occurrences And as a looking-glasse is the eye of art so is the eye the looking-glasse of nature Lib 2. cap. 32. And to give us a little reviving in our bondage Not light onely but heat also by the beames of his pleased countenance which is better then life The life of some kinds of creatures is meerly in the Sun In Winter they lie for dead in Summer they revive So it is with the Saints all their comfort consists in Gods grace and favour They look unto him and are lightened Psal 34.5 he hideth his face and they are troubled their breath is taken away they die and return to their dust Psal 104.29 These captives in Babylon lay for that time as dead and buried Esay 26.19 God opened their graves and caused them to come up cut of their graves and brought them to the land of Israel Ezek. 37.13 For his favour is no empty favour It is not like the Winter-sun that casts a Goodly countenance when it shineth but gives little comfort and heat He is the Father of lights and the God of all grace and consolation c. he gives all things needful to life and godlinesse so that to have sinned against so good a God to kick against such tender bowels was a further aggravation of their sinne and so it is here used and urged Verse 9. For we were bondmen Heb. servants and so wholly and onely at the pleasure of another for a servant not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle one that moveth absolutely of himself but he is the Masters underling and instrument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly at his dispose The Saints may say all as much We were bondmen slaves to sin drudges to the devil driven about by him at his pleasure having as many Lords as lusts Tit. 3.3 and thereby exposed to a thousand mischiefes and miseries The Heathens Pistrinum the Turks Gallyes Bajazets iron Cage the Indian mines are nothing to it This we should frequently recognize and remembring that our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage but brought us from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we might receive forgivenesse of sin and inheritance among them which are sanctified Act 26.18 we should blush and bleed in the sense of our unthankfulnesse saying as ver 14 should we again break thy Commandements c. Yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage As he may seem to do his prisoners of hope when he leaves them in the Enemies hand or under some pressing affliction and seemes to forget them that they may the better remember themselves But God had remembred these returned captives in their low estate for his mercy endureth for ever And had redeemed them from their Enemies for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. 23.24 Their sin therefore was the greater sith against so much mercy and God might justly have said unto them as Ezek. 22.20 I wil gather you in my anger in my fury and will leave you there A grievous judgment indeed for wo be unto you when I forsake you Hos 9.12 Lord leave us not Jer. 17 17. Forsake us not utterly Psal 119.8 To give us reviving See Ver. 8. To set up the House of our God and to repaire c. He reciteth and celebrateth Gods favours to that people not in the lump onely and by whole-sale as we say but entreth into particulars and reckoneth them up one by one so doth Moses Exod. 18.8 So doth David Psal 136. So must we that we may shame and shent our selves as here for our unthankfulnesse and be inrited and inciced thereby to better obedience God for this cause crumbleth his mercies unto us saith One we have his blessings by retail that we may make our utmost of them And to give us a Wall Protection and safegard as the Walles of Sparta was their Militia and the Walls of England is our Navy They had the fence of the King of Persia's favour They had also Gods providence as an hedge or wall of fire round about them Zech. 2.5 See the Note there Verse 10. And now Our God what shall we say after this q.d. We have nothing to say for our selves wherefore thou shouldst not presently pronounce against us and execute upon us the sentence of utter rejection We are even speechlesse excuselesse and must needs conclude It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed that we are at al on this side hell it is because his compassions fail not Lam. 3.32 For we have for saken thy Commandements Better then this Ezra could not have said for himself and his people whilest he thus confesseth sin and putteth himself into the hands of justice in hope of mercy In the courts of men t is safest to say Non feci I did it not saith Quintilian But in our addresses unto God 't is best to say Ego feci miserere I did it oh be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me Per miserere mei tollitur ira Dei Verse 11. Which thou hast commanded us by thy servants the Prophets Whose office it was to expound the Law to us and to apply it to our consciences This although they have done daily and duely yet we have not been kept within the bounds of obedience but have flown against the lights as Bats use to do and sinned presumptuously Thus he aggravateth their sin by every circumstance And this is right confession such as the School-men have set forth in this Tetrastick Sit simplex humilis confessio pura fidelis Atque frequens nuda discreta lubens verecunda Integra cordata lachrymabilis accelerata Fortis accusans se punire parata Is an unclean Land Because inhabited by an unclean people who are acted and agitated by an unclean spirit and do miserably moil themselves in the filthinesse of leudnesse which defileth a man worse then any leprosie then any jakes Mar. 7.23 Mr. Ascham School-master to Q. Elizabeth did thank God that he was but nine dayes in Italy wherein he saw in that one City of Venice more uncleannesse and licentiousnesse then in London he ever heard of in nine years With the filthinesse of the people of the Lands Those Canaanites were very Borborites shamelesse sinners before the Lord who therefore rooted them out and caused their Land when it could bear them no longer to spew them out Sin is filthinesse in the abstract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. James calleth it The stinking filth of a pestilent ulcer and the superfluity or garbage of naughtinesse Jam. 1.21 It is no better then the Devils excrement It sets his limbes in us and drawes his picture upon us for malice is the Devils eye oppression is his hand hypocrisy is his cloven foot c. Great sins do greatly pollute Which have filled it from one end to another Hath over-spred it as a deluge over-run it as the Jerusalem-Artichoke doth the ground wherein it is
planted turned it into the same nature with it self as copres which will turn milk into ink or leaven which turneth a very Passeover into pollution See Mich. 1.5 with the Note Verse 12. Now therefore give not your daughters unlesse ye have a mind to pitch them into hell-mouth See ver 2. with the Note Nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever For they were devoted by God to utter destruction and therefore Israel might have no intercourse with them The Jewes at this day count and call us Canaanites Edomites c. and hold it an almesdeed to knock us on the head The best among the Gentiles say they is worthy cui caput conteratur tanquam Serpenti to be killed up as a Serpent Tacitus long since observed of them that as they were very kind to their own so to all others they bare a deadly hatred Thrice a day in their prayers Buxtorf Synag Jud. cop 5. they curse us Christians and in Polony where they have a toleration they print base and blasphemous things against Christ and Religion That ye may be strong viz. by my presence amongst you and providence over you for cui adhaereo prae est as Q. Elizabeth could write how much more may God Almighty He whom I favour is sure to prevail And cat the good of the Land The best of the best the finest Wheat the choyfest fruit and those a pledge and fore-taft of the happiness of Heaven where there is nec fames nec fastidium as one saith neither lack nor loathing neither measure nor mixture but sweetest varieties felicities eternities And leave it for an inheritance personal goodnesse is profitable to posterity the righteous shall leave inheritance to his childrens children Prov. 13.22 God never casteth out his good tenants nor leaveth his servants unprovided for See Psal 103.17 and 112.1 2. Verse 13. And after all that is come upon us Affliction like foul wheather cometh before it is sent for yet not but of Gods sending and then it is ever either probational as Jobs or Cautional as Pauls prick in the flesh or penal for chastisement of some way of wickednesse as here For our evil deeds These he thanketh as well he might for all their sufferings sin is the mother of misery and hales hell at the heeles of it Seeing that thou our God Our God still and this is the sixth time that he hath so stiled Him in this holy prayer besides three times My God These are speeches of faith and refer to the Covenant that pabulum fidei food of faith When ye stand and pray beleeve when ye humble and tremble before God keep up your faith still Nihil retinet qui fidem amisit lose that and lose all Seneca Take away the iniquity of they servant saith David 2 Sam. 24.10 'T is as if he should say I am thy servant Lord still though an unworthy one And to prove himself so he addeth For I have done very foolishly I confesse it Lord that thon mayest cover it Homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit This he beleeves and speeds when Judas confessing but withal despairing misseth of mercy Hast punisht us lesse then our iniquities deserve Heb. Hast withheld beneath our iniquities The just hire of the least sin is death in the largest sense Rom. 6.23 What then might God do to us for our many and mighty sins or rather what might he not do and that most justly How great is his mercy which maketh him say Jerusalem hath received at Gods hand double for all her sins Isai 40.1 2. Too much saith God there too little saith Ezra here and yet how sweetly and beautifully doth this kind of contradiction become both And hast given us such deliverance as this A fruit of free mercy and calls hard for duty Gods blessings are binders and every new deliverance calls for new obedience Servaeti sumus ut serviamus Verse 14. Should we again break thy Commandements There is so much unthankfulnesse and disingenuity in such an entertainment of mercy that holy Ezra here thinkes that Heaven and Earth would be ashamed of it And joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations Especially when we may hear God himself screeching out as it were those words of his Oh do not this abominable thing Save your selves from this untoward generation c Wouldst thou not be angry with us Id est Chide us smite us and so set it on as no creature should be able to take it off Sin may move God when we ask bread and fish to feed us to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a Serpent to bite us Shun it therefore as a Serpent in your way or as poyson in your meats Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way c. Psal 2.12 So that there should be no remnant So that our late preservation should prove but a reservation to further mischief as was Sodoms Senacheribs Pharaohs Verse 15. O Lord God of Israel So called because he is their portion they His Deut. 32.9 He had avouched them for his and they him interchangeably Deut. 26.17 18. Seneca could say that the basest people meaning the Jewes gave Lawes unto all the World that is had the true God Creatour of all for their God Thou art righteous In all thy judgments inflicted upon us or thou art faithful and true in thy promises but we have forfeited thy favour and deserved destruction Behold we are before thee in our trespasses Or guiltinesses which is that iniquity of sin as David calleth it Psal 32.5 whereby the sinner is bound over to condigne punishment For we cannot stand before thee But must needs causâ cadere being self condemned and such as must needs subscribe to thy perfect justice in our own utter destruction CHAP. X. Verse 1. Now when Ezra had prayed HAD presented himself as a Suppliant and opened his cause to God the Judge appealing to him that he might determine And when he had confessed And begged pardon deprecating the divine displeasure Hithpallel as the word signifieth Weeping Of this we read not in the former chapter but of other effects of his passion as renting his garments tearing off the hair of his head and beard c. His sorrow at first might be above tears which afterwards came gushing out amain as the blood doth out of a Wound but not till it hath first run back to the heart to bear the newes to it as I may so say It is said of Athanasius that by his tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine he cured the Leprosy of that tainted age May we not say the same of this good man And casting himself down before the house of God Where all might see him that their eyes might affect their hearts and contribute some tears of compunction and compassion toward the filling of Gods bottle as they had done sins toward the filling of his bag Of Men Women and
of a full liberty and power as Popish Priests arrogate Mr. Ley his Pattern of Piety 145. I have known one saith a very grave Divine who neither by education or affection was disposed to Popery who having the ill hap when his conscience was perplext to fall into the hands of a Popish Priest upon this reason because as the Priest suggested that Religion afforded more comfort because it had and exercised a power to pardon sin which our Ministers neither did or durst assume unto themselves he became a Papist But it is honour enough to Ministers and may be comfort enough to their hearers that God gives them commission to deliver a penitent man from hell not as the Meanes for that is Christ alone but as Instruments 1. To apply Christ crucified or rather risen again unto him 2. To pronounce his safety and salvation upon the due use of that means And this is the greatest honour that ever was done to any mere creature Angels never had such a Commission They indeed are Ministers for the good of those that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 But Ministers are called Saviours Obad. 21. 1 Tim. 4.16 Jam. 3.20 I have found a ransom Or An attonement a cover for his sin as a thing is covered with plaister or as under the Law the Ark covered the Decalogue the Mercy Seat upon it and over them two Cherubims covering one another all which shewed Christ covering the Curses of the Law and expiating the sins of his people which things the Angels desire to pry into as into the patterns of Gods deep wisdom who hath found out such a ransom which he now professeth to accept for this penitent man 1 Tim. 2.6 Psal 32.1 Verse 25 His flesh shall be fresher then a childs Tender and smooth full of good blood and fresh spirits he shall be battle and blith like a suckling See a like Hyperbole concerning Naaman the Syrian restored to health 2 Kings 5.24 implying that his disease was throughly cured and his flesh in better case then ever There is a memorable story in the Acts and Monuments of the Church which here may not unfitly be inserted to shew the sweet fruits of remission of sins by the free mercy of God In the dungeon with Pâ—trus Bergerius at Lions in France was a certain thief and Malefactor who had lain in the dungeon the space of seven or eight months This thief for pain and torment cryed out of God and curst his Parents that begat him being almost eaten up with lice miserably handled and fed with such bread as dogs and horses had refused to eat So it pleased the goodness of the Almighty that through the teaching and prayer of this Bergerius he was brought to repentance and the knowledge of God learning much comfort and patience by the word of the Gospel preached unto him Touching his conversion himself wrote a sweet Letter to some friends declaring therein that the next day after he had taken hold of the Gospel and framed himself to patience according to the same Act. Monâ—f 828. his lice which he could pluck out before by twenty at once betwixt his fingers now were so gone from him that he had not once his rotten flesh the Vulgar translateth this Text thus Consumpta est ejus caro à suppliciis was recruited and the Almes of good people so extended toward him that he was fed with white bred and that which was very good His name was John Chambone He shall return to the dayes of his youth Rejuvenescet He shall grow young again and renew his youth like the Eagles Psal 103.4 He shall be vigorous and active as Isai 40 31. Verse 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him All former unkindnesses notwithstanding God will cast his sins into the bottom of the sea and be as propitious to the poor sinner now reconciled recovered and making request as if he had never been offended by him Amongst men Reconciliationes sunt vulpinae amicitiae Reconciliations are for the most part Fox-like friendships and there 's little trust to them Not so betwixt God and men witnesse Peter of whom Christ thought no whit the worse for his threefold denyal of him when once he wept bitterly and prayed for pardon Mark 16. James 2.5 Go tel the Disciples and Peter that I am risen If any man want wisdom or any other good thing else let him ask it of God who giveth unto all men liberally and hitteth no man in the teeth either with his present weaknesses or by-past wickednesses Ambros in Psa Imò plus est propemodum à vitiis se revocasse quam vitia ipsa nescivisse saith a Father Penitence is in a manner as good as Innocence He shall see his face with joy Or Ostendet ei faciem suam in jubilo God shall make him to see his face with joy even with joyful acclamation when he shall find himself possest of Gods Kingdome which consisteth in Righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost which Chrysostomâ— rightly calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heaven afore hand For he will render unto man his righteousnesse Which he had lost by falling into sin as Ezek. 18.24 Understand it of degrees and measures for true grace cannot wholly be lost Rursus eum in album justorum piorum referet Lav. Or he will render unto him now in Christ that righteousnesse he lost in Adam he will fully and freely justifie him and sweetly seale him up to the day of Redemption the former falling out shall be but a renewing of love as it was betwixt Christ and his Spouse Cant. 5 and 6. Verse 27. He looketh upon men He looketh to see when any wil repent and return unto him Now Christs looks are often operative and cause that which he looks after A stroke from guilt broke Judas heart into despair but a look from Christ broke Peters heart into tears And if any say I have sinned so he say it penitently as David and the Prodigal and not fainedly as Saul or forcedly as Pharaoh or desperately as Judas In mens Courts saith Quintillian its best to say Non feci to plead Not guilty but in Gods Court its better to say Ego feci Guilty Lord Mercy Lord and not to put God to his proofs as they did Jer. 2.35 sith he that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 And perverted that which was right Thus the true penitentiary layeth load upon himself and aggravateth his sinnes whereof saith Merlin we have here a definition answerable to that of St. John 1 Epist 3 4. Sin is the transgression of the Law I have writhed from the rights saith He in the Text. I have turned aside to crooked wayes and so have deserved to be led forth with the workers of iniquity Psal 125.5 As Cattle are to the slaughter or malefactors to
As a dutiful and docible Scholar who should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will ask thee questions and hang upon thy holy lips for an answer Verse 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear God hath ordained that as death entred into the world at first by the ear poisoned by that old Man-slayer Genes 3. so life shall enter into the soul by the same door for it is Hear and your soul shall live Isai 55.3 And The dead in sins and trespasses shall hear the voice of the Son of God sounding in his Ordinances and shall live the life of grace here and of glory hereafter John 5.25 This great mercy Job had received and he thankfully acknowledgeth it But behold a greater But now mine eyes hath seen thee Not only in the temple and whirl-wind those clear testimonies of thy presence but by some other special glorious apparition so some think and by a Spirit of Prophecy as the Hebrewes would have it by the inward teaching of thy Spirit howsoever as Vatablus senseth it Et quando Christus Magister quà m citò discitur quod docetur saith Austin When God by his Spirit taketh in hand to teach a man he soon becometh a skilful Scholer Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia saith Ambrose The Spirit is not long in teaching those that commit themselves to his tuition The hypocrite knowes God but by hear-say as a blind man knoweth colours such may say as those in the Psalm Audivimus famam something we have heard and some confused notions we have got concerning God and his will but they are meerly disciplinary but not intuitive id est Per speciem Propriam c. Such as transformes the soul into the same Image it is not that claritas in intellectu quae parit ardorem in affectu That light in the understanding that kindleth the affections Job was such witnesse his next words Verse 6. Wherefore I abhor my self Aspernor illa so Tremellius I utterly dislike those my former base and bald conceits of thee my hard and unsauoury speeches mine impatient and imprudent carriages Horreo quicquid de meo est ut meus sins as Bernard expresseth it Reprobo meipsum so Brentius I do utterly reject my selfe I condemn mine own folly I eat those words of discontent at thy righteous proceedings Dignasanè quae per jugulum redeant Abiicio vitam meam so Mercer and Lavater render it Displiceo mihimetipsi ac pervelim ut aliter dixissem ac fecissem Lavat Jerem. 6.26 and 25.34 Virg. Aeneid lib. 12. I cast away my life and look upon it as lost if thou shouldst take the forfeiture I humbly put my self into the hands of justice yet in hope of mercy I repent in dust and ashes As in an expresse and publick pennance I throw my self here upon the ground I put my mouth in the dust Lam. 3.24 Canitiem iâ—â—mundo perfusam pulvere turpo I sprinkle dust and ashes upon mine head in token that I have deserved to be as far under ground as now I am above ground I repent my presumptuous misbehaviour with as lowly a spirit as ever I sinned with an high Lo this was paenitentiam agere quod est pro malo bonum reponere saith Brentius This was true repentance to change evil for good as piety for blasphemy chastity for fornication charity for envy humility for pride Christ for Satan And Reformation is the best Repentance saith Luther Such as so repent are sure of comfort The word here rendred I repent signifieth also to take comfort as Ezek 32.31 It is repentance unto life Acts 11.18 and such as accompanieth salvation Hebr. 6.9 Neither is it wrought in any man but by a saving sight of Almighty God in his Greatness and Goodness such as may make him at once to tremble and trust as Job did here and Isaiah chap. 6.1 5. Verse 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job And Job those other again to God it soon repented the Lord concerning his servant Pro magno delicto parum supplicii sat is est patri A little punishment is enough to a loving father for a great fault Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord for alass they have received of my hand double for all their sins Terent. Isai 40.1 2. So it seemed to him who is all bowels and who in all their afflictions is equally afflicted God weeps on his peoples necks tears of compassion they weep at Gods feet tears of compunction Oh beautiful contention The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite Because he was the ancienter man of greatest Authority and he that passed the heaviest censures upon Job doing enough to have driven him into desperation My wrath is kindled against thee Thus God passeth not sentence on Jobs side till he had first angerly repressed and reprehended those three friends of his who had assailed him without all right and reason Let Gods servants hold out faith and patience sooner or later they shall be righted And against thy two friends Bildad and Zophar Who stuck so close to thee and chimed in with thee against a better man then any of you all As for Elihu he is neither commended here nor condemned He spake well for the main but many times took Job at the worst and misconstrued his speeches He is therefore punished as Ambassadors are used to be when they commit undecencies with silence which is the way royal to correct a wrong The other three had great cause to be much troubled and terrified at that short but sharpest speech of God My wrath is kindled against you for Who knoweth the power of Gods wrath saith David It is as the Messenger of death Psalm 90.11 and Harbinger of hell God never said so much to Job in all those long and large speeches he made unto him for he knew that milder words would do and he loveth not to over-do Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox By the way observe That although these three had offended more then Job yet he was afflicted and they escaped free Judgement beginneth at Gods house neither have any out of hell ever suffered more then those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11. For ye have not spoken the thing that was right And yet they seemed to be all for God and to plead his Cause against Job throughout But as in some things they were much mistaken so they had their self-respects and were much byassed in their discourses Hypocrites and Heretikes saith Gregory here seem unto men more righteous but God accepteth them not for all their plausible pleas and specious pretences Luke 16.15 Ye are they said our Saviour to the Pharisees who justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God As my servant Job hath They also were Gods servants but because they had lent
In a strong City In Mahanaim 2 Sam. 17.27 where it is likely he made this and some other Psalms Vers 22. For I said in my haste I am cut off c. A frightful and sinful saying doubtless full of diffidence and despair See the like Psal 116.11 Job 9.16 Judg. 13.22 Psal 77.3 Joh. 2.4 Thus he spake when he tremblingly fled and was posting away Nevertheless thou heardest the voyce of my supplication A pitiful poor one though it were and full of infirmity God considereth whereof we are made he taketh not advantages against his suppliants it would be wide with them if he should Vers 23. O love the Lord Let not your hasty discontent beget in you hard thoughts of God or heavie thoughts against your selves as it hath done in me but love him trust him and he will do you right And plentifully rewardeth Heb. repaieth abundantly or with surplussage in seipso vel in semine suo It may be rendred Upon the remainder and understood of the proud mans posterity wherein God will be sure to bemeet with him Vers 24. Be of good courage c. Bear up be stout and stedfast in the faith under trials See Psal 27.14 with the Note Thus good courage cometh not but from the true love of God Vers 23. PSAL. XXXII A Psalm of David Maschil i.e. Giving instruction or making prudent for David here out of his own experience turneth Teacher vers 7. and the lesson that he layeth before his Disciples is the Doctrin of Justification by Faith that ground of true blessedness Rom. 4.6 7. Docet igitur hic Psalmus verè preciosus pracipuum proprium fidei Christiana caput saith Beza This most precious Psalm instructeth us in the chief and principal point of Christian Religion and it differeth herein from the first Psalm that there are set forth the effects of Blessedness but here the cause Quonâ—â—dò etians est Paulus cum Jacobo conciliandus saith he Vers 1. Blessed is be whose transgression is forgiven The heavy burthen of whose trespasses is taken off as the word importeth and he is loosed cased and lightned Sin is an intollerable burden Isa 1.3 such as presseth down Heb. 12.1.2 burden it is to God Am. 2.13 to Christ it was when it made him sweat water and bloud to the Angels when it brake their backs and sunk them into Hell to men under whom the very earth groaneth the Axeltree thereof is even ready to crack c. it could not bear Corah and his company it spewed out the Canaanites c. O then the heaped up happiness of a justified person disburdened of his transgressions The word here rendred transgression signifieth Treachery and wickedness with a witness Aben-Ezra faith David hereby intends his Sin with Bathsheba and surely this Psalm and the one and fiftieth may seem to have been made upon the same occasion they are tuned so near together Whose sin is covered As excrements and ordure are covered that they may not be an eye-sore or annoyance to any Sin is an odious thing the Devils duivell or vomit the corruption of a dead soul the filthiness of flesh and spirit Get a cover for it therefore sc Christs righteousness called a propitiation or coverture and raiment Rev. 3.18 Vt sic veletur ne in judicio reveletur that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear Vers 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Let no man think this triplication of the same thing needlesse or superfluous sith the poor soul afflicted with sense of sin and fear of wrath is not easily perswaded of pardon but when faith would lay hold on the promise Satan rappeth her on the fingers as it were and seeks to beat her off Besides by such an emphaticall repetition and heap of words to one purpose the great grace of God in pardoning mens sin is plainly and plentifully declared and celebrated it being a mercy that no words how wide soever can sufficiently set forth By the word iniquity some understand originall sin that peccatum peccans as the Schooles call it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common cause and impure seminary of all actuall disobediences Neither this nor any of the fruites of it doth the Lord impute reckon count or think to the pardoned finner 2 Cor. 5.19 Cui non cogitat peccatum so some render it To whom he thinketh no sin that is he reputeth or imputeth it not for a sin he putteth it not into the reckoning Isa 43.25 48.9 11. the Bill or Bond is cancelled Col. 2.14 and there remaineth no action Christ is our suerty Heb. 7.22 Now the suerty and debtour are in law reputed as one person Christ is made sin for us that is in our stead or place that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult And in whose spirit there is no guile Sed sincere sine dolo à suis peccatis resipiscit ad Dei misericordiam se recipit The justified are also sanctified 1 Cor. 6.11 they hide not their sins as Adam thy neither excuse nor extenuate what evills they have done but think and speak the worst of their sins they lay load upon themselves they hate Hy pocrisie and detest dissimulation it is a question whether they do more desire to be good or abhorre to seem only to be so B sil as he commendeth that sentence of Plato that seeming sanctity is double iniquity so hee justly condemneth that saying of Euripides I had rather seem to bee good than be so indeed That maxim of Machiavel is the same for sense that vertue it self should not be sought after but only the appearance because the credit is an help the use a cumber The pardoned finner is sanctified throughout washed not only from his sin the guilt and filth of it but his swinish nature also the love and liking of it he hath no mind to return to his vomit or wallowing in the mire saith R. Solomon here he saith not Resipiscam denuo peccabo vel peccabo resipiscam as R. David senseth it I will repent and then sin again or sin again and then repent This he knoweth to be incompatible with faith unfeigned and hope unfailable 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Joh. 3.3 Vers 3. When I kept silence i.e. Whilest I through guile of spirit for this leaven of Hypocrisie is more or lesse in the best hearts though it sway not there concealed my sin and kept the Devills counsel contenting my self with his anodines and false plaisters That old man slayer knoweth well that as sin is the soules sicknesse so confession is the soules 〈◊〉 and that there is no way to purge the sick soul but upwards He therefore holdeth the lips close that the heart may not disburden it self David by his perswasion kept silence for a while but that he found was to his ruthe and if he had held so it might have been to his ruine Men in pain of conscience will
months saith Theadoret in weeping and lamentation he fell down on his face in the place of the Penitents and said My soul is glued to the earth c Henry the Fourth then King of Navarre only after wards of France also having abused the Daughter of a Gentlemanin Rochel by whom he had a Son was perswaded by Mounsieur du-Plessis to make a publick acknowledgement of his fault in the Church Life of Phil. de Morn by Mr. Clerâ— which also he did before all the Nobility of his Army This counsel being thought by some to be too rigorous Du-Plessis made this answer That as a man could not be too couragious before men so he could not be too humble in the presence of God Whâ—n Nathan the Prophet came unto him Rousing him out of a long Lethargy into which Sin and Sathan had cast him See here the necessity of a faithful Ministery to be to us as the Pilot was to Jonas as the Cock to Peier c. as also of a friendly admonitour such as David had prayed for Psal 141.5 and here he is answered David had lain long in sin without repentance to any purpose some remorse he had felt Psal 32.3 but it amounted not to a godly sorrow till Nathan came and in private dealing plainly with him more prevailed than all the Lectures of the Law or other means had done all that while After he had gone in to Bathsheba This was the Devils Nest-egge that caused many sins to be laid one to and upon another See the wosul chain of Davids lust 2 Sam. 11. 12. and beware Vers 1. Have mercy upon me O God T was wont to be O my God but David had now sinned away his assurance wiped off his comfortables he dares not plead propriety in God nor relation to him as having forfeited both At another time when he had greatly offended God by numbring the people God counted him but plain David Go and say to David 2 Sam. 24.12 whereas before when hee purposed to build God a Temple then it was Go tell my servant David 2 Sam. 7.5 Sin doth much impair and weaken our assurance of Gods favour like as a drop of water falling on a burning Candle dimmeth the light thereof The course that David taketh for recovery of this last evil is confession of sin and hearty prayer for pardoning and purging grace In the Courts of men it is safest saith Quintilian to plead Non feci Not guilty not so here but Ego feci miserere miserrimi peccatoris misericors Deus Guilty Lord have mercy c. Permiserâ—ra mâ—i toâ—â—itur ira Dei According to the multitude of thy tender mercies They are a multitude of them and David needeth them all for the pardon of his many and mighty sins tha where 〈◊〉 had abounded grace might super abound it may have a super-pleonasâ—â—â— â— 1 Tim. 1.14 Bloâ— out my transgressions Out of thy Debâ—-book cross out the black lines of my sins with the red lines of Christs bloud cancel the Bond though written in black and bloudy Characters Vers 2. Wash me thorowly from mine iniquity Heb. Multiply wash me so Isa 55.7 God is said to multiply pardon as much as we multiply sin David apprehended his sin so exceeding sinful his stain so inveterate so ingrained that it would hardly be ever gotten out fill the cloath were almost rub'd to pâ—eces that God himself would have some what to do to do it He had been in a deep ditch Prov. 23.27 and was pitifully moyled He therefore begs hard to bee thorowly rinsed to be bathed in that blessed fountain of Christs bloud that is opened for sins and for uncleaneness Zach. 13.1 to be cleansed not only from outward defilements but from his swinish nature for though a Swine be washed never so clean if she retain her nature she will be ready to wallow in the next guzzle The time of our being here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen calleth it i. e. our washing time Wash thy heart O Jerusalem that thou maist be clean Jer. 4.14 not by thinking to set off with God and to make amends by thy good deeds for thy bad this is but lutum luto purgare to wash off one filth with another but by the practice of Mortification and by Faith in Christs meritorious Passion for he hath washed us from our sins in his own bloud Revel 1.5 Other bloud defileth but this purifieth from all pollutions of flesh and spirit 1 Joh. 1.7 And cleanse me from my sin In like manner as the Leper under the Law was cleansed Leprosie Frensie Heresie and Jealousie are by men counted uncurable Sed omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilâ—s occurr it morbus saith I sidore to an Almighty Physician no Disease is uncurable There is indeed a Natural Novatianisâ—â— in the timorous Consciences of convinced sâ—â—ners to doubt and question pardon for sins of Apostacy and failing after Repentance but there need bee no such doubting sith God who hath bidden us to forgive a repenting Brother seventy times seven times in one day will him self much more All sins and Blasphemies shall bee forgiven to the sons of men c. Mat. 12.31 Vers 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions And therefore look for pardon according to thy promise Home agroscit Deus ignoscit And my sin My twisted sin and sadly accented mine accumulative sin voluminous wickedness that hath so many sins bound up in it as Cicero saith of Paricide Is ever before me To my great grief and regret my Conscience twitteth mee with it and the Devil layeth it in my dish This maketh him follow God so close resolved to give him no rest till he hath registred and enrolled the remission of his sins in the Book of Life with the bloudy lines of Christs soul-saving sufferings and golden Characters of his own eternal love Vers 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned This he spake in respect of the secresie of his sins say some whence also it followeth And done this evil m thy sightâ— David sent for Bathsheba by his Servants but they knew not wherefore he sent for her saith Kimchi neither knew any one why Letters were sent to Joub to kill Uriah but because hee refused to obey the King bidding him go home to his honse c. Others thus Against thee only that is thee maâ—â—ly for every sin is a violation of Gods Law the trespass may be against man but the transgression is ever against God Others again thus Against thee c. that is Against thee so good a God have I thus hainouâ—â—y offended giving thereby thine enemies occasion to blaspheme thee This I take it is the true meaning And done this evil in thy fight Which was to despise thee 2 Sam. 12.10 not caring though thou lookedst on That thou might est be justified when thou speakâ—st c. i.e. declared to be just whatever thou hast denounced against me or shalt inflict upon me The unrighteousness
very cold and for the other four it was Winter Vers 8 Neither do they which go by say c. As they use to do to harvest men Ruth 2. 3 Joh. Christianity is no enemy to curtesie yet in some cases saith not God speed PSAL. CXXX VErs 1 Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee i. e. Ex portis ipsis desperationis from the very bosom and bottom of despair caused through deepest sense of sin and fear of wrath One deep calleth to another the depth of misery to the depth of mercy Basill and Beza interpret it Ex intimis cordis penetralibus from the bottom of my heart with all earnestness and humility Hee that is in the low pits and caves of the earth seeth the stars in the firmament so hee who is most low and lowly seeth most of God and is in best case to call upon him As spices smell best when beaten and as frankincense maximè fragrat cum flagrat is most odoriferous when cast into the fire so do Gods afflicted pray best when at the greatest under Isa 19.22 26.16 27.6 Luther when hee was buffeted by the Devill at Coburgh and in great affliction Joh. Manâ— loc com 43. said to those about him Venite in contemptum diaboli Psalmum de profundis quatuor vocibus cantemus come let us sing that Psalm Out of the depths c. in derision of the Devill And surely this Psalm is a treasury of great comfort to all in distress reckoned therefore of old amongst the seven Penitentiâ—â— and is therefore sacrilegiously by the Papists taken away from the living and applyed only to the dead for no other reason I think saith Beza but because it beginneth with Out of the Depths have I cryed a poor ground for Purgatory or for praying for the souls that are there as Bellarmine makes it Vers 2 Lord hear my voice Precum exauditie identidem est precanda Audience must be begged again and again and if hee once prepare our heart t is sure that hee will cause his ear to hear Psal 10.17 as when wee bid our Children ask this or that of us it is because wee mean to give it them Vers 3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities This and the next verse contains saith one the summe of all the Scriptures Twice hee here nameth the Lord as desirous to take hold of him with both his hands Extremity of Justice hee depreâ—â—â—h hee would not bee dealt with in rigour and rage Extrema fateor commeritus sum Deus Quid enim aliud dixers It is confessed I have deserved the extremity of thy fury but yet let mee talk with thee as Jer. 12.1 or reason the case O Lord who shall stand Stand in Judgement as Psal 1.5 and not fall under the weight of thy just wrath which burneth as low as Hell it self How can any one escape the damnation of Hell which is the just hire of the least sin Rom. 6.23 and the best mans life is fuller of sins than the Firmament is oâ— stars or the furnace of sparks Hence that of an Ancient Vâ— homiuâ—â— vitâ— quantumvis laudabili si reâ—â— miscericordiâ— judicetur Woe to the best man alive should hee bee strictly dealt withall Surely if his faults were but written in his forehead it would make him pull 〈◊〉 hat over his eyes Vers 4 But there is forgiveness with thee This holds head above water that we have to do with a forgiving God Neb. 9.31 none like him for that Mic. 7.18 For hee doth it naturally Exod. 34.6 abundantly Isa 55.7 constantly as here there is still is forgiveness and propitiation with God so Job 1.27 the Lamb of God doth take away the sins of the World t is a perpetuall act and should be as a perpetuall picture in our hearts That thou mayest bee feared i. e. Sought unto and served It is a speech like that Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come If there were not forgiveness with God no man would worship him from his heart but flye from his as from a Tyrant But a promise of pardon from a faithfull God maketh men to put themselves into the hands of justice in hope of mercy Mr. Perkins expoundeth the words thus In mercy thou pardonest the sins of some that thou mightest have some on earth to worship thee Vers 5 I wait for the Lord I wait and wait viz. for deliverance out of misery vers 1. being assured of pardoning mercy Feri Domine feri à peccatis enim absolutâ—◠〈◊〉 said Luther strike Lord while thou wilt so long as my sins are forgiveâ— I can bee of good comfort I can wait or want for a need And 〈…〉 viz. Of promise that ground of hope unfailable Rom. 5.5 of 〈◊〉 unfeigâ—â—ed 1 Tim. 1.5 Vers 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord Or Watcheth for the Lord Heb My soul to the Lord an eclipticall concise speech importing strong affection as doth also the following reduplication Prae custodibus ad mane prae custodibus ad manâ— I say more than they Or More than they that watch for the morning wait for the morning wherein they may sleep which by night they might not do Vers 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord Hope and yet fear as vers 4. with a filiall fear fear and yet hope Plenteous Redemption Are our sins great with God there is mercy matchless mercy Are our sins many with God is plenteous redemption multa redemptiâ— hee will multiply pardons as wee multiply sins Isa 55.7 Vers 8 And hee shall redeem Israel By the value and vertue of Christs death by his merit and spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 PSAL. CXXXI VErs 1 Lord my heart is not haughty Though anointed and appointed by thee to the Kingdome yet I have not ambitiously aspired unto it by seeking Souls death as his pick thanks perswaded him nor do I now being possessed of it proudly domineer as is the manner of most Potentates and tyrannize over my poor subjects but with all modesty and humility not minding high things I do condescend to them of low estate Rom. 12.16 Now Bucholc in alto positum non altum sapere difficile est omnino inusitatum sed quanto inusitatius tanto gloriosius It is both hard and happy not to bee puffed up with prosperity and preferment Vespasian is said to have been the only one that was made better by being made Emperour Nor mine eyes lofty Pride sitteth and sheweth it self in the eyes as soon as in any part Ut speculum oculus est artis ita oculus est naturae speculum Neither do I exercise my self in great matters Heb. I walk not manes intra metas I keep within my circle within the compass of my calling not troubling my self and others by my ambitious projects and practices as Cleâ—n did Alchibiades Cesar Borgia and others Ambitionists Or in things too high for mee Heb. Wonderfull high and hidden things that pass nay
terrified 596 causelesse feares page 729 Feasting holy page a. 189 188 Few saved page a. 93.94 Firmament page 324 First-fruits page a. 93 Formality rejected page 719 Forefathers sin not with them page 841 Fowles are foolish page 310 Fountaines their perennity page 834 Flattery court-parasites a. 108. flatterers meed b. 121. a flatterer boxt page 285 Fret not against God page 307 Friends few fast friends b. 24. many false b. 65 694. quarrel with faults not with friends page b. 65 G. God his dear respect to his a. 8. his great goodnesse a. 86. he disposeth of Kingdomes a. 87. how he is moved b. 18. he useth the wicked as his rods and why b. 20. his prisoners b. 34. he filleth all places b. 86 87. cannot be overpowered b. 87. it incomprehensible b. 104 325 913. his wisdom unsearchable b. 105. his strength and wisdom b. 114. he pulleth down and setteth up Kings 116. infatuateth the wise ib. his care of his afflicted b. 152. his greatnesse is not believed 289 he pardoneth abundantly 295. he gets not by us 308. his gentlenesse 326.327 343. his power and will to help his 357. his patience 584. he seeth all 243. his knowledge 597. his Justice ib. rich mercy 643. his Attributes 802. his truth our greatest comfort 872. his care of his 894. his Omniscience 912. there is no standing before his Justice 919. he loveth to retaliate a. 167 168. he fulfilleth his Promises a. 194. he is most profited by our services page b. 195 Godlinesse profitable to all page 361 362 Good for evil page 583 Good in bad places page b. 2 Goodnesse communicative page 230 Grace prevents our obedience page a. 86 Grave our long home page b. 15 Great mens good examples 885. they have great temptations a. 158. their thoughts perish 924. some great ones â—â—â—ged a. 168. raised from small beginnings a. 169 hear with their imperfections a. 172. they should be good page a. 193 H. Halleluiah the great which page b. 837 Heart wrought by God page a. 147 Hate of Haman and Judas page a. 189 Heires may fail page a. 151 Historians false page a. 172 Honour a great Nothing page a. 157 Happinesse true wherein page 562 Hagarens who page 797 Hawk described page 342 Hear and judge page b. 112 Heaven its height b. 104. its happinesse 611. contemplate it page 587 Healthing condemned page a. 106 Heathen Sages page 280 Hell its darknesse b. 31. where it is page b. 104 Hereticks stiffe b. 67. they would make God a Partner b 103 they are confident page 306 Henry 8. a Nullifidian page 241 Honorius his doting on a bird page 352 Holinesse honour of it b. 108. holinesse and righteousness page 276 Hope groundlesse b. 66. deceiveth b. 88. hope of hypocrites b. 109. hope easeth crosses page b. 153 Hospitality page 274 Horse how useful page 340 341 Houses falling slew many b 13. build not over-stately page 232 Humility of Saints page 344 Humble exalted page 925 Humiliation b. 54. submit to God page b. 51 Husbands honour their wives page 112 Husbandry honoured page b 3. Hypocrisie mercenary b. 7. all the wicked are hypocrites b. 79 hypocrites described b. 125. they heap up wrath 314 serve themselves 359. persevere not in prayer and why 230. delight not in God page 229 I. Jehovah how written page 798 Jerusalem whence and where a. 3. its praise 710 center of the world page 777 Jesuites their craft page b. 142 Idolomany page b. 866 Jewes generally hated a. 118. their harsh censure of Moses and Job b. 26. they are infatuated b. 55. their errour 85. their rage 273. banish't out of the world 258. they are great Artists b. 909. their daily benedictions 921. their countrey how so fruitful page 926 Image-worship b 44.868 hate it page 608 Infants no Innocents b 220. foule page b. 34 Injuries dissemble them page 685 686 Job an excellent man b. 1 7 8. his History no fable or parable b. 2. by whom written ib. his patience b. 12. not stupid 13. his tongue spared and why 21. his wife a vexation to him 22. yet might be a good woman ib. his friends godly men 25. how they handled the matter ib. his book in Hexameters 28. tired out by a dull Doctour 31. how long he was afflicted 69. he was a great Philosopher 96. his out bursts 99.127 he denied not the divine Providence 112. he doubted not of the Resurrection 71. he knew Christ a Mediatour 115. his squinzey 74. his age 364 his satiety of life ib. he was a pattern of the rule 208. the worth of his history 326. the middle of it page 200 Joy spiritual is our strength a. 79. temporary joy b. 82.177 178. unsound a. 152. mixt ib. spiritual joy 663.664 difference of that of Saints and sinners page a. 179 Justifie God page a. 90 Justified persons happinesse 660. such are also sanctified page 660 Iron and brasse whence page 235 K. Keckermans Swan-like Song page 874 Kings reviled 300 that sin punish't page ib. Knowledge is sweet 891. notional knowledge unproprofitable b 60. experimental knowledge page 358 L. Labour overcometh all difficulties page 238 Laughter lawful page 251 Law delivered in Sinai 84. good ib. its foure teeth 337. Jewes great respect to it page 720 Liberality page b. 6.168 169 Liberty sweet page a. 90 Life full of changes a. 81. miserable b. 31 yet a mercy 31. soon lost b. 46. miserable b 50. our time is set b. 69. life is but a turne 900.901 life sweet b. 19. short and wretched b. 130 precious a. 176. some that were very long-lived 714 715 Light-behaviour to be shunned page 251 Light of what use page 329 Lightening whence and why page 320 Lying shun it b 102. Artists at it page b. 120 Lithgow's inquisition-tortures page 633 Look upward page b. 894 Lottery page a. 130 Love God entirely 615. and the Saints by a specialty page 608 Lusts tough a. 101. costly a. 132 140. shun fleshly lusts page 262 Luther resolute not infallible page b. 157 M. Magistrates must fear God a. 74. look to their under-officers a. 135. leave open accesse to themselves a. 142.143 they have great temptations a. 150 they are gods and how 795. their duty 248.249 See great men Majecty of true piety page a. 182 Man wonder of his formation b. 914. a vile creature 220.221 miracle of mans make b. 95.96 he is a Microcosme page 588 Man-worship page a. 81 Manna what and whence page 786 Masse whence so called page 725 Massacre French whence page a. 129 Marry with discretion page a. 92 Maximinus slain sleeping b. 163. and his son page 165 Meek men are docible 642. contra page 739 Merits disclaimed a. 101. Merit-mongers misery b 88. abhor that doctrine page 830 Meroz cursed page 851 Meteors to be marked 318. to be marvelled at ib. and 323 Mistakes among friends page b. 103 Ministers blessed for their holy boldnesse a. 30. few good a. 40.41 have oft bad children 41. their
Historians had their work done to their hands He wrote with the same spirit he fought saith Quintilian Eodem aâ—imo dixit quo bellavit lib. 10. And it came to passe This Book then is a continuation of the former Nehemiah being a third instrument of procuring this peoples good after Zerubbabel and Ezra and deservedly counted and called a Third Founder of that Common-wealth after Joshuah David In the moneth Chisleu In the deep of Winter then it was that Hanani and his brethren undertook their journey into Persia for the good of the Church In the twentieth year Sc. of Artaxerxes Longimanus thirteen yeares after Ezra and his company first came to Jerusalem Ezra 7.8 with Nehem. 2.1 I was in Shushan the palace Id est In the palace of the City Susan this Susan signifieth a Lily and was so called likely for the beauty and delectable site Now it is called Vahdac of the poverty of the place Here was Nehemiah waiting upon his office and promoting the good of his people Nomine tu quiu sis natur â Gratius ac te Gratius hoc Christi gratia praestet Amen Strabo and others say that the Inhabitants of Susia were quiet and perceable and were therefore the better beloved by the Kings of Persia Cyrus being the first that made his chief abode there in Winter especially and that this City was long and in Compasse 15 miles about Verse 2. That Hanani A gracious man according to his Name and zealous for his Countrey which indeed is a mans self and therefore when our Saviour used that proverb Physician heal thy self the sense is heal thy Countrey Luk. 4.23 Out of my brethren Not by race perhaps but surely by grace and place a Jew and that inwardly and therefore entrusted after this by Nehemiah with a great charge Neh 7. ver 2. Came he and certain men of Judah Upon some great suit likely for their Countrey because they took so long and troublesome a journey in the Winter not without that Roman resolution of Pompey in like case Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam Whatever their businesse was these men had better successe then afterwards Philo the Jew and his Colleagues had in their Embassy to Cajus the Emperour who cast them out with contempt and would not hear their apology against Appion of Alexandria their deadly Enemy And I asked them concerning the Jewes The Church was his care neither could he enjoy ought so long as it went ill with Zion He was even sick of the affliction of Joseph and glad he had got any of whom to enquire he asked them not out of an itch after newes but of an earnest desire to know how it fared with Gods poor people that he might cum singulis pectus suum copulare as Cyprian speaketh rejoyce with them that rejoyced and weep with those that wept Rom. 12.15 a sure signe of a sound member Which were left of the captivity One of whom he well knew to be more worth then a rabble of Rebels a World of wicked persons As the Jews use to say of those seventy souls that went down with Jacob into Egypt that they were better worth then all the seventy Nations of the World besides Verse 3. Are in great affliction and reproach The Church is heir of the Crosse saith Luther and it was ever the portion of Gods people to be reproached Ecclesia est hae res crucis as David was by Doeg with devouring words Psal 52. Their breath as fire shall devour you Esay 33.10 The Wall of Jerusalem also is broken down So that theeves and murtherers came in in the Night saith Comestor here and slue many of them And the gates thereof are burnt with fire They were burnt by the Chaldeans and never yet repaired And to keep a continual great watch was too great a charge and trouble Verse 4. And it came to passe when I heard It was not without a special providence that these good men thus met and by mutual conference kindle one another and that thereby God provided a remedy Things fall not out by hap-hazard but by Gods most wise dispose and appointment That I sate down and wept He was even pressed down with the greatnesse of his grief Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor Ovid. whereto he gave vent by his eyes Zeph. 3.17 18. God promises much mercy to such to whom the reproach of the solemn assemblies was a burden Nehemiah cannot stand under it but sits down and weeps And mourned certaine dayes Viz. For three moneths space for so long he was preparing himself to petition the King chap. 2. And fasted and prayed This was a sure course and never miscarried as hath been noted Ezra 9. Before the God of heaven With face turned toward his holy Temple 1 Kings 8.44 48. with heart lifted up to the highest heavens those hills whence should come his help Verse 5. I beseech thee O Lord Annah Jehovah An insinuating preface whereby he seeketh first to get in with God speaking him faire as doth likewise David in a real and heavenly complement Psal 116.16 Obsecro Jehova I beseech O Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant the sonne of thy handmaid break thou my bands So the Church Esay 64.9 Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people The great and terrible God A great King above all gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15.11 saith a Greek Father glorious in holinesse fearful in prayses doing wonders saith Moses in one place as in another The Lord our God is God of gods and Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible Verè verendus venerandus Deut. 10.17 Thus Nehemiah begins his prayer and counts it a great mercy that he may creep in at a corner and present himself before this most Majestick Monarch of the world with greatest self-abasement That keepeth covenant and mercy That he may at once both tremble before him and trust upon Him he describeth God by his Goodnes as well as by Greatnes and so helpeth his own faith by contemplating Gods faithfulnesse and loving-kindnesse God hath hitherto kept Covenant with heaven and earth with nights and days Jer. 33.20 25. that one shall succeed the other and shall he break with his people No verily Be sure to keep faith in heart or you will pray but poorly And for this learn in the preface to your prayers to propound God to your selves in such notions and under such tearms and titles as may most conduce thereunto pleading the Covenant That love him and observe his Commandments That love to be his servants Esay 56.6 that wait for his Law Isa 42.4 that think upon his Commandments to do them Psal 103.18 Verse 6. Let thine eares now be attentive and thine eyes open Should not God see as well as hear saith a Divine his children should want many things We apprehend not all our wants and so cannot pray for relief
against the Enemy in an entire body mean while Nehemiah walketh the round and watcheth the Enemies motions so that of him might be said as once was of Hannibal Nullo labore aut corpus fatigari aut animus vinci poterat he was indefatigable insuperable or as of Fabius Maximus Liv. decad 3. lib. 1. Hic patria est murique urbis stant pectore in uno Siâ—â—tal Our God shall fight for us Courage therefore my hearts He is the Lord Strong and Mighty the Lord Mighty in battel Psal 24.8 and may far better say then Henry the eighth did Cui adhaereo prae est he whom I fight for is sure to prevail Verse 21. So we laboured in the work Their fear of the enemy did not weaken them but waken them rather to a redoubled diligence From the rising of the Sun till the Stars appeared Time was precious and they redeemed and improved it The common complaint is We want time but the truth is Non parùm habemus temporis sed multùm perdimus We do not so much want as waste it The good man is perdius pernox night and day at his businesse and his thoughts are the same with those of Rabbi Simeon Dies brevis est opus multum operarii pigri paterfamilias urget The time is short the task large the workmen lither the master of the house urgent Verse 22. Likewise at the same time I said unto the people He had a saying to every one and having ordered the work of the day he appointeth a watch for the night season also for they had many false friends within themselves too Caesars vigilancy did ever equal his valour so did Nehemiahs Verse 23. So neither I He said not to his men Ite but eamus as Caesar did Go ye but go we and as Abimelech Judg. 9.48 What ye see me do make haste and do accordingly Velleius flattered when he said Tiberius imperio maximus exemplo major Nehemiah was so in very deed Saving that every one put them off for washing To keep themselves cleanly and from being nasty or otherwise to wash themselves from legal pollutions CHAP. V. Verse 1. And there was a great cry SUch as seditious ones use to set up in their outragious uproares or such as is the expression of great grief and anguish of heart Significat clamorâ—m vel querulum vel imperiosum iracundumm inacem Of the people The ignobile vulgus a most dangerous and heady water when once it is out And of their wives Who being pincht with penury made piteous out-cries Invalidum omne naturâ querulum Seneca James 2.6 Against their brethren the Jewes The richer sort who oppressed them and drew them before the judgement seats as Saint James hath it of the Jews of his time for they were no changelings Let the Philistins bind Sampson and he can bear it but do not you lay hands on me saith he to his Countrey-men Scipio had rather Annibal should eat his heart with salt then Laelius give him a crosse word Had it been mine enemy saith David I could have digested it So could these poor creatures far better have born the insolencies of strangers then the oppressions of fellow-brethren Tacitus tells us Misericordia in promptu apud suos c. that in his time the Jews were very merciful to those of their own Nation and cruel to all others But here their owne complaine and this was doubtlesse a great grief to good Nehemiah Verse 2. We our sonnes and our daughters are many That 's mercy Epist 7. had we but keeping for them Their wives were very fruitful sed luctuosâ foecunditate as Hierome saith of Laeta for they had more mouths then meat for them The young children asked for bread and no man brake it unto them Lam. 4.4 Therefore we take up corn for them Corn upon use to keep us from starving and that by pawning or selling our dear children to the rich Creditours for servants till we can redeem them which we are never like to do ver 5. That we may eat and live Meerly to keep us alive for else we would never have made our poor children bondslaves But Necessitas durum telum Hunger is so pinching a pain that a Woman will eate her own child as in the siege of Jerusalem Samaria Saguntum yea a man his own flesh rather then dye with hunger Hitherto the poorest sort Followes now another cry Verse 3. We have morgaged our Lands Vineyards c. Lands they had but were little the better for them Husbandry they had neglected to give attendance upon buildings neither were they able to stock and store their grounds and so are forced to part with them at an under-rate This is many a poor mans case amongst us who yet are little pitied or relieved Jam. 2.15 16 unlesse it be with a little mouth-mercy as in S. James his dayes chap. 2.15 16. Oppressours will be but as Friends at a sneeze the most you can get of them is God blesse you like they are many of them to Darius who prayed God to help Daniel but sent him to the Lions den Verse 4. There were also that said Here was a third complaint to good Nehemiah to whom whosoever lamented were sure to have redresse and remedy He did not serve these poor people as that mercilesse Bishop of Mentz in Germany did who to rid his hands of them in a time of famine in horreo conclusos jussit concremari shut them up altogether in a barn Hatto Archiep. Mogunt Anno 923. and there burnt them He was afterwards eaten to death by Rats non sine maxima divinae vindictae suspicione saith mine Author by a just hand of God upon him for his cruelty to those poor whom he would not relieve with his corn but let the Rats eat it and of whom he said when they were burning in his barn that they cryed like a company of Rats We have borrowed money for the Kings tribute They did not deny payment and rise up in armes Speed 1012. making Poverty their Captain as the Suffolk-men did here in Henry the eighths time Neither did they answer the King of Persia's officers as the men of Andros once did Themistocles He being sent by the Athenians to them for tribute told them that he came unto them on that errand accompanied with two goddesses Eloquence to perswade Plutarch and Violence to enforce them Their answer was that they also had on their side two goddesses as strong Necessity for they had it not and Impossibility for they knew not how to raise it These men pawn their lands to pay tribute but it went to their hearts and caused this complaint Verse 5. Yet our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren i. e. Neverthelesse we are men as well as they though poor men and therefore slighted but why should they hide their eyes from their own flesh Isa 58.7 Have we not all
they could suffer So here Verse 14. And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath Not then first known to the Church but of old observed even from the beginning Gen. 2.3 about 2544. years before it was made known in such a solemne sort at Sinai as having been much neglected and forgotten during the Egyptian servitude So it was by the German Churches till God awakened them by the losse of Prague that first blow given them and that upon the Sabbath day which they kept no otherwise then if it had been Dies daemoniacus and not dominicus as their countrey-man Alsted complaineth and as if it had been called Sabbath from Sabbos a name of Bacchus as Plutarch dreamed And commandedst them precepts See the Note on verse 13. Verse 15. And gavest them bread from heaven Pluviam escatilem petrum aquatilem as Tertullian phraseth it God rained down Angels food and set the flint a broach and this he did for their hunger for their thirst fitting his favours ad cardinem desiderii according to their need and request Besides that their bread was sacramental whereof they communicated every day Their drink also was sacramental that this ancient Church might give no warrant of a dry Communion for they did all eate of the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink the same that we do at the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10.3 4. And promisedst them that they should go in c. And the like promise he hath made of heaven to all his people Let us therefore fear c. Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore cleanse our selves c. 2 Cor. 6.1 Let us haste away in our affections Col. 3.2 Which thou hast sworne So he hath to give us heaven because he knowes how backward we are to beleeve him without such a pawne that by two immutable things Gods Word and Gods Oath which maketh his Word not more true but yet more credible we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 and more abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.11 Verse 16. But they and our fathers Gods mercies have been hitherto mentioned that their sinnes might thereby be aggravated For good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and mens sinnes are much increased by their obligations It is charged upon Solomon as a foul fault that he departed from the Lord who had appeared unto him twice 1 Kings 11.9 Dealt proudly Pride is the Master-pock of the soul and the root of rebellion against God Psal 119.21 And hardened their necks As unruly beasts that will not bear the yoke lawlesse and awlesse persons that refuse to be reformed hate to be healed And hearkened not to thy Commandments But rather to the Devils whistle calling them off from better practises Verse 17. And refused to obey Heb To hearken They not onely not hearkened but refused to hear reasons why they should as having made their conclusion and being as good as ever they meant to be This is to adde rebellion to sinne this is that stubbornnesse that Ahaz is taxed of and branded for 2 Chron. 28.25 Neither were mindful of the wonders These soone grew stale to them as the Psalmist proves by their wicked practises Psal 106.13 And truly who that looketh upon our lives would ever think that God had done any wonders for us of this Nation either by sea or land either against fire-works or water-works formerly or against a viperous brood amongst our selves here alate Num. 14.4 And in their rebellion appointed a Captaine They once talked in their mad mood of doing such a thing and therefore they are here said to have done it Like as Josh 24.9 it is said that Balac arose and fought with Israel and yet the story saith no such matter But if he did not yet because he thought and talked of such a matter it was a done thing before the Lord But thou art a God ready to pardon Heb. A God of pardons One that hast set up a pardon-office where pardons for penitents lie ready sealed that the sinner may not be to seek that he may not perish in his sinnes while the plaister is in providing It is our comfort that we have to do with a forgiving sinne-pardoning God that doth it naturally Exod. 34.6 plentifully Is 55.7 constantly Ps 130.4 This should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts Gracious Doing all for us gratis ex mero motu out of his free and unexcited love And merciful All-bowels whereby he is inclined to succour them that are in misery notwithstanding their sinnes See his Non-obstante Psal 106.8 Long-suffering Heb. Long of anger that is Long ere he will be angry not hasty of spirit as Prov. 14.17 29. but wondrous patient amidst a world of provocations And of great kindnesse Exceeding propense to communicate good The Hebrew word signifies a large quantity either continued that is magnitude or greatnesse Psal 48.2 Or discrete that is multitude Psal 3.1 2. And forsookest them not That is not utterly as David prayeth Psal 119.8 and after him Solomon 1 Kings 8.57 When God forsaketh a people or person woe be to them Hos 9.12 What a terrible text is that Ezek. 22.20 I will gather you in mine anger and my fury and I will leave you there and that other Jer. 16.13 I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not where I will not shew you favour This last was worse then all the rest This the Prophet well knew and therefore cryed out Lord leave us not Jer. 17.17 Extingui lucem ne patiare tuam Or if thou desert us for a time yet do not disinherit us for ever If thy dereliction of us be penal Mâ—s Gerundin yet let it not be Perpetual Verse 18. Yea when they had made them a Golden Calf An ounce whereof the Jews say is still to this day in all the punishments that befall them though some of their Rabbines have the face to excuse this grosse Idolatry of their fore-fathers See Act. 7.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscat Vitulificarunt And said this is thy God Exod. 32.4 These be thy Gods It was the Serpents Grammar that first taught men to decline God in the plurall number Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3. That brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Some of them then did mean to worship the true God in this false manner hence Exod. 32.5 there is proclaimed a feast not to the Golden Calf but to Jehovah Here then falls to the ground the Papists plea for their image-worship And had wrought great provocations Or Blasphemies 2 King 19.3 Idolatry is no better Hierome as oft as he meeteth with this Hebrew word in the book of Psalmes and that is five severall times he translateth it to balspheme Verse 19. Yet thou in thy manifold mercies Nothing else could have kept him from turning them off and saying to them as once Jephta did Judg. 11. Behold ye have
Ezek. 17.4 Wells digged A great commodity in that hot Countrey Vine-yards and Olive-yards A singular help to house-keeping So they did eate and were filled They had enough of every thing and did eate whiles eating was good as they say Queen Elizabeth did seldome eate but of one dish rose ever with an appetite and lived about seventy years King Edward the sixth was wont to call her His sweet sister Temperance And delighted themselves in thy great goodnesse They lived in Gods good land but not by Gods good Lawes the refreshing they found by his best creatures was none other but such as his who warmeth himself and saith Aha I am warme I have seene the fire Isa 44.16 Verse 26. Neverthelesse they were disobedient and rebelled See how full in the mouth these holy Levites were in aggravating their own and their forefathers sinnes which swelled as so many toads in their eyes neither could they ever sufficiently disgrace them This is the property and practise of the true penitentiary They cast thy Law behinde their backs That is they vilipended and undervalued it God drew them by the cords of a man so the cords of kindnesse are called Hos 11.4 because befitting the nature of a man and likeliest to prevaile with rational people but they like men or rather like beasts transgressed the Covenant and as if God had even hired them to be wicked so did they abuse all his benefits to his greatest dishonour being therefore the worse because in reason they ought to have been better And slew thy Prophets which testified against them to turne to thee This was the worst they did to them and that for which they received mercedem mundi the wages of the mad world ever beside it self in point of salvation and falling foul upon such as seek its good This is that sinne that brings ruine without remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 Prov. 29.1 for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116. And they wrought great provocations Or Blasphemies see verse 18. Verse 27. Therefore thou deliveredst them Flagitium flagellum sicut acus filum Sinne and punishment are tied together with chains of adamant Who vexed them Heb. Put them to straits so that they had not what shift to make or how to help themselves And in the time of their trouble Vexatio dedit intellectum The time of affliction is the time of supplication When out of the depths Gods people cry unto him they may have any thing Zach. 13.9 speedy audience unmiscarrying returnes of their prayers Thou gavest them Saviours i. e. Deliverers such as the Judges were Judg. 3.9 and such as Flaminius the Roman was to the poor Argives who therefore called him Saviour Saviour and that with such a courage Plut. in Flam ut corvi fortuito supervâ—lantes in stadium deciderent that the birds fell to the earth amazed with that outcry the aire was so dissipated with their acclamations Verse 28. But after they had rest they did evil again As standing pooles breed vermine as sedentary lives are subject to diseases If men be not poured out from vessel to vessel they will soone settle upon their â—ees Because they have no changes therefore they feare not God Psal 55.19 saith David of the wicked and Psal 30. David himself was afflicted delivered and then grew wanton Then troubled again verse 7. cryes againe verse 8.9 God turnes his mourning to joy again whereof if he surfeited not it was well bestowed on him But rarae fumant felicibus arae We are commonly best when worst and Pliny told his friend Plin. Epist that the best way to live well was to be as good in health as we promise to be when we are sick Therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies Who can do us no hurt but by Divine permission though they bandy together and bend all their forces to harme the Church yet are they bounded by God and can do nothing till he leave his people in their hands Had the dominion over them Ruled them with rigour And many times didst thou deliver them Even totiès quotiès for as the eye is not wearied with seeing nor the eare with hearing so neither is God with shewing mercy But as the Sunne shineth after it hath shone and as the spring runneth after it hath run so doth the Lord proceed to do good to his in their necessity and that according to his mercies which never fail Lam. 3.22 Verse 29. And testifiedst against them Toldest them of their sinnes foretoldest them of their dangers didst all that could be done to do them good but nothing would do Yet they dealt proudly See verse 16. And hearkened not Intus existens prohibuit alienum Hear and give eare be not proud Jer. 13.15 But sinned against thy judgements i. e. Thy Statutes though made with so much reason and respect to our good that if God did not command them yet were it every way our best way to practise them Esay 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go As who should say It is for thy profit that I command thee this or that and not for mine own Which if a man do But that as now he cannot do and therefore not be saved by the Law Rom. 10.5 Our Saviour indeed said to that young justiciary This do and thou shalt live Luke 10.28 But that was all one saith Luther as if Christ had said unto him Vade morere Go upon thy death for do this of thy self and live thereby thou art never able And withdrew the shoulder When called to take up Christs yoke or to beare his crosse See the Note on Zach. 7.11 And hardened their necks To sinewes of iron they added browes of brasse Verse 30. Yet many years didst thou forbear them Heb. Protract over them or draw out thy loving kindnesse toward them to the utmost And testifiedst against them As verse 29. They wanted not for warnings or wooings with Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be Yet would they not hear But as Sea-monsters or Catadupes or men borne in a mill or as one that is running a race give him never so good counsel he cannot stay to hear it Therefore gavest thou them As uncounselable incorrigible Verse 31. Neverthelesse for thy great mercies sake Mans perversnesse cannot interrupt the course of Gods goodnesse In the middest of judgement he remembreth mercy which beareth the same proportion to his judgement which seven a compleat number hath to an Vnity Thou diddest not utterly consume them God will repent for his people when he seeth their power is gone Deut. 32.36 and be jealous with a great jealousie when the enemy goes beyond his commission Zach. 1.14 15. For thou art a gracious and merciful God And this is most seene when misery weighs down and nothing but mercy
thus to sell the Hide before they had taken the beast He that sate in heaven and had otherwise determined it laughed at them the Lord had them in derision With him alone is strength and wisdom the deceived and the deceiver are his He leadeth Counsellours away spoiled and maketh the Judges fooles He leadeth Princes away spoiled and overthroweth the mighty Job 12.16 17 19. Psal 2. The people also to do with them Here Haman was made here he had more then heart could wish as Psal 73.7 and holdeth himself therefore no doubt the happiest man under heaven But Nihil sanè infelicius est felicitate peccantium saith Hierom there cannot befall a man a greater misery then to prosper in sinne for such a one is ripening for ruine as fatting cattel are fitting for the shambles They prosper and live at ease saith God yet I am extremely displeased with them Zech. 1.15 As they say of the metal they make glasse of it is nearest melting when it shineth brightest so are the wicked nearest destruction when at greatest lustre Meane-while see here what many times is the condition of Gods dearest children viz. to fall into the power and pawes of Lions Leopards Boares Beares Tygers of men more savage then any of these whose tender mercies are meer cruelties Poor blinde men they are that offer violence to the Saints as Sampson laid hands upon the pillars to pluck the house upon their owne heads To do with them as it seemeth good to thee O bloody sentence Such words as these Lenitèr volant sed non lenitèr violant So Dioclesian gave leave to people to kill up Christians without more ado whereever they met them the like was done by authority in the French Massacre but though Tyrants restraine not their Agents yet God will Psal 76.10 And though they bandy together and bend all their forces to root out true Religion yet are they bounded by him and shall not do what themselves please but what he hath appointed My times are in thine hand saith David and Pilate had no more power to crucifie Christ then what was given him from above John 19.11 Verse 12. Then were the Kings Scribes called Then presently upon 't so soon as the word was out of the Kings mouth licet quod libet the Scribes were called and all things dispatched with all possible haste art and industry So Judas what he did did quickly he was up and at it when Peter and the rest of the Apostles were sound asleep The children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light for why they have the devil to help them and to prick them on and hence their restlesnesse On the thirteenth day of the first moneth Soon after they had begun to cast lots verse 7. and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded Right or wrong that was never once questioned by these over-officious Officers If the King command it and Haman will have it so the Secretaries and Rulers those servile soules are ready to say as Tiberius once did to Justinus Si tu volueris ego sum si tu non vis ego non sum Or as he in Lucan did to Caesar Jussa sequi tam velle mihi quà m posse necesse We are wholly at your devotion and dispose We are only your clay and wax c. It is not for us to take upon us as Counsellours but only to write what is dictated unto us c. But this was no sufficient excuse for them before God as neither was it for Doeg that he was commanded to slay all the Lords Priests which Abner and other of Sauls servants rightly and stoutly refused to do 1 Sam. 22. A warrant once came down under seal for Lady Elizabeths execution whilest she was prisoner at Woodstock Steven Gardiner like another Haman being the chief Engineer But Mr. Bridges her Keeper mistrusting false play presently made haste to the Queen who renounced and reversed it So might Ahashuerus haply have done this bloody Edict had his officers shewed him the iniquity of it But they took not this to be any part of their businesse Or if any one of them should be more conscientious yet he might be surprized by a sudden onset as the Lord Cromwell when by the instigation of Gardiner he was commanded by King Henry the eighth to reade the sentence of death against Lambert the Martyr whereof he repented afterwards sending for Lambert and asking him forgivenesse as Mr. Fox relateth And to every people after their language See chap. 1.22 In the name of the King Ahashuerus For more authority sake and that Hamans malice and cruelty might lie hid under the Kings cloak So Jezabel wrote letters in Ahabs name against Naboth so the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites in the name of their King the Jewes pretended to be all for Caesar when they sought and suck't our Saviours blood The Popish Persecutours here did all in Queen Maries name when as it might be said of her as Josephus doth of Queen Alexandra among the Jewes Ipsa solùm nomen regium ferebat c. She had the name only of Queen but the Pharisees ruled the Kingdome so did the Bishops in those dayes and some of them would have done the like in ours and that was their downfal after that as rotten teeth they had put the King and Kingdome to a great deal of misery And sealed it with the Kings ring Lest it should by any meanes be reversed Dan. 6.8 12 15. Of the right antiquity use and matter of rings let them that will read Plin. lib 33. cap. 1. 37.1 Macrob. lib. 1. Saturn cap. 13. Alexand. ab Alex. lib. 2. genial dier Rhodig lib. 6. cap. 12. Verse 13. And the letters were sent by Postes These the Persians called Angari or as Ruffin writeth it Aggari But why was this done in such post-haste so long before the day of execution was it not to hold them all that while on the rack and so to kill them peece-meale as Tiberius used to do by his enemies whilest through feare of death and expectation of that doleful day Heb 2.15 they were all their life-time subject to bondage To destroy to kill and to cause to perish Words written not with black but with blood and therefore multiplied in this sort to shew that it mattered not how so they were made away by any meanes and the world well rid of them Reade the History of the French Massacre and heare Reverend Merlin who narrowly and indeed miraculously escaped those bloody Villaines as being Chaplaine to the Admiral and praying with him in his Chamber a little before he was murthered heare him I say commenting upon this text Sic nostro saeculo si scribenda fuerint edicta adversus Religionem non potuerunt sibi Scribae satisfacere in excogitandis verbis significantibus quibus atrociora magis sanguinaria redderentur c. that is in our age also if
fool-hardinesse Prov. 29.11 A fool uttereth all his minde ye shall have it presently so near his mouth doth it lie that all will out suddenly but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards or in an inner râ—m in ulteriori animi recessu as the word may be rendred till he see his time to produce it If it seem good to the King Princes must have silken words given them as the mother of Artaxerxes haply Esther told one The rule of old was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 short or sweet Let the King and Haman come this day to the banquet She knew that the King loved Hamans company and especially at a banquet It was policie in Rebecca to provide such savoury meat as the old man loved so here Be wise as Serpents David is commended for his prudent and thereby prosperous deporting himselfe in Sauls house 1 Sam. 18. God gave Solomon politick wisdom exceeding much Who is a faithful and a wise servant Mat. 24. Jam. 3.13 saith our Saviour c And who is a wise man and endued with knowledge saith St. James amongst you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meeknesse of wisdom But if it were policy in Esther to invite Haman whom she hated was it likewise Piety did she not dissemble R. Solomon saith She invited Haman alone with the King that other Courtiers might envie him and so undermine him But that 's but a sorry excuse neither doth Lyra's allegation of her good intention much mend the matter They answer better who say that she invited him that she might aneâ—â—e him to his face and some off all matter of his excuse or escape Hereby also she would shew saith Lavater that she accursed him not out of wrath or revenge but that she was drawen to it and as it were driven by meer necessity Verse 5. Then the King said Cause Haman to make haste Heb. Accelerate or hasten Haman sc to an ill bargain as it proved the very next day Look how thunder commonly happens when the sky seemeth most clear so Haman saw himself inveloped with a storme in one of the fairest dayes of his fortune Philosophers say that before a snow the weather will be warmish when the winde lies the great rain falls and the aire is most quiet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dic. when suddenly there will be an earthquake So the King and Haman 〈…〉 Who but the King and Haman So Tiberius called Sejâ—â— My Sejâ—â— Partaker of all my cares and counsels 〈◊〉 and made him his Colleague in the Empire But he soon cast him from supreme honour to extreme ignominy so that the same Senatour who accompanied him to the Senate conducted him to prison they which sacrificed unto him as to their god which kneeled down to him to adore him scoffed at him and loaded him with contempt and concumelies So Caesar Borgia that restlesse Ambitionist who emulating Julius Caesar would needs be aut Caesar aut nullus was shortly after Caesar nullus being slain in the Kingdom of Navarre Verse 6. And the King said unto Esther at the banquet of wine Which seemeth to have been after the other banquet of dainties and sweet-meats during which they drank water Only the King had aurum potabile a golden water prepared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inter pocula which he and his eldest sonne alone might drink and none else might taste of it on paine of death At this latter Banquet they drank wine freely one to another and inter poculorum laetitiam as Josephus hath it when his heart was now merry within him after he had drunk wine abundantly as the Latine hath it the King said unto Esther What is thy Petition to the halfe of the Kingdome The Promise the King reneweth as supposing that Esther durst not propose her request because of the greatnesse of the matter and assuring her that she should have it though never so great And saith not the God of heaven as much to his servants and suppliants Esay 45.11 Jer. 33.3 Why then stand they off in a sinful shamefacednesse and improve not to the utmost this divine indulgence this precious priviledge why say they not with Luther who well understood the latitude of this royal Charter Fiat mea voluntas Let my will be done my will I say because the same with thine Lord why do they not grow upon God and work upon his Promise which is so exceeding broad Psal 119 96. as David did 1 Chro. 17.23 24 25 he goes over it again and yet still encroacheth verse 26. he presseth and oppresseth it till he hath expressed the sweetnesse out of it and so we have all good leave to do Esay 66.11 even to suck and be satisfied by those full-strutting breasts of divine consolation But what mean those foule great babies the Papists to pray the Virgin Mary to exhibit unto them the breasts of her grace Gab. Biel. c And what frontlesse blasphemers are they to say that God the Father hath shared his Kingdome with her keeping his Justice to himself and giving his Mercy to her to dispose of And this say they that they may not seem to be mad without reason was prefigured by Ahashnerus his saying to Esther I will grant thy request to the half of my Kingdom Verse 7. My Petition and my request is She bespeaketh the King in his own very words and so must we if we mean to speed in heaven Take unto you words and say Gen. 38.25 Take away all iniquity and give good c. Produce Gods own words in prayer and say as she did to Judah Whose are these He loves to be set upon in his own words to be pressed with his Promise to be sued upon his bond This David knew and therefore cries Psal 86.11 Vnite my heart to feare thy name it is as if he should say Ezek. 11.19 Thou hast promised Lord to give me one heart behold I finde mine heart divided my thoughts dissipated and my self disabled for duty for Anima dispersa fit minor Vnite it I beseech thee c. This is the way to make our prayers to be nigh the Lord day and night as Solomon phraseth it 1 Kings 8.59 Verse 8. If I have found favour in the sight of the King As she had not so much by her beauty and bravery wherein Vasht perhaps might easily have compared with her but by the finger of God who tameth to his Elect the fiercest creatures as he did the Lions to Daniel and other savage beasts to the Martyrs whom they would not meddle with and turneth the Kings heart as the rivers of water into what channel soever he pleaseth to put it Prov. 21.1 as the Plowman doth the water-course with his paddle or the Gardiner with his hand And if it please the King See verse 4. and submit to God James 4.7 And I will do to morrow as the King hath said She
the Septuagint there render it but the name of the wicked shall rot as doth now the name of the Powder-plotters of Bonner Gardiner and other Popish Persecutors Should return upon his own head According to Psal 7.17 and haply not without allusion to those Piaculares Obominales among the Grecians which were certain condemned persons on whose heads they put the publick guilt and then tumbled them into the sea or else to those expiatory sacrifices amongst the Egyptians which were first cursed by them and then cast into the river or sold to the Grecian Merchants in an apish imitation of the Hebrews scape-goat and day of Atonement Vers 26. Wherefore they called these days Purim Thereby to perpetuate the memory of that mercy worthy to be engraven in pillars of marble This was a notable name for it served to in-minde the Jewes of all that God had done for them at this bout As there is edification in the choice of fit Psalmes 1 Cor. 14.26 so in the imposing of fit names upon persons things and times As the Christian Sabbath is to good purpose called the Lords day and those festivities of Easter and Whitsontide were not so fitly called Pasch and Pentecost as the Feast of the Lords Resurrection and of the sending of the Holy Ghost It should certainly be the constant care of us all to set up marks and monuments of Gods great mercies so to preserve the memory of them which else will be moth-eaten Such as were Abrahams Jehovah Iireh Jacobs stone at Bethel Moses his Jehovah Nissi Aarons rod and pot of Manna Heb. 9.4 the twelve stones pitcht up in Jordan the names of Gilgal Ramath-Lehi Aben-Ezer those plates nailed on the Altar Numb 16.40 Hereby God shall be glorified the Churches enemies convinced our faith strengthened our joy in the Lord heightened our posterity helped and Satan prevented who seeketh to obliterate Gods works of wonder or at least to alienate them and translate them upon himself as he endeavoured to do that famous execution of divine justice upon Sennacheribs army Herod l. 2. by setting Herodotus a work to tell the world in print that it was Sethon King of Egypt and Priest of Vulcan who obtained of his god that Sennacheribs army coming against Egypt should be totally routed by reason of an innumerable company of rats sent by Vulcan which gnawed in pieces their bowe-strings quivers bucklers c. and so made way for the Egyptians to vanquish them Herodotus addeth also that in his time there was to be seen the statue of Sennacherib holding a rat in his hand in Vulcans Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and uttering these words Let him that beholdeth me learne to feare God Lo the god of this world hath his trophies erected and shall the God of heaven and earth go without Oh let us who have lived in an age of miracles and seen the out-goings of God for our good more then ever did any Nation offer unto him the ransome of our lives as they did Exod. 21.30 and 30.12 in token that they had and held all in meer courtesie from God Let us leave some seale some pawn of thankfulnesse for deliverance from so many deaths and dangers Otherwise Heathens will rise up and condemn us They after a shipwrack would offer something after a fit of sicknesse consecrate something to their gods after a victory set up trophies of triumph as the Philistines did to their Dagon the Romanes to their Jupiter Capitolinus c. Therefore for all the words of this letter In obedience to Mordecai their godly Magistrate And of that which they had seen concerning this matter And especially of God made visible all along in it yea palpable so that they might feele him and finde him Act. 17.27 though his name be not found in all this book And which had come unto them Scil. by report and hear-say but from such hands as that they were fully satisfied thereof as Hamans lot-casting Esthers supplicating the Kings reading the Chronicles c. Verse 27. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and upon their seed See ver 23. Here we have a repetition of what was before recited and this is usual in holy Scripture as Gen. 2.1 Exod. 15.19 that things of moment may take the deeper impression That of Austin is here to be remembred Verba toties inculcata viva sunt vera sunt plana sunt sana sunt Let Preachers do thus and hearers be content to have it so Nunquam satìs dicitur quod nunquam satìs discitur To write to you the same things to me is not grievous and for you it is safe saith that great Apostle Phil. 3.1 And upon all such as should joyne themselves unto them Those Proselytes chap 8 17. or whatever hang-bies So as it should not faile But stand as a law inviolable And yet that Octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus and that never to be forgotten fifth of November are with us almost antiquated little would oue think that God had ever done anything for us either by land or by sea against either fire-works or water-works Vae corpori nostro That they would keep these two dayes Keep them as before by consecrating a rest and feasting before the Lord not by gourmandizing and profane sports nor by running up and down from house to house as whifflers and wassailers Lâ—deâ—cerem Iud. as at this day the Jewes manner is witnesse Antonius Margarita a baptized Jew According to their writing i.e. Mordecai's order by themselves subscribed and ratified Verse 28. And that these dayes should be remembred That the memory of them might be kept a foot in the Church to all perpetuity Nothing is sooner forgotten then a good turn received David found himself faulty this way and therefore sets the thorn to the breast Psal 103.2 Other holy men kept catalogues see one of Gods own making Judg. 10.11 12. They also had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Memorials as is before noted The very Heathens had their triumphal Arches Pillars Trophies Tables Histories Annals Ephemerides c. A soule shame for us to fall short of them and not to wish as Job in another case Iob. 19.23 24. Oh that Gods works of wonder for us were now written Oh that they were printed in a book That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever That famous fifth of November especially Ier. 23.7 This wás written Nov. 5. 1653. which drownes in a manner the memory of all former deliverances as the return out of Babylon did the departure out of Egypt This happy day too too much slighted alas in many places already should never be put out of the English Kalendar whiles the Sun courseth about the earth but be registred for the generation to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord Psal 102.8 Every family every Province and every City They should all recognize their late danger and thereby
a power And smote the four corners of the house This was extraordinary and therefore the more dreadfull God seeming to fulfil upon Job and his children what he threatneth in the Law Deut. 28.59 I will make their plagues wonderful But what saith Solomon and that after long debate with himself about occurrents of this nature For all this I considered in mins heart even to declare all this that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them Eccles 9.1 2 by externals we cannot judge aright of eternals Let it be our care to lay hold on eternal liâ—e and then sudden death can do us no hurt no guest cometh unawares to him who keeps a constants table And it fell upon the young men and they are dead No doubt but they were miserably mawled and dis-membred by the fall so that they were pulled forth piece-meale and it could hardly be known which was which as we say The like death befell Scopaâ— a rich and noble man of Thâ—ssaly together with his guests all oppressed and slain together by the ruin of that room where they were feasting and fearing no such danger as Tully telleth us Simonides was at that feast but was at that instant happily called out by two young men that came to speak with him Cic. lib. 2. de Oratâ—r Acts Mon. fol. 78â— Stones Chron. cont by Hom page 130. Luther had the like deliverance by a special providence as Mr. Fox relateth But so had not those Londoners in the Reign of King Williâ—â—â— the second who perished by a terrible tempest which blew down suddenly six hundred and six houses in that chief City No more had those that died by the fall of part of an house in Black-Friers where and whiles Druâ—â— a Popish Priest was preaching who together with an hundred more Papists his hearers had there their pasport this fell out in the year 1623. And the like we had lately at Wâ—tney in Oxford-shire where a scurrilous blasphemous Comedy was by the fall of the room wherein in was acted Feb. 3. 1652 turned into a Tragedy as ending with the deaths of six and hurts of about threescore who were bruised and maimed and some as it were half dead carried away by their friends The narrative whereof together with what was preached there in three Sermons on that occasion from Rom 1.18 is set forth by Mr. John Rowe Lecturer in that town in his book called Tragicomedia Verse 20. Then Job arose and rent his maniâ—e He stirred not at the three first dolefull tidings but this fourth startleth him for he was neither a Stoick nor a stock His strength was not the â—ir ugth of stones nor his â—lâ—sh of brasse chap 6.12 That he should bear blowes and never feel paine or make moan that he should be silent in darknesse 1 Sam. 2.9 and not cry when God bound him Job 36.11 This Stoical apathy or indolency condemning all affections in that their wise man who as Cicero very well saith as yet was never found Jeremiah justly complaineth of Jer. 5.3 and the Peripatetickes utterly disliked teaching that wisedome doth not remove affections but only reduce them to a mediocrity Job kept the mean between despising the chastening of the Lord and fainting when rebuked by him Heb. 12.5 When Germaniâ—â— died divers forraign Princes shaved their beards to shew their grief Suâ—ton Legatur Hadr. Jun. com de comâ— cap. 2. 4. Plut. is Alâ—â—â— See my Livertokens pag. 37.38 c. And shaved his head In token of his very great sorrow see Jer. 7.29 Micah 1.16 Make thee bald and poll thee for thy delicate children enlarge thy baldnesse as the Eagle See the note there Plutarch telleth us that Alexander the great at the Funeral of Ephestiâ—n his favourite not only shaved himself but clipped his horses and muâ—es haire yea he plucked down also the battlements of the walls of the City that they might seem to mourn too but this savour'd of too much â—uâ—â—ennesse How much better his Macedonians who being once sensible of his displeasure laid by their armes put on their mourning attire came â—â—â—oping to his tent where for almost three dayes they remained with loud cries and abundance of tears testifying their remorse for offending him beseeching his pardon which at last they gained God calleth to baldnesse for sin Isa 22.12 which in other cases was forbidden Lev. 19.27 and 21.5 Deut. 14.1 This Job performed here for he knew that although God afflicteth sometimes for his own glory John 9.3 sometimes for triall or exercise of his peoples graces yet sin is ever at the bottome as the meritorious cause of what they suffer and if he did not duely consider it before Zophar gave him to understand that God exacted of him lesse then his iniquity had deserved chap. 11.6 And fell down upon the ground This shewes that Job arose not before to this end that with a stout and stubborn gesture of the body he might withstand God but rather that he might with greater lowlinesse and humility submit to his justice and implore his mercy He fell down upon the ground and worshipped saith the Text that is he fell upon the ground to worship He fell not all along on the earth as Saul did out of despondency and despaire after that he had heard the divell preaching his funerall he lay like an oxe on the earth in the fulnesse of his stature as the Original hath it 1 Sam. 28.20 but as humbling himself under the mighty hand of God who would raise him up in due season 1 Pet. 5.6 and as reverently and religiously submitting to his will Mr. Caryl ex Bolduc in loc And it is probably observed saith a late Expositor out of another that the ancient Prophets and holy men were called Nephalim procidentes or Prostrantes that is prâ—strates or Fallers downe because in their worship they usually fell down upon the earth to humble themselves before the Lord. Verse 21. And said He lay not on the ground dumb as a stone as it is said of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37 Herod Hom. and fained of Niobe He rageth not as Xerxes did when he beat the Sea by way of revenge neither vexeth himself without measure as Achilles at the death of his friend Patroclus He curseth not God to his face as Satan that old liar said he would do nor so much as the Sabees and Chaldees or the divel the chief Enginere of his present sufferings but rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer he said in the words of truth and sobernesse Rom. 12.12 Naked came I out of my mothers womb Hence the Proverb Nudus tanquam ex â—atre not having a ragge to my back but stark naked as ever I was born Hither I came a pitiful poor destitute shiftlesse and forlorn creature not having a crosse to blesse my self with as
he met with since his coming into the world if those doors being shut had shut him out of the world Man is no sooner born then born to trouble Job 5.7 yea man that is born or conceived of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Job 14.1 Miserable he is even so soon as he is warm in the womb as David phraseth it Psal 51.5 If he live to see the light he comes crying into the world and an untimely birth may be better then he Eccles 5.3 The Hebrews call him Enosh that is sorry-man Psal 3.21 or dolefull miserable and desperately diseased man whose living is but to lye a dying The Greeks when they would set forth one extremely wretched they call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice-a-men that is thrice miserable And What is man faith Seneca He answereth Marbidum puâ—re cassum à fletu vitam auspicatum Ad Mar. cap. 11. a diseased rotten empty thing beginning his life with tears as if he wept to think upon what a shore of trouble he is landed or rather into what a sea of sorrowes he is lanching not unlike the Stâ—eights of Magellan a sea of that nature say Geographers that which way soever a man bend his course he shall be sure to have the wind against him Verse 11. Why dyed I not from the womb why did not I give up the Ghost c. Why was I not forthwith carried ab utero ad urnam from the womb to the tomb from the birth to the buriall True it is that infants have the seed of death in them and the principle of corruption Rom. 5.14 Every one say some Chymicks hath his owne balsame within him his own bane it is sure that he hath But why should Job be so weary of life and so wish to be rid of it Is not life a great mercy Doth not the Philosopher affirme that a pismire excelleth the heavens in dignity Eccl. 9.4 because it is a living creature Saith not the Scripture that a living dog is better then a dead Lion and why is living man sorrowful a man for the punishment of his sinne Lam. 3.39 q. d. Let him be never so much punished it is for his sinne and if a midst all he be yet a living man and have his life spared hee need not be so over-sorrowful and to make such an out-cry and a wishing himself out of the world as Job here doth Life alass in its utmost extent is but a little spot of time between two eternities before and after but it is a great consequence and given us for this end 2 Pet. 2.11 that glory may be begun in grace and we have a further and further entrance here into the Kingdome of heaven as Peter saith This if Job had seriously and sedately considered but now alass as in a hot sever all the humors were on an hurry he would rather have done as they say Themistocles did who though he lived till he was about 107 years of age yet when he came to dye he was grieved upon this ground Now I am to dye said hee when I begin to bee wise Verse 12. Why did the knees prevent me Why did the over-officious Midwife lay me on her lap and not let me alone to perish by my fatall helplessness Man is a poor shiftlesse creature and Pliny railes at nature for producing him so forlorn naked and unable to help himself but he knew not that this was a fruit of sinne Tully indeed could say whether he believed himself therein I know not Cum primùm nascimur in omni continuò pravitate versamur as soon as we are borne we are head and eares all over in wickednesse but Pliny was not so perswaded as I have elswehere shewed Or why the brests that I should suck Why did not my mother turn tygresse and cast me out when new born Why was she not cruell like the Ostriches in the wildernesse Lam. 4.3 that refuse to give suck to their young ones Rather we may ask why doth Job out of his deepest discontent think much of such a mercy and not rather blesse God first for filling two such bottles with milk for him ready against he came into the world and then for giving his mother an heart to suckle him which some nice or unnaturall women will not being therein worse then those Sea-monsters Lam. 4.3 that succour their young The Heathens called their Ceres Queene of plenty Mammosam as the Nurse of all living creatures And there are that derive Gods Name Shaddai from Shad a dug because as he openeth the hand so he drawes out the brest to every living thing And for his Saints they may suck and be satisfied with the full-strutting brests of his consolations the two Testaments Isai 66.11 And whatever Job now under an heavy temptation which like lead sunk downward and carried his soul with it may mis-judge they may sit and sing thankfully with David Lord thou and not the midwife art He that took me out of the womb thou and not my mother keptst me in safety when I hung upon the brests neither then only but afterwards for puerilitas est periculorum pelagus and the Preserver of men keepeth us still from a thousand deaths and dangers And is this matter of complaint and not rather of thankfulnesse Verse 13. For now should I have lien still and been quiet Why but is it not better to be preserved in salt then to putrifie in sugar to be emptied from vessel to vessel then to be at ease and so to settle on the lees Jer. 48.11 to be tumbled up and down as fishes are in the streames of Jordan then to perish in the dead sea It is not alwaies if at all an happinesse to lie still and to be quiet Life consists in action Isa 38.16 and in all these things is the life of my spirit saith good Hezekiah who had beene in deaths hands where Job so much desired to be and could therefore make a better judgment What haste then was there of his lying still and being quiet say that he were assured of his salvation for else death had been but a trap-door to eternal torments was there nothing more to be done but taking present possession nothing to be suffered with Christ Rom. 8.17 or ere we come to be glorified with him Ought not he himself first to have suffered and then to have entred into his glory Luke 24.26 And ought not we to be conformed to his image in sufferings also that he might be the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 Let us run with patience running is active and patience passive the â—ace that is set before us looking unto Jesus c. and looking off our present troubles as the word there importeth which while Job beheld over-wishtly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.2 and was more sensible of then was meet he brake out in this fort and shewed himself too much a man
capitulate with him and not stoop unto him by an humble yieldance especially sithence Deus crudelius urit Quos videt invitos succubuisse sibi Tibul. Eleg 1.8 The way to disarme Gods heavy indignation is to submit to his justice and to implore his mercy Hos 5.14 to fly from his Anger to his Grace Blood-letting is a cure of bleeding and a burne a cure against a burne and running to God is the way to escape him as to close and get in with him that would strike you doth avoid the blow and this is that that I would do were I in thy case saith Eliphaz here Hee doth not vaunt as Olympiodorus mistaketh his meaning but advise Job to humble himself and confesse his sinnes and sue for pardon of sin and release of punishment to kisse the rod and not to bite it to drink of Gods cup willingly and at first when it is full as Mr. Bradford Martyr hath it lest if he linger he drink at length of the dregs with the wicked And unto God the righteous Judge as the word importeth Phocyl who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither â—areth nor feareth any man as it was said of Trajan the Emperour but more truly of God he proceedeth according to truth not according to opinion or appearance and greatly scorneth to look at displeasure revenge or recompence Would I commit my cause Put my case and condition by self-resignation and humble supplication This David did notably 2 Sam. 15.25 26. Psal 142.2 and counsels all to do accordingly Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden or thy request upon the Lord by vertue of this writ or warrant Verse 9. Which doth great things and unsearchable The better to perswade Job to take his counsel he entreth into a large description of Gods attributes his Power Wisedome Aug. Justice Mercy c. all which are clearly seene in his workes of wonder as in a mirrour or as on a theatre These he is ever in doing as the word here signifieth and sheweth himself great in great things and not little in the least dum memora culicis pulicis disponit yea he useth to be greater in smaller things then in bigger The soul is more operative in Ants then in Elephants in Dwarfes then in Giants So he delights to help his people with a little help Dan. 11.34 that through weaker meanes they may see his greater strength to magnifie his power in pardoning their many and mighty sinnes Numb 14.17 18. Micah 7.18 to illustrate his power in their perseverance and wonderfull preservation amidst a world of evils and enemies John 10.29 1 Pet. 1.5 to fulfill his promises seeme they never so improbable or impossible Jer. 32.14 15. to answer prayers that look as if lost and to do for his people exceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think according to the power that worketh in them Eph. 3.20 All this Eliphaz would have Job to consider that he might not cast away his confidence but seek to God and turn his talk to him as Beza turneth the fore-going words And unsearchable Heb. And no search for they are fathomlesse and past finding out Rom. 11.33 This Eliphaz might say to stop Jobs curiosity and to humble him for his sinne in enquiring too much into the reason of Gods so severe dealing with him chap. 3. In prying too farre or too boldly into the secret workings of God It should suffice us to know that the will of Gods is the rule of right that his judgements are sometimes secret alwaies just that it is extreme folly to reprehend what we cannot comprehend wee may as soone comprehend the sea is a cockleshell as the unsearchable things of God in our narrow and shallow understandings that at the last day all things shall be cleared up and every mouth stopped when exquisite reasons of all Gods proceedings which now seem not so well carried shall be produced and wisedome shall be justified of her children Marvellous things Such as the wisest may well wonder at God is the onely Thaumaturgus the great wonder-worker and these marvels are more ordinary then the most are either at all either aware of or affected with To let passe those wonders of the Creation for which see Psal 136.4 5 6 7. Canst thou tell how the bones grow in her that is with child saith Solomons Eccl. 11.5 Mirificatus sum mirabilibus operis tuis so Montanus rendreth that of David Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy workes c. Galen that great Naturallist Fernel de abd rer caus was much amazed at the motion of the lungs in mans body and would needs offer sacrifices therefore to that God whom he knew not Who can give a naturall reason of the strength of the neather-chap of the heat in the stomack of the colours in the rain-bow of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea or but of this ordinary occurrence that chaffe is so cold that it keepes snow hidden within it from melting and withall so warme that it hasteneth the ripening of Apples Well might Eliphaz say that God doth marvellous things without number Verse 10. Who giveth vain upon the earth This is reckoned and rightly among the marvellous workes of God See chap. 28.26 Jer. 10.13 Amos 5.8 Acts 14.17 Raine is the flux of a moist cloud which being dissolved by little and little by the heat of the Sun lets down 〈◊〉 by drops out of the middle region of the aire this is Gods gift For he 1. 〈◊〉 it Job 28.26 2. Prepareth it Psal 147.8 3. With-holdeth it at his pleasure â—â—opping those bottles that should yeild it Amos 4.7 4. Sendeth 〈…〉 the behoof and benefit of man and 〈◊〉 as also for the demonstration of his Power Wisedome Justice and Goodnesse whereof hee hath not left himself 〈◊〉 by without witnesse Acts 14.17 whiles he weigheth these waters above the firmament by measure so that not one drop falleth in vain or in a wrong place In those hot countries where Rivers were scant raine was highly valued they called it the husband of the earth because the earth can no more hear fruit without it then a woman children without the company of a man The Egyptians were wont in mockery to tell the Grecians that if their God whom they called cloud-gathering Jupiter should forget to give raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might chance to sterve for it see the reason Deut. 11.8 11 12. Egypt was watered with the soot as a garden by sluces from Nilus not so Canaan He sendeth waters upon the fields irrigat aquis universa saith the vulgar Hee moisteneth all places with waters by the showres which falling upon the ground run hither and thither he divideth the fields as it were into streets and high wayes so Beza paraphraseth Another thus 'T is he himselfe who watereth it as well by those waters which fall from heaven as by those which he hath hidden in its entrailes and whose secret
morning to see that sad sight and the murtherer among the rest came that he might be the lesse suspected The dog no sooner saw this souldier Amb. in Hexâ—em but he ran fiercely at him and would never give over barking and baiting at him till he saw him apprehended and carried to prison where he confessed the fact and was for the some deservedly executed Verse 24. And thou shalt know Thine owne eyes shall see it and thine experience seale to it thou shalt be well assured of it this is a sweete mercy it is the sweet-meates of the feast of a good conscience saith Latimer to know that all shall go well with us here and that our names are written in the book of life to be able to conclude from temporal blessings to eternal as David doth Psal 23.5 6. to have not only sustentation but suavities spiritual as one speaketh That thy Tabernacle shall be in peace i.e. thy house houshold and houshold-stuffe shall be in safety and all shall be as well with thee as heart can wish Or thy Tabernacle shall be peace Thou shalt bee free from domestical dissensions It is a sign of a Christian-family if the son of peace be there and peace rest in it Luke 10.6 This turneth water to wine and the contrary where envying and strife is there is confusion or unquietnesse and every evil work Jam. 3.16 such a tabernacle is more like to a kennel of hounds then a family of Christians And thou shalt visit thy habitation As a busie bishop within thine own diocesse thou shalt carefully enquire into the state of thy family and take an account of all that are under thy roofe that God be sincerely served there and all things well husbanded Prov. 27.26 27. And shalt not sinne viz. by too much indulgence to children and servants Elies sin who brought up his children to bring down his house Or thou shalt not bee found guilty sc of thy families faults imputed unto thee or thou shalt not miss so of thy desire and expectation but all shall go as well within doores as heart can wish Verse 25. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great Thou shalt live to see thy children whereof thou art now bereft not only restored but increased Children are the seed parents are but the husk as it were to have these multiplied is no small mercy Psalm 128.3 especially when the wife is as the vine and the children like olive-plants two of the best fruits the on for sweetnesse the other for fatnesse Judg. 9.13 when they prove to be as arrowes of a strong man such as whose naturall knottinesse is reformed and smoothed by grace such as for the workmanship of grace and holinesse in their hearts and lives are become like the graving of a Kings palace Psalm 144.12 What can better preserve Jacob Job from confusion or his face from waxing pale than if he might see his children the work of Gods hands framed and fitted by the word in regeneration and the duties of new obedience this would make religious parents of sanctifie Gods name even to sanctifie the Holy One and with singular encouragement from the God of Israel Isa 29.22 23. And thine off-spring as the grasse of the earth Thy Nephewes shall be not onely numerous but innumerable they shall also flourish as grasse in its prime Verse 26. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age In a good old age or as the Hebrew hath it Gen. 25.8 with a good hoare head in an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thou hast even a satiety of life and art as willing to die as ever thou wast to dine or to rise from table after a full meale The Hebrewes made a feast when they were past 60 yeares of age and some of them observe that the numerall letters of Chelaâ—h thâ—word here used make up threescore but that 's not a full old-age rather it is the beginning of it Thou shalt aye in lusty old age so Broughton rendreth it old and yet healthy and comfortable as was Moses Deut 34.7 And Mr. Dod that Moses of our times Of Mr. Samuel Crook likewise it is recorded that when he saw no more ability for labours In his life by W.G. he desired to die in a satiety and fulnesse of life not as a meat loathed as many times naturall men do but as a dish though well liked that he had fed his full of sew men having ever run so long a race without cessation or aespitatâ—â—â— so constantly so unweariably so unblameably Lo such an hoary head was a crown of glory as being found in the way of righteousnesse Prov. 16.31 But so are not all that yet are long-lived A sinner may do evill an hundred times and yet have his dayes prolonged Bccles 8.12 Manasseh had the longest reigne of any King of Judah 〈◊〉 Joâ— 22 held the mortality of the soule and was otherwise erroneous and vitious yet he lived longest of any Pope and died richest Anno Dom. 13.35 howbeit he died tempore non suo too soone for himself Eccles 7.17 He went not to his grave in a good old age ripe and ready As a shock of corn cometh in in his season As corn when ripe is reaped shockt up and carried into the barn for the masters use Dei frumentum ego sum I am Gods bread-corn said that ancient Martyr Verse 27. Lo this we have searched it so it is Wee are sure that all this is true and may be trusted to for we have tryed it wee have it not by tradition neither take we it up upon trust from others but we believe and know as Peter spake Job 6 69 we believe and therefore speak it as Paul after David 2 Cor. 4.13 Psal 116.10 Thou majest write upon this whole chapter as those Ancients did upon their Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God God or as John the Divine did upon his Revelation These sayings are faithful and true Rev. 22.6 Vera tanquam â—x tripode as true as Gospel as we say Those that take upon them to teach others should goe upon sure ground and be masters of what they teach how else will they teach with authority those also that come to heare must strive to find out that which St. Luke calleth the certainty of things Luke 1.4 and not be led by conjectural suppositions or the Tenents of their teachers but be fully perswaded verse 1. Heare it With utmost attention of body intention of mind retention of memory and practice also all is lost And know thou it for thy good Make thy best use of this our diligence and experience so freely and friendly communicated unto thee Let not all this that hath beene spoken be spilt upon thee but prove every whit as profitable to thee as I conceive it seasonable for thee Some knowing men are not a button the better for all they know The divels are full of objective knowledge but they get no good by it no more
gaudium de promissione c. joy for what they have in hand and in present possession joy also for what they have in hope and in reversion Wicked mens hopes may hop headlesse as the proverb is and as these troopes of Tâ—ma experimented they come to the worlds felicities as they do to a lottery with heads full of hopes but return with hearts full of blanks not so the Saints God will be better to them then their hopes and when at worst they can confidently say it is well for the present and it will be better hereafter Verse 21. For now ye are nothing i. e. To me nothing worth I have no more joy of you then if you were not at all ye are not unlike him who said to his friend I am all yours except body and goods ye are not so much as friends at a sneezâ— who will come out with a God blesse you or as those great benefactors in St. James chap. 2.15 16. that were free of their mouth-mouth-mercy ye are meere mutes and ciphers nullities as to me just nothing that is ye are no such thing as I expected And here Job brings the fore-going similitude home to his friends by close application And according to the Hebrew margin called Keri it may be rendred Fuistis â—i similesâ— sc Torrenti ye are like to it that is to the brook forementioned ye fail me as much as it did the thirsty passengers Drus For ye see my casting down and are afraid There is an elegancy in the Original that cannot be englished your eyes see what you had before heard of only be the hearing of the eare that I am at a great under dejected and impoverished you are therefore afraid of me lest I should ask you something for the supply of my wants or else you keep at a distance as more afraid of catching mine evill then desirous of curing it ye visit me but are not moved with any compassion toward me So the Septuagint Horrore perculsi râ—siâ—atst iâ— Ã me veluti si quispiam vipâ—ram calcasset Lav. Verse 22. Did I say bring unto me or give c. Did I ever charge you for my reparation or redemption This interrogation is more emphaticall then a simple negation q. d. I never did it and therefore unlesse you had been at more charge with me you should have bestowed better words upon me those would have cost you nothing certainly Verse 23. Or deliver me from the enemies hand c. Rescue me ransome me from those that have robbed and wronged me fetch back my loft goods by price of force The word rendred mighty signifieth also formidable terrible breacâ—-makers The word is opened by St. Paul Phil. 1.28 Where he useth a metaphor from horses sâ—orâ—ing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and starting when â—â—â—ghâ—ed Verse 24. Teach me and I will hold my tongue If I be in an errour I am willing to be rectified Hitherto you have mistook my case and so your speech hath been to small purpose But if you will come home to my case indeed and weigh things in an even ballance I shall gladly submit to your more mature judgement and direction Teach me and you shall find that I am not indocible that I am not as horse and 〈◊〉 that have no under standing Psalm 32.9 nor will learn any muchlesse then the creature called Rhinoceros untameable and untractable It shall appear to you that I am not utterly uncounselâ—able as those of whom Bail complaineth qui qâ—id verum sit neque sciunt neque sustine disâ—eâ—e that neither know what truth and right is nor will endure to be taught it Job was not to be told that it was easier to deale with twenty mens reasons then with one mans will Epist ad Eâ—â—gr 10. he promiseth therefore not to stand out against his friends because hee will stand out It is not my will saith he that opposeth what you have spoken but my understanding I am a slave to right reason and if convinced thereby I shall soon lay down the bucklers Teacâ— mee and I will hold my tongue and not strive for the last word to lengthen out the contention I am willing to reason but not to wrangle See Prov. 30.32 Cause me to understand wherein I have erred An humble man will never be an heretick erre he may that 's common to mankind iriste mortali at is privilegium but convince him by solid reasons and good arguments and he will not long stand out 〈…〉 child she ll lead him Isa 1â— 6 It is by pride that contention cometh Prov. 13.10 for it maketh a man drunk with his own conceit Hab. 2.5 and who so wilfull so quarrelsome as he that is drunk An heretick may be condemned of himself Tim 3â— 10 but he will not be convinced by another such is his pertinacy or rather obstinacy no though he be stoned with hardest arguments holden out of that crystal-brook of the holy Scriptures he stands as a stake in the midst of a streame and you may as soon remove a rock Lapidandi sunt bâ—râ—tiel Athâ—n as cause him to understand wherein hee is out in his judgment or practise Verse 25. How forcible are right words How sweet saith the Chaldee interpreting it by Psal 119.103 It may be he read Nimle su for Nimre su but the word is well rendred forcible potent valid It noteth also saith one acrimony sharpnesse or smartnesse because right words have a pleasing acrimony upon the palate of the soule and a power upon the judgment to sway and carry it Mr. Caryl 〈…〉 dictis animos c. Audite sâ—nem juvenes quâ—m juvenem senâ—s audierunt these few words from Augustus falling right quieted the mutineers in his army and the like is reported of Alexander the great of Menenius Aggrippâ— c. But we have better instances as that of Abigâ— treating with David the woman of Abel with Jâ—ab Nicodemus by a few seasonable words dissolving the Council gathered together against Christ John 7.50 53. Papâ—nutius stickling for the married Clergy at the Nicene Council c. One seasonable truth falling on a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation Luther having heard Staâ—picius say that that is kind repentance with begins from the love of God ever after that time the practice of repentance was sweeter to him This speech also of his tool well with Luther The doctrine of predestination beginneth at the wounds of Christ but before any of this he was much wrought upon by conference with an old Priest about justification by faith So was that Italian Marquesse Galeacius Caracciâ—lus by a similitude used by Peâ—er Martyr reading upon the first to the Corinthians Nescio quid divinum in auscultatione est saith one there is a kind of divine force and efficacy in hearing more then in reading the word we may say of it as David once did of Goliahs sword There is none to thâ—â— And yet it cannot be denied
of so great vertue This Zophar promiseth Job upon his true repentance with a daily increase thereof as the Sun shineth more and more unto the perfect day Fame followeth vertue as the shadow doth the body at the very heels If there be any vertue if any praise saith the Apostle Philip. 4.8 Where the one is the other will be Abel for his faith and righteousnesse is yet spoken of as some render Hebr. 11.4 though dead long agoe The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Psalm 112.6 Thou shalt shine forth thou shalt be as the morning Isai 58.8 Or If thou dost wax obscure yet thou shalt match the morning which disperseth darknesse and conquers it by the approaching light Look how the Moon wadeth out of a cloud so shall thine over-cast righteousnesse break forth as the light and thy judgment as the noon-day Psalm 37.6 Verse 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope It 's a spiritual security that 's here promised which is a fruit of faith quelling and killing distracting and distrustful fears faith I say unfaigned 1 Tim. 1.5 which produceth hope unfailable Rom. 5.5 Hope is the daughter of faith but such as is a staffe to her aged mother Yea thou shalt dig about thee That is saith one Interpreter by searching to find out how to do all things for the best thou shalt prosper in all Others sense it thus Eugub Tigur thou shalt be secure as they that lye in trenches Rabbi David Thou shalt dig only about thy city and not need to make any walls about it for thy security Others Lavater thou shalt labour hard and sleep soundly thereupon Or thus God shall so encompasse thee with his safe protection as if thou dost but dig a place to pitch thy tent in thou shalt enjoy thy self safelier therein then otherwise thou wouldst do in a walled city And thou shalt take thy rest God will keep off those gnats of cares and fears that might disquiet thee We read of some great Princes that could not sleep as Ahasuerus Esth. 6.1 Daniel Thulin Richard the third of England and Charls the ninth of Franc after that barbarous Massacre at Paris but David could Psalm 3. and 4. because God was his keeper No marvel that Philip sleepeth soundly when Antipater his fast friend watched by him the while Job and all Gods beloved ones shall sleep on both ears Psalm 127.2 rest securely and comfortably What should hinder In utramvis aurem when the keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth shall watch over them for good Verse 19. Thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee afraid Thou shalt walk about the world like a conquerour being ever under a double guard the Peace of God within thee Philip. 4.7 and the Power of God without thee 1 Pet. 1.5 neither shall any enemy come upon thee in the night to fright and to disturb thee which is a great mercy It is not long since we of this Nation did eat the bread of our souls in peril of our lives neither could we rest in our beds for the sound of the trumpet the alarm of warre Destruction upon destruction was cryed c. Jer. 4.19 20. Should this ever be forgotten Yea many shall make suit unto thee Heb. Shall intreat thy face yea they shall tire thee out with their intreaties Many seek the Rulers favour Prov. 29.26 he is even thronged with suitors so that he cannot be without a Master of Requests Hence the Poet Orpheus faineth that Litae or Supplications and Petitions are Joves daughters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orph. in Arg. and that they are ever attending at his throne Here then Zophar promiseth Job that upon his return to God he shall be as great a man as ever and that many yea that his very enemies shall not only not molest him but fear his power Jer. 30.17 and beg his favour And whereas once it was this is Job whom no man feeketh after then the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour Psalm 45.12 and all that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the foals of thy seet Isai 60.14 See Isai 45.14 Rev. 3.9 Prov. 19.6 Lo this is the honour God putteth upon holinesse Holy and reverend is his name and therefore reverend because holy so also is ours Psalm 111.9 Isai 43.4 Howbeit we have cause to complain that in these last and worst times Omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur Sal. lib 4. as the Turks count all fools to be Saints so men with us account all Saints to be fools and not a few turn to unholinesse lest they should be despised Verse 20. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail Contraries illustrate one another and Zophar willing his words should stick and work thinks to leave a sting in Jobs mind by telling him what he must trust to if he persist in his sin And first his eyes shall saile Vt vehementiùs vellicet fodiat inopinatum ut putabat Job◠animum Merl. Speed The eye is a principal part of the body and the failing of the eyes followeth either upon some sudden fright or upon much weeping Damen 2. Psalm 88. and 38. we read of one Faustus son of Vortiger King of Britain who wept out his eyes or too long looking after the same thing or on the same object The wicked saith Zophar shall never want frights and griefs they shall also look many a long look after help but none shall appear Lam. 4.17 their hopes shall be fruitlesse their projects successelesse And they shall not escape Heb. refuge or flight shall perish from them◠miseries and mischiefs they shall never be able to avert or avoid many sorrows shall be to the wicked Psalm 32.10 and although they may think to get off of out-run them yet it will not be Amos 2.14 Psalm 142.4 Saul for instance God hath forsaken me saith he and the Philistims are upon me 1 Sam. 28.15 Their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost Broughton rendreth it Their hope is nought but pangs of the soul Of that which yeildeth but cold comfort we use to say It comforteth a man like the pangs of death the Vulgar hath it Their hope shall be the abomination of their soul the Tigurine Their hope shall be most vain even as a puffe of breath which presently passeth away and cometh to nothing Some Rabbines make this the sense Their hope shall be as the snuffing of the breath that is they shall be so angry at their disappointments that they shall vex and snuffe at it According to our translation the wicked mans hope is set forth as utterly forlorn and at an end for any good ever to befall him The godly mans hope is lively 1 Pet. 1.3 and the righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 Cum expiro spero is his motto whereas the wickeds word when he dieth is or may
the reality of godlinesse that is hated Verse 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet He who is in a declining tottering condition ready to fall and perish under the burden of his afflictions though formerly he was looked upon and made use of as a lamp or torch yet when he is at an under and brought low is shamefully slighted by such as have the world at will like as a torch when wasted and waxen short is cast out of the hands and trodden on with the feet of him that held it The holiest men if afflicted do but smother in stead of shining When Christ himself was a man of sorrows he was therefore despised and rejected of men who hid as it were their faces from him and esteemed him not Isa 53.3 The Prodigals elder brother speaks scornfully of him because poor Luke 15.30 This thy son he saith not This my brother c. Gregory saith that the poor just man is here compared to a lamp extinct because he shineth inwardly by the vertue of an upright heart but outwardly is as it were extinct because there is nothing outward to commend him no glorious appearel no goodly houses c. whence they are slighted by the rich wretches of this world But such a lamp saith he following the Vulgar translation is set for an appointed time that is the day of judgment when he shall shine most brightly even as the Sun c. when the worlds favourites shall be thrust into utter darknesse Verse 6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper By Robbers here understand all such as sin against the second table but especially oppressors and wrong-dealers whether by force or fraud As by those that provoke God quires Dei interturbant so the Tigurines translate that irritate and disquiet him attempting to put him out of temper are meant sinners against the first table See the like 1 Tim. 1.13 I was against God a blasphemer against man a persecutor against both injurious but I obtained mercy special mercy So do not these Robbers and God-provokers in the text thrive they may and be in a peaceable condition yea they may be secure and confident of the continuance of their prosperity confidences are to them saith the Hebrew verity for they trust in uncertain riches whiles God bringeth into their hands viz. whatsoever they wish yet not as love-tokens but as wrath-tokens these fatting beasts are but fitting for the slaughter God oft giveth that in wrath to some which he with-holdeth from others in great mercy Mean-while Zophars twofold assertion in the former chapter verse 17 20. that good men prosper here and bad men suffer falls to the ground whiles Job disproves it 1. By experience in this verse and the former 2. By the testimony of the creatures those Catholick preachers ver 7 8 9 10. 3. By the testimony of the senses and of ancient men verse 11 12. Verse 7. But ask now the beasts of the earth and they shall teach thee Even the wildest of them that abide in the wildernesse there is not one of these or else of the fouls of the air but can both teach thee and tell thee that the world is ordered by a providence that God is Powerful Wise Just c. and must therefore be loved and served That he suffereth the bad to oppresse the good as the great beasts do devour the little ones as the hurtful fouls destroy the harmlesse as the great fishes eat up the smaller man who was once the Captain of Gods school is now for his truantlinesse turned down into the lowest form as it were to learn his A b c again yea to learn it of the meanest creatures See Prov. 6.6 Jer. 8.7 Matth. 6.26 where it appeareth that in the Ant Stork Swallow c. God hath set before us as in a picture the lively resemblance of many excellent vertues which we ought to pursue and practise These are the right lay-mens-books the images that may truly teach people the knowledg of God and of his will of themselves and of their duties which we should the rather learn because God hath given us wisedome beyond them Job 37.11 and yet by sending us to them shameth our dulnesse and disobedience Verse 8. Or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee Teach thee What Terra quam termius docet terram quam gerimus surely many good lessons as that of humility and modesty considering out original that of fruitfulnesse whiles she liberally yeilds her riches and strength and brings forth food for the maintenance of those innumerable armies of creatures that live upon her but especially and for the purpose this the earth teacheth that the tabernacles of robbers prosper that oppressors swallow down most of her delicates eat the fat and drink the sweet ruffle in her silks and rifle in her hid treasures of gold and silver And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee These muti magistri have somewhat also to say to thee and by a dumb kind of eloquence read thee a divinity-lecture whilest they are able to produce many such particular examples of violence in the seas and will further declare or ciphe up unto thee how oft they are served up to great mens tables and do fill the far paunches of oppressors It is not unlikely that Job in this frequent sending Zophar to school to the unreasonable and inanimate creatures closely twitteth him with those quicker questions of his chap. 10.8 What canst thou do what canst thou know c. giving him also to know that he need not travel so far as heaven or hell for instances of Gods infant◠power and wisedome sith we may contemplate the foot-steps of God in each creature and sith he is so neere unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17. that hee may bee almost felt with our hands as Paul speaketh Verse 9. Who knoweth not in all these c. Or By all these forementioned creatures c. and therefore Zophar you have shewed no more wisedome in your lofty discourse Theologia cryptica then the birds beasts and fishes have taught and told us It is a silly vanity to pretend mysteriousnesse about vulgar truths to dig deep for that which lieth above ground to talk of new truths and never before heard of when as the hearer may well say as here Who knowes not such things as these Of some in these dayes it is observed that they call upon their hearers to mark it may be they shall hear that which they have not heard before when the thing is either false or if true no more then ordinarily is taught by others That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this That he alone made all without tool or toile and that he alone manageth and ordereth all according to the good pleasure of his will neither need he subscribe his name to his work for the very things that he hath made proclaim that he made them Mean while hereby we may see
harshnesse Not that every man must be left to himself and let alone to live as he lifteth Admonition is a Christian duty and the word of exhortation must be suffered sharp though it be and to the flesh irksome better it is that the Vine should bleed then dye Had Job been guilty he would or should have been as Vespasian is reported Patiâ—utissimus veri patient of a reproof But his friends falsly accused him for an hypocrite and fell foule upon another mans servant whom they had nothing to do to condemn Rom. 14. And hence this expression of his discontent Verse 5. If indeed yen wil wagnifie your selves against me Or will you indeed magnifie your selves against me scil because of mine error as vers 4. which yet ye have not convinced me of Will ye insult over me therefore and throw dirt upon me Of Bonassus a certain beast as big as an On Aristotle reporteth Hist Animal lib. 9 cap. 45. that having hornes bending inward and unfit for fight after that he is wounded by the hunters he flyeth for his life and often letteth flye his dung for four yards or more upon the dogs or men that pursue him to their great annoyance In like fort deal many disputers of this world when they cannot make good their matter by strength of Argument they cast upon their adversaries the dung of calumnies so seeking to magnifie themselves against him and pleading against him his reproach And plead against me my reproach Affliction exposeth a man to reproach Where the hedge is low the beast will be breaking over See Zeph. 3.12 with the Note there Verse 6. Know that God hath overthrown me Do not you therefore add affliction to the afflicted which is so odious a thing to God Psal 41.2 Diodaze and 69.26 but regard the greatnesse of mine evils which draw these complaints from me that seem so immoderate to you See Job 6.2 And hath compassed me with his net Hath encompassed me round with affliction that I can get out no way An hunting term Job 10.16 Laâ—â— 1.23 Ezek. 12.13 Hos 7.12 Bildad had made much mention of nets and grins chap. 18.8 9. where in God ensnareth and ensnarleth the wicked Job granteth that Gods not had encompassed him but withal denyeth himself to be wicked or that his friends should therefore reproach him but rather pity him Verse 7. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard Nothing is more natural and usual then for men in misery to cry out for help Jobs great grief was that neither God nor man would regard his moanes or deliver him out of the Net God did not rescue him men did not right him or relieve him His outcry seemeth to be the same in effect with that of Habakkuk the Prophet chap. 1.2 3. O Lord how long shal I cry and then wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Why dost thou shew not iniquity and cause we to behold grievance for spoiling and violence are before me and there are that raise up strife and contention Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously c. verse 13. Thus Job but with out an answer as the Lion letteth his Whelps four themselves hourse for hunger yea till they are almost dead ere he supplieth them Sure it is that God alwayes heareth his Jobs though he doth not alwayes answer in our time and in our way Yea it is an hearing and an answer of prayer saith one that we can pray though unheard and unanswered I cry aloud Heb. I set up my Note cum gemitu ululatu with groaning and howling Men never pray so earnestly as in greatest afflictions Heb. 5.7 Hos 12.4 then their prayers like strong streams in narrow streights bear down all that stands before them Verse 8. He hath fenced up my way c. Here Job carried away as it were with a torrent of grief ampâ—sieth his miseries by many other comparisons And first of a Traveller whom nothing so much troubleth in his journey as hedges and darkness God saith Job hath every way hedged me out of content and comfort so that though I seek it never so I cannot find it Gods people are oft brought into greatest straits as David Psal 31. and 142. Israel at the red sea Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20. that they may learne to depend upon the divine providence c. And he hath set darknesse in my paths I am benighted and know nor wither to go or how to get out Darknesse is full of errour and terror A child of light may walk in darknesse Isai 50.10 Yea in the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 yet is he never without some spark of faith which guideth him in the deepest darknesse until he behold the Sun of righteousnesse Light is sowne for the righteous c. heavinesse may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal 30. ver 6 And as before the day breaks the darknesse is greatest so here Verse 9. Gen. 37.23 He hath stript me of my glory This is the second comparison ab externo corporis cultu habitu saith Merlin From the outward habiliments and habits of the body Our King Richard the 2d when he was to be deposed was brought forth gorgeously attired in his Robes royal with a crown upon his head a Scepter in his hand c but soon after despoiled of all and unkinged So it fared with poor Job stripped and bereft of all that he formerly gloried in and was respected for as a man robbed hath all his cloathes taken off and is lest naked In him it appeated that mortality was but the stage of mutability as one saith of our Hâ—â—y 6. who of a most potent Monarch Daniels Hist was when deposed not the Master of a Molehil nor owner of his own liberty And hath taken the Crown from off my head Hence some infer that Job was a King the same with Jobab King of Edom mentioned Gen 36.34 But this is uncertaine sith Crown is often in Scripture taken allegorically for Riches Authority Dignity and other Ornaments These were taken from Job yea from off his head See Lam. 5.16 But he had a better Crown quae nec eripi nec surripi potuit which could not be taken away viz. that crown of twelve Stars or celestial graces Rev. 12.1 together with that Crown of glory the fruit of the former that is incorruptible and fadeth not away 1 Pet 1.4 Happy Job in such a Crown and that he was in the number of those few heads destined to such a Diadem David had whatever Job had a Crown of pure gold set upon his head Psal 21. this was a great mercy to so mean a man sith beyond a Crown the wishes of mortal men extend not But David blesseth God for a better Crown Psal 103.4 Who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies And how was this set on his head Who for giveth
goodnesse Surely all the good that is in the Creature is but a spark of his flame a drop of his Ocean Verse 4 How then can man be justified with God Homo frivolus so the Tygurines translate How can frivolous man sorry man Morbis mortique obnoxius Man subject to diseases and death how can such a man so mortal and miserable a masse of Mortalities a Map of miseries a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin be justified with God How can he be perfect of himself without the gift of grace without an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Just One who alone is the propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.2 Rom. 3.25 who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman And therefore born in sin and under a curse the sign whereof appeares in the womans bearing and bringing forth Gen. 3.6 Our whole Nativity is impure Hence in the Law it is commanded that the woman should be unclean seven dayes that the child should be circumcised on the eighth day and that the mother should remain three and thirty dayes in the blood of her Purification Levit. 13. for by Nature we are all children of wrath and That which is born of the flesh is flesh Neither can any one bring a clean thing out of an unclean Chap. 14.4 See the Note there Surely as a slave begetteth a slave so doth a sinner beget a sinner Hence we are loathsome to God as a toad is to us because poison is in the nature of it Infantes ergo non sunt insonâ—es Infants are not Innocents though we commonly call them so because free from actual sin they having not yet sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 5.14 But the first sheet or blanket wherein they are covered is woven of sin shame blood and filth as may be seen Ezek. 16.4 6 This should teach us modesty and lowly-mindednesse Vnde superbit homo cujus conceptiâ— turpis Verse 5. Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not i.e. Either descend in thy thoughts from the highest Orbs as low as the Moon Or else ascend from Gold Gems Jewels and other Orient resplendent Creatures as high as the Moon and Stars and comparing them with the surpassing Majesty of God thou shalt find no more beauty or brightnesse in them then is in a lump of earth or clod of clay those heavenly Lights will appear to be as so many snuffs Or if thou canst discover no spots and blemishes in them yet God can without the help of any such Perspective Glasses as Galiâ—â—aeus gat him to discry mountains in the Moon Some think it was by Moon light that this speech was uttered and therefore the Moon is mentioned But as the Moon is confounded so the Sun also is ashamed when the Lord of hostes wil display the beams of his glory Mr. Abbot Isai 24.23 and 60.19 There is a Learned Interpreter who thus paraphraseth the Text Consider that by reason of the Fal of man the very creatures that in themselves are sinlesse yea the very Moon and Stars that are so far from earth and so neer to heaven have contracted defilement and are blemished so that with God for mans sake and by mans sin even they are not accounted free from pollution in his sight Thus he The visible heavens are defiled by our sins and must therefore be purged by the fire of the last day as of old the Vessel that held the Sinne-Offering was to be broken if earthen or to passe the fire if of better Metal Yea the Stars are not pure in his sight What ever they are in ours A thing that I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse There is a comparative imperfection and impurity in the Stars and Angels chap. 4.18 Verse 6. How much lesse man that is a worm He saith not as a worm but a worm it self So Psal 22. I am a worm and no man nullificumen hominis as Tertullian somewhere phraseth it Vermis parvus in carnc out caseo nascent Exod 16.24 David in the Arabick signifieth a worm saith One to which he may seem in that Psalm to allude The word here rendred a worm signifieth a small worm bred in cheese or flesh a Mite a Maggot Others say it signifieth rottennesse which hath no strength Hereby man convinced of his infirmity vanity and impurity should learne Virium suarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agnoscere to give glory to God and to take shame to himself And the Son of man which is a worm Lumbricus quo vix quidquam contemptius nominari potest So vile and abject a creature is man The greater is Gods mercy to look upon such a walking dunghil Learn hereby to know God and thy self which is the highest point of heavenly wisdom CHAP. XXVI Verse 1. But Job answered and said BIldad had vexed him with his impertinencies and superfluous discourses of Gods Attributes as if Job had denied them or doubted of them which was far from him witness this Chapter He therefore rippleth up Bildad with a continued smart irony in the three next following verses letting loose the reines to his justly conceived grief and indignation and invading his adversary with these sharp questions by way of wonderment Verse 2. How hast thou helped him that is without power q.d. Full well hast thou done it surely See a like irony Mark 7.9 and 1 Cor. 4.8 10 Thou art a very goodly comforter and with a great deal of Wisdome thou hast framed thy discourse to my present necessity Thou lookest upon me as a poor forlorn strengthlesse fruitlesse creature Thou shouldst therefore have set thy self to support me and shore me up by uttering not only commoda sed accommoda things true and profitable but things fit and sutable to my distressed condition Thou hast spoken much of the Majesty and purity of Almighty God wherein I well accord thee but these are words of terror such as I can hardly bear Of strong Physick we say Quòd nec puero nec seni nec imbecillo sed robusto â—conveniat That it is not for children or old folks or weak ones but for the stronger sort it is not for every complexion and state So neither is every discourse for all sort of people It is a singular skill to be able to time a word Isai 50.4 and to set it upon its wheels Prov. 25.11 to declare unto a man his righteousness which not one of a thousand can tell how to do it like him Job 33.23 to seek to find out pleasant words such as have both goads and nailes in them Eccles 12.10 11. to prick them on to duty and to fasten them to the right as pales are to their railes to divide the Word of God aright 2 Tim. 2.25 and to give every one his portion in the due season
and served every day with whole and wholsome meats ere himself sat down to dinner Neither were these any losers by their liberality The flowers hurt not their own fruit though they yeeld honey to the painful Bee The Sun loseth not light though it lend it to the Moon But as the Moon the fuller she is of light the further she gets from the Sun And as the Sun moveth slowest when he is highest in the Zodiack so are those farthest off from bounty for the most part who abound most in plenty Your fattest men have the least blood and your richest men do the least good Whereas those that are rich in this world should be rich in good works ready to distribute 1 Tim. 6.17 willing to communicate to widowes and fatherlesse especially sith those are Gods own Clyents Verse 18. For from my youth he was brought up with me c. i. e. Ever since I could do any thing it hath been my delight to be doing good to the poor Orphans whom I have tenderly bred as a father useth to breed his children Non est vnlgare Dei donum saith Mercer This is no ordinary mercy for men to be of a merciful disposition and melting hearted toward the poor and necessitous as some are naturally and from the womb Such are said to have been Artaxerxes Longimanus Titus the Emperour Otho the third Steven King of Hungary Oswald King of England c. and I have guided her from my mothers womb Ductavi illam meaning the widow or the Orphan to whom I have been a manly guide and that of a child little See the Note aforegoing Suttons Hospitals and many more monuments of Charity in this kind are worthily alledged by some of our divines to prove that for their time and ability Protestants have equalled and exceeded Papists in this way of good works Jobs desire of doing good appeared betimes as if it had been born with him like as Plutach writeth of Coriolanus that he was so natural and expert a Souldier 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might seem to have been born with his arms upon his back and his weapons in his hands Verse 19 If I have seen any perish for want of cloathing Job was ad omnem humanitatem effectus atque assuefactus This liberal man devised liberal things and as he dealt his bread to the hungry so when he saw the naked he covered him he hid not himself from his own flesh Isai 58.7 Giles of Brussels and Mr. Wâ—seheart the Scot are famous among the Martyrs for their charity in this kind And so is Mr. Fax the Martyrologer of whom it is reported that as he gave away his horse at one time to a poor man when he had no mony to give him So at another having bestowed his wives money in a petticoat and meeting by the way home with a poor woman that wanted cloathing he freely gave it her telling his wife that he had sent it to heaven before her The poor mans belly is surely the best Cubberd and his back the best Wardrobe Vhi non pereunt sed parturiunt where they rot not as those moth-eaten ones in Saint James chap. 5.2 but remain for ever Great Alex ander believed this far better then most amongst us for when he had given away all almost and his friends asked him where it was he pointed to the poor and said In scrinâ—is in my chests and when he was further asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of greater and better things And another of his name viz. Pope Alexander the fifth was so liberal to the poor that he left nothing to himselfe so that he would merrily say that he was a rich Bishop a poor Cardinal and a beggarly Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was wont to be said Pauperibus sus dat gratis nec munera curat Curia Papalis quod modo percipimus Heidfold But this distich must be read backwards saith mine Author thus Percipimus modo quod Papalis c. This Pope Alexander then was a rare bird at Rome Or any poor without covering Whether he craved it of me or not if I did but see it the poor creature was sure of it The liberal man preventeth the poor and needy In Psal 103. Psal 41.1 Praeoccupat vocem petituri so Augustine expounds that Text. He stayes not till he is asked a good turn but ministreth to the uses not only to the necessities of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word is in the Original Rom. 12.13 So did Dr. Taylor Martyr when he visited the Alms-house in his Parish once a fortnight to see what they lacked and to supply them And so did Mr. Fox when unasked he gave the poor woman the petticoat as abovesaid Verse 20. If his loynes have not blessed me As being warm-cloathed by me not with a suit of words as those great benefactors Jam. 2.15 16. who were much in mouth mercy which indeed is good cheap But a little handful of Jobs wool is much better then a mouthful of such aiery courtesies and would open more mouthes to blesse men who now adayes for most part will be but a friends at a sneeze the most you can get of them is God blesse you These have as many flouts and curses as Job had well wishes and God thereby had praises according to that of our Saviour Matth. 5.16 And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep His sheep were his owne else his charity had been unwarrantable Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3.9 but see it be thine and not anothers He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor Prov. 22.9 specially if he have spared it out of his own belly to give to the hungry if it were the bread of his own aâ—mense or allowance as some interpret it Verse 21. If I have lift up my hand against the fatherlesse That is against any that are destitute of humane helps and defences Such to ill treat and oppresse is easie for great ones See Gen. 50 15 16. c. But where the true fear of God is no such thing will be done The Tigurines render Si minitatus sum Orphano c. If I have lifted up my hand in threatning first and then let it fall in striking and punishing the fatherless or friendless When I saw my help in the gate i.e. When by my greatnesse and grace with the people I might have born out my worst miscarriages when I might have had more then enow that would have defended yea applauded me as the Senate of Rome did Nerâ— even for his most malapert misdemeanors and most horrid outâ—ages Verse 22. Then let mine arm fall from the shoulder-blade That unworthy arm of mine as Cranmer cryed out of that unworthy right hand of his which he therefore burnt first so injuriously lifted up against
Ministers are said to be in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5.20 A great mercy that he will treat with us by men like our selves I also am formed out â—f the clay Et non ex meliore Intoâ—ffictus of the same make and matter with thy self cut out of the same lump dig'd out of the same pit He alludeth to Gen. 2.7 the wonderful formation of those Protoplast as a Potter moldeth his Pots cutting them out of the lump And the like God doth for men still by that viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the seed making it prolifical and generative Verse 7. Behold my terrour shall not make thee afraid This Job had earnestly desired of God chap 9 24. 13.21 and Elihu as a cunning Disputant presseth him with his own words I am not saith he neither is it fit any mortal man should by his terrour and power ravish another of his right Religion Giants are called Emim Formidable and Nephilim because men fell before them through fear as some Zanzummims do the meaner sort of people by their belluine greatness as the Pope and his Janizaries do the Hereticks as they call those of the reformed Religion that will not reneague it not once hearing what they can say for themselves Either you must turn or burn say they This is monstrous immanity Neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee Brentius rendreth this verse thus Ecce frons mea non terreat te inclinatio mea super te non gravet Behold my forehead cannot fright thee neither can my bowing down upon thee surcharge thee I shall neither brow-beat thee nor quell thee with my weight that thou shouldest refuse to reason the case with me Periculosum est contra cum scribere qui porest proscribere illi contradicere qui pâ—â—â—st aqua igni interdicere It s ill meddling with those that are armed with great power and can as easily undo a man as bid it be done I must needs acknowledge you the better scholer said Phavorinus the Philosopher to Adrian the Emperour qui triginta habâ—s legiones Aelius Spart who hast thirty Legions at command But here was no such disparity or cause of fear in Job from his compere Elihu Verse 8. Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing Here beginneth the Charge Pro Plancis and it is for words Quae levitèr volant non levitèr violant Nihil tà m volucre quà m maledictum nihil faciliùs emittitur saith Cicero Nothing is so swift as an evil word nothing is more easily uttered But should a man set his mouth against heaven and utter errour against the Lord Isa 32.6 Should he toss that reverend Name of God to and fro with such impiety and prophaneness as if his speech could have no grace but in his disgrace as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune Lonicer theatr historic or the three sons trying their Archery at their fathers heart to see who can shoot nighest Surely as God is the avenger of all such so an Elihu cannot hear it and not be kindled Good blood will not bely it self Psal 139.20 21. They speak against thee wickedly and thine enemies take thy name in vain Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred c. The very Turks have the Christians blaspheming of Christ in execration and punish it in their Prisoners when through impatiency or desperateness they break out in this kind What a shame is it then that our Kanters that last brood of Beelzebub should till alate be suffered to affirm That Christ is a carnal or fleshly thing and to contemne him by the notion of The man dying as Jerusalem c Can we hear these hellish blasphemies without ears tingling hearts trembling c When Servetus condemned Zuinglius for his harshness he answereth In aliis mansuetus ero in blasphemiis in Christum non ita In other things I can bear as much as another but when I hear Christ blasphemed I am altogether impatient for why in this case patience would be blockishness moderation mopishness toleration cowardise Madness here is better than meekness c. Verse 9. I am clean without transgression Clear as the picked glass without defection Nitidus ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Syriaca voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pectere I am innocent Heb. Neat and compt not a hair out of order as it was objected to Pompey the great Neither is there iniquity in me Nothing crooked or obtort But had Elihu ever heard Job saying thus Or did not he rather misinterpret his words Some proud Monk hath been heard to say Non haheo Domine quod mihi ignoscas I have not done any thing Lord that needeth thy pardon The reporter of Bellarmines life and death telleth us that when the Priest came to absolve him he could not remember any particular sin he had to confess till he went back in his thoughts as far as his youth But good Job had no such conceit of himself as may appear by many passages of his as chap. 9.2 and verse 20 21. chap. 14.4 c. Only out of the greatness of his grief and the unkind usuage of his friends who spared not without all reason to revile him as a most wicked and ungodly liver he did estsoones cast out some rash and harsh words against God see chap. 10.7 16.17 23.10 11. 27.5 and hence this Accusation here laid against him as a Perfectist or self-justitiary Verse 10. Behold he findeth occasions against me Or Breaches he picks quarrels with me and would fain find out somewhat in my carriage wherefore to break friendship with me and to break me in pieces But did Job ever say in this sort Not expresly so but by consequence and to the same purpose chap. 9.17 13.24 14.17 16.9 19.11 He counteth me for his enemy This indeed he had said and somewhat more chap. 13.24 16.9 30.21 as if God of his meer pleasure had made cruel wars upon him and exercised all kind of hostility against him as a vanquished enemy See the Note on chap. 13.24 19.11 Verse 11. He putteth my feet in the stocks c. See chap. 13.27 14.16 with the Notes Verse 12. Behold in this thou art not just In this thy Expostulation with God as if he had dealt unjustly with thee think the same of thy postulation or unreasonable request that God should give thee a reason why he so grievously afflicteth thee verse 13. thou art nothing less then what thou holdest thy self to be viz. just pure innocent Sorex suo perit indicio the Mole betrayes himself by casting up the mould and so dost thou good Job by throwing forth words without wisdom as God himself will once tell thee chap. 38.2 Canst thou be just whose words are thus unjust Never think it Thus Elihu is as nimble with Job but far more ingenuous as that Jesuite
the worst of things but give a favourable interpretation CHAP. XXXVI Verse 1. Elihu also proceeded and said HEB. And Elihu added viz. This his fourth Oration not unlike the former made in behalf and for defence of Gods Justice which he here further asserteth against Job who had seemed to cast some slur upon it by arguments drawn from his wondrous works the Meteors especially and all to prevail with Job to submit to Gods justice Ex abundanti quae sequuntur adjicit and to implore his mercy Verse 2. Suffer me a little and I will shew thee He promiseth brevity and thereby wooeth attention brevity and perspicuity are to great graces of speech and do very much win upon intelligent hearers who love to hear much in few and cannot away with tedious prolixities When a great Trifler had made an empty discourse in the presence of Aristotle and then cryed him mercy for troubling him so long You have not troubled me at all said He for I scarce hearkned to any one word you said all this while That I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Heb. That there are yet words for God His zeal for Gods glory drew from him this following speech wherein insignis est Elihu magnificus Elihu excelleth himself and appeareth to be no worse an Orator then was M. Crassus among the Romans Cic. de Orat. l. 1. who had this commendation given him Quod cum aliquid accuratiùs dixisset semper ferè contigit ut nunquam dixisse meliùs putaretur That when ever he spake it was judged to be the very best that ever he spake Verse 3. I will fetch my knowledg from afar Even from heaven as one taught of God I will discourse of ancient things for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and fetch my reasons from the wonderful and sublime works of God De arduis atque admirandis Dei operibus those real demonstrations of his Deity Est autem planè hic Elihu mirus egregius saith Mercer And he is not a little wronged by that French Paraphrast who saith of him That he knew well how to begin a discourse but knew not how to end it and that seeing well that his tediousnesse might make him troublesome he awakened his languishing Auditours by this artificial preface And will ascribe righteousnesse to my Maker This is both the maine proposition of the ensuing Oration and the main end of mans creation viz. to glorifie his Maker Rom. 11. ult Rev. 4.11 Verse 4. For truly my words shall not be false I shall deal truly and plainly with thee my Discourse shall be simple and solid having no better ornament but that of Truth which is like our first parents most beautiful when naked 't was sin covered them 't is treachery hides this Aperta veritas clausos etiam oculos ferit saith One. He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee Integer sententiis Vâ—â—abl meaning himself who fully understood the businesse betwixt them and would faithfully deliver it There are that hold God to be hereby meant A pious sense but not so proper Verse 5. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any Much lesse oppresseth he any one in a good Cause or tyrannically abuseth his power to the crushing of an Innocent He is equally good as great neither was Job well advised in seeming to sunder these two excellencies in God the one from the other sith whatsoever is in God is God neither ought we to think of him otherwise then of one not to be thought of as of one whose Wisdom is his Justice whose Justice is his Power whose Power is his Mercy and all Himself He is mighty in strength and wisdom Or He is mighty the strength of the heart He was so to David Psal 138.3 Validus est virtâ— animi Trem In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul At the sack of Ziglag in the fail of all outward comforts David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 A Christian is never without his cordial Vna est in trepida mihi re medicina Jehovae Cor patrium os verax omnipotensque manus Verse 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked He is no such friend to them though he be good to the godly he greatly careth not what becomes of them Their life they hold of him and many good things besides for he is the Saviour or Preserver of all men but especially of them that believe But he suffereth not the wicked to live as the Hebrew here hath it he withdraweth them not from the hand of Justice he bindeth not them up in the bundle of life he reckoneth them not among the living in Jerusalem among the first born whose names are written in heaven he many times slayeth them with his owne hand and cutteth them short in righteousnesse Or if not so yet their preservation is but a reservation c. But giveth right to the poor Or To the afflicted For poverty is an affliction and subjecteth a man to many injuries Zeph. 3.12 they are an afflicted and poor people but trusting in the name of the Lord they shall be relieved and righted not so soon perhaps as themselves would nor yet so long hence as their Oppressours would In the Mount will the Lord be seen who as he seldome comes at our times so he never failes his owne time Meane while this comfort they have Verse 7. He with draweth not his eyes from the righteous He is so lost in love as I may say toward such that he cannot like to look beside them he beholdeth them when afflicted with singular care and complacency Then if ever The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears open to their cry Psal 34.15 then they may have any thing of God their being no time like that for hearing of prayers Zach. 13.9 Times of affliction are times of supplication Psal 50.15 and 91.15 They are Mollissima fandi tempora Jer. 51.19 20 21. Then our hearts are largest then Gods ears are openest Neither his eares only but his eyes too are busied about his suffering servants as the Gold-smiths are about the Gold cast into the furnace that no grain thereof be lost He sits downe by the fire saith Malachi and tends it as a Refiner and Purifier of silver chap. 3.3 He refines them but not as silver Isai 48.10 that is Not exactly and to the utmost lest they should be consumed in that fiery tryal he seeth to it that the choice spirits of his people fail not before him Isai 57.16 as they would do if he should bring upon them an evil an only evil Ezek. 7.5 and not in the midst of judgement remember mercy But with Kings are they on the throne i.e. He raiseth them to highest honors as he did Joseph whose fetters God in one houre changed into a chain of Gold his stocks into a Chariot his Jaile into a
is not extent any Poem either of the Greeks or Latines which may be compared with this stately eloquence of Elihu in describing those natural effects which are caused in the air and for the same cause are of the Philosophers called Meteors or aiëry impressions as namely clouds rain hail snow thunder lightning and such-like whereof he here discourseth very gravely and learnedly And first of rain which he describeth 1. by the form or manner of producing it vers 27 28. 2. by the largenesse of the clouds and their noise vers 29. 3. by the suddain succession of fair weather and foul vers 30. and lastly by the different use thereof in the three last verses of this Chapter God maketh small the drops of water that is he raineth by dividing the drops in the cloud causing them to come down gutâ—atim piece-meale and not by whole spouts or paile-fulls Others read it Subtrahit Deus God draweth up drops of water viz. out of the Sea the rivers and other moist places whence those vapours do ascend of which are generated those drops of rain Psal 147.8 He covereth the heaven with clouds he prepareth rain for the earth c. They powre down rain according to the vapours thereof As the vapours are greater or lesser so is the rain The rain ascendeth in thin vapours but descendeth oft in thick showers So do our poor Prayers come down in greatest blessings and we are sure of as much mercy as we bring faith to carry it away Verse 28. Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly Hence the Dutch call it raegen and we rained à rigando from watering the earth all over at times This is Gods work and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes it would be so were it not so ordinary Non sactis id ascribamus multò minùs sagis the Heathens gave their gods the glory of it The holy Ghost here and elswhere setteth before us these common things that when we see them and yet know not the reason of them we may gather that we ought not over-curiously to pry into the profound judgements of God which are far above the clouds those receptacles of rain yea far above the highest heavens Verse 29. Also can any understand the spreading of the clouds That is the skill that God sheweth in spreading forth the clouds to that large extent and muffling the whole heavens with them so that Nature finds her self buried in darkness Some render it the divisions or differences of the clouds illic enim fiunt miracula magna For some clouds are empty Vatab. and answer not expectation worthlesse and vain boasters are compared to such R. Levi. Prov. 25.14 Jude 12. some yield rain and drop fatnesse Some again send forth hail snow frost storm thunder lightnings c. These are wonders in nature far beyond humane apprehension The clouds God maketh one while as some aiëry seas to hold water another while as some aiëry furnaces whence he scattereth the suddain fires into all parts of the earth astonishing the world with the fearful noise of that eruption Out of the midst of water he fetcheth fire and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapours Haec sunt sanè admiranda tremenda saith Mercer These are wonderful things and no lesse dreadful Is it not strange that of one and the same equal matter viz. the vapours exhaled from the earth or water so many several and different Meteors should be engendred Or the noise of his Tabernacle i.e. The swinging showres or rustling winds or ratling thunder-claps one in the neck of another out of the clouds called here Gods Tabernacle in quo velut abditus tot rerum miracula creat wherein he sits in secret and unseen creating many strange Meteors to send down upon the earth whereof the profoundest Philosopher of them all can give no certain and undoubted reason Verse 30. Behold he spreadeth his light upon it That is his fair weather clearing up the cloudy sky as some expound it Or us others his lighting shot forth every way Psal 18.13 15. 144.6 Or the sun-beams spread upon the sea and drawing up vapours unde mare hoc loco nubium radix dicitur saith Brentius whence the sea is here called the root of the clouds or the surface of the sea is called the root of it in regard of the wandring waves which are cut in sunder after the manner of roots so saith Vatablus Those that by light here understand lightnings say that God maketh them dart so abundantly through the waters of the sea that they do as it were cover all the bottom of it Verse 31. For by them judgeth he the people i.e. By rain and drought in excesse or defect he punisheth people at his pleasure whom oh how easily could he affamish by denying them an harvest or two in granting whereof he giveth testimony of his bounty Job 14.17 He giveth meat in abundance sc By sending moderate showers fatning the earth whereunto also the preaching of the Word is fitly compared Isai 55.10.11 which those that drink not in and fructifie Deut. 32.2 are accursed Heb. 6.8 Verse 32. With clouds he covereth light Heb. With the palmes of his hands so the clouds are called see 1 King 18.44 he hideth light that is the Sun-beams viz. when he sendeth rain the heavens are masked And commandeth it not to shine Heb. And forbiddeth it those words not to shine are not in the original propter intercedentem Trem. Merlin for the sake of those that intercede He giveth rain or fair weather upon the prayers of his faithful people who can thereby open and shut heaven as did Elias and the thundering Legion R. Levi interpreteth this and the following verse concerning thunder Verse 33. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it The hurry-noise made in the air before a shower of rain fore-showeth it to be at hand The Cattel also concerning the vapour Heb. Concerning that which goeth up Hogs Sheep Oxen c. are much more quick-scented than men and can perceive the vapours going up to cause rain before men can see or feel them Hence shepherds and herdsmen gather prognosticks of rain and are so weather-wise as we call it Ad dextram cuhantes oves pluviam portendunt Merlin Aben-Ezra noteth that sheep lying on the right-side fore-signifie foul weather See Virgil. Georg. lib. 1. and Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 18. cap. 35. Some render this verse than which there if not an harder in all the book saith Mercer thus Declaring toward him who intercedeth his good-will toward the cattel and also toward the encrease of the earth CHAP. XXXVII Verse 1. At this also my heart trembleth AT this At what at the thunder whereof he had spoken before Beza Diodat and more meant to speak and which he heard at that instant as it may seem by the next verse and therefore no wonder that his heart trembled and was moved out of its place by an
of his purpose Some refer this Text to the revolution of the Heavenly Orbs which is also done by God That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them A Metaphor like that Levit. 25.21 where God saith that he will command his blessing upon the sixth year and it shall bring forth fruit for three years Now if the senseless creatures so readily obey God how much more should we And if he be Lord of Tempests he is also of Diseases and disasters Chear up therefore and ply the throne of Grace He will see that all shall go well with his suppliants Verse 13. He causeth it to come whether for correction Heb. For a rod. God hath his rods sticking up in every corner of his house for chastisement of his children and they shall take it for a favour too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Bern. Hebr. 12.7 r Cor. 11.32 Sinite vergam corrâ—piâ—â—tâ—m 〈◊〉 â—â—â—iutis mâ—lltum conterentem saith an Ancient he coâ—â—â—â— with the rod of correction that ye feel not maul of confusion Better suffer immoderate raines and lightnings then that terrible tempest chap. 27.21 and the black flashes of hell fire that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato calleth it the fiery Lake as the Scripture Or for his Land i.e. His Church Hos 9.3 A Land that he watereth and watcheth over from one end of the year to the other Deut. 11.12 .. His vineyard cared for and kept to himself night and day Isai 27.3 Or the earth at large which is Gods great field Psal 24.1 as the Church is his fold Psal 100.3 and especially that part of it which is desert and uninhabited There also God causeth his Sun to shine and his raine to fall Matth 5.45 Job 38.26 27. That the wild beasts also may have food Or for mercy Some singular and extraordinary mercy as 2 Sam. 21.10 1 King 18.45 Sive ad faciendum beneficentiam or to bestow his bounty and to bestow a largesse as Princes sometimes make a scatter of monies among the multitude Clouds are Gods Store-houses which he eft-soons openeth to our profit Deuter. 28.12 By them he maketh a scatter of riches upon the earth which good men gather and bad men scramble for Verse 14. Hearken unto this O Job Here Elihu by little and little draweth to a most wise conclusion bringing Job to this point that as the wisdome of God in these daily and ordinary works of Nature doth far exceed the reach capacity of man so the should much more consider the same in this grievous calamity Beza Merlin which was now befalne him And for as much as he could not come to the knowledg of any other secondary and middle causes he should rather adore and reverence the secret counsel and purpose of God herein then labour in vain and without any profit at all to torment himselfe in searching out that which is not possible for any man to understand Which argument God himself doth at large most truly and divinely prosecute in the four following Chapters Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God Consiste considera and that thou mayest see into these divine secrets Non arrigendâ— sunt aures caruis sed fidei Prick up the eares of thy faith which alone can skill of these mysteries whereinto if thou hast yet no insight and canst not yet feel the justice wisdome and goodness of God in thy present sufferings it is for want of judgement as I shall evince in that which followes it is because thou hast not mine eyes senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil Hebr. 5. ult Nicostratus in Elian himself being a cunning Artisan finding a curious piece of work and being wondred at by one and asked What pleasure he could take to stand gazing as he did on the Picture answered Hadst thou mine eyes thou wouldst not wonder but rather be ravish'd as I am at the inimitable Art of this rare Piece Elihu seemeth here to say as much to Job Verse 15. Dost thou know when God disposed them Viz. Those wondrous works of God in the Aire especially those varieties of Meteors the generation and motions whereof the greatest Philosophers cannot perfectly find out by their natural causes neither do they wel agree amongst themselvs concerning those causes For Anaximander holdeth one thing Metrodorus another Anaxagoras a third Aristotle a fourth let those that have a mind to it read their janglings and Disputes in Plutarch De placitis Philosophorum Now if no man though never so wise can understand the wondrous works of God in these common things of Nature how can he comprehend his hidden works hoc est crucem saith Brentius And caused the light of his cloud to shine Or That he may cause the light of his cloud to shine Hereby he meaneth lightnings issuing out of the moist and cold cloud say some the Rainbow say others that wonderful work of God fained therefore by the Heathens to be the daughter of Thaumantias Plato or of wonderment which is full of wonders witnesse the beautiful shape thereof and various colours with their several significations as some conceive the several Prognosticks viz. Of rain in the morning of fair weather in the evening as Scaliger concludeth the form of it a bow which yet never shooteth any man unlesse it be with astonishment and love c. God puts his bow in his hand saith Ambrose on Genes 9.13 not his arrow but his bow and the string of the bow is to us-ward The Jewes conceit that the name Jehovah is written on the Rainbow and therefore they no sooner see it but they hide their eyes confesse their sins that deserve a second deluge celebrate Gods great goodness to mankind c. Some by the light of Gods cloud here understand the Sun-shine through the clouds causing it to clear up Now who can certainly foretel rain or fair weather Some Learned men have spent much time and pains in Astronomy to get skill in prognosticating but could do little good of it when they foretel a faire day it commonly raineth and the contrary The Country mans Prognosticks the Shepherds Calender hold better for most part then the Predictions of these Artisans Verse 16. Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds i.e. How they are hanged up even in the aire like Architas or Archimedes his Pigeon equally poised with their own weight But how they are upheld and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder Some Naturalists tell us that the clouds are upheld by the heat of the Sun but that 's more then they can tell and there is much to be said against it Wherefore it is better for men to confesse their ignorance then so peremptorily to pronounce of things they know not Let it be proper to God to be perfect in knowledge It was too much that some ascribed to Tertullian to Hierom to Tostatus and some others that they knew all that was knowable Verse 17 How thy garments are
recruit as far as God seeth fit Multadies variâ—squo Labor mutabilis avi Rettulit in melius multos alterna revisens Lusit in solido rursus fortuna locavit Virg. Aen. l. 11 The best way is to hang loose to these things below not trusting in uncertain riches but in the living God 1 Tim. 6.17 who will be our exceeding great reward and give to his Sufferers an hundred fold here and eternal life hereafter Mat. 19.29 Optandâ— nimirùm est jactura quae lucro majore pensatur saith Agricola It is doubtlesse a lovely losse that is made up with so much gaine Well might Saint Paul say Godlinesse is profitable to all things as having the Promise of both lives 1 Tim. 4 6 Well might Saint Peter call it The Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.2 For as God brings light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty c. so doth Godlinesse Let a man with Job bear his losses patiently and pray for his enemies that wrong and rob him and he shall be sure to have his own againe and more either in money or moneys worth either in the same or a better thing contented Godlinesse shall be great gaine to him 1 Tim. 6.6 Besides heavens happinesse which shall make a plentiful amends for all The Rabbins would perswade us That God miraculously brought back again to Job the self-same cattle that the Sabaeans and others had taken from him and doubled them Indeed his children say they therefore were not doubled unto him because they perished by their owâ—â—ault and folly as one of his friends also told him But of all this nothing certain can be affirmed and they do better who say That his children being dead in Gods favour perished not but went to heaven they were not lost but laid up so that before God Job had the number of his children doubled for they are ours still whom we have sent to heaven before us and Christ at his coming shall restore them unto us 1 Thessal 4.14 In confidence whereof faithful Abraham calleth his deceased Sarah his dead That I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23.4 and so she is called eight several times in that one Chapter as Paraeus hath observed Verse 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren Then when God had begun to restore him As his adversity had scattered his friends so his prosperity brought them together again This is the worlds usage Dum fueris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris Summer-birds there are not a few Samaritans who would own the Jewes whiles they flourished but otherwise disavow them as they did to Antiochus Epiphanes Rich Job had many friends Prov. 14.20 Qui tamen persistebant amicitia sicut lepus juxta tympanum as the Proverb is All this good Job passeth by and forgetting all unkindnesses magnificently treateth them as Isaac in like case had done Abimelech and his train Gen. 26.30 And did eat bread with him in his house It 's likely they came with their cost to make Job a Feast of comfort such as were usual in those dayes Jer. 16.7 Ezek 24.17 But whether they did or not they were welcome to Job who now never upbraids them with their forsaking of him in his distresse which yet was then a great grief to him but friendly re-embraceth them and courteously entertaineth them This is contrary to the practice of many fierce and implacable spirits in these dayes whose wrath like that of the Athenians is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long-lasting and although themselves are mortal yet their hearts are immortal And they bimoaned him They condoled with him and shook their heads as the word signifieth not by way of deriding him as once they had done chap. 16. but of sorrow for their former deserting him and assurance that they would henceforth better stick to him in what estate soever And comforted him over all the evil c. So they should have done long before A friend is made for the day of adversity but better late then never Nunquam sane serò si seriò See here saith Brentius the change of affaires and the right hand of the Most High and learn the fear of God for as he frowneth or favoureth any man so will the world do Every man also gave him a piece of money Or a Lamb to stock him againe Beza rendreth it Some one of his Cattle and paraphraseth thus Yea every one of them gave him either a sheep or an Ox or a Camel and also an Ear-ring of gold partly as a pledge of their good will and friendship renewed toward him and partly in consideration and recompence of that losse which he had before by the will and fore-appointment of God sustained Honoraria obtulerunt saith Junius they brought him these presents as Pledges of their love and observance for so were great men wont to be saluted with some gift Sen. Epist 17. 1 Sam. 10.27 2 Chron. 17.5 And the same custome was among the Persians and Parthians whose Kings might not be met without some token of congratulation and Symbol of Honour And every one an Ear-ring of gold Inaurem auream an Ear-pendant of gold at the Receipt whereof Job might well say as the Poet did Theog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To thee this is a small matter but to me a great Verse 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job According to Bildads Prophecy chap. 8.7 And S. James his useful observation Chap. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy If he afflict any of his it is in very faithfulnesse that he may be true to their souls it is also in great mercy Deut. 8.16 that he may do them good in the latter end and this they themselves also shall both see and say by that time he hath brought both ends together Psal 119.71 Be ye therefore patient stablish your hearts James 5.7 Patient Job had all doubled to him Joseph of a Slave became his Masters Master Valentinian lost his Tribuneship for Christ but was afterwards made Emperor Queen Elizabeth of a prisoner became a great Princesse But if God deny his suffering servants Temporals and give them in Spirituals they have no Cause to complaine One way or other they shall be sure to have it Great is the gain of Godlinesse For he had fourteen thousand sheep c Cattle only are instanced Pecuma à pecâ—de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pecudes posteà opes significant Melancth Dios because therein especially consisted the wealth of that Countrey but other good things also doubtlesse were doubled unto him as his family possessions grounds houses and especially Wisdom to make a good use of all for commonly Stultitiam patiuntur opes and what 's more contemptible then a rich fool a golden beast as Caligula called his father in
Vers 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee They can do no otherwise that savingly know Gods sweet Attributes and noble Acts for his people We never trust a man till we know him and bad men are better known than trusted Not so the Lord for where his name is poured out as an oyntment there the Virgins love him fear him rejoyce in him repose upon him Them that seek thee So they do it seriously seasonably constantly Vers 11. Sing praises to the Lord c. This is the guise of godly people to provoke others to praise God as being unsatisfiable in their desires of doing him that service and as deeming that others see him as they do totum totum desiderabilem worthy to bee praised Psal 18.3 highly to be admired vers 1. of this Psalm Vers 12. When he maketh inquisition for bloud for innocent bloud unjustly spilled as he did for the bloud of Abel Gen. 4.10 of Naboth 1 King 9.26 surely I have seen yesterday the bloud of Naboth Murther ever bleeds fresh in the eyes of God of Zechariah the Son of Barachiah 2 Chron. 24.22 those ungrateful Guests who slew those that came to call them And when the King heard it for Bloud cryes aloud he was wroth and destroyed those Murtherers Matth. 22.6 7. These shall have bloud to drink for they are worthy Revel 16.6 God draws Articles of enquiry in this case as strict and as critical as ever the Inquisition of Spain doth the proceedings whereof are with greatest secrecy and severity He forgetteth not the cry of the Humble Heb. of the poor lowly meek afflicted Humility and Meekness are Collactancae twin-sisters as Bernard hath it Vers 13. Have mercy upon me O Lord c. These are the words say some of those humble ones whom God forgetteth not they were Gods remembrancers See Isa 62.6 or it is a prayer of David for further deliverances according to that I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Psal 18.3 Betwixt praysing and praying he divided his time and drove an holy trade between Heaven and Earth Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death i.e. Ex praesentissimo certissimo interitu from desperate and deadly dangers such as threaten present destruction and shew a man the Grave even gaping for him David was oft at this pass and God delivered Paul from so great a death 2 Cor. 1.10 he commonly reserveth his hand for a dead lift and rescueth those who were even talking of their Graves Vers 14. That I may shew forth all thy praises i.e. All that I can compass or attain unto Alitèr omnes laudes Dei dici non possunt quia plures ignorat home quà m novit saith R. David here for all the praises of God cannot be shewn forth sith those wee know not are more than those we know In the gates of the daughter of Zion These are opposed to the Gates of Death as Aben-Ezra here noteth and betoken the most publick places and best frequented Vers 15. The Heathen are sunk down c. Hoc est initium cantici Sanctorum saith Aben-Ezra This is the beginning of the Saints Song knit to the former verse thus saying The Heathen c. In the Net which they bid c. To Hunters they are compared for cruelty and to Fowlers for craft But see their success they are sunk down in their own pit caught in their own Net Thus it befell Pharaoh Exod. 15.9 10. Jabin and Sicera Judg 4. Sennacherib 2 Chron. 32. Antiochus Epiphanes Maxentius the Tyrant Euseb lib. cap. 9 who fell into the river Tiber from his own false Bridge laid for Constantine The Spanish Armado our Powder-Papists c. See the Note on Psal 7.15 Vers 16. The Lord is known by the judgement c. The Heathen Historian observed that the ruine of Troy served to teach men Herod that God punisheth great sinners with heavie plagues Go up to Shiloh c. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Heb. Palms hollows noting the close conveyance of his wicked plots and practises but for his own mischief Higgaion Selah Ainsworth rendreth it Meditation Selah meaning that this is a matter of deep meditation worthy to be well-minded and spoken or sung with earnest consideration always The word is found only here and Psal 92.3 where also the wonderful works of God are discoursed R. Solomons Note here is Ultimum judicium debet esse continua meditatio The last Judgement should be continually thought upon Vers 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell Heb. into into Hell twice that is into the nethermost Hell the lowest Dungeon of Hell The word Lâ—shâ—â—lah hath a vehement inforcement from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locall as Grammarians call it and importeth that they shall be cast into outer darkness August In tenebras ex tenebris infelicitèr exclusi infelicius excludenâ—â— R. Solomons Note here is They shall be carried away from Hell to Judgement and from Judgement they shall be returned to the deepest Pit of Hell This if men did but beleeve they durst not do as they do as once Cato said to Cesar And all the Nations The wicked be they never so many of them they may not think to escape for their multitudes as amongst Mutineers in an Army the tenth man sometimes is punished the rest go free Vers 18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten Because he that shall come will come and will not tarry The Lord is at hand to help those that are forsaken of their hopes Julian Lining was apprehended by Dale the Promooter in Queen Maries days who said unto him You hope and hope but your hope shall be aslope For though the Queen fail she that you hope for shall never come at it for there is my Lord Cardinals Grace Act. Mon. 1871. and many others between her and it c. But the Cardinal dyed soon after the Queen and according to Father Latimers prayer Elizabeth was crowned and England yet once more looked upon Vers 19. Luther Arise O Lord let not man prevail Prayers are the Churches Weapons her Bombards instrumenta bellica whereby she is terrible as an Army with Banners she prays down her enemies Vers 20. Put them in fear O Lord strike them with a panick terrour as once the Canaanites Philistines 2 Sam. 5. Syrians 2 King 7. Germans in the War against the Hussites c. Some read it Put a Law upon them bridle them bound them as thou hast done the Sea Job 38.11 The Greek and Syriack favour this reading That the Nations may know themselves to be but men And not gods as that proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 27. and Antiochus who would needs be stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such an height of pride will Persecutors grow if they prosper and be not taken a link lower as we say Home id est fracti saith R. Obad.
too c. Gregory the Great trembled whensoever he read those words of Abraham to the rich Glutton who thought this life to be his saginary or boares-frank Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Luke 16. Yee have lived in pleasure upon earth Jam. 5.5 no fit place for such a purpose God did not turn you out of one Paradise that you should here provide your selves of another earth is a place of banishment and bondage Of the wickeds prosperity here see Job 21.7 8. with the Notes And whose belly thon fillest with thy bid treasures That is with Gold and other precious things digged out of the earth saith Aben-Ezra Opimis rebus saith Junius with abundance of outward blessings and benefits saith another which are called Gods hidden treasures not because they are not seen but because they are not so well perceived and used of the ungodly as were meet or because the reason of their present plenty of all things is hidden from them and yet it appears not but shall bee made manifest that these fatting ware are but fitting for the slaughter They are full of Children which they send forth as a flock Job 21.11 See the Note there Or their Children are full carne porcinâ saith the Arabick here or of wordly wealth and mountaines of mony left them by those faithfull drudges their rich but wretched Parents and progenitours whose only care was to heap up hoards of wealth for their posterity Vers 15. As for mee I neither envy nor covet these mens happinesse but partly have and partly hope for a farre better I will behold thy face in Righteousnesse which none can do but the pure in heart Mat. 5. and those that keep close to God in a constant communion being justified and sanctified persons I shall be satisfied Better than those muck-worms and their Children are When I awake sc Out of the dust of death at the Resurrection With thy likenesse With the visible sign of thy glory in Heaven 1. Job 3.2 PSAL. XVIII TO the chief Musician Some render it Adtriumphandum and well they may for this is old Davids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant song after so many victories and deliverances and it is twice recorded in Scripture with very little variation See 2 Sam. 22. for the great worth and weightinesse of the matter that wee may the more observe it and bee the better versed in it This here recorded seemeth to bee the Review of it and thence those small additions and alterations that are found here and there but not of any great moment A Psalm of David Who having now gotten some breathing while from his troubles gave not himself to Idlenesse or worldly pleasures as the Romans used to do after that they had once ridden in triumph but calling to mind Gods great mercies towards him composed this sweet Psalmodie to his glory The Servant of the Lord So hee stiled himself before Psal 36. when hee first entred upon the Kingdome and now here again when being to lay it down together with his life hee breatheth out his holy soul to God in this divine ditty Sic ubi fata vocant c. This hee did after that as a faithfull servant of the Lord hee had done all the wills of God Act. 13.22 had served out his full time Verse 36. and dwelt in Gods house to length of dayes Psal 23.6 Who spake unto the Lord the words of this song God lets out his mercies to us for this rent of our praises and is content wee have the benefit of them so hee may have the glory The Hebrews give this Note here Every man for whom there is wrought a miracle of mercy and hee thereupon uttereth a song hath his sins forgiven him This is better yet than that of the Papists who promise pardon of sin to those that shall hear two Masses a day Wee who have received so many mercies should compass God about with songs of deliverances and not only servire Deo sed adulari as Tertullian hath it From the hand of all his enemies Heb From the Palm of other enemies as less considerable but from the hand or clutch-fist of Saul And from the hand of Saul his greatest enemy and of longest continuance So Christ is said to save his people from their sins by a specialty Mat. 1.21 because these do us the most mischief Vers 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength Heb. I will love thee dearly and entirely Ex intimis visceribus from the very heart root from the bottom of my bowels with like intention of affection as a tender-hearted Mother doth her dearest Babe that is her own bowels her self of the second edition Neither did David herein super-erogate for God requireth to be loved with all the heart minde soul strength Modus sig siâ—â— modo Beâ—â— as one that is best worthy good without measure that hath loved us without measure and therefore is without measure by us to be beloved Not that we are bound to love God in quantum est diligibilis so much as he is lovely or love-worthy for so God only can love himself but Nihil supra aequè aut contra Nothing must we love above God or so much as God much less against God we must be able to say affectionately with David Psal 73.25 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee And as Bernard Amo te Domine plus quam mea meos me I love thee Lord more than my goods my friends my self A Christian begins with loving God for himself but he ends in loving himself and all other both persons and things in and for God His friend he loveth in the Lord his foes for the Lord but God he loveth absolutely and for himself affecting not only an union with him but even an unity his heart being turned as it were into a very lump of love as was Maries Luke 7.47 Histories tell of a certain Woman that came to Vespasian the Emperour professing that she was in love with him he commanded that a liberal reward should be given her for the same and when his Steward asked him under what Item he should put that gift in his Book of Account Vespasiano adamato said the Emperour Item To her that loved Vespasian God saith the Apostle is not unrighteous to forget your labour of love c. Heb. 6. I love them that love me saith Christ Prov. 8. and his love is not like the Winter Sun which hath light but not heat c. he is the strength of his people their Rock Fortress c. Vers 2. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress c. i.e. He is all in all for my preservation Ten words say the Hebrews he here heapeth up in reference to Ten signal Victories or rather because his thankful heart was so enlarged that hee could never satisfie himself in saying what God had been to
manner holily encroaching upon God Exod. 33.12 13 16 18. as if his Motto had been that of Charles the fisth Vlterius More yet For thon art the God of my salvation Perfect therefore that which concerneth mee Thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Psal 138.8 Thou hast written mee down in thy book of preservation with thine own hand oh read thine own hand-writing and save mee said Queen Elizabeth in her troubles Vers 6. Kemember O Lord thy tender mercies Heb. Thy bowels which thou mayest seem to have lost but I shall find them for thee Where are thy bowels and thy compassions are they restrained If thou hast forgotten them but that cannot be I shall bee thy Remembrancer and read them over unto thee out of the Register of a sanctified memory For they have been ever of old Etiam ad Adamum qui vixit quasi mille annis Ever since Adam and so onward saith R. Solomon and why not then to mee who am one of thine to whom mercy successively belongeth in my generation as it did to mine Ancestors in theirs Vers 7. Remember not the sins of my youth Which though long since committed must not bee remembred without remorse sith for them God often punisheth men in their age Job 13.26 Jer. 3.25 It is not the last sand that emptieth the hour-glasse nor the last blow that throweth down the Oak Sin may sleep a long time like a sleeping debt not called for of many years as Sauls sin in slaying the Gibeonites not punished till forty years after as Joâ—bs killing of Abner slept all Davids dayes c. It is not safe to bee at odds with the Ancient of dayes This David knew and therefore was willing to clear all old scores to get pardon of youthfull lusts lest they should put a sting into his present sufferings And that being thorowly done as hee could expect mercy and direction from God so if any should maliciously upbraid him with his by-gone iniquities hee could answer as Austin did in like case Quae tu reprehendis ego damnavi What thou reprehendest in me I have long since condemned in my self And as Reverend Beza when a spitefull Papist hit him in the teeth with his wanton poems set forth in his youth and long before repented of Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi This fellow said hee envieth mee the grace of Jesus Christ Nor my transgressions Or prevarications In personam Vriae In the matter of Vriak saith R. Obadiah the sins of mine age saith Kimchi all my faults of former and later time saith another David was well in years when hee defiled himself with Bathsheba In many young men the Rose is cankered in the bud And again as the canker soonest entreth into the white Rose so doth corruption easily creep into the white head David prayeth God to forgive him his sins both of former and of latter time and not to forgive them only but to forget them too Remember not the sins c. And as hee fitly joyneth memorie of mercies and forgetfullnesse of sins so hee forgetteth not to subjoyn According to thy mercy remember thou mee for thy goodnesse sake O Lord Do all of free grace not for any motive or merit of mine Lorinus a Jesuite here bringeth in sundry passages as well hee may Psal 6.8 51.3 69.14 86.5.15 106.45 119.156 136.7 Dan. 9.18 Isa 55.7 to prove that all is of mercy and not of merits Vers 8. Good and upright is the Lord i.e. Gracious and righteous ' or faithfull and hence it is that our God is mercifull as Psal 116.5 hence it is as that we poor Creatures are not overwhelmed aut magnitudine peccatoram aut male calamitatum either with the greatnesse of our sins or the multitude of our miseries Therefore will hee teach sinners in the way i.e. Sensible sinners meek and mortified as in the next verse self-judging and self-outed those will hee teach to turn to him and to walk before him in all well-pleasing and this Doctrin of direction must needs bee good because hee is good and certain because he is upright Vers 9. The meek will hee guide in judgement Or the poor viz. in spirit will he make to tread in judgment to foot it aright to walk judiciously to behave themselves wisely as David did 1 Sam. 10.14 so that Saul feared him 1 Sam. 23. 22. Naturall conscience cannot but stoop to the image of God shining in the hearts and lives of the really Religious And the meek will hee teach his way Such as lye at his feet and say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth such as whose hearts are supple and soluble tractable and teachable so as that a little child may lead them Isa 11.6 Austin was such an one En adsuâ— senex Aug. Epist 75. ad Auuil Epis saith he à juvene coepisoopâ— Episcopus tot annorum à collega nondum anniculo paratus sum disceer i.e. I am here an old man ready to learn of a young man my coadjutour in the ministry who hath scarce been one year in the service Vers 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth All the passages and proceedings both ordinantiall and providentiall whereby he cometh and communicateth himself to his people are not only Mercy though that 's very sweet but Truth they come to them in a way of a promise from God as bound to them by covenant this is soul-satisfying indeed this turns all that a man hath to cream when every mercy is a present sent him from Heaven by vertue of a promise Vnto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies i.e. His Law that singular Testimony of his goodnesse towards them called a Covenant because hee bargaineth with us as it were that wee should keep it which because wee can never do he undertaketh to perform his own part and ours too Lex jubet gratia juvat he worketh all our works in us and for us he giveth us to be what he biddeth us to be this is the everlasting Covenant and the fruits of it are sure mercies compassions that fail not Vers 11. For thy names sake O. Lord pardon mine iniquity Never did prisoner at the barre beg more earnestly for his life than David did for pardon of his great offence especially in the matter of Vriah for that lay heaviest Peccatum 〈◊〉 Bathsheba 〈◊〉 jus petii 〈◊〉 hac 〈◊〉 nem 〈◊〉 repeto Could he but get off the guilt of that it were an easie matter for him to glory in tribulations with Paul Rom. 5.3 and to cry out with Luther Feri Domine feri nam à peccatis absolutus sum Smite Lord smite for I am a pardoned sinner and therefore all is in mercy R. David and for good For it is great But that 's nothing to so great a God who delightest in mercy and makest thy power appear in pardoning the many and horrid
for to thee doth it appertain Jer. 10 7. Rev. 15.4 Vers 11. The counsell of the Lord of standeth for ever That counsell of his whereby he hath decreed to maintain government amongst men to relieve the oppressed to punish the Wicked to uphold the Church is firm and inviolable Divinum consilium dum devitatur impletur humana sapientia dum reluctatur comprehenditur saith Gregory There is a councell in Heaven will dash the mould of all contrary counfells upon earth Vers 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord viz. By speciall favour and covenant The preservation of the Church which hath so few friends on earth and so many enemies in earth and hell is justly brought as an evident argument of the divine providence Christ standeth upon Mount-Zion and that mountain shall bee exalted above all mountaines The Church as it is highest in the favour of God so it shall be set above all the World and het enemies shall be in that place that is fittest for them the lowest the footstool of Christ The people whom he hath chosen Some read it The people which hath chosen Hims for their inheritance It cometh all to one See Deut. 26.17 18 19. Vers 13. The Lord looketh from Heaven Ita râ—spicit universos quasi singulas it 〈…〉 sâ—lâ—s And this Doctrin of Gods particular providence is fides natinnum quarum Deus est Dominus saith Kimchi taught in the Church only Vers 14. From the place of his habitation he beholdeth And this is a very great condescension sith he humbleth himself to behold things in Heaven Psal 113.6 to look out of himself upon the Saints and Angels how much more upon the inhabitants of the earth Vers 15. Unum paâ—â—ter acaliud Kimchi He fashioneth their hearts alike i. e. Ones as well as anothers The Arabick hath it Format sigillatim he fashioneth them severally one after another and not all soules together as the Origenists and some Jew-doctors held Hee considereth all their works Their hearts are not hid from him sith he made them as is said before much lesse their works These God considereth and therefore men had need consider them and turn their feet to his Testimonies Psal 119.59 Vers 16. There is no King saved by the multitude of an hoast Witnesse Sennacherib Xerxes Bajazet Away then with Creature-confidence it will be the ruine of all that rest in it whether it be in men or means that they trust See Psal 62.9 10. with the Notes A mighty man Or A Giant Goliah for instance As the most skilfull swimmers are often drowned So here Vers 17. Pausan An Horse is a vain thing And yet a warlike creature full of terrour See the Note on Psal 32.9 and so swift in service that the Persians dedicated him to the Sun See Job 41.20 Prov. 21.31 With the Notes Vers 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is on them that fear him Hee looketh upon such with singular delight not without sweet intimations of his singular kindnesse and care of their good Upon them that hope in his mercy Here we have a description of that true Church which God will never forsake sc It is a company of such as truly serve God and boast not of their merits but possessing their soules in hope and silence wait for his mercy Vers 19. To deliver their soul Freedom from troubles He promiseth not but deliverance in due time he assureth them and support in the mean while to keep them alive in famine Vers 20. Our soul waiteth for the Lord i. e. Patiently tarrieth the Lords leisure We can both wait and want for a need Vers 21. Our heart shall rejoyce in him We shall be sure of an happy issue and event but yet so as that we pray for it as in the next words Vers 22. Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Not that we would have no more mercy than we have trust but we would shew that our trust is bottomed upon thy promises and that we humbly expect the full accomplishment of the same in due time PSAL. XXXIV VErs 1. A Psalm of David An Alphabeticall Psalm which David newly delivered from the Philistines Semper in Ecelesia his Psalmus piis suit commendatissimus Moller who had taken him prisoner and presented him to their King as a speciall prize composed with singular art as fit to be committed to memory by all godly people who may here meet with many excellent lessons and cordiall comforts When he changed his behaviour Heb. gust um hoc est gestum This he did being put to his shifts but not without sin Lib. 3. Od. 11. for he was splendide mendax as Horace saith of Hypermuestra at the best neither can this dissimulation or officious lye of his be excused as some have by distinctions indeavoured it but in vain Before Abimelech Or Achish King of Gath 1 Sam. 21. for he was binominiâ— saith Aben-Ezra or else Abimelech that is Father-King was his title of honour As Augustus would be stiled Pater Patria the Father of his Country R. Solomon saith that Abimelech was a common name to all the Philistin-Kings as Pharaoh to the Egyptian Who cast him one For a mad man 1 Sam. 21.15 wherein there was a sweet providence of God who can order our disorders to his own glory and our good like as an Artificer with a crooked tool can make straight work or as an Apothecary of a poysonfull Viper can make a wholesome triacle And he departed Into some parts of Judea where he might repent of his sin first as Peter did when got into a corner and then compile this Psalm of thanksgiving to God who had so graciously delivered him out of that hard and hazardous condition not only above but against his desert Vers 1. I will blesse the Lord at all times As not satisfied with any thing I can do herein at any time The Saints have large hearts and could bet eem the Lord a great deal more service than they are able to perform A certain Martyr said at the stake I am sory that I am going to a place where I shall be ever receiving wages and do no more work His praise shall continually be in my mouth For this remarkable mercy especially which I will still be telling of and speaking good of Gods name to as many as I can possibly extend unto This thankfull man was worth his weight in the gold of Ophir Vers 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord This holy gloriation is a Christians duty not to be neglected The Church in the Canticles is much in it and so is St. Paul It sheweth an heart full of joyes unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. And besides God is thereby greatly glorified Jer. 9.23 24. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad Not for my sake only but their own as conceiving good hope of like deliverance But then they
wasted the Fig-tree Christ cursed so forcible is his curse Vers 37. Mark the perfect mâ—n c. As we must treasure up experiences our selves so we must stir up others to do the like There is a wo â—o such as consider not the operation of Gods hands Isa 5.12 For the end of that man is peace Though his beginning and middle may bee troublesome yet his end his after-and at least shall be peace He shall by death enter into peace rest in his bed Isa 57.2 Vers 38. But the transgressours c. Here the end is worse than the beginning Sin ever ends tragically The end of the wicked shall be cut off Their end is not death but destruction they are killed with death Rev. 2.23 life and hope end together Vers 39. But the salvation of the righteous c. 〈◊〉 ut paâ—oâ—i◠〈◊〉 coâ—â—lectar their salvation temporal and eternal is of the Lord so is also the destruction of the wicked as is here necessarily implied He is their strength c. That they faint not sink not under the heaviest burden of their light afflictions which are but for a moment Vers 40. And the Lord shall help them c. He shall He shall He shall Oh the Rhetorick of God! the safety of the Saints the certainty of the Promises PSAL. XXXVIII A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance Made purposely for a memorial both of what he had suffered and from what he had been delivered See 1 Chron. 16.4 Exod. 30.16 Lev. 2.2 6.15 Recordatâ—â—â— autem intelligitur miserie ex misericordia Psal 132. Isa 62.6 63.7 It is probable that David had so laid to heart the Rape of his Daughter Tamar the Murther of his eldest Son Amnon the flight of his next Son Absolom and other troubles that befell him Basil thinks Absoloms conspiracy Ahitophels perfidy Shimeies insolency c. that it cost him a great fit of sickness out of which hardly recovering he penned this and some other Psalms as the 35.39 40. but this especially for a Momento to imminde him of his own late misery and Gods never-failing mercy to him Both these we are wondrous apt to forget and so both to lose the fruit of our afflictions by falling afresh to our evil practices as Children soon forget a whipping and to rob God our Deliverer of his due praises like as with Children eaten bread is soon forgotten Both these mischiefs to prevent both in himself and others for we are bound not only to observe Gods Law but also to preserve it as much as may be from being broken David composed this Psalm for to record or to cause remembrance See the like title Psal 70. and for a form for a sick man to pray by as Kimchi noteth not to be sung for those in Purgatory as some Papists have dreamed Vers 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath He beginneth and endeth the Psalm with Petitions filleth it up with sad complaints wherein we shall finde him groaning but not grumbling mourning but not murmuring for that is not the guise of Gods people He beginneth with Eheu Jehova non recuso coargui castigari Correct me O Lord but with Judgement not in anger lest thou bring me to nothing Jer. 10.24 See Psal 6.1 with the Notes Vers 2. For thine arrows stick fast in me i. e. Sicknesses of body R. Obadiah Deus amatquod sagittat Aug. and troubles of minde Job 6.4 Psal 18.14 the Jew-Doctors say that he had a Leprosie for fix Months and that the Divine presence was taken away from him so that he complained not without cause But these were sagitta salut is saith Chrysostom Arrows of Salvation Love-tokens from the Lord not unlike Jonathans arrows 1 Sam. 20.36 and he had been fore-warned of them by Nathan the Prophet 1 Sam. 12 and so bore them the better Praevisa jacula minus forinnt Darts fore-seen are in a manner dintless And thine band presseth me sore Heb. Thou lettest down thy hand upâ—s me Now Gods hand is a mighty band 1 Pet. 5.6 and the weight of it is importable but that Vna eademque manus c. Vers 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of 〈…〉 This was the immediate cause of Davids misery it came from â—ove displeased and 〈…〉 sins seldom â—â—â—pe better But blessed be our Almighty 〈…〉 who 〈◊〉 health out of sickness by bringing thereby the body of death into a Consumption Neither is there any rest in my bones â—is repetit mere lâ—gentium He saith the same thing twice as Mourners use to do but with an aggravation of his pain reaching to his very bones Because of my sin This was the remote cause of his present sufferings and is the true Mother of all mans miserie Now when these two Gods wrath and mans sin meet in the soul as physick and sickness in the stomack there must needs be much unrest till they be vomited up by confession T is as naturall for guilt to brâ—â—d disquiet as for putrid matter to brâ—â—d vermin Let God therefore be justified and every mouth stopped Vers 4. Sicut aquae praevalentes in quibus erat absorptus Kimchi For mine iniquities are gone over my head So that I am even overwhelmed by them and almost drowned in perdition and destruction The Gospel is post naeufragium tabula and assureth us that God hath cast all our sins into the bottom of the Sea and this keepeth the head of a sinking soul above water As an heavy burden How light soever sin seemeth in the committing it will lye full heavy even as a Talent of lead Zach. 5.7 or as an huge Mountain Heb. 12.1 A facie irae tuae A facie peccati mei A facie stulritiae meae when once we come to a sight and sense of it when Gods wrath and mans sin shall face one another as the former verse hath it according to the originall Vers 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt What his grief or disease was we read not some say the Leprosy some take all this allegorically the word rendred wounds Livores vibices turnices signifieth stripes scarres wailes mattery soares running ulcers the effects of the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty Could we but foresee what sin will cost us we durst not but be innocent That we do not is extream foolishnesse as David here acknowledgeth Because of my foolishnesse In not considering aforehand the hainousnesse of my sinâ—nor the heavinesse of the divine displeasure The word signifieth unadvised rashnesse Prov. 14.17 and t is probable he meaneth his great sin with Bathsheba wherein he was miscarried by his lusts to his cost See Psal 107.17 18. Because of my foolishnesse i.e. Quia non praveni Nathanons confessione saith R. Obadiah because I prevented not Nathans comming by a voluntary confession of my sin unto the Lord. Vers 6. I am troubled Heb. wryed I am bowed down c. Incurvus et prorsuâ— obstipus arroque vulâ—u squallidus
God is above them Exod. 18.11 Vnto God that performeth all things for mee And in mee Isa 26.12 doth not his work to the halves but is both author and finisher of my faith and other affairs Heb. 12.2 Phil. 1.6 Psal 138.8 Here are the two props of Davids prayer First Gods sufficiency he is the Most High Secondly his efficiency he perfectly accomplisheth all things for mee Vers 3. He shall send from Heaven and save mee Rather than fail I shall have an Angel to rescue mee for although the Lord usually worketh by means yet he can work by miracles and will do it if there be a just occasion howsoever his mercy and his truth he will be sure to send and that 's enough He will be seen in the Mount he will repent for his servants when he seâ—th their power is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is dignus vindice nodus an extremity fit for divine power to interpose Vers 4. My soul is among Lions And so is a lively picture of the Church in all ages Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wilderness compassed about with hungry Lions Wolves Boars and Bears c. Talis est Ecclesia in has vita sicut in historia Danielis pingitur And I lie even among them that are set on fire sc With rage and hellish hatred Others expound it actively of those Ardeliones anlici those Court-Incendiaries who enraged Saul and the Nobles against David as a traitour and Pest See 1 Sam. 24 10. Even the sons of men i. e. Carnall men that being in their pure naturalls have no goodnesse at all in them Whose teeth are spears and arrows Such was Doeg that dead dog and others void of the Spirit which is neque mendax neque mordax Vers 5. Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens That is saith the Chaldee above the Angels And let thy glory be above all the Earth That is above the inhabitants of the earth There are saith Kimchi that think thou either wilt not or else canst not save O let thy power appear for the conviction of all such who now lift up themselves and seem at least to touch the Heaven with one finger Vers 6. They have prepared a net for my steps So that I can hardly keep foot out of snare I dare not lift up one foot till I find sure footing for the other and that 's hard to do See Sauls charge to the Zâ—phites 1 Sam. 23.22 My soul is bowed down I am glad to shrink in my self as fearfull people use to do that I may shun those gins and snares that they have set to maim and mischieve mee They have digged a pit c. They have forced mee into this subterranean cave and behold Saul himself is cast into mine hands in this mine hiding-hole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 7. My heart is fixed O God I am both ready and resolute I doubt not of deliverance and am well prepared to praise God It is fit he should have the fruit of his own planting and that of the best too Otherwise it is no better than the refreshing of him that standeth by a good fire and saith Aha I am warm Vers 8. Awake up my glory He rouseth himself out of his natural drousinesse as Sampson once went forth and shook himself I my self will awake early Or I will awaken the morning as the Cock by his early crowing is said to do Non vigil ales ibi cristati cantibus oris Evocat auroram Ovid. Metam lib. 11. Vers 9. I will praise thee O Lord Among the Nations This was done by Christ calling the Gentiles Psal 18.49 Rom. 15.9 Vers 10. For thy mercy is great c. Gods mercy is ordinarily in the Psalms bounded by his truth that none may either presume him more mercifull than he hath declared himself in his word or else despair of finding mercie gratis according to his promise Vers 11. Be thou exalted c. Versus amaebaeus see vers 5. only that 's in way of prayer this of praise PSAL. LVIII VErs 1. Una ligati ut Gen. 37.7 vel ab â—â—N Mutus quia congregatio ante oratorem eftquasi mutus Aben-Ezra Do yee indeed speak righteousness O Congregation Or O Councell you that are gathered together on a knot under a pretence of doing justice and promoting the publick good by giving faithfull advice to the King Colloquitur Abnerâ— reliquis saith Kimchi David here talketh to Abner and the rest who to please Saul pronounced David a rebel and condemned him absent for an enemy to the State And for as much as there is no greater injury than that which passeth under the name of right he sharply debateth the matter with them whom he knew of old to be very corrupt painting them out in their colours and denouncing Gods heavy judgments against them for their unjust dealings with him The word rendred Congregation is not found elsewhere in that sense It signifieth dumbnesse and is by the Spanish translators rendred O audiencia by Antiphrasis ut lucus quia non lucet Do ye judge uprightly O yee sons of men i.e. O ye carnall profane persons that savour not the things of the Spirit q. d. ye are fit persons to make Counsellors of State Sedes prima vita ima agree not Dignitas in indigno est ornamentum in luto saith Salvian You do much mis-become your places Vers 2. Yea in heart you work wickednesse There the Devill worketh it as in a forge ye are alwaies plotting and plowing mischief and that not so much for fear of Saul or to please him as out of the naughtinesse of your own hearts and all this you know in your consciences to be true Kimchi saith that the word Aph or yea importeth that their hearts were made for a better purpose and therefore their sin was the greater Corruptio optimi pâ—ssima You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth i.e. Your bribes saith Kimchi these ye weigh or poise Manus vesâ—rae â—oncinnant iniquitatem Vul. quasi essent recta as if there were no hurt in them so Demosthenes weighed Harpalus his goblet to the great danger of his Country and his own indeleble infamy The Arabick rendreth it Manus vestra in tenebris immerse sunt your hands are drowned in darknesse you seem to do all according to law and Justice pictured with a pair of balances in her hand when indeed you weigh out wrong for right Trutina justior Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Symb. and do things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by partiality 1 Tim 5.21 by tilting the balance o't'one side Vers 3. The wickedare estranged from the womb q.d. These enemies of mine are old sinners hardened and habituated in wickednesse from the very womb it hath also grown up with them and quite turned away their hearts from God and goodnesse whereunto
of his Bucklers Job 15.25 26. his hairy scalp setting forth his fierceness Job 5.5 Note this against Anti-Round-heads See Ezek. 44.20 Vers 22. The Lord said That is assurance good enough I will bring again from Bashan Og the Giants Country where Israel was in no small distress and danger till that Monster was taken out of the way Numb 21.33 Deut. 3.1 2. q. d. I will if need require and as occasion serveth do as much for mine again as I did once at Bashan and at the red Sea Some interpret this and the following Verses of the calling of the Jews The glorious things saith one which God will effect in their behalf are here reduced to five heads First the bringing of them home from most extreme difficulties naming Bashan because of the slaughter spoken of vers 14. and the deep of the Sea alluding to Exod. 14.16 peradventure he meaneth the drying up of Euphrates before them For this first Head aimeth at those times the beginning of the Jews repair unto their Country The Second Head is the great and famous Victory that God will give delivering them out of those difficulties and distresses vers 22. See Isa 63.1 2 3 4. The Third Head is the Jews thorough conversion by occasion of that singular mercy of God vers 23. and the form of a goodly Church under the Type of the old Synagogue set up among Jacobs posterity vers 24. the Ten Tribes as well as the Tribe of Judah which is concluded by acknowledging their strength to come from God a prayer to perfect his Work begun and a spur to put into these Kings of the East as they are also called Rev. 16.12 to present in the Temple at Jerusalem in the publick Congregation testimonies of their thankfulness vers 25 26 27 28. The Fourth Head is the taming of their proud enemies and the forcing them at least to counterfeit a subjection vers 29. The Fifth Head is the general calling of all the Kingdoms of the earth to joyn themselves unto the Church of Christ which shall follow the conversion of the Jews And this he shutteth up with provoking all Nations to give unto God the praises that are due unto him for it and his own particular thanksgiving vers 30 31 32 33 34. Thus he Vers 23. That thy foot may be dipped Heb. Redded imbrewed made gore-bloudy Hereby is implied a very great slaughter Confer Rev. 19.17 18 21. Vers 24. Diod. They have seen thy goings O God Namely the holy manner of conducting the Ark with even and proportionable restings and settings down See 2 Sam. 6.13 The Ark is here and elsewhere called God because a symbol of his special presence When we are called to hear Gods Word and pray publickly though we see not God ab yet we may see his goings Deus enim ipse chorum agit primas tenet in illo incessu Of my God my King David though he were a King yet held himself but Gods Mandatary or Substitute Vers 25. The singers went before c. Thus they were Marshalled when the Ark was conducted to Mount Sion every thing being done decently and in order Christ ascending into Heaven and setling his Kingdom is perpetually praised of his Church Vers 26. Bless yee God in the Congregations i.e. Catervatim ac turmatim by Troops and Companies Even the Lord from the fountain of Israel That is from the Heart say some which is the true fountain of praising God Others understand it of Christ who is 〈◊〉 the fountain of Israel Rom. 9.5 there are that think that the study of the 〈◊〉 Tongue is here recommended to us Reuchlin was wont to say than the 〈…〉 drank out of Cisterns the Greeks out of Ponds but the Hebrews out of the Fountain it self Calvin and the most Interpreters read the words Yee that are of the fountain of Israel springing out of his loyns See Deut. 33.28 Isa 48.1 51.1 Vers 27. There is little Benjamin with their Ruler Though before they had stood out for Saul and his house yet now they bore a part in this solemn celebrity as being next unto the Sanctuary Of this Tribe was St. Paul Tricubitalis ille homuncio sed insatiabilis Dei cultor as Chrysostom calleth him little in stature but in labours more abundant The first precious stone in the foundation of the New Jerusalem is a Jasper Rev. 21.19 which in Aarons brest-plate was the last Exod. 28.20 on which Benjamins name was graven This intimateth saith one Ainsw the last now to be first and chief in Christian Churches The Princes of Judah and their Council Or company or purple-arrayed ones Beza rendreth it Lapidatores corum the stoners of the enemies The word is found here only and Forsterus thinketh that our Saviour alluded to it when as Mar. 3. he calleth James and John Boanerges The Princes of Zebulon Sic absolvitur pempae triumphalis These are mentioned as most remote bringing up the rear In those Tribes Christ walked and there-hence he called sundry of his Disciples Vers 28. Thy God hath commanded thy strength A brave expression admired by Longinus a Heathen Rhetorician See the like Deut. 28.8 Psal 42.8 44.4 33.9 God both made and ruleth the World without Tool or toyl he enableth his people to subsist and to resist their enemies by his Will only and by the efficacy of his Word Suppeditavit tibi Deus tantum robur nequid superbias saith Varablus Strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us Petamus ut det qued ut habeamus jubet Pray to the God of all Grace to make us the same that hee requireth us to be Vers 29. Because of thy Temple Or out of thy Temple at Jerusalem q. d. strengthen us out of thy Temple out of the fulness that is in thy Son thereby typified Kings shall bring presents unto thee See the Note on vers 22. Vers 30. Rebuke the company of Spear-men Or Launce-men Heb. The beast of the reeds that is say some voluptuous persons that wallow in Wealth plenty Arab. Sicut Pontifices Cardinales Episcopi horum satellites and pleasure Job 40.21 Behemoth lyeth in the Fennes which Gul. Parisunsis applieth to the Devil in sensual hearts Reeds grow not but in fat and moyst places But they do better who render it the Rout or crue of the Cane that is men that bear Reeds or Canes whereof Spears Arrows and Launces were wont to bee made these men or rather beasts cruel savage and bloudy rebuke that is repress The multitude of the Bulls The Commanders and Chieftaines With the Calves of the people The common Souldiers With pieces of silver With an Homage-penny as they call it That delight in War That make a sport of it as Joab 2 Sam. 2.14 as Pyrrhus King of Epirotes who made a recreation of Warfare So did not David though necessitated thereunto for the glory of God hee was a man of Warre from his youth If we Princes
wickedness By asking meat for their lust Not for their necessity that had been more excusable Prov. 6.30 but to satisfie their inordinate appetite to gratify their licorish palat Vers 19. Yea they spake against God Their villanous and foul thoughts blistered and brake out at their lips Can God furnish a table This was a blasphemous question God can do more than he will but whatsoever he will do that shall be done and nothing can hinder it Lord if thou wilt thou canst make â—iâ—e clean said he in the Gospel And this was better than that of the other who said If thou canst do any thing help us Mar. 9. Vers 20. Behold he smote the Rock c. And so shewed his power we cannot deny it but now for his will Can he give bread also c. They should have said will he serve our lusts but that they were ashamed to say Can he provide flesh for his people i. e. Dainty and delicate flesh such as is that of Quailes meat for a King for they carryed their cattle out of Egypt with them and so they could not be without ordinary flesh too good for such unthankful miscreants Vers 21. Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth Efferbuit excanduit Anger is a kind of fire a boyling of the blood about the heart thorough desire of revenge But fury is not in mee saith God Isa 27.4 If anger be ascribed unto him as here it is an expression fitted to our apprehension because he doeth that which angry men use to do viz. chide and smite for sin but all in a way of justice and without the least perturbation So a fire was kindled It began to smoak and burn And anger also came up Ascended i. e. Flamed for anger beginneth at the heart and then commeth up into the brain face nostrils Vers 22. Because they beleeved not in God As faith is a radicall and complexive grace so is unbeleef a radicall sin a teeming vice Heb. 3.12 a wel-spring of wickedness Many sins are bound up in it as Cicero saith of Parricide And trusted not in his salvation i. e. In his saving promises Vers 23. Though he had commanded the clouds Though he had served them as never Prince was served in his greatest state yet all served not turn And opened the doors of heaven Rupturas nubium raining down upon them plenty of Manna so that it was not hunger but humour that set them a lusting Vers 24. And had rained down Manna upon them Manna signifieth what 's this whereunto in the Allegory answereth This is my body Or according to others it signifieth a prepared portion prepared by God so that they might presently eat of it though they might grinde or pun or bake or boil it also they might do any thing with it as they might with meal whence it is here called the corn of heaven that is a seed which was unto them in stead of corn Vers 25. Pan de nobles Hispan Man did eat Angels food Heb. the bread of the mighty Angells are called mighties Isa 10.34 Rev. 18.21 such delicate bread as might beseem Angels to eat if they did eat any at all such as the Poets fain to be their Nectar and Ambrosia Or the bread of the mighty sc that mightily strengthened them He sent them meat to the full Heb. Meat taken in hunting so called because dainty as venison or quia semper ambulabant in via quasi eam venabantur sc Josh 1.11 Aben-Ezra Vers 26. He caused an East-wind to blow Pergere to go to pass away and to give place to the South-wind And by his power hee brought in the South-wind That it might bring in the Quails Lib. 10. c. 23. Now Pliny writeth that Quails though they love to flye with the wind because of their heavy bodies and small strength yet not with the Southwind because it is moist and so more heavy than the Northwind which therefore they rather delight in And if this be true here 's another miracle faith an Expositour that these Quailes were brought in by that wind which when it bloweth they commonly rest and hide themselves Vers 27. He rained flesh also upon them as dust Dapibus illos compluit This he had done once afore for them See Exod. 16. with Numb 11. their unbeleef therefore and impatiency this second time was the more hainous Vers 28. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp A dayes journey on each side and about two cubits above the earth Num. 11.31 in such abundance that Moses could not beleeve it were possible to be done though all the fish in the Sea should be gathered together and turned into flesh â—ib Vers 29. So they did eat and were filled But better they had fasted Many eat that on earth which they must dâ—â—gest in hell these here were murthering 〈◊〉 He gave them their own desire They were heard ad voluntatem non ad utilitatem Deus saepe dat iraâ—â— quod negat propitius Gods gifts to a graceless man are giftless gifts and he had better a great deal be without them Vers 30. They were not estranged from their lust Satiated they were but not satisfied It is as easie to quench the fire of Aetna as the thoughts set on fire by lust Vers 31. The wrath of God came upon them Heb. Ascended as a flame which the bigger it groweth the higher it getteth And slew the fattest of them Those that had glutted and stuffed themselves like a wool-pack being nitida bene curata cute pingues fat and fair-liking And smote down the chosen men of Israel Or The young men who by a hasty Testament bequeathed that new name Kibroth hattaanah that is the graves of lust to the place they lay buried in Vers 32. For all this they sinned still They utterly lost the fruit of their calamities which godly men hold a very great loss And beleeved not Neither mercies nor crosses duly affected them Vers 33. Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity So that they never saw the promised land for the which they came out of Egypt but their carkasses fell in the wilderness Who knoweth saith a Reverend man whether God purpose not to wear out this present Generation that hath been defiled with the superstition of the land that we may not see the good that he will bring upon this Church And their years in trouble Or in terrour for they were in continuall fear of Gods wrath of their enemies round about of wild beasts fiery Serpents c. Vers 34. When he slew them then they sought him Fictis scilicet quibusdam fucatis pollicitationibus with a few dissembled devotions So many now Plin. Ep. 26. l. 7. when deadly sick will be wondrous good Nuper me amici eujusdem languor admonuit optimos esse nos dum infirmi sumus As Iron is very soft and malleable whiles in the fire but soon after returneth to its former hardness so
virtually as ost as we offend WhO crowneth thee with loving kindness c. Incircleth and surroundeth thee with benefits so that which way soever thou turnest thee thou canst not look beside a blessing See the Note on vers 3. Vers 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth Heb. Thy jaws so that thou art top full eating as long as eating is good God alloweth thee an honest affluence of outward comfortsâ— Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it Psal 81.10 So that thy youth is â—eâ—â—ed like the Eagles The Eagle is of all birds the most vegetous and vivacious renewing her youth and health they say at every ten years end by casting her old feathers and getting new till she be an hundred years old Aquisae senectus Proverâ—â— Augustins observeth that when her bill is overgrown that she cannot take in her meat she beateth it against a rock and so exâ—â—it 〈◊〉 roâ—â—â—i she striketh off the combersome part of her bill and thereby recovereth her eating That which hindreth our renovation saith he the Rock Christ taketh away c. See Isa 40.31 Vers 6. The Lord 〈◊〉 c. The words are both plural to shew that God will execute omnimodam justitiam judicium all and all manner of justice and judgement relieving the oppressed and punishing the oppressor to the sull Vers 7. He made known his wayes unto Moses Even right Judgements true Laws good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 14. The Rabbins by wayes here understand Gods Attributes and Properties Middoth they call them those thirteen proclaimed Exod. 34. after that Moses had prayed Exod. 33. Shew me thy wayes and the next words favour this interpretation Vers 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious These are Moses his very expressions Exod. 34.7 Theodoret calleth him worthily The great Ocean of Divinity c. His acts to the children His miracles in Egypt and all along the wilderness where they sed upon Sacraments Vers 9. He will not always chide His still revenges are terrible Gen. 6.3 with 1 Pet. 3.19 but God being appeased towards the penitent people will not shew his anger so much as in words Isa 57.16 Neither will be keep his anger for ever Much less must we Levit. 19.18 Eph. 4.26 though against his enemies God is expresly said to keep it Nab. 1.2 Vers 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins Heb. Our errors our involuntary and unavoidable infirmities According to our iniquities Heb. perversly committed for of these evils also the Saints are not free but God beaâ—eth with more than small faults especially if not scandalous Vers 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth How high the third heaven is cannot be conjectured But for the middlemost heaven wherein the Sun Moon and Stars are placed how exceeding high it is may be guessed and gathered in that the Stars whereof those of the first magnitude are said to be every one above a hundred and seven times as big again as the whole earth do yet seem to us but as so many sparks or spangles See Prov. 25.3 Eph. 4.10 So great is his mercy The heavens are exceeding high above the earth but Gods mercy to his is above the heavens Psal 108.4 The original word Gabbar here used is the same with that Gen. 7.20 used for the prevailing of the waters above the mountains Vers 12. As far as the East c. And these we know to be so far asunder that they shall never come together The space also and distance of these two is the greatest that can be imagined Deut. 4.32 Psal 113.3 Isa 45.6 So far hath be removed out transgressions The guilt of them whereby a man stands charged with the fault and is obliged to the punishment due thereunto See Isa 43.25 and 38.17 Mic. 7.19 Ezeck 33.16 Peccata non redeunt Discharges in Justification are not repealed called in again Vers 13. Like as a Father pitieth There is an ocean of love in a fathers heart See Luke 15.20 Gen. 33.2 13 14. and Chap. 4.3 how hardly and with what caution Jacob parted with Benjamin Sozomen maketh mention of a certain Merchant who offering himself to be put to death for his two sons who were sentenced to dye Lib. 7. cap. 24. and it being granted that one of the two whom he should chuse should be upon that condition delivered the miserable Father aequali utriusque amore victus equally affected to them both could not yeeld that either of them should dye but remained hovering about both till both were put to death So the Lord pitieth c. So and ten thousand times more than so For he is the Father of all mercies Parentela and the Father of all the Father-beeds in heaven and earth Eph. 3.15 Vers 14. For he knoweth our frame Our evil concupiscence saith the Chaldee Figulinam fragilem constitutionem nostram saith Junius that we are nothing better than a compound of dire and sin He remembreth thâ—â— we are dust Our bodies are for our souls are of a spiritual nature divinae particula aurae and sooner or later to be turned to dust again Vers 15. As for man his dayes are at grass The frailty of mans life intimated in the former verse is here lively painted out under the similitude of grass as likewise in many other Scriptures See Psal 37.2 and 90.5.6 c. As a slower of the field so be flourisheth Take him in all his gaâ—ety his beauty and his bravery he is but as a flower and that not of the garden which hath more shelter and better ordering but of the field and so more subject to heat weather pâ—lling 〈◊〉 or treading down Isa 40.6 7 8. Vers 16. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone Heb. It is not that is it neither continues any longer in being nor returns any more into being So here Job 14.7 8 9 10 11 12. And the place thereof shall know it no more Though whilst it stood and flourished the place of is seemed as it were to know nothing but it the glory and beauty of it drew all eyes to it c. Think the same of men in their flourish soon forgotten as dead men out of mind Psal 31.12 Vers 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting God is from all eternity and unto all eternity kind to all that fear him in what age of the world soever they live And his righteousness unto childrens children That is his kindness or bounty for so the word Tsedacâ—ah should be taken according to Psal 112.3 9. 2 Cor. 9.9 Vers 18. To such as keep his Covenant For else they shall know Gods breach of promise as it is Numb 14.3 4. Neither shall it benefit them to have been born of godly parents And to those that remember his Commandements That resolve to do them though in many things they fail Qui faciunt praetepta etiamsâ— non perficiant that wish well to that which they can never compass Psal
men and other earthly creatures might have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pindarâ—â— â—iseth it for the satisfying of their thirst and for other necessary uses This is Davids Philosophy and his son Solomon saith the same Eccles 1.7 Though Aristotle assign another cause of the perennity of the fountains and rivers Vers 11. They give drink to every beast A great mercy as we have lately found in these late dry years 1653 1654. wherein God hath given us to know the worth of water by the want of it Bona sunt à tergo formosissima The wild-asses Those hottest creatures Job 39.8 9 10 11. Vers 12. By them shall the souls of the heaven Assuetae ripis volueres fluminis alveâ— Virg. Which sing among the branches Most melodiously many of them therefore it is reckoned at a judgement to lose them Jer. 4.25 and 9 10. Vers 13. He watereth the hils from his chambers That is from his clouds he giveth water to hills and high places where Wells and Rivers are not The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works i.e. With the rain of thy clouds dropping fatness Vers 14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel Hee caused it to grow at first before cattel were created Gen. 1.11 12. And so he doth still as the first cause by rain and dew from heaven as the second cause And herb for the service of man Ad esum ad usum for food physick c. Gen. 1.29 Green herbs it seemeth was a great dish with the Ancients which therefore they called Holus ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristippus told his Fellow-Philosopher who fed upon them If you can please Dionysius you need not eat green herbs He presently replied If you can eat green herbs you need not please Dionysius and be his Parasite That he may bring forth food out of the earth Alma parens Tellus Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat c. Job 6.37 Vers 15. And wine that maketh glad That hee may the more cheerfully serve his Maker his heart being listed up as Jehosaphats was in the wayes of obedience Judg. 9 13. Prov. 31.6 7. And oyl to make his face to shine The word signifieth Oyntments of all sorts whereof see Pliny lib. 12. and 13. These man might want and subsist But God is bountifull And bread which strengtheneth c. In nature Animantis cujusque vita est fuga were it not for the repair of nutrition the natural life would be extinguished The Latines call bread Panis of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be cause it is the chief nourishment Vers 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap Heb. are satisfied viz. with moisture sucked by their roots out of the earth plentifully watered whereby they are nourished grow mightily and serve man for meat drink medicine c. The Cedars of Lebanon These are instanced as tallest and most durable Gods Temple at Jerusalem was built of them and so was the Dâ—vils temple at Ephesus for he will needs be Gods Ape Vers 17. Where the birds make their nests Each according to their natural instinct with wonderful art As for the Stork That Pietaticultriâ— as Petronius calleth her and her name in Hebrew soundeth as much because she nourisheth and cherisheth the old ones whereof she came whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genetricum senectam invicem educant Plin. Ciconiis pietas eximia inest Solin Vers 18. The high hills are a refuge These wild but weak creatures are so wise as to secure themselves from violence when pursued they run to their refuges and should not we to God for the securing of our comforts and safe-guarding of our persons Vers 19. He appointed the Moon for seasons Most Nations reckoned the year by the Moon rather than by the Sun The Sun knoweth his going down As if he were a living and intelligent creature so justly doth he observe the Law laid upon him by God and runs through his work See Job 38.12 Vers 20. Thou makest darkness Which though it be dreadful yet is it useful and in the vicissitude of light and darkness much of Gods wisdome and goodness in to bee seen We must see that we turn not the day into night nor night into day without some very special and urgent occasion Vers 21. The young Lions roar Rousing themselves out of their dens by night and then usually seizing upon what prey God sendeth them in for they are at his and not at their own finding And seek Like as the young Ravens cry to him Psal 147. implication only See Joel 1.18 20. Vers 22. They gather themselves together viz. into their dens and lurking holes smitten with fear of light and of men A sweet providence but little considered Vers 23. Man goeth forth unto his work His honest imployment in his particular place and calling whe the manual or mental eating his bread in the sweat either of his brow or of his brain Vntil the evening That time of rest and refreshment The Lord Burleigh William Cecil when he put off his gown at night used to say Ly there Lord Treasurer and bidding adieu to all state affairs disposed himself to his quiet rest Vers 24. O Lord how manifold c. q. d. They are so many and so great that I cannot recount or reckon them up but am even swallowed up of wonderment All that I can say is that they are Magna mirifica In mans body only there are miracles enough betwixt head and foot to fill a volume The earth is full It is Gods great purse Psal 24.1 Vers 25. So is this great and wide sea Latum manibus id est siâ—â—bus yet not so great and wide as mans heart wherein is not only that Leviathan some special foul lusts but creeping things innumerable crawling bugs and baggage vermine Wherein are things creeping innumerable Far more and of more kinds than there are on earth Vers 26. There go the ships The use whereof was first shewed by God in Noahs Ark whence afterwards Audex Iapeti genus Japhets off-spring sailed and replenished the Islands There is that Leviathan Whereof see Job 41. with Notes Vers 27. These wait all upon thee The great House-keeper of the world who carvest them out their meet measures of meat and at fit seasons Of thee they have it Per causarum concatenationem Vers 28. That thou givest them they gather Neither have they the least morsel of meat but what thou castest them by thy providence Turcicum imperium quantum quantum est nibil est nisi panis mica quam dives pater-familias projicit canibus saith Luther Thou openest thy hand By opening the bosome of the earth thou richly providest for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 29. Thou hidest thy face i. e. Thou withdrewest thy favour thy concurrence thine influence they are troubled or terrified a cold sweat sitteth upon their limbs animam agunt they shortly expire
both the vision and fruition of thy great goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 giving them a taste thereof aforehand as a few grapes of that promised Canaan Of thy Nation i.e. By this name Gods elect are here and elsewhere stiled and therefore the Jews have no reason to reproach us as they do by it calling us Goi and Maâ—zer goi bastard heathens Vers 6. We have sinned with our Fathers Adding to their heap and making up their measure Mal. 23.32 People think the example of their Fathers a sufficient excuse Jerom once but not well desired leave of Austin to erre with seven Fathers whom hee found of his opinion I will follow my forefathers saith Cicero although I fall together with them See Jer. 44.17 But so would not these good souls as neither Jeremy chap. 3.25 nor Daniel chap. 9.5 whose confession suting and symbolizing with this together with that we read vers 47. maketh some think that this Psalm was penned for the peoples use then when they were captives in Babylon We have committed iniquity c. Sin must bee confessed with utmost aggravation I le hear how full in the mouth these are against themselves laying on load whilst their sins swell as so many toads in their eyes Vers 7. Our Fathers understood not i.e. They weighed them not improved them not but as the dull earth is surrounded by the heavens yet perceiveth it not so were these with miracles and mercies yet understood them not Even at the red Sea Not only whiles they were on the bank they feared to enter but also even when they were passing and walking over that dry land made for them by a miracle they did still continue their murmurings and muâ—inings Vers 8. Nevertheless be saved them for his Names sake Here he comes in with a Non-obstante So Isa 57.17 Now if God will save for his Names sake wheat people is there whom he may not save That be might make his power to be known The Lord hath other things to look unto than presently to punish his people when they most deserve it Vers 9. He rebuked the red sea also Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia as appeareth in the subsequent verses So be led them through the depths Inter duas aquarum congeries betwixt two mountains of waters which stood on each hand of them as a wall and made a lane Every main affliction is our red sea which while it threatneth to swallow us up preserveth us Vers 10. And be saved them c. From Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs that pursued them with a deadly design but was happily prevented Vers 11. And the waters covered their enemies The preservation of the Church is ever accompanied with the destruction of its enemies that the mercy may appear the greater Not one of them was left Left alive to carry the news Vers 12. Then they beleeved his words Then for a flash whilst the memory of the mercy was fresh and warm but ere they were three dayes elder they murmured again It proved not so much as a nine dayes wonderment they were soon at old ward They sang his praise Exod. 15. A tempory faith and joy Vers 13. They soon forgat his works Heb. They made baste they forgat This is an aggravating circumstance See Gal. 1.6 Exod. 32.8 Deut. 9.16 They waited not for his counsel For the performance of what he had purposed and promised they were short-spirited and impatient Vers 14. But lusted exceedingly Heb. Lusted a lust See Num. 11. they had a sufficiency but must have superfluities as belly-gods not want but wantonness set them a lusting and that in the wilderness where they knew that in an ordinary way it was not to be had And templed God Whom they should have trusted rather sith he waiteth to be gracious and being a God of judgement knoweth best when to deal forth his favours Isa 30.18 and 49 8. Vers 15. Aug. And he gave them their request Deus saepe dat iralus quod negat propitius Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in bamo Martial Quales they had but to choake them as afterwards a King but to vex them c. But sont leaneness into their soul i.e. Into their bodies such a loathing as caused leanness Num 11.20 a plague upon their bodies a curse upon their souls Many men eat that on earth which they digest in hell It is dangerous seeding on sins murthering-morsels Vers 16. They envied Moses also Korah and his complices did and because the people punished them not they are all accused as guilty of that conspiracy and looked upon as a rabble of rebels against heaven And Aaron the Saint of the Lord Separated to the Priesthood The Rabbins tell us that they had chosen Dathan instead of Moses and Abiram for Aaron Vers 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan c. Korah is not here mentioned haply for his sons sakes who were famous Prophets and Musick-masters in Davids dayes As for On the son of Peleth one of the chief conspirators the Rabbins say that by the good counsel of his wise he repented and so escaped Vers 18. And a fire was kindled in their company It is both a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warned Let seditious persons and Schismaticks take heed for even our God also is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult The flame burnt up the wicked And among the rest Korah as some conceive Dathan and Abâ—ram are stigmatized for their stubbornness Num. 26.9 as was afterwards Abaz 2 Chron. 28.22 and before them all Cain Gen. 4.15 and Lamech 23 24. Vers 19. They made a Calf in Horch i. e. In the Country near to that mountain where they at same time saw visible tokens of Gods dreadful presence Well might Aaron say of this people that they were wholly set upon wickedness Exod. 3â— 22 This peece of Idolatry they had learned belike of the Egyptians who worshipped Apis in such a shape so catching is sin Lege Lactâ—nt 〈◊〉 1. de muab Scrip. cap. 15. and so dangerous is ill company Vers 20. Tous they change their glory i.e. Their God Rom. 1.23 the Creator for a contemptible creature Of an Oâ—e that eateth grass Tunâ— stercora egerit multam inquinatâ—r as R. Solomon here glosseth They pretended not to worship the Calf but God in the Calf as did also Jehu a King 10.16.29 2 Chron. 11.15 and as the Idolatrous Papiste do at this day See Exod. 32.5 yet the text here saith They worshipped the moâ—en Imago they changed their glory into the siâ—ilitude of an Oxe And although some of the Rabbins would excuse this gross Idolatry of their fore-fathers yet others more wise bewail us and say that there is an ounce of this golden Calf in all their present sufferings Vers 21. They forget God their Saviour This is often mentioned as the Mother of all the mis-rule amongst them
administration whereof Christs Birth-dew that is the influence of his Spitis and his presence in those Ordinances is from the womb of the morning i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue that the dew of the teeming morning is to the seeds and plants of the earth An apt similitude both to express the multitude of Christâ— converts and the manner of their heavenly generation See Mac. 5.7 with the Note Vers 4. The Lord hath sworn c. Christs Priestly Office as well as his Kingly is here described whereof how many and how great mysteries there are see Heb. 7. with the Notes The Church is collected and conserved not onely by Christs Kingly power but also by his Priestly mediation Thou art a Priest 1. To expiate 2. To intercede After the order of Melchisedeck Who whether he were Shem or some other is not easie to determine Melchisedeck was a King and a Priest Christ was more a Priest a Prophet and a King These Offices have met double in some others as Melchisedech was King and Priest Samuel a Priest and a Prophet David a King and a Prophet but never met all three in any but in Christ alone Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand Before Christ was at the Fathers right hand here the Father at his this is to shew the equality of the Father and the Son falsh Hierom. Athanasius by Lord here understandeth the Holy Ghost Others by thy right hand will have the Church to be meant who is promised protection and victory The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battel vers 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs vers 6. pursue them flying vers 7. as Judg. 7.5 c. Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen Do execution upon his enemies as vers 1. whether Kings or Caitives He shall fill the places The ditches of their own camps He shall wound the heads Heb. Head cruontabit caput whereby some understand the Roman Empire with its Image Antichrist with his adherents who are called Heathens Rev. 11.2 Others Turks and Saracens reading the next words Over the land of Rabbab the chief City of the Ammonites who were likewise Arabians and so they make it an allusion to Davids victories over the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 12. Vers 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty Viver paupâ—rem vitem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—st Aeâ—umnas omnes dutisâ— mae militiae perferet Beâ— pointing to Christs state of humiliation as in the next words to his exaltation Or he shall content himself with a low condition here such as was that of Eliâ—â— when he drank of the brook I King 17. Or in the eager pursuit of his enemies he shall drink hastily of the water next at hand i.e. as Gideon and his Souldiers did Therefore shall be lift up the hand Maugre the heads of his enemies he shall rise again reign and triumph and so shall all his members after that through many â—â—ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven Christs and their 〈◊〉 but a drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity they are 〈◊〉 a dark entry into out Fathers house a dirty lane to a stately Pallace shut but your eyes as that Martyr at the stake said and there will be a change immediately Look how the Disciples after they had taken Christ into the ship were presently at shore after a Tempest So the Saints have no sooner taken death into their besomes but they are landed presently at the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at the Kingdome of heaven PSAL. CXI Vers 1. 〈◊〉 ye the Lord At the 〈◊〉 especially for this and the other Hallelujatical Psalms that follow called by the Jews the Great Hallelujah were sung as that and other solemn 〈◊〉 in praise of God for his manifold mercies I will praise the Lord Musica hujuâ— Psalmi insignis est siquis com consequi potuit The great are used in the composure of this and some other Psalms after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet serveth both to set forth their excellency and for the help of memory Vers 2. The works the Lord aye great Magnalia no small things are done by so great a hand Grandior solet esse Deus in parvulis quam in magnis in formic is major anima quam in Elephantis in nanis quam in gigantibus Sought out of all them q.d. Great though they be yet are they seriously sought into and found out by those that delight therein and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them Basil diligently described many creatures and so did Ambrose after him Pliny who was himself a very great searcher in Natures secrets telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Et non duns assecutus sit omnies and yet could not attain to all Our Anatomists find still new wonders in the body of a man c. God hath shewed singular skill in his works that men might admire him But woe to such as regard not his handy-work Isa 5.12 Vers 3. His work is honourable Heb. Honour and glory they all come tipt and gilt with a glory upon them à centro ad coelum This the bruitish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 His righteousness endureth for ever His judgements are sometimes secret but alwayes just Vers 4. He hath made his wonderful c. Memorabilia reddedit mirabilia sua clemens misericors Jehova Vers 5. He bath given meat Heb. a prey Escam demensam as he did Manna to the Israelites to each an Homer so to all his he giveth food convenient for them Prov. 30.8 Cibum petum quae sunt divitiae Christianorum Hieron He will ever be mindful of his Covenant To pass by his peoples sins and to supply all their necessities All his pathes to such are not mercy onely but truth Psal 25. Vers 6. He hath shewed his people c. To them it is given to see but not to others who are delivered up to a judiciary blindness Call unto me and I will answer theâ— and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 That he may give them c. Yea power over all Nationâ— Rev. 2. Vers 7. The works of his hands They speak him a true and just God Chrysostome taketh truth here for mercy and noteth that God usually mixeth mercy with justice yet sometimes he sendeth an evil an onely evil Ez. k. 7. All his commandements That is his promises added to his commandements or they are so called because firm and sure as the commandements of an Emperor Vers 8. They stand fast for ever and ever The promises are infallible good sure hold not yea and nay but Yea and Amen And are done i.e. Ordained made and ratified Vers 9. He sent redemption to his people Once out of Egypt ever out of Satans thraldome He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Sic cum
without so shall all that will live godly in Christ Jesus set them never dream of a dilicacy in religion So will I keep thy Precepts Not say as those Miscreants Jer. 7.10 wee are delivered to do all these abominations but as good old Zachary Luk. 1.74 75. servati sumus ut serviamâ—â— wee are delivered that wee might serve God without fear c. Vers 135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant David could not live out of Gods favour nor without his direction hee therefore here and elsewhere prayeth heartily for both Vers 136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes My countenance is clouded and even furrowed with continuall tears shed for thy dishonour therefore lift up upon mee the light of thy loving countenance It grieveth mee greatly to see thy law violated and the transgressours thereof so careless of their own eternall good This was Lâ—tâ— case at Sodom 2 Pet. 2. and is many a good mans still every prophane wretch being a Hazael to his eyes an Hadadriâ—â—â—â— to his heart The Septuagint and Vulgar read Mine eyes have drawn down issues of Waters i.e. they have wept abundantly because they that is those eyes of mine have not kept thy Law So Aben-Ezra Quia ipsi 〈◊〉 non observassant 〈◊〉 David had walked after the sight of his eyes and the lust of his heart this is now his grief Thus they but not so well Vers 137 Righteaâ—â— arâ— thâ—â— O Lord Essentially and efficiently And upright are thy Judgements Which are sometimes secret but alwayes just as the Emperour Mauricius also acknowledged when his wife and children were slain before his eyes by the traitour Phocas Vers 138 Thy Testimonies which thou hast commanded i.e. the Gospel as Isa 8.20 And the Commandement thereof to hear Christ Mat. 17.5 and to beleeve in his name 1 Joh. 3.23 this is a faithfull and true saying 1 Tim. 1.15 not Aven-gelaion as the Jews blasphemously call it or fabula de Christo as that black mouthed Pope Vers 139 My zeal hath consumed mee Hath meagred and impaired mee much In the Hebrew the last letter is doubled to increase the signification .. Zeal is the extreme heat of all the affections Vers 140 Thy Word is very pure And calleth for purity Hence wicked men sleight it but Saints the rather imbrace it desirous to bee conformed to the heavenly pattern Vers 141 I am small and despised Minutus a worm and no man an abject and outcast nullificamen hominis c. Yeâ— do I not forget thy Precepts My mean condition impaireth not my constancy Vers 142 Thy Righteousness is an everlasting righteousness When all other laws and sentences though ingraven in brass or marble shall decay and determine thy Law lasteth for ever and so shall they that observe it And thy Law is the Truth And therefore lasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Platâ— The Eternity of Israel cannot lye 1 Sam. 15.29 Vers 143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold of mee Heb. Have found mee Those as wee say of foul weather come before they are sent for yet are they not without the Lord. It is hee that putteth his under the black-rod Yet thy Commandements c. God and his Word are never so sweet to the Saints as in adversity Vers 144 The Righteousness of thy Testimonies c. This is the same with vers 142. Give mee understanding c. An ignorant life is a lifeless life Fuit non vixit The life of God is the only life But from this men are alienated by the ignorance that is in them Ephes 4.18 Vers 145 I cryed with my whole heart This sheweth that hee had not only a gift of prayer but a spirit of prayer Vers 146 I cryed unto thee save mee Salvation properly denoteth the privative part of mans felicity but includeth the positive part also this must bee got by prayer Vers 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning I was up and at it before day-break This is check to our sluggishness I hoped in thy Word The Word furnished his hope and his hope his prayer Vers Hier. ad Eusta 148 Mine eyes prevent the night-watches By this verse and the former it appeareth that hee spent whole nights in prayer and meditation of Gods Word Hierom counselled some godly women thus Tenenti codicem somnus obrepat cadentem faciem pagina sacra suscipiat Vers 149 Hear my voice according to thy loving kindnesse Shewed heretofore to others of thy servants and to mee frequently Quicken mee according to thy Judgement i.e. According to thy promise Vers 150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief Those scelerum assidui-sectatores prompti sunt ac parati They are far from thy law And so have nothing to restrain their rage sith they have cast thy cordes from them Vers 151 Thou art near O Lord To counterwork and controule the enemy as also to safeguard and support thy people Vers 152 Concerning thy Testimonies c. the sempiternity of Gods Word is an excellent prop to faith and help in prayer to those especially who are of long experience and have well laid up their experiments David had learned this truth of a child little See 2 Tim. 3. ult Vers 153 Consider mine affliction and deliver mee Vide commisâ—ratioâ—es oculis look upon it and let thine eye affect thy heart say as once I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people Vers 154 Plead my cause and deliver mee Litiga litigium meum Bee both mine Advocate and my Redeemer Vers 155. Salvation is far from the wicked How can it bee otherwise when as God is neither in their heads Psal 10.4 not hearts Psal 14.1 nor words Psal 12.4 not wayes Tit. 1.16 can these have part or portion in his salvation For thy seek not This contempt of Gods Word is a plain proof that no part or peece of Gods favour belongeth to them Vers 156 Great are thy tender mercies c. Or many and Mother-like This is great comfort to great est sinners Vers 157 Many are my Persecutours Truth never wanted an adversary and goes seldome without a scratcht face Yet do I not decline But still adhere to thy word when others fall off as fast as leaves fall from trees in Autumn Vers 158 I beheld the Transgressours and was grieved Or I abhorred them or I contended with them not so much because they were mine as thine enemies Because they kept not thy Word Which all men are bound not only to observe but to preserve as much as may bee Vers 159 Consider how I love thy Precepts And love facilitateth duty helping us over all the hardship of holinesse It yeeldeth also much boldness to a man to offer it to God as here for a proof of his sincerity Vers 160 Thy Word is true from the beginning Heb. The beginning of thy Word is true Primarium illud est in verbo tuo quod est firmissimum this is a speciall praise of thy Word that it is very
apprehension and which it behoveth mee mirari pâ—tius quam rimari to admire rather than to pry into Arcana Dei sunt Arca Dei The Bethshemites payed dear for peeping into the Ark. Phaeton is feigned by the Poets to have perished by taking upon him to rule the chariot of the Sun and Bellerophon by seeking to flye up to Heaven upon his Pegasus to see what Jupiter did there Terret ambustus Phaeton avaras Spes exemplum grave praebet ales Pegasus terrenum equitem gravaâ—us Bellerophâ—ntem Horat. lib. 4. Od. 11. Vers 2 Surely I have behaved Heb. If I have not c. a deep asseveration Si non compâ—sui sedavi such as hath the force of an oath And quieted my self Heb. Stilled or made silent my soul chiding it when distempered or noisefull as the Mother doth her weanling As a child that is weaned of his Mother Who neither thinketh great things of himself nor seeketh great things for himself but is lowly and fellowly Mat. 18.1 innocent and ignoscent taking what his Mother giveth him and resting in her love My soul is even as a weaned child Who will not bee drawn to such again though never so fair and full-strutting a breast So nor David the worlds dugs Vers 3 Let Israel hope See Psal 130.7 PSAL. CXXXII VErs 1 Lord Remember David Origen holdeth Solomon to have been pen-man of all these Songs of degrees as hath been before noted But as that is not â—â—â—â—ly see the titles of Psal 122. 124. 131. so diverse interpreters conceive this 〈◊〉 bee his because much of it is the same with that prayer hee made at the dedication of the Temple 2 Chron. 6.16 41 42. Here then hee prayeth God to remember David that is not his merits and suffrages as the Monks would have it but the promises made unto him for the which Solomon praised God as well as for the performance to himself 2 Chron. 6.10 and his singular sollicitude about the house and worship of God Ita ut doâ—mire non potuit Kimchi which was so great as that it affected yea afflicted his spirit whence it followeth here and all his afflictions for which it is 2 Chron. 6.42 the mercies or kindness of David Vers 2. How he sware unto the Lord Out of the abundance of his affection 1 Chron. 29.3 See Psal 119.106 he solemnly took God to witness and this he did say the Rabbines at that time when he saw the punishing Angel and was terrified And vowed to the mighty God of Jacob Jacob is mentioned say the Hebrews Quia primò vovit Kimchi Aben-Ezra because he first vowed to God Gen. 28.20 whence he is called Pater votorum the Father of vows Vers 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house i. e. Of my New-built house 1 Chro. 15.1 2 Sam. 1.2 Those in Malachi were not so well-minded chap. 1.4 Vers 4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes viz. With any good content or more than needs must Vers 5. Until I finde out a place for the Lord The Jew-Doctors tell us that as the earth is in the middle of the world so is Judea in the middle of the earth Jerusalem in the middle of Judea the Temple in the middle of Jerusalem and the Ark in the middle of the Temple An habitation Heb. Habitations haply because the Temple consisted of three parts or partitions Vers 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephratae At Bethlehem Ephrata Davids Birth-place there we heard of it long since by our Progenitours Of it that is or the Ark saith Chrysostom Dicit â—am in famin i. e. divinam praesentiam R. Arama of Gods resting-place saith Austin of the place where Christ should be born saith Hierom where the Temple should be set saith Aben-Ezra where the Sbechinah or divine presence should reside say other Rabbines We found it in the fields of the wood At Jerusalem say some or at Kiriathâ—earim as others will have it The Chaldee interpreteth it of the wood of Libanus the place saith he where the Patriarchs worshipped Vers 7. We will go into his Tabernacles We will cheerfully and unanimously frequent his publick worships in the place he hath pitched upon called his gates and his Courts Psal 100.4 saying as vers 8 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow God was the old rule among the very Heathens We will worship at his footstool i.e. At his Ark where hee uttered Oracles and wrought miracles c. which yet was but his footstool to lift his people heaven-ward Christ-ward who was the truth of that type the Ark the Mercy-seat Vers 8. Arise O Lord into thy rest The place of thy rest for the Ark was transportative till setled in Solomons Temple so till we come to Heaven wee are in continual motion Thou and the Ark of thy strength The Ark in the Temple was the chiefest evidence of Gods presence and the most principal type of Christ in whom the fulnese of the Godhead dwelleth bodily The word is Aron which is put for a Coffin Coffer or Chest Gen. 50.20 2 King 12.9 This sheweth that all the Counsels of God all the love and favour of God all that God accounteth precious are treasured up in Christ Col. 2.3 1.13 Isa 42.1 Heb. 10.12 Vers 9. Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousness i. e. With Salvation as vers 16. No surer sign of Gods gracious presence with a people than a powerful Ministery cloathed with inward purity and holiness represented by the holy Garments And let thy Saints shout for joy i. e. Those that are converted by such a Ministery let those that are justified by faith have peace with God and joy unspeakable full of glory Vers 10. For thy servant Davids sake For thy Covenants sake made with him and for thy Christs sake who is oft called David as Hos 3. ult so for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17 Turn not away the face of thine anointed Of thy Christ defer not his coming or deny not my request as 1 King 2.16 17 20. Vers 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth The Eternity of Israel cannot lye 1 Sam. 15.29 yet tendring our infirmity he sweareth and sealeth to us Of the fruit of thy body David was excellent at making the utmost of a Promise at pressing and oppressing it till he had exprest the sweetness out of it Isa 66.11 See how hee improveth Gods Promise and worketh upon it 1 Chron. 17.23 24 25 26. Solomon had learned to do the like Vers 12 If thy Children will keep my Covenant Although Gods Covenant is free yet is it delivered under certain conditions on our part to bee observed which are as an Oar in a Boat or Stern in a Ship turning it this way or that c. For ever more For a long season and Christ for all eternity Vers 13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion Hee chose it for his love and loved it for his choice Vers 14 This is
Sanctuary-men continens pro contento Hearts and hands must both up to Heaven Lam. 3.41 and God bee glorified both with spirits and bodies which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6.20 And bless the Lord Like so many earth'y Angels and as if yee were in Heaven already say Vers 3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth And therefore hath the blessings of both lives in his hand to bestow See Num. 6.24 Bless thee out of Zion They are blessings indeed that come out of Zion choice peculiar blessings even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth Compare Psal 128.5 and the promise Exod. 20.24 In all places where I put the memory or my name I will come unto thee and bless thee PSAL. CXXXV VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord praise yee Praise praise praise When duties are thus inculcated it noteth the necessity and excellency thereof together with our dulness and backwardness thereunto O yee Servants of the Lord See Psal 134.1 Vers 2 Yee that stand in the house See Psal 134.1 In the Courts Where the people also had a place 2 Chron. 4.9 and are required to bear a part in this heavenly Halleluiah Vers 3 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good scil Originally transcendently effectively hee is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and is therefore to bee praised with mind mouth and practice For it is pleasant An angelicall exercise and to the spirituall-minded man very delicious To others indeed who have no true notion of God but as of an enemy it is but as musick at funerals or as the trumpet before a Judge no comfort to the mourning wife or guilty prisoner Vers 4 For the Lord hath chosen God 's distinguishing grace should make his elect lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to him And Israel for his peculiar treasure Such as hee maketh more reckoning of than of all the World besides The Hebrew world here rendred peculiar treasure seemeth to signifie a Jewell made up of three precious stones in form of a triangle Segullâ—h 〈◊〉 dici Sâ—gol 〈…〉 The Saints are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his ornament yea the beauty of his ornament and that set in Majesty Ezek. 7.20 his royall Diadem Isa 62.3 Vers 5 For I know that the Lord is great As well as good vers 3. This I beleeve and know Job 6.69 saith the Psalmist and do therefore make it my practice to praise him And that our Lord is above all Gods Whether they bee so deputed as Magistrates or reputed as Idols Vers 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased This the Heathens did never seriously affirm of any their dunghill deities sure it is that none of them could say I know it to bee so De diis utrum sint non ausim affirmare said one of their wise men Vers 7 Hee causeth the Vapours Not Jupiter but Jehovah See Jer. 10.13 Hee is the right Nubâ—coga Maker of the Metcors whether fiery aiery or watery Job 26.8 9 28.26 27 37.11 15 16. 38.9 See the Notes there Hee maketh lightenings for the Rain Or With the Rain which is very strange viz. that fire and water should mingle and hard stones come cut of the midst of thin vapours Hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries Or Coffers store-houses where hee holdeth them close prisoners during his pleasure This the Philosopher knew not and thence it is that they are of so diverse opinions about the winds See Job 36.27 28 c. Job 37. throughout Vers 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt And thereby roused up that sturdy rebell Pharaoh who began now to open his eyes as they say the blind mole doth when the pangs of death are upon him and to stretch out himself as the crooked Serpent doth when deadly wounded Vers 9 Who sent tokens and wonders Vocall wonders Exod. 4.8 to bee as so many warning-peeces Vers 10 Who smote great Nations Who by their great sins had greatly polluted their land and filled it with fiâ—th from one end to another Ezra 9.11 And slow mighty Kings Heb. Bony big mastiff fellows quasi â—ssâ—tâ—s five 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth Vers 11 Sihon King of Amorites A Giant like Cyclops And Og King of Bashan Of whom the Jews fable that being one of the 〈◊〉 Giants hee escaped the flood by riding affride upon the Ark. Vers 12 And gave their lands for an heritage Which hee might well do as being the true Proprietary and Paramount Vers 13 Thy Name O Lord c. Else O nos ingratos Vers 14 For the Lord will judge his people Judicabit id est vindicabit hee will preserve them and provide for their wel-fare And hee will repent himself This is mutatio rei non Dei effectus non affectus Some render it Hee will bee propitious Others hee will take comfort in his Servants See Judges 10.16 Vers 15 16. The Idols of the Heathen See Psal 115.4 5 6 c. Vers 17 Neither is there any breath in their mouths If they uttered Oracles it was the Devil in them and by them As for those statues of Daedalus which are said to have moved Aristot Diod. Sic. Plato spoken and run away if they were not tyed to a place c. it is either a fiction or else to be attributed to causes externall and artificiall as quick-silver c. Vers 18 They that make them c. See Psal 115.8 Vers 19 Bless the Lord And not an Idoll Isa 66.3 as the Philistines did their Dagon and as Papists still do their hee-Saints and shee-Saints Vers 20 Yee that fear the Lord Yee devout Proselytes Vers 21 Blessed bee the Lord out of Sion There-hence hee blesseth Psal 134.3 and there hee is to bee blessed Which dwelleth at Jerusalem That was the seat of his royall resiance per inhabitationis gratiam saith Austin by the presence of his grace who by his essence and power is every where Enter praesenter Deus hic et ubique potenter PSAL. CXXXVI VErs 1 O give thanks unto the Lord This Psalm is by the Jews called Hillel gadel the great Gratulatory See Psal 106.1.107.1.118.1 For his mercy endureth for ever His Covenant-mercy that precious Church-priviledge this is perpetuall to his people and should perpetually shine as a picture in our hearts For which purpose this Psalm was appointed to bee daily sung in the old Church by the Levites 1 Chron. 16.41 Vers 2 For his mercy endureth for ever This is the foot or burthen of the whole song neither is it any idle repetition but a notable expression of the Saints unsatisfiableness in praising God for his never-failing mercy These heavenly birds having got a note record it over and over In the last Psalm there are but six verses yet twelve Hallelujahs Vers 3 O Give thanks to the Lord of Lords That is to God the Son saith Hierâ—â— as by God of Gods saith hee in the former verse is meant God the Father who because they are no more but one God
only it is added Vers 4 To him who alone doth great wonders Wondrous things the Creature may do but not wonders mira sed non miracula God alone is the great Thâ—umaâ—â—rgus that is wonder-worker Vers 5 To him that by wisdome c. Singulari ingenio summa industria yet without tool or toil See Heb. 11.10 with the Note Vers 6 To him that stretched out the earth c. A perpetuall mercy in all earthly Creatures as is elsewhere set forth Gen. 1.9 Psal 24.2 Vers 7 To him that made great lights Without which wee should have no more comfort of the air wee breath on than the Egyptians had in that three-dayes darkness Now the Sun and Moon are called great Luminaries not great stars or bodies for the Sun is less than some stars and the Moon is least of all first for the excellency of light which these two do more abundantly impart to the earth and secondly for the effects they work the Sun by his access making all green and flourishing and the contrary by his recess the Moon by his various aspect causing humors and marrows to increase or decrease c. Vers 8 The Sun to 〈…〉 the day Heb. For the rulings by day 〈◊〉 by his light 〈…〉 bodies 〈…〉 ruledomes and therefore in no wise to have been worshipped Vers 9 The Moon and stars to rule by night For by day they all veil to the Sun from whom also they borrow much of their light The Moon hath her name in Hebrew from moisture as refreshing the earth with her cool influences and thrusting forth precious things therein Deut. 33.14 Vers 10 To him that smote Egypt See Psal 135.8 Vers 11 And brought out Israel viz. By that last plague for the former would not do God will have the better of his enemies for the good of his people for it is not fit that hee should lay down the bucklers first Vers 12 And with a stretcht-out arm A metaphor from souldiers exercising their arms with utmost might and sleight Vers 13 To him which divided the red Sea Into twelve severall parts say the Jews for the twelve Tribes to pass thorow Vers 14 And made Israel to pass c. It is many times hail with the Saints when ill with the wicked Abraham from the hill seeth Sodom on fire Vers 15 But overthrew Pharaoh Praecipitavit pitcht him in headlong having before paved a way for him Subito tollitur qui diu toleratur Vers 16 To him which led his people As an horse that they should not stumble Isa 63.13 as a Shepheard his sheep providing for them so as never was any Prince so served in his greatest pomp Vers 17 To him which smote great Kings Great as those times accounted them when every small City almost had her King Canaan had thirty and more of them Great also in regard of their stature and strength for they were of the Giants race Deut. 3. Amos 2. Vers 18 And slew famous Kings Magnificos sumptâ—osos fastuosos arrogantes Vers 19 20. â—ee Psal 135.11 Sihons Country was afterwards called Decapolis and the Metropolis of it Scythopolis Joseph de bel l. 3. c. 2. Vers 21 22. And gave See Psal 135.12 Josh 12.7 hee paid them well for their pains after that hee had made use of their sword and service against those sinners against their own souls Vers 23. Who remembred us in our low estate Still God helpeth those who are forsaken of their hopes vindictae gladium miserationis oleo emollit as Nicephorus saith Vers 24 And hath redeemed us Or Broken us off pulled us away as by violence for they would never else have loosed us This is priori major misericordia a greater mercy than the former saith Kimchi to redeem is more than to preserve Vers 25 Who giveth food to all flesh Food agreeable to their severall appetites and temperaments suitable and seasonable Vers 26 O give thanks unto the God of Heaven His mercy in providing Heaven for his people is more than all the rest PSAL. CXXXVII VErs 1 By the rivers of Babylon Tigrâ—s Euphrates for the land of Shinar where Babel was founded and afterwards Babylon built was as most Geographers think a part of the Garden of Eden fruitfull beyond credulity but to the poor captives all this was no comfort when they remembred the desolations of their Country and the loss of their former liberty The bird of Paradise they say once taken and encaged groaneth uncessantly till shee dye There wee sat down yea wee wepâ— Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath born it upon him saith Jeremy of the Mourner Lam. 3.28 who is much in meditation so were these bewailing bitterly their sin and misery with their bowels sounding as an harp Isa 16.1 where if one string bee touched all the rest sound When wee remembred Zion The former solemnities the present desolations Vers 2 Wee hanged out harps Harps wee had and knew how to handle them the Jews were famous Artists noted for their skill specially in Poetry Musick and Mathematicks but wee had little mind to it as now the case stood with us Hoâ—â—â— lib. 3. Od. 26. our Country lying desolate our selves could not bee but disconsolate Barbiton his paries habeâ—it Vers 3 For there they required of us a song scil In disdain and derision of our Religion q.d. Will yee sing no more holy songs in honour of your God hath hee utterly cast away all care of your wel-fare and you the like of his service Have you never a black Sanctis to sing us or cannot you sing care away c where are your wonted ditties â—eza the words of a song Ehodum bellos nobis illos vestrâ— Sionis modules cantillate And they that wasted us Cumulatores nostri vel Concumulatores nostri vel homines ejulatuum nostrorum they that made us howl singing as Isa 52.5 Or In suspensionibus nostris â—socr after that wee had hanged up our harps as vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sing us one of the songs of Zion Wherewith yee were wont to praise God So Baltasar abused the bowls of the Sanctuary So the bloody-Persecutors at Orleance as they murthered the Protestants required them to sing Judge and revenge my cause O Lord and have mercy on us Lord c. Vers 4 Shall wee sing the Lords song c No for that were to prophane holy things and as Nazianzen speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And besides they had as much mind to bee merry then and thus as Sampson had to play before the Philistines Musick in mourning is not more unseasonable than unsavoury When our Edward the third had the King of Scots and the French King both prisoners together here in England hee held royall justs and feasted them sumptuously After supper perceiving the French King to bee sad and pensive hee desired him to bee merry as others were To whom the French King answered as here How shall wee
i. e. O Christ the King of Kings whose Vasall I profess my self as did afterwards also those three most Christian Emperours Constantine Valentinian and Theodosius Vers 2. Every day will I bless thee No day shall pass mee without a morning and evening sacrifice besides what is more upon all emergent occasions The Jews have above an hindred Benedictions which they are tyed to say over every day and one among the rest for the benefit of Evacuation it I were a Nightingall saith Epictetus a Heathen I would do as a Nightingall In Encher but since I am a man what shall I do I will praise my Maker and never cease to do it I exhort also all men to do the like Vers 3 Great is the Lord See his greatness set forth by Moses Deut. 10.17 And greatly to bee praised viz. According to his excellent greatnesse Psal 150.2 which yet cannot bee And his greatness is unsearchable Tantum recedit quantam capitur saith Nazianzen Hee is above all name all notion all parallel in nature we can see but his back-parts and live wee need see no more that wee may live Vers 4 One Generation shall praise thy works to another God 's praises are many and mans life short and one Generation succeedeth another let them relate Gods wonderfull works one to another and so perpetuate his praises to all posterity Vers 5 I will speak of the glorious honour Or I will meditate of the glory of the honour of thy magnificence I will discourse of those high and honourable conceptions that I have of thee which yet words how wide soever are too weak to utter such is thy transcendent excellencie and surpassing glory And of thy wondrous works Wherein thou art in some sort to bee seen as the beams of the Sun are made visible by reflection and letters being refracted and broken in a pair of spectacles are made legible to a dim eye Vers 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts Those that will not talk of thy bounty shall bee made to say O the severity of God! Vers 7 They shall abundantly utter Eruct abunt as a fountain casteth out waters plentifully and constantly so shall those that are like-minded to mee abundantly and artificially even with songs set forth thy goodness and faithfulness saying and singing Vers Beza 8 The Lord is gracious c. See Psal 86.5 15. 103.8 Slow to anger and of great mercy De quo penc possiâ— ambâ—gi sit ne ad irascendum tardâ—or an ad parcendum promptior Vers 9 The Lord is good to all And of this hee hath not left himself without witness Act. 14.17 And his tender mercies are over all his works Holding the whole Creation together which else by reason of the curse for mans sin hurling confusion over the World would long since have been shattered and dissipated Vers 10 All thy works shall praise thee i. e. Minister matter of thy praise And thy Saints shall bless thee viz. Upon that account If it were not for a few Saints on earth God should lose his glory here in great part Vers 11 They shall speak of the glory That Kingdome of the Saints of the most high which is far beyond the Grandeur and splendour of all the four great Monarchies as is to bee seen Dan. 7.27 Vers 12 To make known to the sons of men This is the end why the Church is collected and the Gospell preached God aimeth at his own glory in all as well hee may sith hee hath none higher than himself to whom to have respect Vers 13 Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome It cannot bee over-turned that 's comfortable to all Christs subjects as other flourishing Kingdomes are which have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine Alexanders Kingdome continued but twelve years only and fell with him so did Tamberlains greatness Vers 14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall None of his subjects can fall below his helping-hand his sweet supportance And raiseth up all those that are bowed down Either with the burden of sin or misery in any kind Camden Alphonsus King of Arragon is famous for helping with his own hand one of his subjects out of a ditch Of Queen Elizabeth it is recorded to her eternall praise that shee hated no less than did Mithridates such as sought to crush vertue forsaken of fortune Christ bruiseth not the broken reed but upholdeth it hee quencheth not the smoking wick but cherisheth it Vers 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee Heb. Look up with hope to this great house-keeper of the World The Elephant is said to turn up the first sprig towards Heaven when hee comes to feed The young Ravens cry to God for food Psal 147. at least by implication Their men Suitable to their severall appetites Vers 16 Thou openest thy hand With Kingly munificence And satisfiest the desire Or Of thy good pleasure thou satiatest Vers 17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes This wee must hold for an undoubted truth though wee see not alwayes the reason of his proceedings Sinfull men dare to reprehend oft-times what they do not comprehend Vers 18. The Lord is nigh unto all those c. Hee is ever at hand to hear and help his faithfull suters and suppliants these have the royalty of his ear free access sure success To all that call upon him in truth That draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and their bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 Vers 19 Hee will fulfill the desire c Or The will the pleasure Beneplacitum Hence that bold request of Luther Fiat voluntas mea Let my will bee done But then hee addeth Mea Domine quiatua my will because thine and no otherwise They that do the will of God shall have their own will of God See 1 Joh. 3.22 The King can deny you nothing Vers 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him See Psal 91.14 15 16. with the Notes But all the wicked That love not God but their base lusts Vers 21 My mouth shall speak c. This he had oft before promised but ingageth again that hee may not start back And let all flesh But especially men good men for high words beseem not a fool But it well becommeth the Saints to bee thankfull Tertull. nec servire Deo solum sed adulari as an Ancient speaketh PSAL. CXLVI VErs 1 Praise the Lord O my soul See Psal 103.1 Vers 2 While I live I will praise the Lord George Carpenter the Bavarian Martyr being desired by some godly brethren that when hee was burning in the fire hee would give them some sign of his constancy answered Let this bee a sure sign unto you of my faith and perseverance in the truth quod usque dum os aperire aut certe hiscere licebit that so long as I am able to