the Pulpit doore Oecolamp and be fully of his minde who said I would not be found speaking or doing ought that I thought Christ would not approve of if he were corporally present And read in the book Giving the sense of that they read and applying it close to mens consciences This was preaching indeed for as every sound is not musick so neither is every Pulpit-discourse Preaching Cura Pastoralis est ars artium scientia scientiarum saith one It is a matter of great skill to divide the word aright See chap. 8.8 One fourth part of the day i. e. for three hours from nine a clock to twelve This warranteth our preaching Fast-Sermons though prayer be the chief businesse of such a day See Jer. 36.6 7. And another fourth part Sc. From twelve to three thus besides the ordinary morning and evening sacrifices they divided the day betwixt Preaching and Prayer as those did Acts 6.4 And as the Priests of old taught Jacob Gods judgements and put incense before the Lord Deut. 33.10 The Jewes at this day boast that they divide the day even the working-working-day into three parts the first ad Tephillah they spend in Prayer the second ad Torah in reading the Law the third ad Malachah in their worldly businesse But you are not bound herein to beleeve them They confessed Not without supplication for pardon and power to do better And worshipped the Lord their God Inwardly and outwardly giving him his due glory and resting upon him by a lively faith in the gracious promises being fully perswaded of this that together with the forgivenesse of sinne they should have those particular blessings which they sued for so farre as might stand with Gods glory and the good of their souls Verse 4. Then stood up Each of these eight in his turn or each in his own proper place the people being for more conveniency-sake divided into eight several Congregations And cried with a loud voyce Verbis non modò disertis sed exsertis that God might hear which yet he can do very well without any audible voice Exod. 14.15 1 Kings 22.32 and all the people might hear and joyn in prayer Vnto the Lord their God As being in Covenant with them This shewes their faith as the former their fervencie Faith is the foundation of Prayer and Prayer is the fervencie of Faith Verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.2 Then the Levites Jeshua c. said stand up Gird your selves and serve the Lord as Luke 17.8 Be instant or stand close to the work set sides and shoulders to it Rouse up your selves Neand. Chron pag. 74. and wrestle with God Hoc agite said the Romane Priest to the people at their sacrifices And Sacerdos parat fratrum mentes dicendo Sursum corda saith Cyprian In the Primitive times the Ministers prepared the people to serve God by saying Lift up your hearts De oratione And blesse the Lord your God for ever Give him immortal thanks all possible praise amore more ore glorifie him doingly 1 Cor. 10.30 31. Ephes 1.11 12. Think of the multitude seasonablenesse suitablenesse constancy c. of Gods favours and then give him the glory due unto his Name which yet we can never do because his Name is exalted above all blessing and praise as it followeth here so that if we should do nothing else all our dayes yea as long as the dayes of heaven shall last said that Martyr but kneele upon our knees and sing over Davids Psalmes to Gods praise yet should we fall farre short fo what we owe to the Lord who is most worthy to be praised And blessed be thy glorious name These holy Levites having called upon the people to blesse God break forth into the performance of this Divine duty themselves So Saint Paul often exhorting the Saints to pray falls a praying for them Which is exalted above all blessing and praise So that when we have done our utmost herein we can never over-do David is oft so transported that he seemes to forget himself as a bird that hath got note records it over and over as Psal 136. for his mercie endureth for ever And Psal 150. in six verses are twelve Halleluiahs Praise him saith He Verse 2. according to his excellent greatnesse for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised Psal 145.3 and verse 6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Or Let every breath praise the Lord. As oft as we breath we are to breath out the praises of God and to make our breath like the perfumed smoke of the Tabernacle Verse 6. Thou even thou art Lord alone Jehovah is Gods incommunicable name that holy and reverend Name of his which Jewes pronounce not we too oft profane at least by not considering the import of it which is enough to answer all our doubts and to fill us with strong consolation had we but skill to spell all the letters in it Thou hast made heaven With great skill and artifice thou hast made it three stories high 2 Cor. 12.2 Heb. 11.10 The heaven of heavens Called the highest Luke 2.14 and the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 Of this heaven no natural knowledge can be had nor any help by humane arts Geometry Opticks c. for it is neither aspectable nor movable With all their host i. e. Their furniture Angels those heavenly Courtiers Sunne Moone and Starres c. which are all Gods servants Psal 119.91 and do in their way worship Him The earth and all things that are therein God may be read in the great book of Nature which hath three leaves Heaven Earth and Sea Heaven is all that 's above earth Earth is an element of cold and dry nature thick solid heavie placed in the middest of the world as the foundation thereof and therefore unmovable though round and in that respect naturally apt for motion and though founded not upon solid rocks but fluid waters This Aristotle himself wondred at Lib. 2. de Coelo cap. 13. And all things that are thereon Either therein as metals and minerals or thereon as men beasts creeping things c. The Seas and all that are therein As There is that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable Gods handy-work all of them And thou preservest them all Givest them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17.25 life and breath motion and maintenance thou upholdest the whole creation by the word of thy power Heb. 1.3 and all things subsist by thy manutension God doth not cast off the care of his works that he hath made as doth the Carpenter or Shipwright but being perpetually present with them ruleth disposeth and ordereth all by a certaine counsel to his own ends and at length to his own glory And the host of heaven worshippeth thee Angels and Saints especially who the more they know of God the more they love him and honour him making their addresses to him with greatest self-abasement considering their
in changeable colours as often changed as moved Gods name is I am Exod. 3.14 And if Pilate could say What I have written I have written nothing shall be altered how much more may the Lord who is the same yesterday to day and for ever His Decrees are immutable his power irresistible Some think that Job complaineth here of Gods absolute power and little lesse then tyrannical exercised against him an innocent person If so Job was surely much to blame sith Gods absolute power is never sundred from his Justice and it must be taken for an undoubted truth that his judgments are sometimes secret but alwayes just And what his soul desireth even that he doth Id est Cupit ac facit statim ejus voluntas est executio that is He desireth and doth it forthwith his will is present execution It is his pleasure to lay load of afflictions upon me but wherefore it is I know not But Job should have known that as God is a most free Agent so his wil is not only recta but regula neither may any man here presume to reprehend what he cannot comprehend Verse 14. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me He hath performed all my necessaries so Vatablus rendreth it 't is the same word that was used for appointed or necessary food ver 12. Voluntas Dei necessitas rei God hath decreed thus to deal with me and therein I must rest satisfied And many such things are with him I know not but that there may be many more sufferings yet decreed to come upon me in his secret counsel Fiat voluntâ—â— Domini Godly people though they know not many times what the Lord will do and how he wil deal with them yet they always know that he is a merciful father to them and wil order all for the best This should content them and keep them from chatting against God and from nourishing hard conceits of him or heavy conceits of themselves as if wicked because afflicted Verse 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence At the consideration of his formidable Power and Majesty I am troubled and terrified troubled at my present calamities and afraid of fiercer This verse then seemeth to be a correction of that wish of his above verse 3. and not unlike that ch 13.21 Withdraw thine hand far from me and let not thine dread make me afraid Then call then and I will answer c. When I consider I am afraid of him I have alwayes imagined that as it were weakness to fear a man so it were madness not to be afraid of God Let me be accounted timorous rather then temerarious Verse 16 For God maketh my heart soft Methinks I feel it fall asunder in my bosome like drops of water and dissolved with manifold afflictions so that I am hardly able to hear up any longer I am almost done as we use to speak and my heart faileth me How should it do otherwise when God with-draweth from his the supplies of his Spirit Phil 1.19 that Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 Dr. Preston Acts 20.22 saith that great Apostle And now behold I go bound in the Spirit up to Jerusalem c. Whereupon One gives this good Note The Spirit hemmeth us about comprehendeth and keepeth us When a man 's own strength would fall loose this supernatural strength stayeth and strengtheneth it Hence that of David Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed unto thee thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul So Psal 27.14 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart which else will melt as did the hearts of the men of Jericho Josh 2.11 like metal melted with fire or like ice thawed into water and spilt upon the ground which cannot be taken up again And this is the soft heart Job here complaineth of God had dispirited him and The Almighty troubleth him sc With the thoughts of his Almightinesse See Psal 39.11 Tot malis ingruentibus Jun. and with so many miseries growing upon him Now it is not amisse for Gods people thus to be melted and troubled otherwhiles for by this meanes shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Isai 37.9 Verse 17. Because I was not cut off before the darknesse i.e. The afflictions that now are upon me It is a mercy to some to dye betime as Josiah and those righteous ones Isai 57.1 who were taken away from the evil to come when Gods glory was to passe by he put Moses into the hole of the rock so he sometimes doth his servants till the glory of his Justice hath passed upon others Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face i.e. He hath neither prevented my troubles by death as I wished he would have done chap. 3. Nor yet will he put an end to them by the same means for Mors erumnaruns requies Chancers Motto Death is a rest from trouble To the tossed soul it is as Mount Ararat was to Noah where the Ark rested as Michal was to David a means to shift him out of the way when Saul sent to slay him or as the fall of the house was to Samson an end of all his sorrowes and servitude CHAP. XXIV Verse 1. Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty HEB. Why are not times hidden from the Almighty q.d. Who could think any otherwise that had not been at the Sanctuary Ps 73.17 and there heard Wo to the wicked it shall go ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be sooner or later given unto him Isai 3.11 The Jew-Doctors conclude but falsly from this Text that Job denyed the Divine Providence And the Vulgar Latine to salve the matter and save Job from the imputation of Epicurisme takes the boldnesse to leave out the Interrogative Why and rendreth it thus The times are not hidden from the Almighty lest by making it a question Job should affirm that times and events are hidden from God or at least should wish and desire that they were so Vatablus thinketh that Job here putteth on the person of one that denyeth Gods Providence or at least doubteth of it as if he should say Ye my friends say that nothing is hidden from God and I now demand of you how the times and those things which are done in time can be otherwise then hid from him when as we see wicked men so to take their swinge in sin and yet for ought we see to escape unpunished It should seem by his winking at wicked practises that he takes no care how things are carried in this present world Brent as certainly he would do were he diligens mundi Oeconomus an t rerum humanarum conscius This indeed might stagger a David or a Jeremy in a passion as Psal 73.2 c. Jer. 12.1 and make a Diagoras or an Averroes turn Atheist But Job was better instructed in
waters in the clouds which are many and of great force as appeared in the generall deluge and doth still appear by that infinite inundation of rain that followeth upon the thunder claps Some render it The Lord or the voice of the Lord is above many waters i. e. above the loud roaring of many waters which is even drowned by the thunder Vers 4. The voice of the Lord is powerfull So that it shaketh heaven and earth Heb. 12.26 Validum est vehemens tonitru Vat. Beza Cogitent ergo Principes quantum infra Deum subsidant c. Let those that think themselves some great businesse consider Gods infinite power putting forth it self in thunders and tempests and they will soon bee crest-faln The voice of the Lord is full of Majesty Heb. In Majesty it is magnificall and immutable though some fools have attempted to imitate it as a certain King of Egypt and Caligula the Emperour by certain Engines and devices Vers 5. The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars i. e. The thunder and those things that either go before it or follow it as lightenings thunderbolts storm tempest c. breaking and turning up by the roots huge trees The Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon Which are the tallest thickest and most durable of any place in the habitable World What a shame is it then that our hard hearts break not yeeld not though thunder-struck with the dreadfull menaces of Gods mouth Corripimur sed non corrigimur c. A fearfull case Let the tall Cedars see to it Nam per Cedros intellig it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid est eximium in mundo Where is that hammer of the Nations Nebuchadnezzar that terrour of the World Tamerlan c Are they not broken in pieces as a Potters Vessell Vers 6. Hee maketh them also to skip like a Calf Young living Creatures are full of motion God by his thunder and earthquake thereupon for so the Hebrews understand it maketh not only those huge trees the splinters of them to flie up into the air but also the Mountaines whereupon they grow to skip and jump out of their places and aloft from their center Lebanon and Sirion c. Or Hermon two known Mountaines Vers 7. The voice of the Lord divideth Heb. cutteth out the flames of fire i. e. The lightening which the thunder is said to strike or cut out Deut. 3. because it causeth them to shoot and glide it immediately followeth one flash and goeth before another dispersing and darting them hither and thither Vers 8. The voice of the Lord shaketh the Wildernesse i. e. The beasts abiding in the Wildernesses the most savage creatures those that lye in woods and are most fearlesse of men are put to pain by thunder and made to travell with trembling The Lord shaketh the wildernesse of Kadesh Thorough which the Israelites passed into Canaan Num. 13.27 the beasts whereof were cruel Deut. 8.25 32. Animalia quantumvis horrifica Jun. 10. Beza paraphraseth Arabum tesqua succutit it shaketh the Cottages of the Arabians Vers 9. The voice of the Lord maketh the Hindes to calve Which they naturally do not without a great deal of difficulty Job 39.4 5 6. See the Note there And discovereth the Forrests By driving the beasts into their dennes baring the Forrests of their leaves and fruits turning up trees by the roots and so making a clear prospect thorough woods and groves as one phraseth it And in his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Heb. Every one or every whit of it saith Glory Every godly man observing his dreadfull thunder Moller and other his stupendious works saith Glory bee to God on high Some conceive that this Psalm was appointed by David to be sung in the Temple in time of thunder which is not unlikely There are that make God to be the Nominative case to the Verb speaketh and render it thus And in his Temple or Palace doth bee utter all his glory Tremel As if the Psalmist should say Much of his glory God uttereth in his thunder but all in his Temple For whatsoever there he speaketh with his mouth he fulfilleth it with his hand Psal 115.3 119.91 33.9 Isa 44.26 See a like collation of Gods works and word with a praelation of this above those Psal 19 1-7 Psal 111.7 Vers 10. The Lord sitteth upon the flood Hee reigned in that generall deluge in Noahs dayes Gen. 6. 7. and doth still over those horrible inundations that follow upon thunder and strong-tempests ruling that raging Element and governing all by his providence and soveraign power Yea the Lord sitteth King for ever And over all therefore all even the Mightiest should give him glory as Vers 1. Vers 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people To bear up their hearts in time of thunder or other terrible occurrences The Lord will blesse his people with peace Pace omnimoda With peace internall In tempore to nitru Aben Ezra externall eternall for godlinesse hath the promises of both lives of prosperity safety and welfare both of soul and body PSAL. XXX A Psalm and song i.e. An holy hymn first framed in meeter then sung with mens voices At the dedication of the house of David Either when it was new built 2 Sam. 5.11 confer Deut. 20.5 Neb. 12.27 saying as He once Jamq meos dedotibi Princeps jure Penates Tu mibi jus dederas posse vocare meos God so loveth his people that their walls are ever in his sight Ifa 49.16 they should therefore have holinesse to the Lord written upon them Zach. 14. sanctified they should be by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 Or else after he had defiled it by his Adultery with Bathsbeba and Absolom had much more defiled it by his abominable incest and other villanies See 2 Sam. 20.3 Vers I. I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted mee up De puteo peccati canoso saith Kimchi out of the miry pit of fin or out of the ditch of deadly danger say others Therefore I will extol thee that is I will have high and honourable conceptions of thee I will also do mine utmoft both by words and deeds that thou mayest be acknowledged by others to bee as thou art the great and mighty Monarch of the whole World And hast not made my foes to rejoyce over mee Befides all former victories Absolom and Sheba were lately slain Vers 2. I cryed unto thee In some great sicknesse say some that befell him about the time that he built his house of Cedar 2 Sam. 5. that he might not be overjoyed and take a surfeit Or rather when by my sons rifing up against mee I was likely to have lost my state and Kingdome An dt hou hast healed mee That is helped mee as Jon. 2.6 thou hast restored and re-established mee in my Kingdome Kimchi senseth it thus Thou hast delivered my soul from Hell though in this World
unto the lord the glory c. It was hard for the Heathens to forgo their superstitions Tully resolved he would never do it c. therefore they are here so pressed to it See â—ev 14.6 7. With the Notes there One Expositor geiveth this note here Ternarius numerus est sacer â—b mysterium Triadis ideo enim co scriptura gaudet The Scripture oft presseth or expresieth things thrice over in reference to the mystery of the holy Trinity Bring an offering Reasonable service Geneb Rom. 12.1 spirituall sacrifices acceptable by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Vers 9. O worship the Lord c. Supplicate proni fall flat on your faces See Psal 95.6 In the beauty of holinesse i.e. In his courts as verse 8. or in holy beauty as some render it that is in true faith and with good affections Fear before him Rejoyce before him with trembling Psal 2. Vers 10. Say among the Heathen Proclamate undique praecones c. Make proclamation every where that now the Lord Christ reigneth and that there shall bee a generall Jubilee The World also shall be established There is no true stability but where Christ reigneth he will settle peace and good order which the Devil that turbulent spirit and his agents desire to disturb and to set all on an hurry-comb Vers 11. Let the Heavens rejoyce c. Let there be a general joy for the general renovation by the comming of Christ Rom. 8.22 after which the whole creation groaneth also Basil and others by Heaven Earth c. understand Angels men of all sorts an Islanders seamen fieldmen woodlanders c. Vel est similâ—tudo ad denotandam in mundo pacem saith Kimchi Or it is a similitude to note peace all over the World And surely when Christ came there was an universal aut pax aut paectio saith Florus peace or truce under the government of Augustus Let the Sea roar Heb. Thunder Externo fragore bombo testetur internam animi laetitiam let it testify its joy perstrependo reboando by roaring its utmost Vers 12. Let the field be joyfull c. And so give check to the hardnesse of mans heart not at all affected with those benefit by Christ wherein they are far more concerned than these insensible creatures which yet have lain bed-ridden as it were ever since mans fall and earnestly wait for the manifestation of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 Vers 13. Before the Lord for he commeth for he commeth Certainly suddainly happily c. for this is the summe of all the good news in the World that Christ commeth and commeth that is saith Basil once to shew the World how they shall be saved and a second time to judge the World for neglecting so great salvation c. PSAL. XCVII VErs 1. The Lord reigneth This is matter of greatest joy to the Righteous Gandeo quod Christus Dominus est alâ—oqui totus desperassem I am glad that Christ is Lord of all for otherwise I should utterly have been out of hope saith Miconâ—us in an Epistle to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies Let the multitude of Isles be glad As more happy herein than any of those called the Fortunate Islands Turk Hist or than Cyprus anciently called Macaria that is The blessed Isle for her abundance of commodities Vers 2. Clouds and darknesse are round about him As once at the delivering of the Law so now in the publishing Gospel he is no lesse terrible having vengeance in store for the disobedient 2 Cor. 10.6 It is a savour of death to unbeleevers Christ came to send fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 Righteousnesse and judgement c. Mercy Christ hath for the penitent judgement for the rebellious who seek to dethrone him Woe to those Gospel-sinners Vers 3. A fire goeth before him For even our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and not the God of the Jews only as shall well appear at the last day 2 Thes 1.8 See the Note on verse 2. Vers 4. His Lightenings enlightened the World His Apostles those fulmina Ecclesinstica shall spread Gospel-light and amaze people the Lord working with them and confirming their word with signes following Mar. 16.20 Vers 5. The hills melted like wax Nothing shall be so stout and steady as to be able to stand before them Before the Lord Adon Dominator The Maker and Master of all the rightfull Proprietary and Paramount The Latine translation hath it All the earth is before the face of the Lord. Vers 6. The Heavens declare his Righteousnesse As so many Catholick Preachers Psal 19.1 50.4.6 By Heavens some understand Angels concurring with men to glorifie God Others the heavenly bodies pleading Gods cause against Atheists and Idolaters They that worshipped the Sun were Atheists by night and they that worshipped the Moon were Atheists by day as Cyrill wittily Vers 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images Those Instruments of Idolatry and lurking-places of Devils diabolicae inspirationis instineâ—us participes Such and their Servants we may lawfully pray against That boast themselves of Idols As did that Idolatrous Micah Judg. 17. Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. Julian called therefore Idolian the Papists at this day See D. Rainolds de Idololatria Romana Worship him all ye Gods i. e. All ye Angels saith the Greek and Arabick and the Apostle saith the same Hob. 1.6 proving Christ to be God-man This Psalm saith Beza is highly to be prized of all Christs as containing a most divine Epitome of all Gospel-mysteries Vers 8. Sion heard and was glad Heard what the downfull of the Devills Kingdom and the erecting of Christs scepter this was good news to the Church and her Children Bern was the first Town that after the Reformation burnt their images Zurich followed on an Ashwensday which they observe and celebrate every year to this day with all mirth playes and pastimes Act. Mon. as an Ashwednesday of Gods own making Vers 9. For thou Lord art high above all the earth Declared now to be so with power as Rom. 1.4 and the World convinced of singularr sottishnesse in fancying other divinities Thou art exalted far above all gods Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come Ephes 1.21 Here then we have the superexaltation of Christs person and the Apostle manifestly alludeth to it Ephesians 4.10 Phil. 2.9 Vers 10. Ye that love the Lord As having tasted of Christs sweetnesse being justified by his merit and sanctified by his Spirit 1 Pet. 2.4 1 Cor. 6.11 carried after him with strength of Desire Psal 42.1 and Delight Psal 73.25 Such as these only are Christs true subjects others will pretend to him but they are but Hangbies unlesse the love of Christ constrain them to hate evill to hate it as Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.9 Sin seemeth to have its
to provoke him to wrath A heavy curse indeed Vers 16. Because that he remembred not to show mercy Here the Prophet beginneth to shew why he useth such doleful imprecations against his enemies viz. not out of a spirit of revenge or a false zeal but as truly seeking Gods glory and his Churches safety which could not other wise be procured unless these merciless men were devoted to destruction He remembred not that is de industria oblitus est omisit he forgot and neglected it for the nonce Vers 17. At he loved cursing c. The back-slider in heart shall he filled with his own Wayes Prov. 14.14 Cursing men are cursed men as were easie to instance in sundry as Hacket hanged in Q. Elizabeths Reign and Sir Jervase Ellowaies Lieutenant of the Tower in K. James his dayes according to their own wishes See Mr. Clarks Mirror p. 210 c. The Jews are still great cursers of Christians they shut up their daily prayers with Maledic Domine Nazaraek and how it cometh home to them who knoweth not even wrath to the utmost I Thess 2.16 Vers 18. As he cloathed himself with cursing as with his garment Ut vestis commensâ—rata corpori as the inner garment that sticks closest to the body and is not done off but with much ado as he hath wrapped and trussed up himself in cursing So let in come into his bowels like water Let him have his belly full of it and his bones full too And like ey Which easily soaketh through See Nam 5.22 Vers 19. Let it be unto him as a garment Not as an inner but outer garment also Actio merces that men may see and say This it an accursed person the visible vengeance of God pursueth him Vers 20. Let this be the reward Opus vel Oper a precium The same Hebrew word signifieth Work and Wages Job 7.2 Isa 49.4 persecutors shall be sure of their payment Vers 21. But do thou for me Fas mecum sis mibi à latere stick to me act on my behalf and for my behoof Vers 22. For I am poor and needy As a Lazar sheweth his ulcers to move pity so doth David his indigency and aylements And my heart is wounden I have mine inward troubles also or I am cordicisus vulneratus almost dead animam age Vers 23. I am gone like the shadow Abii perii evenui I vanish as the long shadows do so soon as the Sun setteth As the Locust Leapeth from hedge to hedge so do I from place to place being tossed from post to pillar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Cor. 4. Vers 24. My knees are weak through fasting Either for lack of meat or stomach to it genua laâ—am my knees buckle under me the strong men bow themselves Eccles 12.3 My flesh faileth of fatness I am lean and low brought Christ might well cry out My â—â—aâ—â—ess my leanness so busie he was for his Father and so worn out that they judged him well nigh fifty when he was not much above thirty Job 8.57 Vers 25. I become also a reproach In respect of my leanness They shaked their beads This is threatned as a curse Deut. 28. but may befall the best as it did our Saviour Psal 22. Mat. 27. Vers 26. Help me O Lord Prayer like those arrows of deliverance must be multiplied as out trouble is lengthned and lyeth on Vers 27. That they may know That I am delivered meerly by thy presence and power It is the ingenuity of the Saints in all their desired or expected mercies to study Gods ends more than their own Vers 28. Let them curse but bless thou Yea the rather as a Sam. 16.12 and I wot well that those whom thou blessest shall be blessed as Isaac once said of his son Jacob Gen. 27.33 When they arise To plead their own cause cousa extidant Vers 29. As with a mantle Sicut diploide saith the Vulgar as with a doublet q.d. Let them be double ashamed for which purpose also he here doubleth his prayer Vers 30. I will greatly praise the Lord Diligenter impense Gods blessings are binders and great deliverances call for suitable praises the neglect hereof is crimen stellionatus cousenage Vers 31. For he shall stand at the right hand As a saithful and powerful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Champion and not as Satan standeth at the persecutors right hand vers 6. From those that condemn him Heb. From the judges of his soul sc Saul and his Courtiers who judged him worthy of death PSAL. CX A Psalm of David Concerning Christ saith R. Obadiah and so say Christ himself Mat. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost and his Apostles I Cor. 15. Heb. 7. 10. though some Rabbines maliciously say otherwise as R. Joseph caâ—us qui bic caeâ—liâ— to say the best of him and other Jew Doctors who stagger here in their expositions as drunkards Vers 1. The Lord said unto my Lord In this one verse we have a description of Christs person his ware and his victory so that we may say of it and so indeed of the whole Psalm which is an Epitome of the Gospel as Tully did of Bruâ—as his Laconical Epistle Quà m multa quà m pancis How much in a little See the Note on Mat. 22.44 Sit thou at my right hand Sit thou with me in my Thronâ— having power over all things in heaven and earth Matth. 28. Christ as man received what as God hee had before Vntil I make thine enemies thy footseel Foes Christ hath ever had and shall have to the worlds end but then they shall be all in a place fittest for them viz. under Christs feet even those who now seâ— up their Crests face the heavens and say unto the King Aposâ—â—â—t◠〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 with him Vers 2. The Lord shall send the Roâ—of thy strength That is the Gospel that Scepter of Christs Kingdome that power of God to salvation unto as many as beleeve mighty through God to work 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 10.5 Act. 20.31 even the preaching of Christs cross Out of Sin For salvation in of the 〈◊〉 Job 4. 〈◊〉 lem till c. Act. 1. Rule thou it the midst of thinâ— enemies Among Jews Pagans Turks Papagaâ—s those that will not bend let them break those that will not stoop to thy Government let them feel thy power Psal 45.5 Vers 3. Thy people shall be willing All Christs subjects are Volunteers free-hearted In Psal 1. like those Isles that wait for Gods Law Isa 42.8 Zech. 8.11 They love to be his servants Isa 56.6 Lex voluntaries quaerit saith Ambrose In the day of thy power Copiarum tuarum of thine Army or of thy Militia when thou shalt lead on thy Church Militant and be in the head of them conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Some understand it of the Christian Sabbath day In the beauties of holiness i.e. In Church assemblies in the beauty of holy Ordinances at the
earth with his tears Also the hundreth part of the money That is all that they had received for interest whether money or else It appeareth by this text that they took twelve in the hundred for so much the hundreth part monethly amounteth to as at this day in Italy and elsewhere the Jewes are permitted to straine up their usury to eighteen in the hundred upon the Christian for among themselves they now use it not which causeth many of those Pseudo-Christians to use those Jews under-hand Sands his Survey in improving their unlawful rents to the utmost proportion Verse 12. Then said they We will restore them This was well said and Nehemiah took course it should be as well done ne dicta factis erubescerent as Tertullian phraseth it that their saying and doing might be alike We will require nothing of them But be of those that lend looking for nothing againe Luke 6. no not the principal So will we do as thou hast said Denying our selves and all worldly lusts that we may get and keep a good conscience that most precious Jewel that ever the heart of man was acquainted with Then I called the Priests As fittest to tender so solemne an oath and to bear witnesse in a case of that nature And took an oath of them That is of them that had promised restitution that they might not start back nor repent them of their good resolutions Our hearts are deceitful and must be by all good means held up to duty Quo teneas vultus mutantem Protea nodo else they will slip collar as those slippery Jewes Jer. 34.10 11. retracted and repealed their vow It was therfore well and wisely done of Nehemiah to bind them thus to the good abearance as Asa and Josiah had done before him An oath is an hedge which a man may not break which yet that great Heteroclite of Rome maketh a sport of For when the Cardinals meet to chuse a new Pope they make him swear to certain Articles And Sleydan saith that no sooner is he chosen but he breaks them all and checks their insolencies as if they went about to limit his power to whom all power is given in heaven and earth Is not this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lawlesse yokelesse masterlesse monster Saint Paul speaketh of 2 Thes 2.8 Verse 13. Also I shook my lap By this rite running into their senses this holy man runs with terrours into the eyes and hearts of all that should perfidiously forswear themselves by a direful denunciation of divine vengeance In all lawful oaths there is an imprecation though it be not alwayes exprest Gen. 14.23 Heb. 3. So God cast out every man from his house See Zech. 5.4 5. with the Note And from his labour i. e. From his layings-up the fruit of his labour his lands and estate got by a diligent hand The Hebrew word signifieth labour even to lassitude and fainting And all the Congregation said Amen In token of hearty assent and assurance And praised the Lord There was a general joy and many an humble chearful and thankful heart lifted up to God for sinne so redressed and poor people relieved And the people did according to this promise This was real thankfulnesse It is not the fumbling out of a few good words as God I thank thee praised be God c. that will passe Thanksdoing is the proof of Thanksgiving and the good life of the thankful is the life of thankfulnesse Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes unto the Most High Psal 50.14 Verse 14. From the time that I was appointed to be their governour He was not ambitious of the office nor usurped it but was commanded to it as the word signifieth by the King of Persia and clearly called to it by God Almighty Otherwise he could have shrouded himself in willing secrecy as good corn lieth in the bottome of the heap and as good balsam sinketh to the bottome of the vessel I and my brethren have not eaten the bread c. Rulers as they are nursing-fathers to the people Isa 49.23 so by them they are to be nourished and their state maintained See 1 Kings 4.7 It is also observed that although our Saviour Christ wrought many miracles yet he never wrought any about honour or money but that about tribute rather then that should go undischarged he commanded a fish to pay it Hence also he saith not Date Matth. 22. Rom. 13.6 but Reddite Give but Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars And Saint Paul saith ye pay tribute as being a due debt Neverthelesse in this great necessity Nehemiah le ts go his own right and leaveth it to others like as the Eagle is said Tostat ex Plin. when she seeketh her prey to leave a good part thereof to the birds that follow her for the same end Verse 15. But the former Governours Those that had been betwixt Zorobabel and Nehemiah Ezra was no Governour These had been strict in exacting their five pounds a day or for the head of every family so much besides bread for necessity and wine for delight Not so Nehemiah he would not use his power to over-burden those poore whom these Usurers oppressed This he here instanceth for their further conviction Yea even their servants bear rule over the people Exacting what they please of them this their masters should have seene to and not suffered for the servants sinne is the masters reproach When Charles the fifth resolved to lay down the Empire some of his Courtiers and Counsellours advised him to retaine still the name and authority of Emperour and to govern the Kingdome by his under-officers His answer to them was Ah me praesente ita res administratis c. Alas now that I am amongst you things are so ill carried that ye are complained of by all what then would you do if I should not have an eye upon you Val. Max. Christ p. 197. and how would you domineere like so many Sultans the word here used and follow the administration of Justice as a trade only with an unquenchable and unconscionable desire of gaine But so did not I because of the fear of God The best retentive from sinne certainly a spur to good a curb from evil Hence David calleth it a cleane feare Psal 19.9 and the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil saith Solomon And Aristotle hath this Probleme Why are men credited more then other creatures The answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because man alone holdeth and feareth God therefore you may trust him But where this fear is not no good is to be expected but the contrary Gen. 20.11 See the Note on verse 9. Verse 16. Yea also I continued in the work He meaneth saith Lyra that he wrought with his own hands to draw on others the more when they should see their Governour himself so intent to the work He was constant at it and held out till all was
that the word read also hath a mighty force and powerfull influence upon the conscience Hence those many praises of it Psal 19.7 8. The statutes of the Lord are right right for every man◠〈◊〉 and purpose â—o penned that every man may think they speak dâ— se in re suâ◠of himself in his particular case as 〈◊〉 hath it So right the good word of God is and suitable how then can it be but forcible see Heb. 4.12 2 Cor. â— 4 5. And how forcible it is none can tell but those that have 〈◊〉 it nor those neither 〈◊〉 this â—â—pression by way of 〈◊〉 Oh 〈◊〉 â—ffectual are right words But what doth your 〈…〉 Heb. What doth your 〈…〉 What force what energiâ— is in your argument how 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 appear they and how little to the 〈◊〉 Taâ—â— faâ—â—â—â— dilâ—â—ntur argumenta vestra quam vâ—lpâ—s coâ—est pyrum I can 〈…〉 off my hand Strong is the Truth I grant and 〈◊〉 eâ—â—nceth the things that are true but to conclude truths from 〈◊〉 is that I am an hypocrite because afflicted that ye can never do Verse 26. Do ye imagine to reprove words 〈◊〉 and hasty words which have more sound then sense Think you that I doe onely make a noise or rave like a mad than and aâ— accordingly to be dealt with ye have not hitherto had 〈◊〉 windy words from me bur words full of weight and matter words of truth and 〈◊〉 wherefore then do ye speak thus Do ye imagine to reprove words And the speeches of one that is desperate which are as wind Do ye thinke I speake like one that is distracted who knowes not what he speakesâ— of that I have at once lost my hope and my wits It is an easie and a compendious way of refuting 〈◊〉 a man can say to say he is mad his words must needs be but without weight who is himself without reason Mr. Broughton readeth Do ye 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 wind shall the poor mans wisedom be despised as Solomon asketh and his words not be heard Ecc 9.16 Some refer this also to Jâ—b friends 〈◊〉 it thus Ye frame 〈◊〉 only to reprove ye are good for little else but to find fault and bring forth words against the wind ye beat the empty air with your bubbles of words and senselesse sayingâ— Verse 27. 〈◊〉 you overwhelm the fatherlâ—sse Heb. ye throw your selves upon the fatherlesse that is upon miserable â—e who am helplesse comfortlesse See Gen. 43.18 that he may 〈◊〉 himself upon us and fall upon us say they there as hunters and wilde beasts fall upon their prey And you dig a pâ—â— for yâ—ur friend Who had better deserved of you and expected better usage from you Here he taxeth them for craft as before for cruelty and this to their friend whom they sought to circumvent and to drive into desperation Some read the words thus you make a feast upon your frâ—end you banquet upon your companion and make great chear as being glad of my calamity which you make an argument of mine impiety See chap. 41 6. 2 Kingâ— 6.23 Verse 28. Now therefore be câ—ntent loâ—k upon me Let it suffice you to have thus hardly handled me cast now a more benigne aspect upon me and be not henceforth so hot and so harsh Now therefore be content regard me so Mt. Broughton translateth it or look upon me sc with a critical eye what guiltinesse can you find in my face do I look like an hypocrite and can you read my conscience in my countenance It 〈…〉 to you if 〈◊〉 You may soon see mine integrity if you pleaâ—â—â— for my heart fitteth and sheweth it felt in my fore-head neither can I collude I am one of those children that will not lie So be God my Saviour Isa 63 8. Verse 29. Returne I pray you Change your mind of â—e and your language to me Bâ—na verâ—◠〈◊〉 what need all this heat of speech and â—eight of spirit he â—etter advised I beseech you châ—p 17.10 and 19.28 some think that Jobs friends were rising to be gone and he haâ—tily calleth them back again 〈…〉 Judge charitably and make not the worst of matters I may be 〈◊〉 but am not wicked Or thus take heed that God faulâ— you no◠〈◊〉 â—â—urping his right taking Upon you to judg of secret things even egainst your neighbour with calumniations and cruelty Yea returne again I See you do it at your perill either you must doe it or doe worse My righteousnesse is in it I am surely in the right and that will appear to you upon better consideration I shall be 〈…〉 and you utterly mistaken Uprightnesse 〈◊〉 boldnesse and dare put it self upon God 〈◊〉 as David did Pâ—alm 〈…〉 20.5 Verese 30 〈…〉 yea or 〈◊〉 you shall 〈◊〉 for a 〈◊〉 man and well able to 〈◊〉 the whole body Jam. 3.2 St. Paul Rom◠〈…〉 natural man standeth more upon the organs of speech his tongue lips mouth throat c. then upon all the other members Jam. 1.26 〈…〉 my taste discerne perverse things 〈…〉 wrong truth and falshood Job 12.11 and 34.3 Is my mouth so farre out of taste c It is an heavy judgement to be given up to an injudicious mind Rom 1.28 a reprobate 〈◊〉 CHAP. VII Verse 1. Is there not an appointed time to mâ—n upon the earth THere is certainly Our bounds are prescribed us and a pillar set by him who beares â—p the heavens which we are not to transpasse Stat sua cuique dies said the Heâ—then Poet our last day stands the rest run It is said of the Turkes Virg. Aeneid 10. Sr. H. Blounts Voyage into Levant Humanae vitae terminus non est deâ—reto simplici absoluto 〈…〉 Heming that they shun not the company of those that have the prague but pointing upon their fore-heads â—ay it was written there at their birth when they should die Now if there be an appointed time c. what meane the Lutherans to teach that God hath not determined the period of mens dayes but it is in mans power to lengthen or shorten them In this one verse we have two metaphors both which do evince the contrary The 〈◊〉 is from souldiers implyed in the word 〈◊〉 translated an appointed time or a warfare because there was a set time for souldiers to fight and a set time also for them to serve The second is from an 〈◊〉 Are not his dayes also like the dayes of an 〈◊〉 Deâ—cribit humanae vitae brevitatem saith Vatablus Here he describeth the shortnesse of mans life and withall that his dayes are determined for with an hireling wee agree to worke with us for a certaine time and usually for a day or by the day and hence we call them day-labourers It importeth then that the time of mans life is short and set for hirelings are appointed to an hour See Job 14.14 Eccles 2.3 John 7.30 Isa 38.5 Fifteene yeares just were added to Hezekiahs life our
will blow upon and blast his substance which is the fort and strength Isai 10.14 He resolvs he will be rich 1 Tim. 6.9 and is set upon it God to crosse him saith here He shall not be rich but I will make a poor fool of him according to that Jer. 17.11 As the Partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool There is a curse upon unlawful practises though men be industrious as in Jehoiachim Jer. 22. it is God that giveth power to get wealth Deut. 8.18 Our care can no more add a penny to our estate then it can a cubit to our stature Mat. 6.27 He shall not prolong the perfection thereof Vulgar He shall not send forth his root in the earth A man shall not be established by wickednesse saith Solomon but the root of the righteous shall continue Prov. 12.3 See the Note there Verse 30. he shall not depart out of darknesse But be held under remedilesse misery being ever blasted and benighted till God at last breathe forth upon him his final displeasure When God hath brought wicked men into straits there he holdeth them not so the godly Psal 34.19 they are sure of deliverance in due season And as before the morning light is the thickest darknesse so before help hardest trials Post tenebras lux Hom. 16. is the Christians motto not so the ungodly they are ex tenebris in tenebras infeliciter exclusi infelicius excludendi as Austin hath it to passe out of one darknesse into another till they be cast into utter darknes The flame shall dry up his branches That Ventus urens exiâ—cans of Gods wrath shal blast and consume not his Off-spring only but all his beauty and bravery hee shall be as a tree that is thunder-struck Zack 11.16 and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away God will blow him to destruction his very breath shall leave him breathlesse Isai 11.4 Psal 18.15 Job 4.9 See the Note there Others understand it of the wicked mans mouth and make this to be the sense He shall be so cholerick and impatient in his trouble that he shall send out his last breath suddenly in a passionate fit So did Nerva the Emperor likewise Valentinian Wenceslaus King of Bohemia and our Henry the second Verse 31. Let not him that it deceived trust in vanity Let it suffice him that he hath been once already deceived by the uncertainty of riches which were never true to those which trusted them nor never will be 1 Tim. 6.17 As Charendas was wont to say of going to sea and another of going to Law That he wondred not at those that go once but at those who go a second time So may we at those that having found the deceitfulnesse of sin and the instability of Creature-comforts that they should again be drawn in and deceived This folly Eliphaz here forewarneth Job of and would not have him twice stumble at the same stone but deliver his soul if ever God should restore him again and say Is there not a lye in my right hand Why feed I upon ashes c. Isai 44.20 For vanity shalt be his recompence i.e. Poverty and misery shall be his portion as shame shall be the portion of fools Prov. 3.35 As he hath sowed the wind so he shall reap the whirlewind whereof he is likely to have a great catch Hos 8.7 See the Note there Verse 32. It shall be accomplished before his time Heb. in not his day That recompence forementioned of calamity and death shall be hastened so that they shall not live out half their dayes Psal 55.22 but dye tempora non suo Eccles 7.15 then when it were better for them to do any thing rather then to dye sith they perish in their corruptions they are killed with death Rev. 12.33 See Prov. 10.37 Death ever taketh a wicked man unprovided Brent in loc Haec enim vena nobis ab Adam agnata est ut nullam 〈◊〉 ad suspendiâ—m aptam invenium possimus neque unquam caro â—â—urtem eliget nisi pâ—essa judicio We naturally dream of an immortality here neither yeild we to dye till there be a necessity Lavat in loc Miserandum est autem saith one but it is a pitiful thing that being all so desirous of life we should so little care for those things that would lengthen out lives such as are piety justice temperance c we forget that short way to long life Psal 34.12 His branch shall not be green Heb. His crooked or bowed down branch this is his full estate or numerous issue those boughs of his laden and bowed down with fruit shall not be green but blasted and dryed up ramificans ejus non virescet It is a misery to be the branch of a wicked stock for such as they leave the rest of their substance to their little ones Psal 17.14 So they leave them Gods curse as Joabs Legacy 2 Sam. 3.29 or as Gehazies Leprosie 2 King 5.27 a wretched bequeath Vers 33. He shall shake off his unripe grapes as the vine Filios intelligit per batra pueros per florem saith Vatablus i.e. By unripe grapes he meaneth the wicked mans sons growne up and by flowers of the Olive his little ones and so it is the same with the former only flourished over with two similitudes He that is God will snap off his sowre grapes as she vines so Broughton rendreth it Epist 7. Luctâ—osa foecunditas such as was that of Laetae in Hierome who buried many children is a sore affliction If the bud or flower decay what hope can there be of fruit Others understand it of the untimely death as before or of the decay of his wealth and possessions Verse 34. For the congregation of hypocrites shalt be desolate Heb. Of the hypocrite where he seemeth to point at Job as by the unripe grapes and blasted flowers of the Olive he had understood Jobs children and possessions vers 33. Now the whole congregation or train and retinue of the hypocrite God will nunest and ruinate saith Eliphaz they shall all be as one desolated so the Original hath it And fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery Heb. The Tabernacles of a bribe Under these two heads saith one we may reduce all sorts of sinners sinners against God under the notion of Hypocrites and sinners against men under the notion of Bribe-takers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint that is Receivers of Gifts Muncra sunt honor aria vel corruptoria Lavat in loc and the Hebrew word signifieth a Gift in general it is taken also for a bribe because very many gifts are bribes Now houses built by bribes or very many gifts shall be consumed and come to nothing Jer. 22.13 14 15 16 17. Hab. 2.9 10 11 12. See the Note there This Eliphaz
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet draw up your inward eaâ—es to your outward that one sound may pierce both Lay aside passion and prejudice Gravis rationis humanae morbus est quòd plerungue soleat ea damnare qua aut non intelligat aut non placuâ—rit Brent suffer a word of information for it is but one word that I have to say c. the Hebrew is singular and promiseth brevity Only this one word Job would that they should heafe double scil by an after deliberate meditation as David did Psal 62.11 God hath spoken once twice have I heard that c. And let this be your consolations Comfort me this way at least that you wil give me the hearing Hither you came as Comforters but by your galling speeches you have grieved and vexed me above measure Now make me some amends and remembring your Office as friends and your design which was to condole with me and to comfort me hear me hardly and this I shall take as kindly as if in tenderest compassion you had drunk to me in a Bowle of Nepenthes or had given me a oup of consolation as Jer 10.7 The Vulgar Latine rendreth it but not well Hear I pray for my speech and repent The Hebrew robe signifieth first to repent and then to comfort 1 Sam. 15.35 Isas 40.1 became the penitent only get sound comfort Verse 3. Suffer me that I may speak Say that it be suffering to you to hear me for now I see you have as they write of some Creatures feb in â—â—re yet put your selves to the pain of hearing me and beat me though I am burdensome to you though my speeches crosse the graine of your spirits See 2 Cor. 11.1 I will promise you to speak nothing worthy of a scoff such as was that of Theophrastâ—â— Let him shun the â—â—â—â—tive man who would not be put into a â—it of a feavee Theoph. Charact 〈◊〉 de garrul Or that of Aristotle before whom when one having made a long and idle discourse concluded it thus I doubt I have been too tedious unto you Sir Philosopher Plut. de garrn lit with my many words In good sooth said Aristotle you have not been tedious to me for I gave no heed to any thing you said And after I have spoken mock on Heb. Mâ—â—â— thou on thou Zophâ—r to whom he turned his speech and very likely his eye also if thou canst find in thy heart to mock at so much reason as I shall alledge in mine owne defence I gainstand thee not He wanted no wit that said If a wise man speak evil of thee or to thee Chrysost endure him if a fool slight him Sile funestam dedisti plagam trouble not thy self at his taunts and thou punishest him sufficiently Verse 4. As for me is my complaint to man Vult dicere saith Lavater Jobs meaning is that he complained not to man but to God himself who well knew his heart and his innocency though men mis-judged him And this being so how could he be otherwise then anxious and solicitous sith if a man be but to speak to an earthly Prince he will be afraid It is said of Charles the Fifth Emperour that he spake more to God then to men Job did so it seemeth and this he alledgeth to the shame of his hard-hearted friends who put him to it in this sort Verse 5. Mark me and be astonied Heb. Look upon me He had said before Hear and hear now Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Mark it I say and stand amazed at it Did you ever find any on this side hell so sore afflicted as I am Is it not because you are not duly affected with my miseries that ye are so regardlesse of my discourse Strange that my sorrowes should be great enough to work astonishment and yet not great enough to deserve attention O mark first what I suffer and then what I speak And this once done lay your hand upon your month Be swift to hear but slow to speak yea spare to speak at all in this case The Greek Proverb admonisheth men either to be silent or to speak something that is better then silence Harpocrates the heathenish god of silence was pictured with his finger laid upon his lips Verse 6. Even when I remember I am afraid Surprized I am with a most formidable amazement when I call to mind and consider how ill by the divine Providence it fareth with me how well with many wicked and how little you pity me or seek by sound reason to settle my mind I am ready to cry out Oh the depth of Gods stupendious dispensations Confer Psal 73. where David delivereth himselfe to like purpose And trembling taketh hold on my flesh Heb. My flesh hath taken hold on trembling Totus horreo Horrour hath taken hold on me Psal 119.53 such as makes my body to shake and shudder So Habak 3.16 With chap. 1.3 13. Job had called upon his friends to mark and be astonished here he propoundeth himselfe to them for an example Quod jussit gessit as Bernard saith of Another See chap. 18.20 Verse 7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old Vivunt veterascunt they are lively and long lived so that they out-last many better then themselves being as sound as Roches and as vivacious as the snail the property whereof is to live a long while even after the head is off and the heart out Of some creatures we use to say that they have nine lives of some wicked men it may be thought so they do evil an hundred times and yet their dayes are prolonged Eccles 9.12 Manasseh raigned longest of any King in Judah Pope John the 22 that Monster and Mortallist lived longest of any Pope and dyed richest God gives wealth health and long life to many wicked Non aliter ac siquis crumenam ingentem auro plenam lutrine injiciat Gasp Eâ—â— saith One No otherwise then as when a man casts a great Purse filled with Gold into a Jakes Now if any shall ask with Job Why all this The Apostle answereth one Question by another Rom. 922. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction What hath any man to say to that And again who knows not that the Lord hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse even that day of the Revelation of the righteous judgement Acts 17.31 Rom. 2.5 The Judge of the earth keepeth his petty Sessions now letting the Law passe upon some few reserving the rest till the great Assizes 1 Tim. 5.24 Yea are mighty in power Or Prevaile in wealth which maketh them mighty for money is the Monarch of this present world and carryeth all before it Verse 8. Their seed is established in their sight with them Some understand it of their seed sowne in the fields not blasted or wasted but
this point as appeareth by many passages in this Book see chap. 21.16 22. Neither can any such thing be concluded from this Text if we take in the latter part of the verse Do they that know him not see his dayes The whole verse should be read thus Why are not times hidden from the Almighty seeing they that know him de not see his dayes that is sith his most knowing servants could never observe the times and the seasons of punishing gracelesse persons here which he hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 Abraham indeed by special favour was told that Sodom should be suddenly destroyed And Moses could say Wrath is gone out from the Lord take a Censer c. Numb 16.46 As any one is more faithful and familiar with God so much better and earlier doth he discern his judgements on the wicked and is affected therewith See Hab. 3.16 with the Note But there is no certain rule given us by what punishment to conclude a man wicked neither can we safely say at what time or what manner and measure God will punish the ungodly in this present life That of Austin is very right Some wicked God punisheth here lest his providence and but some lest his patience and promise of judgment should be called into question Verse 2. Some remove the Land marks Here he instanceth in all sorts of wicked persons with their seculi laetitia impunita nequitia they go point blank against Gods Commandments they please not him and are contrary to all men and yet who but they so long as it will last Some remove or touch the Landmarks which the very Heathens held to be sacred and not once to be touched Inter Ethnicor Terminus numinis lo. o habitua est Numa King of Romans made a Law that if any hid or removed a Land-mark he should be slain by the next that met him as a sacrilegious person or publick Pest Gods Law curseth such an Offendour Deut. 27. and the Civil Lawes passe sentence of death upon him The Chaldee Paraphrast and old Rabbins understand this and the following Offences of the old world full of rapacity and impiety But are there not the like and worse evils found also amongst us upon whom the ends of the world are come in these last and worst times as Bernard fitly yoaketh them Read the Catalogue and compare In his ultimis et pessimis temporibus Bern. Reckon also that you then read or hear this Chapter aright when applying each passage to your selves you learn to wash your hands in innocency or at least in teares for these abominations As also if ye be not offended at the prosperity of those who fall into all or but some of these wickednesses sith the time is at hand when account must be given of all things done in the body whether good or evil They violently take away flocks and feed thereon Though they eat that on earth which they shall digest in hell Or and feed them viz. openly and impudently with as much insolence as injustice and as if they had got them by right and not by rapine and robbery Lavater upon the Text maketh mention of a certain Helvetian Tyrant who violently took away the Oxen from the Plough of an honest Country-man and told him that it was fit that Clownes should draw the Plough themselves without the help of Oxen. Verse 3 They drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse The only Asse of Orphans those helplesse shiftlesse creatures so mercilesse are these abigei which is no small aggravation of their injustice see 2 Samuel 12.3 For all sinnes are not equal as the Stoicks once held but lighter or heavier according to their circumstances To rob the rich is a great offence but to pillage the poor is far greater They take the widows Ox for a pledge Without which the cannot plough or Her Cow as some render it without which the and her children cannot live A poor bodies livelyhood is his life as that poor widowes was Mark 12.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like is said of the Haemorrhoisse Luke 8.43 crush this snail in his shel and you kill him Now therefore albeit it be not unlawful to take a pledge for security in some cases yet courtesie must be used and mercy must be shewed to Orphans Widowes Strangers and such like because they are Gods Clients and he hath taken them into his special care and tuition Verse 4. They turn the needy out of the way Either to make room for themselves as the only men Stand back say the Sodomites to Lâ—t Gen. 19.9 Stand further off say those in Isaiah See Prov. 30 14. Ans. 8.4 Or else because when these Spoilers are abroad they beset the wayes and no Traveller Bezai be they never so poor and needy can passe freely by them insomuch that they are constrained to leave the broad beaten way and every where to seek out by-wayes and unknown passages to escape their hands And the poor of the earth hide themselves together Lest after their Cattel driven away Junius as before themselves â—t mancipia nexa as slaves linked together should be taken and carryed away by them to such base Offices as are mentioned in the next verses Tyrants are looked upon as so many Comets or Tempests Attilas stiled himself Deiflagellum et Orbis vnstinatem The scourge in Gods hand and the worlds waste-good He arrogantly said That the Stars fell before him the Earth shook under him and that he would make the Inhabitants thereof wriggle into corners as worms do into their holes when once it thundereth We know who they were even those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy who hunted as Partridges by their cruel Persecutors and driven out from house and home wandred in desarts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth Heb. 11.38 where they found the wild Beasts more mild and merciful to them then those hard-hearted Tyrants Verse 5. Onagri inter fer as sunt efferatissimi neque unquam mansuescunt Merc. Beza Behold as wild-Asses in the desart go they forth to their work These barbarous and bruitish Oppressors skilful to destroy do live in this world as the wild-Ass doth in the wilderness roving and rambling up and down for booty whereunto early in the morning they prepare and harness themselves as if this were their trade and occupation whereby they must needs get their living Hic labor hoc opus vel artificium corum est saith Lavater As man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening Psal 104.23 so do these greedy Cormorants these evening Wolves as Micah calleth them these spoylers that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands And they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away c. Mich. 2.1 2. Job had suffered much by the
understinding Heb. If thou knowest understanding An irony but friendly and free from all bitternesse the better to convince Job of his folly and faultinesse for which end also multis eum interrogationibus onerat Mercer God loadeth him with many deep questions the least whereof he could not answer Verse 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof In that circumference and diameter that it holdeth If thou knowest Or For thou knowest quandoquidem scitus es a tart irony Geometricians take upon them to know the several dimensions of the earth and Archimedes boasted that if he had but where to set his foot from off the earth he could shake the whole body of it As also that he could number all the sands that were in the whole World habitable and inhabitable But these were vain brags Or who hath stretcht the line upon it A metaphor from Masons and other Master-builders who work by line and by rule Vitruvius in his 7th Book saith thus Longitudines ad regulam lineam altitudines ad perpendiculum anguli ad normam respondeâ—iâ—s exigantur Verse 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened Surely upon nothing but the word of Gods power The Philosophers dispute many things concerning the foundations of the earth but without any sound foundation of good reason Some Jew-Doctors make the mountains to be them but these bear not up the earth but the contrary The Psalmist saith that God hath founded the solid earth upon the liquid waters Psal 24. wherein appeareth the infinite wisedom and power of God the founder Vitruvius saith In solido extruendum foundations must be laid in solid places But God is not tyed to rules his works are in oppositis mediis as was above noted Or who â—aid the corner-stone thereof i. e. The Center say some Jew-Doctors whither all heavie things are carried and about which the whole world hangeth the elements and heavenly orbs surrounding it in their motions Others fetch this corner-stone out of the middle of the sea But all this discourse is metaphorical to shew the firmnesse of the work wherein none had any hand but only the essential wisdom of God Prov. 8. who did it with more ease than men can build an house Verse 7. When the morning stars sang together There is but one morning star properly so called viz. Phosphorus Lucifer or Venus the Suns fore-runner But for their brightnesse they are all called here Stars of the morning and said to sing together as birds use to do at break of day so did these in the morning of the Creation when first those heavenly torches began to shine and joyfully to dance as it were in number and measure This they do still in their kind Psalm 19. vers 1. beckening also as it were to us to do the like Psal 145.3 And all the sons of God shouted for joy i. e. All the Angels as chap. 1.6 meant also by those morning stars as Piscator and others will have it These being created together with the highest heavens on the first day as it is probable like as Christs soul was created in and with his body in the Virgins womb the same moment were present at a great part of the Creation if not at all and were rapt with admiration at the great wisdom and power of their Creator singing Holy holy holy c. Shall the stars sing the Angels shout and shall we be so dull This was all they did at the Creation Note this against those who held that God made the superior creatures himself but the inferior by his Angels A great hand they have as Gods instruments in governing the world Ezek. 1.5 6 7 c. whence also they are called Watchmen and Keepers Dan. 4.13 but not any had they in making the world for in that work God was alone and by himself Isai 44. vers 24. Verse 8. Or who shut up the sea with doors i. e. With bounds and banks the Sea God shut up in the hollow parts of the earth as in a great house that the dry land naturally overwhelmed thereby might appear and become fit both to bear grain grasse plants c. and to yield an habitation for men and beasts Piscator thinks it is a Metaphor from Flood-gates at Mill-ponds When it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb The Sea is here set forth in lively colours as an incomprehensible work of Gods wisdom Out of Nothing God produced it at first as an infant out of the mothers womb How great is God then to whom the great Sea is but as a little infant It brake out of the womb when it was severed from the Abysse which lay covered with darknesse till the waters below were separated from those above Gen. 1.10 Verse 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof When I clothed this new born child with a cloud Elegans allegovia Jun. commanding the vapors which environ it to serve it for garments Clouds are begotten of the waters of the sea especially and appear daily upon it And thick darknesse a swadling band for it This thick darknesse is well interpreted to be those fogs and mists which arise upon the sea and are between the clouds and the sea as the swadling bands between the upper garment and the child Interim significat saith Mercer here Meanwhile here is signified that God can as easily rule and represse the sea as the mother or nurse can her suckling when it is swathed up Verse 10. And brake up for is my decreed place That great house in the hollows of the earth vers 8. gathering it together by a perpetual and powerful decree into that place and pit Tremellius rendreth it Quum diffregi pro eo terram decreto mea When I brake up for it the earth by my decree Others And laid upon it my Statute for shabhar signifieth also statuere decernere say they but that 's more than I know And set bars and doors Vectes valvas See vers 8. This is a work of Gods great power and is therefore much instanced and insisted upon in Scripture Ps 109. Jer. 5.22 c. God could have put many other hard questions to Job about the seaâ— as why it swelleth not by the inflowing of so many great Rivers why the waters of it are so salt whence it is that it so ebbeth and floweth c Aristotle sheweth himself no very wise man in answering these questions whom yet Averrâ—es so madly admireth that he saith there is no errour at all to be found in him and that his doctrine is the chiefest truth c. Verse 11. And said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further This God commanded and it is done If the sea at any time break its bounds and over-flow countries as in Holland Zealand and other parts it hath done that is to declare the power of God and his just anger against sin And here shall thy proud waves be stayed Canutus commanded such a thing but
causeth a perpetual vicissitude of Days and Nights and so declareth the glory of God 2. It bespeaketh all people at once as a Catholique Preacher of Gods glory vers 4 5. Secondly In the constant course of the Sun that common Servant as his Name importeth vers 4. who with his motion vers 5. enlightneth all things with his Light Foord and pierceth all things with his Heat vers 6. Thus the Heavens declare the glory of God that is they yeeld matter and occasion of glorifying him according to that Psal 145.10 All thy Works praise thee O Lord but thy Saints bless thee Some Philosophers and with them some Rabbins have deemed Maimonides or rather doted that the Heaven was a living Creature and did actually praise and serve God But this conceit is exploded by the wiser sort and that Axiom maintained Formica coelos dignitate superat a Pismire because a living Creature is more excellent than the whole visible Heavens As for the Saints and Servants of God it is truly affirmed by Divines that there is not so much of the glory of God in all his Works of Creation and Providence as in one gracious action that they perform And the Firmament sheweth his handy-work The Expanse or out-spread Firmament It is taken both for the Air Gen. 1.6 and for the Sky Gen. 1.14 the whole Cope of Heaven which sheweth Quà m eleganter ad amussim operetur Deus manibus suis Vatablus how neatly and exactly God worketh with his hands which are attributed to him for our weakness sake Vers 2. Day unto day uttereth speech Some read it one day succeeding another uttereth or Welleth out Sicur fons scaturiens R. Menahem as a Fountain continually and plentifully speech yet without sound by a dumb kind of eloquence eructant by a continual revolution and success of days men are instructed concerning the Power and Providence of God as also concerning his truth and faithfulness for if God hath hitherto kept promise with Nights and Days that one shall succeed the other will he not much more keep promise with his people Jer. 33.20 25. And Night unto Night sheweth knowledge Days and Nights by their perpetual course and order Dei potentiam sapientiam concelebrant there being no less necessity of the Night in its kind than of the Day The knowledge it sheweth us is that man in himself is weak and cannot long hold out hard labour that he is permitted to sleep a while and take his rest that he must abridge himself of some part of his rest to commune with his own heart on his bed and be still that if hee bestir not himself and do up his work quickly the Night of Death cometh when no man can work c. Vers 3. There is no speech nor language where their voyce And yet few hear these Catholique Preachers these Regii Professores these real Postilles of the Divinity as one stileth them who do preach to all people at once Non solum diserte sed exertè at surdis plerumque fabulam they are by the most as little respected as is the Cuckoe in June Vers 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth Or their rule or direction or delineation or Scripture confer Isa 28.13 Quòd in coelis tanquam in volumine omnibus conspicuo descript a sit Dei gloria because that in the Heavens as in an open Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written down the glory of the Creator The like is done also in other less considerable Creatures every of which do after a sort write as well as speak and have a Pen as well as a Tongue The Chaldee word for a Mint signifieth also a Book of Histories because in that one Herb large stories of Gods Wisdom Might and Love are described unto us The same word also that signifieth an ear of Corn signifieth a word because every Field of Corn is a Book of Gods praise every Land a Leaf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Sheaf a Verse every Ear a word every Corn of Wheat a Letter to express the glory of God by Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Deum Antony the Eremite being asked by a certain Philosopher how he could contemplate high things having no help of Books answered That the whole World was to him instead of a well-furnished Library this he had ready by him at all times and in all places Aug. de doct Christ l. 1. Niceph. l 8 c 40 In vita Bern. and in this he could read when he pleased the great things of God Bernard also saith that the time was when he had no other Masters nisi quercus fagos but the Oaks and Beech-trees In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun That Prince of Planets but servant to the Saints of the most High as his name importeth so sweet a Creature he is that Eudoxus the Philosopher professed that he would be content to be burnt up by the heat of it so he might be admitted to come so near it as to learn the nature of it A Tabernacle or slitting-tent it is here said to have in the Heavens because it never stayeth in one place but courseth about with incredible swiftness Vers 5. Which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber sc after long expectation with a great deal of pomp and gayety such is the Sun-rising when hee first she weth himself above our Horizon Kimchi addeth that as the Bridegroom when he is abroad hasteneth home to his Bride so doth the Sun to his descent anhe'at ad occasum Eccles 1.5 And rejoyceth as a strong man or Champion to run a race readily running and effectually affecting all things with his heat The Persian Angari or Posts the Ostrich the wild Asse the Bustard the Dromedary De ascensmentis in Deum grad 7 the Eagle is nothing so swift as the Sun Bellarmine saith that he runneth in the eighth part of an hour seven thousand miles This dumb Creature gives check to our dulness as Balaams Asse also did to that Prophets madness Vers 6. Hâ—â— going forth is from the end of the heaven i. e. from the East unto the West in which course notwithstanding while he compasseth the circle of Heaven and Earth he visiteth the South and the North and is unweariable And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof i.e. from the benefit of the Suns heat who is ut cor incorpore as the heart in the body saith Aben-Ezra all things feel the quickning heat of the Sun not only the roots of Trees Plants c. but Metals and Minerals in the bowels of the earth Vers 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect Or Doctrin the whole Word of God commonly distinguished into Law and Gospel is perfect immaculate sincere entire compleat It Tully durst say that the Law of the twelve Tables in Rome did exceed all the Libraries of Philosophers both in weight of authority and fruit-fulness
a ship full of Frankincense and bade him sacrifice freely Vers 5. His glory is great in thy salvation He was at first slighted even by his own as a petty Prince and the Philistines came up to seek him that they might suppress him before he grew too strong for them in so much as he for fear of them went down to the Hold 2 Sam. 5.17 but soon after he became formidable to them and the rest of the neighbour-Nations whom he subdued and reigned over The like hereunto befell our Queen Elizabeth who how low soever at first became at length as her enemies confessed the most glorious Woman that ever swayed Scepter because Posuit Deum adjutorem suum Honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon him a growing weight of glory a load of it even before man The Saints when they come to Heaven shall have an exceeding excessive eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 such as if the body were not upheld by the mighty Power of God it were impossible it should ever bear it Vers 6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever Heb. Thou hast set him to be blessings For as the wicked when destroyed by some horrible Judgment are examples to others of Gods curse Isa 65.15 Jer. 29.22 2 Pet. 2.6 Judaeus sim si fallam say the Turks at this day when they would assure any thing for a certainty so the godly when in a speciall manner blessed are Patterns of blessings to others that in them they may blesse themselves or others Psal 72.17 Psal 1 28. 4. Gen. 12.2 48.20 Ruth 4.11 12. See Psal 37.26 So here they shall say Tanto rerum successu polleas quanto David Maist thou bee as successfull as ever David was Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance One good cast whereof David long since preferred before all the worlds good Psal 4.6 See the Note there Vers 7. For the King trusteth in the Lord So then his joy was the joy of faith which is unspeakable and full of glory and hee must needs bee safe who relyeth upon God Isa 26.4 Hee shall not bee moved sc from the prosperous successe of his affaires and state the beauty and bulwark whereof is Gods never failing mercy Vers 8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies Thine because ours for thou art in a league with us both defensive and offensive Now our enemies act as if they were out of the reach of thy rod but thou wilt easily hunt them down and root them out Pursued they shall bee by thee and overtaken run they never so farre never so fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven i.e. Thou shalt lay upon them grievous and exquisite miseries Lam. 5.10 Hee alludeth to the overthrow of Sodom saith Vatablus The Lord shall swallow them up As the fire doth the fuel Some think the Prophet here alludeth to that direfull kind of punishment which David inflicted upon the Ammonites whom hee made to pass thorow the brick-kiln 2 Sam. 12.31 perhaps the furnace of their Idol Moloch or Milcholm wherein they caused their Children to passe thorow the fire 2 King 16.3 23.10 And the fire shall devour them Hell-fire saith the Chaldee Paraphrast Vers 10. Nulla emolumenta laborum Juven Their fruit shalt thou destroy i.e. Their labour and that which comes thereof Prov. 21.16 31. they shall toil to no purpose the gains shall not pay for the paines And their seed For as personall goodnesse is profitable to posterity so on the contrary as in the second Commandement they are peremptores potius quam Parentes Bern. Vers 11. For they intended evill against thee Because against thy people Hee that wrongeth a subject is arraigned for injury done to the King his Crown and dignity And as a certain Gentleman of Normandy was executed for but intending only to kill Francis the second King of France which he discovered to a Priest sub sigillo confessionis not thinking ever to hear further of it again so here Vers 12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back Who faced the very Heavens and ran as it were full butt against thee such was their impudence and insolence But thy wrath shall so meet them in the teeth wheresoever they turn that they shall bee forced to give over their chase and pursute of thy people Thou shalt make them turn their back Heb. their shoulder whence some sense the words thus Thou shalt bind them back to back and cast them into the Sea of perdition Some read the words thus Pones eos ut meram Kimchi Thou shalt set them as a Butt or Mark to shoot at and this agreeth best with that which followeth Against the face of them Which is elegantly campared to the white as their bodies to the whole mark or Butt Vers 13. Bee thou exalted Lord in thine own strength Finit Psalmum cum laude sicut incaepit saith Aben-Ezra Hee closeth up the Psalm as hee began it with praise and prayer that God would arise and destroy therest as hee had allready done some of their enemies Gods power and strength is in it self infinite and cannot be exalted or amplified but in respect of us it is said to bee exalted when exerted and put forth for the defence of his people So will we sing and praise thy power This they restipulate as knowing that it would please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath hornes and hoofs Psal 69.31 PSAL. XXII UPon Ajeleth Shahar Or The morning-Hart or stag such an one as the huntsman severeth out in the morning from the rest to hunt for that day It sheweth saith One Davids and Christs early and uncessant persecution and hunting by those doggs vers 16. till they came to their Kingdomes David had his share of sharp afflictions doubtlesse when hee penned this Psalm witnesse that graphicall description of his greatest grief in all parts and powers of body and soul Vers 14 15 16 c. But his mind and thoughts were by Gods holy Spirit carried out to Christs most dolorous and inexpressible sufferings to the which all his were but as flea-bitings as the slivers or chips of Christs Crosse and this was no small mitigation of his misery When the Jews offered our Saviour gall and vinegar hee tasted it but would not drink Therest hee left for his people and they must pledge him filling up that which is behind of his sufferings Col. 1.24 though for a different end as for exercise example triall witnesse of truth c. Vers 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee David had prayed Oh for sake mee not utterly Psal 119.8 In part and for a time hee knew God might forsake him to his thinking at least But what saith Austin Non deserit Deus etiamsi deserere videatur non deserit etiamsi deserat God forsaketh not his though hee leem sometimes to do so hee leaveth them sometimes
lay hold as with tooth and nayl on riches c. lay thou hold on eternal life make God thy portion and thou art made for ever And he shall give thee the desires of thy heart It shall be unto thee even as thou wilt It is said of Luther that he could have what he would of Almighty God What may not a Favourite who hath the royalty of his Princes eare obtain of him It is said of Sâ—ianus that in all his designs he found in Tiberius the Emperour so great facility and affection to his desires that he needed only to ask and give thanks Vers 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord Heb. Roll thy way c. That is depend wholly upon him for direction and success in all thine undertakings and affairs easing thy minde to him by prayer Volve i. e. omnem necessitatem in cum exoneres Kimchi and casting thy self by faith upon his care and conduct Cast thy burden upon the Lord saith David elsewhere Trust also in him Things are therefore repeated in this Psalm that they may take the better impression and beget incouragement And he shall bring it to pass It that is whatsoever thou committest to him Vers 6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light God will so oyl thy good name that infamy shall not stick to it Dirt will stick upon a Mud-wall not so upon Marble But say thou be aspersed and denigrated by calumnies and contumelies cast upon thee and thou lye under them for a time as the earth doth under the darkness of the night yet as the morning suddenly arising driveth away that darkness so shall God clear up thy wronged innocency and as the Moon wadeth out of a Cloud so shalt thou get over all thy troubles in this kind or any other it shall be with thee as it was once with Cato whom Seneca calleth the lively picture of Vertues who was thirty two times accused in open Court and as many times cleared and absolved And thy judgements as the noon-day At the Day of Judgement howsoever if not sooner then there will be a Resurrection as well of names as bodies Vers 7. Rest in the Lord Heb. Be silent to the Lord Digito compesce labellum lay thine hand upon thy mouth when chafing ripe when ready to let fly at those that wrong thee The more silent the Patient is the more shrill the Wrong will be as Numb 12.2 while Moses is dumb God speaks deaf God hears and stirs the less he said and did the more God struck in for him and the less any man striveth for himself the more is God his Champion so he do it to the Lord that is in obedience to him and not for a name as some Heathens did And wait patiently for him Or put thy self to pain for him that is though it go against the hair with thee and thou finde it hard to suffer evil and to wait patiently for better yet do it for his sake and therein thou shalt do thy self no disservice at all Who bringeth wicked devices to pass And pleaseth himself in them because for present he prospereth as Dionysius did in his Sacriledge because no harm to him followed upon it Saeculi laetitia est impunita nequitia saith Austin Vers 8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath Repetitio est ut mag is inculcet saith Vatablus This precept is doubled and redoubled that we may the better retain and practise it Angry a man may be and must be at evil-doers in as much as they break Gods Law Psal 119.135 pollute his Name Ezek. 36.20.23 Rom. 2.23 24. procure the Judgments of God upon others also Josh 22.18 pull down swift destruction upon themselves 2 Pet. 2.1 Romans 2.5 Thus Moses was angry Exod. 32.19 and our Saviour Mark 3.5 yet not so angry but that they could at some time pity those they were displeased with and pray for them too This they that cannot do are inordinately and sinfully angry and must at any rate suppress such passionate distempers Fret not thy self in any mise to do evil And he shall have much a do not to over-do not to do amiss that bridleth not his passions for these like heavie bodies down steep hills once in motion move themselves and seldom know any ground but the bottom Ne igitur accendaris irâ saltem ad malefaciendum Kimchi rendreth it Ne misce as teipsum Come not in company with the ungodly at least to do evil to do as they do So to those words in the first verse Eret net thy self because of evil-doers the Chaldee addeth to be like unto them Vers 9. For evil-doers shall be cut off Yea they shall soon be cut off vers 10. and so shall all such as having a while fretted at them do at length revolt to them as David was ready to do once at least Psal 73.12 13 14. and as some others did out and out as they say vers 10. therefore his people return hither to their temporal undoing at least But those that wait upon the Lord For deliverance in due season and for accomplishment of the Promises All good people are such Expectants and should they dye in a waiting condition for comfort I mean yet are they blessed because God hath said Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 3.18 They shall inherit the earth Having a right to all as Heirs of the World together with faithful Abraham Rom. 4. and although it be detained from them for a while as the promised Land was from the Israelites by the Amorites till their sins were full Gen. 15.16 yet the Saints shall one day have power over all things and mean while they are sure of a sufficiency if not a superfluity An Heir during his Minority is many times held to straight allowance and forced to borrow of Servants so t is with the Saints Vers 10. For yet a little while and the micked c. Tantillum tantillum adhuc pauxillum wait therefore and fret not See vers 9. the same in effect with this and the next for more certainty of the matter and to correct our short-spiritedness who would have things done strait upon 't or not at all Yea thou shalt diligently consider his place There is neither root nor branch to be found tale nor tidings to be heard of him he is utterly vanished and banished out of the world Vers 11. But the meek shall inherit the earth Our Saviour and probably from hence saith the same Matth. 5.5 See the Notes there and above on vers 9. of this Psalm And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace because cured of the Fret and well content with their present portion hence that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectitude of mind the mother of all true mirth when the wicked are in a perpetual inquietude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are never at rest Vers 12. The wicked plotteth against the just Plotteth and practiseth being set on by that old
mortis delicias quaesivit solaced himself with singing such light Sonnets as this Vovamus mea Lesbia atque omemus Rumoresque senum severiorum Omnes unius aestimemus assis And by thy wrath are we troubled Consternati sumus Symmachus Aquila transtulerant acceleravimus Death stings us and sticks us the motion and mention of it is terrible to us through sense of sin and fear of wrath Heb. 2.15 Vers 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee As a Judge doth the misdeeds of a Malefactor together with the proofs and evidences Our secret sins Which we either never took notice of or had utterly forgotten the sins of our youth some render it but not so well those sins which we had hoped to have secreted such was our hypocrisie In the light of thy countenance This light thou hast made use of for the discovery of our inmost evils those that lye most up in the heart of the Country as it were as the murmurings and misbeleef of our hearts c. these thy pure eyes more clear and radiant than the Sun it self have plainly discerned Nature teacheth us that the fiery eye needeth no outward light but seeth extramittendo by sending out a ray c. Vers 9. For all our days are passed away Heb. Do turn away the face See vers 3. We spend our years as a tale that is told The grace whereof is brevity q. d. dicto citins Some render it as a thought that ariseth and passeth To this sence the Greek Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldee hath it Ut flatus oris in Hyeme as the breath of ones mouth in Winter See Jam. 4.14 Vers 10. The days of our years are threescore c. So Solon in Laertius saith the term of mans life is seventy years this few exceed and fewer attain to To the same sense speaketh Macrobius also Lib. 1. Som. cap. 6 saying Septies deni anni à Physicis creditur meta vivendi hoc vitae humanae perfectum spacium terminatur c. The Fathers lived longer but as mens wickedness increased so their days decreased and now their lives are daily shortned the Generations dispatcht away that the World may the sooner come to an end If Moses and Aaron of old and Johannes de temporibus and some few others of latter time live longer even to an hundred or more these are singular examples and it is of the generality that the Psalmist here speaketh And if by reason of strength D. Maior c. One readeth it thus And if by fortitude fourscore years even their latitude is labour and sorrow that is this inlarging of the time bringeth nothing but labour and misery because now the body is diseased c. For it is soon cut off As a Web or as Grass And we flee away As a Bird upon the wing or as an hour of the day Qui nescit quo vita modo volat audiat horas Quam sit vita fugax nos docet iste sonus I am not eternity said Epictetus but a man that is a small part of the whole as the hour is of the day Enchirid. I must therefore come and go away as the hour doth Vers 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger None doth sith it is such as no man can either avoyd or abide and such is mens stupidity that few will beleeve tiâ—l they feel it no though their lives be so short and uncertain Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Ira tua non est minor timore nostro let a man fear thee never so much he is sure to feel thee much more if once he fall into thy fingers Vers 12. So teach us to number our days The Philosopher affirms that man is therefore the wisest of Creatures Bâ—uâ—a non numerant because he alone can number But in this Divine Arithmetick of numbring our days to the which all other is not to be compared no though we could as Archimedes boasted number the Stars of Heaven or the Sands by the Sea shore God himself must be our Teacher or wee shall never do it to purpose R. Solomon observeth that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred So here if taken as numeral letters maketh Seventy and they yeers of our life are seventy out of which say other Rabbines if we deduct the time of Childe-hood and Youth which is vanity the time of sleep repose repast and recreation which is more than the one half and the time of affliction and grief which we enjoy not what a poor pittance will life be reduced unto That we may apply our hearts Heb. That we may cause them to come for naturally they hang off and make strange Vnto Wisdom To the true fear of God and mortification of sin which is the sling of death and makes it a trap-door to hell This is hard to do but must bee done or men are undone for ever To live with dying thoughts is the way to dye with living comforts Vers 13. Let it repent thee Or comfort thou thy servants Vers 14. O satisfie us early As thou didst our Fathers with Manna Vers 15. Make us glad according Let us have a proportion at least Vers 16. Let thy work appear Thy proper work which is to shew mercy for to do Justice is thy work thy strange work Isa 28.21 And thy glory unto their children That they at least may enter into the Land of Canaan according to Numb 14.31 Vers 17. And let the beauty of the Lord c. i.e. The bounty the Italian rendreth it La Giocondita jucunditas Domini sit innos And establish thou the work c. Thus we had all need to pray for Nullius est felix conatus et utilis unquam Consiliam si non detque juvetque Deus PSAL. XCI VErs 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place c. The safety of a Saint is in this whole Psalm Quo nihil neque solidius neque splendidius dici potest set forth to the life Verbis vivis animatis sententiis spiritus fâ—rvore flagrantissimis Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Under the pleasant and assured defence of God he shall lodge under the shadow of Shaddai and there sing away care and fear Vers 2. I will say of the Lord I dare say it is so as I have said said the Psalmist whom the Jews make to be Moses and I will presently make proof of it in my self Non verbis solum praedicans sed exemplis Some conceive that the Beleever having heard the former Proposition vers 1. is here brought in professing his faith and saying to the Psalmist Behold I dwell in the secret place of the most High and shall I abide under the shadow of the Almighty The Answer follows Vers 3. surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler i. e. Of the Devil and his Emissaries 2 Tim. 2.26 who by force and fraud seek to
peculiar To touch these is to touch the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2.8 they are sacred persons And do my Prophets no harm The Patriarchs were such Gen. 20.7 so are still all godly Ministers whom they who harm by word or deed have not so much knowledge as Pilats wise had in a dream See Psal 14.4 Vers 16. Moreover he called for a Famine How easie is it with God soon to stawe us all by denying us an harvest or two If he do but call for a Famine it is done He brake the while staff of bread Either by withdrawing bread that staff of mans life or his blessing from it for man liveth not by bread alone or at all but by every word c. Mat. 4. without which bread can no more nourish us than a clod of clay In pane conclusus est quasi baculus qui nos sustineat See Hag. 1.6 with the Notes Vers 17. He sent a man before them An eminent and eximious man Cujus vita fuit coelum queddam lucidissim is virtutum stellis exornatum to be their friend in the Court and to provide for their livelihood No danger befalleth the Church but God before-hand provideth and procureth the means of preservation and deliverance 2 Pet. 2.9 Even Joseph whom they had sold God ordereth the disorders of the world to his own glory and his peoples good Vers 18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters God hereby fitting him for that great service as he did afterwards Moses by forty years banishment in Miâ—ian and David by Sauls persecution till his soul was even as a weaned child Psal 131.2 He was laid in iron Heb. His soul came into iron or the iron entred into his soul but sin entred not into his conscience See a like phrase Luke 2.35 Vers 19 Until the time that his word came The time that Gods purpose and promise of deliverance was fulfilled This word of God prophane persons call Fate Fortune c. The word of the Lord tried him That he was Affliction-proof and still retained his integrity 1 Pet. 1.7 Vers 20. The King sent and loosed him By his own Master Potiphar who had laid him there at his wives in stance such as are bound ignominiously for righteousness sake shall be one way or other loosed honourably Vers 21. He made him Lord of his house Thus for his short braid of imprisonment where of he never dreamt Joseph hath eighty years preferment more than ever he dreamt of God retributions are very bountiful Vers 22. To bind his Princes at his pleasure To over-aw and to over-rule them to bind them in prison if need so required as himself had been bound and that at his pleasure or according to his own soul sine consensu Pharaoh saith Rabbi Solomon without Pharaohs consent as he dealt by Potiphar say other Rabbins And to teach his Senators wisdome Policy and piety which yet the Egyptians long retained not Vers 23. Israel also came into Egypt Whither he feared to go till God promised him his presence and protection Gen 46.3 4. God saith the same in effect to us when to descend into the grave Fear not to go down I will go down with thee and be better to thee than thy fears Jacobs best and happiest dayes were those the spent in Egypt Vers 24. And be increased his people greatly Against all the power of Egypt set against them And made them stronger than their enemies They were not so for present but the Egyptians conceited and feared they would be so Vers 25. He turned their hearâ— to hate Mens hearts are in Gods hands and he formeth and fashioneth their opinions of and affections to others at his pleasure yet without sin To deal subtilly with his servants Seeking to imbase and enervate their spirits by base drudgeries imposed upon them So afterwards dealt the Persian Tyrant with Hormisaus and the great Turk with the Christians Vers 26. He sent Moses his servant Quande duplicantur lateres venit Moses say the Jews as this day And Aaron c. God usually sendeth his by two and two for mutual helps and comfort Vers 27. They shewed his signs Heb. The words of his signs for Gods wondrous works are vocal they are real sermons of Gods power and justice See Exod. 4.8 Vers 28. He sent darkness Palpable darkness by reason of most black and thick vapours of the earth mingling themselves with the air such as Aben-Ezra said that hee once felt sayling upon the Ocean the gross vapours there putting out the light of fire and candle and not suffering them to be re-inkindled And they rebelled not against his word They that is the plagues called for came immediately with an Ecce me Or They that is Moses and Aaron refused not to denounce and inflict those plagues though Pharaoh threatned so kill them where a man would wonder at Pharaohs hardness and hardiness that being in the midst of that deep and dreadful darkness he could rage against God and threaten with death his servant Moses The Arabick reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendreth it Et irritarunt sermonem ejus And they the Egyptians provoked his word or rebelled against it Vers 39. He turned their waters into blood A just hand of God upon them for their cruelty in drowning the Hebrew Infants and a real forewarning if they could have seen it of the death of their first-born and their final overthrow at the red Sea And slew their fish Which was a great part of their food Piscis à pascendo dictus Vers 30. The land brought forth frogs in abundance Like grass that grows upon the ground or as fishes spawned in the Sea as the word signifieth Gen. 1.20 Some think they were not common frogs sed venenat as hâ—rrendas quales sunt rubetae bufones Ab. Ezra but Toads and Lizards Crocodiles some think came out of the River and destroyed people In the chambers of their Kings Regis regulorum inter medias enseâ— medias custodias This was the finger of God as it was likewise when a Town in Spain was overturned by Conies and another in Thessaly by Moles a City in France undone by Frogs Plin. l. 8. c. 29 and another in Africa by Locusts c. Vers 31. He spake and there came divers sorts of Flyes Heb. a mixture so of Waspes Hornets Dog-flyes the most troublesome of all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Insects And Lice in all their coasts This the Magicians could not do Quid ciniphe vilius c saith Philo What 's baser than a Louse yet hereby God can tame the sturdiest of his rebels Some Kings and other Grandees have dyed of the lousie disease as Herod Philip of Spain c. Vers 32. He gave them Hail for Rain Rain was geason in Egypt but now they had hail for rain a giftless gift Heb. He gave their rain hail Exod. 9.23 And flaming fire in their land That they