God whereby he was sealed to the day of redemption Ephes 4.30 and is therefore at a losse for comfort he had vilipended that patent of his pardon which God had passed under his hand and seal God therefore calleth for it home again into the pardon-office as it were that he may know the worth by the want A man may sin away not only the sense and comfort of his pardon but the evidence and knowledge of it as that place of Peter seemeth to imply 2 Pet. 1.9 Mountebanks who wound their flesh to try conclusions upon their own bodies how soveraign the salve is D. Sibbes Souls confl do oft feel the smart of their presumption by long and desperate wounds So God will let his Davids see what it is to make wounds in their consciences to try the preciousnesse of his balsam such may go mourning to their graves And though with much ado they get assurance of pardon yet their consciences will be still trembling till God at length speak further peace even as the waters of the Sea after a storm are not presently still but move and tremble a good while after the storm is over And upholdest moe with thy free Spirit Heb. firmly sustain mee with thy noble or Princely Spirit that may make mee steddy and ready to come off roundly in thy service Sin against conscience disableth for duty taketh away freedom to it and stability in it David therefore prayes God to fix his quick-silver to ballance his lightnesse to settle and fill that vain and empty heart of his with something that may stay and stablish it that may also free and enlarge it for where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 that he might yeeld prompt and present obedience to God in all things and with all might be apt and able to teach transgressors as he promiseth to do in the next words Vers 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes Instruunts nos Patres tum docentes tum labentes saith Augustine Two wayes the Saints teach us First By their Doctrin Secondly By their Falles and Failings David had taught men this last way to his cost that it is triste mortalitatis privilegium licere aliquando peccare Now he promiseth by his example and instruction to teach transgressours those that are in the very bonds and hands of the Devill Gods wayes of mercy to the penitent and that they must either turn to God or burn for even in Hell And sinners shall be converted unto thee They shall give not the half but the whole turn and it shall appear by them The turning of a sinner from evill to good is like the turning of a Bell from one side to another you cannot turn it but it will make a sound and report its own motion Vers 14. Deliver mee from blood-guiltinesse O God Heb. From bloods in every drop whereof is a tongue crying for vengeance Besides if Davids adultery was a sin of infirmity he was preocoupated as Gal. 6.1 yet his murthering of Uriah and many others that fell together with him was a sin of presumption a deliberate prepensed evill done in cold blood and therefore lay very heavy upon his conscience Howbeit he gat pardon of this great sin also so that it never troubled him on his death-bed as some other did though not so great where of he had not so throughly repented 1 King 2. Thou God of my salvation By making choice of this so fit an Attribute he flirreth up himself to take better hold And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness That is of thy faithfullnesse in performing thy promise of pardon to the penitent As Aarons golden bells sounded so should our tongues sound Gods praises and sing them aloud shrill them out Vers 15. O Lord open thou my lips Which now I find stopt and sealed up as it were with the sin that doth so easily beset mee so that whereas I promised before to sing aloud of thy Righteousnesse this I shall never be able to do without thy speciall furtherance nisi verba suppedites tanquam pracas unlesse thou please to supply mee both with affections and expressions as well as with matter of praise And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise David had not been dumb till now all the while he lay in his sin but all he did was but lip-labour and therefore lost-labour Daniel confesseth the like of himself and his people chap. 9.13 All this evill is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord â—ur God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth Prayed they had but because they turned not frons their iniquities they got nothing by their prayers or praises God is a Fountain and if he meet with a fit pipe as is an ordinance rightly performed there he usually conveyeth his grace but if he meet with a foul pipe and obstructed there he doth not conferre a blessing The Pharisees were not a button the better for all their long prayers because rotten ar heart Vers 16. For thou desiâ—â—st not sacrifice This is the reason why David restipulateth Praise if God will pardon his great sin vers 14. viz. because he well understood that God preferred praise before all sacrifices whatsoever provided that iâ— came from a broken spirit Vers 17. rightly humbled for sin and thankfully accepting of pardon See Psal 50.14 15 23. Thou delightest not in burnt-offering viz. Comparatively and indeed not at all without a contrite heart Una Deiest purum gratissinsa victima pectus Nazianz. Much lesse then doth God respect the sacrifice of the Masse that hath no footing or warrant in the word A certain Sorbonist finding it written at the end of St. Pauls Epistles Missa est c. bragg'd he had found the Masse in his Bible Bee-hive cap. 3â— fol. 93 94. Buxtorf And another reading Joh. 1.44 Invenimus Messiam made the same conclusion Some of them as Bellarmine for one would fain ground it upon Mal. 1.11 Others fetch the name Missa from the Hebrew Mass for tribute which comes from Masas to melt because it many times melteth away mens estates Rect è quidem saith Rivet per Missam scilicet pietas omnis liquefacta est dissoluta Vers 17. The sacrifices of God area broken spirit i.e. Such an heart as lyeth low and heareth all that God saith such a sacrifice or service as is laid on the low altar of a contrite heart which sanctifieth the Sacrifice Mr. Abbas such a person as with a self-condemning self-crucifying and sin-mortifying heart humbly and yet beleevingly maketh out for mercy and pardon in the blood of Christ this this is the man that God expects accepts and makes great account of A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise This is great comfort to those that droop under sense of sin and fear of wrath being at next door to despair Bring but a broken heart
their lives Not one whereof was lost in this hot encounter in this sharp revenge they took off their avowed enemies This was even a miracle of Gods mercy Who would not feare thee O King of Nations c. And had rest from their enemies Or That they might have rest from their enemies who would not otherwise be quieted but by the letting out of their life-blood but would make an assault upon the harmelsse Jewes though it were to die for it so that upon the matter they were their own deathsmen besides the wilful losse of their immortal soules which our Saviour sheweth Mat 16.26 to be a losse 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand Neither was it any dishonour to them to be God Almighties slaughtermen Even the good Angels are Executioners of Gods righteous judgements as they were at Sodom in Sennacheribs army and oft in the Revelation There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactours But they laid not their hands on the prey They would not once foule their fingers therewith No godly man in Scripture is taxed for covetousnesse that sordid sin See the Note on verse 10. Verse 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar On this day they stood for their lives that they might rest from their enemies And accordingly On the fourteenth day of the same rested they i. e. the very next day after their deliverance they would not defer it a day longer but kept an holy rest with Psalmes and sacrifices of praise those calves of their lips the very next day whiles the deliverance was yet fresh and of recent remembrance This they knew well that God expected Deut. 23.21 and that he construeth delayes for denials Hag. 1.2 4. he gave order that no part of the thank-offering should be kept unspent till the third day to teach us to present our praises when benefits are newly received which else would soon wax stale and putrifie as fish I will pay my vowes now now saith David Psal 116.18 Hezekiah wrote his Song the third day after his recovery Queen Elizabeth when exalted from a prisoner to a Princesse and from misery to Majesty before she would suffer her self to be mounted in her charet to passe from the Tower to Westminster Englands Eliz. she very devoutly lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven and gave God humble thanks for that remarkable change and turn of things And made it a day of feasting and gladnesse Exhilarating and chearing up their good hearts that had long layen low with a more liberal use of the creatures that they might the better preach his praises and speak good of his name and that sith they could not offer up unto him other sacrifices prescribed in the Law because they were far from the Temple they might not be wanting with their sacrifice of thanksgiving which God preferreth before an oxe that hath hornes and hoofs saith the Psalmist Words may seem to be but a poor and slight recompence but Christ saith Nazianzen calleth himself the Word and this was all the fee that he looks for for his cures Go and tell what God hath done for thee With these calves of our lips let us cover Gods Altar and we shall finde that although he will neither eat the flesh of bulls nor drink the blood of goats yet if we offer unto God thanksgiving and pay our vowes unto the most High Psal 50.13 14. it will be look't upon as our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Verse 18. On the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth What they could not do on one day they did it on another Men must be sedulous and strenuous in Gods work doing it with all their might and redeeming time for that purpose Eccl. 9.10 On both these dayes they destroyed their enemies They did their work thoroughly Let us do so in slaying our spiritual enemies not sparing any Agag not reserving this Zoar or that Rimmon but dealing by the whole body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Amos 2.1 burn the bones of it to lime destroy it not to the halves as Saul but hew it in pieces before the Lord as Samuel As Joshua destroyed all the Canaanites he could lay hold on As Asa spared not his own mother as Solomon drew Joab from the Altar to the slaughter and put to death Adoniah the darling so must we deale by our corruptions ferretting and fetching them out of their lurking holes as these Jewes did their enemies on the fourteenth day that had escaped the day before Sith we must either kill them up all or be killed by them for as that one bastard Abimelech slew all Gideons sonnes upon one stone so one lust left unmortified will undo the soul And as one sinner so one sin may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 And on the fifteenth day of the moneth they rested So shall the Saints do after death which will be the accomplishment of mortification for he that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and filled with joy Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Verse 19. Therefore the Jewes of the villages c. Pagani This is expounded in the next words that dwelt in the unwalled townes Such as is the Hague in Holland that hath two thousand housholds in it and chuseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe then a lesser City Made the fourteenth day c. See verse 17. while the Jewes in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Mac. 15.36 This day was afterwards called Mordecai's Holiday And of sending portions one to another See Nehem. 8.10 To the rich they sent in courtesie to the poor in charity and both these to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for their lives liberties and estates so lately and graciously restored unto them Verse 20. And Mordecai wrote these things He wrote with authority as a Magistrate say some that the Jewes should keep these dayes with greatest solemnitie He wrote the relation of these things before-mentioned say others as the ground of this annual festivitie Or else it may be meant more generally that Mordecai was the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost in writing this whole book of Esther as was before hinted And sent letters unto all the Jewes both night and farre Propinquis longinquis that they might all agree together about the time and manner of praising God and so sing the great Hallelujah See 2 Cor. 1.11 2 Chron. 20.26 27 28. Psal 124.1 2. and 126.1 Psal 136. penned for a recorded publike forme to praise God among the multitude Psal 109.20 and in the great Congregation Psal 22.22 25. David would go into the presses of people and there praise the Lord Psal 116.18
If of mine own accord I came unto them at any time I sate chief and was Chair-man in a word I dwelt as a King amidst his Troopers when he comforteth them being cast down that is when after some defeat or disappointment he cheereth up their spirits by his speeches and cryes Courage my hearts Flebile principium melior fortuna sequatur Victorem à victo superari saepè videmus The Tigurines render the former part of the verse thus Accommodam me illorum moribus cum judicio I fitted my self to their fashions yet with discretion R. Solomon and others thus They asked me What way shall we go What course take And I chose out their way and set them down a course as a Counsellour doth to his Clyents a King to his Souldiers or a Casuist those that resort to him for comfort And dwelt as a King in the army Where he is continually surrounded by his souldiers and highly honoured The Bees in their Common-wealth have a King whose Palace they frame as fair in shew as strong in substance if they find him fall they stablish him again in his Throne with all duty with all devotion they guard him continually for fear he should miscarry for love he should not Job had so tempered and mixed gravity and lenity he had so fourbished the sword of Justice with the Oyle of Mercy that he was at once both feared as a King and loved as a Comforter As one that comforteth the mourners That mourn for the loss of some dear thing or person as the word signifieth and especially for the loss of Gods favour as Zach. 12.10 groaning under the sense of sin and fear of wrath Now to comfort such mourners in Sion is as difficult a work as to raise the dead saith Luther and scarce one of a thousand can skill of it Job 33.23 Every Christian should have feeding lips and an healing tongue to comfort the feeble-minded to drink to them in a cup of Nepenthâ—s that cup of consolation Jer 16.7 taking them down into Christs Wine-cellar Cant. 2.4 and there stay them with Flagons and comfort them with Apples verse 5. those Apples of the garden of Eden as the Chaldee there hath it the sweet and precious Promises which are pabulum fidei the food of Faith and do give the joy of faith even that peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that have been in a low and lost condition But this few can do to purpose because they are either unskilful in the word of truth or unexperienced they dig not their discourses out of their own brests they utter them more from their brains than from their bowels from their own experience I mean which made even Christ himself a more compassionate high-Priest Heb. 5. And that eminent servant of his St. Paul had by this means got an excellent faculty in comforting the disconsolate Melancthon 2 Cor. 1.4 So had Luther as having himself from his tender years been much beaten and exercised with spiritual conflicts Conceive we may the like of Job who was therefore flocked unto from far and near as known to be able to time a word and to speak to the hearts of drooping and dejected persons But now c. CHAP. XXX Verse 1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision ID quod ei morbo suo longè gravius fuerit sicut Hebraei testantur saith Mercer This troubled him much more than all his sores and sicknesses that every young shackrag slighted him and laughed him to scorn In this case especially Faciles motus mens generosa capit Ovid. You shall finde some saith Erasmus that if death be threatned can despise it but to be despised or belyed they cannot brook but least of all by base persons Quiâ—zbet ab aquila quam corvo discerpi mavnlâ— Job was now grown ancient Cognate sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had been honorable as he had set forth chap. 29. Old-age and Honour in the Greek tongue are near a kin and Summa fuit quondam capitis reverentia cani Inque suo precio ruga senilis erat But it is a signe of gasping devotion and that things are far out of order when the Child behaveth himself proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable Esa 3.5 as at Bethel where those ill-bred Children derided the old Prophet and petulantly cryed after him Go up thou baldhead go up thou baldhead 2 King 2.23 If the like unworthy usuage befal us let it suffice us that our betters Job David Christ himself have sped no better Art not thou glad to fare as Phocion said he to a meaner man that was to die with him Whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my stock i.e. To have made my dog-keepers that they might feed with them as the prodigal son did with the swine Dogs are commonly looked upon as paltery carrion Creatures only some for their minds sake and others for certain necessary uses as shepherds and hunters make some reckoning of them It was not permitted to a dog to 〈◊〉 into the Acropolis or tower of Athens for his libidinousness and ill-favour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 175. At Rome they crucified a dog yearly in detestation of those dogs in the Capitol that gave not warning of the approach of an Enemy Job it seems had his dog-feeders men of meanest account Now these mens sons a beggarly breed and very rascals insulted and trampled opon this precious man dealt as basely and coursely with him haply as those fictious fellows in Geneva did with reverend Calvin whom they not only in contempt called Cain as Athanasius was somtimes by his enemies called Sathanasius and Cyprian Cyprian that is a dunghil-fellow but also named their Dogs Calvin as Beza in his life reporteth Verse 2. Yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit me For to say the truth thus Beza here paraphraseth the strength of those young striplings could not have stood me in any stead at all and as for the old-age of their fathers it were such that having spent the greatest and best part of their life partly in idleness and partly in divers wicked lewd pranks they might worthily seem to have lived in vain all that while Thus he The Greeks say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Juniorès ad labores young men are fit for hard labour because strong and lusty But these Sanniones in the text were through idleness meat nullities in the world superfluities in the earth Jeremies rotten girdle good for nothing but to devour victuals vermine apes monkeys their whole life was to eat and drink when they could come by it and sleep and sport and flear and jear at Gods afflicted with words as full of scorn as profane wit or rancour'd malice can make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 settuag These are excrements in humane society Pests
Satan their service against Job and drawne from him many passionate speeches they are for a punishment set by after a sort as David also was when he had numbred the people 2 Sam. 24.12 Go and say unto David Now 't is plaine David who was wont to be my servant David 2 Sam. 7.5 That Job is called Gods servant and that emphatically and exclusively is a very great honour done him upon his repentance and the like was done to David and Peter Verse 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks God reproveth not his for any other end but that he may reduce them and be reconciled unto them The Sun of righteousness loveth not to set in a cloud Dejicit ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet Enecat ut possit vivificare Deus Seven Bullocks and seven Rams A great Sacrifice whether we look to the greatnesse of the Cattle or the number especially if each of them were to bring seven of each sort as some understand it to shew the greatnesse of their sin in not speaking right things of God and Job though of a good intention and with a very faire pretence Seven of each they were to bring which is noted for a number of perfection and this pointed them of old for the Ceremonial Law was their Gospel to the complete perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world every way sufficient to expiate their sinnes and to save them from the wrath to come It s assured them also that God was through Christ perfectly satisfied and pacified toward his faithful people And go to my servant Job Who was to do the honourable Office of a Priest for them as before the Law Abraham did and Melchisedech and others and is thrice in this verse called Gods servant for honours sake to the end that his friends might the more respect him whom before they had vilipended and be reconciled unto him whom before they had wronged And offer up for your selves a burnt offering Holocaustabit is holocaustum a whole burnt Offering Where we must not imagine that God took delight in the smell or rather stench of the burnt beasts hides and all but in the faith of those that offered them who also were hereby inminded of their sins for which they had deserved to be burnt in hell and of their duties to mortifie their earthly members and to present their bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God Rom. 12.1 And my servant Job shall pray for you Which as he could do very well Ezek. 14.14 so he should now do to shew his hearty reconciliation but should have little availed for them had not they repented and believed and prayed for themselves For the Just shall live by his faith and it is a great vanity in some great Papists who presume to live loosely and basely because they have hired some hedg-Priest to say a certain number of prayers for them daily For him will I accept scil Through the Office and person of my Son which herein he resembleth The High-Priests Office was 1. To expiate the sins of the people 2. To intercede and make request for them Christ is the High-Priest of the New-Testament in whom the Father is well pleased and through whom he will deny nothing to his humble Suppliants for themselves or others Lest I deal with you after your folly Heb. Lest I work foolishnesse with you that is saith Beza lest I so behave my self toward you as your foolishness doth deserve Or lest I so handle you that you may think me no wiser then I should be sith you have seemed so to rough-hew Job out of zeal to me Thus to the froward God seemeth to deal frowardly Psal 18.27 Tremellius rendreth it not folly but hainous offence others disgrace Mercer In that ye have not spoken c. And if for hard words and ill language good men may suffer Flagitium ignominia what shall become of such as both with virulent tongues and violent hands set against such as fear God Verse 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite c. Here was resipiscentia ex fide constans saith Brentius the repentance of faith the obedience also of saith readily yâ—ilded Had not these been good and godly men they would have stuck at the cost of so great a Sacrifice they would also have scorned to have sought to Job whom they had so much slighted and to beg his prayers of whom they had so ill deserved But hey had not so learned Christ God they saw well was greatly offended and Job highly accepted glad therefore were they by any good means to ingratiate each of them saying to God for himself as he did onceto Câ—sar Jussa sequi tam velle mihi quam posse necesse est Omne trahit secum Numinis ira malum Lucan Ovid. The Lord also accepted Job Whether he testifieth his good acceptance by consuming his Sacrifice with fire from heaven is uncertain 'T is enough for us to know that he shewed himself reconciled unto them and well pleased with Jobs prayer for them and their own prayers joyned no doubt with his and proceeding from faith in the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ And hitherto Gods deâ—isive sentence whereby all the strife was graciously ended and all parties happily and heartily reconciled What became of Satan a chief Actor in this Tragedy we read not Victus enim abiit And as God would not once call him to account when he had beguiled our first parents Gen. 3. because he meant him no mercy so here he never mentioneth him as being judged already and by Job bravely worsted and defeated All that we find of him is that his commission to vex Job any farther was now taken away for so it followeth Verse 10. And the Lord turned again the Captivity of Job He took him out of Satans clutches who had hitherto held him prisoner as it were in the bands of poverty sickness sorrow contempt distress c. Whether all at once or by degrees God did all this for him it skills not Upon his prayers for his friends which was no small evidence and effect of his Piety and Charity it appears that God did all this that followeth for him So true is that of Solomon The reward of humility and of the fear of the Lord is riches and honour and life Prov. 22.4 When he prayed for his friends According to that of the Apostle Paul Being defamed we pray This is an high degree of Christian perfection which but few attain unto as Merlin here bewaileth it O raram singularem virtutem c. And another well observeth That God gives and forgives according as man forgives his neighbour Also the Lord gave Job twice as much c. Understand it both of Goods and Graces which though he never parted with yet by tryal and experience he found them much increased As for outward things it is nothing unusual for men to recover and
and God will receive you graciously pouring the oyl of his grace into your broken Vessels This comforted Bernard on his death bed he dyed with this sentence in his mouth Je. Manl. loc com 73. Austin caused it to be written on the wall over against his bed where he lay sick and dyed Many poor soules even in times of Popery had Heaven opened unto them by meditating on this Psalm and especially on this 17. vers Vers 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion Having made his own peace with God he now prayeth for the Church and the rather because by his foul sins he had hazzarded or rather exposed both Sion and Jerusalem Church and State to divine displeasure Delirantreges plectuntur Achivi Build thou the walls of Jerusalem i. e. Protect defend and maintain the civill State grant all things necessary for its safety and well-being supply of all wants confirmation and increase of all blessings Thus pray we Jer. 29.7 Psal 122.6 7 8. for except the Lord keep the City c. See Isa 5.1 2 3. 27.3 Hee is a wall of fire Rev. 20.9 of water Isa 33.20 21. say therefore as Isa 26.1 and beware of security sensuality senselesnesse c. Vers 19. Then shalt thou bee pleased with the sacrifices c. i. e. Such as are offered in faith and according to the will of God Psal 4.6 Then shall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar They shall be free-hearted and frequent in thy work and service va torpori nostro Woe to our dulnesse and backwardness in these happy dayes of peace and free profession which we had need improve as they did Act. 9.31 Otherwise we may desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and not see it Luk. 19.22 Go to Shiloh c. PSAL. LII A Psalm of David Of the same time and argument likely with Psal 58. Maschil Or to teach that the end of the Wicked is evill Redarguit pravos mores saith the Syriack When Doeg the Edomite When Abiathar escaping the slaughter-slave the blood-hound as Edomite may signifie came and told David what was befaln the Priests and their City This was no small affliction to David the rather because by telling the Priest a lye himself had occasioned that Massacre Hereupon for the comfort of himself and other good people who were startled at this sad accident and might be deterred thereby from succouring David he penned this Psalm When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul c. Doeg is a fit name for a courtier for it signifieth a solicitous or busy-headed fellow a catch-poll a progging-companion an informer one that listeneth after rumours and carrieth tales to curry favour An Edomite he was by Nation but a Proselyte in pretence at least and one that was at that time detained before the Lord either by vertue of some vow or because it was the Sabbath-day and he would not travel on it or to perform some other religious service 1 Sam. 21.7 this dissembled sanctity was double iniquity and he became a type of Judas as some make him He came and told Saul Like a Parasite and a pick-thank as he was when as he should rather have told Ahimelech that David was out of Sauls favour and sought for to the slaughter as Kimchi here noteth on vers 3. but he concealed that that he might accuse Ahimelech and so slew three at once saith another Rabbine viz. himself Saul and Ahimeleck calumniatorem calumniatum calumniam audientem And said David is come to the house of Ahimeleck Few words but full of poyson Verba Doegi erant pauci sed multum nocua Kimchi Midrash Tillin leviter volant non leviser vulnerant See the story more at large 1 Sam. 22 9. c. The Rabbines say from Levit. 14. where the same word is used of the Leprous house that is here vers 5. of Doegs doom that he was for this fact smitten with leprosy and afterwards sent to Hell which they gather from Psal 120.4 Vers 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief thou mighty man Or Thou Giart for so he seemed to himself when he had slain tot inermes nec repugnantes so many naked men not making any resistance though they were the Priests of Jehovah and afterward had smitten the innocent inhabitants of the City of Nob together with the women the infants and the Cattel like another Ajax flagellifer or Hercules furens and now vaunted himself in that mischievous prowesse Egregiam veroâ—undem c. The Hebrew word for boasting here signifieth also madness when it is taken in the worse sence as Jer. 46.9 See Prov. 2.14 and to boast of his hearts desire is the note of an Atheist Psal 10.3 The goodness of God endureth continually Maugre thy spitefulness R. Solomon Kabuenaki Midrash Tillin God is good to Israel to the pure in heart and will be so The Rabbins make this the sense If Ahimeleth had not releeved me God would have stirred up some other to have done it Some others understand it thus The goodness of God towards thee a wicked wretch endureth all the day This should lead thee to repentance But thou after the hardness c. Rom. 2.4 Vers 2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefes i.e. Cogitat id est eructat venteth the mischievous devices of thy minde being an inter preter and an instrument fit for such a purpose Such another Doeg was Nicholas saunders Priest the Fire-brand of Earl Deswâ—â—â—ds Rebellion in Ireland Anno 1580. a restless and wretched man whose foul mouth was at length stopped with famine that had been ever open to stir up rebellions against the State that had uttered so many Blasphemies against God and his holy Truth and invented so many loud and lewdlyes against men Like a sharp razor working deceitfully That instead of shaving the hair launcheth the flesh or missing the beard cutteth the throat Exscindit carnem cum crinibus R. Solom Consutro aberrans jugulum petit whence Dionysius the Tyrant would not trust any Barber no not his own Daughters to shave him but singed off his own hair with hot coals The slanderers Tongue as sharp as a razor or as the quills of a Porcupine flasheth and gasheth the good names of others and that many ways viz. both by denying disguising leslening concealing misconstruing things of good report and also by forging increasing aggravating or uncharitable spreading things of evil report not for any love to the truth nor for respect to justice nor yet for the bettering of the Hearer or the Delinquent but only to prejudice the one and to incense the other This was Doegs sin and denominateth him a Lyer vers 3. though hee had spake but the truth Vers 3. Thou lovest evil more than good Indeed evil only and not at all good whatever thou pretendest Thy heart is naught and thence it is that thy tongue is so mischievons as stinking breath cometh from corrupt inwards And
only it is added Vers 4 To him who alone doth great wonders Wondrous things the Creature may do but not wonders mira sed non miracula God alone is the great Thâ—umaâ—â—rgus that is wonder-worker Vers 5 To him that by wisdome c. Singulari ingenio summa industria yet without tool or toil See Heb. 11.10 with the Note Vers 6 To him that stretched out the earth c. A perpetuall mercy in all earthly Creatures as is elsewhere set forth Gen. 1.9 Psal 24.2 Vers 7 To him that made great lights Without which wee should have no more comfort of the air wee breath on than the Egyptians had in that three-dayes darkness Now the Sun and Moon are called great Luminaries not great stars or bodies for the Sun is less than some stars and the Moon is least of all first for the excellency of light which these two do more abundantly impart to the earth and secondly for the effects they work the Sun by his access making all green and flourishing and the contrary by his recess the Moon by his various aspect causing humors and marrows to increase or decrease c. Vers 8 The Sun to 〈…〉 the day Heb. For the rulings by day 〈◊〉 by his light 〈…〉 bodies 〈…〉 ruledomes and therefore in no wise to have been worshipped Vers 9 The Moon and stars to rule by night For by day they all veil to the Sun from whom also they borrow much of their light The Moon hath her name in Hebrew from moisture as refreshing the earth with her cool influences and thrusting forth precious things therein Deut. 33.14 Vers 10 To him that smote Egypt See Psal 135.8 Vers 11 And brought out Israel viz. By that last plague for the former would not do God will have the better of his enemies for the good of his people for it is not fit that hee should lay down the bucklers first Vers 12 And with a stretcht-out arm A metaphor from souldiers exercising their arms with utmost might and sleight Vers 13 To him which divided the red Sea Into twelve severall parts say the Jews for the twelve Tribes to pass thorow Vers 14 And made Israel to pass c. It is many times hail with the Saints when ill with the wicked Abraham from the hill seeth Sodom on fire Vers 15 But overthrew Pharaoh Praecipitavit pitcht him in headlong having before paved a way for him Subito tollitur qui diu toleratur Vers 16 To him which led his people As an horse that they should not stumble Isa 63.13 as a Shepheard his sheep providing for them so as never was any Prince so served in his greatest pomp Vers 17 To him which smote great Kings Great as those times accounted them when every small City almost had her King Canaan had thirty and more of them Great also in regard of their stature and strength for they were of the Giants race Deut. 3. Amos 2. Vers 18 And slew famous Kings Magnificos sumptâ—osos fastuosos arrogantes Vers 19 20. â—ee Psal 135.11 Sihons Country was afterwards called Decapolis and the Metropolis of it Scythopolis Joseph de bel l. 3. c. 2. Vers 21 22. And gave See Psal 135.12 Josh 12.7 hee paid them well for their pains after that hee had made use of their sword and service against those sinners against their own souls Vers 23. Who remembred us in our low estate Still God helpeth those who are forsaken of their hopes vindictae gladium miserationis oleo emollit as Nicephorus saith Vers 24 And hath redeemed us Or Broken us off pulled us away as by violence for they would never else have loosed us This is priori major misericordia a greater mercy than the former saith Kimchi to redeem is more than to preserve Vers 25 Who giveth food to all flesh Food agreeable to their severall appetites and temperaments suitable and seasonable Vers 26 O give thanks unto the God of Heaven His mercy in providing Heaven for his people is more than all the rest PSAL. CXXXVII VErs 1 By the rivers of Babylon Tigrâ—s Euphrates for the land of Shinar where Babel was founded and afterwards Babylon built was as most Geographers think a part of the Garden of Eden fruitfull beyond credulity but to the poor captives all this was no comfort when they remembred the desolations of their Country and the loss of their former liberty The bird of Paradise they say once taken and encaged groaneth uncessantly till shee dye There wee sat down yea wee wepâ— Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath born it upon him saith Jeremy of the Mourner Lam. 3.28 who is much in meditation so were these bewailing bitterly their sin and misery with their bowels sounding as an harp Isa 16.1 where if one string bee touched all the rest sound When wee remembred Zion The former solemnities the present desolations Vers 2 Wee hanged out harps Harps wee had and knew how to handle them the Jews were famous Artists noted for their skill specially in Poetry Musick and Mathematicks but wee had little mind to it as now the case stood with us Hoâ—â—â— lib. 3. Od. 26. our Country lying desolate our selves could not bee but disconsolate Barbiton his paries habeâ—it Vers 3 For there they required of us a song scil In disdain and derision of our Religion q.d. Will yee sing no more holy songs in honour of your God hath hee utterly cast away all care of your wel-fare and you the like of his service Have you never a black Sanctis to sing us or cannot you sing care away c where are your wonted ditties â—eza the words of a song Ehodum bellos nobis illos vestrâ— Sionis modules cantillate And they that wasted us Cumulatores nostri vel Concumulatores nostri vel homines ejulatuum nostrorum they that made us howl singing as Isa 52.5 Or In suspensionibus nostris â—socr after that wee had hanged up our harps as vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sing us one of the songs of Zion Wherewith yee were wont to praise God So Baltasar abused the bowls of the Sanctuary So the bloody-Persecutors at Orleance as they murthered the Protestants required them to sing Judge and revenge my cause O Lord and have mercy on us Lord c. Vers 4 Shall wee sing the Lords song c No for that were to prophane holy things and as Nazianzen speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And besides they had as much mind to bee merry then and thus as Sampson had to play before the Philistines Musick in mourning is not more unseasonable than unsavoury When our Edward the third had the King of Scots and the French King both prisoners together here in England hee held royall justs and feasted them sumptuously After supper perceiving the French King to bee sad and pensive hee desired him to bee merry as others were To whom the French King answered as here How shall wee