Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	bring_v	lord_n	zion_n	27	3	10.1788	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46807	Annotations upon the five books immediately following the historicall part of the Old Testament (commonly called the five doctrinall or poeticall books) to wit, the book of Iob, the Psalms, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon ... / by Arthur Jackson ...	Jackson, Arthur, 1593?-1666.	1658 (1658)	Wing J64; ESTC R207246	1,452,995	1,192

to be destroyed c. then the drift of the Pen-man of this Psalm might be to keep the people from being too much dejected especially from being polluted with the superstition and profanenesse of the nations amongst whom they lived in so lasting a captivity as seventy years to wit by propounding herein to them the example of the stedfast faith and piety of the holy Levites how they could not be intangled by the delicacies of Babylon but still groaned longed after Zion how they could not be wonne to do any thing that might be a dishonour to their God and their religion yea how they foretold the destruction both of the Edomites Babylonians vers 7 8. which shewed that they expected a time of deliverance 3. that those words here there we sat down are either to imply their long continuance in Babylon or else to set forth hereby their wearinesse after this toilsome labour or rather their sadnesse and sorrow for sitting is usually mentioned in the Scripture as the gesture of mourners as Job 2.12 So they that is Jobs friends when they found him in such a sad condition sat down with him upon the ground seven daies seven nights c. Jer. 15.17 I sat alone because of thine hand for thou hast filled me with indignation Lam. 2.10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground keep silence 4. that it is expressed that they sat down wept by the rivers of Babylon 1. because Babylon was a countrey full of goodly rivers see Ezek. 1.1 Dan. 10.4 the chief whereof were Tigris and Euphrates 2. because the captive Jews were not suffered to dwell amongst the Babylonians in their towns cities they being as odious to the Babylonians as formerly they had been to the Egyptians but were assigned to have their habitation by themselves in the countrey that they might there be set a work in their servile field-imployments so they lodged in the open field or at the best in some poor tents and cottages which there they reared up for themselves by the river side or 3. because they were wont when they had any leasure to retire thither by themselves and there to sit down bewail their condition or 4. that this might imply that the pleasures of Babylon which consisted much in their goodly rivers could not make them forget their sorrow for Zion but that even there they sat down and poured forth many sad penitentiall tears when they remembred Zion that is in what a sad condition poor Zion lay and how they were deprived of that comfort in Gods presence and publick worship they had formerly enjoyed Vers 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof Because it may seem very improbable that the Levites should have so much leisure as to mind the saving of the musicall instruments of the Temple which are all comprehended under the harps here mentioned when the Babylonians were with such rage burning the city Temple of Jerusalem and making such a slaughter as they did amongst the inhabitants and when therefore they must needs have enough to doe to secure their own lives or that the mercilesse plundering souldiers would shew them so much favour as to let them retain their musicall instruments therefore some Expositours take these words We hanged our harps upon the willows to be only a figurative proverbial expression meaning only that there they bad adieu to their musicall instruments being brought into such a sad and dolefull condition But because there follows in the next verses an historicall relation of what the Babylonians said to them and what they answered again I conceive it is clear that the Psalmist relates what was actually done namely that they did indeed hang up their harps upon the willows in the open fields thereby shewing how little they regarded them and giving the Babylonians to understand in whose sight they did this that the pleasant shade of those willows by the rivers sides could not tempt them to make use of their musicall delights when as their souls were so oppressed with sorrow for the miseries of Zion Neither seems it to me so improbable either that the Levites should in that confusion of the sacking of Jerusalem endeavour with all sollicitous care to reserve to themselves and to carry away with them those holy precious remainders of the Temples utensils as memorials of Gods Zion and the delight they had formerly taken in Gods worship there and which in Gods good time they might hope again to use in the holy service of God as they had formerly done and haply as hoping they might allay their sorrow in their captivity by some musicall refreshings though afterwards they found themselves so overpressed with sorrow that they could not take any delight therein or that the Babylonians should afford this favour especially if we consider that they might out of curiosity desire to hear what the skill of the Hebrews was in those kinds of melody for which also see the following verse Vers 3. For c. This word shews that here another reason is given why they hanged up their harps upon the willows they that carried us away captives required of us a song they that wasted us that is that sacked us pillaged us laid our city on heaps as the Hebrew word signifies required of us mirth to wit not so much out of a desire to delight themselvs with the musick of the Hebrews or to heare what their skill was in playing singing though that some might have respect to as is before noted as by way of scoffing at them insulting over them Sing us say they one of the songs of Zion as if they had said what is your God dead to whom you were wont to sing If he were formerly delighted with your musick why do you give it over And observable it is that the Psalmist doth expresse this that it was they that carried them away captives that required this of them for this was 1. to imply how unreasonable a thing it was that they that had brought them into such a sad condition should require mirth of them 2. to imply the courage of these poor captives that being in bondage could yet in this refuse to gratify their lords masters Vers 4. How shall we song the Lords song in a strange land That is being in exile where we are overpressed with sorrow both for our own sufferings the sad condition wherein Zion lyes what heart do ye think we can have to sing especially considering that the Lord doth hereby call us to mourning Yea how dare we profane the holy songs of Zion composed for the worship of the Lord our God by singing them to an idolatrous heathenish people to make them merry and so to expose them to their derision and scorn This I conceive is the drift of this their answer Yet there may be in these words also a covert