paraphrasâ—â—â— thus Although the Ninevites enjoy great peace and by peace are so mâ—â—â—plied that they are very numerous yet shall they be shorn and cut down Verse 13. For now will I break his yoke from off thee Lest the promised deliverance should be any whit doubted of the time when and the misery whence they should be delivered is here laid open God hath set the time of his peoples sufferings which shall be neither so little a while as they would â—or so long as the enemy would Hold out faith and patience deliverance is at next doore by and will burst thy bonds in sunder By yoke and bonds here understund those Tributes which the Assyrians called out by Ahaz imposed upon the kingdome of Judah 2 King 18. God promiseth them here their ancient liberty which was soon after this recovered under Hezâ—kiah who trusting in God and reforming religion rebelled against the king of Assyria and served him no longer Shortly after also the Persians destroyed Nineveh dealt more gently with the captive Jews and gave them good leave to return home again as many as had a mind to it Ezr. 1.4 2 Chron. 36. Verse 14 And the Lord hath given a commandement sc to his upper and lower forces for he is Lord of Hosts Commander in Chief of all creatures against thee O Sennacherib devoted to destruction for thine intolerable pride and cruelty God resisteth the proud Iam. 4.6 he setteth himself in battell-array against him as the word signifieth commanding all his creatures to fall on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no wonder For whereas all other vices flee from God pride alone fleeth in his face casteth down the gauntlet of defiance and maketh head against him Hence his hatred of a proud person that no more of thy name be sown i. e. that no more children be born to thee so Lyra expounds it that thy posterity perish so Gualther This must needs bee grievous to proud and ambitious persons who promise themselves a kind of immortality here in their posterity and that there shall be a perpetuall succession of their name in this world Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever they call their lands after their own names Psal 49.11 But their lamp shall be put out in obscure darknesse Prov. 20.20 there shall be Nullus cui lampada tradant Others sense the Text thus Thou shalt no more be talked of but the memory of thy name shall bee utterly extinct The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth Psal 34.16 See Esay 10.12 13 c. Ier. 49.34 Sennacherib had done great exploits till he lifted up his hand against heaven he had been very victorious and famous but now lies wrapt up in the sheet of shame and is made an instance of divine vengeance even among the Heathen For so Herodotus telleth us that in Egypt there was Sennacheribs statue erected with his inscription Let whosoever looketh upon me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hero l 2. learn to fear God He lifted up himself against his Creatour and Father hee is therefore slain by his own children He thought to overturn the true service of God he is therefore slain at his idoll-worship He went about to destroy the house of God he is therefore destroyed in the house of his god Esay 37.38 Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image This those superstitious Heathens held a great losse a sore affliction It is reported of the people of the East-Indies in the Isle Zeylon that having an Apes tooth got from them which was a consecrated thing by them they offered an incredible masse of treasure to recover it What a noise made Micah after his Ephod and images Judg. 18.24 and Laban after his Teraphim Gen. 31. and the men of Ophrah for their altar and grove And what a price set Papifts on their pictures and trinkets Judg. 6.30 I will make thy grave sc Of thine idoll-temple polluted by thy slaughter therein and so converted into a sepulchre for thee There is a story but of no great authority that Sennacherib after his shamefull return out of Judea demanding of some about him what might bee the reason that the unresistable God of heaven so favoured the Jewish nation as he had found by sad experience Answer was given him that Abraham from whom they descended sacrificed unto him his onely sonne which purchased this protection to his progeny If that will win him saith he I will spare him two of my sonnes to procure him to be on my side Which Sharezzer and Adrammelech his sonnes hearing of prevented their own deaths by slaying him It is more likely that they laid wicked hands upon their father Castal Annot. either out of ambition or discontent for the losse of the Army Howsoever God made use of their cruelty for the just punishment of Sennacherib and is here therefore said to have commanded it After this cruell warre arose among Sennacheribs sonnes which were the utter overthrow of that nation In Cyropad and laid them open as a prey to the kings of Babylou as Xenophon writeth for thou art vile Worthlesse and weightlesse All wicked men are so be they never so great Psal 15.4 Dan. 11.21 In his estate shall stand up a vile person that is Antiochus Epiphanes the great king of Syria whom the Samaritans in flattery stiled The mighty god 'T is vertue onely that enobles Them that honour God he will honour but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 Contempt shall be their portion and with ignominy repreach Prov. 18.3 Here then the Prophet threateneth the same that Joel had done chap. 2.20 His stink shall come up and the ill savour shall come up becaue be hath done great things i. e he hath attempted to do them but was hindered from heaven God put a hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips and turned him back to Nineveh where within lesse then fifty dayes after he was slain by his two sonnes Tob. 1.23 and although his third sonne Asar-haddon reigned in his stead yet hee soon after lost both his life and his kingdome which was devolved to the Babylonians and all the royall race of Assyria was rooted out Verse 15. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him c. This Behold is as the sound of a trumpet before some Proclamation to bespeak attention Jerusalem is surrounded with mountains Psal 125.2 and on the mountains a voice may bee heard afarre off Pedes Evangelizantis Vulg. The feet of him that bringeth good tidings Or Of an Evangelist that brings news of Sennacheribs ruine but-especially of Satan subdued by Christ which is the summe of all the good news in theworld Luke 2.10 that publisheth peace Pacem omnimodam externall internall eternall peace of countrey and of conscience by Christ who is our peace It is usuall with the Prophets
among the princes of Judah Mat. 2.6 because Christ was born there The tribe of Nepthali is first reckoned of those by Rachels side because at Capernaum in this tribe Christ inhabited Rev. 7.6 in which respect also this town is said to be lifted up to beaven Mat. Gen. 42.4 11.2 3. Benjamin is called the beloved of the Lord Gods darling as their father Ben amin was old Jacobs because God dwelt between his shoulders sc in his Temple built upon those two mountaines Moriath and Zion Deut. 33.12 The glory of that first Temple was that the Majesty of God appeared in it covering it self in a cloud The glory of this later house was greater because therein the same divine Majesty appeared not covered with a cloud but really incarnated For the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 In this flesh of ours and under this second Temple Christ not only uttered oracles did miracles and finished the great work of our redemption but also laid the foundation of the Christian Church Jam. 1. For the Law that perfect Law of liberty the Gospell came out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem to all the ends of the earth Esay 2.3 Psal 110.1 From hence it was that the Lord of glory whom the blind Jewes had crucified sent out his Apostles those messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ as they are called 2 Cor 8.23 to gather together unto him those desirable ones his elect verse 7. See the Note there whom he calleth the glory Esa 46.13 the house of his glory Esay 60.7 a crown of glory Esay 62.3 the throne of glory Ier. 4â— 21 the ornament of God Ezek 7.20 the beauty of his ornament ib. and that set in majesty ib. a royall diadem in the hand of Jehovah Esay 62.3 and in this place will I give peace Even the Prince of peace and with him all things also Rom. 8.32 pacem Pectoris Temporis Peace of countrey and of conscionce this later especially seemeth here to be meant For the former viz. outward Peace was not long enjoyed by these Jewes and their second Temple was often spoyled by the enemies Ioh. 14. and at length burnt and overturned But the Peace of God that passeth all understanding is that Legacy which the world can neither give nor take from Gods people And of this inward Peace the Septuagint according to the Roman edition taketh the Text and so doth Ambrose Haec est pax suâ—er pacem saith He. Christ as he was brought from heaven with that song of Peace Luk 2.14 Onearth peace good will toward men which is the same with that salutation of St. Paul who learned it belike of those Angels Grace be to you and Peace so he returned up againe with that farewell of peace Ioh. 14.27 and left to the world the doctrine of peace the gospell of peace Eph. 2.17 whose Authour is the God of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 whose Ministers are ministers of peace Rom. 10.15 whose followers are the children of peace Luk 10.6 whose unity is in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 whose duty is the study of peace Rom. 12.18 and whose end is to enter into peace to rest in their beds their soules resting in heaven their bodyes in the grave till the joyfull resurrection even every one walking in his uprightnesse Esay 57.2 Psal 37.33 Verse 10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month in the second yeer of Darius This diligence of the Prophets in noting and noticing the precise time of Gods hand upon them Scultet Annal. should teach us to do the like See the Note on chap. 1. ver 1. Melch. Adam in vit Bugenhà g The churches in Switzerland kept that day yearely as an holiday whereon the Reformation began amongst them Bugenhagius kept a feast every yeer on that day of the month wherein he and some other Divines had finished the Dutch Bible and called it The feast of the Translation of the Bible Philipp Pareus in vita Dau. Parei The University of Heidelberg kept an Evangelicall Iubilee three whole dayes together Anno Dom. 1617. in the Calends of November in the remembrance of the renowned Reformation of religion begun by Luther a just hundred yeers before Hereby Gods name shall be sanctified our faith strengthened and our good affection both evidenced and excited By the time here described it appeareth that they had now been three moneths building and the Prophet meane-while had given them great incouragement thereunto But forasmuch as he found that they stuck in the bark as they say rested in the work done thought they should therefore win upon God because they built him a Temple the Prophet gives them to understand that there is more required of them then a Temple viz. that therein they worship the Lord purely and holily in spirit and in truth that their divine worships bee right both quoad fontem quoad finem for principle and end of intention for else they impure all that they touch and are no whit better but a great deal the worse for all their performances This the Prophet teacheth them in the two following oracles propounded by way of demand to the Priests How apt are men to lose themselves in a wildernesse of duties To dig for pearls in their own dunghils to think to oblige God to themselves by their good works to spin a threed of their own to climbe up to heaven by to rest in their own righteousnesse to save themselves by riding on horses Hos 14.3 The Prophets designe is here to beat them off from such fond conceits telling them that the person must be accepted ere the service can bee regarded as Abels To the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 saith the Apostle Calvin upon this Text saith no more and yet Cor. a Lapide is very angry with him for saying so much Aug. de vera innocent c. 56. There is in Peter Lumbard this golden sentence eited out of August inc The whole life of unbeleevers is sinne neither is any thing good without the cheifest good This sentence Ambrose Rybera a Poprsh Postiller censureth for harsh and cruell But doth not God here say the same thing Crudelis est illa sententia Certain it is that good actions from bad men displease as a man may speak good words but we cannot hear because of his stinking breath The facrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 Charity is nothing unlesse it flow out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Verse 11. Ask now the Priest concerning the Law For who should know the law better then the Priests And who so fit to
too The Branch grew out of the root of Jesse when that goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter Besides all was out of order both in Church and State when Christ came and close up the breaches thereof Heb. wall up by unwalling as the Hebrew hath it Num. 24.17 all the children of Seth by subduing the sons of men the godly seed to the obedience of faith by bringing into captivity every haughty thought c. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow Philip. 2.10 and getting a full conquest by the preaching of the gospell which shall quickly close up all ruptures and raise up all ruines by chasing away terrours and false-worships doctrines of devils and traditions of men whereby the Scribes and Pharisees had made the commandement of God of none effect and I will build it as in the dayes of old in those purer times of David and the other holy Patriarches who made up but one and the same Church with us and were saved by the same faith in Christ Jesus that Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world Rev 13.8 Mine antiquity is Jesus Christ said Ignatius the Martyr As we preferr the newest Philosophy so the ancient'st Divinity saith Another Verse 12. That they may possesse the remnant of Edom That they which are called by my name which are called Christians viz. the Apostles and their successours to the end of the world may possesse together with Christ to whom the Father hath given the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession the remnant of Edom those few of them that receive the faith who are but as a remnant to the whole peece an handful to a houseful Psal 2. â— And not of the Edomites onely those inveterate and hereditary enemies to the Israel of God but of all the heathen which are called by name who beseech and are baptized into Christs name being content to receive his mark and to professe his Religion which formerly they were perfect strangers to These and those first Preachers of the Gospel and Planters of Churches being Israelites by birth are said to possesse by inheritance because Christ was pleased to make use of their ministery and upon these his white horses to ride abroad the world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.1 2. In a like sense it is promised Esa 14.2 that the house of Israel shall possesse their proselytes in the land of the Lord for servants and for handmaids and take them captives whose captives they were and rule over their oppressours Such a change shall the Gospel make saith the Lord that doth this For indeed none else could have done it Effectual conversion is his work alone God perswade Japhet c. Noah may speak perswasively but God onely can perswade Rebecca may cook the venison but Isaac onely can give the blessing Paul may plant c. Deus potest facere nec solet fallere Verse 13. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that the plowman c. The Gospel of peace brings with it the peace of the Gospel and with peace plenty with the horn of salvation the horn of plenty a confluence of outward comforts and contentments Boâ—us Deus Constâ—nâ— tantis terrenâ— implevit muâ—â—â—bus qâ—anta â—pâ—â—re nullus â—uderet Dâ— C D. l. 5.25 Elizabetha gloriâ—sissima foeliciss soemina Thuan. Hist lib. 124. as in Solomons dayes and Constantines whom God prospered and blessed beyond all that he could have wished saith Austin and Q. Elizabeths whom for her care to propagate the Gospel He made to be the happiest woman that ever swayed scepter as her very enemies were forced to acknowledge so liberal a paymaster is the Lord that all his retributions are more then bountiful and this his servants have not ex largitate sed ex promisso out of his generall providences but by vertue of a promise which is farre sweeter The Masorites have observed that in this verse are found all the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet as also in 26 more verses of the Old Testament to note say the Calvinists that in the kingdome of the Messiah there shall be great abundance of all things plenum copiae cornu or if that should fail yet plenty of all spiritual benedictions in heavenly things In instauratione casulae Davidicae coâ—apsae Merc. Amama Eph. 1.3 and contented godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.6 which hath an autarkie a self-sufficiency so that having nothing a man possesseth all things 2 Cor. 6.10 This the Prophet expresseth in the following words by many excellent hyperbole's though to say sooth Christus regnum ejus non patiuntur hyperbolen All words are too weak to set forth the worth of Christ and his kingdom the plowman shall overtake the reaper In signis hyperbole saith Mercer no sooner shall harvest be ended but seeding shall succeed and that promise fulfilled Levit. 26.5 all businesses belonging to the tillage of the ground and the inning of the fruit shall have their fit and sutable seasons where under the name of corporal blessings spiritual also are to be understood and indeed those blessings out of Zion are farre beyond any other that come out of heaven and earth Ps 134.3 and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed precious seed Ps 126.5 sowing-seed as one englisheth it drawn out of the seed basket and cast all along upon the land the meaning is that the vintage shall last so long that the seeds-man shall scarce have time to do his businesse for waiting upon the wine-presse and the mountains shall drop sweet wine Or juice of pomegranates more delicious liquor then that which the Italians profanely call Lachrymae Christi or that which at Paris and Lovaine is called Vinum Theologicum or Vinum Cos that is â—oloris odoris saporis optimi the best in the countrey for colour savour and taste to please the palate and al the hils shal melt sc with milk honey oyl as Joel 3.18 the same almost with this And the heathen Poet hath the like Subitis messor gaudebit aristis Claudian lib. 1. in Ruffin Rorabunt querceta favis stagnantia passim Vina fluent oleique laeus Ver. 14. And I will bring againe the captivity of my people There is an elegancy in the original that cannot be englished and God seemes delighted with such Agnominations as hath been before observed to shew the lawfull use of Rhetorike in divine discourses Act. 26.18 so it be not affected abused Idolized This promise is fulfilled when beleevers are by the gospel brought from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and be set free from the tyranny of corruption and terrour of death Heb. 2.14.15 Colos 1.13 Luk. 1.74 Zach. 9.11 Psa 68.19 and they shall build the wast cities Restore the sincere service of God as those noble Reformers did
Alexander returned this answer I will make thee know ere thou art a night elder that the Macedonians can flie Hereupon he pickt out three hundred of the boldest men he had and by great promises prevailed with them the next night to climbe up the backside of the rock to the top of it which accordingly they did and killing the guardes took the garrison letting in Alexander who nailed Arimazes to a crosse saith the Lord who will surely do it how improbable or impossible soever you may judge it Verse 5. If theeves came to thee if robbers by night Or what have theeves come to thee have robbers been here O sure 't is worse then so with thee they would never have made such clean work as they say but have left somewhat behind them they would never have plaid the Harpyes in this sort and taken all before them c. Thus the neighbour nations stand wondring at this wofull desolation and sarcastically insulting Now to be mocked in misery is no small grief to the party Thus the Prophet prickes them by a Rhetorical Addubitation the better to affect their minds with an effectual feare of no ordinary or easy calamity but such as will be wonderfull and incredible so that they that heare of it will say how art thou cut off Or how silent art thou what did thine enemies set upon thee per amica silentia Lunae did they take thee napping that they shred thee thus Have they dealt by thee as Sr. Francis Drake in his travels did by the Spaniard whom he found sleeping on the bank of a river with many wedges of gold lying by him He never waked the man but eased him of his charge Or rather as Epaminondas did by the watchman whom he found fast asleep he thrust him through with his sword and being chid for so severe a fact replied Talem eum reliqui qualem inveni I left him but as I found him If the grape-gatherers came to thee would they not leave some grapes Surely they would Deut. 24.21 there would likely be a gleaning of grapes after the vintage is done Isa 24.13 two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough foure or five in the outmost fruitfull branches Esa 17.6 It is hard but some make escape out of the battle to bring the ill newes Edoms ruine therefore and desolation was most deplorable and irreparable sith none was left alone but all both men and meanes raked and racemated Verse 6. How are the things of Esau searched out Or as Drusius reades it How are the posterity of Esau searched out the men to the slaughter the wealth to the spoile what cunning and daring souldiers were these to pry into every corner for prey and to pull them out of every lurking hole where they might have been circumvented and butchered in those dark and strait places This shewes surely that they were both armed and animated by God himself Confer Joel 2.6 7 8 9. but especially Jer. 49.10 11. where you have the full of that which is here but abridged and therefore this verse hath not so much as an Athnach in it for distinction how are his hid things sought out i. e. his treasures and Jewels which have their name in Hebrew from hiding because men use to secret and secure them with utmost care and diligence See Mat. 13.44 hence they are called treasures of darknesse Esa 45.3 See Iob 3.21 Abundance of this was found at Constantinople taken by the Turks Turk hîc◠345. 347. so that the souldiers divided it among themselves by hat-fuls wondring at their wealth and deriding their folly that possessing so much they would bestow so little in defence of themselves and their countrey lost by their tenacity and nigardice And the same is reported of Heidelberg Joseph cont Appron l. 1. Antiq. l. 10. c. 10. This that is here threatened against Edom was accordingly executed in the fift yeare after the destruction of Jerusalem saith Josephus Nebuchadnezzar in the 23. yeare of his raigne invading and wasting Idumea Ill-gotten goodes prosper not Men rake together riches and know not who shall gather them Psa 39.7 But let no man goe beyond and defraud another for God is the avenger of all such 1 Thes 2 Cor. 4.2 Prov. 10. 4.6 They do best that renounce with St. Paul those hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftinesse nor making hast to be rich for treasures of wickednesse profit not and when God comes by his judgements to turn the bottome of the bag upwards as Josephs steward once did all our secret thefts will out See Eccle. 12.16 Verse 7. All the men of thy confederacy which therefore should be true to thee but prove trecherous so vaine it is to trust to that broken reed of carnall combinations Many friends are like deep ponds cleare at the top and all muddy at the bottom the causes they will be but not the companions of calamity Like they are saith One to crowes which flock to a dead carcasse not to defend it but to devour it and no sooner have they bared the bones but they are gone David complaineth of such Psal 55.13 14 15. and Jeremy of his unkind countreymen of Anathoth chap. 11. But for Edom it was no great pitty considering their perfidy both to God because they had transgressed the lawes morall and municipall changed the ordinances that is the law of nations and broken the everlasting covenant that is the law of Nature which is that light that lighteneth every man that commeth into the world Ioh. 1.9 and also to their brethren the Israelites their extreame inhumanity as it followeth ver 10.11 They had therefore but their own measure meted againe to them as they had forgotten the brotherly covenant Am. 1.9 11. so they met with those that paid them home in their own coyne neither were they any more pittyed then Haman when the king frowned upon him or Sejanus when he fell into the displeasure of Tiberius his friends shewing themselves most passionate against him saying that if Caesar had clemency he ought to reserve it for men and not cast it away upon monsters al brought thee even to the border And there left thee at the worst pretending to help thee but betraying thee indeed to the enemy and helping to cast thee out of thy countrey under a shew of courtesy the men that were at peace with thee Heb the men of thy peace the Ammonites Moabites and other neighbour-nations from whom thou fearedst no hurt these to ingratiate with the king of the Chaldeans have deceived thee Tuta frequensque via est per amici fallere nomen Ovid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. This made a certaine Heathen cry out Friends there is no friend to be found and Another to pray God to deliver him from his friends for as for his enemies he could better beware of them they that eat thy bread Heb. thy bread-men thy fellow-commoners convictores
is false that some contend for sc that every man may be saved in his own faith be it right or wrong For none can come to the Father but by the Son Joh. 14.6 Neither is there any other name but His under heaven whereby men must bee saved Acts 4.12 See Joh. 17.3 and 6.40 Heb. 11.6 whatsoever the Huberians affirme of Universall Election or the Puccians of a naturall faith and we will walk in his paths which are all paved with mercy and love so that the saints run therein and faint not walk and are not weary Esay 40.31 They are all Peripateticks ever in action Gen. 17.1 they are Currists not Quaerists Ambros saith Luther elegantly they do not reason but run the pathes of Gods precepts Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia For the law shall go forth of Zion The law or doctrine as Prov. 13.14 Understand here the Gospel that Law of God Psal 19.7 that Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 that perfect law of liberty Jam. 1.25 a counter-pane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people Jer. 31. whereby they become as it was once said of the Thracians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law to themselves Herod as being transformed into the same image with the Gospel like as the pearl by the often-beating of the Sun-beams upon it becommeth radiant as the Sun and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Not from Africa at first as the brethren of the rosy-crosse would have it though 't is thought the Gospel was received and the Christian faith professed even from the Apostles time in that large region of Nubia in Africk But repentance and remission of sinnes was preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.41 The Jews were Gods Library-keepers and the Apostles sent and went from Jerusalem to plant Churches abroad the world and to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed Ioh. 11.52 Verse 3. And he shall judge among many people We had before Christs Propheticall Office here we have his Princely and elsewhere his Priestly This seems to have been the effect of that old prophecy among the Easterlings that Judaea profecti rerum potirentur some that came out ofâ— Jury should conquer all Vide Sueto in Vespas Tacit. lib. 21. wherein both the former are founded for he is the true Trismegist and Melchisedech was a right type of him He is the onely judge and needs no Vicar upon earth such as the Pope claims to bee Esay 33.22 no such Officers to see his lawes executed as the Ephori were among the Greeks and the Censores among the Romans The Lord that sent the rod of his strength out of Zion as verse 2. doth also give him to rule in the middest of his enemies whiles his people are willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holinesse Psal 110.3 willing that Christ should send forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20 that is perfect his own work of grace begun in their hearts To which end as it here followeth He shall rebuke or convince strong nations Convince them I say by his Spirit of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement â—oh 16.8 Of the lothesomnesse of sin of the necessity of getting righteousnesse by Christ and repentance from dead works that men may serve the living God and as much as in them is Acts 17.30 live peaceably with all And they shall beat their swords into plowshares i. e. their fierce and fell natures shall be mansuefied as Esay 11.6 7 8 9. and if they wage warre it shall be non nisi coacti either for the just punishment of Delinquents whom they cannot otherwise come at or for their own necessary defence and that they may establish peace with truth But if men would live by the lawes of the Gospel they need not wage warre or want peace either of countrey or of conscience but they might take for their Motto that of David Ani shallom I am peace and have for their portion that peace peace Esay 26.3 even a perfect sheer pure-peace a multiplied peace with God with themselves and with others this is a main piece of Christs kingdom upon earth Florus who is the Prince of peace and came in a time of peace viz. in the raigne of Augustus when as there was Totius orbis aut pax aut pactio saith Florus a generall peace or truce thorowout the whole world neither shall they learn warre any more To make a trade or a gain of it and so to earn a curse Deut. 27.25 to delight in it Psal 68.30 and make a sport of it as Abner did 2 Sam. 2.14 and Pyrrhus king of Epirots to wage it without weighty reason rashly If we Princes said our Hen. 7. should take every occasion that 's offered the world should never be quiet but wearied by continuall warres We may also here take warring as St. Iames doth chap. 4.1 for jarring and jangling for private discords and dissentions Now these the people or God are so farre from learning that they utterly lay them aside and are kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave them Ephes 4.32 Verse 4. But they shall sit every man under his vine seeding upon the fruit that shall even fall into his mouth saith à Lapide Sit they shall under Christ the true Vine saith Hugo and under the holy Ghost as a fig-tree whose fruit is farre sweeter then any honey But these are coynt interpretations saith Gualther I should rather expound this Text by that 91. Psalm wherein the safe and happy condition of the godly is at large described Vineyards and fig-yards were ordinary in those countreys and hence this proverbiall expression to set forth doubtlesse the spirituall security and that peace of conscience chiefly that is granted to Christs subjects a peace farre beyond that under Solomon which is here pointed at or that under our Queen Elizabeth not to be passed over without one touch at least upon that string which so many years together sounded so sweetly in the ears of our Fathers Then it was if ever that the mountains brought forth peace and the little hills righteousnesse Psal 72.5 The great ones defended their inferiours Westmer in Psal 72. and the inferiours blessed their superiours the Magistrate righted the subject and the subject reverenced the Magistrate and none shall make them afraid God they know will not hurt them man cannot he may take away their heads but not their crowns their lives but not their hopes for the righteous hath hope in his death his Posie is not onely Dumspiro spero but Dum expiro Let the wicked have a trembling heart and failing eyes while he lives Deut. 28.65 and when he dies crie out as a great man was heard to do Spes fortuna valete Farewell life and hope together The servant of Christ as he sits mediis tranquillus in undis all his life long
6.27 This is comfortable to consider of that is to be Ruler in Israel Matthew rendereth it a Captain that shall feed my people Israel Mat. 2.6 See the Note there whose goings forth have been from of old This is spoken of Christs eternal generation which none can declare Esay 53.8 What is Gods name and what is his Sons name if thou canst tell Prov. 30.4 The Scripture usually speaketh of this grand Mystery by way of circumlocution It is here spoken of in the Plurall number for the excellency of it Adoro plâ—niâ—udinem scripturarum Aug. In this Text then we have a description of Christ in his natures and offices See the like Rom. 1.3 4. and adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures Verse 3. Therefore will he give them up As a little before the day springeth it is darker then ordinary so before the day-spring from on high visited Gods people they were under very hard and heavy pressures and miseries whereby their desires after him were increased and ineagered The enemy oppressed them by Gods permission yea by his active providence that they might pant after a Saviour and sigh out with old Jacob their father Gen. 49.18 O Lord I have waited for thy salvation untill the time that she which travelleth hath brought forth She that is the Virgin Mary say some Or she that is say others the afflicted Church according to chap. 4.9 10. See the Notes there Shee must have a time of travell of trouble before she can bring forth and be delivered Luther saith well that the Church is haeres crucis and that every Christian is a Crucian we must suffer before we can reigne and bear the crosse or ere we wear the crown Then the remnant of his brethren i. e. the converted Gentiles whom Christ is not ashamed to call his brethren Heb. 2.11 12. shall return unto the children of Israel shall be proselyted and conjoyned to the elect Jews that there may bee one sheep-fold under one shepherd And the Lord shall be king over all the earth In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one Zech. 4.9 See the Note there Verse 4. And he shall stand and feed or rule in the strength of the Lord He shall stand and none shall be able to stirre him there shall be lifting at his government but it stands firm and fixed Earthly Monarchies have their times and their turnes their ruine as well as their rise The Roman Empire fell under the weight of its own greatnesse The Turkish although it be indeed very strong yet is it by many probably thought to be on the declining hand But Christ shall stand when all earthly greatnesse shall lie in the dust And He shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord neither shall any ravenous Lion or grievous Wolf pluck them out of his hand because He and the Father are one Joh. 10.39 and God hath laid help on one that is mighty Psal 89 19. and in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God that is by the power of Gods word called his name Acts 9 15. and elsewhere This word hath a singular majestie in it whereby it aweth and affecteth mens consciences to the propagating of Christs kingdom viz when it is accompanied with the Spirit of God called his strength in the former clause And that these ever go together in all the subjects of Christs kingdom see Esay 59 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon them and my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds sâ—ed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth Now that is ere long in Gods due time which oft seems long because we are short apt to antedate the promises in regard of the accomplishment to limit the Holy One of Israel and to set him a time to set his Sun by our diall Jer. 8 20. help they would have that Summer at furthest But as God never fails in his own time so he seldom comes at ours We must live by faith Hab. 2.2 and stay Gods leisure as David did for the kingdome and those in Esther for deliverance Gods promises will at length take their way over all Alpes of opposition but we have need of patience c. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10 36 37. Verse 5. And this man shall be the peace The man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 that man that shall be as an hiding place from the winde and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Esay 32.2 Winds and tempests will arise and that upon the Church Assyrians and Babylonians Nimrods brats will invade and infest her but that famous He afore-mentioned shall bee her peace her Prince of peace Esay 9.6 who giveth her pacem omnimodam peace internal external eternal called by the Apostle life and peace Rom. 8.7 This peace peace as Esay calleth it chap. 26 3. that is a multiplied renued continued peace this peace Regionis Religionis of Countrey and of Conscience as God hath promised and Christ hath purchased He merited and made it through the blood of his Crosse Col. 1.20 Esay 53.5 Ephes 2.16 And hence it was that as he was brought from heaven with that song of peace Luke 2.14 so he returned up again with that farewell of peace Joh. 14.27 left to the world the doctrine of peace Ephes 2.17 whose Ministers are messengers of peaceâ— Râ—m 10 15. whose followers are the children of peace Luke 10.6 whose unity is in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 and whose duty is the study of peace Rom. 12.18 and to whom God hath promised I will give peace in your land c. And ye shall chase your enemies c. If any ask Lev. 25.6 7. how peace and pursuit of enemies can consist It is easily answered You shall have civil peace amongst your selve and besides an ability to quell and quiet forraigne enemies Or you shal have peace and if it hap that war arise you shall have the better in batteâ—â— If the Assyrian come into your land he shall be a loser by it if he tread in your palaces he shall retreat with shame and defeatment as it befell Sennacherib Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds that is a competent number of Chieftains and Champions with their victorious forces which shall repell the enemies and secure the Church Christo duce auspice Christo under Christ the Arch shepherd This some understand of the Apostles those anointed or authorized Ones as the word here signifieth the weapons of whose warfare were not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-holds 2 Cor.
Iohn 10.30.38 and 14.23 2. As having the incommunicable names and attributes of God Iohn 8.58 and 20.28 Eternity Iohn 1.1 and 17.5 Infinitenesse Iohn 3.13 Omniscience Iohn 2.24 and 21.27 3. As doing the works of God such as are Creation Iohn 1.3 Conservation Iohn 5.17.3 miracles c. 4. As taking to himselfe divine Worship Iohn 9.38 and 20.28 and 14.1 This truth men must hold fast as their lives and be rooted in it getting strong reasons for what they beleeve The second ground wanted depth of earth The seed was good and the earth was good but there was not enough of it therefore the heat of the sun scorcht in up Christ is here called the Lord of Hosts and the Lord of glory Isay 6.1 with John 12.41 Jam. 2.1 Yet once it is a little while c. Adhuc unum pusillum This little little while this inch of time was the better part of five hundred years viz. Galatin lib. 4. cap 9 10. till Christ came in the flesh Heb. 12.26 the Jew-Doctours say no lesse A long time to us is but a little while to God A thousand years is but as one day to the Ancient of dayes His Prophets also being lifted up in spirit to the consideration of eternity count and call all times as indeed they are in comparison moments and points of time Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus could the Poet say D. Hall Peaâ—m What is that to the Infinite said a certain Noble-man of this Land to one discoursing of an incident matter very considerable but was taken off with this quick Interrogation So say we to our selves when under any affliction we begin to think long of Gods coming to deliver us What is this to Eternity of extremity which yet we have deserved Tantillum tantillum adhuc pusillum Yet a very little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry as in the Interim the just must live by faith Heb. 10.37 Gods help seems long because we are short We are short-breathed short-sighted apt to antedate the promises in regard of the accomplishment We also oft find it more easie to bear evil then to wait till the promised good be enjoyed Those beleeving Hebrews found by experience that the spoiling of their goods exercised their patience but staying Gods leysure for the good things he had promised them required more then ordinary patience or tarriance Heb. 10.36 Take we heed of prescribing to the Almighty of limiting the Holy One of Israel of setting him a time with those Bethulians and I will shake the heavens Not the earth onely as at the giving of the Law to purchase reverence to the Law-giver but the heavens also viz by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel whereby Satan was seen falling from heaven Luke 10.18 that is from mens hearts and the Saints set together in heavenly places or priviledges in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 For he that hath the Son hath life hee hath heaven aforehand 1. In pretio 2. In promisso 3. 1 Joh 5 1â— In primitiis Here then the Prophet encourageth these builders telling them that under this second Temple how mean soever it seemed he would first send Christ called the Desire of all Nations vers 7. and Peace vers 9. with Ephes 2.14 to grace it with his presence Secondly he would cause the Gospel to be preached in a pompous and powerfull manner I will shake c. Shake them to settle them not to ruine them but to refine them shake their hearts with sense of sin and fear of wrath that they may truly seek Christ For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 And the end of this universall shake was to shew saith Chrysostome Hom. 14. in Matth. that the old law was to be changed into the New Moses into Messias the Prophets into Evangelists Judaisme and Gentilisme into Christianisme When Christ was born we know how Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Matt. 2.3 What a quire of Angels was heard in the air at Bethlehem and what wondering there was at those things which were told them by the shepherds Luke 2.18 Eusebius tells of three Suns seen in heaven not long before his birth Orosius tels of many more prodigies The Psalmist foretelling our Saviours coming in the flesh breaks out into this joyfull exclamation Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulnesse thereof Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with truth Psal 96.11 Lib. 18. de C. D. cap. 48. 12 13. and Psal 98.7 8 9. This I know is by some but not so properly understood of Christs second coming to judgement And both Augustin and Rupertus construe this text also the same way But the whole stream of Interpreters old and new carry it against them and some of them tell us of sundry strange and stupendious commotions that fell out even according to the letter in heaven earth and sea about the time of Christs birth death resurrection and soon after his Ascension when he rode about the world upon his white horse the Apostles and their successours with a crown on his head as King of his Church and a bowe in his hand the doctrine of the Gospel whereby the people fall under him Psal 45.4 and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Vers 7. And I will shake all Nations First by the civil warres between the Triumviri not long before Christs Incarnation Secondly by the generall taxe Luke 2.3 when all went to be taxed every one into his own city Thirdly by the preaching and miracles of Christ and his Apostles whereby the Nations were shaken out of their sinfull condition and brought to the obedience of faith by effectuall conversion Thus a Lapide I will shake all Nations with wonder at so great a mystery with joy and with newnesse of life saith Sa. The Gospel saith Forbes on Revel 14. hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men First it falleth to mens ears as the sound of many waters a confused sound which commonly bringeth neither terrour nor joy but yet a wondering and acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power Mar. 1.22 23. Luke 4.32 Job 7.46 This may be in the reprobate Act. 13.41 The second effect is the voice of thunder which brings not onely wonder but fear This may also be in a reprobate as Felix The third effect proper to the Elect is the sound of harping while the Gospel not onely ravisheth with admiration and shaketh the conscience with terrour but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy Hitherto He. Certain it is that the Gospel maketh a stirre where it cometh and brings an earthquake
fellowes sider ver 16. Verse 6. If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people Here the Lord graciously answereth the secret objection of these Iewes unbeleeving and misgiving hearts It is impossible thought they that these promises should ever have their performance they are sure too good to be true This is the voice of carnall reason it usually tells a story of impossibilities and judgeth according to sense looketh upon Gods Iordan as Naaman did with Syrian eyes But faith can mount higher and see farther as a lark with a little eye getting aloft can see that which an Oxe with a bigger eye but being below on the ground cannot It is the nature of faith to look upon all things seisable I can do all things saith she thorough Christ that strengtheneth me Is there any thing too hard for the Almighty was to that an absurd question of these mens Ancestours Can he prepare a table for us in the wildernesse God can do much more then he will do but whatsoever he willeth that he doth both in heaven and earth And if faith have but a promise to fasten upon she can beleeve God upon his bare word without a pawn and that both against sense in things invisible and against reason in thing â—â—â—red ble â—â—â—uld it also be marvelous in mine eyes q. d. will ye measure me by your selves and make my thoughts to be as your thoughts my wayes as your wayes there is no compartion Abraham caâ—ed not for the deadnesse of his own body or his wâ—ves but was strong in faith and gave God the glory of his power Rom. 4.20 This was it indeed that God himself minded him of when he said unto him Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty walk before me and be uprihgt q. d. Thou wilt never do the later unlesse thou beleeve the former Verse 7. Behold I will save my people from the East This was in part no doubt litterally meant of the scattered Jewes and fulfilled also in those five hundred yeers space between the Captivity and Christ though stories tell us not when and how and shall be much more at their much-desired conversion For this is laid down for a generall rule that all Evangelicall promises made to the Jewes seeing they neither at first received the Gospel nor ever hitherto enjoyed that peace plenty and prosperity which these and such like promises do purport cannot but aime at somewhat that is yet to come Albeit it cannot be denied but that the great and glorious things which in the height and excellency thereof are spoken particularly to them do in their measure and degree appertaine in common to all the faithfull and so in the New Testament are ordinarily applied Verse 8. And I will bring them and them they are sure to be brought For who hath resisted his will he will breathe life into those dead bones and flesh shall cover them he will make up those two sticks into one and David his servant shall be king over them for ever Ezek. 37. and they shall dwell in the midst of Ierusalem They shall they shall O the Rhetoricke of God! O the certainty of the promises what a monstrous sin is unbelief and they shall be my people and I will be their God This is a short Gospel this is the summ of the covenant of Grace Brevis longa planeque aurea est haec clausula as Pareus some-where speakes of another Teat This is a long and yet a short clause short in sound long in sense but golden all over in truth and righeousnesse I will be their God in truth that is in an assured performance of promise and they shall be my people in righteousnesse That is in obedience to my commandements So here is the covenant renued in a mutuall stipulation Verse 9. Let your hands be strong Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us take heart of grace against all occasions of distrust and feare 2 Cor. 7.1 let us up and be doing that the Lord may be with us Let us feare lest such a promise being left us yea such a bundle of promises as are contained in the New Covenant any of you Heb. 4.1 by shrinking from the service should seem to come short of it or by faintly forwarding the Temple-work should lose the things that he hath wrought Esay 35.3 4. but that ye receive a full reward 2 Ioh. 8. strengthen ye the weak hands and confirme the feeble knees Say to them of a fearefull heart Be strong feare not c. 2 Chr. 2â— 20 Say the same every man to himself Encourage your selves in the Lord your God as David did 1 Sam. 30.6 Beleeve the Prophets and ye shall prosper do ye not heare in these dayes these words by the mouth of the Prophets my self and Haggai Iob 15.11 And should the consolation of God be small unto you will ye not trust us whom you have alread tried and take comfort by our words now whom you have formerly found no liars Verse 10. Ez 3. Iohn 2. Zach. 7. For before these dayes sc during those fourty and four yeers wherein they ceased from the work minding only their own houses and managing their own affairs their labour was unprofitable their state unquiet thorought forraine forragers and homebred Malecontents there was no hire for man nor any hire for beast Nulla emolumenta laborum Both man and beast did their parts but to little purpose Ludit qui sterili semina mandat humo Ovid. They sowed much and brought in little they earned money but put it into a bottomelesse bag Hag. 1.6 See the Note there the gaines did not countervaile the paines the wages the work neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in whether a man were within dores or without he was in danger of the enemy See the like 2 Chron. 15.5 he did eat the bread of his soul in the perill of his life being wholy at the enemies mercy 1 Sam. 24.19 which is mere cruelty For if a man find his enemy will he let him go away said Saul I trow not till he have his penniworth of him as that Monster of Millaine as the bloody Papists in the Massacre of Paris as the mercilesse Spaniards on the harmelesse Indians fifty millions of whom they have murthered in forty two yeers as Acosta the Jesuite testifieth as Ptolomaeus Lathur us king of Egypt on these poor lewes thirty thousand of whom he cruelly killed and compelled the living to feed upon the flesh of the dead And lastly as the Iewes themselves of whom Tacitus takes notice and gives them this character that there was misericordia in promptu apud suos sed contra omnes alios hostile odium that they were kind enough to their own but cruel to all others whom they look upon as Idolaters and therefore think they may safely kill as they did the Cyprians and Cyrenians in Traâ—ans time to the number
because the colt whereon Christ rode ran after two asses coupled together in one yoke whereof one was his damm Mat. 21.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1.2 See the Note there These asses used to the yoke Hesiod calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wretched or enduring great toyle and labour That Christ should ride upon the foale of such a hard labouring asse a yong wild colt not yet ready tamed and trained to the saddle as it shewes his humility so also his power over the creature Clarescente gloriâ inter humilem simplicitatem and his peaceablenesse too as Kimchi thinkes from that in the next verse that the Israelites under Christs government should have no need of horses and charrets All this description of Christs person and kingdome we know was punctually fulfilled in our Saviour according to Mat. 21. Mar. 11. Luke 19. Ioh. 12. foure sufficient witnesses The old Rabbines and with them R. Galatin lib. 8. cap. 9. Solomon though a sworn enemy to Christians take the text of the promised Messias his solemne entrance into Ierusalem Of Jesus the crucified son of Mary they will not yeeld because they stumble at his poverty and expect pomp But if they had consulted their own Prophets they would have found that Messiah was foretold as despicable Esay 53.2 Poor as here crucified Dan. 9.26 Num. 21.9 among malefactours Esay 53.9 nailed Psal 22.16 pierced Zech. 12.10 mocked Psal 69.7 And that their very rejection of him for his meanenesse and meeknesse proveth him to be Christ Psal 118.22 Act. 4.11 It is reported of Agesilaus that comming to help the king of Egypt in his distresse he was despised by the Egyptians because of the plainenesse of his person and the homelinesse of his attire for they thought that they should see the king of Sparta such an one as the king of Persia was bravely habited and pompously attended Semblably the Iewes expect a Christ like to one of the mighty Monarches of the earth and they are strongly possest with the fond conceit of an earthly kingdome Hence when they saw Mahomet arising in such power they were straight ready to cry him up for teir Massias The rich hath many friends saith Solomon but the poor is hated or slighted even of his own noighbour Prov. 14.20 Christ came to his own but his own received him not When it was sometime disputed among the Romanes in the Councell using to deify great men whether Christ having done many wonderfull works should be received into the number of the gods the Historian saith that they would not therefore receive him because he preached poverty and made choice of poor men to follow him whom the world careth not for Verse 10. And I will cut off the charret c. This the same in effect with that of Esay chap. 9.7 Of the encrease of Christs government and peace there shall be no end and chap. 2.4 they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their speares into pruning-hookes nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learne warr any more Christ was born in the raigne of Augustus Caesar then when having vanquished Lepidus Antonius and the rest of his enemies both at home and abroad he set open gates of Janus in token of an universall peace and raigned as Lord and Monarch of the Roman world De invent râ—r lib. 4.1 Polydor Virgill out of Orosius tells us that the self-same day wherein Christ was born Augustus Caesar made proclamation that no man should thenceforth give him the title of Lord manifesto praesagio majoris dominatus qui tum in terris ortus est saith he not without a manifest presage of a greater Lord then himself then born into the world greater 1. both for the peaceablenesse of his government as here no use of weapons or warllike engines The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual 2 Cor. 10.4 Christ shall bring both to Jewes and Gentiles the Gospel of peace and the peace of the Gospel he shall speake peace unto the Heathen peace of countrey and peace of Conscience too and 2. for the extent of his government It should be as large as the world a Catholike kingdome his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea From the red Sea the Mediterranean Sea or the Sea of Palestina for these two seas were the bound of the land of Canaan Num. 23.31 for the Jews scarce knew any other sea but these two And the Prophet here alludeth to the times of Solomons reigne aâ— appeares by Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth that is from Euphrates to the utmost bounds of the holy land which by a common custome of speech are put for the utmost quarters of the world Verse 11. As for thee also O daughter of Sion O my Church not O Christ the king of the church as the Grreek and Latine fathers and after them the Popish commâ—â—tarours will needs have it the better to establish their Chimera of Limbus Patrum Christ here by an Aposâ—â—pâ—sis an ordinary figure or keeping back something unspoken through earnestnesse of affection bespeaks his people in this sort Eâ—iam tis As for thee also I will surely impart unto thee the benefits of that my kingdome as I have already begun to do in delivering you out of that 〈◊〉 that â—irty dungeon of the Babylonish thraldome by the blood of thy covenant by the blood of Christ figured by the blood that was sprinkled upon the people Exod. 24.8 Psal 74.20 Heb. 13.20 and by vertue of the Covenant confirmed thereby I have sent forth thy prisoners I have enlarged thy captives out of the pit wherein is no water but mud only Gen. 37.24 Ier. 38.6 as in Iosephs pit and Ieremies dungeon The Saints have temporall deliverances also by vertue of the covenant and if any of Christs subjects fall into desperate distresses and deadly dangers yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the covenant Verse 12. Turn ye to the strong hold i. e. to Christ the rock of ages Isa 26.4 the hope of Israel Ier. 17.13 the expectation of all the ends of the earth Luke 2.25 38. Or to the Promise that strong tower whereunto the righteous run and are safe that are Christi munitissima as Cyrill here saith strong hold of Christ Thou art my shield saith David I truth in thy word Psal 119.114 And againe Remember thy word to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust Verse 49. When yong Ioash was sought for to the shambles by his murderous grandmother Athaliah he was hid in the house of the Lord for six yeers But whence was this safety Even from the faithfull promise of God 2 Chron. 23.3 Behold the kings son must raigne as the Lord had said of the sons of David that he should never want a man to raigne after him Hence Psal 91.4 his faithfulnesse