affection to Christ But I rather think it is the voice of the Bridegroom himself ravished with the beauty and sweetness of his Spouse and wondring at his own comeliness put upon her as well hee may for quantum mutatur ab illa Virg. Such a change hee hath wrought in her as never was known in any See Ezek. 16.6 7 8 c. Moses married an Ethiopian woman and could not change her hiew David married a scornful dame a mocking Michol and could not mend her conditions Jobs wife continued to bee as it is said of Helena after the Trojan troubles caused by her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same woman still no changeling Shee but the Church and all her genuine children are strangely altered and metamorphosed as the Apostles word is Rom. 12.2 and this change is not moral formal meerly mental temporal partial but spiritual real universal both in respect of subject and object for it is an intire change of the whole man from the whole service of Satan to the living and true God in sincere obedience to the whole Law the whole course of his life throughout A change so conspicuous and so stupendious that not onely strangers take notice of it strange at it 1 Pet. 4.4 and marvel much at the matter saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is this Mat. 21.10 What is come to the man of late that now it is Ego non sum but Christ himself stands wondring at his own work as hee did once in Nathanael Behold an Israelite indeed an Ishmaelite by nature but an Israelite by grace as Gether 1 Chron. 7.17 2 Sam. 17.3 John 1.47 and as before that in Araunah that famous Jebusite 2 Sam. 24.18 compared with Zach. 9.7 That cometh out of the wilderness scil Of this world fitly called a wilderness for the paucity of good people in it the wilderness of Judea where John preached was so called because but thinly inhabited and plenty of Bears and Bores Lions and Leopards and other wilde creatures whereunto wicked men for their savageness are commonly compared in Scripture This ascending of the Church out of the world as Israel did out of Egypt and their orderly marching thorow the wilderness into the promised inheritance is worthily called a wonderful separation Exod. 33.16 And as that Angel that appeared to Manoah by ascending up in the flame of the Altar is said to do wondrously Judg. 13.19 20. So do the Saints by their daily devotions as so many pillars of smoke elationibus fumi aspiring to eternity and coming up as Cornelius his prayers and alms did for a memorial before God Act. 10.4 And albeit their best performances are as smoke black and sooty in regard of infirmities and imperfections yet they have a principle in them to carry them upward they have also the High-Priest of the New Testament not to present them onely but to perfume and becense them as it is here with myrrhe and frankincense and sweetest powders of the spice-merchant that is with the merit and mediation of his own most precious passion Heb. 9.24 those sweet odours poured as out of Vials into the prayers of Saints Rev. 5.8 8.4 and so making both them and their services acceptable to his Father And as hee promised John 12.32 that being lifted up himself by the cross to the Kingdome hee would draw all his to him so wee see it fulfilled in the Saints those heavenly Eagles soaring out of sight lowly in their speeches lofty in their actions but especially in their affections carried above all earthly objects Col. 3.2 and not content till they are gotten home to Heaven their commoration is here their conversation above These heavenly Stars though seen sometimes in a puddle though they reflect there yet they have their situation in Heaven These birds of Paradise though they may touch happily upon earth yet they are mostly upon the wing and those outward comforts and creatures are to them but scalae alae wings and wind in their wings Zeph. 5.9 to carry them upward Let shallow men wonder at worldly things as the Disciples did at the huge and fair stones of the Temple Mat. 24. let them bee nailed fast to the earth as Sisera was by Jael let them ever bow down-ward as that woman in the Gospel that had a spirit of infirmity let them grovel and go upon their bellies and feed upon earth as the Serpent Gen. 3. The Saints are of another alloy their civil conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.20 their politick bent aim and fetch is for Heaven They are immortalitatis candidati as the Ancients called Henock and Elias they do paradisum mente deambulare as Hierome bids the young Hermite take a turn ever and anon in paradise and after some serious thoughts of that blessed place they break out as Monica Austins Mother did into a Quid hic facio What make I here why hasten I not home to mine own Country They send up many pious ejaculations many holy sallies and as it were egressions of soul many an humble joyful and thankful heart to God Mittunt preces lachrymas cordis legatos as hee saith pillars of prayers vollyes of hearty wishes they send up continually laying up treasure in Heaven and thinking long of the time or ere they get thither Vers 7. Behold his bed which is Solomons c. Or behold the bed of Solomon as the Greek explaining the Hebrew hath it Solomon was a famous figure of Christ of his bed wee read nothing but may well conceive it was as every thing else about him stately and costly And thereby is meant here Heaven say some whither the Church is brought in ascending in the precedent verse and by the valiant Warders they understand the Angels those Mighties Psal 103.20 But because they are said to bee valiant men of Israel I rather assent to those that think the godly Ministers are here meant by the Mighties and the Church by Christs bed where hee reposeth and resteth in his love Zeph. 3.17 lodging betwixt her breasts Cant. 1.13 There is nothing more sure than that the blessed Angels do watch over the Church What a guard by them had Jacob at Mehanaim Gen. 32.1 2 where they made a lane for him as the word imports to provide for his safety the like wee may say of Elisha at Dothan and divers others I doubt not saith one but as the Angels waited at Christs sepulchre so for his sake they watch also over our graves called our beds Isa 57.2 Howbeit here understand wee it of the Ministers of the word that watch for mens souls and are frequently called watch-men Sixty of them they are said to bee because a great number as the Levites were scattered up and down the Tribes of Israel as salt is strawed thick upon flesh to keep it from putrefying Yee are the salt of the Earth Mat. 5. c. And valiant they are said to bee for valour
Antimagistratical because they refuse to obey unlawful and impious decrees But maketh his petition three times a day They say not to whom he made it which might have holpen him much for the King might conceive that he made it to some other man 'T is an evil office to omit such circumstances as may help the accused 2 Sam. 16.3 Ver. 14. Thâ—â— the King when he heard these words was sore displeased with himself As good reason he had but Sero inquit Nero. Now he found himself circumvented by his wily flatterers but why was he such an Epimetheus or After-wit And set his heart on Daniel But All-too-late Lee cassibus irretitus dixit Si praescivissem The fools Had-I-wist should be carefully prevented To disavow the willing of Daniels death and to lay the blame upon his counsellors is a poor shift of a weak Prince And laboured till the going down of the Sun Alledging reasons for Daniels deliverance as that he was a loyal subject an excellent Ruler that the Decree was fraudulently wrung from the King upon pretence of finding out false-hearted Subjects that it was maliciously wrested to the ruine of a right Patriot c. But no reason will rule unreasonable and absurd men as they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.2 men that have no Topicks nor will hear of any as the word there signifieth Congregaverunt se supra regem Ver. 15. Then those men assembled unto the King Or kept a stir with the King from Psal 2.1 Doubtless saith Broughton Daniels spirit thought of David his fathers terms so ver 6. They came cluttering about the King Know O King that the law of the Medes and Persians c. This he knew as well as they but they press him to do accordingly So did those Ignatian Boutefeaus in Germany who in the year one thousand five hundred eighty two cast abroad this bloody Distich Vtere jure tuo Caesar sâ—ctamquo Lutheri Euse rotâ ponto funibus igne nota Ver. 16. Then the King commanded and they brought Daniel Besides and against his conscience Rex regendum se praebet impiis nebulonibus the King yeeldeth to the importunity of these wretched Malignants and condemneth an innocent See Mat. 27.24 This maketh Calvin conclude ne micam quidem pictatis fuisse in hâ—â— râ—gâ— that there was no goodness at all in this King And cast him into the den of Lions So little assurance of a continued felicity is there to any Princes favourite witness Joab Abner Haman Callisthenes Sejanus Ruffinus Eutropius Stilico Alvarez de Luna who told those that admired his fortune and favour with the King of Castile you do wrong to commend the building before it be finished Now the King spake and said unto Daniel Many oppressing Land-lords saith one are like Darius that prayed God to help Daniel but yet sent him to the Lyons den How many friends at a sneez have we now-adayes saith another the most you can get of them is God blesse you Christ help you Ver. 17. And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den To make all sute as they thought and that there might be no privy packings with the keepers for Daniels deliverance But God had an holy hand in it for the greater manifestation of the miracle And the King sealed it Ne videlicet aliâ perimeretur morte ab insidiatoribus saith one rest the conspirators understanding that the Lyons did not meddle with him should some way else dispatch him as the Persecutors dealt by some of the Martyrs That the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel The Latine interpreter hath it Lest any thing should be done against Daniel he feared not the Lyons so much as the men saith the ordinary glosse there Ver. 18. Then the King went to his Palace and passed the night fasting As good reason he had for the love and losse of such a Counsellor whom he had unwittingly betrayed but wittingly condemned and now he is self-condemned for so doing his conscience was perplexed for his injustice so that he careth neither for meat nor musick Ver. 19. Then the King arose very early in the morning He had lain all night on a bed of thornes through trouble of mind and was glad to get up especially since sleep the Parenthesis of mens griefs and cares was quite gone from him And went in haste Chald. with perturbation Vnto the den of Lyons Quo veniâ— leo Galatin l. 5. c. 8. liberavit leonem de ore leonis say the Jew-doctours by a kind of riddle whither came God and delivered this Cuer-de-lion out of the mouth of the Lyons Ver. 20. And when he came to the den he cryed with a lamentable voyce With a piteous distressed voice far otherwise then did Daniel ver 21. who chose rather to be cast into the den of Lyons then to carry about a Lyon in his bosom an inraged conscience as did Darius here and afterwards Theodoricus King of Italy who had caused Bâ—â—tius and Symmachus to be unjustly beheaded but carried the horrour of it to his grave How good is it therefore to keep the bird in the bosom alwayes singing as Daniel did and as those primitive Christians who chose rather ad leonem projici quam ad lenoâ—eâ—â— to be thrown to Lyons without Tertul. then to be left to lusts within such fleshly lusts as war against the soul 1 Pet. 2.11 against the peace of it principally Is thy God whom thou servest continually A fair deal better then did Cardinal Wolsey who yet when he came in a morning out of his privy chamber most commonly heard two Masses and what businesse soever he had in the day-time when he was Lord Chancellour he would not go to bed with any part of his service unsaid no not so much as one Collect. Nevertheless The life and death of Cardinal Wolsey p. 18. Semetipsum detestatus eâ—t quod Regi potius quam Deo placere studuisset Scult when he was sent for up by Henry the eighth to be put into the Tower he bewailed himself and said that if he had been as careful to serve God as he ever was to please the King it would have been much better with him To be a servant of the living God is an argument of saâ—â—cty chap. 3.17 Ver. 21. O King live for ever Daniel doth not curse the King as some impatient spirits would have done and as some think the damned in hell do God but wisheth him a long and happy life vote amabili He useth the ordinary form but with a better mind His wish of the Kings welfare was non in labris natum sed in fibris it was heartspâ—â—ng it was an holy prayer Ver. 22. My God hath sent his Angel Glad to be employed for the safety and service of the Saints Heb. 1.14 whence it is that these heavenly courtiers delight more in their names of ministry as Angels watchers c. then of dignity as
the Note there And their dark sayings Dark to those that are acute obtusi that have not their senses exercised to discern both good and evil Heb. 5.14 Legum obscuritates non assignemus culpae scribentium sed inscitiae non asse quentium saith hee in Gellius If the Law bee dark to any the fault is not in the Law-giver but in those that should better understand it Vers 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning Or the chief and principal point * The head or first-fruits the head and heigh of wisdome as the word here signifieth yea wisdome it self Job 28.28 This Solomon had learned by the instruction of his Father as it is in the next verse who had taught it him of a childe Prov. 4.4 with Psal 111.10 and therefore sets it here in the beginning of his works as the beginning of all Hoc est enim totus homo As in the end hee makes it the end of all Eccles 12.13 yea the All of man without which hee counts him not a compleat man though never so wise to the world-ward Heathen Sages as Seneca Socrates c. were wise in their Generation and had many excellent gifts but they missed of the main there was no fear of God before their eyes Being herein as Alchimists who miss of their end but yet finde many excellent things by the way These Merchants found goodly pearls but the pearl of price they failed of Mat. 13.45 46. The Prophet calls the fear of God our treasure Isa 33.6 But fools despise Fools so are all such as fear not God being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate or injudicious Tit. 1.16 Evil is Hebrew for a fool Nebulâ— of Nabal Fool of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When one highly commended the Cardinal Julian to Sigismund hee answered Tamen Romanus est Yet hee is a Popeling So yet hee is a Fool because void of Gods true fear Behold they have rejected the word of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rheâ— and what wisdome is in them Jer. 8.9 Vers 8. Hear the instruction of thy Father c. It is not fit to disobey God thy Father nor thy Teacher saith Aristotle Our Parents said Hierocles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our houshold-gods and their words should bee received as Oracles This is a principal fruit of the fear of God which it here fitly followeth like as in the decalogue the Commandement for honouring of Parents is set next of all to those of the first Table nay is indeed as Philo saith of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mixt Commandement Vers 9. For they shall bee an ornament Virgil. Plato A mans wisdome maketh his face to shine Eccles 8.1 Tum pietate gravem c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither gold nor precious stone so glistereth saith Plato as the prudent mind of a pious person Nothing so beautifies as grace doth Moses and Joseph were fair to God and favoured of all men A Crown of Gold a Chain of Pearl are no such Ornaments as are here commended Vers 10. If sinners entice thee To an ill bargain to a match of mischief as Ahab did Jehosaphat as Potiphers wife would have done Joseph and truly that hee yeelded not was no less a wonder than that those three Worthies burnt not in the midst of the fiery furnace But as the Sun-shine puts out fire so did the fear of God the fire of lust Consent thou not But carry a severe rebuke in thy countenaâ—ce as God doth Psal 80.16 To rebuke them is the ready way to bee rid of them Vers 11. If they say The Dragon bites the Elephants â—ar and thence sucks his blood because hee knows that to bee the onely place that hee cannot reach with his trunck to defend So deal the red Dragon and his Angels with good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple â—om 16.18 With much fair speech shee caused him to yeeld with the flattering of her lips shee forced him Prov. 7.21 Come with mee If sinners have their Come should not Saints much more Come let us go to the house of the Lord Isa 2.3 Come let us walk in the light of the Lord Vers 5. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Zech. 8.21 should wee not incite intice wheâ— and provoke one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.24 sharpen and extimulate as Prov 27.17 rouse and stir up each other to love and good works 2 Pet. 1.13 Vers 12. Let us swallow them up alive As the Devil doth 1 Pet. 5.8 2 Tim. 2.26 Homo homini daemon The poor Indians have been heard to say It had been better that their Countrey had been given to the Devils of Hell than to the Spaniards and that if the cruel Spaniards go to Heaven when they dye they for their parts desire not to come there Vers 13. Wee shall finde all precious substance But those that rake together rem rem quocunque modo rem that count all good fish that comes to net will in the end catch the Devil and all Fill our houses with spoil Not considering that they consult shame to their houses by cutting off many people and sinning against their own souls Hab. 2.10 Hee that brings home a pack of plaguy cloaths hath no such great booty of it Vers 14. Let us all have one purse How much better were a wallet to beg from door to door than such a cursed hoard of evil-gotten goods Vers 15. Walk not thou in the way with them God will not take the wicked by the hand Psal 26. Job 8.20 Why then should wee Gather not my soul with sinners saith David O Lord let mee not go to Hell where the wicked are for Lord thou knowest I never loved their company here said a good Gentlewoman when shee was to dye being in much trouble of conscience Vers 16. For their feet run to evil By the abuse of their locomotive faculty given them to a better purpose They run as if they should not come time enough they take long strides toward the burning lake which is now but a little before them Vers 17. Surely in vain the net Which is to say Silly birds pick up the meat but see not the net and so become a prey to the fowler If the fruits of the flesh grow out of the trees of your hearts saith blessed Bradford surely Sermon of Repent pag. 70. surely the Devil is at Inne with you you are his birds whom when hee hath well fed hee will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternal woe and misery Vers 18. And they lay wait Their sin will surely finde them out No doubt this man is a Murderer Nemo nequitiam gorit in pectâ—re qui non idem Nemesin in tergo said those Barbarians Act. 28.4 whom though hee had escaped the Sea yet
sincerity and not adulterating and corrupting it as Vintners oft do their Wines or Hucksters their Wares Hence Isaiah also putteth the Prophets and Evangelists in the Feminine gender Mebashereth Isa 52.7 Shee crieth upon c. Shee together with her maids crieth shee puts not off all the business to them but hath a hand in it her self Wee are workers together with God saith Paul Vers 4. Who so is simple and withall perswadeable that have not yet contracted that callum obductum corneas fibras brawny breasts horney heart-strings Shee saith to him It is Christ then that speaketh in his Ministers He that heareth you heareth mee Yee received it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the ever-living God Vers 5. Come eat of my bread Stand not off in a sinful modesty say not I am not worthy c. but come for the Master calls you as they said to the blinde man who therefore came And those reculant guests by not coming when invited might not taste of Christs Supper for they were unworthy Matth. 22. And drink of the wine which I have mingled Loe here a full feast not a dry feast Liranus noteth on this Chapter that the Eucharist was anciently delivered in both kinds But because of the danger of spilling the blood the Church ordained that Lay-men should have the bread onely Caranza The Council of Constance comes in with a Non-obstante against Christs institution with-holding the Cup from the Sacrament Vers 6. Forsake the foolish No coming to this Feast in the tottered rags of the old Adam You must relinquish your former evil courses and companies There are that read the words thus Forsake O foolish ones viz. your own wayes and live And go in the way of understanding Renounce your vices and practice the contrary graces True repentance stands in an intire change of the whole man from all that is evil to all that is good Vers 7. He that reproveth a scorner This with the three next verses may seem to come in by way of Parenthesis And they do not obscurely intimate what manner of hearers Ministers mostly meet with viz. such as our Saviour did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.14 But the Pharisees that were covetous derided or blew their noses at him as One renders it And such as long before him the Prophet Isaiah did Chap. 28.10 Precept upon precept line upon line c. One observeth that that was a scoff put upon the Prophet And is as if they should say Here is nothing but line upon line precept upon precept The very sound of the words in the Original Zau le zau kau lakau carries a taunt as scornful people by the tone of their voyce and riming words scorn at such as they despise Vers 8. Reprove not a scorner See my Common-place of Admonition Look how Dogs prefer loathsome carrion before the sweetest odours and would flâ—e in the faces of such as would drive them from it So is it here And hee will love thee When hee hath well considered he will though for present he may seem to do otherwise As Asa swaggered with the Prophet and put him in prison We read in the Ecclesiastical History that Agapetus Bishop of Rome being sent by Theodatus King of Goths to Constantinople on an Ambassage to Justinian and having obtained a peace hee was earnestly intreated by the Emperour to subscribe and confirm the Heresie of Eutyches This when hee utterly refused to do the Emperour threatned him in case hee did not Agapetus thereto boldly replied I had a desire to wait upon Justinian whom I took to be a most pious Prince but now I perceive him to bee a most violent persecutor a second Dioclesian With this free reproof and Gods blessing withall Justinian was so wrought upon that hee presently embraced the true Faith and banishing Bishop Anthemius a great propagator of the Eutychian Heresie Funcius hee set up Menna an Orthodox Divine in his room whom Agapetus consecrated if Platina may bee beleeved David loved Nathan the better while hee lived for dealing so plainly with him Aug. Comp. And named him a Commissioner for the declaring of his Successor 1 King 1. So Alipius loved Austin for reproving him Vers 9. Give admonition to a wise man This is an Alms that the poorest may give and bee never the poorer but the better For by instructing another a man engageth himself lest hee hear Physician heal thy self Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum See my common place of Admonition Vers 10. The fear of the Lord See the Note on Chap. 1.7 Here it is given as a reason why wise men are the better for sharp and seasonable admonition because the fear of the Lord is in them This makes them when they are reproved of all fall upon their faces worship God and say God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.26 What shall wee say unto my Lord What shall wee speak How shall wee justifie our selves God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants c. Gen. 44.16 And the knowledge of the holy That is of the holy God Holy is here in the plural number importing the Trinity of Persons as likewise Josh 24.19 Howbeit wee may well take in here holy Angels and Saints whose Kingdome is in Daniel said to bee the same with the Kingdome of God Dan. 7.22 27. and whose knowledge is the right understanding of Gods will revealed in his Word Vers 11. For by mee thy daies This verse depends upon vers 6. See the Note on vers 7. Those that embrace wisdome shall bee paid for their pains either in mony or monies-worth Either they shall dye as Abraham did with a good gray-head or else with Josiah they shall live long in a little time and then live for ever in Heaven Henoch had the shortest life of any of the ten Patriarchs But then hee was recompenced in the longest life of his Son Methusalah but especially in that God took him to glory Besides that though hee departed the world soon yet fulfilled hee much time as Mr. Hooker hath it Eccles posit l. 4. p. 168. And the year of thy life shall bee encreased Heb. They shall encrease the years of thy life That is they that survive thee shall perpetuate thy memory thy good name shall never dye Some live to bee their own Executors for their good name and yet they see them not honestly buried before themselves dye Nay many are as those Job 27.15 23. hissed and kickt off this Stage of the World buried before they are half dead There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carkass On the other side a good mans name is oft-times the heir to his life Or if obscured for a time as the Martyrs were yet as the Sun breaks through the cloud that masketh it so God shall bring forth their righteousness as the light and their judgement as the
shall not bee moved For though shaken with winds yet they are rooted as trees like a Ship at Anchor they wagg up and down yet remove not God is my Rock I shall not bee greatly moved Psal 62.2 Nay I shall not bee moved at all vers 6. the gates of Hell cannot do it Mat. 16.18 None can take them out of Gods hands John 10.28 for hee hath laid help upon one that is mighty Psal 89.19 Vers 4. A virtuous woman is a Crown to her husband Heb. A valiant woman an able huswife such as Bathsheba commends to her son Chap. 31. and as Paul describes Tit. 2.4 5. Shee is said to bee a Crown to her husband not a Ring for his finger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. or a Chain of gold for his neck but a Crown or Garland for his head a chief and choice Ornament as Sarah was to Abraham as Livia to Augustus as Placilla to Theodosius as Nazianzens Mother to her Husband c. Is as rottenness in his bones Not a disgrace onely to him but a disease and such a disease as is far worse than a quartan Ague for there bee two good daies for one bad but here a continual pain and hardly curable The wise man here expresseth the mischief of an evil wife by a very apt similitude And that of Hierome is not much behinde it Sicut in ligno vermis ita perdit virum suum uxor malefica As the worm eats into the heart of the tree and destroies it so doth a naughty wife her husband All evils as elements are most troublesome when out of their proper place as impiety in Professors injustice in Judges dishonour and discomfort in a wife c. Vers 5. The thoughts of the righteous are right Hee feeds his thoughts upon the best objects those especially mentioned in that little Bible Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest c. if there bee any virtue if there bee any praise think on these things If worse break in as they will hee justles them out and rids the room of them See the Note on Chap. 11.23 But the counsels of the wicked are deceit Not their rash thoughts onely but also their deliberate ones are how to circumvent others or to cloak their own wickedness Gen. 6. Every imagination the whole frame of their thoughts is evil onely evil and continually evil If good thoughts look into a wicked heart they stay not there as those that like not their lodging The flashes of lightnings may bee discerned into the darkest prisons The light that shines into an holy heart is constant like that of the Sun which keeps due times and varies not the course for any of these sublunary occasions Vers 6. The words of the wicked are to lye in wait for blood As they think not Mat. 5. so neither speak they the language of the righteous Yee are the light of the world and because the light stands in the light of their wicked waies as the Angel in Balaams way to his sin therefore they hate the Saints and as all hatred is bloody seek their lives mixing cruelty with their craft as Cain Herod Julian c. The old Serpent lends them his seven heads to plot and his ten horns to push Their own study and exercise also hath made them expert and skilful in their hellish trade and the taste of blood hath made them as hungry as hounds after it Thus I kept the ban-dogs at staves end said Nicholas Shetterden Martyr not as thinking to escape them but that I would see the Foxes leap above ground for my blood Act. Mon. if they can reach it so it bee the will of God yet wee shall see them gape and leap for it But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them Shall defend harmless men that are helpless Prov. 24.11 Hence those many Apologies of Tertullian Apollonius Arnobius and others for the Primitive Christians under persecution Hence wee had that unparralleld peece Calvins Institutions which was written upon this occasion Francis King of France willing to excuse his cruelty exercised upon his Protestant Subjects to the German Princes whose friendship hee then desired wrote to them that hee onely punished Anabaptists for their contempt of the Scriptures and of all Civil Government Calvin though then but five and twenty years of age not able to bear that blur cast upon the Reformed Religion under the name of those Sectaries Scultet Annal. 454. set forth that excellent work as well to vindicate the truth as to plead for the innocency of those that professed it Vers 7. The wicked are overthrown and are not Say that the righteous cannot prevail by their Apologies for themselves and others God will take the matter into his own hand and avenge them Luk. 18.7 as he did the Primitive Christians and the French Protestants upon their mercilesse Persecutors Tu vero Herodes sanguinolente time As Beza warned Charls the Ninth Author of the Massacre But the house of the righteous shall stand Gods house the Church shall as the Glosse applies this Text The mountain of the Lord shall bee exalted above all mountains The Church as it is highest in the favour of God so it shall bee highest in it self when the enemies shall be in that place that is fittest for them the lowest that is the foot-stool of Christ There is a Council in Heaven will dash the mould of all contrary Counsels upon earth Psal 2. Gaudeo quod Christus dominus est alioqui totus desperassem I am glad yet that Christ is King For otherwise I should have been utterly out of hope writes Miconius to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies Vers 8. A man shall be commended according to his wisdome And all wisdome consists in this Ut Deum quis cognoscat colat saith Lactantius That a man rightly know and worship God This did not Apollonius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. whom yet Philostratus commendeth that he was non doctus sed natus sapiens not instructed but born wise See the contrary Job 11.12 Nor Archimides who yet had the name and note saith Plutarch of a Divine and not Human wisdome Nor Aristotle whom yet Averroes admires as the very Rule and Copy that Nature invented wherein to set forth the utmost of Human perfection And further saith that his doctrin was the chiefest truth and his understanding the utmost extent of human wisdome These were wise I confesse in their generations and so accounted But by whom Not by Saint Paul he had another opinion of them See Rom. 1.22 23. 1 Cor. 2.6 Not by our Saviour Matth. 11.25 Not by any that are rightly instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven and have their senses exercised to discern good and evil The Italians arrogate to themselves the monopoly of Wisdome in that Proverb of theirs Italus sapit ante factum Hispanus in facto Germanus post factum Italians say
travel with mischief and bring forth a lye that is somewhat contrary to that they intend but Fata viam invenient Stat sua cuique dies See Judg. 5.28 29 30. 1 King 20.10 Accidit in puncto quod non speratur in anno Vers 2. Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth Unless it be in defence of thine innocency as David Psal 7. or when the concealing of thy goodnesse may turn to the hinderance of the truth or to the hurt of the Church or impairing of Gods glory as Paul 2 Cor. 11. and 12. Let a man doe worthily in Ephrata and he shall be famous in Bethlehem he need not bee his own Trumpeter as Jehu the proud Pharisee and other arrogant vain-glorious Bragadochioes See my common place of Arrogance God will take order that those that honour him be honoured of all and that fame shall attend vertue as the shadow doth the body Say that wicked men will not speak well but ill of us 3 Joh. 12. yet we have a testimony in their Consciences as David had in Sauls Daniel in Dariuso ' c. Demetrius hath a good report of all good men and of the truth it self and that is enough for him sith not he that commendeth himself or hath the worlds applause is approved but he whom the Lord and his people commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 Haec ego primus vidi was a vain-glorious brag that Zabarel had better held in And haec ego feci proves men to bee no better than Faeces saith Luther wittily these brags are but dregs Laus proprio sordescit in ore Quod magnificum resciente aâ—io fuisset ipso qui gesserat reconsente vanescit Plin Ep. 8. l. 1 That which had been much to a mans commendation if out of another mans mouth sounds very slenderly out of his own saith Pliny Let her works not her words praise her in the gates Prov. 31.31 as they did Ruth All the City of my people knows that thou art a vertuous woman Ruth 3.11 She was so and she had the credit of it So had the Virgin Mary and yet she was troubled when truly praised of the Angel They shall be praised of Angels in Heaven who have eschewed the praises of men on earth and blush when but justly commended speaking modestly and meanly of their own good parts and practices Saint Luke saith Levi made a great feast Luke 5.27 28. But when himself speaks of it Matth. 9.10 he saith only that Christ came home and eat bread in Levies house to teach us the truth of this Proverb that another mans mouth should praise us and not our own Like as in the Olympick games those that overcame did not put the Garlands on their own heads but stayed till others did it for them so here Vers 3. But a fools wrath is heavier than them both Himself cannot rule nor repress it but that hee dyes of the sullens sometimes as that fool Nabal did Much less can others endure it without trouble and regret especially when so peevish and past grace as to be angry with those that approve not applaud not his folly How angry was Nebuchadnezzar how much hotter was his heart than his Oven against those three Worthies for refusing to fall down before his golden Mawmer How unsufferable was Herods anger in the Massacre at Bethlehem and the primitive Persecutors for the two first ages after Christ that I come no lower See my Common-place of Anger Vers 4. Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious Or over-flowing all the banks or carrying all before it as an impetuous Land-floud and therefore most intolerable as vers 3. but behold a worse matter Envie is an evil that none can stand before for it knows neither end nor measure as appears in the Devil and his Patriarch Cain in Saul the Pharisees those spiteful Jews Acts 13.45 And to this day they doe antiquum obtinere bear the old grudge to us Christians cursing us in their daily Orisons calling us Bastard-gentiles professing that if their Messias were come rather than wee should have any part in him or benefit by him they would Crucifie him an hundred times over They have a saying amongst them Optimus qui inter gentes est dâ—gnus cui caput conteratur tanquam Serpenti The best of us Gentiles is worthy of the Serpents punishment viz. to have his head bruised c. so great is their envie still against Christians who pitty them and pray for them and truly it is no more than need sith by the question here propounded we may easily guesse how potent this quick-sighted and sharp-fanged malignity envie is indeed the venome of all vices is found in it neither will it bee drawn to embrace that good which it envies to another as too good for him Act. 13.44 45. Vers 5. Open rebuke is better than secret love For after the nature of Pils Rebuke though it be not toothsome yet it is wholsome and a sure sign of a faithful friend if rightly managed See my Common-place of Admonition Secret love that either seeth nothing amisse in a friend or dare not say so is little worth in comparison Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Levit. 19.17 but as an Argument of thy love thou shalt reprove him plainly but wisely and not suffer sin upon him much lesse further it and be his broker or pander in it as Hirah the Adullamite was to his friend Judah and Jonadab to his Cousin Amnon 2 Sam. 13.5 Vers 6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend And are therefore to be prayed for but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful or to bee detested and therefore prayed against so some read the words and make the opposition See this done by David Psal 141.5 Knocks from a righteous man he would take for kindnesses but the precious oyles of the wicked answerable to their kisses here he would cry out of as the breaking of his head for so Mercer Ainsworth and others read that text and the Septuagint accordeth saying let not the oyl of the sinner supple my head by oyl meaning flattering words as Psal 55.22 Reproofs and Corrections though sharp and unpleasant yet if look'd upon as issuing from that love that lies hid in the heart they are faithful that is fair and pleasant as the Chaldee interprets it But the kisses of an enemy are deceitfull i. e. his glosing and closing with us for a further mischief such as were the kisses of Joab Judas Absolom and Ahitophel are not to be fancied but deprecated and detested See the note on chap. 26.23 Theophrastus hath in his character drawn out these kissing cut-throats Cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who can be affable to their enemies and disguise their hatred in commendation while they privily lay their snares men Italienated that can salute with mortal embracements and clasp you in those arms which they mean to embrue in your dearest blood Camd. Elis Anno. 1591.
unto men and there-hence hee went forth abroad the whole world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Here therefore the Spouse seeks him amongst the people of God and in his Word and Ordinances Shee knew well that hee fed his flock among those Lillies used to go down into that his garden of spices Cant. 6.1 2. to take a turn amidst those golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 to take a view of his Wedding guests Mat. 22.11 yea to eat and drink in their presence and to teach in their streets Luk. 13.26 Abroad shee gets therefore and that presently I will rise now Saith shee lest I lose mine opportunity for if so I may seek it with tears and go without it with sorrow Men may purpose promise and expect a time of healing and curing when they shall bee deceived and finde a time of trouble Jer. 14.17 Many I say unto you shall seek to enter and shall not bee able Luk. 13.24 yea they shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord but they shall not finde him hee hath withdrawn himself from them Hos 5.6 They came too late belike they sought not the Lord while hee was to bee found vel sero vel certe non serio quaerebant they called not upon him while hee was near they stayed till hee was out of call Prov. 1.28 till hee was resolved to return either no answer at all or such a sad answer as the Jews had from him because they stood out their day of grace Yee shall seek mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come John 7.34 And again I go my way and yee shall seek mee and shall dye in your sins John 8.21 Oh dreadful sentence The Church her self here though never so dear to Christ seems to some to bee guilty of sloth and slackness in seeking after Christ and doing it in her bed as loth at first to disease her self or in holding him while shee had him if whilst shee was sleeping hee slipt away from her side The wise Virgins also were napping and nodding Mat. 25. and holy Austin confesseth that hee could not answer that clear text whereby hee was called out of his sinful course Confess lib. 8. cap. 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead c. but onely by that wish of the sluggard Modo ecce modo Sinite paululum c. A little more sleeps a little more slumbers c. little and yet sleeps in the plural Thus Modo Modo non habent modum Sinite paululum ibit in longum as that Father hath it Somewhat it was surely that makes the Church resolve as here I will rise now or Let mee rise now I will stir up the gift of God that is in mee I will stir up my self to take better hold of Christ Here is a tacit taxing her self for some former slackness after her former enjoyments and familiar entercourse with Christ Wee are too ready after wee have run well to lye down and take cold which may cause a consumption to please our selves in unlawful liberties when wee have pleased the Lord in lawful duties Hezekiah after his notable service both of prayer and thanksgiving fondly over-shoots himself to the Babylonish Embassadors Jonah after his Embassage faithfully discharged to the Ninivites breaks forth into anger against the Lord. Peter being commended by Christ for the profession of his Faith Mat. 16. fell presently so far wide that hee heard Get thee behinde mee Satan I sought him but I found him not For trial and exercise of her faith and constancy Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 So then shall wee finde if wee follow on to seek Christ fetching him out of his hiding-place as the woman of Canaan did For hee would have hid himself saith the Text but hee could not For a certain woman c. Mark 7.24 25. And as shee set him out so shee followed him close refusing to bee either said nay or sit down with silence or sad answers The like did Jacob Gen. 32. hee wrestled with might and slight hee would have a blessing whether God would or no as wee may say with reverence Let men go saith God No thou shalt not saith Jacob. Let mee alone that I may destroy this people No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter improbitatem by no means saith Moses In seeking of Christ faith is not onely importunate but even impudent Luk. 15.8 and threatens Heaven as Nazianzen said of his sister Gorgonia If hee have lost his mercy shee will finde it for him Isa 63.15 If hee look strange and stern shee will both know him and claim him amidst all his austerities Vers 16. Art not thou our Father Psal 63.8 If hee bee gone never so far shee will follow hard after him so Davids phrase is even as hard as her old leggs will carry as Father Latimer said with Return for thy servants sake Wee are thine c. vers 17 19. O Lord faith the Church in Habakkuk Art not thou from everlasting my God and mine Holy One It was a bold question but God assents to it in a gracious answer ere hee went further Wee shall not dye say they abruptly Hab. 1.12 Nay after two daies for so long it may bee hee will hold us off to try how wee will hold out seeking hee will revive us in the third day hee will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 Or if wee should dye in this waiting condition and in a spiritual desertion yet wee could not misse of Heaven because hee hath said Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30.18 Vers 3. The watchmen that go about the City found mee i. e. The Angels who are Gods watchmen over the world and are so called somewhere in Scripture as also Ministring Spirits guardians of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.10 Ezek. 33.2 c. But here I conceive are meant either those Princes of the world strangers to the mystery of Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 and therefore can tell no tale nor tidings of him For why they are of Gallio's Religion which is no better than a meer irreligion Act. 18.15 being de regione magis soliciti quam de religione as one saith Or else the Officers and Ministers of the Church set as Watch-men upon Jerusalems walls with charge never to hold their peace day nor night Isa 62.6 But they alass prove too too oft blind watch-men dumb doggs sleeping lying down loving to slumber Isa 56.16 And such it seems were these here by the small directions they gave the Church or intelligence of her best Beloved Howbeit because the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Heb. 13.1 and they are given for Guides to God however they prove shee repairs to them or rather lighting upon them enquires for Christ Saw yee him whom my soul loveth They that love Christ in
with earth as Core and his complices were that they cannot resent or savour the things of the Spirit but as vultures they hunt after cation carcases and as Tygers they are enraged with the sweet smell of the Churches spices Let my Beloved come and eat his pleasant fruits For who plants a Vineyard or Orchard and eats not of the fruit thereof 1 Cor. 9.7 The Garden is Christs the pretious graces of his Spirit and all acts of grace those pleasant fruits are all his Hee alone is the true proprietary for of him Rom. 11.36 and through him and to him are all things Of him as the efficient cause Through him as the administring cause and to him as the final cause Well therefore may it follow to whom bee glory for ever Christ counts the fruits that wee bear to bee ours because the judgement and resolution of will whereby we bear them is ours This he doth to encourage us But because the grace whereby wee judge will and work aright comes from Christ ascribe wee all to him as the Church doth in the former verse Gen. 43.11 Cedren ad an 32. Justin. and presenting him with the best fruits as they did Joseph say as David and after him Justinian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of thine own have wee given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 CHAP. V. Vers 1. I am come into my Garden SO ready is the Lord Christ to fulfill the desires of them that fear him Sometimes hee not onely grants their prayer Psal 145.19 but fulfills their counsel Confess l. 5. c. 1. Psal 20.4 fits his mercy ad cardinem desiderii as Austin hath it lets it be to his even as they will Or if he cross them in the very thing they crave they are sure of a better their prayers they shall have out either in money or moneys worth Christ though he be a God that hideth himself yet hee scorns to say unto the seed of Jacob Seek yee mee in vain Isaiah 45.15 19. that's enough for the Heathen Idols vers 16 18. Hee is not like Baal who pursuing his enemies could not hear his friends or as Diana that being present at Alexanders birth could not at the same time rescue her Ephesian Temple from the fire Non vacat exiguis c. Hee is not like Jupiter whom the Cretians painted without ears as not being at leisure to attend small matters and whom Lucian the Atheist feigneth to look down from heaven through certain crevisses or chincks at certain times at which time if Petitioners chance to pray unto him they may have audience otherwise not No no the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are always open to their prayers Psal 34.15 Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus Basil compares prayer to a chayn the one end whereof is linked to Gods ear and the other to mans tongue Sozomen saith of Apollonius that hee never asked any thing of God in all his life that hee obtained not And another saith of Luther Iste vir potuit apud Deum quod voluit That man could do what hee would with God it was but ask and have with him I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice i.e. I have highly accepted of thy graces and good works these are to bee gathered onely in Christs Garden Hedge-fruits and wilde-hearbs or rather weeds are every where almost to bee had Moral vertues may bee found in a Cato who was homo virtuti similimus a man as like vertue as may be saith Velleius And he addes but I am not bound to beleeve him Qui nunquam recte fecit ut facere videretur sed quia aliter facere non poterat vell lib. 2. that Cato never did well that hee might seem to do so but because hee could not do otherwise than well But why then might a man have asked the Historian did your so highly extolled Cato take up the trade of griping usury Why did he so shamefully prostitute his wife so cowardly kill himself Was it not because he lived in the wilde Worlds waste and grew not in the Churches garden hence his fruits were not genuine his moral vertues are but shining sinnes beautiful abominations a smoother way to hell Civil honest men are but Wolves chained up tame Devils Swine in a fair meadow c. Operam praestant natura fera est as the Civil Law saith of those mixt Beasts Elephants and Camels they do the work of tame Beasts yet have the nature of wilde ones They are cryed up for singularly honest as ever lived by such as are strangers to the power of Godliness and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel like as in Samaria's famine a cab of Doves dung was sold at a great rate and an asses head at four pound But Christ and such as have the minde of Christ are otherwise minded they look upon an unregenerate man though sober just chaste liberal c. as a vile person Psal 15.4 and upon all their specious works as dead works when as contrarily they honour them that fear the Lord and set an high price as Christ here doth upon their good parts and practices Myrrhe and spices or aromatical fruits are but dark shadows and representations of them I have eaten mine hony-comb with mine hony As it were crust and crumb together not rejecting my peoples services for the infirmities I finde cleaving unto them but accepting what is good therein and bearing with the rest I take all well a worth and am as much delighted therewith as any man is in eating of hony whereof hee is so greedy that withall hee devours the comb too sometimes Mr. Dudley Fenner Christ feedeth saith an Expositour here upon all the fruits of his garden hee so much delighteth in it as hee eateth not onely the hony as it were the most excellent duties or works of the Church see Heb. 13.15 16 21. but also the hony-comb as it were the baser services and fruits of his Spirit of least account that hee receiveth of all sorts most sweetly mingled together both the common and daily fruits of godliness understood in milk and the more rare of greater price as solemn fasts and feasts signified by wine both which hee drinketh together that is accepteth of them all Eat O friends That is O you holy Angels saith the former Interpreter which as my Nobles accompany mee the King of Glory in Heaven and have some communion with me in the gifts I bestow on you Mr. Diodate also thinks the same But I rather encline to those that by Christs friends here understand those earthly Angels the Saints see John 15.14 Isa 41.8 Jam. 2.23 whom hee cheareth up and encourageth to fall to it lustily and by a sancta crapula as Luther calls an holy gluttony to lay on to feed hard and to fetch hearty draughts till they bee even drunk with loves as the Hebrew here hath it being ravished in the love of God where they are
surely that sweet singer never sang more melodiously than when his heart was broken most penitentially Psal 6. 51. Thus birds in the spring sing most sweetly when it rains most sadly and tears of true contrition are pillulae lucis pills made on purpose to clear the eye-sight When John wept the sealed book was set open to him Lilium lachryma sua seritur Light is sown for the righteous Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon c. Si verborum faciem consideremus quid poterit magis dici ridiculum saith Titleman upon the words If we look upon the out-side onely of this text what may seem to have been spoken more ridiculous Is it so great a commendation to have a nose like a tower That which wee must here-hence learn is that seeing Christ is now risen again and ascended up into heaven wee ought to bear our noses aloft as it were savouring things of the Spirit of Christ discerning things that are excellent and by a Spiritual sagacity aspiring to eternity That looketh toward Damascus The chief City of Syria having its name from the bloody excursions of theeves as Peter Martyr thinketh or else Pet. Mart. in 1 Reg. 16. as others from the blood of righteous Abel there spilled whence the place was called Damsech a bag of blood Vers 5. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel This head is Christ himself for hee is the sole head of his Church God hath put all things under his feet hence hee is here compared to Carmel because hee is high over all and given him to bee head over all things that is over all persons in the Church Ephes 1.18 22. Angels are under Christ as an head of government of influence of confirmation not of redemption as the Saints are The Angels are great friends to the Church but not members of it Heb. 2.16 The Church Christ sanctified and washed with his blood Ephes 5.26 Not so the Angels He was but a poor patron of the Popes Head-ship that said and as he thought very wisely too that hee had read in some Vocabulary that Cephas signified an head therefore Peter was head of the Church But if that should have been granted him yet it would not follow that the Pope is therefore so too For Belarmine a better scholar by far is forced to say Forte non est de jure divino Rom Pontificem Petro succedere Perhaps it is not by any divine right Lib. 2. de Rom. Pontif. c. 12. that the Pope succeedeth Peter And again Rom Pontificem Petro succedere non habetur expresse in Scripturis It is not expresly set down in the Scriptures that the Pope succeedeth Peter And the hairs of thine head like purple Which was the colour of Kings and Princes The Saints called here the hair of the Churches head for their number or multitude are Princes in all lands Psal 45.16 yea they are Kings in righteousness as Melchisedech was a King but somewhat obscure Compare Mat. 13.17 with Luke 10.24 Many righteous saith one Many Kings saith the other have desired to see those things that yee see c. The King is held in the galleries i. e. There is no King in the world so great and glorious but might finde in his heart to bee tied to these walks and to bee held prisoner in the sight of thee and thy bravery Like as King James comming first into the publique Library at Oxford and viewing the little chains wherewith each book there is tied to its place wished Rex Platon pag. 123. that if ever it were his destiny to bee a prisoner that Library might bee his prison those books his fellow-prisoners those chains his fetters Psal 138.4 5. 119. 72. The Psalmist shews by prophecying that even Kings comming to taste the excellency of the comforts of godliness and to feel the power of Gods Word should sing for joy of heart and greatly acknowledge the excelling glory of Christs Spouse the Church See Davids desire Psal 27.4 84. throughout Constantine and Valentinian two Emperours called themselves Vasallos Christi as Socrates reports the Vassals of Christ and Theodosius another Emperour professed that it was more honour and comfort to him to be membrum Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch quam caput Imperit a member of the Church than head of the Empire Nay Numa second King of Rome though but a Heathen held it an higher honour to serve God than to reign over men Some Interpreters by the King here understand Christ coveting the Churches beauty Psal 45.12 and held fast bound unto her in the bands of pure affection of spiritual wedlock Vers 6. How fair and how pleasant art thou O love for delight Emphatica haec admodum sunt cum toties exclamatio ponatur saith one This is a most Emphatical exclamation proceeding from admiration and importing that all that hee could say of her was too little Well might the Prophet say As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so doth thy God over thee Isa 62.5 Hence hee can make no end here of commending her but having finished one praise hee presently begins another This yields infinite matter of comfort to the Saints that Christ loves them so dearly prizeth them so highly praiseth them so heartily Howbeit let not them hereupon turn again to folly Psal 85.8 or give way to carnal security Laetemur in domino sed caveamus à recidivo Argue not from mercy to liberty that 's the Devils Logick but from mercy to duty as those good souls do Ezra 9.13 14. Having received such and such both privative and positive favours should we again break thy commandments There is so much unthankfulness and dis-ingenuity in such an entertainment of mercy that holy Ezra thinks heaven and earth would bee ashamed of it Shall wee continue in sin that grace may abound saith the Apostle Rom. 6.1 And it is as if hee should say that were most unreasonable and to a good heart impossible A man may as well say the sea burns or fire cools as that assurance of Christs love breeds careless and loose living They that hold so know not the compulsive power of Christs love 2 Cor. 5.14 nor what belongs to the life of God Eph. 4.18 Vers 7. This thy feature is like to a palm-tree This thy whole stature and feature of body that hath been already pourtraied and described particularly and piece-meal is like to a palm-tree strong and straight fresh and flourishing so that thou maist say with the palm in the Emblem Nec premor nec perimor Pliny Aristotle Plutarch and Gellius have written of the palm-tree that it is alwaies green bearing pleasant fruit and that it will not bow downward or grow crooked though heavy weights bee hanged upon it The Church is all this and more ever green even in the winter of affliction when the oak loseth her leaves See the Note on chap. 1.16 full of the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus
said Holy holy holy Hereby shewing their earnestness and unsatisfiableness in praising God as Jer. 22.20 Mat. 23.37 the ingemination importeth strong affection Infinitis vicibus iterant saith Procopius the holy Angels have no rest and yet they have no unrest neither day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4.8 The ancient Rabbines as R. Simeon Ben Joai proved the Trinity of persons from this text saith Galatin appointing their posterity to repeat these words twice a day at least Lib. 2. cap. 1. viz. at the rising and setting of the Sun which also they do to this day and when they do it they leap three times The whole earth is full of his glory Not the Land of Judea only but the wide world as Psalm 97.6 8. Isa 40.5 shall be full of Gods glory when the Gospel shall be preached to all Nations This was for comfort to our Prophet that although his Country-men were cast off for their contumacy yet he should not lose the fruit of his labours when once that great Mysterie of godliness was revealed God whom he had now seen upon the Throne and that purposely for his confirmation manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles 1 Tim. 3.16 believed on in the world received up into glory Ver. 4. And the posts of the door were moved Presently upon the Angels hymn this fell out with such a force it was uttered like as at our Saviours Resurrection when the Angel rolled back the stone and sat upon it there was a great Earthquake Mat. 28.2 By the moving of the posts or thresholds was signified the destruction of the Temple like as by-the smoak wherewith the house was filled the burning of it down by the Chaldees as also the just excaecation of the Jews Their Temple that had been filled with the train of glory is now filled with smoak going out of Gods Nostrils when he was angry Psalm 18.8 See Deut. 29.20 Ver. 5. Then said I Wo is me The ordinary fear of the faithful when they had seen the Lord in his Majesty Gen. 16.13 Deut. 5.24 Heb. 12.21 Judg. 13.22 How shall the wicked then be able to stand before him at the last day For I am undone I am a dead man sith no man shall see God and live Exod. 33.20 Because I am a man of unclean lips i. e. of a foul nature and sinful practice his original uncleanness that filthy Fountain and well-spring of wickedness made him cry out in this manner Pollutior sum quam ut landem Deum Angels praise God as I have heard them but I wicked wretch am altogether unfit for such an employment Infinite is the distance and disproportion betwixt the High and Holy God and me a lothsome Leper a sordid caytiffe c. The nearer a man draweth to God the more doth rottenness enter into his bones Hab. 3.16 Now mine eyes have seen thee saith Job therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.6 Depart from me Lord saith Peter for I am a sinful man Gr. a man a sinner Luke 5. that is a compound or hodgpodge of dirt and sin Quis tu Domine quis ego said One Tu abyssus essentiae veritatis gloriae ego abyssus nihili vanitatis miseriae Who art Thou Lord and what am I Thou art an Abysse of Essence Truth and Glory and I an abysse of nothing of sin and of misery And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips whose Language I have learned with whose sinful practices I have too much symbolized and in whose punishments therefore I am like to be involved for there is a double danger to a man by conversing with the ungodly 1. Infection of sin 2. Infliction of punishment Lot was the Worlds Miracle who kept himself fresh in Sodoms salt-water Ver. 6. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me Relin quit chorum illum sanctissimum ut serviat polluto he leaveth that holy company that he may do service to a poor polluted creature The brightest Angel in Heaven thinketh not himself too good to serve the Saints Heb. 1.14 If there come to us at any time a Messenger one of a thousand to declare unto us our righteousness to be unto us a Minister of Reconciliation we are to receive him as an Angel of God Having a live coal in his hand a coal from the Altar shadowing the merit and Spirit of Christ purging his people from all sin The Tongs whereby this quick-coal of Christs Righteousness is applyed to the soul is the Grace of Faith Act. 15.9 Ver. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth Not to burn him for all this was visional but to expiate and purifie his lips by the Spirit of judgement and of burning Chap. 4.4 to fire him up to an holy contention in godliness and to fit him yet further for his Office as the Apostles were for theirs by cloven tongues of fire Act. 2. And said Lo this hath touched thy lips To the sign words are used to make a perfect Sacrament And here the cautelousness of the Angel is to be noted He saith not I have touched 1 Cor. 15.10 but lo this coal hath touched thy lips So Paul yet not I but the Grace of God in me So the good and faithful servant Not I but thy Talent hath gained five Talents Luk. 19.16 The Seraph was himself a burning creature as his very name importeth howbeit it was not the Seraph but the Retheph or burning-coal that did the deed that God might have all the glory Thine iniquity is taken away Sacraments take not away sin but only testifie that iniquity is purged by Christ alone who hath merited Justification and Sanctification Ver. 8. Whom shall I send Lay hands upon no man rashly but with deliberation The mysterie of the Trinity is well observed by some in the following words as by others this that Ministers serve not men but the only true God Father Son and Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 4.1 2 Cor. 5.21 Nobis id est tribus Elohim sive personis sanct Trin. Piscat Who shall go for us God knew whom he would send but he will have the Prophet offer himself for he loveth a cheerful server and Ministers must take the oversight of Gods Flock not of constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 Here am I send me This was right and this was wrought in him not by base fear of punishment as we read of one Balthus a dumb man that wandring in a Desart Pausanlas and met with a Lion he was struck with such exceeding fear and trepidation that thereupon the string of his tongue was loosed and he spake ever after sed igne Dei tactus actus est The Seraph had comforted him and this was the effect of it The Prophet after the touch of the live-coal felt his gifts encreased his zeal kindled and
for it came up four notable horns i. e. Four potent Princes out of the shipwrack of his Empire which four in processe of time came to two Dan. 11.5 6. Ver. 9. And out of one of them Out of the posterity of Seleucus King of Syria Came forth a little horn This was Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes Illustrious Polybius called him Epimanes the mad man He is here called a little horn because he was vile and base from the very first to the last of him Indeed he was born a Prince but without a Kingdom a meer Nullatenensis till he became an V surper He was sent for an hostage to Rome by his father Antiochus Magnus whom the Romans had â—ndgeld into a treaty taking away from him the best part of his Kingdom After his fathers death he stole away from Rome and seized upon the Kingdom of Syria casting out of it his nephew Demetrius who was the right heir Afterwards he got into his hands also the Kingdom of Egypt under colour of Protectour to his young nephew Ptâ—lomy Philometor And being therehence discharged by the Romans and made to answer Parebo I will be gone he went thence in a rage and like a mad man recked his teem as we say upon the poor Jews playing the devil amongst them Toward the South i. e. Egypt And toward the East Persia which he also conquered And toward the pleasant land i. e. Judaea called here Decus Capreolus the delectable and desireable Country by reason of its great prerogatives So Ezek. 20.6 Psal 48.2 See there Ver. 10. And it waxed great even to the host of heaven Or against the host of heaven so the Church militant is called The Saints are the worlds great luminaries yea the only earthly Angels although wicked people count and call them the filth and off couring of all things And of the stars Such as shone in the light of holy doctrine Rev. 1.10 Persecutors spite is specially against such Zach. 13.7 Ver. 11. Yea he magnified himself extolled or extended himself such was his insolency Even to or against the Prince of the host Christ the Captain of his peoples sufferings and of their salvation Heb. 2.10 he bare an hostile spirit against the God of the Jews such an hell-bound hardly ever was born casting him out of his place and setting up in his room Jâ—piter Olympius that is the devil he defaced also and burnt up the books of the Law all he could light on 1 Mac. 1.59 Ver. 12. And an host was given him Or the host was given over for the trasgression against the daily sacrifice The Jewes were grown to a great height of profanesse even in Malachies dayes as is to be seen chap. 1 2 3. And by this time doubtlesse they were become much worse God therefore for punishment turned this Tiger loose upon them And it cast down the truth to the ground The doctrine of truth together with the Professors thereof The like whereunto is still done by the Romish Antichrist to whom some apply all this part of the Chapter as the proper and genuine sense of the Text. See the visions and Prophecies of Daniel expounded by Mr. Thomas Parker of Newbery in New-England pag. 43 44 c. And it practised and prospered Wicked practises against Religion may prosper for the time Acts 12.1 2 3. It was therefore no good argument that the Earl of Darby used to George Marsh Martyr telling him that the Dukes of Northumberland and of Suffolk and other of the new perswasion had ill luck Act. Mon. 1421. and were either put to death or in danger so to be And again he rehearsed unto him the good hap of the Queens highnesse and of those that held with her and said that the Duke of Northumberland confessed so plainly Ver. 13. And I heard one Saint speaking i. e. One holy Angel for they are sollicitous of Gods glory and sensible of the Saints sufferings whereof they would have a speedy end and should not we be so too weeping with those that weep and rejoycing with those that rejoyce And another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake Anonymo illi qui loquebatur so Piscator rendereth it others To the wonderful Numberer who spake i. e. who commanded Gabriel to declare the vision to Daniel ver 16. This was Jesus Christ the Wisdom and Word of God He who knoweth all the secrets of his Father as perfectly as if they were numbred before him How long shall be the vision It appeareth then that Angels know not all secrets but that their knowledge is limited they know not so much but they would know more Ephes 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Concerning the daily sacrifice The losse whereof was a just matter of lamentation to godly minds See Zeph. 3.18 And the transgression of desolation Transgression is a land-desolating evil Lam. 1.9 And the host to be trodden under foot i. e. The Professors of the truth were over-turned some by perswasion others by persecution Ver. 14. And he 〈◊〉 unto me Not to the Angel but to me who should have proposed the question the holy Angel did it for me Vnto two thousand and three hundred dayes Heb. to the evening and morning two thousand and three hundred i. e. to so many natural dayes consisting of 24. hours which in all do make up six years three moneths and twenty dayes This point of skil Daniel here learneth of the Wonderful Numberer Christ who hath all secrets in numerato and will put a timely period to his peoples afflictions Not full seven years did they suffer here much lesse Seventy as once in Babylon How he moderateth the matter See on Rev. 2.10 How this Prophecy was fulfilled See 1 Maccab. 1.12 13 14. 2 Maccab. 4.12 c. with 1 Maccab. 4.52 Ver. 15. And it came to passe when I even I Daniel Not another as that black-mouthed Porphyry slanderously affirmed that not the Prophet Daniel saw Porphyr cont Christian l. 12. Hieronym and uttered these Prophecyes so long before they fell out but another who lived after the reign of Antiochus wrot an history of things past and entitled it falsely to Daniel as a prophecy of things to come Oâ—durum Then behold there stood before me They who seriously and sedulously seek after divine knowledge shall finde means to attain unto it Rev. 13.1 Ver. 16. And I heard a mans voice This was the Man Christ Jesus the great Doctour of his Church and Commander of Angels viro similis quia incarnandus Make this man to understand Angels and Ministers make men to understand secrets give the knowledge of salvation to Gods people Luke 1.77 not by infusion but by instruction Ver. 17. So he came near where I stood Let our obedience be like that of the Angels prompt and present I was afraid Through humane frailty and conscience of sin Vnderstand O son of man Ezekeil and Daniel only of all the Prophets are so called haply lest they should be exalted