Gods people as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice â— Ezek. 33.32 It is mel in ore melos in aure to the Elect as it was to Austin who coming to hear Ambrose had his ears tickled his heart touched so had that unlearned Corinthian 1 Cor. 14.25 and the whole City of Samaria wherein there was great joy at the receiving of the Gospel Luk. 2.10 Act. 8.8 Behold wee bring you good tidings of great joy to all people said those Angels to the Shepherds that sang Christ into the world and from whom the preaching of the Gospel was afterwards taken and given to the Ministers whose proper office it is to publish peace to bring good tidings of good Thy Watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing c. Isa 52.7 8. If they do otherwise to any if they sing doleful accents to guilty persons if the voice of these Gospel birds bee to such like that of Abijah to Jeroboams wife I am sent to thee with heavy tidings 1 King 24.6 they may thank themselves To fall out with the Minister is as great folly as if some fond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the cause of their war Or as if some ignorant peasant when hee sees his fowls bathing in his pond should cry out of them as the causes of soul weather What do faithful Ministers do more what can they do less if they will be true to their souls than tax mens sins fore-tell their judgements This when they do it is diversly taken Ravenous and unclean birds like the Ravens of Arabia See Ezek. 7.16 Isidor scriech â—orribly scratch terribly Turtles and Doves whose voice is here said to be heard in the Land when other birds are sweetly singing come in with a mournful tone mixt with a groaning sadness whence also the Turtle hath its name scil a somo quem edit per onomatopoeiam and may well serve to set forth the unutterable groans of gracious spirits grieving for their sins mourning bitterly over Christ crucified before their eyes Zach. 12.10 Gal. 3.1 and evidently set forth by their faithful Ministers so that they need no other crucifix to draw tears from them tabring upon their breasts with the voice of Doves Nah. 2.7 Yea smiting upon their breasts with the penitent Publican and saying or rather sighing out each for himself Lord bee merciful to mee a sinner And here assert solatium lugentibus suspiriorum societas Basiâ— It is an heavenly hearing when a Church-full of good people wrought upon by their godly Preachers send up a volly of sighs to God and as Hindes by calving so they by weeping cast out their sorrows Job 39.3 such as shew their hearts to bee as so many Hadadrimmons Aug. in Psa 10 Austin perswades a Preacher so long to insist upon some needful point until by the groans and looks of his hearers hee perceive that they understand it and are affected with it Such hearers Paul had at Athens that wept as hee did Act. 20.37 but this is but few mens happiness Turtles are rare birds in our Land Vers 13. The Fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes c. These two trees put forth their fruits first when other trees for most part Post flores fructus c. Lib. 17. cap. 13 put forth first flowers and then fruits in their season Pliny numbers the Fig-tree among the trees of quick Nature And our Saviour Luk. 21.29 30. makes the shooting forth of the Fig-tree to bee a sign of Summers approaching When himself came hungry to that Fig-tree Matth. 21.19 hee thought to have found something on it more than leaves onely for though the time of Figs was not yet that is of ripe Figs Mark 11.13 yet grossuli green Figs at least hee looked for those untimely Figs that shee casteth when shee is shaken of a mighty wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grossus Hinc ficus fig. Hinc puto Bethphage dictam quasi locum grossorum Mercer Unde pomum decerpseris alterum protuberat Rev. 6.13 his hunger would have made somewhat of them It was at Bethphage that house of green Figs as the word signifieth or near unto it that hee cursed this barren Fig-tree Mark 11.1 13. and therefore cursed it because it answered not his expectation It behoves us therefore not onely to make a flourish of goodly words with Naphtali but to bee fruitful boughs with Joseph being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 Joseph is a fruitful bough Gen. 49.22 that is of the Vine saith the Chaldee Paraphrast there But it may bee Jacob meant it of the Aegyptian Fig-tree Uno anno septies fructus sufficit whereof Solinus reporteth that it beareth fruit seven times a year pull off one Fig and another presently puts forth Now if the Fig-tree slack not her duty but laboureth quickly to bring forth her first-fruit that so again and again shee may bee more fruitful how much more should wee hasten the fruits of holiness break off our sins and bee abrupt in our repentance Dan. 4.27 cut the cart-ropes of vanity and cast away the deeds of darkness Rom. 13.12 bring forth fruits meet for repentance parallel to it and tantamount such as were to bee seen in the penitent theef that suffered with our Saviour Aarons Rod was not sooner changed from a withered stick into a flourishing tree than hee was from a barren malefactor into a fruitful professor for see what a deal of fruit hee bears in an instant hee confesseth his own sin rebuketh his companion giveth a good testimony unto Christ and praies that Christ would remember him when he came into his Kingdome This incouragement among many other wee have that Christ will bless our very budds Isa 44.3 see the Geneva Translation hee will taste of our green Figs Unâ— minutula R. David of our tender Grapes which if not yet of a good taste yet because they give a good smell as this Text hath it they are well resented Christ when hee comes into his garden takes all hee findes well aworth Hee gathereth his myrrhe with his spice hee eats not onely of his hony but of his hony-comb and drinks not onely of his Wine but of his Milk Cant. 5.1 Vers 14. Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock The Dove is meek mournful simple sociable fearful beautiful faithful to her mate fruitful neat so is the Church And because the Dove is sought after by birds of prey therefore shee builds in strong and steep places in clefts of Rocks in the sides of the holes mouth as Jeremy hath it chap. 48.28 The Church also is forced many times to flie into the wildernesse Rev. 12. into the further parts of the world and hide it self in corners to avoid persecution So many so
famine and sword and want of consolation as ver 18. By whom shall I comfort thee By whom but by my self when thou art at thy greatest under and even forsaken of thy hopes See ver 12. Ver. 20. Thy sons have fainted Fame macie tabe vulnere utterly disabled to relieve thee ver 18. As a wild Bull in a net Taken in a toil where he struggles and strives foames and fumes but cannot get out Ver. 21. Thou afflicted and drunken With a dry drunkennesse which thou canst not so easily sleep out See ver 17. Ver. 22. Behold I have taken Though man could not Where humane help faileth Divine help beginneth Thou shalt no more drink it i. e Not of a long time till thy last devastation by the Romans Ver. 23. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee Who shall drink it not to drunkennesse only as thou hast done but unto madnesse Jer. 25.10 Baltasar and his Babylonians did so the revenging hand of God was afterwards upon Antiochus Vespatian and his children Antichristians drink of the wine of Gods wrath Rev. 14.10 Bow down This passage setteth forth their extreame cruelty and Thrasonical insolency But the case shall be altered Rev. 3.9 CHAP. LII Ver. 1. AWake awake Pluck up thy best heart as we say and rouse up thy self to receive the sweet promises For as mans laws so Gods promises favour not them that are asleep but awake and watchful O Jerusalem the holy City Thou that hast been brought through the fire being refined as silver is refined and tryed as gold is tryed Zach. 13.9 There shall no more come into thee Or against thee i. e. I will not suffer tyrants to vex thee or profane ones to harbour with thee See chap. 35.8 Ver. 2. Shake thy self from the dust Wherein thou layest along when trampled on chap. 51.23 Arise and sit down O Jerusalem Rather arise sit up O Jerusalem It hath been noted before that when Vespasian had subdued Judaea money was stamped with a woman sitting in the dust with this inscription Judaea subacta Loose thy self from the bonds of thy neck From thy spiritual servitude especially as Luk. 1.74 Rom. 6.19 shake the devils-yoke from off thy neck gestaque monilia sponsae libertatis and get on the Spouses ornaments Ver. 3. For thus saith the Lord Thus he pleadeth the cause of his people chap. 51.22 Ye have sold your selves for nought Heb. ye were sold for nought Babylonii non egerunt mihi gratias Piscat Mat. Paris Hist A. D. 1072 I had not so much as thanks for you from the enemy no more hath he from the devil and yet a letter was framed in Hildebrands dayes as sent from the devil wherein he kindly thanked the Popish Clergy for the many souls they dayly sent him to hell by their negligence and wickednesse And ye shall be redeemed without money Heb. without silver so were we 1 Pet. 1.18 Ver. 4. And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause Nulla injuria lacesssitus So did the Primitive Persecutors the Christians of those times though they were non aliunde noscibiles quam ex vitae integritate saith Justin Martyr eminent for their innocency as Pliny also in his Epistle to Trajan the Emperour testifieth What hurt had the Israelites ever done to malicious Moah that he was irked at them Num. 22.3 or the Hebrews to the Assyrians that they should oppresse them Ver. 5. Now therefore what have I here Cui bono to what purpose or profit for what wealth or worth suffer I my poor people to lie captives here at Babylon Or as others sense it Piscator what make I here any longer at Jerusalem when my poor people are in durance at Babylon why hasten I not to help them out They that rule over them make them to houle i. e. The Chaldaans and after them the Romans and then the Scribes and Pharisees by binding heavy burthens grievous to be born and laying them on mens consciences Mat. 23.4 And my name continually every day or all the day long is blasphemed That 's all I get by the bargain Ver. 6. Therefore my people shall know my name sc That I am Jehovah as Exod. 6.3 the God of Amen Isa 65.16 who will not suffer my faithfulness to faile nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Psal 89.33 34. And it shall therefore be so because my name that nomen majestativum hath been blasphemed and vilified Gods people fare the better for their enemies insolencies That I am he that doth speak behold it is I Or that it is I that do speak saying Loe here I am This some understand of the second person in Trinity the eternal Son of the eternal Father called the Word Joh. 1.1 and there are that give us this Rule Where the Old Testament bringeth in God appearing and speaking we are to understand it alway of the second person See Joh. 12.37 to 42. Ver. 7. How beautiful Quam amaeni i. e. amabiles How amiable or desireable Interrogatio admirantis exultantis Vpon the mountains Whence they may best be heard as Judg. 9.7 saying as there Harken unto me that God may harken unto you Our Saviour that Arch-Evangelist who as some is here first and chiefly meant by Mebassher him that bringeth good tydings seeing the multitudes went up into a mountaine Mat. 5.1 which is said to be in the tribe of Nephthali and called Christs mount to this day blis Apostles afterwards travel'd and trudg'd on foot over hills and dales What a compasse fetcht Paul Rom. 15.19 Inter valium illud est milliarium Germanicorum 350. so that he might better be called than afterwards George Eagles the Martyr was Trudge-over-the world to preach the Gospel and to plant Churches to whom their feet though fouled and worn how much more their faces were deemed delectable and debonnaire Gal. 4.14 Act. 10.21 The Pope Peters pretended successor holdeth forth his feet to be kissed but preacheth not or not peace but war which he stirreth up by his roaring Bulls Of him that bringeth good tydings Whosoever he be that preacheth the Gospel that chief work of a Minister Rom. 10.15 Of Mr. John Dod it is written and I know it to be true that he was very Evangelical striving first to make men see their lost condition clearly for said he sense of misery must goe before sense of mercy and then largely and excellently opening the promises and the grace of God in Christ according to the Gospel looking at that as the most effectual preaching Some said he labour still to keep men under terrours loading them with threatnings c. lest they should not be humbled enough but the Gospel worketh true humiliation not the law it ariseth from sense of sin and misery joyned with hope of mercy The damned have terrour and sense of misery enough but that doth not humble them That publisheth peace The Gospel is a doctrine of peace
Eph. 2.17 whose Authour is the God of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 whose Ministers are Messengers of peace Rom. 10.15 whose followers are the children of peace Luk. 10.6 c. If any know not how they came by their peace but are like the Israelitish women quick of delivery before ever the Midwife the Minister can come at them they have cause to suspect their peace That bringeth good tydings As before but never enough mentioned and memorized Some Criticks tell us that the Hebrew word here used signifying also Flesh B. Andrews shewed that the incarnation or taking flesh should be generally good news to the whole world even the best tydings The Old Church had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Promise we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the joyful tydings Leo Castrius ex Procop. Euseb That publisheth Salvation Publicantis Jesum so some have rendred it the concrete for the abstract That saith to Zion Thy God raigneth Maugre the malice of earth and of hell this is the sum of all the good news in the world It is happy that Christ liveth and raigneth said a godly man for else I had utterly despaired Ver. 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voyce Heb. the voyce of thy watchmen sc Thy God raigneth or as in the following verse Break forth into joy c. They lift up the voyce they sing together As having no greater joy than that their children walk in the truth 2 Joh. 4. 1 Thes 3.8 and the contrary Id est cominus evidentissime ui Num. 14.14 Jun. For they shall see eye to eye And be able to say as 1 Joh. 1.1 That which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and what so sure as sight declare we unto you Ver. 9. Break forth into you This is the subject matter of Gospel-Ministers discourses they shall call upon Gods people to rejoyce ver 9.10 and to repent ver 11 12. and shall shew them that it is as well a sin not to rejoyce as not to repent Ver. 10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm Nudavit id est exeruit in answer to your prayer Confes l. 5. c. 8. Turk hist fol. 287. chap. 51.9 God oft answereth his praying people ad cardinem desiderii as Austin saith letteth it be to them even as they will Scanderbeg ever fought against the Turkes with his arm bare and that with such fierceness that the blood did oftentimes burst out of his lips It is written that he with that bare arm of his slew three thousand Turkes in the time of his wars against them Shall see the Salvation of the Lord Shall see it and sing of it ver 9. Ver. 11. Depart ye depart ye go ye out c. Here we have a double repetition redoubled and all little enough to bring them out of Babylon not half as may be probably thought returned which was no small prejudice to those that did and us out of this wicked world whereunto we are so affixed and addicted that nothing can sunder us but an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven Save your selves from this perverse generation Act. 2.40 Exter not into the path of those wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it passe not by it turn from it and passe away Prov. 4.14 15. a parallel place Be ye clean ye that bear the vessels of the Lord Id est qui gestatis arma instramenta adeoque insignia Christi all ye true beleevers who are made spiritual Priests Rev. 1.6 and especially all ye holy Ministers who as Mystagogues handle the Law Jer. 2.8 and administer the Sacraments being your selves choyce vessels of honour to bear Christs name unto his people Act. 9.15 See 2 Tim. 2.21 Ver. 12. For ye shall not go out with haste Neither with fright nor flight shall ye depart as once ye did out of Egypt Diod. And this spiritually denoteth the mature deliberation and calm mind with which beleevers do forsake the world to follow Christ For the Lord will go before you He will be unto you both Van and Rere The Lord is a man of war Exod. 15.3 yea he alone is a whole army of men as here Ver. 13. Behold my servant shall deal prudently Or shall prosper as chap. 53.10 Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 18 cap. 29. Justin contra Tryphon Oâ—ig lib. 1 cont cos Here some and not unfitly begin the next Chapter which hath Christ also for its subject as the Chaldee Paraphrast and some old Jew-Doctors acknowldge Johannes Isaac a Jew was converted by reading of it This I confess ingenuously saith he that that Chapter brought me to the Faith of Jesus Christ and well it might for taken together with these three last verses it is an entire Prophecy or rather an history of Christs person and acts both in the state of his Humiliation and Exaltation He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high This great advancement was the consequent of his great abasement Phil. 2.6 7 8 9 10 11. His humane nature wherein he suffered so for our sakes hath by vertue of the Union with the Deity these high prerogatives 1. An exuberancy and excesse of glory Eph. 1.21 2. The grace of divine Adoration together with the Deity Heb. 1.6 Phil. 2.9 3. Power over all things for his peoples use Mat. 28.18 4. Judiciary power to be Judge of all Act. 17.30 Ver. 14. As many were astonied at thee Viz. at thine abasement first and then at thine advancement thereupon All things in Christ are admirable well therefore might he be called wonderful Isa 9.6 His visage was so marred more than any man Partly through the anguish of his mind at his passion and on the cross and partly also by the misusage of his body whil'st they made totum pro vulnere corpus by their scourging scratching racking on the tree piercing buffeting c. And his form more than the sons of men Plusquam filii Adae more than those of the vulgar sort whereas naturally his body being of the finest temperament and no way diseased could not but be very beautiful See Psal 45.2 with the Note Ver. 15. So shall he sprinkle many Nations With his Doctrine Ezek. 20.46 Am. 7.16 or with his blood that blood of sprinkling See Heb. 10.22 or with water in baptisme wherein sprinkling insufficient Kings shall shut their mouths at him As being astonied at his prudence and prosperity ver 13. They shall also silently and reverently submit to his Scepter and to the Laws of his Kingdom with all humble observance For that which had not been told them The mystery of the Gospel so long time concealed Rom. 15.21 and 16.25 Shall they see Viz. with the eyes of their faith God enlightening both Organ and Object And that which they had not heard Gospel-truthes See 1 Cor. 2.9 with the Note CHAP. LIII Ver. 1. WHo hath believed our report q. d. The Gentiles some of them even of
all the Cities of the East he might have said of the whole world if he had known all Which say Who shall come down against us or who c. This they said out of carnal confidence in the natural strength of the place increased by their fortifications The Jebusites had done so 2 Sam. 5.6 and were unrooted Security ushereth in destruction Who shall enter into our habitations Which we hold impregnable Such like vaunts precede and presage ruine See chap. 49. Obad. 3. Puniam vos pro meritis Ver. 14. But I will punish you And if I take you once to doe you are sure of your full payment Heb. I will visite upon thee according to the fruit of your actions i. e. I will lay upon you a punishment answerable to your sins the sin being as the seed and the punishment as the fruit that cometh of it q. d. Ye have sown the wind and ye shall reap the whirl-wind And I will kindle a fire in the Forrest thereof i. e. In the streets which stand as thick with houses as the forrest of Lebanon doth with trees and are built with timber fetcht from that forrest CHAP. XXII Ver. 1. GOe down to the house of the King of Judah To the Palace royal of Jehojakim son of Josiah who reigned after that his brother Jehoabaz was carried captive to Egypt 2 King 23.34 Ver. 2. Thou and thy servants Thine attendants and Officers who too oft are evil instruments This made the Primitive Christians pray for the Emperour that God would send him Senatum fidelem faithful Counsellours Tertul. Apol. Ver. 3. Execute ye judgement and righteousnesse Make good Laws and see that they be well executed This the Prophet presseth quasi ad fastidium ever and anon over and over as the likeliest means to prevent future judgements so Phineas found it See chap. 21.12 Ver. 4. For if ye do this thing indeed Heb. if doing you do this word i. e. If seriously and sedulously ye do it Then shall there enter in Kings sitting See chap. 17.25 Ver. 5. That this house shall become a desolation This stately edifice the place of thy royal resiance Note here the Prophets boldnesse and learn That truth must be spoken however it be taken Ver. 6. For thus saith the Lord concerning the Kings house i. e. Concerning the whole Kingdom of Judah saith Junius Thou art Gilead unto me and the head of Lebanon i. e. High and happy as these fruitful mountains famous for spicery and other things desirable Gen. 37.25 Yet surely I will make thee a wildernesse Like as I have made them when the ten Tribes were carried away captive Ver. 7. And I will prepare destroyers Heb. sanctify them that is send them on mine errand and set them forward Gods holy hand is in all such desolations Every one with his weapons Or tooles rather to fell with And they shall cut down Sonat icta socuribus ilex Ver. 8. And many Nations shall passe c. By a Prosepopaeja of passengers admiring the utter ruine of so famous a City the Prophet setteth forth the cause of their desolation Ver. 9. Because they have forsaken the Covenant Magdeburg c. In promptu causa est Hainous sinnes bring hideous plagues Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia Ver. 10. Weep not for the dead neither bemoan him Lament no more for good Josiah lately slain in war and yet dead in peace Ne fletote neque condoletote there is no such cause every thing counted neither shall ye have leisure so to do because of later miseries befalling you thick and threefold Weep ye rather for his son Challum carried captive into Egypt and there miserably handled without hope of return Ver. 11. Which reigned instead of Josiah his father But was too hasty stepping into the Throne before his elder brother Jehojachim and therefore soon after dethroned carried down to Egypt and as some say there put to death See 2 Kings 23.33 2 Chron. 36.2 with the Notes Ver. 12. But he shall dye in the place See on ver 11. Ver. 13. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousnesse This was Jehojakim cujus injusta insana aedificia hic accusantur who would needs be building but whether by right or by wrong-dealing regarded not This was to incur that curse Isa 5.8 Habak 2.9 12. See the Notes there Such injurious and therefore accursed builders were the Pyramid-makers in Egypt Tarquinius Priscus Suetom Niceph. Caligula Nero Phocas who is said to have heard this voice from heaven Though thou shouldest erect thine edifice as high as heaven Aedificans auro sedesque in sidera mittens Yet sin that lyeth at the foundation will soon overturn all Bernard inveigeth against some in his time who did with great care and cost erigere muros negligere meres build high manours but not amend their manners which should have been their chief care That useth his neighbours service His neighbour he was though his vassal and poor labourer And giveth him not for his work This is a crying sin Deut. 24.14 15. Jam. 5.4 See the Note there Ver. 14. I will build me a wide house Heb. a house of measures or dimensions such as is the Turkes Seraglio two or three mile in compasse or rather such as is Westminster-hall built by Wâ—llâ—am Rufus who found much fault with it for being too little saying it was fitter for a chamber then for a hall for a King of England Daniels Hist and taking a plot for one more spacious to be added unto it he came to an untimely end Sarcophago contentus shut up in a little grave which yet was more honour then this ambitious Prince attained to for he was cast out and buried with the burial of an Asse as it followeth ver 19. And large chambers Hed. widened or winded through-aired Caenacula perflabilia Thus with those Megarensians spoken of by Plato he built as if his life had been riveted upon Eternity And cutteth him out windows Some render it and the Original will bear it that teareth my windows sc to enlarge and beautify therewith his new building Et lacerat sibi senestras meas Trem. he took in belike a piece of Gods House This was such a piece of Sacriledge as the very Heathens abhorred A certain King of Sicily to enlarge his Palace pulled down an old Temple but the Emperour Marcus Antonius calleth it a beastly and leud action not to be spoken of without shame protesting that is was a matter of wonder and scandal not only to him but to the whole City and Senate of Rome and therefore he blamed the King exceedingly for it Our William the Conquerour is much cried out upon for throwing down thirty six Mother-Churches in Hampshire for the making of his New-forrest to hunt in Camd. Brit. Ver. 15. Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in Cedar Hast thou no better mediums to establish thy throne no better defence against
Vers 20. That thou mayest walk in the way This is another work of wisdome as to keep us from bad company so to put us into good where much good may be learned Dr. Taylor Martyr rejoyced that ever he came in prison Act. Mon. there to bee acquainted with that Angel of God John Bradford so hee called him Latimer and Ridley while they lived kept up Craâ—mer by intercourse of Letters and otherwise from entertaining counsels of revolt Ibid. A childe having been brought up with Plato returned home to his Fathers house Sen. de ira lib. 3 cap. 11. and hearing his Father to chide and exclaim furiously in his anger used these speeches to his Father I have never seen the like with Plato Vers 21. For the upright shall dwell in the land Of Canaan a type of Heaven for by these outward and corporal things inward spiritual and eternal are understood Here the Wise-man speaks after the manner of Moses Law under which hee lived Deut. 11. And howsoever upright men suffer hardship and hunger here yet they enjoy great tranquillity and felicity as seeing God in all and depending wholly upon him for help Well for the present and it will bee better hereafter This is the upright mans Motto Heaven thinks hee will make amends for all Hee that sees visions of glory will not matter with St. Stephen a shower of stones how much less will hee think much though the Lord give him the bread of adversity and water of affliction Isa 30.20 Vers 22. But the wicked shall bee cut off Certainly suddenly utterly cum maxime velint vivere when they have feathered their nests and set up their rest and reckon upon long life as the fool in the Gospel God will shoot at them with an arrow suddenly and fetch them off when they least look for it The wicked may dye sinning The Saints shall not dye till the best time not till that time when if they were but rightly informed they would even desire to dye Shall bee rooted out Heb. plucked up as degenerate plants Exâ—rientur sed exurentur God shall likewise destroy thee for ever hee shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living Sâ—lah Psal 52.5 CHAP. III. Vers 1. My Son forget not WEE should bee able to say to Wisdome as Coenis did to her Lady Antonia Frustra Domina jussisti haec enim atque caetera omnia quae mihi imperas Dio in respons ita semper in memoria habeo ut ex ea deleri non possint You need not Madam bid mee do your business for I so remember your commands as I need never bee minded of them Jussa sequi tam velle mihi quam posse necesse est I am ready to my power to do your pleasure But let thine heart keep As the Ark kept the two Tables as the Pot kept the hidden Manna Vers 2. For length of dayes A sweet mercy and generally desired Psal 34.12 Short life is reckoned as a curse Psal 55.24 yet in some case it is a blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion Prus Orat. 28. 1 King 14.13 Isa 57.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God taketh away his from the evil to come as when there is a fire in an house or Town men carry out their Jewels but then God makes them up in his Cabinet they do enter into peace their souls go to heaven they rest in their beds their bodies rest sweetly and safely in the grave till the resurrection of the Just Isa 57.2 And is not this far better than the longest life here Length of dayes may prove a curse when it brings shame sorrow c. as it did to Cain Cham c. And peace shall they adde to thee Without which to live is nothing else but to lye a dying Rebecca for want of this was weary of her life so was Elijah when hee sate under the Juniper tree All the dayes of the afflicted are evil Prov. 15.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dwell together they do not live together said Themistocles of married folk that agree not Non ille diu vixit sed diu fuit said Seneca of one And again Non multum navigavit sed multum jactatus est Hee was tossed much up and down but sailed not far as being driven about by contrary winds Shall they adde to thee Multiplicem pacem significat saith one Peace peace as Isa 26.3 that is a multiplied peace with God with ones self with others or a renewed continued peace to day to morrow and every day Or a perfect sheer pure peace Vers 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee That is true mercy not that which is natural or moral onely but that which is right both quoad fontem quoad finem They that do otherwise as heathens and hypocrites lay up their treasure in the eyes and ears of men which is a chest that hath neither lock nor key to keep it Binde them That is my Commandements Hee seems to allude to Deut. 6.8 See the Note there Vers 4. So shalt thou finde favour As did Joseph Moses David hee was a man after Gods own heart and whatsoever hee did pleased the people It is God that gives credit hee fashioneth mens opinions and inclineth their hearts as Ezra oft acknowledges with much thankfulness Chap. 7.27 c. Vers 5. Trust in the Lord To trust in God is to bee unbottomed of thy self and of every creature and so to lean upon God that if hee fail thee thou sinkest Confidence is the least and yet the best wee can render to the Lord for hereby wee acknowledge his Soveraignty and set the Crown upon his head as it were See Judg. 9.15 And lean not to thine own understanding Which because men do hence it is many times that the fairest blossoms of their endeavours wither and the unprobablest things do come to pass God loves to confute men in their confidences as hee did the Philistims in their Champion Goliah Wee must not therefore trust no not Trust it self but God on whom it relies who is therefore called our Trust They trust not God at all that do it not alone He that stands with one foot on a rock and another foot upon a quicksand will sink and perish as certainly as he that stands with both feet on a quicksand Lord lead mee to a Rock that is higher than I saith David Whither when hee was once got then hee sate and sang The Lord is my rock and my salvation c. Psal 27.1 Surely as one said of general Councils they seldome were successeful because men came with confidence leaning to their own understanding and seeking for victory rather than verity so it holds as true in other like cases Vers 6. In all thy waies acknowledge him Ask counsel at his mouth aime at his glory bee evermore in the sense of his presence and light of his countenance
that he hath no wise man ever yet gave God thanks for it And Seneca saith It is of the gods that wee live but of our selves that wee live well and honestly How different are the Saints in Scripture from the worlds wisards Nor have the knowledge of the holy That is of the Angels as Dan. 4.13 17. 8.13 whom Jacob saw ascending and descending Gen. 28.12 compared with the next verse of this Chapter and with John 1.51 Moses made them looking intently into the Mercy Seat Exod. 25.18 19. Peter sets them forth as stooping down to look wishtly and earnestly into the Mystery of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.12 which was hid from them till the discovery and ever since that they are great students in it Ephes 3.10 But how should Agur or any man else due cannot tell the form and the quintessence of things that cannot enter into the depth of the Flower or the Grass he treads on that cannot understand the nature and properties of so small a Creature as an Ant or Bee Pliny tells of one that spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Lib. 11. cap. 9. and yet had not fully attained unto it How is it possible I say that the wisest Naturalist should have the wit to enter into the deep things of God Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Vers 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended Who but the Son of man which is in heaven 1 Joh. 3.13 who but the holy Angels upon that Son of man the Ladder of life Joh. 1.51 Who but those that have in some measure the knowledge of those holy ones vers 3. the knowledge of God in Christ which is life eternal Joh. 17.3 Heaven aforehand Holy Agur holds it out to us here that to know heavenly things is to ascend into heaven Even Aristotle saith that a little knowledge though but conjectural about heavenly things is to be preferred above much knowledge though certain about inferiour things De â—â—lo tâ—m 99 and yet he knew no heaven beyond the moveable heavens neither acknowledged any body or time or place or vacuum there The truth is no natural knowledge can be had of the third heaven nor any help by Human Arts for it is neither aspectable nor moveable As no man hath seen God at any time so nor Heaven the Throne of God only the only begotten Son of God which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared both him and Heaven Joh. 1.18 as that there are many Mansions Crowns Scepters Kingdoms Glories Beauties Angelical entertainments beatifical Visions sweetest varieties felicities eternities And yet all this or whatsoever more can be said of Heavens happiness is not the one half as shee said of Salomons Magnificence of what we shall finde in that City of Pearl To expresse it is as impossible as to compass the Heavens with a span or contain the Ocean in a Nut-shel Let there be continual ascensions thither in our hearts let us lift up hearts and hands to God in the Heavens and hee will shortly send his Chariots for us as Joseph did for his Father fetch us riding upon the Clouds convoy us by his Angels thorow the ayr as thorow the enemies Country and puts us into that Panegyris that General Assembly and solemn celebrity of holy and happy souls Heb. 12.23 As in the mean space how should we every day take a turn or two with Christ upon Mount Tabor get up to the top of Pisgah with Moses and take a prospect of Heaven turn every solemnity into a School of Divinity Say as Fulgentius when hee saw the Nobility of Rome sit mounted in their bravery Si talis est Roma terrestris qualis est Roma caelestis If Rome bee such a glorious place what is Heaven What Musick may we think there is in Heaven said another good soul when he sate and heard a good Consort of Musick This this is the principal end and most profitable use of all Creatures Cum scalae nobis alae fiant when they become Ladders and Wings to us to mount up to Heaven Who hath gathered the Wind in his fists c. None but God the great Wonder-worker the right Aeolus that bringeth the winds out of his treasures Psal 135. and bids them at his pleasure Peace and be still We read of a Whirlwind raised by the Devil Job 1.19 and of a Tempest laid by the Magicians Herodotus in Polyâ—nia But it cannot bee said as 1 King 19.11 that God was not in that Wind for hee hath the royalty of all the Creatures though hee suffer the Devil to play Rex sometimes for ends best known to himself Who hath bound the waters in a garment Those above the Firmament in Clouds thorow which they distill and drop down as water would doe if bound up in a garment those below in Chanels and Bottles as the Psalmist hath it Water is naturally above the earth as the garment above the body and would but for the providence of God prove as the shirt made for the murthering of Agamemnon where the head had no issue out c. See my notes on Gen. 1. What is his name God is above all name to speak properly When Manoah enquires after his name the answer is 'T is Wonderful that is I am called as I am called but such is thy weakness that it passeth thy conception this Ocean will not be measured by thy Muscle-shel Multa nomina lumina sibi finxerunt Infideles The Heathens had many names for their Dunghil-deities but the Africans called an unknown God whom they worshipped Lib. de Isid Osirid Amon that is Heus tu quis est Heark who art thou as Plutarch relateth And what is his Sons name Christ hath many names in holy Scripture as Isa 9.6 7. So Jehovah our righteousnesse Messiah the Prince Dan. 9. whereunto answereth in the New-Testament the Lord Christ but who can declare his generation Isa 53.8 whether that eternal generation or that in the fulness of time the mystery whereof was beyond words Our safest eloquence here will be our silence our greatest knowledge a learned ignorance Only wee have here a clear testimony of the distinction of the Persons and that the Son is co-equal and con-substantial with the Father sith Hee is also as the Father above all name and notion If thou canst tell But so can none No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither doth any man know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Matth. 11.27 The Son is so like the Father here that if you know the one yee cannot but know the other Joh. 14.7 8 9. Milk is not so like milk Non tam ovum ovo simile He is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 See the Note there And if wee desire a glass wherein to
burial and in that respect weeping and wailing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the dues of the dead whose bodies are sown in corruption and watered usually with tears It is better therefore to sort with such to mingle with mourners to follow the Herse to weep with those that weep to visit the heavy-hearted this being a special means of mortification than to go to the house of feasting where is nothing but joy and jollity slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine yea therefore eating and drinking because to morrow they shall dye Ede Sardanapali vox belluina bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas What good can bee gotten amongst such swinish Epicures What sound remedy against lifes vanity It is far better therefore to go to the house of mourning where a man may bee moved with compassion with compunction with due and deep consideration of his doleful and dying condition where hee may hear dead Abel by a dumb eloquence preaching and pressing this necessary but much neglected lesson that this is the end of all men and the living should lay it to heart or as the Hebrew hath it lay it upon his heart work it upon his affections inditurus est illud animo suo so Tremelius renders it hee will so minde it Job 30.33 Psal 39.4 5 as to make his best use of it so as to say with Job I know that thou wilt bring mee unto death And with David Behold thou hast made my daies as a span c. And as Moses who when hee saw the peoples carkasses fall so fast in the wilderness Lord teach us said hee so to number our daies Psal 90.12 as to cause our hearts of themselves never a whit willing to come to wisdome Vers 3. Sorrow is better than laughter Here as likewise in the two former verses is a collation and praelation Sorrow or indignation conceived for sin is better than laughter i. e. carnal and prophane mitth This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaks in another case a Paradox to the world but such as may sooner and better bee proved than those Paradoxes of the antient Stoicks The world is a perfect stranger to the truth of this sacred position as being all set upon the merry Pin and having so far banished sadness as that they are no less enemies to seriousness than the old Romans were to the name of the Tarquins These Philistins cannot see how out of this Eater can come Meat and out of this Strong Sweet how any man should reasonably perswade them to turn their laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness James 4.9 A pound of grief say they will not pay an ounce of debt a little mirth is worth a great deal of sorrow there is nothing better than for a man to eat and drink and laugh himself fat Spiritus Calvinianus Spiritus Melancholicus a Popish Proverb to bee precise and godly is to bid adue to all mirth and jollity and to spend his daies in heaviness and horrour This is the judgement of the mad world ever beside it self in point of Salvation But what saith our Preacher who had the experience of both and could best tell Sorrow is better for it makes the heart better It betters the better part and is therefore compared to fire that purgeth out the dross of sin to water that washeth out the dreggs of sin yea to eye-water sharp but soveraign By washing in these troubled waters the conscience is cured and Gods Naamans cleansed By feeding upon this bitter-sweet root Gods penitentiaries are fenced against the temptations of Satan the corruption of their own hearts and the allurements of this present evil world These tears drive away the Devil much better than Holy-water as they called it they quench Hell flames and as April showers they bring on a man the May-flowers both of grace 1 Pet. 5.5 and of glory Jer. 4.14 What an ill match therefore make our Mirth-mongers that purchase laughter many times with shame loss misery beggery rottenness of body distress damnation that hunt after it to Hell and light a candle at the Devil for lightsomeness of heart by haunting Ale-houses Brothel-houses conventicles of good fellowship sinful and unseasonable sports and other vain fooleries in the froth whereof is bred and fed that worm that never dies A man is nearest danger when hee is most merry said Mr. Greenham And God cast not man out of Paradise saith another Reverend Man that hee might here build him another but that as that bird of Paradise hee might alwaies bee upon the wing and if at any time taken never leave groaning and grieving till hee bee delivered This will bring him a Paradise of sweetest peace and make much for the lengthening of his tranquillity and consolation Dan. 4.27 Oh how sweet a thing is it at the feet of Jesus to stand weeping to water them with tears to dry them with sighs and to kiss them with our mouths Onely those that have made their eyes a fountain to wash Christs feet in may look to have Christs heart a fountain to bathe their souls in Vers 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning Hee gladly makes use of all good means of minding his mortality and holds it an high point of heavenly wisdome so to do Hence hee frequents funerals mingles with mourners Monimenta quasi mentem momentia hears etiam muta clamare cadavera makes every tomb a teacher every Monument a Monitor laies him down in his bed as in his grave looks upon his sheets as his winding-sheet Ut somnus mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri If hee hears but the clock strike sees the glass run out it is as a Death-head to preach Momento mori to him hee remembers the daies of darkness as Solomon bids Eccles 11.8 acts death aforehand takes up many sad and serious thoughts of it and makes it his continual practice so to do as Job and David did The wiser Jews digged their graves long before as that old Prophet 1 King 13.30 Joseph of Arimathea had his in his garden to season his delights John Patriarch of Alexandria sirnamed Eleemosynarius for his bounty to the poor having his tomb in building gave his people charge it should bee left unfinished and that every day one should put him in minde to perfect it that hee might remember his mortality The Christians in some part of the Primitive Church took the Sacrament every day because they looked to dye every day Austin would not for the gain of a million of worlds bee an Atheist for half an hour Quid hic facio Aug. Descript of the Isle of Man abbridg Arist because hee had no certainty of his life for so short a time His Mother Monica was heard oft to say How is it that I am here still The women of the Isle of Man saith Speed whensoever they go out of their doors gird
times of the Gospel imported the same Notion And the Government shall be upon his shoulders The Power and Majestie of the Kingdom is committed to him by his Father chap. 22.22 with Matth. 28.18 and he hath strength enough to manage it Princeps est hajulus Reip. The Hebrews call a Prince Nassi because Atlas-like he is to bear up the Common-wealth and not to overload his Subjects Christ both as Prince of his Church and as High-Priest also beareth up and beareth out his people helping their infirmities Rom. 8.26 See the Note And his Name shall be called Heb. He shall call his Name 1. God his Father shall or every true Believer shall call him and count him all this And sure it is had we but skill to spell all the Letters in this Name of Christ Prov. 18.10 it would be a strong Tower unto us better then that of David builded for an Armoury and compleatly furnished Cant. 4.4 Compare this Text with 1 Cor. 1.30 and see all our doubts answered Are we perplexed He is our wonderful Counsellour and made unto us of God Wisdom Are we in depths of distress He is the mighty God our Redemption Want we Grace and his Image He is the Everlasting Father our Sanctification Doth the guilt of sin sting us He is the Prince of peace our Righteousness Wonderful Heb. A Miracle or Wonder viz. in all his Counsels and Courses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symmach Ipsa admirabilitas A Lap. especially for his Glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Counsellour The Septuagint here calleth Him the Angel of the great Counsel Rev. 1.13 He is set forth as cloathed with a garment down to the foot which is the Habit of Counsellors at Law who are therehence called Gentlemen of the long Robe See Rev. 3.17 Prov. 8.14 Jer. 32.19 But because Counsellors are but Subjects it is added in Christs stile The mighty God Able to effect his own Counsels for the behoof of his Subjects Saint Paul calleth him the great God Tit. 2.13 and God above all to be blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 God the Potentate so the Sept. render this Text God the Giant so Oecolampadius The Everlasting Father The Father of Eternity the King Eternal Immortal 1 Tim. 1.17 Ferdinand the Emperour on his death bed would not acknowledge the Title Invictissimus but commanded his Counsellour to call him Ferdinand without more addition Christ is also the Author of Eternity to all his people whom he hath begotten again to an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The Prince of peace Pacis omnimodae of all kinds of peace outward inward of countrey and of conscience temporal and eternal Of all these he is the Prince as having full power to bestow them for he is son to the God of peace Rom. 16.20 He was brought from Heaven with that song of peace Luc. 2.14 He himself purged our sins and made our peace Heb. 1.3 Eph. 2.14 Returned up to Heaven with that farewel of peace Joh. 14.27 Left to the world the Gospel of peace Eph. 2.17 Whose Ministers are messengers of peace Rom. 10.15 Whose followers are the children of peace Luk. 10.6 c. Wherefore Christ doth far better deserve then our Hen. 7. did to be stiled the Prince of peace Especially since Ver. 7. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end Here the Mem final in the middle of the word Lemarbeh hath occasioned some to give many guesses at the reason of it yea to conceit many mysteries where wiser men can find no such matter It is a good note which One giveth here viz. that the more Christs government increaseth in the soul the more peace there is See chap. 32.17 Psal 119.136 To establish it Or support it uphold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A King hath his name in Greek from being the foundation of the people This King of Kings is only worthy of that name he is not maintained and supported by us our Subsidies but we by him and by the supplies of his Spirit Philip. 1.19 All our springs are in him Psal 87.7 Non amat qui non zelat The Zeal of the Lord of hosts i. e. the philanthropy Tit. 3.4 and free grace of God Dilexisti me Domine magis quam te saith a Father Let us reciprocate by being zealous of good works fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And when Satan telleth us of our no merits tell we him that the Zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do it notwithstanding Ver. 8. The Lord fâ—râ— a word into Jacob He sent it as a shaft out of a bow that will be sure to hit God loveth to premonish but woe be to those that will not be warned The Septuagint render it The Lord sent a plague or Death into Jacob and indeed after the white horse followeth the red and the black Revel 6.2 4 5. Like as Tamerlan that warlike Scythian displayed first a white flag in token of mercy and then a red menacing and threatning blood and then lastly a black flag the messenger and ensign of death was hung abroad And it hath lighted upon Israel 1. They were not ignorant of such a word ver 9.2 They could neither avert nor avoid his wrath Ver. 9. And all the people shall know Know it they do already but they shall know it by wofull experience He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crushed to pieces in feeling said Mr. Bradford Martyr That say in pride and sloutness of heart The Poet could say of his Ajax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His pride undid him so doth it many a man especially when come to that height that it fighteth against God as here When earthen pots will needs be dashing against the Rock of ages and doing this or that al despito di Dio as that profane Pope once said whether God will or no divine vengeance doggs at heels such Desperado's Ver. 10. The bricks are fallen down Not thrown down by Providence but fallen down by Fate or blind fortune God is not so far honoured as once to be owned by these Atheists who think they can make their party good against him and mend what he had marr'd whether he would or not Thus this giantlike generation and the like impiety is in the corrupt nature of us all For as in water face answereth to face so doth the heart of a man to a man saith Solomon Prov. 27.19 The Sycomores are cut down c. Another proverbial speech to the same purpose Sycomores were then very common in that countrey and little set by 1 King 10.27 Now they are not to be found there saith Hierom as neither are Cedars in Lebanon Ver. 11. Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin in whom ye trust He shall shortly be destroyed by the Assyrian 2 King 16.9 and then your hopes
it cannot trace him and by an assurance of adherence at least get to Heaven through mourning as Christ was taken up in a cloud or as the kine that carried the Ark went right but they lowed as they went And stay upon this God As the vine doth upon some support Faith hath a catching quality at whatoever is near to lay hold on like the branches of the Vine it windeth about that which is next and stayes it self upon it spreading further and further still Fides est quae te pullastrum Christum gallinam facit saith Luther Ver. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire That instead of relying upon God would relieve your selves by carnal shifts and fetches a fire of your own kindling or rather sparkes of your own tinder-boxes strange fire and not that of Gods Sanctuary Or say they be your own good works you trust to like as the Phoenix gathereth sweet odoriferous sticks in Arabia together and then blows them with her wings and burns her self with them That compass your selves about with sparks Away with those tinder-boxes of yours what are your sparkles but such as are smitten out of a flint which 1. Yields no warmth or good light 2. Are soon extinct 3. Neverthelesse you are sure to lie down in sorrow to be cast into utter darknesse where you shall never see the light again till you see the whole world all on a light fire at the last day Walk in the light of your fire Do so if ye thing it good but your light shall be put out into darknesse and worse like as lightning is followed by rending and roaring Thunder This shall ye have of my hand This I will assure of and having spoken it with my mouth I will fulfil it with my hand Ye shall lie down in sorrow As sick folk who being in grievous pain and teen would fain dye but cannot Cubatum ibitis adignes ad dolores cruciatus You shall make your beds in the bottom of Hell as it is said of the King of Babylon chap. 14.11 and as of Pope Clement the fifth it was reported that upon the death of a Nephew of his whom he had sensually abused Jacob. Revius hist Pont. p. 199. he sent to a certain Magician to know how it went with his soul in the other world The Magician shewed him to the messenger as lying in Hell in a bed of fire Whereupon the Pope was so struck with horrour that he never held up his head more but soon after dyed also CHAP. LI. Ver. 1. HEarken unto me ye that fellow after righteousnesse Heb. ye that pursue or follow hard after it as Paul did Philip. 3. The speech is directed to those Jews that embraced the Gospel perswading them to persist in the faith in nothing terrified by their adversaries sith Almighty God would keep and help them as he had done faithful Abraham and Sarah their Ancestours Banim meabanim to whom also he would of stones raise up sons in the conversion of the Gentiles and could do it as easily as he had hewed the Hebrews that great Nation out of aged Abraham and superannuated Sarah who are here compared to a dry-rock and a deep pit And to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged Est honesta periphrasis actus conjugalis The word here used is of the same root with Nekebah the female kind of all creatures Ver. 2. Look unto Abraham your Father Look and again Look hearken and again hearken These poor Jews before the coming of Christ in the flesh were vino somnoque sepulti drunk with the cup of Gods fury ver 17. and so fast asleep that they needed to be thus roused and raised up to the hope of better times which now were at hand And unto Sarah that bare you By the force of her Faith also Heb. 11.11 her son Isaac was emeritae fidei filius Now these domestical examples are alledged to assure them that God could do the like again in respect of spiritual children Abraham's right seed Gal. 4. For I called him alone Be not ye therefore troubled at your alonenesse And blessed him and increased him Gods benediction is his benefaction the Popes is not so fumos vendit fumo pereas Ver. 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion As once he did Abraham by multiplying her children giving her in good store of Converts these were the Apostles and the Primitive Christians those earthly Angels who made the world which before was as a waste wildernesse to become a most pleasant and plentiful Paradise Chrysostom somewhere calleth them Angels and saith that they were puriores coel◠afflictione facti more clear then the azured sky Joy and gladnesse shall be found in them See chap. 35.10 Thanksgiving and the voice of melody Paul as the Pracentor sweetly sings and gives the Note to us all Eph. 1 3 4 5. c. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us c. Ver. 4. Harken unto me See on ver 2. For a Law shall proceed from me i. e. The Gospel of grace that perfect Law of liberty the Law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Diod. And I will make my Judgement to rest I will firmly and irrevocably establish the government of my Word and Spirit in the Church for a secure guide to bring it to eternal life Some render it thus My Judgement i. e. My Gospel shall be for a light of the people whereby I will give rest So that here is a double effect of the Gospel viz Saving light and Peace of Conscience Jam amodò iter ingressa est Hyper. Ver. 5. My righteousnesse i. e. my faithfulnesse or my Son that Sun of righteousnesse is already on the way and will be with you forthwith And mine arm shall judge the people i. e. All that set themselves against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2.2 these shall feel his power to their perdition even the force of both his arms The Iles shall wait upon me They shall stretch out their souls as a line so the word importeth and direct them toward Christ And on mine arm shall they trust i. e. On my power or on my Gospel-promises Ver. 6. Lift up your eyes to the Heavens Man hath a muscle more then ordinary to draw up his eyes heavenward And look upon the earth beneath How fast and firm it standeth Eccles 1.4 Yet the whole engine shall be changed 2 Pet. 3.10 Shall dye in like manner Or like a louse as some render it But my salvation shall be for ever The Gospel together with the spiritual benefits thereby shall out last Heaven and Earth Ver. 7. Hearken unto me See on ver 2. Ye that know righteousnesse with a knowledge Apprehensive and Affective also The people in whose heart is my Law and not in your heads only Fear ye not the reproach of men Tertullian thinketh that our Saviour alludeth to this of Isaiah in that
upon Revelations and fained Miracles think the same of Rantâ—rs Quakers and some Anabaptists prove Palea that is chaff hay and stubble that shall be surely burnt 1 Cor. 3.11 Some render the text Quid paleae cum tritico what hath chaff to do with the wheat as Hos 14.9 Joh. 2.4 Away with any such mixtures In the writings of some Sectaries Sunt bona mista malis sunt mala mista bonis The speech in the text seemeth to have been Proverbial and is not unlike that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. and those in humane Authors Quid sceptre plectro Suid. Qui specillo gladio quid lecytho strophio quid hyaenae cani quid bovi delphino quid cani balneo c. So what communion hath faith and unbelief zeal and passion c. And yet unbelief may be with faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Mar. 9.24 zeal with passion yea in young Christians heat and passion goeth sometimes for zeale and yet it is but chaff which when blown away the heap is little else but wheat that is saith zeal humility though we have lesse pride passion presumption But this by the way only Ver. 29. Is not my Word like a fire As it is like solid wheat wholesom food 1 Tim. 6.3 so it is no lesse liâ—e fire that most active Element called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is pure saith One and fire because it is fair It inlighteneth enliveneth warmeth purgeth assimilateth aspireth consumeth combustible matter congregat hâ—mogenea segregat heterogenia so doth the Word when accompanied by the Spirit who is of a fiery nature and of a fiery operation Isa 4.4 Mal. 3.2 Matth. 3.11 The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and thee are life Job 6.65 Did not our hearts burn within us whiles he talked with us by the way and opened unto us the holy Scriptures Luke 24.32 when the word comes home to the heart in the power of it the preacher was sent of God See Gal. 2.8 And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces i. e. The rockiest hearts and sturdiest stomacks are tamed terrified by the Word when God once takes them to do Iâ— is as his plough to break up their fallow ground and as his sword to run them through Jer. 4 Heb. 4. and to lay them for dead Rom. 7. And like as the hardest ice is broken with hot waters as well as with hammers so is the hardest heart with the Gospel as well as with the Law Ver 30. Behold I am against those Prophets Heb. Behold I against by an angry Aposiopesis That steal my Word every one from his neighbour That filth it either by hiding it from others as the Popish Doctors do from the common people or by wresting it to the defence of their false doctrines as Marcion the heretike whom therefore Tertullian fitly calleth Murem Ponticum the rat of Pontus for his gnawing and tawing of the Scriptures to bring them to his purpose Or by a fraudulent imitating of Gods true Prophets taking up their parables and making use of their expressions such as are Thus saith the Lord Grace be to you and peace c. Wasps also have their combs as well as Bees and Apes will be doing as they see men to do Or lastly by causing the people ro forget and lose the good that they had once learned of the true Prophets This we see daily done by the cunning fetches and flatteries of the Seducers of our times causing many to lose the things that they had wrought 2 Joh. 8. Ver. 31. That use their tongues Or abuse them rather to smoothing and soothing up people in their sins lenificant linguas id est blando sermone alliciunt plebem they flatter and collogue or tollunt linguam they sift up their tongues viz. by extolling themselves and speaking magnifically of their own doing As one hath observed of some Sectaries amongst us that they often call upon their hearers to mark Dulcorantium mollificantium False Prophets sooth sweeten men for it may be they shall hear that which they never heard before When the thing is either false or if true no more then is ordinarily taught by others and which they have stolen out of the writings of others And say He saith See on ver 30. Ver. 32. That cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse By their lying discorses and light or lose courses So Zeph. 3.4 Judg. 9.4 If these false Prophets had been of a sober grave behaviour the people might have been with better excuse deluded by them as Aristotle noteth of Eudoxus and the same is true of Epicâ—rus himself as Tully telleth us that he prevailed much in disputing for pleasure because he was no voluptuous man himself But these in the text were no lesse leud then loud lyars Ver. 33. What is the burthen of the Lord Ironicum interrogandi genus thus they profanely asked by way of scoff or despite such as he will drive down their throats again plaguing them for their profane malignity Then shalt thou say What burthen q d. I 'le burden you to some purpose sith ye profanely count and call my Word a burthen you shall suddenly have your back-burthen of plagues and miseries for the contempt of it I will even forsake you And then Woe be unto you Hos 9.12 you shall be eased of these burthens and of me together and that you 'l find misery enough See chap. 12.7 Learn therefore to speak holily and honourably of Gods Word left thou hear this Word of his Thou shalt never enter into my rest Ver. 34. That shall say The burthen of the Lord Nempe per lâ—dibrium in contempt and derision See 2 Chron. 36.16 Ver. 35. Thus shall ye say God sets them a form who otherwise knew not how to lisp out a syllable of sober language Loquamur verba Scripturae saith Peter Ramus utamur sermone Spiritus Sancti Let us inure our selves to Scripture-Expressions Ver. 36. For every mans word shall be his burthen That jear of his aforementioned shall lye heavy upon him and cost him dear for under the weight he shall sink and be crusht in pieces Ver. 37. Thus shalt thou say to the Prophet See on ver 35. Ver. 38. But sith ye say The burthen of the Lord Sith ye accuse me as unmerciful my Word as a ponderous burthen and my Messengers as telling you nothing but terrible things and bloody businesses which therefore you are resolved to slight and neglect Ver. 39. Therefore behold I even I will utterly forget you I nunc ergo lude pasquillis putidis dicteriis saith One. Go thy waies now thou that thinkest it a goodly thing to gibe and jear at Gods Ministers and their messages Consider of this dreadful denunciation and thereby conceive aright of the hainousnesse of thy sin for God doth not use to kill flies upon mens foreheads