49.5 Vers 13. The poor and the usurer meet together That is the poor and the rich as chap. 22.2 because commonly Usurers are rich men and many rich men usurers The Lord lighteneth both their eyes That is hee gives them the light of life Joh. 1.8 and the comforts of life Matth. 5.45 so that their eyes are lightned as Jonathans were after he had tasted of the wild hony 1 Sam. 14. Others read it thus The poor and the deceived or crushed by the usurer meet together that is condole or comfort one another because they are both in the dark as it were of poverty and misery they can do one another but little help more than by commending their cases to God who thereupon enlightneth them both that is either he supplies their wants and so their eyes are opened as Jonathans were or else gives them patience as he did those beleeving Hebrews chap. 10.32 But call to remembrance the former days in the which after yee were illuminated viz. to see the glory that shall be revealed whereof all the sufferings of this life are not worthy Rom. 8.18 Ye endured a great fight of affliction If we read it The poor and the usurer meet together the Lord enlightneth both their eyes understand it thus The poor man he enlightneth by patience the usurer by repentance and grace to break off his sinnes by righteousness and his iniquity by shewing mercy to the poor as Zacheus Matthew and those usurious Jews did Neh. 5. Vers 14. The King that faithfully judgeth the poor c. An office not unbeseeming the greatest King to sit in person to hear the poor mans cause James the fourth of Scotland was for this cause called the poor mans King I have seen saith a late Traveller the King of Persia many times to alight from his horse onely to do justice to a poor body Help O King said the poor woman to Jehoram And if thou wilt not hear and right me why dost thou take upon thee to be King said another woman to Philip King of Macedony Cic. pro Milone It is a mercy to have Judges modo audeant quae sentiunt as the Oratour hath it so that they have courage to do what they judge fit to be done Inferiour Judges may be weighed and swayed by gifts or greatness of an Adversary to pass an unrighteous sentence Not so a King he neither needs nor fears any man but is if he be right as one saith of a just Law an heart without affection an eye without lust a mind without passion a treasurer which keepeth for every man what he hath and distributeth to every man what hee ought to have Phocyl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo such a Prince shall sit firm upon his throne his Kingdome shall be bound to him with chains of Adamant as Dionysius dreampt that his was he shall have the hearts of his Subjects which is the best life-guard and God for his protection for he is professedly the poor mans Patron Psal 9. and makes heavy complaints of those that wrong them Isa 3. and 10. Amos 5. and 8. Zeph. 3. Vers 15. The rod and reproof give wisdome If reproof do the deed the rod may be spared and not else Chrysippus is by some cried out upon as the first that brought the use of a rod into the schools but there is no doing without it for children are foolish apt to imitate others in their vices before they know them to be vices and though better taught yet easily corrupted by evil company as young Lapwings are soon snatcht up by every Buzzard Now therefore as moths are beaten out of Garments with a rod so must vices out of childrens hearts Vexatio dat intellectum Smart makes wit it is put in with the rod of correction See chap. 22.15 But a childe left to himself bringeth his mother c. For her fondness in cockering of him and hiding his faults from his father lest he should correct or casheer him Mothers have a main hand in education of the children and usually Partus sequitur ventrem the birth follows the belly as we see in the Kings of Judah whose mothers are therefore frequently nominated No wonder therefore though the mother deeply share in the shame and grief of her darlings miscarriages See chap. 15.20 Vers 16. When the wicked are multiplied transgression encreaseth As saith the Proverb of the Ancients wickedness proceedeth from the wicked Miserable man hath by his fall from God contracted a necessity of sinning against God And when a rabble of Rebels are gotten together are grown many and mighty they make account to carry all before them and not to suffer a godly man to live as in Spain and where the Inquisition is admitted But the righteous shall see their fall shall see it and rejoyce at it as the Hebrew Doctors expound this text by comparing it with Obad. 12.13 Thou shouldst not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day of his calamity neither shouldst thou have rejoyced over the children of Judah Alterius Perditio tua caâ—tio c. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance being moved with a zeal of God hee shall rejoyce with trembling he shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked beholding their ruine he shall become more cautious so that a man shall say any man but of an ordinary capacity shall make this observation Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.10 11. that will sink to the bottom the bottle of wickedness when once filled with those bitter waters Gen. 15.16 Vers 17. Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest Hee will grow so towardly that thou shalt with lesse adoe rule him when grown up or at least thou shalt have peace within in that thou hast used Gods means to mend him Yea he shall give delight See chap. 10.1 The often urging this nurturing of Children shews that it is a most necessary but much neglected duty Vers 18. Where there is no vision the people perish Or are barred of all vertue laid naked and open to the dint of Divine displeasure scattered worsted and driven back Great is the misery of those Brasileans of whom it is said that they are sine fide sine rege sine lege without faith King or Law And no less unhappy those Israelites about Asa's time that for a long season had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law 2 Chron. 15.3 Then it was that Gods people were destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And not long after that they sorrowfully complained that there was no more any Prophet among them nor any that knew how long Psalm 74.9 no Minister ordinary or extraordinary How did it pitty our Saviour to see the people as sheep without a Shepherd This troubled him more than their bodily bondage to the Romans which yet was
table chap. 23.6 7. See the note there And considereth not that poverty shall come upon him Etiamsi per mare pauperiem fugiat per saxa per ignes Though hee run as fast from beggery as he can hye yet it will overtake him and catch him by the back Job 27.16.17 Surely as the starres that went before the wise-men went when they went and staied when they staied so riches fly the faster from a man the more eagerly he follows them but then stay when a mans winde is staied In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straights saith Zophar concerning the minde Job 20.22 He is poor in the midst of his riches but God will strip him of all and make a poor fool of him Jer. 17.11 Vers 23. He that rebuketh a man shall find c. He that binds a mad man or rouseth up one in a lethargy hath but little thank for present so here In the sweating-sickness they that were kept awake escaped but the sicknesse was deadly to them that were suffered to sleep Let us keep one another awake saith a Reverend man an unpleasing work on both sides Dr. Sibbes but we shall one day thank such See how well Master Gilpins plain-dealing with the Bishop of Durham succeeded in his life written by B. Carlton p. 58. Vers 24. He that robbeth his father or his mother As that idolatrous Micah did his mother of her gold as Rachel did her father of his gods Judg. 17.2 as Absolom did David of his Crown Thus though it may seem a light sinne it is as much greater than stealing from another as paricide is than man-slaughter or as Reubens incest was than another mans defiling his neighbours wife Egone patri sur ripere quicquam possim Terent. Our Parents are our houshold gods as that Heathen could say and to give them cause of grief must needs be an offence of a deep dye of a crimson colour condemned by the very Pagans Vers 25. He that is of a proud heart c. Latus animo He that through pride and ambition cannot keep within bounds of his calling or condition but thinks great thoughts of himself and therefore seeks great things for himself this man if crossed is easily kindled and shall be made lean God will tame him and take him a link lower as we say Isa 2.11 12 13. See chap. 13.10 with the note This bigness of heart is but as the bigness of a blown bladder c. But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be fat He shall laugh and be fat as the saying is he shall live at a great deal of hearts ease and others shall live quietly by him That which would break a proud mans heart will not break an humble mans sleep He is content with his present condition be it better or worse hath a self-sufficiency 1 Tim. 6.6 studies to be quiet seeks peace and ensues it depends upon God for direction and success in all businesses and what should ayl this man but that he may grow fat the Irish would ask him if they knew his wealth what he meant to dye Vers 26. He that trusteth to his own heart is a fool He that saith Consilii satis est in me mihi I am wise enough to order my own business and need no advice of others seek no success from above Ajax acknowledged no other God but his sword Polyphemus but his belly this man is a fool a proud fool and he shall be sure to be hampered But whose walketh wisely Taking others into counsel and God above all as David I will hearken saith he what the Lord God saith unto mee He shall be delivered either from trouble or in it either with an outward or an inward deliverance He shall enjoy a blessed composedness a sweet Sabbath of spirit howsoever being mediis tranquillus in undis as Noah was c. Vers 27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack Eleemosyna ars omnium questuosissima saith Chrysostome Not getting but giving is the way to wealth God will blesse the bountiful mans stock and store his barn and his basket Deut. 15.10 his righteousness and his riches together shall endure for ever Psal 112. But he that hideth his eyes i. e. that when he hath a fit object and opportunity of shewing mercy offered him frameth excuse and pretendeth this thing and that to his worldly and wicked retentions that useth his wits to save his half-peny but will not use his eyes to affect his heart with pitty Is 58.7 Shall have many a curse Men shall curse him and call him a Pamphagus a churl a hog in a trough a fellow of no fashion c. God shall also curse him and set off all hearts from him as he did from Haman in his necessity he will shut his ears to such a mans moans in misery and hide his eyes from his supplication Psal 55.1 Isa 1.15 Finally he shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2.13 an evil an onely evil shall befall him Ezek. 7.5 his punishments shall come close together and God shall so set them on as no creature shall be able to take them off Vers 28. When the wicked rise men hide themselves They are glad to skulk and shelter themselves from that fierce storm See the note on verse 12. But when they perish the righteous increase When either they dye or are deposed from their dignities the righteous swarm as an hive of bees in a warm sunny day as they did when Constantine came to the Crown and here when Queen Elizabeth came as a fresh spring after a sharp winter and brought the ship of England from a tempestuous sea to a safe harbour CHAP. XXIX Vers 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Zech. 7. AS an untaimed heifer that pulleth away the shoulder and detracteth the yoke Solinus Or as the creature called Monoceros the Unicorn interimi potest capi non potest Corripimur sed non corrigimur Aug. may be slain but not taken so those that refuse to be reformed hate to be healed will not bend shall surely and severely be broken certissime citissimeque confringentur they shall certainly and suddenly be dashed in pieces as a potters vessel that cannot be pieced together again Isa 30.13 14. Jer. 15.12 Shall iron break the Northern iron and the steel and shall not the fierce wrath of God shatter and shiver out a silly sinner that will needs stout it out with him and yet is no more able to stand before him than a glasse-bottle before a Cannon-shot Let Elies sonnes and such refractaries look for ruine The Prophet fitly compares them to head-strong horses that get the bit into their mouths run desperately upon the rocks and so in short time break first their hoofs and then their necks Queen Elizabeth in talking with Marshal Biron whom the French King sent Ambassadour to her Anno 1601 sharply accused Essex
it Such was Jesabel Herodias Messalina Wife to the Emperour Claudius who was her Agent to effect her sinful purposes and her Patient to sustain her lewd conditions Dio in Claudio She compelled also other Roman Ladies to bee as lewd as her self and those that would not she hated and banished them from the Court And an hand-maid that is heir to her mistris That succeeds her in the Marriage-bed her good and her bloud will rise together as we see in Hagar Hence that counsel of the Greek Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never make thy Maid thy Mistresse Such Hens will bee apt to crow such Wives to breed disturbance in the Family Vers 24. There be four things made up thus in quaternions as the 119. Psalm is in octonaries and those in an Alphabetical order for help of memory Which are little upon the earth but exceeding wise God is maximus in minimis very much seen in the smallest Creatures In formicis major anima quà m in Elephantis in nanis quà m in gigantibus The soul is more active in Ants than Elephants in Dwarfes than in Giants Who hath despised the day of small things Zech. 4.10 Ovid. A canâ— non magno saepè tenetur aper The Creatures next to the Scriptures are the best Lay-mans-Books whereby we may learn to know God and our selves savingly Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the Fowls of the Heaven and they shall tell thee Job 12.1 Vers 25. The Ants are a people not strong A feeble folk but notable for their fore-cast See chap. 6.6 7. Let us be so but specially in Spirituals Vers 26. The Conies are but a feeble folk But what they want in strength they have in wisdome whiles they work themselves holes and burroughs in the earth Martial Gaudet in effossis habitare cuniculus antris secures her self in the rocks and stony places It shall bee our wisdome to work our selves into the rock Christ Jesus where we shall be safe from hellish hunters Vers 27. The Locusts have no King They are all belly which is joyned to their mouthes and endeth at their tayls hence they make such havock where they come in those Eastern-countries See Joel 2. where they are called Gods great army For though they have no King to command them yet they goe forth by bands and march all in a company to teach men concord and combination in lawful affairs and attempts For Conjuncti pollent etiam vehementer inertes Those Locusts in the Revelation whereby is meant the Popish Clergie have their King Ahaddon the Pope Revel 9.11 to whom they appeal from their lawful Soveraign yea the rebellion of a Clergie-man against his Prince is not treason saith Sa the Jesuite quia non est Principi subjectus because he is the Popes subject And when the English Clergie whipped King Henry the second for a Penance for Beckets death one of the Popes Legats said unto him Domine noli minari c. Sir never threaten us Jacob. Revin de vit Pontif. for wee fear no menaces of men as being of such a Court as useth to command Kings and Emperours Vers 28. The Spider taketh hold with her hands Some render it the Ape and the Hebrew Semamith is somewhat like the Latine Simia a Creature that is very witty active and imitative taking hold with his hands such as they are and doing strange feats being therefore much in Kings Palaces who delight to look upon them as Salomon did for recreation If wee take it for the Spider she doth her work painfully and curiously spins a finer thread than any woman can doe builds a finer house than any man can doe in manner and form like to the tent of an Emperour This base Creature may teach us this wisdome saith one not to be bunglers or slubberers in our works but to bee exact in our Trades and labour so to excel therein that our doings may bee commendable and admirable Vers 29. There be three things that goe well And all for our learning to teach us in our several stations to deport our selves in all gravity maintain our dignity and shew our magnanimity Only let your conversation bee as becometh the Gospel of Christ saith Paul Phil. 1.27 There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a comlinesse and suitablenesse of carriage belongs to every calling and this must be carefully kept Vellem si non essem Imperator said Scipio to one that offered him an Harlot I would if I were not a General And remember that thou art a Kings Son said Menedemus to Antigonus that will be a retentive to thee from unseemly practices Should such a man as I fly Neh. 6.11 Turnum fugientem haec terra videbit It is a pusilanimity to yeeld so much to men The Lion will not alter his gate though he dye for it We should learn regnum in pectore gerere to be of noble resolutions It is a common saying amongst us Such a man understands himself well that is hee understands his place worth dignity and carries himself accordingly Vers 32. Lay thy hand upon thy mouth That is better bethink thy self commune with thine own heart and be still Repent thee as Job did in like case chap. 39.37 38. Quem paenitet peccasse penè est innocens Senec. Agram It is not the falling into the water that drowns one but the lying in it Vers 33. So the forcing of wrath Too much stirring in an offensive matter bringeth forth brawling lawing warring fighting Patientia laesa fit furor The most patient that is may bee put beyond all patience if much provoked Abner bare long with Asahel but sped him at length Abused mercy turns into fury See Prov. 15.1 CHAP. XXXI Vers 1. The words of King Lemuel LEmuel's Lesson Bathsheba's Catechisme Lemuel she calls him because God had owned him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his Father and he shall bee my Son and was with him so long as he was with God according to 2 Chron. 15.2 Indeed when he grew discinct and dissolute then Gods soul sate loose to him and was disjoynted from him Jer. 6.8 and the rather because he had had the benefit of better education His father had taught him and had taken much pains with him Aristippus dictus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod cum mater Areâ—a doâ—nâ—sseâ— 1 King 11.9 Prov. 4.4 His mother also had counselled and cautioned him betimes not to give his strength to Wine and Women And yet he was most inordinate in his love to these two Eccles 2. This was almost as great an aggravation of his Sin that he had been better taught and brought up as that other that he forsook the Lord that had appeared unto him twice The words of King Lemuel they are called because though composed by his Mother yet for his use in the same sense as Psal 127. is stiled A song of degrees of Salomon or for Solomon though made by his
Joshuah ch 24.15 and Mary Luk. 10.42 Vers 30. They would none of my Counsel These are condemned and menaced as well as those that despised or execrated Gods reproof So also in the precedent verse not onely they that hated knowledge but that did not chuse the fear of the Lord. They despised all my reproof Hebrew They execrated blasphemed it Vers 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit Eat as they baked drink as they brewed They that sow the wind of iniquity shall reap the whirlewind of misery Aequum est ut faber quas fecit compedes ipse gest it And bee filled with their own devices Their Never-enough shall bee quit with fire enough in the bottome of Hell Vers 32. For the turning away Whereas it might bee objected that mean-while wicked men live at ease and prosper It is granted but withal asserted that these fatted Oxen are but fitted for the slaughter The Sun-shine of prosperity ripens the sin of the wicked apace Bernard calls it misericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem a mercy that hee had no mind to What good is there in having a fine sute with the plague in it As soon may a man miscarry upon the soft sands as upon the hard rocks Horat. Psal 112. Vers 33. shall bee quiet from the fear Impavidum ferient ruinae Hee shall not bee afraid of evil tidings His Ark is pitched within and without tossed it may bee but not drowned shaken but not shivered c. CHAP. II. Verse 1. My Son FAtherly and filial affection ought to bee betwixt Teacher and hearers But who is their Father 1 Sam. 10.12 O my Father my Father said hee to the dying Prophet 2 King 13.14 Dwell with mee and bee unto mee a Father and a Priest said that Idolatrous Micah to the wandring Levite Judg. 17.10 Spec. Europ Popish Novices do so observe their Patres as they call them that though they command them a voyage to China or Peru without dispute or delay they presently set forward Tu Asinus unum estâ—te said one once to a young Novice that being to enter into a Monastery asked his counsel how hee should carry himself Come Children hearken unto mee I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psal 34.11 Vers 2. So that thou encline thine â—ar Lie low at Gods feet and say Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth His Saints sit down at his feet every one to receive his word Deut. 33.3 they are compared to a Garden of Cucumbers Isa 1.8 which when ripe lie on the ground Surely as waters meet and rest in low valleys so do Gods graces in lowly hearts And apply thy heart Attention of body intention of mind and retention of memory are indispensibly desired of all wisdomes Scholars Act. Men. such as King Edward the sixth who constantly stood up at the hearing of the Word took notes which hee afterwards diligently perused and wrought the Sermon upon his affections by meditation Vers 3. If thou cryest after knowledge Bene orasse est bene studuisse James 1.17 said Luther Knowledge is Gods gift James 1.5 and must be sought at his hand fith hee is the Father of lights and sells us eye-salve Rev. 3.17 And liftest up thy voice As resolved to give God no rest till thou hast it A dull suitor begs a denial Then shall men know if they follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Teach mee teach mee saith David often Lord shew mee thy glory said Moses newly come from the Mount Vers 4. If thou seekest her as silver Opulentissima metalla quorum in alta latent vena saith Seneca your richest metals lie lowest Sen. Epist 23. Viscera terrae extrahimus ut digito gestetur gemma quam petimus saith Pliny Wee draw out the very bowels of the earth that wee may get the gem that wee desire Lib. 2. c. 65. Shall wee not do as much for this pearl of price the knowledge of God and his Will of our selves and our duties Beg wee must vers 3. but withall wee must dig too vers 4. and continue to do so searching for her as for hid treasures Ora labora for else the talk of the lip onely brings want Prov. 14.23 What man finding a rich Mine of Gold or Silver is content with the first Oar that offers it self to his view and doth not dig deeper and deeper till hee become owner of the whole treasure So here Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 if yee cease not till yee get all the dimensions of knowledge mentioned by the Apostle Ephes 3.18 till yee see that blissful sight Ephes 1.18 19. Vers 5. Then shalt thou understand Then shalt thou bee as those noble Romans were chap. 15.14 full of goodness filled with all knowledge able also to admonish others in fine a well-accomplisht Christian that hath Christian for his name and Catholick for his sirname Such a Catholick as Austin describeth when hee saith â—oni Catholici sunt qui fidem integram sequuntur bonos more 's Those bee good Catholicks that beleeve well and live well These bee not those antient Roman-Catholicks Vers 6. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge If it could bee said by the divine Chronologer Bucholc Ex Adami sapientissimi doctoris ore prâ—manavit tanquam ex soâ—â—e quicquid in mundo est utilium doctrinarum disciplinarum scientiae sapientiae Out of Adams mouth even after the Fall as out of a fountain slowed all the profitable knowledge skill and wisdome in the world how much better may the same bee said of the onely wise God who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working Isa 28.29 Platonici lumen mentium esse dixerant ad discenda omnia eundem ipsum Deum â quo facta font omnia The Platonists said Aug. de civ Dei that God the Maker of all was that light of the mind whereby wee learn all Vers 7. Hee layeth up sound wisdome Hebrew Substance reality that which hath a true being in opposition to that which is not so riches are described Prov. 23.5 Heaven onely hath a foundation earth hath none Heb. 11. Job 26.7 but is hanged upon nothing Grace hath solid substance in it and true worth whereas opinion onely sets the price upon all outwards things The Prophet Amos complains of the Epicures of his time that they are the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall they drank Wine in bowls and chanted to the sound of Viols c. Amos 6.4 5 6. This to some might seem brave and desirable But vers 13. the Prophet in true judgement thus speaks to them Yee which rejoyce in a thing of nought c. yee imbrace a shadow yee pursue after things that profit not but perish in the use 1 Cor. 6.13 for Meats for the belly and the belly for Meats but God will destroy both it and them Some sense
It is reported of a worthy Divine of Scotland Zacheus convert preface that hee did even eat and drink and sleep eternal life This is to walk with God this is to live by Faith this is to see him that is invisible Moses his optick this is to go the upper way even that way of life that is above to the wise that hee may depart from Hell beneath Prov. 15.24 See the Note there And hee shall direct thy paths As hee carefully chose out the Israelites way in the wilderness not the shortest but yet the safest for them So will God do for all that make him their guide The Athenians had a conceit that their Goddesse Minerva turned all their evil counsels into good unto them The Romans thought that their Vibilia another heathenish Deity set them again in their right way when at any time they were out All this and more than this is undoubtedly done by the true God for all that commit their waies unto him and depend upon him for direction and success Loe this God is our God for ever and ever hee will bee our guide even unto death Psal 4â— 14 Vers 7. Bee not wise in thine own eyes Bis desipit qui sibi sâ—pit Hee is two fools that is wise in his own eyes This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marres all Socrates his Hoc scio quod nihil scio gat him the name of the wisest among men Arachuâ— apud Ovid. Metamor lib. 6. Consilii satiâ— in me mihi is the proud mans posiâ— Hec that would bee wise must bee a fool that hee may bee wise 1 Cor. 3.18 Intus existens prohibet alienum A conceit of wisdome bars out wisdome Fear the Lord This makes a modest opinion of a mans self Joseph a man famous for the fear of God when Pharaoh expected from him an interpretation of his dream as having heard much of his skill It is not in mâ—â— said hee Gen. 41.16 God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace Loe hee extenuates his own gifts and ascribes all to God Wherefore suddenly after as Joseph had said to Pharaoh Without mee shall God make answer to Pharaoh so Pharaoh is heard say to Joseph Without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the Land of Egypt vers 44. So that here was exemplified that holy Proverbâ— Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life The Original runs thus By humility the fear of the Lord are riches c. There is no And in the Hebrew Humility and the fear of the Lord are so near akin this being the Mother of that as if the one were predicated of the other as if they were one and the same grace And depart from evil Another effect of this clean fear of God as David calleth it Psal 19.9 Cave spectat Caâ—o was a watch word among the Romans A reverend and religious man had these words following written before him in his study Noli peccare Nam Deus videt Angeli astant Diabolus accusabit Conscientia testabitur Infernus cruciabit Take heed of sin for God seeth thee Angels stand by thee the Devil will accuse thee thy Conscience will testifie against thee and Hell will torture thee Psal 134.4 Hos 3.5 But besides all this there is mercy with God that hee may bee feared and the children of Israel shall fear the Lord and his goodness Vers 8. It shall bee health to thy navel That is Thou shalt bee in good plight both for the outward and inward man Thy bones full of marrow thy breasts full of milk thy spirit also lively and lifted up in the waies of the Lord. And as it is with children in the womb for to these is the allusion here that by the navil nourishment is ministred unto them yea even to the strengthening of the inward parts So the godly in the Church are â—ed and bred by the Faith and fear of God And as without marrow in the bones Munster Mercer T. W and others in loc no part of man no not that which is of greatest value and force is able to do any thing So the strength that they have from God is as the marrow which strengtheneth the bones and maketh them apt to do good things And as a man that hath his bones filled with marrow and hath abundance of good blood and fresh spirits in his body hee can indure to go with less cloaths than another because hee is well lined within So it is with a heart that hath a great deal of grace and peace hee will go through difficulties and troubles though outward comforts fail him Act. Mon. fol. 1358. It is recorded of Mr. Saunders Martyr that himself should tell the party that lay in the same bed with him in prison that even in the time of his examination before Steven Gardiner hee was wonderfully comforted not onely in spirit but also in body hee received a certain taste of that holy Communion of Saints whilest a most pleasant refreshing did issue from every part and member of the body to the seat and place of the heart and from thence did ebbe and flow to and fro unto all the parts again Vers 9. Honour the Lord with thy substance Freely expending it in pious and charitable uses Exod. 25.19 Deut. 26.2 See the Notes there See also my common place of Almes Vers 10. So shall thy Barus bee filled The Jews at this day though not in their own Country Godw. Heb. Antiq. 277. Thegualer â—ischilshe the guasher nor have a Levitical Priest-hood yet those who will bee reputed Religious amongst them do distribute the tenth of their increase unto the poor being perswaded that God doth bless their increase the more for their usual Proverb is Decima ut dives fias Pay thy Tythes that thou mayest bee rich See the Note on Mat. 5.7 Vers 11. Despise not the chastening of the Lord Slight it not but sit alone Lam. 3.28 and consider Eccles 7.14 Some think it a goodly thing to bear out a cross by head and shoulders and wear it out as they may never improving it As a Dog that getting out of the water into which hee is cast shakes his cars or as a man that coming out of a shower of rain dryes again and all is as before Perdidistis fructum afflictionis saith Austin of such Scapethrifts Thus the proud Greeks having lost two Castles in Chersonesus Miserrimi facti estis pessimi permansistis Aug. de civit Dei l. 1. c. 33. Turk Hist fol. 185. taken from them by the Turks commonly said that there was but an Hogsty lost alluding to the name of that Country Whereas that was the first footing that the Turks got in Europe and afterwards possessed themselves of the Imperial City of Constantinople Shortly after Anno 1358. Callipolis also being lost the mad Greeks to extenuate the matter when they had any talk thereof in
was heavier than his groaning and yet his complaint was bitter too Chap. 23.2 Some holy men as Mr. Leaver have desired to see their sin in the most ugly colours Dr. Sibbes and God hath heard them But yet his hand was so heavy upon them that they went alwayes mourning to their graves And thought it fitter to leave it to Gods wisdome to mingle the portion of sorrow than to bee their own choosers And the stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy None but such as are of the family of Faith can conceive the surpassing sweetness of spiritual joy Gal. 6. The Cock on the dunghil knows not the worth of this Jewel It is joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 Such as none feel but those that stir up sighs unutterable Rom. 8.26 It is joy unspeakable and full of glory a hansel of Heaven a foretaste of eternal life It is the peace that passeth all understanding they that have it Phil. 4.7 understand not the full of it nor can relate the one half of it Paul said somewhat to the point when hee said I do over-abound exceedingly with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7.4 Chrysost but words are too weak to utter it Father Latimer said somewhat when hee said it was the sweet-meats of the feast of a good conscience But sermo non valet exprimere experimento opus est It is a thing fitter to bee beleeved than possible to bee discoursed Tell a man never so long what a sweet thing hony is hee can never beleeve you so well as if himself taste it Those that never yet tasted how good the Lord is are far from intermedling with the just mans joy Act. Mon. fol. 1668. The World wonders saith Mr. Philpot Martyr how wee can bee so merry in such extreme misery But our God is omnipotent which turneth misery into felicity Beleeve mee there is no such joy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Cross I speak it by experience c. Another holy Martyr Richard Collier after his condemnation sang a Psalm Ibid. 1533. Wherefore the Priests and the officers railed at him saying Hee was out of his wits Vers 11. The house of the wicked shall bee overthrown As Phocas his high walls were because sin was at the bottome Brimstone also shall bee scattered on the top Job 18.15 As it befel Dioclesian whose house was wholly consumed with fire from Heaven Wherewith himself also was so terrified that hee died within a while after Euseb de vit Const lib. 5. But the Tabernacle of the upright shall flourish The wicked have houses and are called the Inhabitants of the earth Rev. 12.12 The upright have Tabernacles or Tents that were transportative and taken down at pleasure Here they have no continuing City no mansion-place And yet that they have shall flourish Our bed is green the beams of our house are Cedar and our rafters of Firr Cant. 1.16 17. See 2 Sam. 23.4 Vers 12. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man Sin comes cloathed with a shew of reason Exod. 1.10 And lust will so blear the understanding that hee shall think that there is great sense in sinning Adam was not deceived 1 Tim. 2.14 That is hee was not so much deceived by his judgement though also by that too as by his affection to his wife which at length blinded his judgement The heart first deceives us with colours and when wee are once a doting after sin then wee joyn and deceive our hearts James 1.26 using fallacious and specious sophisms to make our selves think that lawful to day which wee our selves held unlawful yesterday and that wee are possest of those graces whereto wee are perfect strangers But the end thereof are the waies of death Via multiplex ad mortem The very first step in this evil way was a step to Hell But the journies end if men stop not or step not back in time is undoubted destruction Some flatter themselves as Micah Judg. 17.13 They flye to the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord And think to take Sanctuary and save themselves there from all danger as the Jews fable that Og King of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark without Wherein it falls out oft as it did with the riflers of Semiramis her tomb who where they expected to finde the richest treasure met with a deadly poison Or as it doth with him that lying asleep upon a steep rock and dreaming of great matters befallen him starts suddenly for joy and so breaks his neck at the bottome As hee that makes a bridge of his own shadow cannot but fall into the water So neither can hee escape the pit of Hell who laies his own presumption in place of Gods promise who casts himself upon the unknown mercies of God c. Vers 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful Nulla est sincera voluptas Labor est etiam ipsa voluptas Of carnal pleasures a man may break his neck before his fast All this avails mee nothing said Haman Omnia fui nihil profuit said that Emperour Vanity of vanity all is vanity said Solomon and not vanity onely but vexation of spirit Nothing in themselves and yet full of power and activity to inflict vengeance and vexation upon the spirit of a man so that even in laughter the heart is sorrowful Some kinde of frothy and flashy mirth wicked men may have such as may wet the mouth but not warm the heart smooth the brow but not fill the breast It is but a cold armful as Lycophron saith of an evil wife as they repent in the face Mat. 6.16 so they rejoyce in the face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lyc. not in the heart 2 Cor. 5.12 Rident ringuntur there is a snare or a cord in the sin of the wicked that is to strangle their joy with but the righteous sing and are merry Prov. 29.6 Others may revel they onely must rejoyce Hos 9.1 And the end of that mirth is heaviness They dance to the Timbrel and Harp but suddenly they turn into Hell Job 21.12 13. and so their merry dance ends in a miserable downfal Luk. 6. Woe bee to you that laugh now Those merry Greeks that are so afraid of sadness that they banish all seriousness shall one day wring for it Adoniah's guests had soon enough of their good cheer and jollity So had Belshazzar and his combibones optimi Thou mad fool what dost thou Eccles 2. saith Salomon to the mirth-monger that holds it the onely happiness to laugh and bee fat Knowest thou not yet there will bee bitterness in the end Principium dulce est sed finis amoris amarus The candle of the wicked shall be put out in a vexing-snuff Their mirth as Comets blazeth much but ends in a pestilent vapour As lightning it soon vanisheth leaveth a greater darknesse behinde it and is
or by any mans perswasion The Monarch of Morocco told the English Ambassadour for King John that hee had lately read Saint Pauls Epistles which he liked so well Heyl. Geog. that were he now to chuse his Religion he would before any other embrace Christianity But every one ought saith he to dye in the religion received from his Ancestors and the leaving of the faith wherein he was born was the only thing that he disliked in that Apostle But the prudent are crowned with knowledge They know that dies diem docet and therefore are not so wedded to their old Principles Superstitions and Fopperies but that they can as right reason requires relinquish and abjure them glorifying the Word Acts 13.48 Acts 13. And receiving the truth in love 2 Thes 2.10 whereby it soon comes to passe that they get good repute and report of all men as Demetrius had yea and of the truth it self 3 Joh. 12. which is the Crown of all commendation Haud velim Erasmi gloria aut nomine vehi saith Luther I care not to be cried up as Erasmus is c. Vers 19. The evil bow before the good Here they do so many times as Josephs brethren before him in his greatnesse as Saul before Samuel Balshazzar before Daniel Euseb the persecuting tyrants before Constantine the great yea one of them viz. Maximinus Galerius being visited with grievous sicknesse not only proclaimed liberty to the poor persecuted Christians but also commanded their Churches to be re-edified Cresius and publick Prayers to be made for his recovery So Ezra 6.10 Pray for the Kings life and for his Sons some of which had dyed in their minority for the rest therefore Prayer must be made by the Church That place is wel known Isa 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their Queens thy nursing mothers they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet c. The Prophet seems to allude to the manner of the Persians Pictorum solea basiare regum Martial who when they were to speak to their King did first kisse the pavement whereon he trod Howsoever natural consciences cannot but doe homage to the Image of God stamped upon the natures and practices of the righteous as is afore-noted and the worst cannot but think well of such and honour them in their hearts In the life to come these things shall have their full accomplishment and at the last day when the Saints shall judge the world and Christ shall have put all things under his feet so that they shall have power over the Nations Rev. 2.26 Vers 20. The poor is hated i. e. Lesse loved little respected as Gen. 29.31 Mal. 1.5 Luke 14.26 The Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adversity findes few friends Et cum fortuna statque caditque fides Few will appear for suffering Saints This Job and David much complain of but as when a Deer is shot the rest of the Herd push him out of their company so here Tempora si fueriut nubila solus eris The same Hebrew word that signifies Winter an Embleme of Poverty signifies reproach This thy son Luke 15.30 Not this my brother Joseph because in poverty The Samaritans would not once own the Jewes when they were at an under but disavow them as they did to Antiochus Epiphanes But when in prosperity then they would curry favour with them and call them their sweet Cousins When it was sometimes disputed among the Romans in the Council using to deifie great men whether Christ having done many wonderful works should bee received into the number of the gods it was resolved that he should not Propter hoc quod paupertatem praedicarit elogerit quam mundus contemnit because he preached poverty and chose poor men whom the world cares not for Purchas But the rich man hath many friends Such as they are ollares amici trencher-flies such as follow the scent and like Bohemian Curtes will fawn upon a good suit As for faithful friends divitibus ideo amicus deest quia nihil deest saith one few such to be found such as with Ittai the Gittite and Hushai the Archite will stick close to a David when stripped of all Josephus relates of the Jewes that they were very careful how they received Proselites in Salomons time because then the State of the Jews flourished Vers 21. Hee that despiseth his neighbour sinneth His poor neighbour Where the hedge is low the beast will easily break over None usually are so trampled on with the feet of pride and contempt by the great Bulls of Basan as the necessitous and afflicted Hence poor and afflicted are set together Zeph. 3.12 so are to want and to be abased Phil. 4.11 This is a great sin saith Salomon it is to commit sin and to bee convinced of the Law as transgressors saith Saint James chap. 3.9 But he that hath mercy on the poor happy is he His sins shall be remitted his necessities relieved and the blessings of God multiplied upon him even a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See my Common-place of Almes Vers 22. Doe they not erre that devise evil Heb. That plow it and plot it that dig it and delve it that whet their wits and beat their brains about it Toto errant calet doe not these erre are they not heavenly wide utterly out shall they not misse of their purpose and meet with disappointment witnesse those Babel-builders Gen. 11. those Kil-Christs Psal 2. those State Traytors Sheba Shebna c. divers English Traytors who drew their last thread in the Triangle of Tiburn Knute the first Danique King caused the false Edrics head to bee set on the highest part of the Tower of London Daniels Hist 19. therein performing his promise of advancing him above any Lord in the Land Traytors always become edious though the treason bee commodious Philip Duke of Austria Parei Hist prof madul 769. paid the Ambassadours of Charls the fourth who had betrayed their trust in counterfeit coyn whereof when they complained he answered that false coyn was good enough for false knaves James the first King of Scots was murdered in Perth by Walter Earl of Athol in hope to attain the Crown Hect. Boeth but his hopes failed him Crowned indeed he was but with a Crown of red hot Iron clapt upon his head being one of the tortures wherewith hee ended at once his wicked dayes and devises But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Mercy and truth were the best that David could wish to his fast friend Ittai 2 Sam. 15.20 These two Attributes of God shall cause that good devises shall not miscarry His mercy moves him to promise his truth binds him to perform 2 Sam. 7.18 21. For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these things According to thine own heart that is of meer
mercy out of pure and unexcited love thou didst give thy Word and Promise and for thy words sake thou hast performed it Vers 23. In all labour there is profit In all honest labour for there are that doe wickedly with both hands earnestly and what profit have such of all their labour c. Eccles 1.3 doe they not take pains to goe to Hell There are also that labour about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toylsome toys that pay not for the pains that doe magno conatu magnas nugas agere Such a one was Paleottus Arch-bishop of Bonony who made a great book of the shadow of Christs Body in a â—â—ndon and it was commented upon by the Professour there This Aristotle calls laborious losse of time The Apostle calls upon men to labour working with their hands the thing that is good so shall they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for their own uses only but also to give to him that needeth Ephes 4.28 But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury Great talkers are doe-littles for most part Corniculas citiùs in Africa quam res rationesque solidas in Turriani scriptis invenies saith one Turrian was a very wordy man yee cannot finde matter for words in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Athenians fought against Philip with words and messages saith one but Rabshekah could tell Hezekiah that warre was to be made so is work to be done not with words and the talk of the lips but with counsel and strength Isa 36.5 And why stand you looking upon one another get you down to Aegypt said Jacob to his sons Gen. 42.1 Vers 24. The crown of the wise is their riches An ornament an incouragement in well-doing and an instrument of doing much good if God give an heart thereto for quid cervo ingentia cornua cum desit animus To what end is a treasure if a man have lost the Key that leads to it Vel mihi da clavem vel mihi tolle seram But the foolishnesse of fools is folly That is of rich fools such as was Pope Clemens the fifth of whom the Historian saith Papa hic ditior quam sapientior that hee was more wealthy than wise The Crown of the wise is their riches but yet give them a fool you put a sword into a mad mans hand the folly of such fools will soon bee foolishness Why was it not foolishness before they were rich yes but now it is become egregious foolishness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth cannot bear the insolencies of such Set a beggar on horse-back c. Vers 25. A true witness delivereth souls Or lives that lye at stake Hee that helps the truth in such a necessity doth a worthy work To walk about with slanders is to shed blood Ezek. 22.9 Way was made to that bloody French massacre by false reports cast abroad by the Fryar-lyars that the Protestants under pretence of Religion met by night that they might feed daintily and then lye together promiscuously He that hath a mind to hang his Dog saith the French Proverb will first give out that hee is run mad John 8.48 The Devil was first a lyar and then a murtherer from the beginning Vers 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence The reverential fear of God is monimentum munimentum ornamentum The wise man had said vers 24. The Crown of the wise are their riches and chap. 18.11 hee will tell us that the rich mans wealth is his strong City Now lest any should hereby bee brought to think of riches more highly than is meet hee gives us to know that wealth severed from the fear of God can neither adorn us nor secure us Great is the confidence of a good conscience Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us and hee will deliver us out of thine hand Dan. 3.17 Hezekiah pulled down the brazen Serpent 2 King 18.5 for hee trusted in God At ego rem divinam facio But I am sacrificing said Numa when they told him the enemy was at hand Non sic Deos coluimus aut sic vivimus ut illi nos vincerent said the Emperour Antoninus Wee are bold to beleeve that God will deal better with us than so And his children have a place of Refuge i. e. Gods children run to his name and are safe Or the children of him that fears God For God will bless those that fear him both small and great Psal 115. If I can but once finde the fear of God in those about mee Selnecer said Reverend Claviger satis habeo satisquo mihi meae â—xori filiis filiabus prospexi I shall have enough for my self wife and children they will bee all cared for Vers 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life So said to bee both for the constant faithfulness as never failing and for the gracious effects viz. Blessings of all sorts 1 Temporal Prov. 22.4 Riches Honour Life 2 Spiritual Mal. 4.2 Such shall grow up as the Calves of the stall fat and fair-liking 3 Eternal Psal 31. O how great things c. eye hath not seen c. It shall bee alwaies well with them Eccles 8.12 And though many afflictions c. yet hee that feareth God shall come out of them all Eccles 7.18 To depart from the snares of death Satan that mighty hunter hath laid snares for us in all places And the way of this world is like the vale of Siddim slimy and slippery full of lime-pits and pitfalls snares and stumbling-blocks laid on purpose to maim us or mischief us Hee that fears God comes off without hurt by remembring that which as short as it is yet our memories are shorter Cave Deus videt Take heed God seeth thee A godly man had these verses written before him on a Table in his study Ne pecces Deut ipse videt tuus Angelus astat Accusat Satanas lex mens conscia culpae Mors incerta furit cruciat te lurid us Orcus Et manet aeternum tristi damnatio poenâ Vers 28. In the multitude of people is the Kings honour For that 's a sign of peace plenty prosperity and just government as in Salomons daies when Israel and Judah were many as the sand which is by the Sea in multitude eating and drinking and making merry Flor. hist lib. 4 1 King 4.20 and as in Augustus his daies when Christ the Prince of Peace was born into the world cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aut pax fuit aut pactio Ferdinand the third King of Spain reigned full 35 years In all which time nec fames nec pestis fuit in regnosuo saith Lopez Gloss in prolog part 1. there was neither famine nor pestilence throughout that Kingdome What incredible waste of men hath war lately made in Germany that stage of war in Ireland and here in this Kingdome besides what formerly In the Civil dissentions between the houses
Reformers bring forth their rich treasure and liberally disperse it by preaching writing and every way trading their Talents for the Churches good Farellus with his Talent Hic est ille Farellus qui Genevenses Novocomenses Monipelgardenses c. Christo lucrifecit Melch. Adam in vit gained to the Faith five Cities of the Cantons with their territories Wickliff Hus Luther Calvin c. how active and fruitful were they in their Generations to dispread and scatter light over the Christian world to wise and win souls to Christ Prov. 11.30 These surely shine as stars in Heaven Dan. 12.3 that like stars by their light and influence made such a scatter of riches upon earth Every Star saith one is like a purse of Gold out of which God throws down riches and plenty upon the sons of men And as it is the nature of gold to bee drawn forth marvellously Zinch de oper dei part 2. l. 3. c. 6. so that as the learned affirm an ounce of gold will go as far as eight pound of silver so it is the nature of sound knowledge to be spreading and diffusive But the heart of the foolish doth not so Or is not right 'T is little worth Prov. 10.20 as having no true treasure in them but froth and filth vanity and villany hence they do not onely not disperse knowledge which they have not Psal 14.4 but patronize and promote ignorance and errour sow Cockle as fast as wiser men do Corn and are as busie in digging descents to Hell as others are in building stair-cases for Heaven Vers 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination Their very incense stinks of the hand that offers it Isa 1.13 Good words may bee uttered but wee cannot hear them because uttered with a stinking breath and good meat may bee presented but wee cannot eat of it because cook'd or brought to Table by a nasty sloven Works materially good may never prove so formally and eventually viz. when they are not right quoad fontem quoad finem 1 When they proceed not from a right principle a pure heart a good conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 2 When they tend not to a right end the glory of God in our own or other mens salvation Christus opera nostra non tam actibus quà m finibus pensat Zanchius The glory of God must consume all other ends as the Sun puts out the light of the fire Cant. 4.11 Psal 141.2 Hos 14.2 But the prayer of the righteous is his delight His musick his hony-drops his sweetest perfume his Calves of the lips with which when wee cover his Altar hee is abundantly well-pleased For as all Gods senses nay his very soul is offended with the bad mans sacrifice Isa 1.13 14 15. his sharp nose easily discerneth and disgusteth the stinking breath of his rotten lungs though his words bee never so sented and perfumed with shews of holiness So the prayer that proceeds from an upright heart though but faint and feeble doth come before God even into his ears Psal 18.6 and so strangely charms him Isa 26.16 see the Margin that hee breaks forth into these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incantamentum Ask mee of things concerning my sons and concerning the works of my hands command yee mee Isa 45.11 O that wee understood the latitude of this Royal Charter then would wee pray alwaies with all prayers and supplications in the Spirit then would wee watch thereunto with all perseverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not faint or shrink back Ephes 6.18 Luk. 18.1 Vers 9. The way of the wicked is abomination Not his sacrifices onely but his civilities all his actions natural moral recreative religious are offensive to all Gods senses as the word signifies The very plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 all they do is defiled yea their very consciences Their hearts like some filthy bog or fenn or like the lake of Sodome send up continual poisonous vapours unto God And hee not able to abide them sends down eftsoons a counterpoison of plagues and punishments Psalm 11.6 Rom. 1.18 But hee loveth him that followeth after righteousness Although hee fulfil not all righteousness yet if hee make after it with might and main as the word signifies if hee pursue it and have it in chase as ravenous creatures have their prey if by any means hee may attain to the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.11 That is that height of holiness that accompanieth the resurrection This is the man whom God loves Now Gods love is not an empty love It is not like the Winter Sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little warmth and comfort Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness Aug. those that remember thee in thy waies Isa 64.5 that think upon thy commandements to do them Psal 103. qui faciunt praecepta et si non perficiant that are weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but willing Heb. 13.18 that are lifting at the latch though they cannot do up the door Surely shall every such one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 Righteousness that is mercy to those that come over to him and Strength to enable them to come as the Sea sends out waters to fetch us to it Vers 10. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way Hee pleaseth himself in his out-straies and would not bee reduced hee is in love with his own ruine and takes long strides towards Hell which is now but a little afore him And if any man seek to save him Jude 23. with fear pulling him out of the fire hee flies in his face This is as great madness as if they whom our Saviour had healed or raised should have raged and railed at him for so doing And hee that hateth reproof shall die Hee that is imbittered by rebukes and not bettered by chastisements shall die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint shall die shamefully yea shall die eternally as the next verse shews shall bee swallowed up of Hell and destruction which even now gapes for him They that will not obey that sweet command Come unto mee all yee c. shall one day have no other voice to obey but that terrible Discedite Go yee cursed into everlasting flames Vers 11. Hell and destruction are before the Lord Tophet is prepared of old and where ever it is as it skils not curiously to enquire below us it seems to bee Pareus in loc Rev. 14.11 ubi sit sentient qui curiosius quaerunt so it is most certain that Hell is naked before God and destruction uncovered in his sight Job 26.6 Wee silly fishes see one another jerked out of the pond of life by the hand of death but wee see not the frying-pan and the fire that they are cast into that die in their sins and refuse to bee reformed Cast they are into utter darkness
shall come with a Writ of Habeas corpus and the Devil with a Writ of Habeas animam when the cold grave shall have their bodies and hot hell hold their souls O that they that have their hands elbow deep in the earth that are rooting and digging in it as if they would that way dig themselves a new and a nearer way to hell O that these greedy moles these insatiate muck-worms would be warned to flye from the wrath to come to take heed of hell beneath and not sell their souls to the Devil for a little pelf as they say Pope Silvester did for seven years enjoyment of the Popedome Oh that they would meditate every day a quarter of an hour as Francis Xaverius counselled John 3. King of Portugal on that divine sentence What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his own soul Hee should bee a loser by the sale of his soul hee should bee that which hee so much feared to bee a beggar begging in vain though but for a drop of cold water to cool his tongue Vers 25. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Where hee thinks himself most safe God will pull him as it were by the ears out of his Tabernacle hee will surely unroost him unnest him yea though hee hath set his nest among the stars as hee did proud Lucifer who kept not his first estate but left his habitation Jude 6. which indeed hee could hold no longer for it spued him out into hell that Infernus ab inferendo dictus See the Note on Chap. 12.7 14.11 But hee will establish the border of the widow Not the rest of her goods onely but the very utmost borders of her small possession Shee hath commonly no great matters to bee proud of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any Patrons to stick to her and stickle for her Shee hath her name in Hebrew of Dumbness because either shee cannot speak for her self death having cut off her head her husband who was wont to speak for her or if shee do speak her tale cannot bee heard Luke 18.4 God therefore will speak for her in the hearts of her greatest opposites and oppressours Hee also will do for her and defend her borders as hee did for the Shunamite and for the Sareptan and for the poor Prophets widow whose debts hee paid for her and for the widow of Naim whose son hee raised unrequested Luke 7.13 Especially if shee bee a widow indeed 1 Tim. 5. such as Anna was Luke 2. A vine whose root is uncovered thrives not a widow whose covering of eyes is taken away joyes not But in God the fatherless findeth mercy Hos 14.3 and hee will cause the widows heart to sing for joy Job 29.13 Vers 26. The thoughts of the wicked are abomination Let him not think to think at liberty Thought is not free as some fools would have it To such God saith Hearken O earth Behold I bring evil upon this people even the fruit of their thoughts Jer. 6.19 The very Heathen could say Fecit quisque quantum voluit what evil a man wills hee doth And Incesta est sine stupro quae stuprum cupit Hee that lusteth after a woman hath lain with her in his heart If I regard iniquity in mine heart saith David shall not God finde this out and for it reject my prayer Psal 66.18 Kimchi being sowred with Pharisaical leven makes this strange sense of that Text If I regard iniquity onely in my heart so that it break not forth into outward act the Lord will not hear mee that is hee will not hear so as to impute it or account it a sin But was not this coedem Scripturaerum facere as Tertullian hath it to murder the Scripture or at least to set it on the rack so to make it speak what it never intended to force it to go two miles when it would go but one But the words of the pure are pleasant words Such as God books up Mal. 3.16 and makes hard shift to hear as I may so say for hee hearkens and hears ibid. The rather because these pleasant words are the fruits and products of that law of grace within that good treasure that habit of heavenly mindedness they have acquired For though the heart of the wicked bee little worth and as little set by Yet the tongue of the just is as choice silver Prov. 10.20 See the Note there Hee mints his words and God layes them up as his riches yea looks upon them as apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25.11 as gold put in a case of cut-work of silver which is no less precious than pleasant See Eccles 12.10 with the Note there Vers 47. Hee that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house Fires his own nest while hee thinks to feather it fingers that that will burn in his purse will prove lucrum in arca damnum in conscientia gain to his purse Augustin but loss to his conscience Adde hereunto that the covetous mans house is continually on a tumult of haste and hurry Up up up saith hee to bed to bed quick at meat quick at work c. what with labour and what with passion and contention hee and his houshold never live at hearts-ease and rest Thus it was in the houses of Laban and Nabal But hee that hateth gifts shall live Viz. Gifts given to pervert or buy justice The fire of God shall devour the Tabernacles of such corrupt Judges Job 15. So for those that are bribed out of their Religion Joh. Egnat Gelli dâ—al 5. Stratagema nunc est Pontificium ditare multos ut pii esse desinant The Papists propose rewards to such as shall relinquish the Protestant Religion and turn to them as in Ausburgh where they say there is a known price for it of ten Florens a year In France where the Clergy have made contributions for the maintenance of Renegado Ministers Thus they tempted Luther Specul Europ Hem. Germana ills bestia non curat aurum but hee would not bee hired to go to hell and thus they tempted that noble Marquess of Vicum Nephew to Pope Paul the fifth who left all for Christ and fled to Geneva but hee cryed out Let their money perish with them that prefer all the worlds wealth before one dayes communion with Jesus Christ and his despised people Vers 28. The heart of the righteous studieth to answer His tongue runs not before his wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but hee weighs his words before hee utters them as carrying a pair of ballance betwixt his lips and dips his words in his minde ere men see what colour they are of as Plutarch saith Phocion did Hee hath his heart not at his mouth but at his right hand saith Solomon to make use of when hee sees his time Melancthon when some hard question was proposed to him would take three dayes deliberation to answer it
and stirs Make God your Chancellour in case no law will relieve and you shall do your selves no disservice If compelled to go a mile rather than revenge go two yea as far as the shooes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry you and God will bring you back with everlasting joy Isa 35.10 This is the way to bee even with him that wrongs you nay to bee above him Vers 23. Divers weights are an abomination In righting and revenging themselves men are apt to weigh things in an uneven ballance to bee over-partial in their own cause and to judge that an hainous offence in another that is scarce blame-worthy in themselves It is best therefore to lay down all injuries at Gods feet who will bee sure to give a just recompence to every transgression Heb. 2.2 and will else turn his wrath from our enemies to us for our diverse weights and false ballances See the Note on verse 10. of this Chapter Vers 24. Mans goings are of the Lord See the Notes on Chap. 16.1 9. God brought Paul to Rome by a way that hee little dreamed of Austin once travelling lost his way Aug. in Enchirid ad Laurent cap. 17. and fetching a compass came safe to the place hee intended whereas had hee kept the right way hee had been caught by an armed band of the Donatists that lay in wait for him The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 and hee findes himself sometimes crossed with a blessing As when Isabel Queen of England was to repass from Zeland into this Kingdome with an Army in favour of her son against her husband shee had utterly been cast away had shee come to the port intended being there expected by her enemies but Providence against her will brought her to another place where shee safely landed Good therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the Wise-mans counsel In all thy wayes acknowledge GOD and hee shall direct thy path Prov. 3.6 See the Note there Vers 25. It is a snare to a man who devoureth c. Hee doth as a fish that swallows the hook as the Eagle that stole the flesh from the Altar with a coal sticking to it that set the whole nest on fire c. What a sad end befell Cardinal Wolsey Act. Mon. whilest hee sought more to please the King than God as himself said And what a revenging hand of God pursued his five chief Agents that were most instrumental for him in that sacrilegious enterprise One of them killed his fellow in a duel and was hanged for it A third drowned himself in a Well A fourth fell from a great estate to extream beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being Arch-bishop of Dublin was cruelly slain by his enemies Scult Annal. tom 2. p. 332. Utinam his similibus exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare saith Scultetus who relates this story I would men would take heed by these and the like examples how they meddle with things once consecrated to God If Divine Justice so severly punished those that converted Church goods though not so well administred to better uses doubtless because they did it out of selfish and sinful principles and intentions what shall become of such as take all occasions to rob God that they may inrich themselves Luth. in Gen. 47 Spoliantur parochiae Scholae non aliter ac fi fame necare nos velint saith Luther Parishes and Schools are polled and robbed of their mantenance as if they meant to starve us all And aftervews to make inquiry viz. How hee may devour that tid bit without kecking and not finde it hard meat on his conscience But a man may easily eat that on earth Speeds Chron. fol. 826. that hee shall have time enough to digest in hell The fear of this made Queen Mary restore again all Ecclesiastical livings assumed to the Crown saying that shee set more by the salvation of her own soul than shee did by ten Kingdoms Ibid. 496. And upon the like motive King Lewis of France about the year 1152. cast the Popes Bulls whereby hee required the fruits of vacancies of all Cathedral Churches of France into the fire saying Hee had rather the Popes Bulls should roast in the fire than his own soul should fry in hell Vers 26. A wise King scattereth the wicked Dreins the Country of them by his just severity yet with due discretion as appears by the latter words and bringeth the wheel over them Blunts Voyage pag. 12. Zevecat in observ polit compared with Isa 28.27 28. The Turks justice will rather cut off two innocent men than let one offender escape The Venetians punish with death whosoever shall mis-imploy a penny of the publick stock to his own private profit Durescite durescite ô infoelix Lantgravic said the poor Smith to the Lantgrave of Thuring that was more milde than was for his peoples good The sword of Justice must I confels bee furbushed with the oyl of mercy but yet there are cases wherein severity ought to cast the scale Vers 27. The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord Some read it The breath of a man that is his life is the candle of the Lord and sense it thus Look how men deal by their Lights or Lamps so doth God by our Lives Some we put out as soon as lighted others we let alone till half wasted and others again till Wax and Week and all be consumed So some dye younger some older as God pleaseth But the word Neshamah here used as it holds affinity with the Hebrew Shamajim Heaven so it doth with the Latine word Mens the Mind or reasonable Soul which indeed is that light that is in us by an excellency Matth. 6.23 that spirit of a man that knows the things of a man 1 Cor. 2.11 that candle that is in a mans belly or body as in a Lanthorn making the least more perspicuous This is true by a specialty of that Divine faculty of the Soul Conscience which is frequently called the Spirit of a man as being planted of God in all and every part of the reasonable Soul where she produceth occasionally several operations being the Souls School-master Monitor and Domestical Preacher Gods spye and Mans over-seer the principal Commander and chief Controuler of all his doings and desires Conscia mens ut cuique sua est ita concipit intra Ovid. Pectora pro facto spemque metumque suo Surely it is a most Celestial gift saith one It is so of God and in man Bifeild on 1 Pet. 2. that it is a kind of middle thing betwixt God and man less than God and yet above man Huet of Conf. It may be called our God saith another in the sense that Moses was Pharaohs having power to controul and avenge our disobediences with greater Plagues than ever Moses brought on
iniquity as sure as the coat is on their back or the heart in their body Vers 16. The man that wandreth out of the way Let him wander while hee will that deviateth from the truth according to godliness hee cannot possibly wander so far as to miss of Hell God hath sworn in his wrath that no such vagrants shall enter into his rest Isa 50.11 Psal 95. Nay This shall they have of my hand Prov. 2.18 See the Note they shall lye down in sorrow they shall rest with Rephaims if at least they can rest in that restless resting-place of hell-fire in that Congregation-house of gehermal-giants where is punishment withour pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torments without end and past imagination Vers 17. Hee that loveth pleasure c. Luxury is attended by beggery Pleasure may bee had but not loved Isaac loved Venison a little better haply than hee should Esau loved hunting hence hee grew prophane and though not a begger Seneca yet worse The Prodigal in the Gospel spent his substance with riotous living Luk. 16.13 So did Apicius the Romane who hearing that there were seven hundred Crowns onely remaining of a vast estate that his Father had left him Valer. feared want and hanged him M. Livius another waste-good boasted when hee died that hee had left nothing for his heir praeter coelum coenum more than air and mire Roger Ascham School-Master to Queen Elizabeth Camb. Elisab and her Secretary for the Latine tongue being too much addicted to dicing and cock-fighting lived and died a poor man Vers 18. The wicked shall bee a ransome Heb. Copher a cover or an expiation as Achan was for Israel and as those condemned persons among the Heathens Budaeu◠that in time of pestilence or contagious infection were offered up by way or publick expiation with these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bee thou a reconciliation for us To this custome Saint Paul seems to allude 1 Cor. 4.13 Thus when Sauls sons were hanged Gods wrath was appeased 2 Sam. 21. and when guilty Jonah was cast into the Sea all was calm Thus God gave Egypt for Israels ransome yea Seba and Ethiopia Isa 43.3 And although hee may seem sometimes to sell his people for nought and not to encrease his wealth by their price Psal 44.12 yet when it comes to a critical point I will give men for thee and people for thy price Isa 43.4 See Prov. 11.8 with the Note there Vers 19. It is better to dwell in the wilderness Among ravenous beasts and venemous serpents in greatest danger and want of all necessary accommodation This is so much worse than the house-top as an angry and vexatious woman which like a mad dog bites all about her and makes them as mad as her self is worse than her that is not so much angry as unquiet brawling as Dogs bark sometimes in the night of custome or fancy and not provoked by any See supra vers 9. Vers 20. There is a treasure to bee desired Hee had said before Hee that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not bee rich Here hee shews that though these things may not bee loved or lavished yet they may and must bee had and heaped up in a way of good husbrandry for necessity yea for honest affluence that wee may not onely live but live comfortably that wee may not onely have prisoners pittance so much as will keep us alive but that wee may have plenty of things desirable both for profit as treasure and for delight as oyl And these things must not bee foolishly wasted as they are usually by unthrifts lest that make the wife that wants angry and unquiet as in the former verse Vers 21. Hee that followeth after righteousness Though for such a measure of it as hee desires hee cannot overtake or compass it If hee bee but doing at it Si faciat praecepta etiamsi non perficiat if hee think upon Gods Commandements to do them Psal 103.18 If though hee cannot open the door yet hee is lifting at the latch hee shall bee accepted yea rewarded Hee that follows after righteousness and mercy as an Apprentice follows his Trade though hee bee not his Craftsmaster shall surely finde righteousness with life and honour to boot And is not that a good thing a treasure to bee desired Vers 22. A wise man scaleth the City of the mighty Wisdome is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is profitable for all things of singular and sovereign use as in domestick and politick so in Military affairs and businesses Here Prudence is made out to bee better than Puissance and one wise man to bee too hard for many mighty though got into the strongest Garrisons In War wisdome is better than strength saith Solomon more than once Eccles 9.16 and Chap. 7.19 How did Archimedes hold out Syracuse against the Roman General by his singular skill and industry And how many strong Cities have been scaled and surpized by warlike wiles and stratagems as Babylon by Cyrus first Dio. and afterwards by Zopyrus Jerusalem by Pompey taking the opportunity of the seventh day Sabbath wherein hee knew the superstitious Jews would not stir to defend themselves and many others that might out of Histories bee instanced Vers 23. Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue As hee that keepeth his doors fast locked preserveth himself from danger See the Note on Chap. 13.3 The large and loose use of the tongue brings a man oft to divers straights and miseries Vers 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name An ill name hee gets him and lyes under the common reproach of a proud peevish person Hee seeks renown by his rage and revenge as Lamech that vaunted of his valour this way to his wives Alexander Pheraeus who consecrated the javelin wherewith hee had slain Polyphron Caelius the Lawyer that gloried to bee held the most froward and frample Roman alive c. But God loadeth such a man with disgrace as here and gives him his due character Men also will hate him and despise him for a son of Belial as Nabals servants said of him for a mad frantick fellow being once inraged cares not what hee sayes as Jonas what hee doth as Saul who dealing in proud wrath was so kindled by the Devil that hee could not bee quenched till hee fell into the unquenchable lake Besides the infamy that will never bee washed off the brand of reproach like that of Dathan and Abiram who rose up in proud wrath against Moses and Aaron and are therefore worthily stigmatized with a This is that Dathan Numb 26.9 like that other This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 and as wee commonly say of such an one that hee is a proud fool Vers 25. The desire of the sloathful killeth him Hee onely wisheth well to himself but refusing to labour pineth away in his iniquity Lev. 26.39 Neither grace nor wealth is
had with wishing Nemo casu fit Sapiens Epist 77. saith Seneca Some have a kinde of willingness and velleity a kinde of wambling after the best things but it doth not boyl up to the full height of resolution for God Pers Virtutem exeptant contabescuntque relictâ Carnal men care not to seek after him whom yet they would fain finde saith Bernard Cupientes consequi sed non sequi have heaven they would but stick at the hard conditions like faint Chapmen they bid money for heaven but are loath to come up to the full price of it Balaam wished well to heaven so did the young Pharisee in the Gospel that came to Christ hastily but went away heavily Herod of a long time desired to see Christ but never stirred out of doors to see him Pilate asked Christ What is truth but never stayed his answer The sluggard puts out his arm to rise and pulls it in again hee turns upon his bed as the door doth upon the hinges which yet comes not off for all the turnings but hangs still and this is his utter undoing Men must not think that good things whether spiritual or temporal will drop out of the clouds to them Aemuli ipsius dormientem pinxeram Plut. in Sylla as Towns were said to come into Timotheus his toyl while hee slept Now perform the doing of it saith Saint Paul to those lazie Corinthians 2 Cor. 8.12 A thirsty man will not only long for drink but labour after it A covetous man will not only wish for wealth but strive to compass it Yet not every covetous man I confess For in the next verse it is said of the sluggard Vers 26. Hee coveteth greedily all day long But these greedy constant covetings come to nothing hee makes nothing of them Meteors have matter enough in the vapours themselves to carry them above the earth but not enough to unite them to the element of fire therefore they fall and return to their first principles So is it with our wishers and woulders Many came out of Egypt that never came into Canaan And why the Land they liked well but complained with those Spies of the strength of the Anakims and the impossibility of the Conquest therefore their Carcases fell in the wilderness their sluggishness slew them They lusted and had not they killed themselves with coveting as in the former verse and desired to have as here but could not obtain Jam. 4.2 But the righteous giveth and spareth not Neither necessity nor niggardise hindreth him hee hath it and hee holds that hee hath no more than hee giveth Hee is both painful and pittiful and what hee cannot do for the poor himself hee stirs up others to do so far is hee from forbidding or hindring any from shewing mercy Some render the words thus The righteous giveth and forbiddeth not Give a portion saith hee to his richer friend to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall bee up on the earth Eccles 11.2 See the Note there Vers 27. The sacrifice of the wicked c. See the Note on Chap. 15.8 How much more when hee bringeth it c As Balaac and Balaam did Num. 23.1 2. As those that present ex rapina holocaustum a sacrifice of what they have got by rapine and robbery And as those likewise that ask good things at Gods hand that they may consume them upon their lusts Jam. 4.3 Let the wicked bring his sacrifice with never so good an intention hee is an abomination but if with an evil minde his dissembled sanctity is double iniquity As if a man think by observing the Sabbath to take out a license to walk licentiously all the week long or by praying in a morning to get a dispensation to do evil all day after Mr. Shepherds Sincere convert p. 232. Breerwood Enquire I have read of one that would haunt the Taverns Theaters and Whore-houses at London all day but hee durst not go forth without private prayer in the morning and then would say at his departure Now Devil do thy worst The Circassians are said to divide their life betwixt rapine and repentance The Papists many of them make account of confessing as Drunkards do of vomiting Sands his relat of West Religion When wee have sinned say they wee must confess and when wee have confessed wee must sin again that wee may also confess again and make work for new indulgences and jubilees Vers 28. A false witness shall perish See the Note on Chap. 19.5 The Scythians had a Law that if any man did duo peccata contorquere binde two sins together a Lye and an Oath hee was to lose his head because this was the way to take away all faith and truth amongst men But the man that heareth speaketh constantly Hee testifieth confidently what hee knoweth assuredly hee is alwayes also in the same tale as Paul was in the plea to the chief Captain to Felix to Festus and to Agrippa Not so Bellarmine How oft doth that loud Lyer forget himself and write contradictions As for instance In one place hee affirmeth that it can by no means bee proved by Scripture that any part of Scripture is the very word of God Par. in Apoc. 22.16 Bel. de verb. Dei l. 1. c 2. Sed mendax redarguit seipsum saith Pareus But the Lyer confutes himself by saying elsewhere Besides other arguments to evince the divinity of the Canonical Scripture it giveth sufficient testimony to it self Vers 29. A wicked man hardeneth his face Procacitèr obfirmat vultum suum so the Vulgar renders it The false witness vers 28. impudently defends or at least extenuates and excuses his falsities Frontem perfricat assuens mendacium mendacio as the Hebrew hath it Psal 119.69 Hee thinks to make good one lye by another to outface the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 27. to overbear it with a bold countenance It seems to bee a metaphor from a Traveller that sets his face against the wind and weather and holds on his journey though hee bee taking long strides toward destruction But as for the upright hee directeth his way Hee proceeds warily weighs his words before hee utters them and delivers nothing but the naked truth And truth is like our first Parents most beautiful when naked Some Interpreters take this verse as setting forth the difference between the wicked and the godly without any relation to the false and true witness vers 28. And then it is Sententia sapiente digna saith one Tam paucis verbis tam profundum sensum cumulans a sentence worthy of Solomon as having so much in a little Vers 30. There is wisdome against the Lord That is they are all to no purpose If God deny concourse and influence the arm of humane power and policy as Jeroboams shrinks up presently See Psal 2.1 2 3. 33.10 11. 62.3 See the Note on Chap. 19.21 Excellently Gregory Divinum consilium dum
their souls If honour and long life to enjoy it these prove snares to them Of carnal hearts it may bee said as Pharoah said of the Israelites They are intangled in the Land the wilderness hath shut them in Exod. 14.3 They have treasures in the field of Wheat Barley and Oyl as those ten men had Jer. 41.8 and are therefore loath to dye And yet before they dye live they never so long in all abundance of riches and honours God can bring them to that pass that Charles the fifth was at whom of all men the world judged most happy Philip of Mornay reports of him that he cursed his honours in his old age his victories trophies riches saying Abite hinc abite long è. Away away get you far away He that doth keep his soul shall be far from them As well from the wicked mans miseries as his misdemeanours hee keeps aloof from both hee dares not meddle with the hole of the Asp lest hee meet with a sting Custos animae elongabit se c. Moneo te iterumque monebo saith Lactantius to his Demetrian ne oblectamenta ista terrae pro magnis aut veris bonis habere te credas Lactant. de opificiâ— Dei quae sunt non tantum fallacia quia dubia verum etiam insidiosa quia dulcia Set not thine heart upon the Asses sith thou art in election for a Kingdome and the hearts of all Israel are upon thee Vers 6. Train up a childe in the way hee should go Or according to his measure and capacity dropping good things by degrees into his narrow-mouthed vessel and whetting the same upon his memory by often repeating Deut. 6.6 Shanan Shanah repetere sicut in acuendo as the knife by oft going over the whetstone it is Moses his comparison becomes keen and useful This is the way to make them expert and exact and to secure them from Satan for wee are not ignorant of his wiles It is reported of the Harts of Scythia that they teach their young ones to leap from bank to bank from rock to rock from one turf to another by leaping before them which otherwise they would never practise by which means when they are hunted no beast can ever take them So if men exercise their children unto godliness whiles they are young Satan that mighty hunter shall never have them for his prey They will not be young Saints old Devils as the prophane Proverb hath it but young Saints old Angels Now as all children should bee carefully catechised and well principled so those Timothies especially that are designed to the work of the Ministry Quintilians Oratour must from two or three years old bee inured and accustomed to the best and purest words very well pronounced unto him by his Nurses Parents Hand-maids as soon as ever hee begins to babble Quanto id in Theologo futuro expetendum curandumque magis Amama in â—â—â—ib How much more saith a learned man should this bee done by one that is to bee a Divine Vers 7. The rich ruleth over the poor And that with rigour as Pharaoh did over Israel as those imperious Mammonists in St. James his time that oppressed and subjugated their poorest brethren trampling upon them with the feet of intolerable insolency and cruelty Jam. 2.6 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren our children as their children said those poor Jews in Nehemiah who pleads their cause most effectually Chap. 5.7 8 9. c. Ubi quot verba tot tela quae nimirum animam divitum percellant fodicent lancinent as one saith in another case hee sets upon them with irresistible Rhetorick and makes them restore which yet rich oppressors are very hardly drawn to do Every grain of riches hath a vermin of pride and ambition in it 1 Tim. 6.17 See the Note there Mens blood riseth together with their good and they think that every thing must bee as they would have it But especially if they have drawn the poor into their nets Psal 10.9 that is into their bonds debts morgages as Chrysostome expounds it then they not onely rob but ravish them to their cruelty they joyn dishonesty there is neither equity or mercy to bee had at their hands Vers 8. Hee that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity The Usurer and cruel Creditor soweth his money his mammon of iniquity that ungain grain upon his poor debtors and whether it bee a barren year or a fruitful a good soil or a bad Luna affert menstruos sensus hee hath his constant pay yea his use upon use according to that Greek verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now can such increase bee blest Shall not those that thus sow the wind bee sure to reap the whirlewind And the rod of his anger shall fail That is that tyrannical power which hee exerciseth upon others as his underlings shall bee broken God will take out of his hand the rod wherewith hee hath beaten his fellow servants and waste it upon his own back to the very stump Vers 9. Hee that hath a bountiful eye shall bee blessed How Amalec the licking people as the name imports I mean the Nation of Usurers and proud lenders shall speed hath been spoken already Now on the other side the bountiful eye the cheerful giver as the Septuagint and after them St. Paul render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. or rather expound this Text shall bee abundantly blessed for hee gives with all his heart hee draws out not his sheaf onely but his soul to the hungry Isa 58. Dat bene dat multum quia dat cum munere vultum hee spares it out of his own belly to give to the hungry as some have here gathered from the word his bread that which was appointed for his own eating hee voluntarily fasteth from a meal now and then that hee may bestow it upon the needy and hee shall not lose his reward Vers 10. Cast out the scorner Or the evil Interpreter that construes every thing to the worst and so sows dissention This is an evil instrument and must bee cashiered good company the place where such a Trouble-town lives longs for a vomit to spue him out There is nothing that may not bee taken with either hand It is a spiritual unmannerliness to take it with the lest as that proud Pharisee did Luke 7.34 and to cast it as an apple of contention amongst others They that do thus are the pests of Families and other societies and must therefore bee carefully cast out with scoffing Ishmael as ever wee desire to avoid strife sutes at Law reproach and many more mischiefs Vers 11. Hee that loveth pureness of heart That is vexed at his inward pollutions and affecteth what hee can never fully effect to be pure as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Hee that hath gotten that pure lip Zeph. 3.9 called here the grace of his lips Prov. 31.26 and elsewhere the Law of grace Hee that can
lie in vanity Jon. 2.8 transit voluptas manet dolor dolor est etiam ipsa voluptas Vers 4. Labour not to be rich The Courtier is still at his lesson Many gotten into Princes Palaces into places of profit fat offices mind nothing more than the feathering of their own nests raising of their own houses filling of their own coffers Such were Shebna Haman Sejanus of whom Tacitus makes this report Palam compositus pudor intus summa adipiscendi libido Quicquid non acquiritur damnum est Sen. that he made shew of modesty but was extream covetous insomuch saith Seneca that he thought all to be lost that he got not for himself How much better Joseph Nehemiah Daniel c. who being wholly for the publike as they had nothing to lose so they had as little to get but were above all price or sale Cease from thine own wisdome Cast away that carnal policy that would prompt thee to get rem rem quocunque modo rem wealth of any fashion This wisdome is by Saint James fitly stiled earthly sensual devilish Earthly managing the lusts of the eye to the ends of gain Sensual managing the lusts of the eye to ends of pleasure and Devilish managing the pride of life unto ends of power James 3.15 with 1 John 2.14.15 Vers 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes c. Hebr. Wilt thou cause thine eyes to fly after c. Wilt thou fly a fools pitch and go hawking after that that cannot be had or if had will not pay for the pains countervail the cost Wilt thou cast a leering look after such vanities Upon that which is not That hath no solid subsistence though the foolish world call it substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.31 The Greek word there used intimateth that there is nothing of any firmnesse or solid consistence in the Creature Heaven onely hath a foundation Heb. 11.10 Earth hath none but is hanged upon nothing as Job speaketh Ye rejoyce in a thing of nought saith the Prophet to them that drank wine in bowls c. Amos. 6.6 13. For riches certainly make themselves wings As the Heathens feigned of their God Plutus Under these wings let the Master hide himself as Esay 28.15 yet with those wings will they fly away without once taking leave leaving nothing but the print of talons in his heart to torment him Riches saith one were never true to those that trusted them To fly from us they make themselves great Eagles wings to fly to us or after us Ne passerinas quidem Augustin not so much as old sparrows wings Temporals saith another are as transitory as a hasty head-long torrent a shadow a ship a bird Mr Bolton an arrow a post that passeth by or if you can name any thing of swifter wing or sooner gone Vers 6. Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an evill eye That is of a miserly muckworm that wisheth thee choaked for so doing even then when he maketh greatest shew of hospitality and humanity Vers 7. For as he thinketh in his heart so is he Mens cujusque is est quisque The man is as his mind is or as he thinketh in his heart so he speaketh he cannot so dissemble but that eftsoons he blurteth out some word or sheweth some sign of his sordid disposition Some read it thus For as he grudgeth his own soul so he will say unto thee eat drink c. As he starves his own Genius and cannot afford himself a good meals-meat so he grudgeth at his guests whom yet he bids welcome Christ doth not so Cant. 5.1 Vers 8. The morsel which thou hast eaten That is That which thou hast eaten shall be so ill-sauced that thou shalt wish it up again and thou shalt repent thee of thy complements or of whatsoever other good speech thou hast used at table which was the salt wherewith our Saviour used to besprinkle the dishes wherever he dined Daniels hist Vers 9. Speak not in the ears of a fool That is Of a wilfull fool that seldome asketh Counsel but never followeth any as it is said of James King of Scotland See the notes on Prov. 9.7 8. and on Mat. 7.6 Vers 10. Remove not the ancient land-mark See the Note on chap. 22.28 Vers 11. For their Redeemer is mighty The thunder of his power who can understand Iob 26.14 And who knoweth the power of his wrath Psal 90.11 Oh contend not with him that is mightier than thou Eccles 6.10 God Almighty is in a special manner the Guardian of his Orphans and the great Master of the Wards Vers 12. Apply thy heart unto instruction Make thine heart to come to it though never so averse Call in thy scattered thoughts and busie them about the best things Anima dispersa fit minor This is the wise mans Counsel to the younger sort But because surdis plerunque fabulam few youths will be better advised therefore he bespeaks their Parents and Tutors in the next words Vers 13. With-hold not correction from the Childe See the Note on chap. 13.24 He shall not dye Or if he do yet not by thy default Thou hast delivered thine own soul howsoever If a Blackmore enter into the Bath though he become not white by it Yet the Bath-master hath his pay saith Keyserspergius The Physician hath his see whether the Patient recover or dye Vers 14. And shalt deliver his soul from hell Fond and foolish Parents are peremptores potiùs quam parentes rather Paricides than Parents â—ern Epist 12â— sith Qui non cum potest servat occidit by not saving their Children they slay them by cockting them in their sin they pitch them headlong into Hell Vers 15. My son if thine heart be wise Si vexatio det intellectum if either by instruction or correction I may make thee wise or well-spoken Bonum birum dicendi peritum as Quintilians Oratour cotus laetitia dissiliam I shall be a joyful man indeed Saint John had no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in the truth 3 Joh. â— And St. Paul could never bee thankful enough for such a mercy 1 Thess 3.9 Even mine Or even as I viz. was a comfort to my Parents Vers 17. Let not thine heart envie sinners Who have they never so much here they have but a pension an annuity a state of life granted them in the utmost and most remote part of our Inheritance But be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long An excellent means to cure one of the fret Probatum est Only it must be used constantly Men must wake with God walk with him and lye down with him be in continual communion with him and conformity unto him This is to bee in Heaven aforehand Vers 18. For surely there is an end Viz. Of their pomp and prosperity dum fanea quadam felicitate temporaliter floreant as Augustine hath it Aug.
Licitis perimus omnes We generally most of all over-shoot our selves in the use of things lawfull as those recusant guests did Matth. 22. and the old world Luke 17.26.27 Hebraei ponunt rarum pro caâ—o ut 1 Sam. 3. Vers 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy Neighbours house This is an honey that thou mayest surfeit on therefore make thy foot precious or rare so the Original hath it at thy Neighbours house by too-oft frequenting whereof thou maiest become cheap nay burdensome At first thou mayest be Oreach as the Hebrew proverb hath it i. e. welcome as a Traveller that stays for a day At length thou wilt be Toreach a charge a burden And lastly by long tarrying thou shalt be Boreach an out-cast hunted out of the house that thou hast so immodestly haunted It is a very great fault among many saith one that when they have found a kind and sweet friend they care not how they overlay him or abuse his courtesie But as we say in our common proverb it is not good to take too much of a frank horse Vers 18. Is a Maul and a Sword and a sharp Arrow A Maul Hammer or Club to knock out his brains and make them fly about the room as the Hebrew word imports A Sword or Murthering weapon Psal 42.10 and 57.5 to run him thorow and let out his bowels And a sharp Arrow to pierce his flesh and strike thorow his very heart Loe here the mischief of an evil tongue thin broad and long like a Sword to let out the Life-bloud of the poor innocent nay to destroy his soul too as seducers doe that bear false witnesse against the truth of God and by their cunning lyes deceive the hearts of the simple Vers 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man c. In a Prevaricator a Covenant-breaker a perfidious Person such as Ahitophel was to David Jobs miserable comforters to him He compares them to the brooks of Tema chap. 6.16 17. in a moysture they swelled in a drought they failed Egypt to Israel a staff or broken reed whereon if a man lean it will goe into his hand and pierce it Isa 36.6 the Roman Senate to Julius Caesar whom they killed in the Council-chamber with twenty three wounds and this was done à pluribus amicis quam inimicis quorum non expleverat spes inexplebiles saith Seneca by most of his pretended friends whose unreasonable hopes he had not satisfied Sen. li. 3. de ira How good is it therefore to try before we trust yea to trust none that are not true to God David durst not repose upon Sauls fair promises whom he knew to be moody and slippery The French say in their Proverb When the Spaniard comes to parl of peace then double-bolt the door The Hollanders make no conditions with the Spaniard whom they know to hold that Machiavellian heresie Fides tam diù servanda est quamdiú expediat but such as are made at Sea and sealed with great Ordnance Calvin and other Protestant Divines were called to the Council of Trent but durst not venture thither quia me vestigia terrent as the Fox in the Fable said they had not forgot how John Hus and Hierome of Prague sped at the Council of Constance although they had the Emperours safe conduct They knew that Turks and Papists concur in this as they doe in many other Tenets That there is no faith to be kept with doggs that is with Christians as Turks understand it with Hereticks as Papists Vers 20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather Musick in mourning is held most unseasonable that was an Heathenish custom that the Jewes had taken up Matth. 9.23 Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus saith Ovid. Fast lib. 4. Wee should rejoyce with those that rejoyce and weep with those that weep Nabla lyra lugentibus ingrata saith Plutarch Musick and mourning agree like Harp and Harrow like thin cloathing and cold weather or like Nitre and Vinegar saith Salomon There are that read the words otherwise and accordingly sense them Thus As he that putteth on a garment in the cold season or Vinegar on Nitre so is he that singeth songs to a sad heart That is Junius Tristitiam dissolvit cantus ut vestes discutiunt frigus acetum dissolvit nitrum As a garment warmeth the body and Vinegar dissolveth Nitre so a sweet singer by his delightsome ditty cheareth up the pensive soul and driveth sorrow out of it See 1 Sam. 16.24 2 King 3.15 Dan. 6.19 Vers 21. If thine enemy be hungry Elisha did so he feasted his Persecutours 2 King 6. by a noble revenge and provided a table for those who had provided a grave for him Those Syrians came to Dothan full of bloudy purposes to Elisha he sends them from Samaria full of good chear and jollity Thus Dr. Hall's contempt thus should a Christian punish his pursuers no vengeance but this is Heroical and fit for imitation Vers 22. For thou shalt heap coals of fire By heaping courtesies upon him thou shalt win him over to thy self as the King of Israel did those Syrians hee feasted They came no more after that by way of ambush or incursion into the bounds of Israel In doing some good to our enemies wee doe most to our selves And the Lord shall reward thee However men deal with thee It may bee they may prove dross that will not bee melted dirt that will not bee mollified but moulter to nothing crumble to crattle as stones c. as having no metal of ingenuity or good nature in them But desist not despond not God will reward thee and his retributions are more than bountiful Or as the words may be read God will pacifie for thee as he did Saul for David Never did a charitable act goe away without a blessing God cannot but love in us this imitation of his mercy who bids his Sun to shine upon the evil and unthankful and that love is never fruitless Caecias nubes attrahit Vers 23. The North-wind drives away raine Hence Homer calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fair-weather-maker and Hierom the ayres Beesome There is a Southerly wind that attracts clouds and ingenders rain So doth an angry countenance a back-biting tongue The ready way to be rid of Tale-bearers is to brow-beat them for like Whelps if we stroke them they leap upon us and defile us with fawning but give them a rap and they are gone so here Carry therefore in this case a severe rebuke in thy countenance as God doth Psal 80.16 Be not a re-setter to these privie Theeves a receptacle for these mures nominis as one calls them the Tale-hearer is as blame-worthy as the Tale-bearer and he that loves a lye as he that makes it Revel 22. See Psal 15.3 Rom. 1.31 Vers 24. It is better to dwell c. See the note on chap. 21.9 and 19.13 Vers 25. As cold waters to a thirsty soul
that found his Glove with a desire to restore it him Mr. Sam. Ward but pursued inwardly with a guilty conscience leaps over a hedge plunges into a Marle-pit behind it unseen and unthought of wherein he was drowned But the righteous is bold as a Lion Conscientia pura semper secura a good Conscience hath sure confidence and he that hath it sits Noah like Medius tranquillus in undis quiet in the greatest combustions freed if not from the common destruction yet from the common distraction for he knows whom hee hath trusted and is sure that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come Rom. 8.38 can ever sunder him from Gods love in Christ He is bold as a Lion saith the Text yea as a young Lion that is in his hot bloud and therefore fears no other creature yea when he is fiercely pursued hee will never once alter his gate though he dye for it No more will the righteous man his resolution against sin such is his Christian courage Daniel chose rather to be cast to the lyons than to bear a lyon in his own bosome to violate his conscience The primitive Christians chose rather to be abandoned ad leones quam ad lenones they preferred affliction before sin And this their persecutors counted not courage and magnanimity but wilfulness and obstinacy Tertul. in Apolog But they knew not the power of the Spirit nor the privy armour of proof that the righteous have about their hearts that insuperable faith whereby some have stopped the mouths of lyons quenched the violence of fire c. Heb. 11.33.34 and whereby they do all daily encounter and conquer that roaring lyon the devil quenching his fiery darts c. Eph. 6. Vers 2. For the transgression of a land many are the Princes Either many at once or many ejecting and succeeding one another to the great calamity and utter undoing of the People as may be seen in the books of Judges and Kings as in the Roman state after Nero's death by the succession of Galba Otho and Vitellius What a deal of trouble was here in the time of the Heptarchy and in the dissensions of the two houses of York and Lancaster causing the death of twice as many natives of England Daniels hist 249. as were lost in the two conquests of France besides 80 Princes of the blood royal slain And all this is said to be for the transgression of a land thus chastised by the LORD Elihu tells Job that the hypocrite is set to reign for the peoples sin Job 34. and Levit. 26. it is threatned as an heavy curse If yee still trespass against mee I will set Princes over you that shall hate you mischievous odious Princes odious to God malignant to the People And Isa 3.4 I will give children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them How many Kings had the ten Tribes after their defection from the house of David and not one good one amongst them all And what got most of the Roman Cesars by their hasty honours nisi ut citius interficorentur saith one but to be slain the sooner Very few of them till Constantine but died unnatural deaths If ye do wickedly ye shall perish both you and your King 1 Sam. 12.25 But by a man of understanding and knowledge As one sinner may destroy much good Eccles 9.18 so one excellently wise man called here a man of understanding knowledge there is no copulative in the Original the state may be prolonged there may be a lengthening of its tranquillity it may be delivered by the pureness of thine hands Job 22.30 See 2 Sam. 20.16 c. Eccles 9.13 c. Jer. 5.1 Religious and prudent Princes especially may do much in this case 2 King 22.20 Vers 3. A poor man that oppresseth the poor c. Such an oppressour bites hard as a lean louse doth makes clean work plunders to the life as they say omnia corradit converret Poor men should pitty poor men as knowing the misery of poverty but to oppress or defraud their comperes is greatest inhumanity as that merciless fellow servant did Matth. 18.28 c. A Weesel is a ravenous beast as well as a Lyon a Sparrow-hauk as greedy as an Eagle and more mercy is to be expected from those more noble creatures than from the base and abject Vers 4. They that forsake the Law praise the wicked As Machiavel doth Cesar Borgia that bipedum nequissimum proposing him for a pattern to all Christian Princes as Onuphrius the Popes Biographer doth Hildebrand or Gregory 7th in five books written of his noble acts and great virtues whom Cardinal Benno truly describeth to have been a murtherer an adulterer Epiphan barcâ— 38. a conjurer a Schismatick an heretick and every way as bad as might be Epiphanius tells us that there were a sort of brain-sick hereticks that cried up Cain and were therefore called Cainites They also commended the Sodomites Korah Judas the traitour c. In the book of Judith the act of Simeon and Levi upon the Shechemites is extolled and there was one Bruno that wrote an Oration in commendation of the devil But they that keep the law contend with them Moved with a zeal of God they cannot be silent As Craesus his dumb son they cry out Wilt thou â—ill my father dishonour my God c Good blood will never belye it self good metal will appear How did young David bristle against black-mouthed Goliah and enter the lists with him Do not I hate them that hate thee saith he Psal 139. Yea I hate them with a perfeâ—â— hatred I cast down the gauntlet of defiance against them I count them mine enemies Asa cannot bear with Idolatry no not in his own mother Our Edward the sixth would by no means yield to a toleration for his sister Mary though solicited thereunto by Cranmer and Ridley for politick respects Mihi quâ—dem Auxentius non alius erit quam diabolus quamdiu Arrianus said Hilary I shall look upon Auxentius as a devil so long as he is an Arrian It was 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 if the Pope saith he as Pope commanded me to receive it in both kinds I would but receive it in one kind sith to obey what he commands as Pope is a receiving of the mark of the beast Vers 5. Evill men understand not judgement They are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge their wits work not that way they are bard and brutish as horse and asse Psal 32. Yea they fall beneath the stirrup of reason and know not their owner which yet the ox and asse doth Esa 1.3 no wiser at 70 years old than at seven Ut liberius peccent libenter ignorant not willing to know what they are not minded to practice But they
from the face of the Serpent Rev. 12.14 Vers 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper Sin is a Traytor and must not be hid for if so now it sucks a mans breast shortly it will suck his bloud Sin is a sore and must be opend a sicknesse and must be declared to the Physician the concealing of one circumstance may endanger all Sin is a deformity that must be uncovered or God will never cover it see it wee must to confession or see it we shall to our confusion If Job had covered his transgression as Adam or after the manner of men hee had undone himself Job 31.33 It is the manner of men and they have it from Adam to palliate their sins and plead for them to eleviate and extenuate them to mince and excuse them Sin and Shifting came into the world together Sin and Satan are alike in this they cannot abide to appear in their own colour Some deal with their souls as others doe with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so their sins 3 Joh. 2. from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses These must not look for Gaius's prosperity The Sun-shine also of their outward prosperity ripens their sin apace and so fits them for destruction Never was Ephraims case so desperate Hosea 4. as when God said Ephraim is joyned with Idols let him alone Nor Jerusalem so neer destruction as when God said My fury shall depart from thee I will bee quiet and no more angry Ezek. 16.42 To prosper in sin is the greatest unhappinesse that can befall a man out of Hell But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them c. Confession of sin must be joyned with confusion of sin or all is lost Papists use confession as Drunkards use Vomiting that they may adde drunkennesse to thirst Profane people use it as Lewis the eleventh of France did his Crucifix he would swear an oath and then kiss it and swear again and then kisse it again So they sin and confesse they doe not well nor will they strive to doe better As they sorrow not to a transmentation with those Corinthians so they confesse not to an utter abandoning of their wicked courses They confesse as those Israelites did Numb 14.40 Wee have sinned we will goe up They might as well have said Wee have sinned wee will sin for God had flatly forbidden them to goe up at that time They confesse as Saul did I have sinned viz. in humouring the people yet honour mee said he before the people As the Philistians confessed Gods hand yet sent away the Ark so doe these They that confesse and forsake not are only dog-sick when they have disgorged their stomacks they will return to their vomit Shall have mercy Confesse the debt and God will crosse the book he will draw the red lines of Christs bloud over the black lines of our sins and cancel the hand-writing that was against us No sooner could David cry peccavi I have sinned but Nathan said Transtulit peccatum tuum Dominus God hath taken away thy sin yea transtulit He hath translated it he hath caused thy sin to passe over from thee to Christ Isa 53.6 Rom. 4.8 Confession is the Souls vomit and those that use it shall not only have ease of conscience but Gods best comforts and cordials to restore them again Cum homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit saith Augustine It is not here Confesse and be hanged but Confesse and be saved In the Courts of men it is safest to say Non feci quoth Quintilian I did it not Per Miserere mei tollitur ira Dei to plead Not guilty Not so here Ego feci is the best plea I did it I have done very foolishly Have mercy upon me O Lord c. Judah that is Confession got the Kingdome from Reuben it is the way to the Kingdom No man was ever kept out of Heaven for his confessed badnesse many are for their supposed goodness Vers 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes That is in the fear of the Lord all day long chap. 23.17 Duo sunt timores Dei servilis amicalis saith Bede There is a two-fold fear of God Servile and Filial perfect love casts out the former breeds and feeds the latter By this fear of the Lord it is that men depart from evil that they shake off security that they abound in Gods work that they may abide in his love that they set a jealous eye upon their own hearts and suspect a Snake under every Flower a snare in every Creature and doe therefore feed with fear and rejoyce in fear passe the whole time of their sojourning herein fear yea work out their whole salvation with fear and trembling O the blessednesse of such But he that hardneth his heart As a perfect stranger to Gods holy fear the contrite heart ever trembles at Gods Word Isa 57.17 Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa 63.17 which as Fire doth Iron mollifies the hardest heart and makes it malleable Fear is a fruit of repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 yea what fear which intenerates the heart and makes it capable of Divine impressions as Josiah On the other side the Jews feared not God because of a rebellious heart Jer. 5.22 23. Shall fall into mischief Manifold mischief ruine without remedy chap. 29.1 The incestuous person though delivered up to Satan repented and recovered but he that is delivered up to an hard heart to a dead and dedolent disposition is in a manner desperate and deplored he heaps up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. This made a reverent man once say If I must bee put to my choyce I had rather be in Hell with a sensible heart than on earth with a reprobate mind A hard heart is in some respect worse than Hell sith one of the greatest sins is farre greater in evil than any of the greatest punishments as one hath well observed Vers 15. As a roaring Lion Latrocinium cum privilegio and a ranging Bear Regiment without righteousness turns into tyranny and becomes no better than robbery by authority Look how the Lion frayes the poor beasts with his roaring so that they have no power to stirre and then preys upon them with his teeth And as the Bear searches them out and tears them limb-meal So deal Tyrants with their poor Subjects Zeph. 3.3 Her Princes within her are roaring Lions her Judges evening Wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow Such were those Cannibals in Davids dayes that eat up Gods people as they eat bread Psal 14.4 such those miscreants in Micah who did eat the flesh of Gods people and flayd their skin that brake their bones and chopt them in peeces as for the pot chap. 3.3 Much like those American Cannibals who when they take a Prisoner feed upon him alive and by degrees cutting
as Zanchius complaineth Of all Fowl we most hate and detest the Crowes and of all Beasts the Jackalls a kind of Foxes in Barbary because the one diggs up the graves and devours the flesh the other picks out the eyes of the dead But to return to the text sinful men grow aged and crooked with good opinions of themselves and can seldome or never be set streight again The Pharisee sets up his Counter for a thousand pound I am not as other men saith he nor as this Publican hee stands upon his comparisons nay upon his disparisons and although he turn aside unto his crooked ways as Sampson did to his Dalilah yet he thinks much to bee led forth with the workers of iniquity Psal 125.5 Hab. 2. Luk. 13.11 but cryes Peace shall bee upon Israel How many are there that having laden themselves with thick clay are bowed together as he in the Gospel was and can in no wise lift up themselves They neither can not will O curvae in terras animae c. but are frample and foolish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word for crooked comes of an Hebrew word that signifies a fool and every fool is conceited he will not part with his bable for the Tower of London Try to streighten these crooked peeces and they will sooner break than bend venture all than mend any thing Plato went thrice to Sicily to convert Dionysius and could not doe it A wiser than Plato complains of a perverse and crooked generation Deut. 32.5 See Acts 2.40 Phil. 2.15 It is the work of Gods Spirit only by his corrective and directive power to set all to rights Luk. 3.5 Philosophy can abscondere vitia non abscindere chain up corrupt nature but not change it And that which is wanting cannot be numbred stultorum infinitus est numerus so the Vulgar renders it there is a numberlesse number of fools such as are wanting with a witnesse witlesse saplesse fellows such as have principium laesum their brains crackt by the first fall and are not cured of their Spiritual phrenzie by being re-united to the second Adam Of such fools there are not a few 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deteriorum magna est natio boni singulares Cic. ad Attic. all places are full of them and so is Hell too the earth is burdned the air darkned with the number of them as the Land of Aegypt was with the Flies that there swarmed Bias the Philosopher could say that the most were the worst and Cicero that there was a great Nation of bad people but a few good Rari quippe boni saith Juvenal there is a great paucity of good people And those few that are find not a few wants and weaknesses in themselves quae tamen non nocent si non placent these hurt us not if they please us not for God considers whereof we are made and will cast out condemnation for ever Lud. de Dieu Euphor Amama Psal 19. as one renders that place Matth. 12.10 Triste mortalitatis privilegium est â—icere aliquando peccare Our lives are fuller of sins than the Firmament is of starres or the Furnace of sparks Nimis augusta res est nuspiam errare David saw such volumes of infirmities and so many Erratas in all that he did that hee cries out Who can understand his errours O cleanse thou mee from secret sins Vers 19. I communed with mine own heart saying c. Here Hugo de Sancto Victore proceeds to censure Solomon as hee had done before vers 13. See the note there of pride and vain-glory but with greater pride For Puerilis jactantiae est accusando illustres viros suo nomini famam quaerere It is a childish vanity to seek for fame by aspersing better men Hicronym Solomon might without boasting say of himself as here he doth Loe I am come to great estate or I have greatned and added wisdome above all that have been before me Doth not God say as much of him 2 King 3. 4. 5. 10 And had hee not good reason to praise himself in this sort For whereas some might here object that the cause that men get not happinesse by the knowledge of Natural Philosophy is because they understand it not That cannot be saith the Wise-man for I have out-gone all that went before me in wisdome and perspicacity and yet I can doe no good on 't try you another while if you think you can out-doe mee I think a man may break his neck before his fast of these sublunary felicities Vers 17. And to know madnesse and folly That by comparing of contraries I might the sooner finde and fish out what I sought for Sed frustra fui but I disquieted my self in vain Philosophandum igitur sed paucis there is a deceit in Philosophy Col. 2.8 and hee who chooseth to hold fast this lying vanity doth by his own election forsake mercy Jon. 2.8 Vers 18. For in much wisdome is much grief And herein children and fools have the advantage as they want wit so they want woe as little is given to them so little is required of them Nihil scire vita jucundissimae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soph. To know nothing is the bravest life as the Greek Proverb hath it But this must be taken with a grain of salt and wee must know that heavenly wisdome hath infinite pleasure and so farre as all other Arts and Sciences are subservient to it and regulated by it they afford to the mind an incredible delight and sweetnesse CHAP. II. Vers 1. Goe to now I will prove thee with mirth THe merry Greeks of the World think that they have the only life of it that there is no such happinesse as to laugh and be fat to sing Care away and to lye carousing and melting in sinful pleasures yea though they perish therein as the Duke of Clarence did in his Butt of Malmesey But a little time will confute these fools saith Solomon and let them see that it is better to be preserved in brine than to rot in Hony Flyes and Waspes use to come to honey and suger and such sweet things so doth Beelzebub the god of flyes to the hearts of Epicures and voluptuaries Behemoth haunteth the fennes Job 40.21 Here therefore this Wise-man was utterly out and made an ill transition from the search of wisdome to the pursute of pleasures from the school of Socrates to the herd of Epicurus For though these hoggs may grunt out their Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall dye yet if death but draw the curtain and look in upon them all the mirth is marr'd and they put into as great an agony as Belshazzar was at the sight of the hand-writing that was against him Vers 2. I said of mirth it is mad q. d. Thou mad fool what dost thou Yet is not mirth amisse so it be moderate nor laughter unlawful as some Anabaptists in Calvins
Moses was to Aaron Though he fall he shall arise for the Lord puts under his hand Psal 37.24 But woe to him that is alone Because Satan is readiest to assault when none is by to assist Solitarinesse therefore is not to be affected because it is the hour of temptation For he hath not a second to help him up As Elizabeth Cowper the Martyr in Queen Maries dayes had who being condemned and at the stake with Simon Miller when the fire came unto her she a little shrank thereat crying once Ha when Simon heard the same he put his hand behind him toward her and willed her to be strong and of good chear for Good Sister said he Ib. 1981. we shall soon have a joyful and sweet supper it is but winking a little and you are in heaven With these and the like speeches she being strengthned stood still and quiet as one most glad to finish that good work It was therefore a devillish policy in Julian and other Heathen Persecutors to banish Christians into farre Countries one from another and to confine them to Isles and Mines where they could not have accesse one to another Vers 11. Again if two lye together then they have heat Heat of zeal and good affection Did not our hearts burn within us said those two Disciples Luke 24. when Christ once made the third with them and by holy conference kindled them So when Silas and Timotheus came from Macedonia Paul was pressed in spirit Acts 18.5 Warm he was before but now all of a light fire as it were Those dull daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Spouse describe her beloved as shee doth from top to toe were fired up with desire to joyn with her in seeking after him whom her soul loved The lying together of the dead body of one with the bones of Elisha gave life to it so doth good company give life to those that are dead in sin Let two cold flints bee smitten together and fire will come forth So let two dull Christians conferre and communicate their soul-secrets and it shall not repent them they shall find the benefit of it Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades saith God to Job chap. 38.31 These Pleiades be the seven Stars that have all one name because they all help one another in their work which is to bring the Spring and like seven Sisters so are they joyned together in one constellation and in one company Wee see that God will have the sweetest works in Nature to bee performed with mutual help The best time of the year the sweetest warmth cometh with these Pleiades and the best time of our life cometh when wee lye together in true love and fellowship No sooner had the Philippians received the Gospel but they were in fellowship to a day Phil. 1.5 They knew that as sincerity is the life of Religion so is society the life of sincerity Vers 12. And if one prevail against him c. Vis unita fortior God bade Gideon to go down to the Camp of the Midianites and if he feared to go then to take with him his servant Phurah 1 Sam. 26 Jonathan will not goe without his armor-bearer David without Abishai Christ when to begin his Passion in the Garden took Peter James and John with him for the benefit of their prayers and company Psal 122.3 Cant. 7. Matth. 16. though they served him but sorrily My dove is but one Cant. 6.9 Jerusalem is a City compact together The Church is terrible as an Army with banners the gates of Hell cannot prevail against her Unity hath victory but division breeds dissolution as it did once in this Island when Caesar first entred it Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur saith Tacitus of the ancient Britans The Turks pray daily that the differences amongst us Christians may be heightned Camer medit Hist cen 2. cap 23. Rich. Axiom Polit. p. 86 for that will soonest undoe us And one of their Emperours when his Council disswaded him from a Warre against the Germans because of their multitude said that he feared them not because sooner would his fingers be all of one length than their Princes all of one mind And a three-fold cord is not easily broken A proverbial confirmation well interpreted by Lyra Quanto plures boni in amicitia conjuncti sunt tanto status corum melioratur The more they are that unite so they bee good the better it is with them See 2 Sam. 10.9 10 11 12. We lose much of our strength in the losse of friends our cable is as it were untwisted Hence David so bemoans the loss of Jonathan 2 Sam. 1. and made him an Epitaph Hence St. Paul counted it a special mercy to him that Epaphroditus recovered Phil. 1.27 Vers 13. Better is a poor and wise childe Such as was Joseph David Daniel and his three Camerades c. apt to learn ready to receive instruction and as careful to follow it And well doth the Preacher joyn poverty with wisdome for Nescio quomodo bonae mentis soror est paupertas saith he in Petronius and Paupertas est Philosophiae vernacula Poverty is the proper language of Philosophy and wisdome is undervalued and little set by Those wisest of the Greeks were very poor Alian l. 2 Aristides Phocion Pelopidas Epaminondas Socrates Ephialtes So were those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.38 They wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute c. Sweet-smelling Smyrna was the poorest of all the seven Churches Revel 3. yet hath the richest price set upon it Lactantius dyed miserable poor so did Theodorus Gaza that learned Greek Of Archimedes thus sings Silius Sil. lib. 14 Nudus opum sed cui coelum terraeque patebant But I am fully of Aeneas Sylvius his judgement that Popular men should esteem wisdome as silver Noble-men as gold Princes as pearls Of Queen Elizabeth that peerlesse Princesse it is said Camb. Eliz. that she hated no lesse than did Mithridates such as despised vertue forsaken of fortune Erasm Than an old and foolish King Brabanti quo magis senescunt eo magis stultescunt So doe many men of quality Monarchs and others weak and yet wilful short-witted and yet self-conceited such as were Saul Rehoboam Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar our Henry the third called Regni dilapidator and that James that reigned in Scotland in our Edward the fourths time Daniels Hist of whom it is storied that hee was so much wedded to his own opinion that hee could not endure any mans advice how good soever that hee fancied not Ibid. hee would seldom ask counsel but never follow any Xerxes in his expedition against Greece Val. Max. lib. 9 cap. 5. is reported to have called his Princes together and thus to have spoken to them Lest I should seem to follow mine own counsel I have assembled you and now do you remember that it becomes
he hath vowed to God sith his is a Covenant of Mercy ours of obedience and if hee shall be All-sufficient to us we must be Altogether his Cant. 2.16 Vers 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin Heb. Nec des Give not liberty to thy mouth which of itself is so apt to over-flow and run riot in sinful and superfluous language Reign it in therefore and lay Lawes upon it lest it cause thy flesh to sin thy self to become a sinner against thine own soul Say to it in this case as Christ did to those Pharisees in the Gospel Why temptest thou me thou hypocrite or as the Witch said to Saul that sought to her Wherefore layest thou a snare for my life to cause me to dye 1 Sam. 28.9 Shall my prayer become sin and my religious vowes through non-payment a cause of a curse Psal 109.7 When thou art making such an ill bargain say to thy mouth as Boaz said to his Kinsman At what time thou buyest it Ruth 4. Rom. 6. ult thou must have Ruth with it so thou must have Gods curse with it for that 's the just hire of the least sin how much more of thy crimson crime And let thy mouth answer No I may not doe it I shall mar and spoyl a better inheritance I shall anger the Angel of the Covenant who if his wrath be kindled yea but a little he will not pardon my transgression for Gods an◠is in him Exod. 23.21 Who as he is Pater miserationum the Father of mercies so he is eus ultionum the God of recompences Psal 94.1 True it is that Anger is not properly in God Fury is not in me Isa 27.4 but because he chides and smites for sin as angry men use to doe therefore is Anger here and elsewhere attributed to him that men may stand in awe and not sin sith sin and punishment are linked together with chains of Adamant Vers 7. For in the multitude of dreams and in many words i. e. As in the multitude of dreams so in many words c. There may bee some matter in some of either but neither of either wants their vanities Dreams are of divers sorts See the Note on Gen. 20.3 Epicurus judged them all vain The Telmisenses Tertul. de anima c. 46. nulla somnia evacuabant saith Tertullian made no dreams to bee vain But that some dreams are Divine some diabolical and some natural Peculiare solatium naturalis oraculi as one speaketh good symptomes and indications of the natural constitution no wise man ever doubted That of the Philosopher hath a truth in it Aristot Ethic. Justum ab injusto non somno sed somnio discerni that a good man may be distinguished from a bad though not by his sleep yet by his dreams in his sleep But fear thou God And so eschew this evil of fond babbling in Gods service especially which is no lesse a vanity than plain doting and procures Divine displeasure Fulgent Deum siquis parum metuit valde contemnit He that fears not Gods wrath is sure to feel it Psal 90.11 Vers 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor And so mayst bee drawn to doubt of Divine providence and to with-draw thine awful regard to the Divine Majesty to forgoe godlinesse and to turn flat Atheist as Diagoras and Averroes did Horat. Marvel not at the matter Nil admirari prope res est una Numici A wise man wonders at nothing he knows there is good cause why God should suffer it so to be and gives him his glory Opera Dei sunt in mediis contrariis saith Luther Luther in Genes Nazian Cypr. Gods works are effected usually by contraries And this hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may be the more marvelled at saith Nazianzen Hence he commonly goes a way by himself drawing light out of darkness good out of evil Exod. 15.11 heaven out of hell that his people may feelingly say Who is like unto thee O Lord glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing Wonders Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeeth in the earth Psal 58.11 For he that is higher than the highest regardeth And wherein they deal proudly Psal 76.12 he is above them Exod. 18.11 and over-tops them Psal 2.4 sets a day for them and sees that their day is coming Psal 37.16 The most High cuts off the spirit of Princes hee slips them off as one should slip off a flower between his fingers or he cuts them off as Grape-gatherers doe the clusters off the Vines such a Metaphor there is in the Original He is terrible to all the Kings of the earth those dread Soveraigns those Hammers of the earth and Scourges of the world as Attilas stiled himself such as Sennacherib Mundi flagellum whom God so subdued and mastered that the Aegyptians in memory of it set up his statue in the Temple of Vulcan with this inscription Heredot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all that behold me 2 Chro. 19.6 learn to fear God It was therefore excellent counsel that Jehoshaphat gave his Judges Take heed what you doe for yee judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord our God bee upon you take heed and doe it Look upon him that over-looks all your doings saith he and then learn to sit upon the Tribunal in as great though not in so slavish a fear of doing wrong as Olanes in the History did upon the flayed skin of his Father Sisannus nayled by Cambyses on the Judgement-Seat or as a Russian Judge that fears the boyling Caldron or open battocking or the Turkish Senate when they think the great Turk to stand behind the Arras at the dangerous door In fine let the Grandees and Potentates of the Earth know and acknowledge with Constantine Valentinian and Theodosius three great Emperours as Socrates reports it of them that they are but Christi Vasalli Christs Vassals and that as he is Excelsus super Excelsos High above all even the highest so hee hath other high ones at hand viz. the Holy Angels who can resist the King of Persia as Michael the Prince did Dan. 10.13 Fright the Syrians with a pannick terrour 2 King 7.6 smite the Assyrians with an utter destruction Isa 37.36 deliver Peter from the hand of Herod and from the expectation of the Jewes Exod. 12. Acts 12.11 make a wonderful difference in the slaughter of the first-born of Aegypt Tyrants shall be sure sooner or later to meet with their match Look what a hand the Ephori had over the King of Sparta the Tribunes had over the Roman Consuls and the Prince Palsgrave of Rhine ought by the ancient orders to have over the Emperour of Germany Palatino haec dignitatis praerogativa est ut ipsum Caesarem judicare damnare possit Parci
head lack no oyntment That thou mayst look smooth and handsome See Matth. 6.16 17. Oyntments were much used with those Eastern people in Banquetings Bathings and at other times Luk. 7.46 Mat. 26.7 By garments here some understand the affections as Col. 3.8 12 which must alwayes be white i. e. cheerful even in times of persecution when thy garments haply are stained with thine own bloud By the head they understand the thoughts which must also be kept lithe and lightsome as anoynted with the oyl of gladnesse Crucem multi abominantur crucem videntes sed non videntes unctionem Crux enim inuncta est saith Bernard Many men hate the Crosse because they see the Crosse only but see not the Oyntment that is upon it For the Crosse is anoynted and by the grace of Gods holy Spirit helping our infirmities it becomes not only light but sweet not only not troublesome Aug. but even desirable and delectable Martyr etiam in catena gaudet Paul gloried in his sufferings his spirit was cheered up by the thoughts of them as by some fragrant oyntment Vers 9. Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest As Isaac the most loving Husband in Scripture did with his Rebecca whom he loved Gen. 24.67 not only as his Country-woman Kins-woman a good Woman c. but as his Woman not with an ordinary or Christian love only but with a conjugal love which indeed is that which will make marriage a merry-age sweeten all crosses season all comforts She is called the Wife of a mans bosome because she should be loved as well as the heart in his bosome God took one of mans ribs and having built it into a Wife laid it again in his bosome so that she is flesh of his flesh yea she is himself as the Apostle argues and therehence enforceth this duty of love Ephes 5. Neither doth he satisfie himself in this argument but addes there blow to blow so to drive this nayl up to the head the better to beat this duty into the heads and hearts of Husbands All the dayes of the life of thy vanity Love and live comfortably together as well in age as in youth as well in the fading as in the freshnesse of beauty Which he hath given thee i. e. The Wife not the Life which hee hath given thee For marriages are made in Heaven as the Heathens also held God as he brought Eve to Adam at first so still he is the Paranymph that makes the match Prov. 18.22 and unites their affections A prudent Wife is of the Lord for a comfort as a froward is for a scourge All the dayes of thy vanity i. e. Of thy vain vexatious life the miseries whereof to mitigate God hath given thee a meet-mate to compassionate and communicate with thee and to bee a principal remedy for Optimum solatium sodalitium no comfort in misery can be comparable to good company that will sympathize and share with us For that is thy portion And a very good one too if she prove good As if otherwise Arist in Rhetor. Aristotle saith right he that is unhappy in a Wife hath lost the one half at least of his happinesse on earth And in thy labour which thou takest c. They that will marry shall have trouble in the flesh 1 Cor. 7.28 let them look for it and labour to make a vertue of necessity As there is rejoycing in marriage so there is a deal of labour i. e. of care cost and cumber Is it not good therefore to have a Partner such an one as Sarah was to Abraham a Peece so just cut for him as answered him right in every joynt Vers 10. Whatsoever thy hand findes to doe doe it with thy might Wee were made and set here to be doing of something that may doe us good a thousand years hence our time is short our task is long our Master urgent an anstere man c. work therefore while the day lasteth yea work hard as afraid to be taken with your task undone The night of death comes when none can work That 's a time not of doing work but of receiving wages Up therefore and be doing that the Lord may be with you Praecipita tempus mors atra impendet agenti Silius Castigemus ergo mores moras The Devil is therefore more mischievous because hee knowes he hath but a short time Rev. 12.12 and makes all the haste he can to out work the children of light in a quick dispatch of deeds of darknesse O learn for shame of the Devil as Latimer said once in another case therefore to doe your utmost because the time is short or rolled up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 7.29 as sayls use to bee when the ship drawes nigh to the harbour This argument prevailed much with St. Peter to bestirre him in stirring up those hee wrote unto because hee knew that hee must shortly put off his tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.13 14. The life of man is the lamp of God saith Solomon God hath set up our lives as Alexander when hee sate down before a City did use to set up a light to give those within to understand that if they came forth to him whiles that light lasted they might have quarter as if otherwise no mercy was to be expected Vers 11. That the race is not to the swift Here the Preacher proveth what hee had found true by experience by the event of mens indeavours often frustrated that nothing is in our power but all carried on by a providence which oft crosseth our likeliest projects that God may have the honour of all Let a man be as swift as Asahel or Atalanta yet hee may not get the goal or escape the danger Speed The battel of Terwin in France fought by our Henry 8. was called the battel of spurres because many fled for their lives who yet fell as the men of Ai did into the midst of their enemies At Muscle-borough-field many of the Scots running away so strained themselves in their race Life of Edw. 6. by Sir John Heywood that they fell down breathlesse and dead whereby they seemed in running from their deaths to run to it whereas two thousand of them that lay all day as dead got away safe in the night Nor the battel to the strong As we see in the examples of Gideon Jonathan and his armour-bearer David in his encounter with Goliah Leonidas who with six hundred men worsted five hundred thousand of Xerxes host Dan. 11.34 They shall be holpen with a little help And why a little that through weaker means we may see Gods greater strength Zach. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord This Rabshakeh knew not and therefore derided Hezekiah for trusting to his prayers Esay 36.5 What can Hezekiah say to embolden him to stand out What I say saith Hezekiah I have words of my lips that is Prayer Prayer saith
unto men and there-hence hee went forth abroad the whole world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Here therefore the Spouse seeks him amongst the people of God and in his Word and Ordinances Shee knew well that hee fed his flock among those Lillies used to go down into that his garden of spices Cant. 6.1 2. to take a turn amidst those golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 to take a view of his Wedding guests Mat. 22.11 yea to eat and drink in their presence and to teach in their streets Luk. 13.26 Abroad shee gets therefore and that presently I will rise now Saith shee lest I lose mine opportunity for if so I may seek it with tears and go without it with sorrow Men may purpose promise and expect a time of healing and curing when they shall bee deceived and finde a time of trouble Jer. 14.17 Many I say unto you shall seek to enter and shall not bee able Luk. 13.24 yea they shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord but they shall not finde him hee hath withdrawn himself from them Hos 5.6 They came too late belike they sought not the Lord while hee was to bee found vel sero vel certe non serio quaerebant they called not upon him while hee was near they stayed till hee was out of call Prov. 1.28 till hee was resolved to return either no answer at all or such a sad answer as the Jews had from him because they stood out their day of grace Yee shall seek mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come John 7.34 And again I go my way and yee shall seek mee and shall dye in your sins John 8.21 Oh dreadful sentence The Church her self here though never so dear to Christ seems to some to bee guilty of sloth and slackness in seeking after Christ and doing it in her bed as loth at first to disease her self or in holding him while shee had him if whilst shee was sleeping hee slipt away from her side The wise Virgins also were napping and nodding Mat. 25. and holy Austin confesseth that hee could not answer that clear text whereby hee was called out of his sinful course Confess lib. 8. cap. 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead c. but onely by that wish of the sluggard Modo ecce modo Sinite paululum c. A little more sleeps a little more slumbers c. little and yet sleeps in the plural Thus Modo Modo non habent modum Sinite paululum ibit in longum as that Father hath it Somewhat it was surely that makes the Church resolve as here I will rise now or Let mee rise now I will stir up the gift of God that is in mee I will stir up my self to take better hold of Christ Here is a tacit taxing her self for some former slackness after her former enjoyments and familiar entercourse with Christ Wee are too ready after wee have run well to lye down and take cold which may cause a consumption to please our selves in unlawful liberties when wee have pleased the Lord in lawful duties Hezekiah after his notable service both of prayer and thanksgiving fondly over-shoots himself to the Babylonish Embassadors Jonah after his Embassage faithfully discharged to the Ninivites breaks forth into anger against the Lord. Peter being commended by Christ for the profession of his Faith Mat. 16. fell presently so far wide that hee heard Get thee behinde mee Satan I sought him but I found him not For trial and exercise of her faith and constancy Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 So then shall wee finde if wee follow on to seek Christ fetching him out of his hiding-place as the woman of Canaan did For hee would have hid himself saith the Text but hee could not For a certain woman c. Mark 7.24 25. And as shee set him out so shee followed him close refusing to bee either said nay or sit down with silence or sad answers The like did Jacob Gen. 32. hee wrestled with might and slight hee would have a blessing whether God would or no as wee may say with reverence Let men go saith God No thou shalt not saith Jacob. Let mee alone that I may destroy this people No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter improbitatem by no means saith Moses In seeking of Christ faith is not onely importunate but even impudent Luk. 15.8 and threatens Heaven as Nazianzen said of his sister Gorgonia If hee have lost his mercy shee will finde it for him Isa 63.15 If hee look strange and stern shee will both know him and claim him amidst all his austerities Vers 16. Art not thou our Father Psal 63.8 If hee bee gone never so far shee will follow hard after him so Davids phrase is even as hard as her old leggs will carry as Father Latimer said with Return for thy servants sake Wee are thine c. vers 17 19. O Lord faith the Church in Habakkuk Art not thou from everlasting my God and mine Holy One It was a bold question but God assents to it in a gracious answer ere hee went further Wee shall not dye say they abruptly Hab. 1.12 Nay after two daies for so long it may bee hee will hold us off to try how wee will hold out seeking hee will revive us in the third day hee will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 Or if wee should dye in this waiting condition and in a spiritual desertion yet wee could not misse of Heaven because hee hath said Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30.18 Vers 3. The watchmen that go about the City found mee i. e. The Angels who are Gods watchmen over the world and are so called somewhere in Scripture as also Ministring Spirits guardians of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.10 Ezek. 33.2 c. But here I conceive are meant either those Princes of the world strangers to the mystery of Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 and therefore can tell no tale nor tidings of him For why they are of Gallio's Religion which is no better than a meer irreligion Act. 18.15 being de regione magis soliciti quam de religione as one saith Or else the Officers and Ministers of the Church set as Watch-men upon Jerusalems walls with charge never to hold their peace day nor night Isa 62.6 But they alass prove too too oft blind watch-men dumb doggs sleeping lying down loving to slumber Isa 56.16 And such it seems were these here by the small directions they gave the Church or intelligence of her best Beloved Howbeit because the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Heb. 13.1 and they are given for Guides to God however they prove shee repairs to them or rather lighting upon them enquires for Christ Saw yee him whom my soul loveth They that love Christ in
religious brothers of love and the Bramines successours to the Brachmanni among the Indians who are extremely impure and libidinous claiming the first nights lodging of every bride Heyl. Cosmog c. having nothing of a man but the voyce and shape and yet these are their Priests Even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord Let them carry their villany never so cleanly and closely with their Si non caste saltem caute yet I know all am now an eye-witnesse and will be one day a swift witnesse against them Vtinam animadverterent haec Principes ille qui non in sede Petri sed in prostibulo Priapi Lampsaeceni sedens fornicationes tegit sancta conjugiae vetat mera somnia vendit Dei oculos claudit saith one Ver. 24. Thus shalt thou also speak to Chemajah the Nehelamite Or Dreamer dream-wright Enthusiast such as were the Messalanian heretikes of old and some of the same stamp loaves of the same leven now-adayes Ver. 25. Because thou hast sent letters in thy name Such as Sadoletus a Popish Bishop sent to Geneva in Calvins absence to bring them back again to the obedience of the See of Rome and as we have many from the Romish factors sent hither to the seducing of not a few a subtle and shrew'd way of deceiving the simple Act. Mon. And to Zâ—phaniah The second under the High-Priest Seraiah and successour likely to that Pashur chap. 20. who was deposed for some misdemeanour like as Dr. Weston was here in Queen Maries dayes put by all his Church-dignities for being taken in bed with an harlot Of this Zephaâ—iah see 2 Kings 25.18 his office was to judge of prophecies and to punish such as he found to be false Prophets And to all the Priests Who were too too forward of themselves to bandy against Gods true Prophets chap. 26.8 and did as little need by letter to be excited thereunto Clarkes Martyr l. 136. as Bishop Bonner did to be stirred up to persecute Protestants and yet to him were letters sent from King Philip and Queen Mary complaining that heretikes were not so reformed as they should be and exhorting him to more diligence c. Ver. 26. The Lord hath made thee Priest instead of Jehoiada the Priest That heroical Reformer in the dayes of Joash 2 King 11. Therefore as he did by Mattan the Baalite so do thou by Jeremiah the Anathothite But neither was Zephaniah Jehoiada nor Jeremiah Mattan Shemaiah himself was more like a Baalite and better deserved that punishment which shortly after also befell him as was foretold ver 32. A hot-spirited man he was and a boutefeau being therefore the more dangerous He also seemed to himself to be so much the more holy by how much the Prophet whom he set against was more famous for his holinesse For every one that is mad Maniacus arreptitius fanaticus so Gods zealous servants have alwayes been esteemed by the mad world ever besides it self in point of salvation See 2 King 9.11 Act. 26.24 Jer. 43.2 That thou shouldest put him in prison As chap. 20.2 Ver. 27. Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Or restrained Jeremiah Alasse what had the righteous Prophet done he taxed their sin he foretold their captivity he deserved it not he inflicted it not yet he must smart and they are guilty Zephaniah also is here blamed for his lenity as bloody Bonner once was by the rest of the Popish Bishops who made him their slaughter-slave Ver. 28. For therefore he sent to us in Babylon And is this all the thank he hath for his friendly counsel haec est merces mundi Ver. 29. And Zephaniah the Priest read this letter For ill-will likely and with exprobration Vbi insignis elucet Dei tutela saith an Interpreter where we may see a sweet providence of God in preserving his Prophet from the rage and violence of the people so incensed Ver. 30. Then came the Word of the Lord Or Therefore came c. In the five former verses we had narrationem causae Shemajah's crime In these three last we have dictionem sententiae Shemajah's doome Ver. 31. Send to all them of the captivity Send the second time let not so good a cause be deserâ—ed Vincâ—s aliquando pertinax bonitas Truth will take place at length Because Shemajah hath prophesied unto you He hath rewarded evil thereby to himself and to his seed after him his posterity shall rue for it saith Jeremy who was irrefracti plane animi orator a man of an invincible courage and might better have been called Doctor resolutus then was afterwards Bacon the Carmelite Ver. 32. Behold I will punish Shemajah and his seed As being part of his goods and walking likely in his evil wayes He shall not have a man to dwell among his people Viz. At the return from Babylon but both he and his shall perish in this banishment which he prophesied should be shortly at an end but shall prove it otherwise See the like Amos 7.17 Neither shall he see the good He nor any of his See the like threatned to that unbeleeving Prince 2 King 7.2 Because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord So chap. 28.16 See chap. 23.27 Mat. 5.19 To be tuba rebellionis is no small fault Luther was so secundum dici sed non secundum esse so may the best be but let not the sins of Teachers be teachers of sins c. CHAP. XXX Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord This Chapter and the next are Jeremyes thâ— teenth Sermon as some reckon them and it is wholly Consolatory The Authour of it he sheweth to be the God of all Consolation and this the Prophet inculcateth six several times in the five first verses pro majori efficaciae that it may take the better Ver. 2. Write thee all the Words that I have spoken to thee in a book For the use of posterity as Hab. 2.2 and that the consolations may not be forgotten as Heb. 12.5 Vox audita perit littera scripta manet Ver. 3. I will bring again the captivity of Israel and Judah This promise Oecolampadins thinketh was written in the book in greater letters then the rest it was fulfilled according to the letter in carnal Israel sent back by Cyrus upon Daniels prayer who understood by that book here mentioned that the time of deliverance Convertam conversionem Vulg. yea the set time was come Dan. 9 2 but more fully in those Jews inwardly Rom. 2.29 those Israelites indeed who are set at liberty by Christ Joh. 8. and shall be much more at the last day Ver. 4. And these are the words These are the contents of this precious book every leafe nay line nay letter whereof droppeth myrth and mercy That the Lord spake See on ver 1. Ver. 5. We have heard a voyce of trembling We were at first in a pittiful plight sc when the City was taken and the Temple burnt and
this is elegantly here set forth and in the two next verses but better times are at hand Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur Ver. 6. Ask ye now and see c. Was it ever heard of in this world that a male did bear The Poets indeed fable that Minerva was born of Jupiters brain Pictoribus atque poetis Quidlibet audendi fas est Wherefore do I see every man Heb. Every strong or mighty man With their hands on their loynes And not on their weapons And all faces turned into palenesse Through extream fear the blood running to the heart and the heart faln into the heeles The Septuagins for palenesse have the yellew jaundise the Vulgar gold-yellownesse Piscator Morbus regius the Hebrew properly implyeth the colour of blasted corn Deut. 28.22 It importeth that the most stout-hearted warriours should be enervati exangues more parturientium bloodlesse and spiritlesse as travelling women Ver. 7. Alasse for that day is great i. e. Troublesome and terrible somewhat like the last day the day of judgement which is therefore also called the Great day because therein the great God will do great things c. It is even the time of Jacobs trouble Such as never befell him before Those very dayes shall be Affliction so Mark expresseth the last desolation chap. 13.19 not Afflicted only but Affliction it self But though it be the time of Jacobs troubles let it be also the time of his trust for there will be shortly a day of his Triumph But he shall be saved out of it Not from it but yet out of it the Lord knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 and though Sense say it will not be Reason it cannot be yet Faith gets above and sayes it shall be I descry land Ver. 8. I will break his yoak from off thy neck The forementioned misery did but make way for this mercy that it might be the more magnified Let the Saints but see from what to what and by what Jesus Christ hath delivered them and they cannot but be thankful Ver. 9. But they shall serve their Lord their God Without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their lives Luk. 1.74 75. See Joh. 8. Rom. 8. And David their King i. e. Zorobabel of Davids line Hag. 2.23 but especially Christ the King of Saints as the Jew-Doctours also expound it Whom I will raise up to them To be Messiah the Prince Dan. 9.25 Christ the Lord Act. 5 31. Ver. 10. Therefore fear thou not O my servant Jacob This is Isay-like and indeed the Prophet here setteth himself verbis consolantissimis as one saith with most cordial comforts to chear the hearts of Gods poor afflicted Ver. 11. For I am with thee To preserve thee and to provide for thee to support thee and to supply thee Though I make a full end of all Nations See Isa 27.7 8. with the Notes See also on chap. 5.10 18. But I will correct thee in measure Heb. According to judgement not summo jure rigidâ justitiâ not as I might but in mercy and with moderation Aliqui reddunt Mundando non mundabo te id est non excoquam te exacte ad purum putum And will not leave thee altogether unpunished Heb. Et innocentando non innocentabo te in very faithfulnesse I will afflict thee that I may be true to thy soul and not cruel to thy body Ver. 12. Thy bruise is incurable i. e. Inevitable by Gods irrevocable decree Or it is incureable in it self but not to me who am an Almighty Physician or Chirurgion See Ezek. 37.11 they seemed free among the dead free of that company Ver. 13. There is none to plead thy cause Thou art friendlesse That thou mayst be bound up Thou art helplesse Ver. 14. All thy lovers have forgotten thee Thy sweet-hearts thine Idols thy carnal friends thy Priests Prophets riches pleasures all these have given thee the bag as we say they stand aloof from thy help They seek thee not Sink thou mayst or swim for them thou art no part of their care For I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy As if I cared not where I hit thee or how much I hurt thee Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit With the chastisement of a cruel one So it may seem and so Job thought chap. 30.21 but that was his errour See here what a passe a Saint may be at and how deeply he may suffer when his sins are increased God out of love displeased may lay upon him and not spare leave bloody wailes on his back c. For the multitude of thine iniquities Because thy sins are many and mighty or hony See Am. 5.12 with the Note Ver. 15. Why cryest thou for thine affliction And not rather for thy sins cry not perii but peccavi not I am undone but I have done very foolishly See Lam. 3.39 40. Ver. 16. Therefore all they that devoured thee shall be devoured Or neverthelesse or yet all they that devoured thee c. q. d. That thou mayst experience that in love I corrected thee and for thy good though to thy so great grief I will have my penny worths on thine enemyes measuring to them as they have done to thee Ver. 17. For I will restore health It goes best with the Church when worst with her enemies It shall do so much more when all Christs foes shall be made his footstool Because they called thee an outcast Concluding so from thine afflictions Quam chara dus esset docuit quod est victa quod elocata quod servata Cic. pâ—o Flacco The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how well God regards them that have been so oft subdued by the Chaldees Greeks Romans c. This was but a slender argument only God is moved by the enemies insolencies and insultations to look in mercy the rather upon his poor despised and despited people Saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Illusio ex allusione this was a jear by playing upon her name as if Zion signified a dry or waste place Per ludibrium blasphemam contumeliam and therefore not much to be desired Strabo indeed saith as much of Judaea And Mount Zion at this day nihil habet eximium nihil expetendum hath no great desireablenesse in it But certainly Judea was once a land flowing with milk and honey and Mount Zion was in no small request Howsoever none ought by their bitter taunts to add affliction to the afflicted but rather to weep with those that weep be pittiful be courteous 1 Pet. 3.8 Ver. 18. The captivity of Jacobs tents i. e. The poor captives that now live at Babylon as strangers in tents or huts And the City shall be builded upon her own heap Or hill sc in Mount Moriah Jerusalem shall be inhabited in Jerusalem Zech. 12. All this was prolusio perfectae liberationis in Christo saith Junius a type and pledge