre I prize not my life to the pleading of an ill cause These sordida poscinummia in the text were none such Some think they were Courtiers and Counsellours to the King such as by whom the King was even bought and sold as Aurelian the good Emperour was who might know nothing but as his Counsellours informed him This made Alphonsus King of Arragon say that Kings were herein most miserable that whereas they abounded with all things else the truth of matters they could seldome come by All the dayes of Cyrus King of Persia Who warring abroad committed the government of his Kingdome to his sonne Cambyses a light and lewd lossel easily prevailed with to hinder so good a work Even untill the reigne of Darius i. e. Of Darius Nothus say some the sonne of Artaxerxes Longimanus named verse 7. the father of Artaxerxes Mnemon Pemble But they do better in my opinion that understand the text of Darius Histaspis who succeeded Cambyses and married his sister seeking to ingratiate with the people by ratifying whatsoever Cyrus had decreed and this of the Temple among the rest See chap. 6.1 Verse 6. And in the reigne of Ahashuerosh That is of Cambyses who is also called Artaxerxes in the next verse for these two names were given to many Kings of Persia like as Pharaoh was to the Kings of Egypt as a title of honour Ahashuerosh signifieth an hereditary Prince Daniel calleth him the Prince of the Kingdome of Persia chap. 10.13 because he was Viceroy in his fathers absence Infamous he is for many lewd pranks as that he killed his brother and then his owne sister after he had first married her and made a Law that any man might do the like yet was he not so ungracious a sonne to Cyrus as our Henry the seconds eldest sonne was whom he not onely crowned King during his owne life but also to do him honour at his Coronation renounced the name of a King for that day and as Sewer served at the table For which he was thus
the great God So they stile him because the Jewes called and counted him so The Lord your God saith Moses is God of gods and Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible c. Deut. 10.17 He is Fortissimus Maximus as Tremellius there renders it yea he is a degree above the superlative Not onely is God great as here greater Job 33.12 Greatest Psal 95.3 but Greatnesse it self Psal 145.3 and to him all other Gods whether Deputed or Reputed are but deastri deunculi diim inorum gentium petty deities poor businesses Verse 9. Who commanded you Chald. Who hath made you a Decree See the Note on verse 3. Verse 10. We asked their names also See verse 4. That were the chief of them For the rude multitude follow as they are led And as in a beast the whole body goeth after the head so do most people after their Rulers and Ringleaders hence that severity of God Num. 25.4 Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the Sunne Ver. 11. We are the servants of the God of heaven And in that respect higher then all the Kings on the earth Psal 89.27 for all his servants are sons heirs of God and coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 who have held it no small honour to be called his vassals See how bold these 〈◊〉 men beare themselves upon this relation to the God of heaven and earth and how couragiously they stand to their work and stout it out with their adversaries See Prov. 28.1 with the Note These many years ago Five hundred at least Verse 12. But after that our fathers had provoked Sinne is the make-bate that sets heaven and earth at oddes and hurleth confusion over the whole creation Esay 59.2 Num. 11.31 there were more remarkable expressions of Gods anger upon mans sinne in the dead body of a man then of a beast One made uncleane but till the evening the other for seven dayes He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar This is still the property of sinne unpardoned to raise the Posse comitatus all the armies of God against the sinner Verse 13. But in the first year of Cyrus See chap. 1. verse 1. with the Notes Verse 14. The Temple of Babylon For there also was a Temple built for Bel. Faciunt vespae favos simis imitantur homines The Devil will needs be Gods Ape and affecteth to be semblably worshipped Verse 15. Take these vessels go carry them Go thy self in person and see that all things be well carried there This pleased Zerubbabel well it confined him to live in that element where he would live as if one should be confined to Paradise Verse 16. Then came the same Sheshbazzar All this is truly and fairly related as was likewise that of Doeg to Saul against Ahimelech but with no good intent Now to speak the truth not for any love to the truth nor for respect to justice nor for the bettering of the hearer or of the offendor but onely to incense the one and prejudice the other this is plaine slandering And yet it is not finished And all by reason of such ill-conditioned persons as your selves who retarded it Verse 17. Now therefore if it seeme good Verba byssina Whether it be so They supposed it was nothing so and hoped that these Jewes would be found falsaries but it fell out farre otherwise like as Saint Pauls persecutions at Rome fell out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel then else Phil. 1.12 CHAP. VI. Verse 1. Then Darius the King DArius Hystaspes who succeeded Cambyses being chosen by the Princes of the Persians as saith Herodotus Plato commendeth him for a restorer of the Persian Monarchy much defaced under Cambyses Howbeit he discommendeth him for this In Thalia lib 3. de Legib. that he bred not his sonne Xerxes so well as he might have done and further testifieth that to him it might be said O Darius how little care hast thou taken to shun Cyrus his slacknesse for thou hast bred Xerxes every whit as ill as he did Cambyses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the house of the Rolles So called because rolled up together volumes rolled up like the web upon the pinne Verse 2. And there was found at Achmetha Or Ecbatana This was occasioned by the malice of the Jewes adversaries and proved a great furtherance to the finishing of the Temple Sic canes lingunt ulcera Lazari All things work together for good to them that love God Venenum aliquandò pro remedio fuit saith Seneca Rom 8.28 Verse 3. The height thereof threescore cubits Yet was it lesse then Solomons Temple Hag. 2.3 Ezra 3.12 Solomons cubits therefore were longer likely then these here mentioned Verse 4. Out of the Kings house i. e. Out of the royal revenue in those parts chap. 7.20 Herodotus testifieth that Cyrus and Darius who married his daughter Atossa and made him his patterne for imitation were highly honoured among the Persians for their Kingly munificence God hath threatened that the Nation and Kingdome that will not serve the Church shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted Esay 60.12 See verse 12. of this chapter Verse 5. And also let the golden and silver vessels This was decreed and this was done accordingly chap. 1.7 8. Let good resolutions be put in execution purpose without performance is like a cloud without raine and not unlike Hercules his club in the Tragedy of a great bulk but stuft with mosse and rubbish Verse 6. Be ye far from thence i. e. Come not at them to hinder them at all Thus though the Churches enemies bandy together and bend all their forces against her yet are they bounded by Almighty God who saith unto them Be ye farre from thence as is the raging sea Jer. 5.22 Surely saith the Psalmist the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restraine Heb. gird that is keep it within compasse as with a girdle The Septuagint render it thus The remnant of wrath shall keep holy-day to thee that is it shall rest from working or acting how restlesse soever it be within Verse 7. Let the work of this house of God alone Meddle not make no disturbance this was doubtlesse an hard task to them for their spirits were irked as Moab Num. 22. 3. and their fingers even itched at these builders They sleep not except they may do mischief Prov. 4.16 Ver. 8. Moreover I make a Decree So did some of the Heathen Emperours for the persecuted Christians Charles the fifth for the Lutherans at the motion of Albertus Archbishop of Ments and Ludovicus Palatine of Rhine and Henry the third of France for the Protestants which yet was but sorrily observed though sworne to It is written by an Italian no stranger to the Court of Rome that their Proverb is Mercatorum est non regum stare juramentis that it is for Merchants and not for Kings to
they be yet they must not look to be yokelesse lawlesse awlesse but to serve God with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 As it is written in the book of Moses Moses then was the Pen-man of the Pentateuch and not Ezra as some have said grounding upon that Apocryphal Esdras Verse 19. And the children of the captivity So the returned captives are called First to keep still afoot the remembrance of their late misery lest they should despise the chastening of the Lord Heb. 12.5 Secondly to inmind them of that signal mercy of their returne to their owne Countrey Hence doth the Evangelist Matthew so oft mention their transportation to Babylon and rings it in the eares of his ungrateful Countrey-men Mat. 1.11 12 17. Kept the Passeover In remembrance that the punishing Angel passed over their Ancestours in Egypt Exod. 12. and for confirmation of their faith in Christ the true Paschal Lamb. Hast thou escaped a danger offer a Passeover Hath Christ delivered thee from the wrath to come keep the Feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5.8 Vpon the fourteenth day of the first moneth See Exod. 12.2 with the Note Verse 20. Were purified together Misery had framed them to unanimity See 2 Chron. 29.34 All of them were pure Ritually at least if not really And killed the Passeover i. e. The Paschal Lamb whereof see Exod. 12. with the Notes For all the children See the Note one verse 19. And for themselves For they also were sinners and needed a Saviour Heb. 7.27 That Popish Postiller was utterly out when from Exod. 30.31 32. he will needs inferre that Priests when once anointed with the holy oile were thenceforth Angels Spirits not having humane flesh or infirmities Verse 21. And the children of Israel The whole community of what Tribe soever And all such as had separated themselves Who were the better to like because not Prosperity-proselytes such as came in not a few in Solomons time but the Jewes were very careful how they received them as Josephus relateth From the filthinesse of the heathen Who had filled the Land from one end to the other with their uncleannesses Ezra 9.11 Great sins do greatly pollute To seek the Lord God of Israel To seek not his omnipresence for that none need to do sith he is not farre from any one of us Acts 17. but his gracious presence And such a seeker is every good soul Psal 24.6 This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face that is Jacob. Did eate Edebant id est credebant for even Christ their Passeover was sacrificed for them 1 Cor. 5.7 Verse 22. And kept the feast of unleavened bread See 1 Cor. 7.8 and Exod. 12.35 with the Notes Seven dayes This began on the fifteenth day and lasted till the one and twentieth day Num. 28.16 17. Exod. 34.25 With joy See the Note on verse 16. For the Lord had made them joyful Given them cause of joy and an heart enlarged accordingly a mind right set for the purpose Saint James his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 5.13 shewes that all true mirth is from the rectitude of a mans minde which God onely giveth And turned the heart of the King c. It is He alone that gives favour that frameth mens opinions and affections that maketh a good mans enemies to be at peace with him To strengthen their hands As verse 8. And this did more ennoble him then all his warlike atchievements CHAP. VII Verse 1. Now after these things AFter that Zerubbabel had done his devoir in building the Altar and Temple Ezra according to the notation of his name began his and became a singular helper of the afflicted Church of God as appeareth in this Chapter and those that follow In the reigne of Artaxerxes sc Longimanus Esters sonne and the same that thirteene years after sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem Nehem. 2. whilest Ezra was yet alive Nehem. 8.1 Ezra the sonne of Seraiah That is the grand-sonne for Seraiah was slaine when Jerusalem was last taken 2 Kings 25.18 21. Verse 2. The sonne of Shallum See 1 Chron. 6.7 8 9 10. Of those two books of Chronicles this same Ezra is held to be the Pen-man and it is not improbable Verse 3. The sonne of Meraioth Here 's a great heap six of Ezra's ancestours likely for brevity sake being overskipped Verse 4. The sonne of Zeraiah c. These might be as one saith of Jesse the father of David Viri boni honesti minùs tamen clari good men but obscure Verse 5. The sonne of Aaron the chief Priest Ezra then was ex genere pontificio as those Acts 4.5 non tamen pontifex The title of chief Priest is never given unto him Verse 6. This Ezra went up from Babylon Together with many others who were moved thereunto by his example and authority He was as one saith of Tiberius imperio magnus exemplo major Paterc Great men are Looking-glasses according to which most men dresse themselves let them look to it therefore and shine as Lamps And he was a ready Scribe Or a nimble Text-man his office was to write out copies of the Law and to interpret it He wrote say some the Hebrew Bible out in Chaldee letters the same that we now call Hebrew the ancient Hebrew characters remained with the Samaritans for the use of his Countrey-men returned out of Chaldea He first ordained say others the Vowels Accents and Masoreth A great Scholar he was and excellently well seene in Scripture-learning to which all other skill is but straminea candela a rush-candle a small light that serveth but to light men into utter darknesse Be wise be learned saith the Psalmist but withall Serve the Lord with feare Kisse the Sonne c. Psal 2. Balt. Exner. Otherwise ye may be as learned as Varro that general Scholar as Albertus magnus quem nihil penitùs fugit omnia perfectè novit who knew whatsoever was knowable Bonosius as one saith of him or as Tostatus otherwise called Abulensis qui omnium scientiarum doctrinarumque arca fuit emporium saith he that writeth his life who was a living library and yet ye may perish everlastingly The Jewes called their learned men Scribes as the Persians did theirs Magi the French Druides the Indians Brachmanni c. But he that is not a Scribe instructed and instructing others to the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 13.52 shall hear Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Sapientes sapientèr in infernum descendent 1 Cor. 1.20 Aug. Which the Lord God of Israel had given The Moral Law with his owne immediate mouth so that he might say with Joseph Gen. 45.12 Behold your eyes see that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you the other Lawes he ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour i. e. of Moses Gal. 3.19 Hence Josephus calleth the Jewish politie a Theocratie and
Origen wrought much upon Alexander Severus the Emperour by his sound doctrine and holy conversation but especially his mother Mammaea who became a great friend to the persecuted Christians Verse 16. And all the silver and gold that thou canst finde And gold-thirsty Babylon was not without great store of both could the owners but finde in their hearts to part with it to so pious an use Some did and the rather because the King and his Councel began to them With the free-will offering of the people Gods select people of whom Moses singeth Happy art thou O Israel Who is like unto thee O people Deut. 33.29 Verse 17. That thou mayest buy speedily Illicò God is himself a pure act and hateth dulnesse in duty What thou doest do quickly said Christ even to the very Traytour that did seek and suck his blood Verse 18. And whatsoever shall seeme good to thee c. The King knew them to be faithful and wise stewards such as Hanani was Nehem. 7.2 and therefore leaveth much of the money to be bestowed as they pleased Verse 19. The vessels also c. How naturally seemeth this King to care for the service of God! and what pity is it that he should so oft call Him Your God and Thy God and not owne him for his So hard a thing it is to relinquish that vaine conversation that people have received by tradition from their fathers I will never forsake the Religion that I have received from my fore-fathers said Tully And the Monarch of Morocco told the English Embassadour that he had lately read Saint Pauls Epistles and liked them so well that were he now to chuse his Religion he would before any other embrace Christianity But every one ought said he to die in his owne Religion and the leaving of the faith wherein he was borne was the onely thing that he disliked in that Apostle Verse 20. And whatsoever more c. What could this King say more to seale up his good affection to the work in hand Shall not this liberal Heathen rise up in judgement and condemne such hold-fasts amongst us such miserly money-hoarders as have no quick-silver no currant money for God or any good uses but are the richer the harder as Dives Verse 21. Let it be done speedily Without shucking and hucking without delayes and consults I even I will have it so saith the great King dispute not therefore but dispatch Quod ego volo pro canone sit as Constantius the Emperour said to Paulinus Lucifer and other dissenting Bishops Verse 22. Vnto an hundred talents of silver This was no small summe How chargeable was the service of God heretofore to what it is now and yet how heavily do men come off when to expend though but a very small summe that way Ad quid perditio haec To what end is this waste is the common cry in this case Surely Pagans and Papagans who lavish money out of the bag without measure dotantque Deos alienos as some read that text Psal 16.3 shall have an easier judgement then such pinch-penny professours Verse 23. For why should there be wrath Heb. Boyling or foaming anger great indignation as it is rendered and made the utmost degree of the divine displeasure Deut. 29.28 Of all things God cannot endure to be slighted and to have his service neglected this blinde nature saw and was therefore sedulous herein to prevent wrath Aristotle hath this divine precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make Religion thy first and chief care Arist polit l. 7. c. 8. that thou mayest prosper c. Let our worship-scorners look to it do they provoke the Lord to wrath are they stronger then He will they bring Gods vengeance upon us all Against the Realme the King and his sonnes For God is higher then the highest and will raine downe indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil or that neglecteth to do good for not-serving of God Rom. 2.8 9. not-sacrificing is a sin Mal. 3.18 Eccles 9.2 And sin doth as naturally draw and suck judgements to it both personal and publike as the loadstone doth iron or Turpentine fire Verse 24. And also we certifie you that touching any of the Priests These he taketh special order for that they be freed from publike payments and the like care was taken by our Ancestours for the Ministers of the Church of England as appeareth by Magna Charta chap. 14. Their maintenance is of the Law of Nature Gen. 47.22 Jezabel provided for her Priests Idolatrous Micah for his Levite the Papists for their shavelings granting them many and great immunities and being so free to them that there was need of a Statute of Mortmain providing that men should give no more to the Church But tempora mutantur c. Verse 25. And thou Ezra Qui monet ut facias c. After the wisdome of God that is in thine hand That is in thine heart and life Sapientia est vel codicibus cordibus Ezra had both these being a thorough wise man All such as know the Lawes of thy God Else how shall they see them duly executed How shall they be as so many living Lawes walking Statutes How shall they teach in the Cities of Judah as Jehosaphats Judges did 2 Chron. 17.7 9. and as it followeth here And teach ye them that know them not How can the people performe their duty which they are ignorant of Verse 26. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God In the first place and then the Kings Law as it is subordinate and subservient to Gods Obediemus Atridis honesta mandanâ—ibus non alitèr In Iphigenia saith He in Euripides If the King command honest things we will obey him otherwise not Let judgement be speedily executed upon him Let this be noted against those that hold that Magistrates have nothing to do with men in matters of Religion Artaxerxes here interposeth and Ezra blesseth God for it See Dan. 3.29 Deut. 13.6 Rom. 13.4 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Verse 27. Blessed be the Lord God Deo gratias is ever in a good mans mouth The Jewes at this day are bound to say an hundred Benedictions every day and more as occasion requires Leo Modena Verse 28. And hath exercised mercy unto me sc By making use of my service for the promoting of his Any employment about God is an high preferment and so to be esteemed yea it is a mercy and sealeth up farther mercie CHAP. VIII Verse 1. These are now the chief of their fathers THe chieftaines of those that went up with Ezra beside those that went up at first with Zerubbabel Verse 2. Of the sonnes of Phineas The sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron that renowned Zelot with whom and his seed after him God gave a Covenant of peace even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Num. 25.12 13. Daniel Not the Prophet Daniel Gods darling Dan. 9.23 but another of the same name
Historians had their work done to their hands He wrote with the same spirit he fought saith Quintilian Eodem aâ—imo dixit quo bellavit lib. 10. And it came to passe This Book then is a continuation of the former Nehemiah being a third instrument of procuring this peoples good after Zerubbabel and Ezra and deservedly counted and called a Third Founder of that Common-wealth after Joshuah David In the moneth Chisleu In the deep of Winter then it was that Hanani and his brethren undertook their journey into Persia for the good of the Church In the twentieth year Sc. of Artaxerxes Longimanus thirteen yeares after Ezra and his company first came to Jerusalem Ezra 7.8 with Nehem. 2.1 I was in Shushan the palace Id est In the palace of the City Susan this Susan signifieth a Lily and was so called likely for the beauty and delectable site Now it is called Vahdac of the poverty of the place Here was Nehemiah waiting upon his office and promoting the good of his people Nomine tu quiu sis natur â Gratius ac te Gratius hoc Christi gratia praestet Amen Strabo and others say that the Inhabitants of Susia were quiet and perceable and were therefore the better beloved by the Kings of Persia Cyrus being the first that made his chief abode there in Winter especially and that this City was long and in Compasse 15 miles about Verse 2. That Hanani A gracious man according to his Name and zealous for his Countrey which indeed is a mans self and therefore when our Saviour used that proverb Physician heal thy self the sense is heal thy Countrey Luk. 4.23 Out of my brethren Not by race perhaps but surely by grace and place a Jew and that inwardly and therefore entrusted after this by Nehemiah with a great charge Neh 7. ver 2. Came he and certain men of Judah Upon some great suit likely for their Countrey because they took so long and troublesome a journey in the Winter not without that Roman resolution of Pompey in like case Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam Whatever their businesse was these men had better successe then afterwards Philo the Jew and his Colleagues had in their Embassy to Cajus the Emperour who cast them out with contempt and would not hear their apology against Appion of Alexandria their deadly Enemy And I asked them concerning the Jewes The Church was his care neither could he enjoy ought so long as it went ill with Zion He was even sick of the affliction of Joseph and glad he had got any of whom to enquire he asked them not out of an itch after newes but of an earnest desire to know how it fared with Gods poor people that he might cum singulis pectus suum copulare as Cyprian speaketh rejoyce with them that rejoyced and weep with those that wept Rom. 12.15 a sure signe of a sound member Which were left of the captivity One of whom he well knew to be more worth then a rabble of Rebels a World of wicked persons As the Jews use to say of those seventy souls that went down with Jacob into Egypt that they were better worth then all the seventy Nations of the World besides Verse 3. Are in great affliction and reproach The Church is heir of the Crosse saith Luther and it was ever the portion of Gods people to be reproached Ecclesia est hae res crucis as David was by Doeg with devouring words Psal 52. Their breath as fire shall devour you Esay 33.10 The Wall of Jerusalem also is broken down So that theeves and murtherers came in in the Night saith Comestor here and slue many of them And the gates thereof are burnt with fire They were burnt by the Chaldeans and never yet repaired And to keep a continual great watch was too great a charge and trouble Verse 4. And it came to passe when I heard It was not without a special providence that these good men thus met and by mutual conference kindle one another and that thereby God provided a remedy Things fall not out by hap-hazard but by Gods most wise dispose and appointment That I sate down and wept He was even pressed down with the greatnesse of his grief Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor Ovid. whereto he gave vent by his eyes Zeph. 3.17 18. God promises much mercy to such to whom the reproach of the solemn assemblies was a burden Nehemiah cannot stand under it but sits down and weeps And mourned certaine dayes Viz. For three moneths space for so long he was preparing himself to petition the King chap. 2. And fasted and prayed This was a sure course and never miscarried as hath been noted Ezra 9. Before the God of heaven With face turned toward his holy Temple 1 Kings 8.44 48. with heart lifted up to the highest heavens those hills whence should come his help Verse 5. I beseech thee O Lord Annah Jehovah An insinuating preface whereby he seeketh first to get in with God speaking him faire as doth likewise David in a real and heavenly complement Psal 116.16 Obsecro Jehova I beseech O Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant the sonne of thy handmaid break thou my bands So the Church Esay 64.9 Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people The great and terrible God A great King above all gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15.11 saith a Greek Father glorious in holinesse fearful in prayses doing wonders saith Moses in one place as in another The Lord our God is God of gods and Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible Verè verendus venerandus Deut. 10.17 Thus Nehemiah begins his prayer and counts it a great mercy that he may creep in at a corner and present himself before this most Majestick Monarch of the world with greatest self-abasement That keepeth covenant and mercy That he may at once both tremble before him and trust upon Him he describeth God by his Goodnes as well as by Greatnes and so helpeth his own faith by contemplating Gods faithfulnesse and loving-kindnesse God hath hitherto kept Covenant with heaven and earth with nights and days Jer. 33.20 25. that one shall succeed the other and shall he break with his people No verily Be sure to keep faith in heart or you will pray but poorly And for this learn in the preface to your prayers to propound God to your selves in such notions and under such tearms and titles as may most conduce thereunto pleading the Covenant That love him and observe his Commandments That love to be his servants Esay 56.6 that wait for his Law Isa 42.4 that think upon his Commandments to do them Psal 103.18 Verse 6. Let thine eares now be attentive and thine eyes open Should not God see as well as hear saith a Divine his children should want many things We apprehend not all our wants and so cannot pray for relief
This was Priest-like and probably hereupon followed that miracle of an Angels descending at their several solemn feasts into the pool of Bethesda which was neer to this Gate and where they washed their sacrifices and healing all diseases John 5.4 Even unto the Tower of Meah Or the Centenary Tower so called for its hundred pinacles haply or because an hundred cubites high Verse 2. And next unto him builded the men of Jericho And are thereby here eternallized for their forwardnesse Claros inter habent nomina clara viros Though they dwelt farthest off yet they were of the first that came to work Jericho was the first City that Joshuah overthrew for their wickednesse and cursed him that should rebuild it Now it is the first that cometh to help forward this City of God So great is the change when God turneth peoples hearts Our Fathers were as barbarous and brutish as the very Scythians their Religion was a mere irreligion and worse till Christ came amongst us Ennead 7 l. 5. and gave us the preheminence For besides that England was the first of all the Provinces that publikely received the Gospel as saith Sabellicus our Constantine hath been reckoned the first Christian Emperour our Lucius the first Christened King and our Henry the eighth the first that brake the neck of the Popes usurped authority As we were the first that submitted to that man of sin so were we of the first that cast him off again although we are penitùs toto divisi orbe Britanni Lucan yet we have been hitherto famous all the World over for our faith and forwardnesse in Gods service though of late we have run retrograde to the reproach of our Nation Diogenes in a great assembly going backward on purpose and seeing every one laughing him to scorn asked them aloud if they were not ashamed so to do sith he went backwards but once when they did so continually Oh let it not be said of us as once of Jerusalem that we are slidden back by a perpetual back-sliding that we hold fast deceit and refuse to return Jer. 8.5 This is to be worse then wicked Jericho c. Builded Zaccur whose memory therefore is blessed when the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 Verse 3. But the fish-gate That stood toward the Sea and let in fishermen as the men of Tyre chap. 13.16 19. Did the sonnes of Hassenaah build Whethe◠this Hassenaah were a man or a City it appeareth not Verse 4. Meshullam the sonne of Berechiah This Meshullam was one of those men of understanding made use of by Ezra chap. 8.16 Verse 5. The Tekoites repaired The common sort of them for the Nobles refused The lesser fishes bite best the poor are gospellized Mat. 11.5 destined to the diadem Jam. 2.5 But their Nobles put not their necks So haughty they were and high-minded they thought it a businesse below their greatnesse Somewhat of that profane Earle of Westmerlands mind who said that he had no need to pray to God for he had tenants enow to pray for him 1 Cor. 1. Not many mighty not many Noble saith the Apostle Well if any The Lion and Eagle were not for Sacrifice as the Lamb and Dove were Yet the old Nobility of Israel were forward with their staves of honour and are therefore famous Numb 21.18 To the work of their Lord Though they knew him to be Lord of Lords who are all his vassals and underlings and by special relation Their Lord so avouched by these his holy-day-servants yet so stiffe-necked were they that they would not stoop to his service but cryed out as the Popish Clergy do Domine nos sumus exempti we may not work we will not contribute Verse 6. Moreover the old gate Famous only for its antiquity like as many old books are monumenta adorandae rubiginis of more antiquity then authority and as that Image at Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was said but falsely to have fallen down from Jupiter so the covetous Priests perswaded the credulous people Acts 19.35 The Rabbines say that this was a gate ever since the time that David took Zion from the Jebusites Quis hoc credat nisi sit pro teste Vetustas Verse 7. Vnto the throne of the Governour i. e. Of the King of Persia's Vice-roy who had there his Throne or Tribunal But to what an height of pride were the Bishops grown that sate in Thrones and from on high despised their fellow-servants this was their ruine God putteth down the mighty from their Throne and exalteth them of low degree Luke 1.52 Verse 8. Of the goldsmiths the sonne of one of the Apothecaries These were ever thriving trades They both had wealth and hearts to part with it upon so good a work Difficile est animos opibus non traders c. Martial Vnto the broad wall Which haply for the thicknesse of it was left undemolished by the Caldeans Verse 9. Ruler of the half-part of Jerusalem Which being part in Judah and part in Benjamin had two General Rulers see verse 12. Verse 10. Even over against his house Thither he was assigned probably because there he would build the stronger for his own security Verse 11. The sonne of Pahath-Moab This man might be a Moabite by stock or descent and an Israelite by Religion like as Jether was by nature an Ismaelite 1 Chron. 7.17 but by his faith an Israelite 2 Sam. 17.25 And the tower of the fornaces That had fornaces or ovens under it like as the library at Bonony hath a victualling-house and a wine-cellar In commendation of which situation Cardinal Bobba conceited that he had very wittily indeed wickedly applied that text Prov. 9.1 2. Wisdome hath builded her house she hath also mingled her wine she hath also furnished her table Verse 12. Shallum the sonne of Aalloesh Some read it the sonne of an Inchanter or Conjurer and tell us that Conjuring was a common thing among the Jews as Acts 13. Elymas and elsewhere the sonnes of Sceva c. But Shallum if ever any such forsook that Science as did afterwards also Cyprian to become a Christian He and his daughters Either finishing what their father now dead had begun or parting with their portions toward the repair of the wall and haply laying their own hands to the Lords work Verse 13. The valley-gate See chap. 2.13 And the inhabitants of Zanoah Together with Hanun their Governour Not Priests and Levites only but the great men in every Countrey yea and the Countrey-people too must work at Gods building Every one must be active in his own sphere not live to himself but help to bear the burthens of Church and Common-wealth toti natum se credere mundo as Cato did Lucan Verse 14. But the dung-gate repaired Malchiah the sonne of Rechab That is of the noble family of the Rechabites A Ruler he was and yet disdaineth not to repair the dung-gate All Gods work is
who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality shall be eternal life Rom. 2.7 CHAP. IV. Verse 1. But it came to passe THE Devil and his Impes have ever been utter Enemies to Reformation So do savage beasts bristle up themselves and make the most fierce assaults when they are in danger of losing the prey which they had once seized on Jabesh Gilead would send in none to help the Lord against the mighty Judg. 21.9 No more would Meroz chap. 5.23 Josiah met with much opposition so did St. Paul wherever he came to set up Evangelical and spiritual worship which is called a Reformation Heb. 9.10 All the World was against Athanasius in his generation and Luther in his rejecting what they attempted with scorn and slander Here it is quarrel enough to Nehemiah and his Jewes that they would be no longer miserable They were not more busie in building then the Enemies active in deriding conspiring practising to hinder and overthrow them A double derision is here recorded and both as full of mischief as prophane wit or rancoured malice could make them He was wroth Heb. He was enkindled and all on a light fire he was as hot as Nebuchadnezzars Oven huge hot he took great indignation and was so unreasonably enraged as if he would have fallen forthwith into a phrensy or apoplexy as that Roman Emperour did by raging at his servant He was grieved before chap. 2. but now he was madded And mocked the Jews By word and gesture fleering and jeering flouting and scoffing at them as the Pharisees also did at our Saviour Luk. 16.14 Davids Enemies at him upon their ale-bench Sr. Tho. Moore and other learned Papists at the new-Gospellers See chap. 2.19 This might have dismayed these poor Jewes and put them out of countenance for our nature is most impatient of reproaches there being none so mean but thinks himself worthy of some regard and a reproachful scorn such as these here shewes an utter disrespect which issueth from the very superfluity of malice If God had not strengthened them saith One it would have made them leave their work and run away Verse 2. And he spake before his brethren Id est before his companions and complices who would second him and say the same his Aiones and Negones as one calleth such And the Army of Samaria The Garrison-souldiers or those that lay there billetted to observe the people What do these feeble Jews These beggerly shiftlesse Fellowes these Asinarii as Melon and Appion of Alexandria disgracefully called the Jews like as Tertullian telleth us that the Pagans painted the God of the Christians with an Asses head and a Book in his hand to note that they were silly and despicable people B. Jewell in a Sermon of his citeth this out of Tertullian and addeth Do not our adversaries the like at this day against all that professe the Gospel Will they fortify themselves Heb. Will they leave to themselves sc any thing to trust unto Junius rendreth An sinerent eos should they sc the Officers and Souldiers suffer them thus to do Will they sacrifice Sc. at the dedication of their new Walles Will they do this all at once and think they without more adoe to have the liberty of their Sanctuary Will they make an end in a day It should seem so by their Citò Citò quick dispatch of their parts and task c. Praecipita tempus mors atra impendet agenti Sil. Ital. Will they revive the Stones c. Stones they want for their new wall where will they have them will they glew together the old Stones and revive them out of the rubbish will they do this or what will they do Verse 3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite This was one of Sanballats good brethren ver 2. A Bird of the same feather a loaf of the same leven his fellow-scoffer and so homine pejor saith Chrysostome worse then a man as the scoffed that beareth it well is Angelis par saith he an Angels peere Even that which they build if a Fox go up c. It was some such bitter jeer that Remus uttered in contempt of Romulus his new wall and was knockt on the head for it Hae sannae leniter volant non lenitèr violant Verse 4. Hear ô our God These mocks and menaces lay so heavy upon Nehemiah's spirit that he could not ease himself but by breathing heaven-ward and turning them over to God to take an order with them His prayer is not long but full A child may not chat in his Fathers presence his words must be humble earnest direct to the point avoiding vain babblings and tedious prolixities For we are despised Heb. We are contempt in the abstract Not vilified we are onely but nullified as a company of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No-bodies So Paul the most precious man upon earth and his companions the glory of Christ Esay 62.3 and a Royall diadem in the hand of Jehovah were looked upon as the filth of the World the off-scouring of al things 1 Cor. 4. What matter is it then what becometh of us 2 Joh. We have a God to turn us to and Demetrius hath testimony of the truth that 's enough let Diotrephes prate what he pleaseth And turn their reproach upon their own heads Surely God scorneth these Scorners saith Solomon that is Prov. 3.34 saith Rabbi Levi upon that Taxt he casteth them into some calamity and so maketh them a laughing stock to those whom they have laughed at God loves to retaliate to pay men home in their own coyn Thus he dealt by Appion of Alexandria who scoffing at Religion Josephus and especially at circumcision had an ulcer the same time and in the same place The like ill end befell Julian the Apostate whose daily practise was to scoffe at Christ and his people Dioclesian the Emperour as Volaterran writeth had a Jester called Genesius who used to make him merry at meales and amongst their devises would scoffe and squib at Christians But God plagued him for example of others And the like he did to Morgan that mocking Bishop of St. Davies to John Apowel who derided William Mauldon for his devotion and lastly Act. Mon. fol. 1902. Ibid. 1906. to one Lever of Brightwel in Barkshire who said that he saw that ill-favoured knave Latimer when he was burned at Oxford and that he had teeth like an Horse But the Lord suffered not this scorn and contempt of his servant to passe unpunished For that very day and about the same hour that Lever spake these words his son wickedly hanged himself saith mine Authour Lege cave And give them for a prey c. A heavy curse and as not causelesse against implacable Enemies to God and goodnesse so nor fruitlesse Wo be to such as against whom the Saints moved with a zeal of God shall imprecate vengeance God usually inflicteth what they denounce against his and their
turneth the scale Verse 32. Now therefore our God the great the mighty It is an high point of heavenly wisdome in the beginning of our petitions to propound God to our selves under such holy notions and fit expressions as wherein we may see an answer to our prayers as here See chap. 1.5 Let not all the trouble Heb. The wearying the lassitude Afflictions are not joyous but grievous to the flesh which doth soone flag and even sink under the burden if not supported by the hand of heaven Seeme little before thee As if we had not yet suffered enough but as if we wanted weight must be made yet heavier by an addition of new afflictions 1 Pet. 1.6 God is apt to think a little enough and spare Esay 40.1 and to take care that the spirit fail not before him that his children swoon not in the whipping Esay 57.16 He knows that every child of affliction hath not the strength to cry out as Luther did Feri Domine feri smite on Lord smite on for I am absolved from my sinnes or as another did I thank thee O Lord for all mine extremity and I beseech thee if thou think good to adde to it an hundred fold more c. That hath come upon us As foul-weather comes afore it is sent for Heb. Hath found us for we sought it not but would gladly have shun'd it Since the times of the Kings of Assyria Who yet were their most favourable enemies and are therefore compared to a golden head in Nebuchadnezzars Image but any servitude is grievous and among the Greeks after that they were delivered from the tyranny of the Macedonians and Spartans the Cryer at the Namaean games was forced to pronounce the word Liberty iterumque iterumque again and again And how earnest are Gods people here in deprecating another captivity He heareth them and for their late seventy years captivity granteth them seven seventies of years Daniels weeks for the enjoyment of their own countrey Verse 33. Howbeit thou art just So Mauricius the Emperour justified God when he saw his wife and children butchered before his eyes by the traytor Phocas and knew that himself should be soone after stewed in his own broth he cryed out just art thou O Lord and just are all thy judgements So did the Noble Du Plessy when he heard of the death of his onely sonne slaine in Holland which so grieved his mother that soone after she died Verse 34. Neither have our Kings our Princes our Priests c. But as there hath beene a general defection so a well deserved desolation wherein we have all justly shared Nor hearkened to thy Commandments And that because they testified against their contrary practises This wicked men cannot away with they hate him that reproveth in the gate as Ahab did Micaiah None but the gracious can say Let the righteous smite me be the reproof never so well tempered No sugar can bereave a pill of its bitternesse Now the eare trieth words as the mouth tasteth meats Job 12.11 And ungodly men as they write of some creatures have fel in aure and must get their eares cured ere they can be in case to hear Gods Commandments and his Testimonies In vita It is said of Gerson that he loved a friendly reprover and of Queen Anne Bullen that she not onely was willing to be admonished Her life by M. Clark but also required her Chaplains freely and plainly to tell her of whatsoever was amisse Scilicet Christus voluit aliquando etiam Reginam in Coelum vehere as Luther once said of Elizabeth Queen of Denmark These Kings and Princes of Israel were none-such Verse 35. For they have not served thee in their Kingdom As David did who held it his highest honour to be the servant of the Lord and as those three famous Christian Emperours Constantine Valentinian Psal 36. Socrat. and Theodosius who stiled themselves The vassailes of Jesus Christ And in thy great goodnesse that thou gavest them In the abundance of all things Deut. 28.47 they should have considered The more wages the more work and that thus to requite the Lord was to come under the censure of a foolish people and unwise Deut. 32.6 yea of idle and evil servants Mat. 25.26 And in the large and fat land But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked fulnesse bred forgetfulnesse saturity security Deut. 32.15 therefore he was worthily pent up and pined in a strange land where he had liberty little enough and prisoners pittance Neither turned they from their wicked works They quarrel not with their faults but with their friends that reprove them they turne not to him from whom they had deeply revolted Their impenitency maketh their sinnes mortal saith Saint John 1 Epist 5.16 immortal saith Saint Paul Rom. 2.5 they die in their sinnes as did those Jewes in the Gospel and perish for ever John 8.21 Verse 36. Behold we are servants this day This is twice here bewailed as a singular unhappinesse They that live under the Turkish slavery feele it so Poor Greece that was once Sol sal gentium terrarum flos fons literarum is now vel Priamo miseranda manus Princesse of Nations Queen of Provinces She was that now thus tributary is Lam. 1.1 Out of Greece and other Countreys that had sometimes received the Faith of Christ the Turkish tyrants draw with them to the warres great multitudes of wretched people whom they call Asape These carry all the baggage these carry wood and water for other souldiers of better account these serve instead of Pioners to cast up trenches and raise bulwarks and when battle is to be given if it be in plain field these have then weapons put into their hands and are thrust into the fore-front of the battle to blunt the enemies swords But if a City be to be besieged these serve as fit matter to fill the ditches with their dead bodies Turk Hist 325. 317. or to make bridges for other souldiers to passe over upon And if they shrink to attempt any thing they are commanded then are they more cruelly used by their Commanders then by their enemies And this the Ottoman Kings count good policy Verse 37. And it yeeldeth much increase unto the Kings As this Land once did unto the King of Locusts When it was stiled the Popes hortus deliciarum out of which he could fetch what money or any thing else he pleased so long as he could hold a pen in his hand In the year 720. Ino King of West-Saxons caused in all his Dominion Act. and Mon. in every house having a chimney a penny to be collected and paid to the Bishop of Rome in the name of Saint Peter and thereof were they called Peter-pence These continued till Henry the eighth's time who in his Protestation against the Pope speaketh thus England is no more a babe there is no man here but now he knowes that they do foolishly that give gold for
lead more weight of that then they receive of this c. Ibid. 990. Also they have dominion See the Note on verse 30. At their pleasure Their will was a law which to argue or debate was high misdemeanour to detrect or disobey present death Verse 38. And because of all this Our sinne and misery We make a sure Covenant See Ezra 10.3 And write it Litera scripta manet And our Princes Levites and Priests seale unto it In the roome and name of all the rest who have sworn and will performe it that we will keep thy righteous judgements CHAP. X. Verse 1. Now those that sealed were Nehemiah the Tirshata HE is first mentioned not as a Priest but as Provost and one that held it an honour to be first in so good a matter As Caesar never said to his souldiers Ite but Venite Go ye but Come along I will lead you And as Abimelech said What ye have seene me do made haste and do accordingly So should all Superiours say to their inferiours Plin. Vita Principis censura est imò cynosura the life of the Prince is the load-star of the people upon which most men fix their eyes and shape their courses Magnates sunt Magnetes Great men draw many by their examples they are as looking-glasses by which others dresse themselves And hence Nehemiah's forwardnesse here to seale first There follow in their order Priests Levites Princes and people solemnly sealing a sure Covenant God had caused them to passe under the rod and now he is bringing them into the bond of the Covenant that he may purge out the rebels from amongst them Ezek. 20.37 38. Verse 28. That had separated themselves In Saint Pauls sense 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and be ye separate c. from such stand off Stand up from the dead save your selves from this untoward generation shun their sinnes lest ye share in their plagues These holy Separates or Proselytes sealed the Covenant and became free denisons of the Common-wealth of Israel having right to all Gods Ordinances Exod. 12.48 Such were Araunah the Jebusite 2 Sam. 24. Jether the Ismaelite 1 Chron. 7.17 with 2 Sam. 17.25 those Acts 2.10 the Jewes called them Advenas Justitiae Deodate interpreteth this text of such Jewes as were come again out of Babylon to serve the Lord according to his Law Others of such as had separated themselves from their Heathen-wives and children Their wives their sonnes and their daughters These also were then and still may be Covenanters as partakers of the benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 and heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 Every one having knowledge Of their own misery by sinne and of the great mystery of godlinesse Verse 29. They clave to their brethren Heb. They laid fast hold on them viz. by taking holy of the Covenant to keep the Sabbath from polluting it and chusing the things that please God as Esay 56.4 6. And entred into a curse The more to confirme the oath and to keep their deceitful hearts close to God See Deut. 29.12 21. This is called the oath of God Eccles 8.2 Confer Isa 19.18 and 44.5 2 Chron. 15.12 14. and 34.31 To walk in Gods Law Ex gnomone Canone decalogi to walk accurately and exactly by line and by rule In all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Aug. in Exod. Quaesti 55. Luke 1.6 so far as by his grace He should vouchsafe to assist them For lex jubet gratia juvat The bowles of the Candlestick have no oile but what droppeth from the olive-branches David can wish well to the keeping of Gods Commandments diligently Psal 119.4 5. but promise no further then God shall please to enlarge his heart verse 32. Vows and Covenants indefinitely and absolutely made as that of Jephta Judg. 11.31 prove a snare Condition with the Lord for his strength and grace rely not on thine own sufficiency lest it repent thee of thy rashnesse and self-confidence as it befell Peter Consider that thou art but a poor garison-souldier and without supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 thou canst do nothing David knew this and therefore called earnestly for help from heaven Psal 51.13 14 15. 119.106 107. Verse 30. And that we would not give our daughters This is the first particular branch of the Covenant that they would make no inter-marriages with the Heathen as knowing the snare that herein Satan laid for their souls In the first sentence against man this cause is expressed Because thou obeyedst the voice of thy wife c. By the rib as by a ladder Satan oft climbs to the heart and corrupts it as Gregory hath it O wives saith another the most sweet poyson the most desired evil in the world c. Make a wise choice therefore The Heathen well saith that every man when he marrieth brings either a good or an evil spirit into his house and so makes it either a heaven or a hell Verse 31. And if the people of the land bring any ware As they might without the Jewes leave and did chap. 13.16 and some of these Jewes forgetting their Covenant bought of them too even the children of Juda in Jerusalem ib. as if they had been of her religion in the tragedy who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I swore with my tongue but not with my heart But shall they thus escape by iniquity Be not deceived God is not mocked A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 That we would not buy it of them Lest we should trouble and disquiet that holy Rest and God should sue us upon an Action of wast For the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exod. 20.11 Jer. 17.21 Or on the holy day Now abrogated Col. 2.16 And that we would leave the seventh yeare That Sabbaticall yeare prefiguring the year of Grace the Kingdome of Christ Qui noxas nexus omnes solveret who giveth his people a generall release Deut. 15.2 and comes not over them againe with an after-reckoning Peccata non redeunt The Land also was to rest from tillage this year Exod. 23.11 And the exaction of every debt For that year at least and the next too if the debter were not able to pay the lender was to expect a recompense from God Deut. 15.6 Verse 32. To charge our selves yearly with the third part of a shekel Beside the Poll-mony the half-shekel required Exod. 38.26 the third part of a shekel was no great sum yet somewhat more then what Saul and his servant presented the Seer with whom they could not but know to be the Judge of Israel 1 Sam. 9.8 These had learned that thankfulness was measured both by God and good men not by the weight but by the will of the Retributor God doth highly accept the small offerings of his weak servants when he seeth them to proceed from great love
Edgar ordained that Sunday should be solemnized from Saturday nine of the clock Acts Mon. till Munday morning here in this Land that God might surely have his due The Jewes of Tiberias began the Sabbath sooner then others Those at Tsepphore continued it longer adding de profano ad sacrum Buâ—torf Hence R. Jose wished that his portion might be with those of Tiberias and ended it with those of Tsepphore And some of my servants set I at the gates To keep them carefully and to prevent profanations How the Athenians amerced those that came not to the Assemblies on holy-dayes hurdling up all the streets except them that led to the Ecclesia taking away all their saleable wares c. See Rous his Archaeolog Attic. pag. 103. Verse 20. So the Merchants lodged without Jerusalem They would not easily be said or take an answer so desirous they were of some takings from the Jewes There is nothing in the world that is more pertinacious and that cleaveth closer to a man then a strong lust say it be covetousnesse wantonnesse passionatenesse or any the like intreat it to be gone as Naomi did Ruth threaten it as Abner did Asael or as Nehemiah did these Merchants you prevail nothing till God comes and strikes a parting-blow c. Verse 21. Why lodge ye about the wall His care was also lest God should be dishonoured in the Suburbs A little fire warmes but a little way off when a great one casteth about its heat farre and near He feared also lest those within the walls seeing them might be tempted to wish themselves with them as when Sylla the Roman lay before the walls of Athens the Citizens minds were with him though their bodies were kept from him I will lay hands on you I will lay you fast enough be packing therefore The best way to be rid of sinne is to threaten it punish it by the practice of mortification to handle it roughly We are not debters to the flesh Rom. 8.12 We owe it nothing but stripes nothing but the blue eye Saint Paul gave it 1 Cor. 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 22. And I commanded the Levites He might do it as their Governour How then can Popish Priests exempt themselves from the power of the civil Magistrate and say as those shavelings did to our Henry the second when they lashed him on the bare till the blood followed Domine noli minari nos enim de tali curia sumus quae consuevit imperare regibus Imperatoribus that is Sir spare your threats for we are of that high Court of Rome which is wont to Lord it over Kings and Emperours Might he not have well replyed Ye take too much upon you ye sonnes of Levi or rather ye limbs of Antichrist Come and keep the gates The Temple-gates with Procul hinc procul este profani In Greece the Priest at their solemne sacrifices was wont to aske 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who 's there and the people were to answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are many and those also good men To sanctifie the Sabbath day By severing the precious from the vile and seeing that all things were rightly carried by themselves and the rest Remember me c. See verse 14. And spare me Meritum meum est misericordia Domini Horreo quicquid de meo est ut sim meus Thomas Aquinas lying on his death-bed Bern. and being about to receive the Lords Supper besought the Lord with tears that he would spare him according to his abundant goodnesse and snatching up the Bible he hugg'd it and said Volâ—ter I beleeve all the contents of this blessed Book The like is reported of William Wickam Founder of New-College Oxon and of Charles the fifth Emperour and some other wiser Papists Verse 23. In those dayes saw I Jewes Outwardly at least as the Apostle distinguisheth Rom. 2.28 and that also was then a prerogative Rom. 3.1 and shall appear to be so againe when their long-looked for conversion-day is come Romans 11. That had married wives of Ashdod Outlandish-wives and of another Religion and with these they cohabited as the Hebrew word here importeth Verse 24. And their children spake halfe in the speech of Ashdod They had a mixture of their mothers both speech and spirit the birth followed the belly the Conclusion followed the weaker Proposition And could not speak in the Jewes language Though it were that of their fathers Mothers are most about children and have the greater advantage to perfume them or poyson them But what mad fellowes were those old Britaines or Welsh-men who driven out of their owne Countrey by the Saxons came into little Britaine in France where when they had married wives they are said to have cut out their tongues Heyl. Geog. left they should corrupt the language of their children Hence the Brittish or Welsh language remaineth still in that Countrey Verse 25. And cursed them i. e. I denounced Gods heavy curse and vengeance upon them according to that themselves had wished and entered into chap. 10.30 in case they repented not This is nothing then in favour of our cursing men who are cursed men c. And smote certaine of them So far was his heart enraged with an holy hatred of their sinne that he could not forbear them So when Charles the fifth had heard that Farnesius General of the Popes forces had ravished certaine Ladies he brake out into this speech and was never in all his life observed to be more angry at any thing Si adesset impurus ille Farnesius manu meâ confoderem O if I had here that filthy fellow I would slay him with mine own hand And mads them swear by God So they had done before chap. 10.29 30. But now alasse they were all gone aside they were altogether become filthy they stank above ground Psal 143. He takes therefore another oath of them c. Verse 26. Did not Solomon King of Israel c. Did not he deviate and prevaricate in his old age shamefully turning from the Lord who had appeared unto him twice Did not his strange wives draw him to strange practises insomuch as some have doubted of his salvation and Bellarmine reckoneth him but wrongfully amongst reprobates Yet among many Nations was there no King like him For honour pleasure wisdome and wealth c. the abundance he had of these drew out his spirits and dissolved him See Mark 10.23 25. 1 Tim. 6.9 Isa 39.1 2. Who was beloved of his God His corculum his darling his Jedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 but he did not reciprocate his heart was dis-joynted and hung loose from the Lord whom he grievously provoked by his sensuality and apostasie And God made him King over all Israel Not by right of inheritance for he was a younger brother but by special designation Yet he defiled that Throne whereunto God had so graciously advanced him this was a great aggravation of his sinne 2
venire Venus tristis abire solet Into the second house of the women That having made sale of her honesty she might converse with such as had likewise left their honesties behind them companions in evil and miserable comforters with whom they might make up their measure and God power on his She came in unto the King no more But must burn in lust without means of allayment being scalded as it were in her own grease frying within and freezing without Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Cyril saith in a like case We do but rake a dughill in a discourse of this nature Merlin Let us therefore stay here no longer as an Interpreter hath it in setting forth the filthinesse of this Heathen Prince who yet hath too many amongst us that imitate his uncleannesse and intemperance Verse 15. Now when the turne of Esther c. Then and not till then So when Joseph was sufficiently humbled Psal 105.20 the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people let him go free When David was become weaned from the world as a child from the breasts when his heart was not haughty nor his eyes lofty c. then was he advanced to the Kingdome Psal 131.1 He that beleeveth maketh not haste Gods time is best and as he seldome cometh at our time so he never faileth at his own The daughter of Abihail The seed of the righteous and so an heiresse of that precious promise His seed shall be mighty upon earth Psal 111. She was also a daughter of Israel and therefore Gods first-born higher then the Kings of the earth Psalme 84.27 Who had taken her for his daughter This good work was so well pleasing to God that it is once again recited and honourably mentioned What shall the Lord Christ then do at the last day for his people who are full of mercy and good fruits If now he doth not onely make mention of us but mediation for us at the throne of glory surely then he will much more make our faith which worketh by love to be found unto praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 She required nothing As other maids had done to set out their beauty but contenting her self with her native comelinesse and that wisdome that made her face to shine she humbly taketh what Hegai directed her to and wholly resteth upon the Divine providence And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all By her comely countenance and gracious deportment Plutarch speaks of a Spartan woman that when her neighbours were shewing their apparel and jewels she brought out her children vertuous and well taught saying These are my ornaments and accoustrements Esther did the like by her vertues which drew all hearts unto her like as fair flowers in the spring do the passengers eyes She had decked her self with the white of simplicity with the red of modesty with the silke of piety with the sattin of sanctity with the purple of chastity as Tertullian expresseth it taliter pigmentatae Deum habebitis amatorem saith he and being thus adorned and beautified Tertâ—de cult scem women shall have God himself to be their suitor and all godly men their admirers Whereas on the otherside Nequaquam ornata est benè quae morata est malè Pulchrum ornatum turpes mores pejùs coeno collinunt Plaut M stell Act. 1. Scen. 3. Verse 16. So Esther was taken unto King Ahashuerus And so that sweet Promise was fulfilled and exemplified in her Though ye have lien among the pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold Psal 68.13 God raised up this poor Orphane this despicable exile out of the dust and lifted this needy one out of the dunghil that he may set her with Princes even with the Princes of the people Psal 113.7 8. Thus he raised Moses and Joseph David and Daniel c. Into his House-royal A place of rest and honour Thus Flebile principium melior fortâ—na secuta est In the tenth moneth Not in the twelfth moneth as Josephus hath it falsely and yet the Papists tell us that the common people may well want the historical part of the Bible and for it read Josephus his Jewish Antiquities Barclai In the seventh yeare of his reigne Foure or five yeares before Hamans advancement this was a sweet Providence that God should set up one to be a deliverer to his Church so long before the danger grew on So Joseph was sent down to Egypt before Moses was skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians and afterwards sent to Midian that he might be fitted to be King in Jeshurun c. Oh how unsearchable are Gods judgements and his ways past finding out Oh the depth c Latimers three last Petitions were granted Verse 17. And the King loved Esther This was the Lords own work who regarded the low estate of his Handmaid and framed the Kings heart to affect her Luke 1.48 Let all such maids as desire loving husbands and all such wives as would have their husbands loyal and loving to them get Gods favour and adorne themselves with humility and modesty as Esther did Let Christian husbands also learn for shame of this barbarian to love their wives above all women with a conjugal chaste and fast affection not lusting and hankering after strange flesh 'T is remarkable that after Solomon had said Rejoyce in the wife of thy youth be thou ravisht always with her love he subjoyneth And why wilt thou my sonne be ravisht with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger Prov. 5.19 20. She obtained grace and favour in his sight Surely as meat pleaseth better in a clean dish so vertue in comely persons in more amiable saith Hugo Beauty of it self is a greater commendation saith Aristotle then all letters testimonial So that he set the royal Crown upon her head For Queens also had their Crownes and did shine with the beams of their husbands saying as once those Romane Ladies Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia wheresoever thou art King I also am Queen Severus here saith that the King clothed Esther with a purple robe to shew that he shared the Kingdome with her but the text holdeth forth no such matter Indeed he made her Queen in stead of Vasthi he made also a great wedding feast and gave a release to the Provinces and gifts to his Grandees as it followeth Verse 18. Then the King made a great feast Feasts are never more in season then at the recovery of the lost rib See the note on Gen. 29.22 Vnto all his Princes and his servants So did Mauritius the Emperour of Greece Niceph. l. 18. c. 8. when he married Constantina and Henry the third Emperour of Germany when he married Agnes daughter to the Prince of Pictavia at Ingelheim Whither when a great sort of Players Fidlers Jesters and Juglers resorted Funcc â—d annum 1044.
outward troubles when as to the wicked death is but a trap-door to hell we silly fish see one another jerked out of the pond of life but we see not the fire and the frying-pan whereunto those are cast that die in their sins to whom all the sufferings of this life are but a typicall hell the beginning of those terrors and torments which they shall hereafter suffer without any the least hope of ever either mending or ending Verse 10. But he said unto her He did not start up and lay upon her with his unmanly fist Chrysostome saith it is the greatest reproach in the world for a man to beat his wife but he reproveth her and that sharply as she deserved and so did Jacob his best beloved Rachel when the offence was against God Gen. 30.2 A wise husband saith Marcus Aurelius must often admonish never smite and but seldome reprove and that with the spirit of meeknesse too Gal. 6.1 Meeknesse of wisedome Jam. 3.13 That was wonderful patience that was exercised by D. Youngs Benef of Afflict 153. Cowper Bishop of Lincoln who when his wife had burnt all his Notes which he had beene eight years in gathering left he should kill himself with overmuch study for she had much ado to get him to his meales shewed not the least token of passion but only replyed Indeed wife it was not well done so falling to work again he was eight years in gathering the same Notes wherewith he composed his Dictionary Job though somewhat more tart as reason required the offence being of so high a nature yet he breaks not out into fierce and furious language he saith not Go go thou art an arrant fool a wicked woman an abominable wretch but Thou speakest like one of the foolish women like one of the women of Idumea that have no sap of wisdome or goodnesse in them but do whip their gods as the Chinois are said to do at this day when they cannot have what they would have of them and revile them for neglecting their worshippers Note here that Jobs wife might be a good woman for the main though in this particular she did amisse but it is a fault in Gods people when it shall be said unto them Are ye not carnal and walk as men when it shall be said of Gods daughters that they speak or act like one of the foolish women Davids daughters were known by their party-coloured garments so should Gods by the law of wisdome in their lips and lives by their patient minde made known to all men by their eximious and exemplary holinesse What should Jobs wife the Governesse of such a religious Family the yoak-fellow of such an holy Husband be talking of cursing God be speaking after the rate of profane Edomites The Heathen Comedian can say that she is a wise woman who can be well content to suffer hardship and not repine that it is now worse with her then formerly it hath been Job would fain bring his wife to this Quae aquo animo pati potest sibi esse pejus quam fuit and therefore addeth What shall we receive good c He seeketh to set her down not with rage but with reason and that indeed is the right way of backing a reproof wherein as there must be some warmth so it may not be scalding hot Words of reviling and disgrace they scald as it were But words that tend to convince the judgment and to stir up the conscience to a due consideration of the fault they be duely warm and tend to make the physick work the more kindly Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evill Shall we not eat the crust with the crumbs drink the sowr with the sweet blesse God as well for taking away as for giving accept of the chastisement of our iniquity receive it patiently thankfully fruitfully Shall we be all for comforts and nothing at all for crosses Is it not equall that we should share in both sith it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Gen. 49.28 Jacob is said to have blessed all his sonnes Now he seemed rather to curse Reuben Simeon and Levi for he speaks only of evill to them But because they were not rejected from being among Gods people because they were not cut out of the list as Dan afterwards was 1 Chron. 7. Revel 7.7 though they were under great and sore afflictions they are counted blessed Doles quòd amisisti gaude quòd ◠vasisti saith Seneca Grievest thou at thy losses be glad that thy self art escaped Be ready at all hours to send God home again the blessings which he lent us with thankfulnesse There is a complaint of some men so ungratefull that if you do them nineteen courtesies Auson and then deny them the twentieth you lose all your thank with them Carry them on your back to the very suburbs of Rome and not into the City it self you do nothing for them God is not to be thus dealt with especially since he altereth the property of those evils and crosses which he layeth upon us turning them to our greatest good Rom. 8.28 like as the skilfull Apothecary turneth a poysonfull Viper into a wholesome Triacle Good therefore and worthy of all acceptation is that counsell of the Wise-man In the day of prosperity be joyfull but in the day of adversity consider Consider What This that God also hath set the one over against the other Eccles 7.14 and therefore thou must take the one as well as the other that 's but reasonable and equitable Plato saith that God doth alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 act the Geometrician do and dispose of all things in number weight and measure such an order and vicissitude he hath set of good and evill in the life of man that they are as it were interwoven Accept them therefore and acquiesce in them both as the Hebrew word here signifieth In all this Job sinned not with his lips Hitherto he did not though in a pitifull pickle and much provoked by the wife of his bosome He did not murmure against God nor let fly at his wife he did not threaten her as Lamech nor fall out with the whole sex as he that said Foemina nulla bona est He doth not wish himself single againe Sylla foelix si non habuisses uxorem Chaldaus Paraphrastes Talmudici as Augustus did or hold himself therefore onely unhappy because married as Sylla did No such unsavoury speech falls from Jobs lips as the Divel wished and waited for it Neither doth it follow as some Rabbines would inferre from this Text that Job sinned in his heart though not with his lips for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth would have spoken Look what water is in the Well the like will be in the Bucket and what stuff is in the ware-house the like will be in the shop If his heart had been exulcerate he would not meekly and
Ministers are said to be in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5.20 A great mercy that he will treat with us by men like our selves I also am formed out â—f the clay Et non ex meliore Intoâ—ffictus of the same make and matter with thy self cut out of the same lump dig'd out of the same pit He alludeth to Gen. 2.7 the wonderful formation of those Protoplast as a Potter moldeth his Pots cutting them out of the lump And the like God doth for men still by that viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the seed making it prolifical and generative Verse 7. Behold my terrour shall not make thee afraid This Job had earnestly desired of God chap 9 24. 13.21 and Elihu as a cunning Disputant presseth him with his own words I am not saith he neither is it fit any mortal man should by his terrour and power ravish another of his right Religion Giants are called Emim Formidable and Nephilim because men fell before them through fear as some Zanzummims do the meaner sort of people by their belluine greatness as the Pope and his Janizaries do the Hereticks as they call those of the reformed Religion that will not reneague it not once hearing what they can say for themselves Either you must turn or burn say they This is monstrous immanity Neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee Brentius rendreth this verse thus Ecce frons mea non terreat te inclinatio mea super te non gravet Behold my forehead cannot fright thee neither can my bowing down upon thee surcharge thee I shall neither brow-beat thee nor quell thee with my weight that thou shouldest refuse to reason the case with me Periculosum est contra cum scribere qui porest proscribere illi contradicere qui pâ—â—â—st aqua igni interdicere It s ill meddling with those that are armed with great power and can as easily undo a man as bid it be done I must needs acknowledge you the better scholer said Phavorinus the Philosopher to Adrian the Emperour qui triginta habâ—s legiones Aelius Spart who hast thirty Legions at command But here was no such disparity or cause of fear in Job from his compere Elihu Verse 8. Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing Here beginneth the Charge Pro Plancis and it is for words Quae levitèr volant non levitèr violant Nihil tà m volucre quà m maledictum nihil faciliùs emittitur saith Cicero Nothing is so swift as an evil word nothing is more easily uttered But should a man set his mouth against heaven and utter errour against the Lord Isa 32.6 Should he toss that reverend Name of God to and fro with such impiety and prophaneness as if his speech could have no grace but in his disgrace as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune Lonicer theatr historic or the three sons trying their Archery at their fathers heart to see who can shoot nighest Surely as God is the avenger of all such so an Elihu cannot hear it and not be kindled Good blood will not bely it self Psal 139.20 21. They speak against thee wickedly and thine enemies take thy name in vain Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred c. The very Turks have the Christians blaspheming of Christ in execration and punish it in their Prisoners when through impatiency or desperateness they break out in this kind What a shame is it then that our Kanters that last brood of Beelzebub should till alate be suffered to affirm That Christ is a carnal or fleshly thing and to contemne him by the notion of The man dying as Jerusalem c Can we hear these hellish blasphemies without ears tingling hearts trembling c When Servetus condemned Zuinglius for his harshness he answereth In aliis mansuetus ero in blasphemiis in Christum non ita In other things I can bear as much as another but when I hear Christ blasphemed I am altogether impatient for why in this case patience would be blockishness moderation mopishness toleration cowardise Madness here is better than meekness c. Verse 9. I am clean without transgression Clear as the picked glass without defection Nitidus ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Syriaca voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pectere I am innocent Heb. Neat and compt not a hair out of order as it was objected to Pompey the great Neither is there iniquity in me Nothing crooked or obtort But had Elihu ever heard Job saying thus Or did not he rather misinterpret his words Some proud Monk hath been heard to say Non haheo Domine quod mihi ignoscas I have not done any thing Lord that needeth thy pardon The reporter of Bellarmines life and death telleth us that when the Priest came to absolve him he could not remember any particular sin he had to confess till he went back in his thoughts as far as his youth But good Job had no such conceit of himself as may appear by many passages of his as chap. 9.2 and verse 20 21. chap. 14.4 c. Only out of the greatness of his grief and the unkind usuage of his friends who spared not without all reason to revile him as a most wicked and ungodly liver he did estsoones cast out some rash and harsh words against God see chap. 10.7 16.17 23.10 11. 27.5 and hence this Accusation here laid against him as a Perfectist or self-justitiary Verse 10. Behold he findeth occasions against me Or Breaches he picks quarrels with me and would fain find out somewhat in my carriage wherefore to break friendship with me and to break me in pieces But did Job ever say in this sort Not expresly so but by consequence and to the same purpose chap. 9.17 13.24 14.17 16.9 19.11 He counteth me for his enemy This indeed he had said and somewhat more chap. 13.24 16.9 30.21 as if God of his meer pleasure had made cruel wars upon him and exercised all kind of hostility against him as a vanquished enemy See the Note on chap. 13.24 19.11 Verse 11. He putteth my feet in the stocks c. See chap. 13.27 14.16 with the Notes Verse 12. Behold in this thou art not just In this thy Expostulation with God as if he had dealt unjustly with thee think the same of thy postulation or unreasonable request that God should give thee a reason why he so grievously afflicteth thee verse 13. thou art nothing less then what thou holdest thy self to be viz. just pure innocent Sorex suo perit indicio the Mole betrayes himself by casting up the mould and so dost thou good Job by throwing forth words without wisdom as God himself will once tell thee chap. 38.2 Canst thou be just whose words are thus unjust Never think it Thus Elihu is as nimble with Job but far more ingenuous as that Jesuite
Law Syllanus Verse 13. He had also seven sons and three daughters Whose perfections sweetned the sorrow which the losse of the other had caused him Sic uno avulso non deficit alter Aureus Virg. Ten children he had in heaven and ten on earth See the Note above on vers 10. The Lord well knew that wealth would be nothing so comfortable to Job unlesse he had children to leave it to Gen. 15.2 His wife therefore returning to her duty from which she had swerved became fruitful at an age well advanced for we read not of any other that he had Ver. 14. And he called the name of the first Jemimah That is Day-bright from her orient and glistering beauty q.d. fair as they day Cant. 6.10 the Church is said Diurnâ— to look forth as the Morning fair as the Moon And the name of the second Kezia That is Cassia a kind of Spice whereof there are three sorts saith Dioscorides but all very sweet and send forth a most pleasant smell like that of the Rose This second daughter therefore seemes to be so named from the sweetnesse of her breath or perhaps of her whole body proceeding from the goodnesse of her constitution as it is reported of Alexander the Great So sweet smelling Smyrna the best of all the seven Churches of Asia Revel 3. And the name of the third Keren-happuch That is the Horn of beauty better then that which is borrowed and of abundance as whose cheeks Nature had painted with a most pleasing Vermillion far beyond any artificial tincture which she had no need of Vtpote omnes aliarum fucos veneres superans Some intepret it the horn of conversion and think That Job herein would expresse and memorize the strange turn and alteration of his condition as Joseph did Gen. 41.51 52. Vatab. But the Chaldee Paraphrast the Jew-Doctors and most of our Expositors are for the former Interpretation favoured also by the words following Verse 15. And in all the Land there were no women found so 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 though but a 〈◊〉 fragile and one of the gifts of Gods left hand Prov. 3.16 〈◊〉 is it the Flower of vertue as Chrysippus called it one of the greatest excellencies of Nature and singular degree of Gods Image in man as Another Platâ— And although vertue is Proprio contenta theatro yet to others Gratior est pulchro veniens in corpore virtus That Vertue hath a better grace That shineth from a beauteous face Such probably were Jobs Daughters not fair and foolish as those Daughters of Jerusalem Isai 3. but adorned with all variety of Moral vertues as a clear Skye is with Stars as a Princely Diadem with Jewels Hence their good father so affected them that he Gave them inheritâ—â—â—â—s among their brethren Making them coheires with them in his estate which as it was an extraordinary expression of his love to his daughters so it importeth as some think a desire in him to have his daughters live still with him amongst the rest of his family either for that he was loath to part with them Val. Max. Christian pag. 308 the like whereof is reported of Charles the Great who being asked Why he did not bestow his daughters in marriage answered That he could not be at all without their company or else as fearing lest they should be defiled with Idolaters which peradventure out of Jobs family were ordinary in that Countrey Verse 16. Fliny tels of one Xenophilus who lived 10â— years without sickness Lib. 7 cap 5. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years c. And this was not the least part of his happinesse Length of dayes is a piece of Wisdoms wages Prov. 3.16 And what a mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a good old age is hath been before noted See chap. 5.26 For a short braid of adversity Job had an hundred and forty years health and prosperity Like as Joseph for his thirteen years of slavery and imprisonment had fourscore years liberty prosperity and preferment Who would not serve thee O King of Nations And saw his sons Who doubtless were good and towardly though nothing is said of them agreeable to their education and answerable to Jobs former children chap. 1. And his sons sons To his great joyes increase Even four generations Joseph saw but three Gen. 50.23 If God deny this happiness to any of his yet he hath promised them a Name in his house better then of Sons and Nephews Isai 56.5 Verse 17 So Job died being old and full of dayes How long he lived we know not The Rabbins say above two hundred years which was longer then either Abraham or Isaac lived of both whom it is likewise said that they were saturi dierum sated with this earthly life and desirous of life eternal To those old men that would yet live longer we may say Cur non â—t satur vitae conviva recedis Lucret. It is enough Lord said Elias I desire to be dissolved said Paul Go forth my soul go forth to God said Hilarion What make I here said Monica Job is now as willing to dye as ever he was to dine he is satisfied with dayes saith the text not as a meat loathed but as a dish though well liked that he had fed his full of Laus Deo in Aeternum A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the Book of PSALMS THe Book of Psalms So Christ calleth it Luke 20.42 the Hebrew word signifieth Hymns or Praises because the greater part of these Psalms serve to set forth the praise of God This title seemeth to be taken from Psal 145. called Davids Hymn or Psalm of Praise so highly prized by the ancient Hebrews that they pronounce him an Heir of Heaven who shall three times a day devoutly repeat it Athanas Chrysost The Greeks call this Book the Psalter and deservedly give it many high commendations as that it is the Souls Anatomy the Laws Epitomy the Gospels Index the Garden of the Scriptures a sweet Field and Rosary of Promises Precepts Predictions Praises Soliloquies c. the very Heart and Soul of God the Tongue and Pen of David a man after Gods own heart one murmur of whose Michtam or Maschil one touch of whose heavenly Harp is farre above all the buskind Raptures garish Phantasms splendid Vanities Pageants and Landskips of prophaner wits farre better worthy to be written in letters of Gold than Pindars seventh Ode in the Temple at Rhodes though Politian judged otherwise like a Wretch as he was and farre more fit to have been laid up as a rare and precious Jewel in that Persian Casket embroydered with Gold and Pearl than Homers Iliads for which it was reserved by great Alexander But that Cock on the Dunghil never knew the worth of this peerless Pearl as did our good King Alured who himself translated the Psalter into his own Saxon Tongue Turk His and as the Emperour Andronicus who caused this
accomplishment of your purposes and practices destruction shall suddenly seize you 1 Thess 5.3 When his wrath is kindled but a little It is sometimes let out in minnums as Hos 5.12 but if timely course be not taken it grows to a great matter as Thunder doth and as Fire that at first burns a little within upon a few boards but if not quenched bursteth out in a most terrible flame Blessed are all they that put their trust in him That is in Christ Joh. 14.1 Now to trust in him is so to be unbottom'd of thy self and of every Creature and so to lean upon Christ that if he fail thee thou sinkest it is to relye upon him alone for safety here and Salvation hereafter This this is to secure a mans title to true Blessedness and with this grave sentence the Prophet shutteth up the whole Psalm shewing the different condition of the godly from the wicked See the Note on vers 9. PSAL. III. A Psalm of David Tremellius addeth Quem cecinit which he sang when hee fled c. As Birds in the Spring tune most sweetly when it rains most sadly This was better yet than that black Sanctis as they call it sung by our Henry 2. in like case and for like cause For when as some few hours before he dyed he saw a List of their names who conspired with the King of France Dâ—n Hist 112 and Earl Richard his Son and Successor against him and found therein his Son John whom he had made Earl of Cornwell Dorset Summerset Nottingham Darby and Lancaster c. to be the first he fell into a grievous passion both cursing his Sons and the day wherein himself was born and in that distemperature departed the world which so often himself had distempered When he fled from Heb. from the face of Absolom which he had too much admired Midrash Tillin and was now afraid of Then when he went up Mount Olivet weeping 2 Sam. 15.30 made he this Psalm say the Rabbins So in the Sack of Ziglag he comforted himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 A Christian is never without his Cordial Absalom his Son his Darling his Tidling his one Eye Such another good Son was Barabbas whcih signifies His Fathers Son his white Boy as we say like as Absalom signifieth his Fathers peace but it proved otherwise as it likewise befell Eve when she called her first-born Cain and thought she had got a great boon from the Lord. But Fallitur augurie spes bona saepe suò David was disappointed for Absalom proved like the Sea Pacifick or calm Heyl Geog so it is called but Captain Drake found it rough and troubleous above measure Absalom would have done by David if he could have come at him Turk Hist as afterwards Amidas did with his Father Muleasses King of Tunes in Africk whom he first dethroned and afterwards put out his eyes In Absalom was nothing good but his name that may have a good name the nature whereof is so ill that it is not to be named like as Levit. 20.17 abominable Incest between Brother and Sister is called Châ—sed or Kindness per Antiphrasin Vers 1. Lord how are they increased that trouble me He worthily wondreth at so sudden a change Omnia sunt hominum tenui pendentia filo Et subito casu quaevaluere ruunt David was deserted by all almost and had now as many enemies as till now he had subjects excepting a few that stuck to him Our Hen. 6. who had been the most Potent Monarch for Dominions that ever England had was when deposed not the master of a Mole-hil and served to shew that mortality was but the stage of mutability Many are they that rise up against me Many and many by the Figure Anaphora here is also in the Original an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words Tsarai in the former clause and Gnalai in the latter not unlike that doleful ditty of the Church Lam. 5.16 Oi na lanu chei chattanu Wo to us that we have sinned which is so elegant in the Original that Mr. Will. Whately of Banbury who used to bee very plain in his preaching Mr. Leig Saints encou Ep. dedic and not to name a Greek Latine or Hebrew word quoted it once in the Hebrew as an Hearer of his relateth Vers 2. Many there be which say of my soul These scoffs and sarcasmes Leniter volant non leniter violant David felt them as a murthering weapon in his bones Psal De patient cap. 15. 42.3.10 and oft complaineth of them to God Qui satis idoneus est patientiae sequester as Tertullian phraseth it who will see that his Saints shall lose nothing by their patience There is no help for him in God Salvation it self cannot save him he is at that pass that there is neither hope of better for him nor place of worse there is no help health or deliverance for him at all The Hebrew hath a letter more than ordinary to increase the signification R. David rendreth it Nullum auxilium nullum auxilium there is no help there is no help for him and interpreteth it neither in this world nor in the world to come Thus haply his enemies argued from his sin in the matter of Vriab concluding that God would not look at him therefore But for that matter he had soundly repented and made his peace 2 Sam. Ex tradit Hebraeor 12.13 Psal 51.1 2. though this present cons piracy and the trouble thereupon which lasted six Months saith Hierom was a part of the temporal punishment of that scandalous sin 2 Sam. 12.10 But that it lay not upon his Conscience it appeareth in that on his Death-bed he regrateth it not as he did his not punishing of Joab and Shimei concerning whom he therefore leaveth his charge with his Son Salomon 1 King 2.5 8. Selah i.e. Plane Tremel Omnino peâ—itus revra Polan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In truth or Amen saith Aben-Ezra The Hebrews at this day accordingly adde to the end of their Prayers and Epitaphs Amen Selah twice or thrice repeated The Greek maketh it only a Musical Notion Vers 3. But thou O Lord art a Shield for me And such a Shield as will never fail me Prodente clypeo vulneratus sum I am betrayed by my Shield said Brasidus the Lacedaemonian Plutarch when he was wounded through it David had a better Shield than so better then that of Ajax in Homer which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better than that of Demosthenes whereupon was written Quod felix faustumque sit better than that of Sceva at the siege of Dyrrachium wherewith he so long resisted Pompeys Army Lucan that he had two hundred and twenty Darts sticking in it Densamque tulit in pectore syâ—vam God was to David a Shield round about him as the Hebrew here hath it and not a Shield only but a Sun too as Psal 84.11 Hence it
the Greeks for like cause call it is the tenderest piece of the tenderest part the eye which is kept most diligently and strongly guarded by Nature with tunicles David therefore fitly prayeth to be so kept Hide me under the shadow of thy wings Another excellent similitude taken from Fowls which either cover their Young with their wings from the scorching heat of the Sun beams as doth the Eagle or keep them thereby from the cold or from the Kite as Hens do Gods love to and care of his poor people is hereby shadowed out as it was likewise by the out-spread wings of the Cherubins in the Sanctuary See Ruth 2.12 Deut. 32.10 Zach. 2.8 Psal 36.8 57.2 Matth. 23.37 Vers 9. From the wicked that oppress me Heb. That waste me i.e. that cast me out into banishment despoyled of all This hard usage of his enemies drove David into Gods blessed Bosom as Children misused abroad run home to their Parents From my deadly enemies Heb. My enemies against the soul i. e. the Life at least if not the soul which they would gladly destroy Some malice is so mischeivous that it would ruine Body and Soul together as that Monster of Millain the enemies of John Husse and Hierom of Prague whose bodies they delivered to the fire and their Souls to the Devil David elsewhere complaineth of his enemies that they did Satanically hate him Psal 55 4. Beware of men saith our Saviour Mat. 10. for one man is a Devil to another Vers 10. They are inclosed in their own fat See Job 15.27 with the Note They abound in all delights Adipem suum obesant Trem. and therefore spare not to speak proudly They have closed up their eyes in their fulsome fat ut non videant nec timeant te saith R. Solomon that they can neither see nor fear thee With their mouth they speak proudly Heb. in pride that is Palam plenis buccis openly and with full mouth they contemn God and men they belch out Blasphemies and do what they please Vers 11. They have now compassed us in our steps i.e. Me and my company so that we cannot stir any whither but we are in danger of them In all thy ways acknowledge God and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3.6 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him c. Psal 37.5 Keep within Gods Precincts and thou shalt be under his protection He took order that a Bird should be safe upon her own Nest They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth i.e. Hoc unum spectant ut ruamus Junius They are earnestly bent and firmly resolved upon our ruine as one that fixeth his eyes upon another to mark him or to know him again or as Bulls ready to run at one set their eyes downward Vers 12. Like as a Lion that is greedy c. Cruelty and Craft are conjoyned in the Churches enemies as the Aspe never wandreth alone they say without his companion David here pointeth out some one special enemy Saul likely who should have been a Shepherd but proved a Lion As a young Lion lurking Therefore as we tender our safety keep close to God out of whose hands none can take us no not the roaring Lion of Hell Vers 13. Arise O Lord disappoint him Anticipa faciem ejus that is that raging and ravening Lion step between me and him and stop his fury defeat his purpose and disable his power Which is thy Sword As Assyria is called the Rod of his Wrath. Attilas stiled himself Orbis flagellum the wrath of God and the scourge of the World Turk Hist So Tamerlan was commonly called The Wrath of God and Terrour of the world Some render it by thy Sword i.e. or thy might and power See Job 40.41 or by thy Word execute thy judgement Vers 14. From men which are thy hand This saith one is Davids Letany From those men c. good Lord deliver me Gods hand they are called as before Gods Sword Titus Son of Vespasian being extolled for destroying Jerusalem said I have only lent God my hand but he hath done the work From men of the World Heb. A mortuis i. e. impiis qui sunt mortui in vits eorum R. Gion From Mortals of this transitory world qui sunt mundani mundum spirant sapiunt the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea as opposed to the Citizens of the New Jerusalem Rev. 12.12 such as having incarnated their souls as that Father speaketh are of the earth speak of the earth and the earth heareth them Job 3.31 mind earthly things only as if they were born for no other purpose Terrigene fratres animam habentes triticeam as those Stall-fed beasts in the Gospel Which have their portion in this life And they love to have it so saying with the Prodigal Give me the Portion that belongeth to me They crave it and they have it but with a vengeance Munera magna quidens misit sed misit in hamo As the Israelites had Quails to choke them and afterwards a King to vex them a table to be a snare to them c. By the way observe that wicked men have a right to earthly things a man must needs have some right to his portion what Ananias had was his own whilst be had it Acts 5. and it is a rigour to say they are Usurpers As when the King gives a Traitor his life hee gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life So is it here neither shall wicked men be called to account at the last day for possessing what they had but for abusing that possession As for the Saints who are heirs of the world with faithful Abraham and have a double portion even all the blessings of Heaven and of Earth conferred upon them though here they be held to strait allowance let them live upon reversions and consider that they have right to all and shall one day have rule of all Rev. 3. Mendicato pane hic vivamus annon hoc pulchrè sarcitur c. What though we here were to live upon Alms saith Luther is there not a good amends made us in that here we have Christ the bread of life in his Ordinances and shall hereafter have the full fruition of him in Heaven The whole Turkish Empire is nothing else but a crust cast by our Father to his Doggs and it is all they are likely to have let them make them merry with it Wilt not thou saith another bee content unless God let down the vessel to thee as to Peter with all manner of Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air Acts 10.12 Must you needs have first and second course Difficile est ut praesentibus bonis quis fruatur futuris ut hic ventrem illic mentem reficiat ut de deliciâ—s ad delicias transeat ut in coelo in terra gloriosus appareat saith Hierom It is a very hard thing to have Earth and Heaven
death in its most hideous and horrid representations I will not fear for I fear God and have him by the hand I must needs bee Tutus sub umbra leonis safe by his side and under his safe-guard It God be for us who can be against us For thou art with mee Hence my security see a promise answerable to it Joh. 10.28 Christ is not to lose any of his sheep Joh. 17.12 Having therefore this Ark of Gods Covenant in our eyes let us chearfully passe the waters of Jordan to take possession of the promised land Cur timeat hominem homo in sinu Dei positus saith a Father Thy rod and thy staff Hee pursueth the former Allegory Shepheards in driving their flocks have a rod or wand in their hand wherewith they now and then strike them and a staff or sheep-hook on their necks wherewith they catch and rule them Of Christs rods and staves see Zach. 11.7 c. foolish Shepheards have only forcipes mulctram Zach. 11.15 R. Solomon by rod here understandeth afflictions by staff support under them a good use and a good issue They comfort mee Gods rod like Aarons blossometh and like Jonathans it hath hony at the end of it Vers 5. Thou preparest a table before Here hee makes use of another Metaphor from a liberall feast-maker or as some will have it from a most kind Father making provision for his dearly beloved child So did God for David both in regard of temporalls and spiritualls God had given him as hee doth all his people all things richly to injoy all things needfull for life and godlinesse the upper and nether springs the blessings of the right hand and of the lest bona throni bona scabelli as Austin phraseth it Now outward prosperity when it followeth close walking with God is very sweet as the cipher when it followeth the figure addeth to the number though it bee nothing in it self Davids Table was laden with Gods Creatures and did even sweat with variety of them God had let down to him as afterwards hee did to Peter a vessell with all manner of beasts of the earth and foules of the air in it Act. 10.12 This he is very sensible of and thankfull for as a singular favour In the presence of mine enemies i.e. In fight and spite of them hostibus videntibus ringentibus God doth good to his people maugre the malice of earth and of Hell Thou anointest my head with oyle A peece of entertainment common in those times and amongst that people Luk. 7.36 37 38. to shew the greater respect to their guests And although this is not every good mans case in temporall respects yet at the Word and Sacraments God anointeth his guests with the Oyl of gladnesse My cup runneth over Hee had not only a fullnesse of abundance but of redâ—ndancy Those that have this happinesse must carry their cup upright and see that it overflow into their poor Brethrens emptier vesseâ—â—s Vers 6. Surely goodnesse and mercy c. Vtique bonit as beneficentia Or as Tremellius hath it Nihil nisi bonum benignitas Nothing but goodnesse and loving-kindness c. This is his good assurance of Gods favour for the future grounded upon Gods promise whereby hee was well assured that mercy should follow him though hee should bee so foolish as to run from it like as the Sun going down followeth the passenger that goeth Eastward with his beames And I will dwell c. Devoted to his fear I will stick to him in life in death and after death Apprehensions of mercy in God must work resolutions of obedience in us PSAL. XXIV A Psalm of David The Greek addeth Of the first day of the week Because wont to be sung in the Temple on that day which is now the Christian Sabboth in memory of Christs resurrection and ruledome over all which is here celebrated Vers 1. The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof Hee alone is the true Proprietary Job 41.11 Deut. 10.14 and the earth is Marsupium Domini as One saith the Lords great purse the keeping whereof hee hath committed to the sons of men Psal 115.16 like as also hee hath given the heavenly bodies to all peoples Deut. 4.19 every star being Gods storehouse which hee openeth for our profit Deut. 28.12 and out of which hee throweth down riches and plenty into the earth such as the Servants of God gather and the rest scramble for What use the Apostle putteth this point to See 1 Cor. 10.26 28. with the Notes Other uses may well bee made of it as that Kings and Princes bear not themselves as Lords of all the Turk and Pope so stile themselves the great Cham of Tartary every day assoon as hee hath dined causeth they say his trumpets to besounded by that sign giving leave to other Princes of the earth his Vassals as hee conceiteth to go to dinner but the Lords vicarii villici vicegerents and Stewards to whom they must give an account of all Again that Gods dear Children cannot want any thing that is good for them sith they have so rich a Father who seemes to say unto them as Gen. 45.20 Regard not your stuff for all the good of the land is yours To him that overcommeth will I give to inherit all things I have all things Phil. 4.18 2 Cor. 6.10 The world and they that dwel therein This is Gods universall Kingdome by right of Creation vers 2. besides which hee hath a spirituall Kingdome over his elect ut docet nos pulcherrimus hic Psalmus saith Beza who are here described vers 4 5 6. and encouraged to enlarge their desires after their Soveraigne in the exercise of faith and use of means and to give him the best entertainment vers 7 8 9 10. For the Church is Christs Temple and every faithfull soul is a gate thereof to let him in as Rev. 3.20 Vers 2. For hee hath founded it upon the Seas The solid earth hee hath founded upon the liquid waters This Aristotle acknowledgeth to bee a miracle as also that the waters which are naturally above the earth overflow it not but are kept within their shoares as within doors and barres This is the very finger of God and a standing miracle worthy to bee predicated to his praise all the World over Job 38.6 7 8. c. See the Notes there See also Gen. 1.9 with the Note And established it upon the floods Upon the waves and surges of the Sea which but for Gods decree would soon surmount it The dry land is that which is here called Teb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the habitable world And this is Gods universall Kingdome which because lesse considerable the Prophet speaketh but little of it in comparison as hastening to the spirituall Vers 3. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord Montem caelestem significat saith Vatablus hee meaneth into Heaven for the Prophets purpose is to shew that although
chain one link draweth on another so doth one mercy another unlesse we break the chain by our unthankfullnesse Vnto them that know thee to the upright in heart Here we have a just description of the heirs of Gods promises and of the partakers of his peculiar mercies First They must be knowing persons know they must God and his will themselves and their duties Secondly They must be upright in heart for knowledge without practice is like Rachel beautifull but barren or like rain in the middle region where it doth no good A good understanding have all they that do his Precepts Psal 111.10 and such only are upright in heart Vers 11. Terent. Let not the foot of pride come against mee The Wicked do manibus pedibusque obnixe omnia facere that they may ruine the Righteous but God can divert them manacle them shackle them that they shall neither march against his people nor meddle to unsettle their faith Neverthelesse hee looketh to be sought unto for these things Ezek. 36.37 Dan. 10.12 I came forth for thy word saith the Angel that is upon thy prayer Vers 12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen There where they plotted or practised the downfall of the Righteous as Henry the third of France was stabbed in the same Chamber where hee and others had contrived the Parisian Massacre God taketh notice of the very place where sin is committed to punish accordingly as he did Abimelech Ahab the Jews that cryed Crucifie him crucifie him c. They are cast down With a force the Angel of God â—â—asing them according to my prayer which now methinks I see to be graciously answered It must needs go ill with the Wicked when the Saints shall turn them over to God to be tamed and taken an order with And shall not be able to rise Because laid for dead by an Almighty hand The Righteous falleth seven times in a day and riseth again not so the workers of iniquity PSAL. XXXVII VErs 1. Fret not thy self because of evill doers Who prosper in the World when better men suffer many times This made good David sick of the Fret as himself testifieth Psal 73. till better informed and setled by repairing to the Sanctuary Vers 17. he wrote this thirty seventh Psalm for the good of Gods people lest they being scandalized in like manner and stumbling at the same stone that he had done should want direction and so fall into inconvenience temptation and a snare David was old when he wrote this Psalm as appeareth Vers 25. I have been young and now am old therefore should his counsel here given be the more acceptable He might as well say to mens tumultuating passions as once Augustus did to his mutinous souldiers and thereby quieted them Audite senem juvenes quem juvenem senes audâ—erunt Fret not your selves Fret not your selves I say to do evill Be not angry at God as Jonah was or aggrieved as Jeremy chap. 12.1 and Habbakkuk chap. 1.13 as if the divine providence did not justly divide to every man his due demense and do him right But have patience a while yea let patience have line and rope her perfect work as St. James hath it and quiet your boyling spirits with that word wherewith Christ becalmed the raging sea Peace be still God will unriddle his providences erelong and then men shall see the reason of all occurrences and that all was done in singular wisdome Pompoy beaten out of the field by Cesar complained that there was a mist over the eye of providence when as indeed all the fault was in the sorenesse or dimnesse of his own eyes and the twinkling light of Natures rush-candle Seneca saw as farre and said as much to this matter as a Heathen could in his Tract Cur malis bene sit c. But it is the Sanctuary alone that can afford sound satisfaction to a soul thus puzzled as for Philosophicall comforts and counsells in this case Cicero said well of them Nâ—sâ—io quommodo imbeâ—illior est medicina quam morbus However it cometh to pass the disease is too hard for the medicine Neither be thou envious against c. Their prosperity is their portion all they are like to have Psal 17.14 and what is it more than a small annuity for term of life in the utmost part of that large Lord-ship whereof thou art the heir and shalt shortly be the possessour Queen Elizabeth envyed the Milkmaid when she was in prison But if she had known what a glorious reign she should have had afterwards for forty four years she would not have envyed her And as little needeth a godly man though in misery to envy a wicked man in the ruffe of all his prosperity and jollity considering what he hath in hand much more what hee hath in hope Vers 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass Faeneâ quadam felicitate tempor aliter florent as Austin phraseth it but their felicity is short-liv'd this proud grasse shall be mowed down ere long Psal 92.7 if not sooner yet at death howsoever which unto them is but a trap-door to Hell Envy mee not my grapes said that souldier I must dye for them So may wicked men say of their present prosperity which is but like Hamans banquet before execution Vers 3. Trust in the Lord and do good These and the following are excellent means and medicines against the Fret True faith will trust in God where it cannot trace him it will also work by love and by doing good approve it self to be right as it appeared by the fruits that it was a good Land and as it appeared by the coats that Dorcas was a good woman So shalt thou dwell in the Land Heb. Dwell thou in the Land viz. bee content with thy lot not looking at the larger allowances of wicked rich men who the more they have of the sat of the earth the more they will fry and blaâ—â— in Hell Do thou abide in thy station and serve Gods providence in thy particular calling And verily thou shalt be fed Fed like a Sheep under the conduct and keeping of a good Shepherd as the word signifieth Kimchi readeth it Pasce in veritate Feed others with the truth as the lips of the righteous feed many Tremellius rendreth it Pascere fide feed on faith that is nourish thy self and live by it according to that of Habbakkuk chap. 2.4 The just shall live by his faith Some render it Pasce fidem feed Faith sc by pondering the Promises of God which are Pabulum fidei the food of Faith Others Pascere fideliter get thy living faithfully and honestly by thy true labour Vers 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord Whilst others delight in riches and pleasures as if there were no other happiness but to have and to hold no sport unless men may have the Devil their Play-fellow The like counsel hereunto giveth Saint Paul to his Son Timothy 1 Epist 6.12 whilst others
of her Hence the Church is called Jehovali Shannonah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 there he hath set him up a Mercy-seat a Throne of Grace and paved his people a new and living way thereunto with the Bloud of his Son so that they may come boldly obtain mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.14 She shall not be moved Or not greatly moved Psal 62.2 in those great commotions abroad the world vers 2 3. This bush may burn but shall not be consumed and that by the blessing of him that dwelt in the bush Deut 33. Exo. 14.23 Begneth have-shugnah Kimchi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 built shee is upon a rock Mat. 16.16 and so is every particular Beleever Mat. 7.25 And if at any time they be in distress God shall help her and that right early Heb. When the morning appeareth that is in the nick of time when help shall be most seasonable and best welcome Mourning lasteth but till morning Psal 30.5 the Church is invincible Vers 6. The Heathen raged Among themselves and against the Church Christ mystical as Psal 2.1 2. with great force and fury Quia ab ascenfore suo Damon◠perur gentur as Bernard giveth the reason because the Devil rideth them and spurreth them on The King doms were moved to remove and root out the Church but that will not be because in the thing wherein they deal proudly God is above them See those three sweet similitudes Zech. 12.2 3 6. He uttered his voyce Thunder-struck the enemies and saved his people by a Miracle of his mercy Psal 18.6 7. The earth melted Centra naturam suam quia est arida saith Aben-Ezra against the nature thereof for it is dry By the earth some understand the enemies who had almost filled the whole Land with their multitudes Vers 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us Even the Lord who commandeth far other Hosts and Armies than the enemy hath any and this they shall see by our Spiritual security The God of Jacob is our refuge Heb. Our high tower such as our enemies cannot come at When he calleth him the God of Jacob hee hath respect to the Promises saith Vatablus Gods Power and Goodness are the Churches Jachin and Boaz. Ver. 8. Come behold the Works of the Lord Venite videte God looks that his Works should bee well observed and especially when he hath wrought any great deliverance for his people Of all things hee cannot abide to bee forgotten What desolations he hath made in the earth How he hath dunged his Vineyard with the dead Carcasses of those wild Boars out of the Forrest that had infested it Those four mighty Monarchies had their times and their turns their rise and their ruine but the Church remains for ever Vers 9. He maketh Warres to cease As the Lord putteth the Sword in Commission bathing it in Heaven so he can quiet it and command it up at his pleasure He did so when Sisera was slain and when Sexnacherib The Church hath her Halcyous He breaketh the bow c. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper Isa 54.17 The Spanish Armada was set forth with infinite labour and expence but soon dispersed and defeated He burneth the Chariots Inquibus instrumenta bellica vel victualia pro militibus circumgestant saith Aben-Ezra i. e. their carriages for ammunition and provisions Vers 10. Be still and know c. q. d. As you must come and see vers 8. so come and hear what the Lord saith to those enemies of yours Cessate scitete Be still St and know Ex vestris saltem malis discite learn by what yee have felr that there is no contending with omnipotency I will be exalted asking you no leave c. Vers 11. The Lord of Hosts c. See vers 7. PSAL. XLVII A Psalm for the Sons of Korah Carmen triumphale saith Mollerus a Panegyrical Oration saith Beza written by David when top-full of most ardent zeal and sung by the Korites in that stately solemnity whereat he brought at length the Lords holy Ark into the City of David which gallant History is lively set forth 2 Sam. 6. 1 Chron. 15. And the use that David doth here make of it viz. concerning Christs Kingdom and the benefits thereby concerneth us as much or rather more than that ancient people The Rabbins with one consent say that this Psalm is to be understood De diebus Christi of the days of the Messiah who was prefigured by the Ark and should be the joy of all Nations Vers 1. O clap your hands all yee people As they used to do at their Kings Coronation 2 King 11.12 shew your joy for and interest in Christ your King by manifesting your righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Other joys are mixt and dear-bought but this is sincere and gratuitous as the Prophet Isaiah setteth forth elegantly chap. 9.3 5 6 7. Shout unto God with the voyce of triumph Heb. Of shrilling gods praises are to be celebrated with all manner of chearfulness and we are to be vexed at the vile dulness of our hearts that are no more affected and enlarged hereunto seeing all causes of joy are found eminently in God and he is so well worthy to be praised Psal 18.3 Jews and Gentiles are here joyntly called upon joyfully to praise their Redeemer Vers 2. For the Lord most high is tirrible Amiable to his own terrible to his rebels This Son if not kissed will be angry Psal 2. This Lamb for a need can shew himself a Lion as he is the Father of Mercies so the God of Recompences c. and being most high hee can easily overtop and subdue the stoutest of his enemies He is a great King over all the earth As having taken possession by his wonderful Ascension of the universal Kingdom given him by his Father and gathered himselfa Church out of all Mankind which he wonderfully ruleth and defendeth against the rage of Earth and of Hell Vers 3. He shall subdue the people under us This was typified in the Government of the Israelites then ascendent in Davids days but fulfilled when Christ rode abroad on his white Horse the Apostles Conquering and to conquor Rev. 6. Quando Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca Christo patuerint as Tertullian hath it Christ subdued the Britans and others whom the victorious Romans could never come at The Chaldee hath it he shall kill the people under us sc with the sword of the Spirit the Word when the Law came sin revived and I dyed Rem 7.9 The Hebrew is He shall speak the people under us that is he shall by the preaching of the Gospel powerfully perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 Tremellius rendreth it Jun. ex Aben-Ezra R. Judah Cogit in caulam populos he gathereth the people into the fold viz. that there may be one Sheep-fold and one Shepherd as Joh. 10.16 Eph. 2.14 And the Nations
shall go to the generation of his fathers i.e. To the grave or albeit he come to the age of his Fathers that is live here very long They shall never see light Either have any sound comfort at death or any part in Gods Kingdom Vers 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not Versus amabeus See ver 12. there is but little difference Stultitians patiuntur opes The more a man hath of worldly wealth and the less of Spiritual and heavenly understanding therewith the more bestial he is and shall be more miserable Caligula called his Father-in-law Marcus Silanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a golden brute Quid cervo ingentia cornua cum desit animus Vel mihi da clavem vel mihi telle seram PSAL. L. A Psalm of Asaph Who was both a Musick-master 1 Chron. 25.2 and a Psalm-composer 2 Chron. 29.30 The most are of opinion that this Psalm was made by David and committed to Asaph to be sung after that Israel had been afflicted with three years Famine and three days Pestilence and the Angel had appeared to David Jun. and set out the place where the Temple should be built 2 Sam. 21. 24. 1 Chron. 21.18 22.4 Vers 1. R. Nahum ap Nebien The mighty God even the Lord Heb. The God of gods whether they be so deputed as Angels Magistrates or reputed only as Heathen-deities 1 Cor. 8.9 Jehovah or Essentiator is Gods proper Name Some say God is here thrice named to note the Trinity in Vnity Hath spoken sc By the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Henoch the seventh from Adam spoke much like Jude 14. The Rabbines say that this Psalm is De die judecii futuro of the Day of Judgement Others that it is the Lords judging of his Church drawn according to the model of the great and last Judgement whereunto it serveth as a preparation or a warning-peece And called the earth from the rising c. The habitable part of Gods earth the sons of men Prov. 8.31 with Mal. 1.11 These are all called to attest the equity of Gods proceedings against an hypocriticall Nation Children that were corrupters For God hath thus farre instructed all men that He is to be honoured of all with all manner of observance Rom. 1.20 Let this be pressed upon all sorts said Zalencm the Locrian Law-giver in the preface to his Laws 1. That there is a God 2. That this God is to be duely worshiped Vers 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty Heb. The whole Perfection Perfectissim◠pulchritudini◠locus Tre◠or the Universality of beauty because there especially was Gods glory set forth in his holy ordinances and more clearly manifested than in all his handy-work besides See Psal 48.2 God hath shined Like the Sun in his strength sometimes for the comfort of his people as Psal 80.1 sometimes for the terrour of evill-doers as Psal 94.1 and here But evermore God is terrible out of his holy places Psal 68.35 89.7 Vers 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence He doth daily come and sit upon the tribunall in his Church by the Ministery of his Servants Mat. 18.17 who must reprove sinners with all authority and shew themselves sons of thunder that they may save some at least with fear snatching them out of the fire Jude 23. as Peter Act. 2.40 and Paul 2 Cor. 5.11 but especially when to work upon the Proconsul Paulus Sergius he set his eyes upon Elymas the sorcerer as if he would have looked thorough him After which lightening followed that terrible thunder crack O thou full of all subtlety and all mischief thou child of the Devill thou enemy of all Righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the streight wayes of the Lord Act. 13.9 10. A fire shall devour before him As he gave his law in fire so in fire shall he require it And it shall bee very tempestuous round about him Not before him only but round about him lest the Wicked should hope to escape by creeping behind him That was a terrible tempest that befell Alexander the great Curtius lib. 8. ex Dioder and his army marching into the Country of Gabaza when by reason of continuall thundering and lightening with hailstones and light-bolts the army was dis-ranked and wandred any way many durst not stirre out of the place c. Tremellius rendreth it wish-wise but in a parenthesis Les our Lord come and let him not be silent The Saints know that they shall bee safe when others shall smoak for it because God is their God Vers 4. Hee shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth That these dumbCreatures may be as so many speaking evidences against an unworthy people and witnesses of Gods righteous dealings against them See Deut. 32.1 Isa 1.2 Mic. 6.2 The Chaldee thus paraphraseth He will call the high Angels from above and the just of the earth from beneath Vers 5. Gather my Saints together unto mee This seemeth to be spoken to the Angels those active Instruments and executioners of Gods Judgements By Saints here understand professors at large all that live in the bosome of the Church visible and partake of the externall priviledges only such as are in the Vine but bear no fruit Joh. 15.2 have a name to live but are dead Rev. 3. such as whose sanctity consisteth only in covenanting by sacrifice Basil saith that such are called Saints to aggravate their sins as a man that hath an honourable title but hath done wickedly and is therefore the rather to be condemned When one pleaded once with a Judge for his life that he might not be hanged because he was a Gentleman hee told him that therefore he should have the Gallows made higher for him Those that have made a Covenant with mee by Sacrifice But were never brought by mee into the bond of the Covenant for then the rebels would have been purged out from among them as it is Ezek. 20.37 38. Vers 6. And the Heavens shall declare his Righteousnesse Those Catholick Preachers whose voice goeth out aloud to the end of the World Psal 19.4 See vers 4. For God is Judge himself And front him is no appeal every transgression and disobedience from him shall receive a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 even those corruptions that are most inward and lye up in the heart of the Country as it were those pollutions not of flesh only i.e. worldly lusts and grosse evills but of spirit also 2 Cor. 7.1 more spirituall lusts as pride presumption formality self-flattery carnall confidence in externall legall worships the sin principally taxed in this Jewish people here in the next verses Vers 7. Hear O my people and I will speak c. What sweet and winning language is here for a preface Gods proceedings against sinners whom he might confound with his terrours is with meeknesse and much mildnesse Gen. 3.9.11 4.9 Mat.
the Chaldee and 〈◊〉 have it Nor the son of wickednesse Heb. Of injurious-evill one that is set upon misâ—â—â— as 〈◊〉 said this people 〈…〉 Exod. 32.22 Vers 23. And I will beat down his fees c. Victory 〈…〉 Lord He may 〈…〉 Monarch 〈…〉 I take part with is sure to prevail That hare him That secretly malign him though they can do mischief Vers 24. But my faithfulness and my 〈◊〉 My power without 〈◊〉 according to promise and my peace 〈◊〉 him that passeth all understanding shall guard his heart and mind in Christ Jesus Phil. â— 7 Shal his horn be exalted He shall be 〈◊〉 and eximious Vers 25. 〈…〉 He shall be a Vice-god Dan. 12.7 Rov 10. 〈…〉 gave the Persians earth and water in token of subjection to Darius their King Her in Erat Christ is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a title anciently usurped by Sâ—sâ—trâ—â— King of Aegypt Qui Pharios currus regum cervicibus egit Vers 26. He shall cry unto mee Thou art my Father This was a royalty above all the rest Job 1.12 1. Job 3.1 and applyed to Christ the only-begotten son of God it sets him above all the Angels Heb. 1. My God This is the Bee-hive of heavenly honey Vers 27. also I will make him my 〈…〉 Christ is the first-born of every Creature and in all things hath the â—pâ—â—â—â—ence David also shall be the highest Prince on earth blessed and accepted far beyond any of them 〈…〉 â—ilecte Dee c. Vers 28. My 〈◊〉 I will keep for 〈◊〉 It shall be ready at all times for his relief even the 〈…〉 of David neither will I utterly take it from him as I did from Saul And my Covenant shall stand fast with him Faster than the mountains Isa 54.10 firmer than the courses of Sun and Moon day and night Jer. 31.35 36. 33.20 21. Vers 29 His seed also c. This is chiefly mean of christ and his Kingdome And his 〈◊〉 as the dayes of Heaven i.e. As the Kingdome of Heaven eternall for the aspectible Heaveâ—â— conâ—â—â—ptible Vers 30. If his children forsake my law c. If they fall into sins of commission If they shoot beyond the 〈◊〉 And walk not in my Judgements If they fall into sins of omission and shoot short Where note that every 〈◊〉 and dis-obedience that is every commission and omission receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb 2.2 Vers 31. If they break my 〈◊〉 Heb. If they 〈◊〉 or make void q.d. bee their sins never so hâ—inous I will forgive them though I take vengeance temporal of â—eir â—â—â—â—ions Psal 99.8 〈…〉 of God not-sacrificing in a sin Mal. 3.18 Eccles 9.2 See vers 30. Vers 32. Thus will I viâ—â—â— their 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 of the Saints 〈…〉 with the râ—d of 〈…〉 Vers 33. 〈…〉 Nor suffer 〈…〉 with him Vers 34. My Covenant I will not break Heb. I will not propham my Covenant though they have prophaned my statutes vers 31. Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips But will pardon their failings and cause them to keep my Commandements Vers 35. Once have I sworn by mine Holinesse Which is as deep an oath as I know how to take for my holinesse is my self who am most holy and the fountain of all holiness By this I have sworn once that is once for all immobiliter immutabiliter Vers 36. His seed shall endure for ever Christ shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 filiabitur nomine ejus Psal 72.17 See there Vers 27. It shall be established for ever as the Moon If his sons be good they shall shine as the Sun in his strength saith Kimchi as if they be not yet they shall be as the Moon that shineth though for a time obscured or eclipsed A fit resemblance saith another Expositor of the throne of Church of Christ Ainsw which hath not alwaies one face or appearance in the World though it be perpetuall The Papists would have this Moon alwaies in the full and if she shew put little light to us they will not yeeld she is the Moon And yet except in the Eclipse Astronomers demonstrate that the Moon hath at all times as much light as she hath in the full but oftentimes a great part of the bright side is turned to Heaven and a lesser part to the earth And so the Church is ever conspicuous to Gods eye though it appear not alwaies so to us And as a faithfull witness in Heaven As oft then as we see the Sun and Moon in Heaven let us think of the constancy of Gods Covenant and the perpetuity of Christs Kingdome By this faithfull witnesse some understand the Rainbow Gen. 9.13 c. Vers 38. But thou hast cast off and abhorred So it seemed to the Psalmist through infirmity of the flesh though his faith did ubique micare appear ever and anon amidst his complaints and so the enemies reported and insulted Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed sc Out of love displeased And here as likewise in the verses following omnia sunt Asyndeta ad vehementiam Vers 39. Thou hast made void the Covenant This passage a certain Spanish Rabbi stumbled at as hath been noted on the title of this Psalm but without cause for all these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to opinion and not according to the truth of things And therefore Kimchi saith well here Many wonder at this Psalmist and I do as much wonder at their wondring c. Thou hast prophaned his Crown By rendring his regal dignity contemptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek rendreth it his Sanctuary Vers 40. Thou hast broken down all his hedges Or walls The walls of Sparta were their Militia of England are their ships of all lands their Laws Eccles 10.8 Thou hast brought his strong-holds to ruine Or to consternation and deadly fright Siqua manet gelidâ formidine concutis arcem Buchanan Vers 41. All that pass by the way spoil him They rob and rifle him such havock was made by Shishak and is still by the Churches enemies Heb. 10.34 He is a reproach to his neighbours Who now look upon him as a King of Clouts and ask where is his invincible Majesty Vers 42. Thou hast set up Thou seemest to be on their side Thou hast made all his enemies To revell in his ruines Vers 43. Thou hast turned the edge Disarmed and disabled him And hast not made him c. but turned his courage into cowardise Vers 44. Thou hast made his glory to cease Heb. his brightnesse the splendent glory and dignity of the Kingdome Some understand it of the Priesthood and the following words of the Kingdome Vers 45. The dayes of his youth hast thou shortened Thou hast nipped him in the bud snatcht him away by an untimely end as a young man is sometimes in
both the vision and fruition of thy great goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 giving them a taste thereof aforehand as a few grapes of that promised Canaan Of thy Nation i.e. By this name Gods elect are here and elsewhere stiled and therefore the Jews have no reason to reproach us as they do by it calling us Goi and Maâ—zer goi bastard heathens Vers 6. We have sinned with our Fathers Adding to their heap and making up their measure Mal. 23.32 People think the example of their Fathers a sufficient excuse Jerom once but not well desired leave of Austin to erre with seven Fathers whom hee found of his opinion I will follow my forefathers saith Cicero although I fall together with them See Jer. 44.17 But so would not these good souls as neither Jeremy chap. 3.25 nor Daniel chap. 9.5 whose confession suting and symbolizing with this together with that we read vers 47. maketh some think that this Psalm was penned for the peoples use then when they were captives in Babylon We have committed iniquity c. Sin must bee confessed with utmost aggravation I le hear how full in the mouth these are against themselves laying on load whilst their sins swell as so many toads in their eyes Vers 7. Our Fathers understood not i.e. They weighed them not improved them not but as the dull earth is surrounded by the heavens yet perceiveth it not so were these with miracles and mercies yet understood them not Even at the red Sea Not only whiles they were on the bank they feared to enter but also even when they were passing and walking over that dry land made for them by a miracle they did still continue their murmurings and muâ—inings Vers 8. Nevertheless be saved them for his Names sake Here he comes in with a Non-obstante So Isa 57.17 Now if God will save for his Names sake wheat people is there whom he may not save That be might make his power to be known The Lord hath other things to look unto than presently to punish his people when they most deserve it Vers 9. He rebuked the red sea also Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia as appeareth in the subsequent verses So be led them through the depths Inter duas aquarum congeries betwixt two mountains of waters which stood on each hand of them as a wall and made a lane Every main affliction is our red sea which while it threatneth to swallow us up preserveth us Vers 10. And be saved them c. From Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs that pursued them with a deadly design but was happily prevented Vers 11. And the waters covered their enemies The preservation of the Church is ever accompanied with the destruction of its enemies that the mercy may appear the greater Not one of them was left Left alive to carry the news Vers 12. Then they beleeved his words Then for a flash whilst the memory of the mercy was fresh and warm but ere they were three dayes elder they murmured again It proved not so much as a nine dayes wonderment they were soon at old ward They sang his praise Exod. 15. A tempory faith and joy Vers 13. They soon forgat his works Heb. They made baste they forgat This is an aggravating circumstance See Gal. 1.6 Exod. 32.8 Deut. 9.16 They waited not for his counsel For the performance of what he had purposed and promised they were short-spirited and impatient Vers 14. But lusted exceedingly Heb. Lusted a lust See Num. 11. they had a sufficiency but must have superfluities as belly-gods not want but wantonness set them a lusting and that in the wilderness where they knew that in an ordinary way it was not to be had And templed God Whom they should have trusted rather sith he waiteth to be gracious and being a God of judgement knoweth best when to deal forth his favours Isa 30.18 and 49 8. Vers 15. Aug. And he gave them their request Deus saepe dat iralus quod negat propitius Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in bamo Martial Quales they had but to choake them as afterwards a King but to vex them c. But sont leaneness into their soul i.e. Into their bodies such a loathing as caused leanness Num 11.20 a plague upon their bodies a curse upon their souls Many men eat that on earth which they digest in hell It is dangerous seeding on sins murthering-morsels Vers 16. They envied Moses also Korah and his complices did and because the people punished them not they are all accused as guilty of that conspiracy and looked upon as a rabble of rebels against heaven And Aaron the Saint of the Lord Separated to the Priesthood The Rabbins tell us that they had chosen Dathan instead of Moses and Abiram for Aaron Vers 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan c. Korah is not here mentioned haply for his sons sakes who were famous Prophets and Musick-masters in Davids dayes As for On the son of Peleth one of the chief conspirators the Rabbins say that by the good counsel of his wise he repented and so escaped Vers 18. And a fire was kindled in their company It is both a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warned Let seditious persons and Schismaticks take heed for even our God also is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult The flame burnt up the wicked And among the rest Korah as some conceive Dathan and Abâ—ram are stigmatized for their stubbornness Num. 26.9 as was afterwards Abaz 2 Chron. 28.22 and before them all Cain Gen. 4.15 and Lamech 23 24. Vers 19. They made a Calf in Horch i. e. In the Country near to that mountain where they at same time saw visible tokens of Gods dreadful presence Well might Aaron say of this people that they were wholly set upon wickedness Exod. 3â— 22 This peece of Idolatry they had learned belike of the Egyptians who worshipped Apis in such a shape so catching is sin Lege Lactâ—nt 〈◊〉 1. de muab Scrip. cap. 15. and so dangerous is ill company Vers 20. Tous they change their glory i.e. Their God Rom. 1.23 the Creator for a contemptible creature Of an Oâ—e that eateth grass Tunâ— stercora egerit multam inquinatâ—r as R. Solomon here glosseth They pretended not to worship the Calf but God in the Calf as did also Jehu a King 10.16.29 2 Chron. 11.15 and as the Idolatrous Papiste do at this day See Exod. 32.5 yet the text here saith They worshipped the moâ—en Imago they changed their glory into the siâ—ilitude of an Oxe And although some of the Rabbins would excuse this gross Idolatry of their fore-fathers yet others more wise bewail us and say that there is an ounce of this golden Calf in all their present sufferings Vers 21. They forget God their Saviour This is often mentioned as the Mother of all the mis-rule amongst them
administration whereof Christs Birth-dew that is the influence of his Spitis and his presence in those Ordinances is from the womb of the morning i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue that the dew of the teeming morning is to the seeds and plants of the earth An apt similitude both to express the multitude of Christâ— converts and the manner of their heavenly generation See Mac. 5.7 with the Note Vers 4. The Lord hath sworn c. Christs Priestly Office as well as his Kingly is here described whereof how many and how great mysteries there are see Heb. 7. with the Notes The Church is collected and conserved not onely by Christs Kingly power but also by his Priestly mediation Thou art a Priest 1. To expiate 2. To intercede After the order of Melchisedeck Who whether he were Shem or some other is not easie to determine Melchisedeck was a King and a Priest Christ was more a Priest a Prophet and a King These Offices have met double in some others as Melchisedech was King and Priest Samuel a Priest and a Prophet David a King and a Prophet but never met all three in any but in Christ alone Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand Before Christ was at the Fathers right hand here the Father at his this is to shew the equality of the Father and the Son falsh Hierom. Athanasius by Lord here understandeth the Holy Ghost Others by thy right hand will have the Church to be meant who is promised protection and victory The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battel vers 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs vers 6. pursue them flying vers 7. as Judg. 7.5 c. Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen Do execution upon his enemies as vers 1. whether Kings or Caitives He shall fill the places The ditches of their own camps He shall wound the heads Heb. Head cruontabit caput whereby some understand the Roman Empire with its Image Antichrist with his adherents who are called Heathens Rev. 11.2 Others Turks and Saracens reading the next words Over the land of Rabbab the chief City of the Ammonites who were likewise Arabians and so they make it an allusion to Davids victories over the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 12. Vers 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty Viver paupâ—rem vitem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—st Aeâ—umnas omnes dutisâ— mae militiae perferet Beâ— pointing to Christs state of humiliation as in the next words to his exaltation Or he shall content himself with a low condition here such as was that of Eliâ—â— when he drank of the brook I King 17. Or in the eager pursuit of his enemies he shall drink hastily of the water next at hand i.e. as Gideon and his Souldiers did Therefore shall be lift up the hand Maugre the heads of his enemies he shall rise again reign and triumph and so shall all his members after that through many â—â—ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven Christs and their 〈◊〉 but a drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity they are 〈◊〉 a dark entry into out Fathers house a dirty lane to a stately Pallace shut but your eyes as that Martyr at the stake said and there will be a change immediately Look how the Disciples after they had taken Christ into the ship were presently at shore after a Tempest So the Saints have no sooner taken death into their besomes but they are landed presently at the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at the Kingdome of heaven PSAL. CXI Vers 1. 〈◊〉 ye the Lord At the 〈◊〉 especially for this and the other Hallelujatical Psalms that follow called by the Jews the Great Hallelujah were sung as that and other solemn 〈◊〉 in praise of God for his manifold mercies I will praise the Lord Musica hujuâ— Psalmi insignis est siquis com consequi potuit The great are used in the composure of this and some other Psalms after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet serveth both to set forth their excellency and for the help of memory Vers 2. The works the Lord aye great Magnalia no small things are done by so great a hand Grandior solet esse Deus in parvulis quam in magnis in formic is major anima quam in Elephantis in nanis quam in gigantibus Sought out of all them q.d. Great though they be yet are they seriously sought into and found out by those that delight therein and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them Basil diligently described many creatures and so did Ambrose after him Pliny who was himself a very great searcher in Natures secrets telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Et non duns assecutus sit omnies and yet could not attain to all Our Anatomists find still new wonders in the body of a man c. God hath shewed singular skill in his works that men might admire him But woe to such as regard not his handy-work Isa 5.12 Vers 3. His work is honourable Heb. Honour and glory they all come tipt and gilt with a glory upon them à centro ad coelum This the bruitish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 His righteousness endureth for ever His judgements are sometimes secret but alwayes just Vers 4. He hath made his wonderful c. Memorabilia reddedit mirabilia sua clemens misericors Jehova Vers 5. He bath given meat Heb. a prey Escam demensam as he did Manna to the Israelites to each an Homer so to all his he giveth food convenient for them Prov. 30.8 Cibum petum quae sunt divitiae Christianorum Hieron He will ever be mindful of his Covenant To pass by his peoples sins and to supply all their necessities All his pathes to such are not mercy onely but truth Psal 25. Vers 6. He hath shewed his people c. To them it is given to see but not to others who are delivered up to a judiciary blindness Call unto me and I will answer theâ— and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 That he may give them c. Yea power over all Nationâ— Rev. 2. Vers 7. The works of his hands They speak him a true and just God Chrysostome taketh truth here for mercy and noteth that God usually mixeth mercy with justice yet sometimes he sendeth an evil an onely evil Ez. k. 7. All his commandements That is his promises added to his commandements or they are so called because firm and sure as the commandements of an Emperor Vers 8. They stand fast for ever and ever The promises are infallible good sure hold not yea and nay but Yea and Amen And are done i.e. Ordained made and ratified Vers 9. He sent redemption to his people Once out of Egypt ever out of Satans thraldome He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Sic cum
Heavens Where your terricula your fray-bugmawmets never were like as one being asked by a Papist where was your Religion before Luther answered In the Bible where your Religion never was This But seemeth uttered with indiguation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil on a like occasion Our God is no dunghill-deity Hee hath done whatsoever bee pleased Without either help or hinderance of any Vers 4 Their Idols are silver and gold Take them at the best they are no better and what is silver and gold but the guts and garbage of the earth But some of them might say as Priapus in Horace Olim truncus eram ficulnus inutile lignum Herodotus telleth us In Euterpe that Amasis had a large laver of gold wherein both hee and his guests used to wash their feet This Vessel hee brake and made a God of it which the Egyptians devoutly worshiped And the like Idolomany is at this day found among Papists what distinction soever they would fain make betwixt an Idol and an Image which indeed as they use them are all one The work of mens hands And therefore they must needs bee goodly gods when made by bunglers especially Act. Mon. fol. 1340. as was the rood of Cookram which if it were not good enough to make a God would make an excellent Devill as the Maior of Doncaster merrily told the complainants Vers 5 They have mouths but speak not Unlesse the Devil haply speak in them and by them as at Delphos or the false Priests as here in times of Popery Eyes have they But they see not And yet with wires and other devises they were made here once to goggle their eyes Act. Mon. to move their chaps apace as well a paid when something of worth was presented them as if otherwise to look at eyes end and to hang a lip Vers 6 They have cars but they hear not But are as deaf as door-nails to the prayers of their suppliants The Cretians pictured their Jupiter without ears so little hearing or help they hoped for from him Socrates in contempt of Heathen Gods swore by an Oak a Goat a Dog as holding these better gods than those Varro saith Aug. de Civit. Dei lib 4. â—2 31 They that first brought in pictures to bee worshiped Ii civitatibus suis meturn dempserunt errorem addiderunt took away fear and brought in errour Noses have they but they smell not As the Painter may paint a flower with fresh colours but not with sweet savour with this Motto No further than colours so the Carver may draw out an image but not make it draw in the breath with this Motto No further than fashion Vers 7 They have hands but they handle not Curious and artificiall for Art is Natures ape but uselesse and for shew only if Esculapius or the Lady of Loretto restore the lame or the blind it is the Devill with his lying wonders 2 Thes 2. Feet have they bus they walk not As those pictures in Plato made by Dedalus which if they were not bound would fly away or Vulcaus three-footed stools in Homer which 〈◊〉 â—eigned to have run on wheels of their own accord to the meeting of the Gods and after that to return in like fort back again The Tyrians besieged by Alexander chained up their God Hercules that hee might not go from them in that strait and yet they were not delivered Neither speak they through their threat They do not so much as chatter like a Crane or 〈◊〉 a Dove Isa 38.14 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 idols as the Apostle calleth them These are things commonly known 〈◊〉 thus 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 who yet are so bewatched that they will needs 〈◊〉 upon these gods of their own making O vanas hominum mentes c. O the spirit of fornication c. Vers 8 They that make them are like unto them Blind and blockish Vervecum in patria crasseque sub aere nasi given up by a just God to a judiciary stupidity See Isa 44.9 10 11 c. Rev. 9.20 their foolish hearts were darkened and they were delivered up to a reprobate sense to an injudicious mind Rom. 1. to strong delusions vile affections just damnation So is every one that trusteth in them Idols were never true to such as trusted in them but such deserve to bee deceived as being miserable by their own election Jon. 2.8 Vers 9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord Whatever others do Josh 24.15 and the rather because others do not Psal 119. the worse they are the better bee yee Hee is their help and their shield God is ingaged in point of honour to help and protect those that trust in him Vers 10. O house of Aaron trust in the Lord Ministers must bee patterns to others of depending upon God and living by saith as did Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Lancaster and many other famous Preachers of latter times whom god inured to a dependence from day to day upon his Providence for provisions and as a grave man of God sometimes said Whereas many others have and eat their bread stale these received their bread and ate it daily new from his holy hand Vers 11 Yee that fear the Lord Peregrini ex omni populo saith Aben-Ezra devout persons out of every Nation dwelling among the Jews though not absolute Proselytes Act. 2.5 10.2 13 16. Such also fearing the Lord are heirs of the promises and therefore may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto mee Heb. 13.6 Vers 12 The Lord hath been mindfull of us hee will blesse us God hath God will is an ordinary Scripture Medium as hath been aboye noted Hee will blesse the house of Israel Not help and keep them only but blesse them with the blessings of both lives for he is no penny-Father c. See Ephes 1.3 Hee will blesse the house of Aaron Ministers were ever a distinct order from the rest Note this against the Libertines who would gladly make a jumble Compas Samar affirming the Ministry to bee as arrant a juggle as the Papacy it self Vers 13 Hee will blesse Such shall abound with blessings Prov. 28.20 Both small and great Whether in age or degree Act. 10.34 35. Vers 14 The Lord shall increase you Or The Lord increase you derech tephilla prayer wise as the Rabbines read it You and your Children The care of whose welfare prevaileth far with religious Parents and sitteth close upon their spirits Vers 15 You are the blessed of the Lord c. And therefore shall bee blessed as Isaac said of his son Jacob Gen. 27.33 Which made Heaven and Earth And will rather unmake both again than you shall want help and comfort Vers 16 The Heaven even the heavens are the Lords As the speciall place of his delight and dwelling yet not so as if hee were there cooped up and concluded for God is immense and omnipresent yea totally
that goeth forth and weepeth c. Heb. Hee that going goeth c. which Luther interpreteth of temptations continued and mutually succeeding one another taking their turns upon a poor soul And weepeth Going and weeping and asking the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward Jer. 50.4 5. Some faces appear most orientally beautifull when most instampt with sorrow Bearing precious seed Such as are hope and faith in the truth of Gods promises Some render it seed of acquisition Camâ—strum Leo â—udâ— Bucer such as the poor seeds-man hath got prece precio by praying and paying dear for it Some bearing a Seed-basket or seedlop Shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing Only hee must have patience Jam. 5.7 Bringing his sheaves with him Or Act. Mon. after some their handfulls even gripes of gladnesâ— as Philpet the Martyr rendreth it Then shall Abraham the good Mower saith Another bind us up into sheaves as pure corn and fill his bosom full with us carrying us into the Lords barn to make a joyfull Harvest in Heaven PSAL. CXXVII A Song of degrees for Solomon As Psal 72.1 Penned by David not long before his death and left his Son Solomon to teach him that nothing can be gotten or kept no not Children be gotten but by Gods blessing This last was a fit lesson for Solomon who by so many wives and Concubines left but one only son that wee read of and him none of the wisest Some render it A Song of degrees of Solomon Lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 1. making him the penman of it yea Origen from this inscription entitleth Solomon to all the Songs of degrees but that 's not likely Vers 1 Except the Lord build the house Not the Fabrick only but the family and the Government thereof there is no good to bee done if God set not to his Fâ—at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. and say Let it bee done if hee blast or not bless mens indeavours and policies they are all but arena sine calce sand without lime they will not hang together but like untempered Morter fall asunder There is a curse upon such as Idolize themselves and kiss their own hands though they bee industrious Johoakiâ— for instances Jer. 22. Except the Lord keep the City the watchman Whether civill or military frustra nititur qui Deo non innititur Politicians stand on their own heads like Children and shake their heeles against Heaven but all in vain Souldiers some of them are ready to say with Ajax I acknowledge no God but my sword c. Such shall bee surely befooled and confuted and Gods blessing declared to bee all in all Vers 2 It is vain for you to rise up early Diâ—â—culantes surgere tardantes sedere to toil and moil in the World It were to bee wished that this Nisi nisi frustrà frustrà were ever sounding in the ears of worldings who will needs act upon their own principles God is not in all their thoughts To eat the bread of sorrows i.e. Hardly gotten or that men can scarce beteem themselves they are so miserable and parsimonious or bread eaten with carefullnesse as Ezek. 12.19 certainly men may sooner by their care adde a furlong to their sorrow than a cubit to their comfort For so hee giveth his beloved sleep Dilecto suo to each of his beloved ones not without an allusion to Solomons other name Jedidâ—ah Gods darling To these hee giveth sleep extraordinary quiet refreshing sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Aleph quiescent which is not usuall that is hee giveth wealth without labour as to others labour without wealth saith Kimchi the world comes tumbling in upon them as wee say they have it quasi per somnium as Towns were said to come into Timothâ—us his toiles whiles he slept without anxiety they break not their sleep for the matter Plut. Omnia necessaria benignissime Dominus quasi per jocum largitur Beza but live by faith and make a good living of it too Vers 3 Loâ— children are an heritage of the Lord This Solomon could not but be sensible of See the title of this Psalm especially if by children are meant good children as Prov. 18.22 by a Wife is meant a good wife And here the poor man that hath no inheritance otherwise hath one from the Lord for such are oft full of children neither may hee wish as one gracelesse man did that God would keep such his blessings to himself for hee had too many of them Is his reward That is his free gift and God will be their exceeding great reward if by their Parents prayer and good education they prove towardly as the Lords heritage and as arrows in the hand c. Vers 4 As Arrows are in the hand of a mighty man Heb. Of a Gyant who sheâ—teth them with a courage and is cunning at it As clean and well-kept arrows 〈◊〉 similitude importeth that Children must have more in them than nature for arrows are not atrrows by growth but by art so they must bee such Children the knottiness of whose nature is refined and reformed and made smooth by grace and then they are cared for As if they prove otherwise they are a singular heart break to their poor Parents who are seen to sit under Elias his Juniper wishing for deaâ—h and saying with Moses Numb 11.14 15. I am not able to bear all this sore affliction because it is too heavy for mee And if thou deal thus with mee kill mee I pray thee out of hand if I have found favour in thy light and let mee not see my wâ—e chedness So are children of the youth Or young sons or â—â—ds springlings striplings vegetous and vigorous able to bee a guard to their aged Parents against the children of violence who seek to press in upon them at the door as the Sodomites dealt by righteous Lot see verse 5. besides the service they may do to the Commonwealth as did the Horatii and Curatii by their impetus hâ—roici valour and vertue Vers 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver That is his house full of them so they bee good children for else to bee childless is a mercy it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blessed misery saith Euripedes and Aristotle concludeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no blessing unless it bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to have a numerous issue unless they bee vertuous They shall not bee ashamed Neither Father nor Children se enim illi mutuo muniunt ac firmant they help each other But they shall speak with their enemies Periment saith Tremellius they shall foil them and non-sute them PSAL. CXXVIII VErs 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord This Psalm is fitly subjoyned to the former and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of wedding-sermon written for the instruction and comfort of married couples and shewing that Conjugium humanae est divina Academia
Sanctuary-men continens pro contento Hearts and hands must both up to Heaven Lam. 3.41 and God bee glorified both with spirits and bodies which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6.20 And bless the Lord Like so many earth'y Angels and as if yee were in Heaven already say Vers 3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth And therefore hath the blessings of both lives in his hand to bestow See Num. 6.24 Bless thee out of Zion They are blessings indeed that come out of Zion choice peculiar blessings even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth Compare Psal 128.5 and the promise Exod. 20.24 In all places where I put the memory or my name I will come unto thee and bless thee PSAL. CXXXV VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord praise yee Praise praise praise When duties are thus inculcated it noteth the necessity and excellency thereof together with our dulness and backwardness thereunto O yee Servants of the Lord See Psal 134.1 Vers 2 Yee that stand in the house See Psal 134.1 In the Courts Where the people also had a place 2 Chron. 4.9 and are required to bear a part in this heavenly Halleluiah Vers 3 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good scil Originally transcendently effectively hee is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and is therefore to bee praised with mind mouth and practice For it is pleasant An angelicall exercise and to the spirituall-minded man very delicious To others indeed who have no true notion of God but as of an enemy it is but as musick at funerals or as the trumpet before a Judge no comfort to the mourning wife or guilty prisoner Vers 4 For the Lord hath chosen God 's distinguishing grace should make his elect lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to him And Israel for his peculiar treasure Such as hee maketh more reckoning of than of all the World besides The Hebrew world here rendred peculiar treasure seemeth to signifie a Jewell made up of three precious stones in form of a triangle Segullâ—h 〈◊〉 dici Sâ—gol 〈…〉 The Saints are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his ornament yea the beauty of his ornament and that set in Majesty Ezek. 7.20 his royall Diadem Isa 62.3 Vers 5 For I know that the Lord is great As well as good vers 3. This I beleeve and know Job 6.69 saith the Psalmist and do therefore make it my practice to praise him And that our Lord is above all Gods Whether they bee so deputed as Magistrates or reputed as Idols Vers 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased This the Heathens did never seriously affirm of any their dunghill deities sure it is that none of them could say I know it to bee so De diis utrum sint non ausim affirmare said one of their wise men Vers 7 Hee causeth the Vapours Not Jupiter but Jehovah See Jer. 10.13 Hee is the right Nubâ—coga Maker of the Metcors whether fiery aiery or watery Job 26.8 9 28.26 27 37.11 15 16. 38.9 See the Notes there Hee maketh lightenings for the Rain Or With the Rain which is very strange viz. that fire and water should mingle and hard stones come cut of the midst of thin vapours Hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries Or Coffers store-houses where hee holdeth them close prisoners during his pleasure This the Philosopher knew not and thence it is that they are of so diverse opinions about the winds See Job 36.27 28 c. Job 37. throughout Vers 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt And thereby roused up that sturdy rebell Pharaoh who began now to open his eyes as they say the blind mole doth when the pangs of death are upon him and to stretch out himself as the crooked Serpent doth when deadly wounded Vers 9 Who sent tokens and wonders Vocall wonders Exod. 4.8 to bee as so many warning-peeces Vers 10 Who smote great Nations Who by their great sins had greatly polluted their land and filled it with fiâ—th from one end to another Ezra 9.11 And slow mighty Kings Heb. Bony big mastiff fellows quasi â—ssâ—tâ—s five 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth Vers 11 Sihon King of Amorites A Giant like Cyclops And Og King of Bashan Of whom the Jews fable that being one of the 〈◊〉 Giants hee escaped the flood by riding affride upon the Ark. Vers 12 And gave their lands for an heritage Which hee might well do as being the true Proprietary and Paramount Vers 13 Thy Name O Lord c. Else O nos ingratos Vers 14 For the Lord will judge his people Judicabit id est vindicabit hee will preserve them and provide for their wel-fare And hee will repent himself This is mutatio rei non Dei effectus non affectus Some render it Hee will bee propitious Others hee will take comfort in his Servants See Judges 10.16 Vers 15 16. The Idols of the Heathen See Psal 115.4 5 6 c. Vers 17 Neither is there any breath in their mouths If they uttered Oracles it was the Devil in them and by them As for those statues of Daedalus which are said to have moved Aristot Diod. Sic. Plato spoken and run away if they were not tyed to a place c. it is either a fiction or else to be attributed to causes externall and artificiall as quick-silver c. Vers 18 They that make them c. See Psal 115.8 Vers 19 Bless the Lord And not an Idoll Isa 66.3 as the Philistines did their Dagon and as Papists still do their hee-Saints and shee-Saints Vers 20 Yee that fear the Lord Yee devout Proselytes Vers 21 Blessed bee the Lord out of Sion There-hence hee blesseth Psal 134.3 and there hee is to bee blessed Which dwelleth at Jerusalem That was the seat of his royall resiance per inhabitationis gratiam saith Austin by the presence of his grace who by his essence and power is every where Enter praesenter Deus hic et ubique potenter PSAL. CXXXVI VErs 1 O give thanks unto the Lord This Psalm is by the Jews called Hillel gadel the great Gratulatory See Psal 106.1.107.1.118.1 For his mercy endureth for ever His Covenant-mercy that precious Church-priviledge this is perpetuall to his people and should perpetually shine as a picture in our hearts For which purpose this Psalm was appointed to bee daily sung in the old Church by the Levites 1 Chron. 16.41 Vers 2 For his mercy endureth for ever This is the foot or burthen of the whole song neither is it any idle repetition but a notable expression of the Saints unsatisfiableness in praising God for his never-failing mercy These heavenly birds having got a note record it over and over In the last Psalm there are but six verses yet twelve Hallelujahs Vers 3 O Give thanks to the Lord of Lords That is to God the Son saith Hierâ—â— as by God of Gods saith hee in the former verse is meant God the Father who because they are no more but one God
are unto thee Afflictions to the Saints are tanquam scalae alae to mount them to God Leave not my soul destitute Ne exinanias make not bare my soul viz. of thy protection Vers 9 Keep mee from the snare c. See Psal 140.5 Vers 10 Let the wicked fall Metaphora a piscibus saith Tremellius as fishes in casting-nets Isa 19.8 Whilest that I withall escape The Righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked commeth in his stead Prov. 11.8 It appeareth at length that simple honesty is the best policie and wicked polity the greatest simplicity and most self-destructive PSAL. CXLII WHen hee was in the cave scil Of Engedi 1 Sam. 24. Loquitur in spelâ—â—ca sed prophetat in Christo saith Hilary Vers 1 I cryed unto the Lord with my voice scil Of my heart and more with my mind than mouth for if hee had been heard hee had been taken by the enemy Thus Moses cryed but uttered nothing Exod. 14.15 Egit vocis silentio ut corde clamaret Aug. Thus Christ cryed Heb. 5.7 Vers 2 I poured out my complaint Heb. My mâ—ssiâ—â—tion I shewed before him Plainly and plentifully how my danger increased to a very Crisis as one expresseth it Vers 3 When my spirit was over-whelmed within mee Or covered over with grief as the Greek expoundeth it Then thou knewest my path scil That I neither fretted nor fainted Or thou knewest how to make a way to escape 1 Cor. 10.13 The Lord knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 Vers 4 I looked on my right hand Not a man would appear for mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misery is friendless for most part See a Tim. 4.16 Nulla fide◠〈…〉 delegit 〈◊〉 Vers 5 I cryed unto thee O Lord I ran to thee as my last refuge in the fail of all outward comforts Zeph. 3.12 they are 〈◊〉 afflicted poor people and being so they trust in the Name of the Lord. Vers 6 〈…〉 Vat. 6 For I am brought very low Exhausted and 〈◊〉 dry 〈…〉 and disabled to help my self any way Vers 7 Bring my 〈◊〉 of prison 〈◊〉 Out of 〈…〉 less straitened than if in prison The Righteous shall compass mee about Heb. Shall Crown mee that is shall incircle mee as wondring at thy goodness in my deliverance or they shall set the Crown on mine head as the Saints do likewise upon Christs head Cant. 3.12 to whom this Psalm may bee fitly applyed all along as abovesaid PSAL. CXLIII VErs 1 Hear my prayer O Lord Hee prayeth once and again for audience De â—ugâ— ab Absolom R. O. 〈◊〉 and would have God to hear him with both ears Thus hee prayed saith the Greek title of this Psalm when his son Absoloâ— was up in arms against him and it may seem so by the next words Vers 2 And enter not into Judgement with thy Servant This is 〈…〉 siqua usquaâ— in sacris literis extat saith Beza an excellent sentence as any is in all the Bible saying the same that St. Paul doth Rom. 3.24 that Justification is by faith alone and not by works David would not bee dealt with in strictness of justice Lord go not to law with mee so some render it Go not into the Judgement-hall so the Chaldee All St. Pauls care was that when hee was sought for by Gods Justice hee might bee found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the law c. Phil. 3.9 The best Lamb should bee slaughtered except the Ram had been sacrificed that Isaac might bee saved Woe to the life of man saith an Ancient though never so commendable if it should have Judgement without mercy if there bee not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to moderate that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the severity of utmost right We read of a certain Dutch Divine who being to dye was full of fears and doubts And when some said to him you have been so active and faithfull why should you fear Oh said he the Judgement of man and the Judgement of God are different Sordeâ— in conspectâ— Judicis c. Vers 3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul Quasi rabiferali percitus hee hath raged unreasonably The utmost of a danger is to bee related before the Lord in prayer and to bee acknowledged after wee are delivered out of it by way of thankfulness Vers 4 Therefore is my spirit over-whelmed God 's dearest Children have their passions against that stoicall apathie A sheep bitten by a Dog is no lesse sensible of the pain thereof than a Swine is though hee make not such an out-cry Vers 5 I remember the dayes of old Wherein I was delivered from the Lion and the bear yea from the hand of all mine enemies and from the hand of Saul Psal 18. title More than this Sacula antiquitus praeterita recolo I run over and ruminate all the ancient monuments of thy mercy to the Patriarches and others sith all that is written was written for our instruction that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 See Psal 77.4 6. Vers 6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee As a poor beggar for an alms Beggery here is not the easiest and poorest trade but the hardest and richest of all other My soul thirsteth after thee And is therefore a fit subject for thy Spirit of Grace and comfort to bee poured upon Isa 44.3 55.1 Vers 7 Hear mee speedily A very patheticall prayer uttered in many words to like purpose as the manner is in extreme danger My spirit faileth I am ready to sink and to swoon This David knew God hath a great care that the Spirit fail not before him and the souls which he hath madâ— Isa 57.16 When Bezoard-stone is beaten wee see that none of it bee lost not so when ordinary spices so here for ordinary spirits God cares not much what becometh of them as hee doth of the choice spirits of his people Vers 8 Cause mee to hear in the morning Manâ— id est nature assoon as may be or at least as is meet make mee to hear of joy and gladness speak comfort to my conscience and help to my afflicted condition Vers 9 Deliver mee O Lord from mine enemies Deliverance from enemieâ— is a fruit of our friendship with God Vers 10 Teach mee to do thy will Orat nunc pro salute 〈…〉 saith Kimchi Now hee prayeth for his souls health and wold bee as well a clivered from his corruptions within as from his enemies without Lord save mee from that noughty man my self said an Ancient Thy Spirit is good The fruit of it is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Ephes 5.9 and it is the Spirit only that quickeneth Job 6. â—3 by purging out the dross that is in us 1 Pet. 1.22 setting us to work Ezek. 36.27 helping our infirmities Rom. 8.26 stirring us up to holy duties partly by immediate motions and partly by the ministry of the word made effectuall 1
hold open my mouth or to whisper I will never cease to praise God and to profess his truth Id quod fecit Sculter Annaâ— dee 2. p. 110â— saith mine Author that which also hee did and so did many other Martyrs besides While I have my being Either in this world or in the next for then also and much more I shall praise God Vers 3 Put not your trust in Princes But in God alone this being a principall peece of his praise it is a kind of setting the Crown on his head See Judg. 9.15 The word rendred Princes signifieth liberall bountifull ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Princes would bee accounted but there 's no trusting to them without God or against him Nor in the son of man The arm of flesh See Psa 118.8 9. In whom there is no help For themselves saith Aben-Ezra much less for others Vers 4 His breath goeth forth It is but in his nostrills at best every moment ready to puff out cease from him therefore Isa 2. Man say the Rabbines Naz. is but a bladder full of air which can stand on no ground but prickt with a pin it shriveleth to nothing Man saith a Father is nothing else but Soul and Soil breath and body a puff of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either He returneth to his earth Of which he was made and to which hee is condemned Gen 3. and upon which hee hath too much set his affections being totus terreus and so the sooner forfeiteth all It was therefore good counsell that One once gave to a great man who had shewed him his stately house and pleasant Gardens You had need make sure of Heaven my Lord or else when you dye you will bee a very great loser But this few Princes think of which made the Spanish Frier say there were but few Princes in Hell for why there were but few in all In that very day his thoughts perish His golden thoughts his white-shining thoughts irritae diffluunt come to just nothing Princes may haply have in their heads whole Common-wealths and the affairs of many Kingdomes as Alexander had and Tamberlan who dyed of an ague in the midst of his great preparations for the conquest of the Greek Empire Or his thoughts ad 〈◊〉 benefaâ—iendâ—s as Aben-Ezra expoundeth it of doing thee and others good these fall to the ground with him Great mens words are like dead mens shooes saith one hee may go barefoot that waiteth for them Wherefore Vers 5 Happy is hee that hath the God of Jacob for his help Sith hee is the King immortall all-powerfull as vers 6. and no less willing sith hee is a God in Covenant Whose hope is in the Lord his God This is a well-grounded hope indeed and such as will not drag after a man The Leper beleeved Christs power Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee clean Martha beleeved his will to raile her dead Brother but doubted of his power sith hee had now been four dayes in the grave Hee that is confident of both is upon sure-ground and happy indeed Vers 6 Which made Heaven and Earth c. And therefore can help doubtless Which keepeth truth for ever And therefore will sith hee will not suffer his faithfulness to fail not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Psal 89. And this forever is opposed to that mortality and mutability of earthly Princes Vers 4. Vers 7 Which executeth Judgement Vindicat violatos This should draw custome and company about him as all that were in distress fled to David and hee became their Captain Which giveth food to the hungry As hee did to Eliah by the Ravens to Hunniades by his Shepheard with whom hee supt on course fare and found it sweet to the Town of Rochel by a shole of fish extraordinarily cast up into it by the tide when they were straitly besiedged and distressed The Lord looseth the prisoners As hee did Peter Act. 12. and still hee knoweth how to deliver his saith the same Peter who could speak it by good experience 2 Pet. 2.9 Vers 8 The Lord openeth the eyes Both of body and mind as in the Gospell As for those miracles which Facitus and Suctonius attribute to Vespasian as that he made a blind man see with spittle healed another that was lame and another that had a drye hand by treading upon it they are the miracles of Christ which those prophane Authors would cast upon their Emperour Tacitus writeth that the blind man said to Vespasian that the god Serapis sent him to him Now the Paynims did think that the Christians did worship Serapis as appeareth by the Epistle of Adrian the Emperour to Severianus the Consul that in the Town of Alexandria they that worshipped Serapis were Christians c. The Lord raiseth c. As hee did that Daughter of Abraham in the Gospel whom Satan had bound and bowed down twelve years Luk. 13.16 and as hee doth still Isa 61.1 The Lord loveth the Righteous And this is more than all the rest God dispenseth outward blessings but not alwayes in love Vers 9 The Lord preserveth These all are his clients because neglected by the World as yeelding no profit Hee turneth upside down As one doth a dish that is washed and wiped 2 King 21.13 Vers 10 The Lord shall reign for ever Non sibi sed in salutem nostram for our sakes hee reigneth that hee may execute Judgement give food loose prisoners open eyes c. Supplices idem tiâ—idosque terrâ Erigit vâ—ltus honâ—râ— donat Therefore trust in him and Him alone and that way praise him PSAL. CXLVII VErs 1 It is good to fing praises For 1 Hereby wee glorifie God Psal â—â— 23 and so do him right for hee is the proper object of praises worthy only to bee praised Psal 18.3.2 Hereby wee do good to our selves secure former favours which else wee forfeit and procure further blessings which else wee forestall Hereby also were make things good in themselves to become good to us For it is pleasant A very foretaste of eternall life hence so many of Davids Psalms are eucharisticall And praise is comely No fairer sight than to see Gods Altar covered with the calves of our lips and our selves in our Priestly robes giving thanks to his name Heb. 13.15 professing our no-deserts and whole-dependence upon him As on the contrary an unthankfull man is an ugly il-favoured Spectacle Vers 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem Hee is the only Architect of his Church Hee layeth the foundation of it in election saith a good Expositour and buildeth it progressively by faith and sanctification and finisheth his work of grace and his peoples happiness in glorification Hee gathereth together the out-casts of Israel Hee will surely bring home his banished yea because they called thee an out-cast saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after therefore I will restore health unto thee c.
poor comfort to our Henry 8. to bee told upon his Death-bed That he was now going to the place of Kings Some such there have been as proved nursing Fathers to the Church and propagated the Kingdom of Christ in their Generations Esa 49.33 but what a vain vaunt was that of those bloudy Tyrants in the Primitive times who sounded the Triumph before-hand and thus engraved the Victory upon pillars of Marble Nomine Christianorum deleto qui Remp. evertebant What was all this but a blaze before their last Light went out or like some bulging wall that was swoln immediatly before it fell have any ever yet waxed fierce against Christ and prospered Job 9.4 And the Rulers take counsel together Or have laid their foundation for counsel is to action Syncretismâ—m incunt quasi se fundaâ—t consiliis suis c. saith Aben-Ezra here the same that the foundation is to a building The Chaldee hath it they consociate to rebel before the Lord and to fight against his Annoynted But with what success see Isa 8.9 10. Immanuel will over-match them Vers 3. Let us break their bands asunder c. Here these Rebels are brought in proclaming their treasonable Decrees against Christ and his adherents who seek to promote his Kingdom Resolved they were to run riot as lawless and awless and therefore they slander the sweet Laws of Christs Kingdom as bonds and thick cords those signs of slavery Jer. 27.2 6 7. as burdens and grievances Melch. Adam in vit Bucer So the Popish Clergy of Collen told their good Arch-Bishop Albert who had made use of Bucer and Melancthon to bring things into better order that they had rather live under the Turkish Government than under such a Reformation But what saith our Saviour My yoke is easie and my burthen light No more burthen it is to a regenerate person than the wings are to the Bird. He delighteth in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7. It is not to him now as once bands and cords but as Girdles and Garters which gird up his loyns and expedite his course the better It confineth him to live in that element where he would live as if one should be confined to Paradise where he would be though there were no such Law Vers 4. He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh at them Videt ridet He seeth and smileth he looketh and laugheth at these Giants Hee sitteth in Heaven far above their reach neither doth he much trouble himself about the matter No more should we but trust in him and know that there is a Council in Heaven that will dash the mould of all contrary Counsels upon Earth as the stone cut out of the Mountain did the Four great Monarchies Dan. 2.34 See an instance hereof in latter times Luther that Heroical Reformer was Excommunicated by the Pope proscribed by the Emperour hated and cursed all Christendom over almost yet he prospered and the Work of Christ went on in his hands And when the Elector of Saxony his only Patron was much afraid what would become of him and of the business of Religion Luther out of his Pathmus as he called it where he lay hid writeth him a rousing Letter wherein is read this among many other brave passages Sciat Celsitudo tua nihil dubitet longè alitèr in coelo quà m Noribergae de hoc negotio conclusum est Let your Highness rest well assured of this that things are far otherwise carried and concluded of in Heaven than they are at the Imperial Diet held at Norinberg After this in the year of Grace one thousand five hundred twenty six there conspired against the Gospel and the Professors thereof the Emperour and his Prisoner in Spain the French King the Princes also and Bishops in Germany stirred up by the Pope The French King was set at liberty upon condition to joyn with the Emperour to root out Lutheranism that is true Religion This was the agreement but God brake it for the French King was no sooner come home but he made a League with the Pope and the Venetians against the Emperour The Pope excuseth his falling off from Caesar by a petulant and malapert Epistle Caesar by another Letter â—ays open to the World the Popes perfidy exhorting him to peace and concluding that they had more need to unite their Forces for the extirpation of Lutheran Heresie c. By this means the Church had an happy Halcyon whiles these great ones were out and at it The Lord will have them in derision Adonai that is the sustainer and upholder of all Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Lords and Losels are all his vassals and underlings as Constantine Theodosius and Valentine those great Emperours called themselves This Name or Stile Christ hath written on his Vesture that all may see it and on his Thigh where hangs his Sword to shew his absolute Dominion his illimited Empire got and held out of the hands of his enemies with his Sword and with his Bow as Gen. 48.22 And when he is said to deride them this is more than to laugh at them as the following effects shew Vers 5. Then shall he speak unto them c. Hep. He shall tell them viz. a peece of his minde to their small comfort As a great Prince sitting on a lofty Throne rateth his Rebels when once he hath brought them before him and pronounceth sentence upon them in fierce wrath See Jer. 52.9 so will the King of Heaven do by his sturdy refractories Whether he will speak unto them by his words or by his rods Job 33.14 19 20 21. and when he will do it he hath reserved in his own power and pleasure Acts 1.7 but sooner or later he will not fail to do it and Poena venit gravior quò magè seravenit And vex them Or trouble them as he did the Babel-builders Pharaoh Sennacherib others Either by horror of Conscience or corporal Plagues one way or other he will have his penny-worths of them as he had of the old and late Persecutors of his people Vers 6. Yet have I set my King Heb. And I have set Heb. I have anointed where the sign of his inauguration or entrance into his Kingdom is put for the possession and injoying thereof David was anointed by Gods appointment Christ was also anhoâ—â—ted and appointed by his Father to the Office and work of a Mediator and is therefore here called his King And is here a sign of indignation stirred Vpon mine holy hill of Zion Davids strong Hold and a Figure of the Church Heb. 12.22 Rev. 14.1 Isa 60.14 as being the Seat of the Kingdom and Sanctuary Out of Zion also went forth the Law and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Isa 2.3 it signifieth a Watch-tower In the Church Christ Angels Ministers common Christians watch against enemies visible and invisible Vers 7. I will declare the decree that irrevocable decree of the
Father for the setting up of his Sons Scepter contra gentes point blank opposite to that decree of theirs vers 3. This Ordinance or Decree of his Christ is still declaring in his Church by the Ministers of the Gospel whose Office it is to set forth Christ to the world in all his Offices and Efficacies and to bring as many as may be to the obedience of the faith Thou art my Son David was so by Adoption and Acceptation Psal 89.26 27. But Christ I By eternal generation Prov. 8. Heb. 1.5 2 By hypostatical union and so God had one only Son as Abraham had his Isaac though otherwise he were the Father of many Nations This day have I begotten thee Understand it either of the day of Eternity or else of the fulness of time wherein God brought his first begotten Son into the world and afterwards mightily declared him to be the Son of God by the Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.3 Acts 13.33 whence he is called the first begotten of the dead Col. 1.18 Rev. 1.5 Vers 8. Ask of me and I will give thee All things were conveyed to Christ by asking Shall we think to have any thing without asking Or are we not worthily miserable that will not make our selves happy by asking Now through Christs Passion and Intercession it is but ask and have Open thy mouth and I will fill it If at any time we ask and miss it is for most part because we ask amiss 〈◊〉 4.2 The Heathen for thine inheritance The Kingdom of Grace the object whereof are all Nations Christ hath by Donation from his Father for his Natural Kingdom he hath as God coaequal with his Father from all eternity Vers 9. Thou shalt roughly rule them Ainsw Thou shalt break them c. sc those that will not bend thou shalt thus break Christs gracious Government of his obedient people though not so fully expressed here yet is to be necessarily understood and in the last words of the Psalm it is plainly held forth Blessed are all they that trust in him Thou shalt dash them in peeces or scatter them abroad being already broken as a Potters vessel i.e. without any hope of repair and recovery It is a fearful thing to fall into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10. He that will not be warned in hearing shall be crusht to peeces in feeling said that Martyr Aut faciendum aut patiendum God will be obeyed either actively or passively Look to it Vers 10. Be wise now therefore O yee Kings Redeem your own sorrows by trembling at Gods Judgements whiles they hang in the threatnings this is an high point of heavenly wisdom Ergo Dei tandem verbo subsoribite reges Ne rapiant Stygiae vos Acherontis aqua These Kings were not without wit and learning Julian the Apostate for instance who said unto the King Christ Apostato but they wanted godly wisdom and are therefore here called upon to behave themselves prudently and to play the wise men For as wicked men are fools in print so on the contrary in our old English Books a righteous man is printed a right wise man and righteousness right-wiseness For it is the only true both Wisdom Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.7 and Honour for the righteous are Princes in all Lands Psal 45.16 yea they are Kings Compare Mat. 13.17 with Luke 10.25 Many righteous saith the one many Kings saith the other Evangelist Be instructed yee Judges Be nurtured yee Sages submit to Christs Discipline acknowledge his Prophetical Office here his Priestly vers 11. his Kingly v. 12. Estote ligati so Aben-Ezra rendreth it Be yee bound in opposition to that evil decree of theirs vers 3. Let us break their bonds c. And this they are advised to do forth-with while it is called to day Now therefore before God the Father vex you God the Son bruise you with his Iron mace Vers 11. Serve the Lord with fear Timore non servili sed amicali with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 Say to Christ as the people did to Joshua chap. 1.16 and as the Rulers and Elders of Israel did to John 2 King 10.5 We are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us And rejoyce before him with trembling A strange mixture of contrary passions for base fear hath torment 1 Joh. 4.18 but such as is usual with Gods Servants whose task it is to work out their salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Agreeable whereunto is that of Bernard Laetisimus sed non securi gandentes in Domino sed caventes à recidivo Those good women went from Christs Sepulcher with fear and great joy We should come to him in his Ordinances like affected Vers 12. Kiss the Son That Son of God vers 7. Bar is an Hebrew word also see Prov. 31.2 as R. Abraham confesseth though other Rabbins deny it and therefore render this text Osculamini purè Kiss purely and Osculamini eum qui selectus est Osculo homagii as Samuel kissed Saul 1 Sam. 10. 〈◊〉 Gen. 41 40. Euseb Mortuus est Moses ad os Jehova Maimonides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kiss him who is selected or set apart Christ is Gods elect Isa 42.1 Mat. 12.14 Him men must kiss with a kiss of adoration and subjection with a kiss of faith and love 1 Pet. 5.14 Kiss his holy Wounds as Constantine did the Eye of Paphnutius that was bored out in Maximinus the Tyrants time so shall hee kiss us with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.1 and with his kisses suck out the sting of death and take away our souls with a kiss as the Rabbins from Deut. 34.5 say he did Moses his soul The ancient Patriarks saluted Christ afar off and were interchangeably saluted by him Heb. 11.13 for they saw by faith him who is invisible vers 27. O get a Patriarks eye study Moses his Opticks for here the Northern Proverb is found true Unkent unkist Men know not the Son of God and therefore love him not kiss him not unless it be Osculo Iscariotico as the Traitor kissed him See a lofty and lively description of him Heb. 1.2 3. Lest he be angry For meek though he be as a Lamb and will not break the bruised Reed yet so angry he can be that the Kings and great ones shall be glad to flee from the wrath of this Lamb Rev. 6. who hath feet like burning brass and eyes like flaming fire Rev. 1. Plato saith of the King of Bees that although he hath no sting yet he ruleth and governeth his Common-wealth with great severity and justice So doth the Lord Christ and every good Soul is ready to say as the Poet did Ut mala nulla feram nisi nudam Caesaris iram Nuda parùm nobis Caesaris ira mali est Ovid. And yee perish form the way Or in the way that is in medio stadio before yee come to your Journies end to the full