IV. 8. As we have heard Psal. XLIV 1. verse 8 seene By experience because of thy judgements In confounding thine enemies verse 11 and defending the people tell the towers Mark if any of them be demolished verse 12 or hurt by the enemie that ye may tell it How God had preserved and kept them verse 13 a parable A sententious chapter XLIX verse 4 grave witty dark saying Prov. I. 6. not beseeming simple ones Prov. XXVI 7. used by Balaam Num. XXIII and XXIV by Ezekiel at Gods command chap. XVII 2. and XX. 49. and much by our Saviour himself in his preaching Matth. XIII 35. sometimes in plainer maner Mark IV. 33 sometimes in intended obscurity Luke VIII 10. requiring sharpnesse of wit to understanded and expound them Here the Psalmists extraordinary Preface ushering it in and this enigmatical maner of delivering it argues the matter to be of great weight and difficulty As indeed it is that which so much troubleth and puzleth the wisest and the best men of the world the afflictions and miseries of the godly and the prosperities of the wicked See Psal. XXXVII 1. and LXXIII 2 12. and XCIV 3 4. Job XXI 7 13. Jer. XII 1. Hab. I. 4 5. And the wicked thereby take encouragement to evil and nourish impious conceipts in their hearts touching God and his providence Iob XXI 14 15. Psal. X. 3 6 11 13. and XIV 1. and XCIV 7 8. Mal. II 17. and III. 15. See more of this in the Observations on Psal. XXXVII 1. should I fear The godly should not fear verse 5 dismay or be discouraged at the evils and miseries of this life boast The wicked and wealthy verse 6 cannot save the life of others or their own life from death And that ends all their jollity and prosperity wise men die Eccl. II. 16. and III. 19. verse 10 Their inward thought They hunted after honour verse 11 and a famous memorial Neverthelesse They shall have no more good by their honours verse 12 then the others had by their riches they abide not in life thereby one night the longer Psal. XXXVII 36. 1. Iohn II. 17. abideth not Heb. Abideth not for a night Which text many Jews and other Writers both old and new do urge for their opinion that Adam fell the same day wherein he was created which point the great Linguist and Chronologer Master Hugh Broughton doth presse and prosecute even with some heat and overmuch passion at large But the learned Gataker doth clear this text from any such meaning and gives reasons most probable That Adam did not fall the same day wherein he was created in his Cinnus p. 189. 198. yet their posterity Not warned thereby verse 13 but commend their fathers foolish courses and continue in them Psal. X. 3. like sheep Rotten sheep that die of themselves verse 14 feel on them And devour them and the upright The righteous in Christ men of sincere integrity in the morning Of the resurrection when Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise at his second coming But God This answers that question verse 15 verse 5. will redeeme c. Raise up my body and receive me into everlasting life which is here opposed to all the worldly prosperity of faithlesse wicked men See Gen. V. 24. Psal. LXXIII 24. John XIV 3. Acts VII 15. 1 Thes. IV. 14. A clear testimony of the resurrection of the body the immortality of the soul and the life everlasting Be not thou afraid Stumble not verse 16 nor be offended at the prosperity of the wicked never see light Job XXXIII 28 30. Psal. LVI 13. nor the light of heaven verse 19 Matth. VIII 12. man Verse 12. verse 20 beasts The Sheep verse 14. Asaph Either the Author chapter L 2 Chron. XXIX 30. Or chief Singer to whom and his sons and posterity it was committed 1 Chron. XVI 5 7. and XXV 2. to tune it and sing it and play it upon musical instruments And thus Psal. LXXIII to LXXXIII are entituled all to or for Asaph The mighty God God himself is brought in as a Judge upon the Bench verse 1 arraigning convincing sentencing and judging his people the perfection of beauty Psal. XLVIII 2. Lam. II. 15. verse 2 a fire As at Mount Sinai verse 3 when he gave his Law Heb. XII 18 19. call to the heavens As Deut. IV. 26. verse 4 and XXX 19. and XXXI 28 and XXXII 1. Esay I. 2. Micah VI. 1 2. not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices Jer. VII 22. verse 8 They used to weary God with outward Offerings Esay I. 11 14. and LXVI 3. Micah VI. 6 7 Hos. VI. 6. Amos IV. 4 5. The meaning here is according to that 1 Sam. XV. 22. Offer The inward verse 14 and real and substantial part of the Covenant is the thing which God requireth obedience and service in spirit and truth The rejecting the former and the exacting this later is the maine matter of this majestical Psalme verse 23. Hos. XIV 3. Heb. XIIâ— 15. pay thy vowes Of vowes see the Annotations on Jonah I 16. But unto the wicked Here God sentenceth those grosse hypocrites that place all Religion in outward Rites and Ceremonies verse 16 neglecting the maine duties of Piety and Righteousnesse Against whom is the maine bent and drift of this Psalme And speakest against Psal. LXIX 13. verse 20 The godly do otherwise Psal. XXVI 4. 5. Nathan To reprove him for his sinne chapter LI so long unrepented 2 Sam. XI and XII chapters Written upon that argument though not at that time gone in Gen. VI. 4. Bathsheba The daughter of Eliam 2 Sam. XI 3. called also Bathshua daughter of Ammiel 1 Chron. III. 5. Have mercie A rare example of repentance verse 1 and useful against despair as his fearful fall should make us watchful over our selves not presume of our own strength but ever to eye trust to and depend upon God and his preventing assisting Grace Mercie here and the multitude of Gods tender mercies is his Citie of Refuge and shute-anchor No defense for himself no other plea can he make wash me And so verse 7. verse 2 alluding to the Legal washings Levit. XI 25 32. Exod. XIX 10. Num. XIX 19. Thus he prayes and thus he deals throughout this Psalme even after Nathans absolution And thus true Penitents will do For I acknowledge Prov. XXVIII 13. 1. verse 3 John I. 9. So Esay LIX 12. Jer. III. 13. Cited Rom. III. 4. with no variation in sense thee only Not because he a King and so exempt from the power of others verse 4 But because this was his greatest grief to offend God 1 Sam. II. 24 25. and such a God so good to him 2 Sam. VII 18 19. and that God should so suffer in this his sinne 2 Sam. XII 14. who yet only could pardon his sinne Matth. IX 3. as against whom and whose commandment properly all sinne is committed in thy sight God then sees the sinnes of his Saints yea more he
and was made a Sacrifice for sinne for us 2 Cor. V. 21. Esay LIII 6. Yet this may have a right understanding of Christs spiritual children who are subject to the lapses and infirmities of sinne 1 John I. 8. Rom. VII 15. sworne Of Oaths verse 35 see the Observations on Hos. IV. 15. as the Moone Which although it sometime waxeth verse 37 and sometime waineth and sometime seemes to be gone a fit resemblance of the state of Christs Church yet is continualy renewed and so stable Witnesse See Jer. XXXIII 20 21. And Christ is so called Apoc. I. 5. Esay LV. 4. But thou The Psalmist complaineth of the miseries of the Church verse 38 whereby all the former Promises seeme to be frustrated youth hast thou shortned Wherein by thy promises he should have flourished verse 45 and grown up as a youth how short How vaine verse 47 momentanie and uncertaine yet am I thy creature the footsteps of thine Anointed verse 51 This may be referred to Christ and his Offices and Works in us and for us or to Christians which follow his footsteps Blessed The voice of faith verse 52 and joy as finding an issue out of the temptation and rejoycing in the midst of tribulation This is the end of the third Book of Psalmes See the Observations on Psal. XLI ult and on LXXII ult of Moses This seemes inspired and penned by Moses for the use of the people chapter XC when upon the returne of the Spies they had murmured against God and he had sentenced to death all above twenty years old Num. XIV 22 23 29 34. Returne The body to the earth verse 3 the soul to God that gave it watch The night divided into four Watches verse 4 the evening midnight cock-crowing dawning threescore years and ten So for the most part verse 10 And so in David And none of the Kings of Judah or Israel after him attained to those years Or seventy here in regard of that judgement denounced Num. XIV 29. even according to thy fear verse 11 so is thy wrath Thy wrath is as thy feare teacheth it to be which teacheth us to fear thee for thy wrath But who knoweth the power of it to number They might number the utmost extent of them verse 12 upon that judgement Num. XIV But not how much sooner they might die establish Esay XXVI 12. verse 17 he shall deliver thee Having practised in the second verse what he taught in the first chapter XCI verse 3 Here he teacheth others to do the like applies his example to them not be afraid Esay XLIII 2. verse 5 emphatical expressions and rhetorical amplifications allowed in all humane Authors Not yet implying that we are actualy deliveâ—ed in all such dangers but that at least they shall work for our good if we be not delivered out of them Rom. VIII 28. his Angels charge over thee Alledged by the Devil to Christ verse 11 Mat. IV. 6. in all thy wayes Of holinesse and righteousnesse These words the Devil omits as making against his temptation which was against the minde of the text tread upon the lion Esay XI 6 9. verse 13 Hos. II. 18. without harme or damage Not as the Pope applied it to his treading upon the neck of the Emperour on high Safely above all perils and dangers verse 14 with long life If God shall see it good and fit for him verse 16 Otherwise a good man may be cut off by Plague or warre for the Sabbath day For the Rest on this day chapter XCII see the Observations on Exod. XII 16. For Hallowing it That was by an holy convocation by offering of Sacrifices singing Psalmes reading and expounding and hearing Scriptures Praying Disputing and Conferring by meditating on Gods word and works and doing works of mercy Exod. XX. 10. Esay LVIII 13. Jer. XVII 21 22. Levit. XXIII 3. Num XXVIII 9 10. Acts XIII 15. and XV. 21. and XVI 13. and XVII 2. and XVIII 4. Matth. XII 2 7 8 11 12. as the Palme tree The LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 12 which signifies indeed a tree As the Hebrew word here doth And the meaning of the whole verse imports Yet hence many learned men taking it up one from another have raised that fable of a wondrous bird called a Phoenix which yet never was seene or known in the world holinesse becometh thy house In the services chapter XCIII verse 5 and servants of it and all professors of so holy a God The Lord knoweth Cited chapter XCIV verse 11 1 Cor. III. 20. But judgement shall returne unto righteousnesse Though they might seeme awhile parted verse 15 yet they shall returne and meet and the wicked shall be punished and the godly rewarded O come Davids Psalme chapter XCV verse 1 though without his Title as appears Heb. III. 7. and IV. 7. to day This extends to the whole time wherein Christ speaketh by his Gospel verse 7 Heb. III. 7. 13 15. and IV. 7 8. So 2 Cor. VI. 2. Provocation Meribah verse 8 in the Hebrew temptation Massah in the Hebrew See Exod. XVII 1 7. Num. XX. 1 3 13. Deut. VI. 16. tempted me Tempted Christ verse 9 1 Cor. X. 9. my work Works Heb. III. 9. of miraculous mercies and judgements I sware At Kadesh-barneah verse 11 Num. XIV 21 c. Heb. III. 17 19. my rest Canaan a Type of a better Rest Heb. IV. 3 8 9 11. O sing This Psalme chapter XCVI verse 1 and Psalme CV 1 15. with small alterations make up that Psalme composed by David upon the bringing of the Ark from Obed-Edoms house into the Citie of David 1 Chron. XVI 8 36. a new song See the Observations on Psal. XXXIII 3. beauty of holinesse In the glorious holy Sanctuary searoare In token of joy verse 9 the trees Humane affections ascribed to insensible creatures verse 11 thereby to set out mans duty verse 12 for the cometh Or when he cometh Which may relate to Christs coming into the world verse 13 Matth. XII 20. Acts X. 42. and ch XVII 31. Psal. XCVIII 9. and CX 6. Esay II. 4. and XI 3 4. and XVI 5. 2 Tim. IV. 1. Apoc. XIX 11. The Lord reighneth Here seemes the Kingdome chapter XCVII verse 1 both of God and of Christ to be majesticaly described a new song See the Observations on Psal. chapter XCVIII verse 1 XXXIII 3. made known Esay LII 10. Let the sea roare Psal. verse 2 XCVI 11. let the people tremble And so chapter XCIX verse 7 the earth be moved that is with a reverend fear at his Presence and appearance verse 1 Or though they be stirred up with anger Apoc. XI 17 18. Acts XVII 13. The Kings strength God mixeth his power with justice verse 4 Job XXXVI 5. Moses and Aaron among his Priests Moses did many things of the Priestly office verse 6 And the word Cohen here used doth signifie also a Prince and principal officer as 2 Sam. VIII 18. and in many other places
He at thy right hand ready to assist thee O Christ as Psal. XVI 8. and CIX 31. Shall strike through Kings Psal. II. 2 4 5. even the highest Powers and Potentates that oppose Christ and his Kingdome 2 Cor. X. 5. In the day of his wrath the time appointed in Gods wisdome the time of his just will so to punish them with plagues temporal eternal in this life in that to come 1 Thes. I. 9 10. Not that Christ the Lord shall be exempted from this powerful conquest and overthrow of his enemies the Sonne being in all things coequal consubstantial with the Father And so the Act coming from the Father by the Sonne But in this speech relation is had to Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Man as the King Mediatour and receiving his Office from the Father He shall judge The Lord at thy right hand shall execute judgements and punishments verse 6 among the heathen Psal. II. 1. Acts IV. 27. all his enemies whatsoever he shall fill the places with the dead bodies All places with the carkases of the slaine See Jer. XVI 4. A figurative and poetical expression of an huge slaughter such as was that of the Jewes at the final destruction of Jerusalem after the death of our Saviour he shall wound the head in many countries Wound or strike through Head for heads collectively Psal. LXVIII 21. in many or great countries See that Apoc. XX. 9 10. He Christ the Lord. verse 7 Thus the Prophet passeth from the Father to the Sonne The Father acteth by the Sonne the Sonne from the Father shall drink of the brook in the way In pursuing the victory over his enemies he shall do as Gideons souldiers did Judg. VII 7. admit of no delaies which occasioned that interdict adjuration and curse of Saul 1 Sam. XIV 24. Or rather these words seeme to have relation to Christs state of Humiliation and the rather because of that opposition thereunto in the words following And so here we have Christs exinanition and exaltation his passion and resurrection whereby he was brought to sit at the right hand of the Father verse 1. drink In passing through this valley of tears in this world he shall drink deeply of the cup of sorrowes the waters floods and torrents of afflictions and miseries should overtake and encompasse him if not overwhelme and drowne him Psal. LXXXVIII 7. 17. See Jer. XXV 15 16. and chap. XLIX 12. Matth. XX. 22. John XVIII 11. Matth. XXVI 39. in the way Of this life the way of doing his fathers will for the work of mans redemption Phil. II. 7 8. He hid for the time the luster and beams of his Divine Majesty that it might not hinder the sufferings and death of his Humanity 1 Cor. II. 8. Matth. XVII 9. therefore Thus Christ came from his humiliation to his exaltation from his Priesthood to his Kingdome Therefore here notes not a Merit preceding in Christ meriting for himself this exaltation or his glorie either in body or soul his life eternal All necessarily followed upon that hypostatical Union which he could not merit to himself All Christ did was to merit for us The particle here notes the consequence or sequel and order the means and manner how he came to this exaltation shal he lift up the head Be exalted sit at Gods right hand See for the phrase Psal. III. 3. and XXVII 6. Jer. LII 31. Lam. II. 10. sublimi feriet sydera vertice Praise This is one of the Alphabetical Psalmes chapter CXI verse 1 And so is the next Psalme Thereby to help memory and to mark out the excellency of these Psalmes See the Observations on the beginning of the Book of Psalmes wonderful works In Egypt verse 4. 5. meat Manna and Quails Covenant Though they by their sinnes often and grievously provoked him heathen Canaanites verse 6 Praise chapter CXII verse 1 See the former Psalme wealth See the Observations on Psal. XXXVII 1. verse 3 light in darknesse Esay LVIII 10. Job XI 17. Psal. XXXVII 6. verse 4 of evil tydings Prov. I. 33. Otherwise is it with the wicked verse 7 Jer. XLIX 23. gnash with his teeth See that Luke XIII verse 10 28. who humbleth himself to behold Psal. chapter CXIII verse 6 CXXXVIII 6. and CXXXIX 1 c. Job XXXIV 21 22. Prov. V. 21. Jer. XVI 17. contrary to that Psal. LXXIII 11. and LXIV 6. and XCIV 7 10. Job XXII 12 13. He raiseth 1 Sam. II. 8. verse 7 mountains skipped Sinai chapter CXIV verse 4 Horeb quaked and shaked Exod. XIX 18. Hab. III. 6 10. Psal LXVIII 8. Their idols are Not like unto our God chapter CXV verse 4 verse 3. are like unto them As much without sense and reason verse 8 as blocks and stones their help Theirs that trust in him or one person verse 9 put for another which is not unusual hath he given To their use verse 16 in this world Or the earth also is the Lords which he hath given to the children of men The dead praise not Psal. verse 17 VI. 5. and XXX 9. and LXXXVIII 10 11 12. Esay XXXVIII 18. I love This may seeme to be Davids Psalme chapter CXVI verse 1 upon his new coming to the Kingdome Therefore The experience of Gods hearing our prayers verse 2 doth hearten us to pray the more Pains of hell The sorrowes and straits of death verse 3 and the grave Psal. XVIII 5 6. Gratious The issue and effect of Prayer verse 5 thy rest Thy quiet comfortable estate in God without trouble of conscience verse 7 and that because of Gods goodnesse and good dealing towards thee I beleeved 2 Cor. verse 10 IV. 13. upon consideration of the Premises his Faith thus triumphed notwithstanding his afflictions I was greatly afflicted The Hebrew word here hath an Active forme but in a Passive signification As sometimes an Hebrew word in a Passive forme is of an Active signification See Esay XXI 10. and chap. XXV 9. and LIII 7. and Ezek XIV 4 7. haste verse 11 All men are liers Even the Prophets as Samuel that promised to me the Kingdome Yea all men in comparison of God unable to help in time of need Rom. III. 4. cup of salvations Used in the Israelites Peace-offerings of Thanksgivings verse 13 and in the Meat-offerings joyned to them and to their whole-burnt offerings and used in their holy Feasts 1 Chron. XVI 1 2 3 whence that seemes to be Luke XXII 17. vowes Made in mine adversity verse 14 Of vowes see the Annotations on Jonah I. 16. Pretious Psal. LXXII verse 15 14. which God shewes in preserving my life from death in the midst of all mine enemies Praise The Apostle alledgeth this to prove Gods mercy to the Gentiles chapter CXVII verse 1 that they should therefore glorifie him O give thanks This may seeme to be Davids Psalme chapter CXVIII verse 1 and likely inspired and composed upon his returne from his last victory over the Ammonites 2 Sam.
verse 3 being vainly puft up by his fleshly minde Col. II. 18. and contemning others Job XI 12. And as he contemnes God and good men so contempt from God and good men comes upon him chap. III. 34. they are paid in their own coine they are with ignomie repaid reproach deep waters Which can never be drawn dry verse 4 chap. X. 11. and ch XIII 14. and XIV 27. and XX. 5. John VII 38. brook That the simplest may understand The holy Scripture indeed is both text and glosse It is not good But very bad verse 5 ch XXIV 23. and XXVIII 21. Levit. XIX 15. Deut. XV. 7. and ch XVI 19. and I. 17. James II. 1 4. stroaks By his desire upon others verse 6 but by desert and issue upon himself as in the next verse A fools mouth Chap. verse 7 X. 14. and XII 13. and XIII 3. Tale-bearer Chap. verse 8 XII 18. 1 Tim. III. 8. is brother Is alike verse 9 The sloathful and prodigal both have the same event both come to want and povertie The Name His Attributes a strong tower Esay XXVI 4. and XXXIII 16. and is safe And set aloft All other refuges will fail wealth Hard to be rich verse 11 and not to trust in riches Mark X. 23 24. 1 Tim. VI. 17. Yet this his trust is not like that in the former verse This shall fail this trust is but only in conceit haughtie Chap. verse 12 XI 2. and chap. XVI 18. and chap. XV. 33. who can bear Many are the examples thereof verse 14 yea even in heathen and in wicked men worldly comforts here are but as a fair shoe to a gowtie foot or a silken stockin to a broken leg Gift Chap. verse 16 XVII 8 23. This Jacob knew well Gen. XXXIII 11. He that is first Therefore Judges verse 17 and all men had need to keep one eare for the defendant Tertullus pleaded fairly till Paul came to answer And so Ziba against Mephibosheth A man is not easily to be beleeved in his own tale against another The lot Josh. verse 18 XIV 2. Acts I. 26. See my Annotations on Jonah I. 7. A brother offended A brother natural verse 19 or spiritual a sworne brother Too many are the sad experiences of this The vulgar Latin and LXX read and render otherwise tongue That best and worst member of the body verse 21 James III. 2 11. Mark XII 37. a wife A good wife verse 22 As a Name for a good name Eccles. VII 1. He obtains favour of the Lord chap. XIX 14. and XXXI 10. The poor Speaks supplications verse 23 Much more should poor man to God hath friends Love is the whetstone verse 24 and loadstone of love a friend Chap. XVII 17. as ones own soul Deut. XIII 6. Better Chap. chapter XIX verse 1 XXVIII 6. perverse in his lips Speaketh wickedly roughly and roboustiously without knowledge An ignorant man is in the dark verse 2 nor can be good Knowledge is much magnified in this Book of the Proverbs hasteth Rashly without premeditation and forecast Such is blind zeal as mettle in a blind horse perverteth his way And God walks contrary to him verse 3 Levit. XVI 24. frets As 2 Kings VI. 33. wealth Chap. verse 4 XIV 20. Donec eris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris neighbour Who turnes strange to him or enemie against him unpunished By God And when known by man also verse 5 There is a pillorie-perjury See verse 9. and chap. XXI 28. and ch XXV 18. Exod. XXIII 1 Deut. XIX 16 21. Prince For their own commodity verse 6 Poor Ch. verse 7 XIV 20. Delight But stripes rather verse 10 Ch. X. 13 Ch. XXX 22. a servant As Abimelech the bramble Iudg. IX 15. As Pontifex Romanus the bridgmaker of Rome who writes Servus servorum chap. XXX 22. Eccles. X. 7. deferreth Ch. verse 11 XIV 29. But it must not be so as Absalom did toward Ammon passe by As winking at it or forgiving it or overcoming it with goodnesse Kings wrath Chap. verse 12 XVI 14. and XX. 2. and XXVIII 15. Eccles VIII 2 3 4. 2 Tim. IV. 17. A foolish sonne Chap. verse 13 X. 1. and chap. XV. 20. and XVII 21 25. contentions of a wife Chap. XXI 9. and XXVII 15 16. This is like a tempest in the haven inheritance More immediately verse 14 from the Lord Chap. XVIII 22. By his peculiar providence Tobias VI. 22. Keepeth Evangelicaly verse 16 thinks upon them to do them Psal. CIII 18. 2 Cor. VIII 12. Esay XXVI 12. Let us ask him to give what he commands us to have his wayes Gods wayes or his own wayes living loosely and carelessely and lawlessely lendeth Matth. verse 17 X. 42. and chap. XXV 40. 2 Cor. IX 6 7. Eph. IV. 28. Psal. XLI 1. 1 Tim. VI. 17 18 19. Heb. XIII 16. 1 John III. 17. He lends it to the Lord upon usury as the vulgar Latin renders it Chasten Chap. verse 18 XIII 24. and XXII 15. and XXIII 13. and ch XXIX 15 17. of great wrath Cholerick and wrathful men verse 19 their Passion after their deliverance will bring them in danger again Or if thou in great wrath yet pardon thy sonnes fault yet threaten him with greater punishment if he fault again Hear This may be the fathers lessoning his childe whom he hath lashed verse 20 Or may be taken in a greater latitude and sensed more generaly many devises Chap. verse 21 XVI 1 9. Job XXIII 13. Psal. XXXIII 10 11. and XLVI 10. The desire A mans will is to be accepted for the deed verse 22 if he have nothing to give Or mans desire is to be counted kinde and bountiful Not he that brags what he would do if he had wherewith and yet having it fails of performance a poor man Having a giving affection is better then such a braging lyer The fear Chap. verse 23 XXII 4. and chap. XIV 27. and I. 7. and VIII 13. Smite a scorner Though not he yet the simple will beware by it verse 25 chap. XXI 11. devoureth Job XV. verse 28 16. Ephes. IV. 19. wine Chap. chapter XX verse 1 XXIII 29 35. Hos. VII 5. Esay XXVIII 1. Gen. IX 21. 1 Sam. XXV 36. not wise When the wine is in the wit is out of a King Chap. verse 2 XVI 14. and chap. XIX 12. to cease from strife Gen. verse 3 XIII 8 9. 1 Cor. XIII 4 5 7. Brawling becomes not a man of a magnanimous spirit Counsel Verse 27. chap. XVIII 4. draw it out verse 5 for his use and imitation his own goodnesse So all Hereticks verse 6 and ambitious men Matth. VI. 1. V. 16. But few faithfuly performe what they proudly proclaime his children Personal piety is profitable to posterity verse 7 2 Kings X. 30. Exod. XX. 6. Psal. CXII 2. scattereth Verse 26. Psal. verse 8 CI. 5. The sword of justice is to be furbished with the oile of mercie yet there are cases
Ps. 81. 3 Esay 1. 13. Yearly at Feasts 3. Solemn of Passeover and Unleavened bread Lev. 23. Weeks Deut. 16. Tabernacles Deut. 16. Others for one day viz. of First-fruits Lev. 23 9. 15. Blowing of trumpets Lev. 23. 24 25. Fast of expiation Lev. 16. and ch 23 27. 32. Incident occassions more Extraordinary as at the Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes Lev. 8. Exod. 29. and ch 40. See Aarons first-offerings Lev. 9. Levities Numb 8. Dedication of the Altar Numbers 7. 10 88. Ordiâ—â— Purification and cleansing of Women after childe-birth Lev. 12. 13 14 15. chapters Leper Lev. 12. 13 14 15. chapters Men in their issues Lev. 12. 13 14 15. chapters Women in theire 〈…〉 Lev. 12. 13 14 15. chapters 9. Day Nadab and Abihu offer Incense with strange fire and are slaine Levit. X. 11 12 13. Dayes Seeme those Lawes given from the Lord to Moses and Aaron touching Beasts Fishes Fowles clean and unclean Ch. XI Moses for Purification of Women in child-birth Ch. XII Moses and Aaron for Leprosies their cleansings Ch. XIII XIV For issues of men and women their cleansings Ch. XV. 14. Day Celebration of the Passeover Num. IX whether the Feast of unleavened Bread for seven dayes was added hereunto is not expressed After the death of Nadab and Abihu Moses receives Lawes from the Lord touching the High Priests coming into the most Holy Place once a year to make an Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh moneth And the maner of it Ch. XVI Place of Sacrificing And touching Blood Ch. XVII Unlawful mixtures and Lusts and other sins And the Punishments of them Ch. XVIII XIX XX. Priests their Holinesse Honour and cleansing Ch. XXI XXII Feasts Ch. XXIII Oile and Lamps And Shew-bread Ch. XXIV 1 9. Shelomiths sonne blasphemeth Ch. XXIV 10 14. Thereafter Moses receiveth Lawes from the Lord touching Blasphemy and Murder Chap. XXIV 15 23. Sabbath-year and Jubile Ch. 25. Idolatry and Religiousnesse with Blessings and Curses Ch. XXVI Vowes and Tythes Chap. XXVII For the better understanding and remembring of this Book And specially of the Offerings and Sacrifices therein contained The Table ensuing and the Directions thereof may give some part of help and furtherance though the same be not in all points perfect and compleat Sacrifices then are of a Divine Institution And were indeed practised by Adam and his children and in all ages But by Moses enlarged with many Observations Circumstances and Prefigurations contained in them Yet not principally commanded nor so much as Morall duties of Piety and Honesty 1 Sam. 15. 22. Psal. L. 5 16. Marke XII 33. Hos. VI. 6. Matth. XII 7. as Joel II. 13. Esay I. 11. and Jer. VI. 20. Amos V. 21. Jer. VII 21 22 23. Of the Cattell The kindes of Beasts and Birds verse 2 for Sacrifices were Oxen Bullocks Sheep Lambs Rams Goats Turtle-Doves young Pigeons The Sparrow or living Bird mentioned Levit. XIV 4. in the cleansing of the Leper was not properly a Sacrifice These Creatures for Sacrifice were of common use for mans sustenance maintenance And so were lawfull to be eaten in civill and common use Deut. XIV 4 26. and Ch. XII 15 21. And they were easie to be had As also Bread Flower Cakes Wafers Wine Salt Oile Frankincense used most in the Meate and Drink-offerings And such likewise are Water Bread and Wine in our Sacraments See Levit. I II III IV. Ch. and Ch. VII v. 11 12 13. A Burnt-Sacrifice In all Burnt-Offerings verse 3 and in such Sin-Offerings whereof any of the Blood was to be brought into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to reconcile withall in the holy place and also in Meat-Offerings of and for a Priest all was to be burnt to the Lord There was nothing left to be eaten by any Levit. I. and Ch. VI. 22 23 30. In all other Sin-Offerings and Trespasse-Offerings besides the fat and kidneys burnt to the Lord All the Flesh was the Priests and to be eaten by him and his And so in all other Meat-Offerings Levit. VI. 16 17 18 26 29. and Ch. VII 6 7 9 10 14. In the Peace-Offerings the Wave-breast and heave or right shoulder were the Priests to be eaten by him and his And the rest of the Flesh belonged to the bringer of the Peace-Offering to be eaten by him and his Levit. VII 31 32 33 34. and v. 15 21. The Levites had no part in any Offerings Burnt-Offerings used for Sinne-Offerings in Jobs time Job XLII 8. At the doore Killed there Because thither it was lawful for the Offerer or Bringer of it to come that he might put his hand upon the head of the Sacrifice Lev. I. 3 4. and III. 2 8 13. and IV. 15 24 29 33. Leaven Leaven generally forbid in Meat-Offerings chapter II verse 11 except in those two mentioned Lev. VII 13. and Ch. XXIII 17. Confesse chapter V verse 5 This Confession of sinne differeth altogether from the Popish Sacramentall Confession That soul shall be cut off from his people This Punishment as it is awarded here against the eating of the flesh of the Peace-Offering chapter VII verse 20 for him who hath any Legal pollution upon him so it is against such who are not circumcised Gen. XVII 14. who eate leavened bread during the Feast of the Passeover Exod. XII 15 19. who do any work on the Sabbath-day Exod. XXXI 14. who eate of the fat of Beasts of which men offer Sacrifices Levit. VII 25. who eate Blood v. 27. and Ch. XVII 10 14. who bring not the Sacrifice to the doore of the Tabernacle to be killed there not elsewhere Levit. XVII 4 9. who eate of the Sacrifice of Peace-Offering on the third day Levit. XIX 8. who give of their Seed to Moloch Levit. XX. 2 3. or kill not such a sinner v. 4 5. who go a whoring after Wizzards and such as have familiar spirits v. 6. who commit incest v. 17. or lie with a woman in her sicknesse v. 18. who goeth unto the holy things which the children of Israel hallow unto the Lord having his uncleannesse upon him Levit. XXII 3. who doth any work or is not afflicted on the Fast-day of Atonement Levit. XXIII 29 30. who keep not the Passeover Num. IX 13. who sinne presumptuously Num. XV. 30 31. who being unclean do not purifie themselves Num. XIX 13 20. who being idolaters come to a Prophet to enquire concerning the Lord Ezek. XIV 8. This kinde of punishment hath variation of phrases in the expressions in Scripture thus shall be cut off utterly cut off cut off from Israel from the Congregation of Israel from among the Congregation in the sight of their people from the midst of my people cut off from the earth cut off from my presence which likely do import various kindes and degrees of punishments according to the nature of the sinnes spoken to in them How farre this phrase advanceth the Jewish Excommunication I leave to further consideration The
verse 1 1 Chron. II. 7. which signifieth a Troubler and the Place of his execution is called the Valley of Achor v. 26. that is trouble He was Grand-childe of Zabdi otherwise called Zimri 1 Chron. II. 6. Ai Ai is called Hai verse 2 Gen. XII 8. and Aijah Neh. XI 31. in the tribe of Benjamin very near to Bethel Ezra II. 28. Neh. VII 32. and differs from that Ai situate between Heshbon and Rabbah in the tribe of God yet taken by the Ammonites whereof see Jeremie XLIX 3. Bethaven Bethaven and Bethel two distinct townes not farre asunder near the North bounds of the Tribe of Benjamin Yet Hosea calls Bethel by the name of Bethaven the house of vanity and vaine Idols in scorne and derision for Jeroboams golden Calf there set up Hos. IV. 15. and V. 8. and X. 5. See the Observations on 1 King XII 29 32. verse 14 Taketh By Divine instinct and command Lots are here used In which case their judgement is infallible Of Lots see my Annotations on Ionah I. 7. verse 24 And his sonnes Gods severe judgement upon his whole family ver 24 25. is warranted by Him who is sole Dispensor and Sovereigne Lord over his own Law Deut. XXIV 16. And at the most his Sacriledge was but the Occasion not the Cause of Gods judgement upon his family They having sinne enough in themselves otherwise for Gods justice to work upon though they had no hand in this sacrilegious act chapter VIII verse 2 Ambush God appoints both the End and the Means 1 Chron. XIV 14 15. And Gods people having the assurance of Gods Particular Promises do yet carefully use the Meanes as Josh. XI 7. and X. 9. Acts XXVII 24 31. Iudg. XX. 28 29. Stratagems in warre are lawful verse 3 Chose out Not likely that the 30000. did lie in wait behinde Ai Westward between Ai and Bethel but onely 5000. ver 12 17. Gibeon Gibeon was a great City chapter IX verse 3 a royal City of the Hivites and all the men mighty Ch. X. 2. and XI 19. allotted afterwards to Benjamin and out of that Tribe to the Priests Ch. XXI 13 17. The Tabernacle and Altar were here in Davids and Solomons time 1 Chron. XXI 20. 2 Chron. I. 3. David orders the service of it here 1 Chron. XVI 30. Solomon sacrificeth at this High Place God appears to him here And he brings the Tabernacle and Altar thence to the Treasuries of the Temple 1 King III. 4. Here Ioshua vanquished the five Kings of the Amorites Ch. X. And had the Sunne stand still upon his prayer Here David smote the Philistines 1 Chron. XIV 16. By the poole of Gibeon was that mortal fight between twelve of Abners and twelve of Ioabs men whence the place was called the field of strong men in Gibeon Here Abner in his flight slayeth Asabel the brother of Ioab And Ioab pursueth Abner by the way of the Wildernesse of Gibeon 2 Sam. II. 12 16 24. and Ch. III. 30. At the great stone in Gibeon Ioab slew Amasa his Cousen-german 2 Sam. XX. 8. And by the great waters that are in Gibeon Iohanan fighteth and puts to flight Ishmael Ier. XLI 12. The Gibeonites were Hivites Iosh. IX 7. yet called also by the more general name of Amorites 2 Sam. XXI 2. They were those which in after-times were called Nethinims c. that is Deodands given and devoted to that Drudgery ver 23 27. Of whom see 2 Sam. XXI 2. 1 Chron. IX 2. Ezra II. 43 58 62 70. and VII 7 24. and VIII 17 20. Neh. VII 46 60 73. and X. 28. and XI 3 21. Something like to these were those other of these Nations on whom Solomon did raise a tribute of Bondage 1 King IX 20 21. Of whom see more on that place The Oath and League made with the Gibeonites and their Cities ver 17. though surreptitiously and fraudulently gotten and also rashly granted yet seemes in the substance of it to be lawful otherwise an unlawful Oath should be broken whereas this was kept with all faithfulnesse Joshua fighting in their defence and that by the Lords approbation and encouragement Ch. X. 7 8. And this seemes lawful because they sued for Peace before they were besieged and willingly submitted to all Conditions without any reservation of their Lands Goods Lawes Liberties much lesse of their superstitions and idolatries which otherwise might have ensnared the Israelites but of their Lives onely and they to be employed in the Israelites service Cities and People of other Nations then these very farre off might be received upon farre easier termes and conditions But upon all these Conditions others of these Nations themselves might have been spared their lives Yet God in his providence so ordered That there was not a City that made peace with the Israelities saving these Hittites of Gibeon onely and their Cities All other they took in battel for it was of the Lord so to harden their hearts that they might be destroyed Ch. XI 19 20. And therefore the Congregation here murmured unjustly haply through ignorance against Joshua and the Princes for this League and Oath And Saul was justly punished and that grievously in his posterity and the Land also with famine many ages after this because he sought to slay and destroy them from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel contrary to this League and Oath though Soul did it in a pretended or wrong zeale to the children of Israel and Judah 2 Sam. XXI 1 6. Adoni-Zedek seemes chapter X verse 1 in after-ages to have succeeded that Melchizedeâ— Gen. XIV 18. But Adoni-bezeck Judg. I. 7. seemes not any successor to this Adonizedeek much lesse himself He himself being slaine ver 23 26. But Adoni-bezeck was Lord or King not of Jerusalem but of Bezeck in the Tribe of Judah where Saul numbred against Nahash 330000. men 1 Sam. XI 8. Jerusalem is called also Jebus Judg. XIX 10. 1 Chron. XI 4 5. of Jebusi the sonne of Canaan Gen. X. 16. And Salem Gen. XIV 18. Psal. LXXVI 2. The name seemes composed of them If not then of Jireh and Salem the place Salem Gen. XIV 18. Psal. LXXVI 2. where God appeared Gen. XXII 14. Or Jiereh Shalem signifying the Vision of Peace or Possession of Peace or Peace shall be seene or provided a place of providence Gen. XXII 14. See Hebr. VII 1 2. And it is of the Dual number being a double City belonging to two Tribes Judah and Benjamin Josh. XV. 8 63. and XVIII 28. Judg. I. 8 21. Jer. XXXIX 3. The Southern and higher part belonging to Judah wherein the strong hold of Zion was taken at last by David presently after his anointing King over all Israel and built and called his City 2 Sam. V. 6 9. 1 Chron. XI 4 8. And became the Burial-place of the Kings of Judah And Davids Sepulcher continued there till the Apostles times Acts II. 29. near 1100. years And the Ark for a time was placed
thus the denying Interrogative is equivalent to an affirming Enunciative The like may well be admitted Esay XLIX 5 6. And there are sundry Interrogatives found in Scripture where the Negative is suppressed as Job XX. 4. Gen. XXVII 36. 1 Sam. II. 27 28. 2 Sam. XXIII 19. Jer. III. 6. and XXXI 20. Ezek. XX. 30. Amos VI. 2. And the Masorets in like cases to this in Job do usualy adscribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him as their Keri in the margin And they use this liberty more in this one word then in any other in the Old Testament before him To plead his cause with confidence verse 16 as I am ready to do I have ordered my Cause He prepares for his trial before God verse 18 I am ready to plead justified For the various significations of this word see the Annotations here Only That he may have a fair trial verse 20 then I will go on in my plea. Then call thou He offers the choise to God verse 22 whether he will be Plaintif or Defendant such is his confidence and answer thou me This is too much for any man or creature to say to God Yet the extremity of his case brings him to this extremity How many Here begins his Plea verse 23 and continues to the end of the next Chapter Let me know my charge and condemn me not before I be heard wherefore If no heinous cause be alledged verse 24 break a leaf No honour to a Gyant to break and bruise an infant verse 25 a print upon Followest me step by step verse 27 not one step behinde me to mark my sinnes to plague me and prevent my escape woman In the Hebrew chapter XIV verse 1 hath her name from a man as the first woman had her nature also And doest thou Chap. VII 17 18. me into judgement with thee So great a God verse 3 to deale summo jure most rigorously with such a worme and wretch and not to pity him as if this were a maine thing that God looked at in his providence who can Why then am I thus singled out verse 4 Turne from him From plaguing him so sorely for sinne verse 6 as now thou doest me hope of a tree But an impossibility after mans death verse 7 to returne hither again to enjoy any comfort here and where is he No where among the living verse 10 As the waters As the flood fed by those waters then decayeth verse 11 So c. till the heavens be no more As now they are verse 12 but changed at the Resurrection shall he live again As chap. XV. 11. verse 14 and IV. 2. Gen. XVII 17. a wonder it is yet true Thou wilt have a desire Thus at that time it will appear verse 15 to Jobs comfort For now Job concludes in a passionate fit verse 16 That yet now God deals strictly and harshly with him and his sins the mountain The strongest creatures yeeld to thy power verse 18 Thou prevailest Applies it to man verse 20 and Gods prevailing power over him and his hopes his soul For the various acceptations of this word verse 22 See the Annotations here Then Here begins the second onset of Jobs three friends chapter XV verse 1 Wherein being angred likely by some harsh words of Job reflecting on them they do only lay load upun him as upon a wicked man drawing ill Conclusions from his Passionate Speeches and insisting upon it still That so many and great calamities as fell upon him befell to none but to ungodly men But they afford him not one Exhortation to Repentance or one comfortable promise as formerly they had done chap. V. 8 17. and chap. VIII 5 20 21. and chap. XI 13 19. And Job in his Replies the more sharply reproves them for their inhumanity and uncomfortablenesse towards him in his distressed condition which sad estate he still sets out copiously and that it ought to move them the more to pitie and commiseration He refels their false position whereupon they stood so much viz. the Prosperity of the Godly and the Punishment of the Wicked only and shewes That many times the wicked greatly flourish and the godly extremely suffer And he refutes the slanderous imputations fastened upon him by reason of the strange grievousnesse of his afflictions He asserts and defends his own innocencie and contends more eagerly for his integrity against hypocrisie then he did before He comforts himself in the certain hope of a glorious Resurrection hereafter and moves them to Repent of their ill and hard dealings against him and restrainest Prayer before God By thy ungodly speeches doest discourage men from Praying to God verse 4 that we know not See chap. XIII 2. verse 9 what is man Eliphaz doth but repeat the same argument which he used before verse 14 chap. IV. 17 18 19. And makes litle against Job who confesseth as much And yet Bildad useth it again chap. XXV 4 5. unto whom Unto which wise worthy men God gave a continuance of undisturbed prosperity verse 19 And therefore their sayings not to be sleighted The wicked Here follow those wise sentences verse 20 to the end of the Chapter The same in substance he had said before chapter IV. and V. But here are they more lively set forth and the number How long the Oppressor shall live He runneth upon him God sets fiercely on him verse 26 and his strongest armour dwelleth in desolate His luxury fore-runs his poverty verse 28 He shall not be rich nor prosper God will blast his endeavours for all his vaine confidence as he sheweth to the end of the chapter Though I speak Job acknowledgeth that all those things had chapter XVI verse 6 and do befall him which Eliphaz had said do befall wicked men and he instanceth in divers particular afflictions wherein and whereby he complaineth of his misery and the harsh and fierce dealings of God and his friends against him to verse 17. Yet denies himself to be an ungodly man and by arguments makes it good from verse 17. to the end of the chapter a surety Job would be glad of a Surety to be put in chapter XVII verse 3 to have some other and not his friends to hear him plead and maintain his cause astonied At this dealing of God with Job verse 8 stir up himself For me against the hypocrite to clear me and themselves from such men and make better use of mine afflictions as in the verse following my hope He was sailed past the Cape of good hope verse 15 for any worldly prosperity It shall lie down with him in the dust for thee Bildad bitterly reproves Job chapter XVIII verse 4 for contemning them and misbehaving himself the light of the wicked In a sharp and angry speech he laies out to the life the miseries of wicked men verse 5 in life in death and after death to the end of this chapter And so he doth but enlarge what he had said chap. VIII And seemes to imply
properties and qualifications stand in awe and sinne not Ephes. IV. 26. verse 4 Be anrgy and sinne not And that sense the word here used will bear David speaking thus to his friends Let not your indignation and just resentment of these scandals and confusions in my sufferings proceed to a sinful murmuring against God but consider of it wisely in your most retired thoughts and be silent contented and quiet into thy house chapter V verse 7 So farre as it was lawful for David toward thy holy Temple And so David Psal. XXVII 4. and XXIX 9. and LXV 4. and LXVIII 29. and CXXXVIII 2. And yet in Davids dayes the Temple was not built He minded that which after his dayes he knew presently should be And meane time he stiles the Arke or Tabernacle by the name of the Temple See the Observations on Exod. XXXIII 7. rebuke me not Psal. chapter VI verse 1 XXXVIII 1. heale me David was in some soar sicknesse at this time verse 2 bed to swim See the Observations on Josh. XI 4. verse 6 If I have done this Whereof Cush Sauls Courtier or Favourite chapter VII verse 3 one of his Tribe doth falsely accuse me return thou on high To ascend verse 7 and set thy self on thy high tribunal and judgement-seat 1 Kings X. 19. And this to judge for me and against Cush as it followeth in the rest of the Psalme Out of the mouth This is alluded to Mat. chapter VIII verse 2 XXI 16. What is man This verse 4 and ver 5 6. are applied to Christ by the Apostle Heb. II. 6 9. 1 Cor. XV. 27. Ephes. I. 22. so taking in both Christ the head and mankinde specialy the faithful as members shewing thereby that mysticaly and propheticaly in these words is intimated the humiliation and exaltation of the man Christ Jesus O thou enemie A kinde of scoff and derision chapter IX verse 6 whereby David upbraids him for his bloody designes and threats Know thy name will Know experimentaly verse 10 practicaly verse 20. in all their hearts and souls in themselves as the phrases of Scripture are Josh. XXIII 14. 1 Sam. VI. 9. Heb. X. 34. Of this knowledge is that Iohn XVII 3. and 1 Iohn II. 3 4 5. and chap. III. 19 24. and chap. IV. 6 7 8 13. and chap. V. 2. 18 19. 20. Noëtical speculative knowledge swimming only in the braine and not sinking into the heart is none of this knowledge till thou finde none Rid the world of them chapter X verse 15 and their sinnes at once flee a bird 1 Sam. chapter XI verse 1 XXVI 19. If the foundations In Church and Kingdome verse 3 what can He help but suffer in such a general ruine The fool Psal. chapter XIV verse 1 X. 4. and LIII 1. The three first verses of this Psalme are by Saint Paul applied to all mankinde in general in the state of the Fall and natural corruption Rom. III. 10 11 12. usury Of this see Exod. chapter XV verse 5 XXII 25. Levit. XXV 36 37. Deut. XXIII 19 20. Neh. V. 17. Levit. XXVIII 8. And the Annotations on Ezek. XVIII 8. and XXII 12 13. Mat. XXV 27. that hasten Or give gifts to another god chapter XVI verse 4 See Ezek. XVI 33 34. The true God needs them not ver 2. But false gods do which gifts do redound in the end to the dammage and sorrowes of the givers their drink-offerings of blood Their Offerings and Sacrifices of mans blood The drink-offerings to the true God were of wine according to his Law Num. XV. 5. But Idolaters in stead thereof did many times offer mans blood Pauls readinesse to be offered Phil. II. 17. 2 Tim. IV. 6. imports no more then his willingnesse to die and spend his blood for Christs cause and the good of his Church and people their names See the Observations on Josh. XXIII 7. I have set the Lord Acts II. 25 31. verse 8 and XIII 35 37. David speaks here of himself in this regard as having Christ in his loins in a Prophetical spirit relating to Christ. right hand Psal. CIX 31. CX 5. CXXI 5. not be moved Psal. CXVIII 6. CXXXV 1. Rom. VIII 31 c. my glory My tongue verse 9 Acts II. 26. Psal. XXX 12. and LVII 8. and CVIII 2. Gen. XLIX 6. my flesh also As Rom. VIII 19. 21. my soul in hell A Prophesie of Christs Resurrection verse 10 David speaks here in the Person of Christ. Soul Sometimes is taken properly sometimes improperly for the whole person of man Gen. XIV 12. Acts XXVII 37. sometimes for the life of the person sometimes for the body Gen. XVII 21. sometimes for the dead carkasse Levit. XIX 28. and XXI 1 2. Num. VI. 6. and V. 2 9 10. Hag. II. 14. And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken also Here my soul i. e. my self hell the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the grave Psal. CXLI 7. and LXXXVI 13. and XXX 13. and LV. 15. Gen. XXXVII 35. and XLII 3. 1 Kings II. 6 9. Num. XVI 30. Jonah II. 1 2. Not for a place of souls under the earth See Doctor Rainolds Praelect 81. 82. upon the Apocryphal books and Robert Parker upon Christs Descent into hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for death or the state of the dead for the place invisible for the grave in relation to the body Acts II. 27. And in relation to the soul for heaven to the godly soul as in our Creed and for Hell to the soul ungodly and so most usualy Christs soul did not descend to the lower parts or that imaginary place of Limbus Patrum This place here meant is a place of punishment and therefore it is mentioned as a mercy that Christ was thence delivered Christs soul was not therefore there in triumph The scope of the Apostles in citing this place is not to deale about the deliverance of Christs soul out of Hell but punctualy of Christs Resurrection They inferre nothing else out of this Text. But Resurrection is properly of the Body not of the Soul Gehenna is sometimes taken for the Grave and most-times further for Hell it self The true meaning and sense of the Article of Christs Descent into Hell as the Latines very improperly translate the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemes to be thus rendered rather he went into the place of invisible souls and to be understood of Christs Soul for his body remained in the Grave And his soul in that interim to passe to the place of souls to Heaven or Paradise as the souls of the godly did and his principaly As the souls of the wicked went to Hell For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a general name doth certainly and evidently signifie both places And thus the Articles go on methodicaly without any tautologie That after Christs death his body was buried in the Grave his Soul went to the place of blessed souls and the third day both soul and body were
Ophir 1 Kings IX 28. Uphaz Jer. X. 9. This is the chiefest gold Dan X. 5. Job XXVIII 15. Psal. CXIX 72. See the Observations on Esay XIII 12. great reward Which reward yet is of grace verse 11 not of merit Rom. VIII 3. through Gods free grace and bounty not the merit of our works The Apostle doth thus distinguish of merit Rom. IV. 4 5. and XI 6. There is no merit properly if the work be not properly out own and not otherwise due debt and justly equal to the reward They are justly due out of his true and free promise who can Where then is that possibility verse 12 and facility of fulfilling the Law even unto works of Supererogation whereof Papists do so much brag dominion over me There are sinnes reigning and not reigning but rebelling verse 13 Rom. VI. 12 22. and VII 15 20. The Lord hear thee This Psalme chapter XXI verse 1 and the next are composed by David for a publike forme of a Prayer in the one of a Thanksgiving in the other to be used by the people for himself the King They seeme to stretch this Psalme too farre and that without ground who make it to be a Prophesie of Christs Sufferings and his deliverances out of them for which the Church with him triumpheth As also the next Psalme to gratulate the victory and Salvation of Christ. Save Lord verse 9 let the King hear us Most here understand God or the Messias Some David The LXX not observing or keeping the Hebrew distinction Athnach render it thus Lord save the King and hear us when we call upon thee for ever and ever Psal. chapter XXI verse 4 LXXXIX 29 36 37. and LXI 6 7. David lived but seventy years yet in his royal posterity for many ages and in Christ the Sonne of David Matth. XXII 42. for ever and ever eternaly Rom. VI. 9. Apoc. I. 18. Heb. VII 25. See the Observations on Deut. XV. 17. Thine hand King Davids hand chapter XXII verse 8 In some Psalmes there are passages that properly and literaly belong to David and to Christ only as David was a Type of him But in this Psalme are some Passages as ver 16 17 18. besides many other which are applied to Christ in the New Testament as ver 1 7 8 22 27. which literaly and properly belong to Christ and are appliable to him only or to him more then to David Then here is no place left for that question of the Eunuch Acts VIII 34. The allegations out of this Psalme Matth. XXVII 46 35 43. Heb. II. 12. and the body of the Psalme it self do shew that little of it can be applied to David as a Type most of it is proper and peculiar to Christ alone as I formerly said 1 Pet. I. 11 12. my God Jesus on the Crosse little before his death verse 1 about the ninth hour cryed out these words with a loud voice Matth. XXVII 46. Heb. V. 7. upon the weight of Gods wrath under the burden of our sinnes The Deity by a special providence and dispensation withdrawing and suspending its influence from the Humanity for this time God withdrawing all sense of his favour from him Not that the hypostatical union of both natures was then or ever severed or dissolved But yet he suffered chiefly in his soul all the paines pangs and agonies of a justly angry and punishing God even more then can either be expressed or imagined even so farre above the measure of ordinary sufferings as himself was above ordinary men without any influence or joy or comfort streaming from the Vision of God upon his mind and wil for that time So that he suffered as in body so in soul in his whole man as in his sensual part so in his intellectual also in his whole soul and body and in all the parts powers and faculties of them And the greatest sufferings as was said that could be sustained in this life Lam. I. 12. yet without any derogation to the integrity purity innocencie dignity of the person of Christ our Surety and Saviour These words then are not a complaint out of impatience ignorance disobedience or diffidence They are the words of sense not of infidelity See ver 24. Luke XXIII 46. He strongly calls him his God even in that instant of these suffering so expressing his firme faith in him But they are a Protestation of the bitternesse of his Passion so stricken smitten of God and afflicted and so farre prevailing on him in whom the spirit of fortitude had his residence forsaken me This sense of dereliction and carencie of Divine favour for the time as it was the Fathers pleasure to have it so so the Sonnes office called him unto it and he did not contract it by any fault of his but did voluntarily undertake it for our sinnes and the expiation of them as he did the death it self So that in this then there could not be any defect or defanlt of faith and hope requisite in him And likewise that Prayer and Speech Matth. XXVI 39. bewrayes the sense of the flesh but joyned with the obedience of the Spirit in him A double Will in him against Monothelites but joyned both in one holy obedience and subjection All which shew the nature of sinne the infinite wrath of God against it the infinite Love of the Father and the Sonne towards the children of men and the verity of Christs Humane Nature both in body and soul. roaring Like that of Lions Psal. XXXII 3. and XXXVIII 8. Matth. XXVI 38. Marke XIV 33. Luke XXII 44. so that he had need of an Angel for his Comforter Yet he so wrestles and prevailes that no signe of halting was left remaining after no signe or voice of despair as some are shamelesly wronged to charge upon him All the agonies of Christs soul ceased with his death but thou hearest not We read that God ever heard him verse 2 ver 24. John XI 42. Heb. V. 7. But here this Prayer was only conditional a signification of a natural desire not an absolute and plenary Prayer inhabit the praises of Israel Whose praise thou art verse 3 Deut. X. 21. And they praise thee in thy House and Sanctuary Thou art still praised by them for thy benefits to them and acknowledged their holy one Our fathers And shall I be so forsaken verse 4 not heard nor holpen nor delivered Thus he aggravates his complaint rouzeth up his faith bowes and moves God to mercie Cried Crying or clamor verse 5 and Prayer are oft conjoyned Psal III. 4. and XVIII 7. Jer. VII 16. Jonas III. 8. Micah III. 4. a worme So vile and contemptible in the eyes of men verse 6 Esay LIII 2 3. as Job XXV 6. Esay XLI 14. Not only made lower then the Angels Psal. VIII 5. Heb. II. 7. but disesteemed more then Barrabas or the two theives All they that see me This verse verse 7 and the next we see fulfilled in the History of Christs Passion
have lien among the pots A promise and consolation for the future verse 13 ministring more arguments of praising God Though in the times of Heli and Saul ye have lien in black darknesse of afflictions as a Skullion lies in a Campe or Leaguer among pots as the wings of a Dove Shining and bright When the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 14 the alsufficient scattered Dispersed discomfited vanquished the Kings by his powerful presence that they did flee apace verse 12. Or when he shall so do so continuing and amplifying the former Promise Kings His and their enemies in Canaan in it In thy inheritance wherein thy Congregation did dwell it was white An embleme of prosperity and joy shall be black no more as verse 13. but joyous and prosperous or white with the dead bones of the scattered slaughtered enemies Salmon Judg. IX 48. A Mountain nigh Shechem and Samaria in the tribe of Ephraim not farre from Iordan likely snow was much upon it as the hill of Bashan Of Bashan verse 15 see the Annotations on Micah VII 14. The hill of Sion doth equal yea excell it by reason of all its spiritual prerogatives and priviledges as verse 16. Or thus the Hill of Bashan is an hill of God i. e. a most excellent hill for so the Hebrews expresse the most excellent things See the Observations on Ionah III. 3. and on 1 Sam. XIV 15. It is an high hill All this is true yet falls short of the hill of Sion as it is in the next verse Why leap ye Insult proudly verse 16 vaunt it above the hill of Sion dwell Psal. LXXXVII 1 2. and CXXXII 13 14. This doth infinitely advance this humble hill of Sion above you for ever And not flit with his Ark and Tabernacle from place to place as formerly The Chariots Gods glory in Sion by the multitudes of his ministring Angels verse 17 Heb. XII 22. as it was in Sinai when he gave the fiery Law Deut. XXXIII 2. Gal. III. 19. Acts VII 53. Or rather these words may have a direct relation to the glorious maner of Christs Ascention with the attendance of infinite Angels Angels appeared and ministred at his Incarnation Luke II. 9 13. Heb. I. 6. And why not so or more at his Ascention into the highest heavens See Acts I. 10. well might the Angels then sing that song Apoc. V. 11 12. We read of a Charet of fire and horses of fire at the rapture of Elias And of a mountain full of horses and Charets of fire round about Eliseus in his defense And why not these Angels here to attend our Saviours triumphant Ascention set down in the next verse Thou hast ascended Literaly and typicaly true verse 18 after a sort in Gods dealing with David But without any type it is Mysticaly most trâ—e and most verified in Christ and his Ascention into Heaven And so David here turns his speech to Christ himself Whereunto the Apostle doth apply it Ephes. IV. 8. Ascended in his humane nature properly In Eph. IV. 8 9 10. He is said to descend which being understood of his Divine nature is spoken improperly But Christ being God and Man in one person That one Person without dissolving it by reason of the Union of both natures in it admits properly and truly of such speeches as containe the Proprieties of either Nature the natures themselvs their properties neverthelesse remaining ever realy distinguished The person then of Christ without the conversion of the one Nature into the other in proper speech did ascend in his Humanity by the power of his Deity localy from mount Olivet into that third heaven of Paul which our Saviour cals his Fathers house Iohn XIV 2. above these visible heavens Eph. IV. 10. Our Saviours humane Nature then is contained in Heaven Acts III. 21. is not in the Popish hoasts and much lesse every where according to the Ubiquitarian fancie Though a time was when Christ in his body was in the grave in his soul in Paradise in his Divine nature or Deity every where yet without dissolving the Unity of his Person captivity captive Lead and taken them captives or a multitude of captives subdued thine enemies unto thee made them thy captives Judg. V. 12. Not leading the Fathers out of Limbus Patrum but captiving the World and the Flesh Sinne and Satan Death and Damnation which otherwise held Gods people in captivity and slavery Col. I. 15. received gifts for men Taken gifts for them i. e. receiving gave as the phrase is Exod. XXV 2. And in divers other places taking is used for giving 1 King III. 24 and XVII 10. Judg. XIV 2. And giving is sometimes used for taking as Gen. XLII 30. What the chief of the Gifts were are specified Ephes. IV. 11 12. rebellious also Even the most averse and rebellious of them that God might dwell in them as Soul made a Paul Tit. III. 3 4 5. dwell in them Jah in them not they dwell in the Church Blessed David blesseth God verse 19 as it may seeme for the fruits and benefits of Christs Ascention which do follow loadeth us With those gifts and blessings which Christ received for us verse 18. and unto God the Lord Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the points of Elohim verse 20 not of Adonai And so still when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Adonai are joyned together lest otherwise Adonai should be twise read But where Adonai is not conjoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the pricks of Adonai more often then of Elohim Or Jehovi here may be used as a more pathetical kinde of expression as in Gen. XV. 2 8. Deut. III. 24. issues from death As 1 Cor. X. 13. But God This seemes to be the fruit and powerful effect of Christs Ascention verse 21 upon his enemies The Lord said Num. verse 22 XXI 34. and Exod. XIV 13 14. i. e. as I did from Og King of Bashan and from Pharaoh at the red sea Thus he recals to their memories these two great victories and to strengthen their faith for like victories over their enemies in Davids dayes or in times of future extremities thy foot may be dipped So great should the slaughter of them be verse 23 When God takes publike vengeance and executes his judgements upon his enemies the godly who execute the same may therein rejoyce and say as Jehu did 2 Kings IX 10 36. thy goings In the procedure of the verse verse 24 the Prophet goeth from the second person to the third person So Gen. XLIX 9. And it is very frequent with the Hebrews to passe from one person to another Thy goings then and thy doings thy wayes and administrations i. e. when God marched out of Egypt through the Wildernesse before his people or when David brought the Ark into Jerusalem The singers All sorts verse 25 in their rancks praised God damzels As Exod. XV. 20 21. Iudg. V. 1. and Chap. XI 34. 1 Sam. XVIII 9 7. Blesse ye
Angels Yet it faileth sometimes which is the case of most of these moral observations is servant As it were a servant verse 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Heathen Author rod of his anger Wherewith he whipt others verse 8 his underlings scorner Psal. verse 10 CI. 5. That takes and turnes every thing to the worst loveth Affects verse 11 though he can never effect it strange women Chap. verse 14 II 16. and V. 3 and VII 5 27. and chap. XXIII 27 28. Eccles. VII 26. of a childe Chap. verse 15 XIII 24. and XIX 18. and XXIII 13. and VI. 23. and XXIX 15 17. giveth to the rich With a minde to get more then he gave verse 16 and by his countenance to colour and cover his oppressive practises and scape with them by such briberie he shall not thrive Bow down Here seemes to begin some alteration of stile and method verse 17 He seemes to assume a new kinde of bespeaking his sonne differing from that in the twelve preceding Chapters and much like that in the nine first Wherein the several documents and instructions are prosecuted in more verses then one a pleasant thing Psal. XIX 11. verse 18 and CXIX 103. more pleasant then all the tastlesse fooleries of this present world fitted Whereby to get a singular dexterity and volubility in holy language Matth. XII 24. thy trust Ephes. I. 13. verse 19 even to thee We must read the Scripture as men do Statute-books holding themselves as much concerned therein as any others binding themselves in every precept threatning themselves in every threat blessing themselves in every promise For these are verba vivenda non legenda excellent things Princely things verse 20 rare and royal sentences chap. VIII 6. the certaintie Col. II. 2. verse 21 2 Cor. IV. 13. Rob not By might verse 22 as the greater fish devour the lesser nor yet by false judgments Zech. VII 10. plead Without fee verse 23 for they come forma pauperis chap. XXIII 11. Job XXI 21. spoile Pay them in their kinde chiefly when the cold grave shall hold their bodies and hot hell hold their souls angrie man Anger is a short madnesse verse 24 He rageth and casteth fire-brands Fit to live alone as dragons and wilde beasts to be looked on only as through a grate chap. XV. 18. and XXVI 21. and XXIX 22. lest Sinne is as a leprosie and infectious plague land-mark Deut. XXVII 17. verse 28 and chap. XIX 14. and XXIII 10. diligent Chap. XXVII 23. verse 29 Ezra VI. 13. and VII 26. Gen. XLI 39 40 46. and chap. XLVII 6. 1 Kings XI 28. to eate feed not without fear chapter XXIII verse 1 Jude verse 12. a knife Bridle thy appetite verse 2 Or otherwise thou dost put a knife to thy throat and diggest thy grave with thy teeth for meat and the board kils more then the musket and the sword Luke XXI 34. deceitful An hook under that bait verse 3 to be rich 1 Tim. VI. 9 10. verse 4 James III. 15. 1 John II. 15 16 17. wilt thou Cast a leering eye after such vanities verse 5 and flie a fooles pitch is not Hath no solid subsistence though we call riches substance 1 Cor. VII 31. Earth is hanged upon nothing as Job speaketh And so all earthly things Amos VI. 13. Esay XXVIII 15. eate thou not A miserly fordid muckworme verse 6 thinketh Grudgeth at his guests as one willing to starve even his own genius sweet words Which he hath spoak to thee verse 8 or rather thy chearful words at his table speak not Chap. IX 7 8. verse 9 Matth. VII 6. land mark Chap. XXII 28. verse 10 Deut. XIX 14. and XXVII 17. Ovidius ad Deum Terminum Omnis erit sine te litigiosus ager Plead Chap. XXII 23. verse 11 Job XXXI 23. and XXVI 14. Psal. XC 11. Eccles. VI. 10. God is the great Master of the wards apply Busie them about the best things verse 12 withhold not correction Chap. XIII 24. verse 13 and Chap. XIX 18. and chap. XXII 25. and shalt deliver This a means for it verse 14 And if it succeed not yet thou hast done thy duty and so shalt deliver thine own soul and have thy reward As the Phisitian hath his fee whether the Patient live or die shall rejoyce Chap. X. 1. verse 15 and chap. XV. 20. 3 John 4. 1 Thes. III. 9. envie sinners Chap. XXIV 1 19. verse 17 and chap. III. 31. Psal. XXXVII 1. and LXXIII 3. feare This cures one of the fret all the day long Waking walking and lying down in his fear in continual communion with him and conformity to him ch XXVIII 14. 1 Pet. I. 17. Phil. II. 12. 2 Cor. VII 11. an end Chap. X. 28. verse 18 An end of the sinners prosperitie Job VIII 13 14. and chap. XI 20. and XVIII 14. Psal. CXII 10. And an end and reward to those that fear God Psal. XXXVII 37 38. and LVIII 11. Wine-bibbers Verse 29 35. verse 20 Rom. XIII 13. Ephes. V. 18. Mat. XXIV 49. Buy the truth Tit. I. 9. verse 23 Phil. I. 27. Iude 3. Either live with it or die for it The father Chap. X. 1. verse 24 and chap. XV. 20. thy heart This the seat of our affections verse 26 and fountain of our actions Mark VII 21. Matth. XII 34 35. And therefore that care and caveat is given of it Prov IV. 23. And God so craveth and wisheth it Deut. V. 29. and complains of the want of it Matth. XV. 8. yea and deals as Ioseph with his brethren concerning Benjamin Gen. XLIII 3. no seeing his face without it thine eyes Look well to this patterne and copie get a ful prospect and fix and feed thine eyes hereupon a whore Chap. XXII 14. verse 27 See chap. V. 15. who hath woe Chap. XX. 1. verse 29 mixt wine Chap. IX 2. Psal. LXXV 8. verse 30 moveth Sparkleth verse 31 as the most generous wine useth to do strange women Drunckennesse ushers in whordome verse 33 Wine the milk of Venus and strange things and sights disturbing the braine Et geminum Solem duplices consurgere Thebas midst of the Sea Thy braines shall turne round verse 34 thy self reel as a ship tossed at Sea Psal. CVII 27. Or thy braines swim as if at Sea and so drunckenly dream as if thou wert at Sea Or be so stupid and senselesse in this druncken lethargie as to be fearlesse and carelesse in the greatest danger whatsoever and not refuse or forbear to sleep on the top of maâ—â— not sick A druncken man verse 35 we say takes no hurt feels no blows no smart is turned into a beast yea a block I will seek it yet again Though they be sick with it yet after their recoverie and that fit past they will to it again For drunckennesse inflaming increaseth thirst Deut. XXIX 19. and thirst drunckennesse and so the drunckard irrecoverable to be with them In their state chapter XXIV verse 1 and at their stay
the foole Speaking with relation to wealth verse 8 and the event of outward things These things promiscuously happen to all without peculiar prerogative to any and beyond their own natural use they are not able to supply a wise man more then a fool and the fool may have as much and as much also of them as the wise Better is the sight of the eyes To enjoy quietly and contentedly what a man hath in present possession verse 9 then to wander and rove up and down in desire and pursuit of what we have not and cannot hardly attaine but endlesly weary our selves in hawking and hunting after them which never will nor can satisfie That which hath beene verse 10 the name And nature of it is known already That which is hoped for hereafter is yet unknown That it is man Man still earthly Adam sorry man be his wealth or greatnesse what it will And God will make him know himself so to be Psal. IX 20. Ezek. XXVIII 6 9. Esay II. 22. and XXXI 3. Contend with To enter plea against God or require a reason of his judgements or strive against this streame thinking to alter or break through the order bounds of his Providence or decrees Esay XLV 9. Job IX 2 3 12. and IV. 17. and chap. XXXIV 23. Jer. L. 44. Rom. IX 20. Seeing there be many things A solemne conclusion of all the former discoveries of vanities in the Creatures verse 11 averring that first set down chap. I. 3. which is the maine matter of this Book What is man the better In regard of sound and solid happinesse for any or for all the former vanities For who knoweth The animal creatures by instinct of nature know what is good for them verse 12 to maintaine their being and well-being to remedy their maladies But man knoweth not what is good for him What is best for him in this life as to the things of this life Whether to be rich or poor c. Achitophel might have lived longer with lesse wisdome Nabal with lesse riches Herod with lesse pride and praise c. God is pleased to shew man the only good Mic. VI. 8. and Solomon chap. XII ver 13 14. vaine life This life it self a vaine shadow Psal. CXLIV 4. and XXXIX 6. Job XIV 2. and chap. VIII 1 Chron. XXIX 15. What shall be after him He cannot promise to himself when he is gone any satisfactorie content in name family and posterity no more then he could in his life-time to himself chap. II. 18 19. Nescis quid serus vesper vehat A good name chapter VII verse 1 Solomon in this Chapter proceeds to many other particular meanes and remedies for healing the vanities and vexations of this life and procuring tranquility and peace of minde in the midst of them Yet here and there he doth intermix some more vanities and vexations The first meanes and remedy here is a Good Name or Fame The first letter of the Hebrew word for Good is here greater then ordinary to intimate belike the great and extraordinary goodnesse of a good name Which is better to a man to his conscience and soul then a precious ointment is to his body It refresheth and cheereth and comforteth the soul and conscience in the very midst of all wrongs and sufferings and specially at the hour of death and remaines fresh after the body rots in the grave They leave their names for a blessing and are had in everlasting remembrance whereas the memory of the wicked shall rot Job XVIII 17. Prov. X. 17. and they leave their names as a curse and a stinking snuff behinde them Esay LXV 15. yea in this life this fattens the bones Prov. XV. 30. And procures reverence and esteeme in the consciences of others And is rather to be chosen then all riches Prov. XXII 1. Herein the Hebrew is a Paranomasia of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same is in Cant. I. 3. and the day of death To such a man of a good name or to any man relation being had to the many vanities and vexations of this life Job XIV 1. Life begins with crying 2 Nondum loquitur infans tamen sic prophetat And Lawyers define life by crying without which they are counted still-borne 3 Now that day that delivers a man from them is better then that which lets in and puts a man in possession of them Which makes Solomon here prefer his coffin before his cradle to the house of mourning So wise men do And fools they are that do the contrary verse 4. This is better for the living as the former for the dead for this is the end of all men Here is the reason men will so fall into deep and due consideration of their own dying life as Job XXX 33. Psal. XXXIX 4 5. and XC 12. that life is but to lie a dying and so be weined from the vaine jollities of this life and wrought to humiliation mortification and preparation for a better life From which Feasting calls us off See Josh. XXIII 14. Heb. IX 2. And againe Amos VI. 3 6. Deut. VIII 12 14. Esay XXII 12 13 14. and chap. V. 12. Sorrow is better James IV. verse 3 9 Luke VI. 21. 25. Matth. V. 4. yet this is a Paradox to the world which is alwayes set upon the merry pin to be as merry Greeks to eat and drink and laugh and play and labours to banish all sorrow away as the bane of their life sadnesse of the countenance In our selves by grave thoughts and sad and serious meditations and considerations or of a sower and severe yet sure friend the heart is made better The better part is bettered the inward man is amended by abandoning those loose noisome and destructive vanities and jollities of laughter and of penitential humiliation compunction contrition of mortality death judgment These sorrowful tears have much joy in them they wash away the filth of sin as sweet April showers they bring on amaine the May-flowers of Grace and Glorie And therefore where ever the body is upon several occasions yet the heart of the wise is here he numbereth the dayes of his life and the dayes of darknesse Psal. XC 12. Eccles. XI 8. And where ever the body is yet the heart of fooles is on effuse mirth runs a madding the way to rejoyce in a thing of nought Amos VI. 13. is on foolish follies in the filth and froth whereof is bred and fed that woful worme that never dies Job XXI 12 13. Yet their laughter is indeed but the hypocrisie of mirth as the crackling of thornes under a pot a sudden blaze soone gone as sudden lightning which yet is followed with the rending and roaring of thunder-claps Luke VI. 25. Psalme CXVIII 12. The rebuke of the wise Prov. XIII 18. verse 5 and chap. XV. 31 32. ch XXVII 6. Psal CXLI 5. An enemie in this case many times proves a good and
to all duties of active and passive obedience takes off the wheeles of the soul makes it as a limb out of joynt that can do nothing without paine and deformity Dead flies As one sinner chapter X verse 1 in the precedent words so here one sin destroyes much good Alike folly doth fly-blow a wise mans reputation Neh. VI. 11. heart is at his right hand As his eyes are in his head verse 2 chap. II. 14. He ordereth his affairs with discretion he acts dexterously and discreetly with mature advise and judgement he worketh by the guidance of his heart Luke XIV 28 31. But a fools heart He is left-handed in his works and wayes doth them rashly awkwardly bunglingly preposterously As 1 Kings XII 8. Esay XIX 10 14. walketh by the way He doth palpably discover to others verse 3 and proclaime That he is a fool Prov. VI. 13 and chap. XII 23. and XIII 16. and XVIII 2. See Prov. XVII 28. Leave not thy place Thy office verse 4 duty and obedience to him A souldier must stand to his station ch VIII 3. proudly fling not away in displeasure much lesse stand not to affront him turne not rise not up against him as 1 Kings XII 16. seek to pacifie him Prov. XV. 1. and if need be go a little aside out of his sight till his rage and thy danger be over-past See Judges VIII 1 2 3. Gen. XXXII 13. and XXXIII 3. 1 Sam. XXIV 16. and chap. XXV 32. Prov. XXV 15 as an error Haply by the erring information of others verse 5 seeing Rulers must needs see much with other mens eyes and hear much by other mens ears And yet this error may prove a great mischief to Church and State and the rich In worth verse 6 and wisdome Dignity ought to wait upon Desert though it alwayes doth not For Rulers sometimes grow into suspition of such as eminently excel in extraordinary worth Servants upon horses Men of a low verse 7 base servile condition And how insupportable this is see Prov. XXX 22. and how unseemly see Prov. XIX 10. It is a curse of God Deut. XXVIII 43. 44. Gen. IX 25 26. Lamented Lam. V. 8. Yet the Levellers would be at this to lay all alike As in Germany in Anno 1525. But the issue of that attempt was to themselves deservedly miserable He that diggeth a pit This verse 8 and the three following Proverbial similitudes tend all to this end That evil usualy returneth on the heads of those that were the authors of it Malum consilium consultori pessimum Prov. XXVI 27. and XXVIII 10. Psal. VII 16. and IX 15. In application against such as overturne the foundations of Lawes and Customes and alter the long established and wholsome constitutions of Kingdomes Nations and people and confound Rule and Subjection and dissolve the ligaments of Government Prov. XXVI 27. Who so removeth stones verse 9 c. Besides the general sense of the words application of them may be made against those who remove land-marks or rashly alter things seriously setled and duly defined and so do sowe seditions and raise factions If the iron be blunt Wisdome directeth to whet the edge verse 10 to save the putting to of more strength And so wisdome is better then strength chap. IX 16. It guideth a mans actions without so much toile and labour and a better end without it and Art and cunning by it strength and toile and eloquence or ought else is to small purpose The Serpent will bite If not charmed before verse 11 And after the biting the Master of the tongue or eloquent man cannot help or better the matter The meaning may be to compare the spirit of disloyalty against Rulers and rebellious speeches against them to the biting of a Serpent And the wise and humble speeches and demeanor of subjects to their offended Governours to an inchantment to keep them from biting Or to shew that a vaine babler whose lawlesse tongue is ever finding fault with Government is no better then an uncharmed Serpent It may be applied against any Sycophants and Slanderers whatsoever Or to those who bite and babble at the Traditions of the wise The words Ephes. verse 12 IV. 29. Col. IV. 6. Prov. X. 32. and XII 13. and XV. 1 2. 4 26. and XVI 23 24. Such were Abigaels to David swallow up himself Prov. XIX 28. and XII 13. Rom. III. 13. James III. 2 12. Psal. LII 3. Many men by their tongue have cut their own throats is full of words Multiplyeth boasting discourses verse 14 vainly tells his own undertakings brags what he will do and what he shall have cannot tell what shall be No man much lesse a fool can tell this to himself wearieth every one By his wordinesse and much idle vaine babling without any solid and sound matter verse 15 as empty casks sound loudest chap. V. 3 7. Prov. X. 19. and XVII 17 27. how to go to the citie He tires himself in trifles being not able to manage the least matters and easie for children having not wit enough to keep the high road to know the beaten path to the Citie And yet he will foolishly labour and weary himself about hard and difficult matters Wo to thee O land Esay III. verse 16 4. A child in years For Tutors and Protectors have mostwhat self-ends and deal not fairly and faithfully or jarre among themselves Thus it was in Rome after the death of Ancus Martius and in the Romane Empire in the times of Arcadius and Honorius Yet the Land was blessed and happy under young Solomon Josiah Uzziah our Edward the VI. and others for the parts and graces wherewith God endowed them Or else a child in understanding and parts rude and raw without experience discretion and abilities for so weighty an imployment of a childish disposition for wit courage carriage this though not a childe in years And such was Rehoboam 1 Kings XIV 21. with 2 Chron. XIII 7. In a word a worthlesse and wicked King is a Woe to the whole Land and a great argument of Gods anger against it 1 Sam. VIII 6 18. Job XXXIV 30. Prov. XXVIII 2. Esay XIX 4. eate in the morning Are riotous and luxurious unseasonably feasting Sonne of Nobles Nobly borne verse 17 The ancient splendor of a royal stock and descent addes much honour to a King Est in juvencis est in equis patrum virtus And much more when he is nobly bred up nobly seasoned with principles of true nobility wisdom holinesse honour and government without which nobility in blood and birth are but shapes and shadows of true noblenesse Though never so much noble blood run in the veins yet worthlesnesse and wickednesse remaining in the heart rendereth it ignoble sloathfulnesse See the Observations on Prov. verse 18 VI. 6. Here it seems applyable to a sluggish childish carelesse government of a Kingdome or Common-wealth A feast Feasting and wine have their mirthful use verse 19 But money answereth all things
as a bud or sprout from the root of Jesse Esay XI 1 10. And so from David Apoc. V. 5. and XXII 16. Psal. CXXXII 11 17. Acts XIII 23 32. called the Righteous Branch in this Text and chap. XXXIII 15. springing from a withered stock and stump sprouting at first in a mean and despicable maner Esay XXXIII 2 3 4. Yet after branching out beautifully retaining its verdure perpetualy spreading and growing flowering and flourishing to all eternity Dan. II 44 45. A man See the Annotations on Esay II. chapter XXX verse 6 9. uncles sonne Sonne omitted in the Original chapter XXXII verse 12 haply for brevity fake as well knowne to be supplied out of verse 7. preceding As likewise the word Sister seemes to be omitted 2 Sam. XXI 8. And the word Brother Verse 19. of that Chapter Funeral Burnings chapter XXXIV among the Heathen were of the dead bodies But among the Jewes not of the bodies but of sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the Art of the Apothecaries burned in the Tombe where the embalmed body was to lie 2 Chr. XVI 14. This was denied to the wicked King Jehoram 2 Chron. XXI 19. yet granted here to Zedekiah in Babylon And that burning of the Flesh of Saul and his sonnes 1 Sam. XXXI 12. was a case extraordinary and as their present condition and that exigent seemed to require when they cut the calf in twaine chapter XXXIV verse 18 c. The maner of making Covenants whence the Hebrew phrase is to Cut a Covenant that is from the right of Cutting a beast in twaine sometime for Sacrifice sometime for Feasting and the Covenanters passing through betweene the Parts of it implying it seemes and that by way of execration Themselves to be alike cut in sunder in case of violating the Conditions of the Covenant Matth. 24. 51. Though some make the Cutting to relate to the strict and exact cutting out of Articles agreed upon for mutual performance by both parties Gen XV. 9 10 17. Deut. XXIX 12. Of Covenants see more betweene man and man and betweene God and man Gen. IX 9 17. Gen. XXI 27 32. and chap. XXVI 28 31. and chap. XXXI 44 55. Exod. XXIV 4 8. Deut. V. 2 3. whence the two tables are called the Tables of the Covenant and the Ark the Ark of the Covenant And the Tabernacle The Tabernacle of the Covenant the Book of the Law the Book of the Covenant Josh. XXIV 24 25 26 27. Neh. IX 38. 1 Sam. XVIII 3 4. and XXIII 18. 1 Kings V. 12. and XX. 34. 2 Kings XI 17. and XXIII 3. Ezra X. 3. Esay LIX 21. Jer. L. 5. And God promises to make a New Covenant with his people Jer. XXXI 31 32 33 34. cited Heb. VIII 8 9. which yet is not simply New in regard of the substance of it for the maine matter and substance of the former Covenant is there verse 33. And Gen. XVII 7. Deut. XXVI 17 18. and XXIX 13. And both Covenants ratified by the blood of the Messias But as Love is called a New Commandment John XIII 34. So this a New Covenant in that it is ratified by the death of our Saviour exhibited in that the Doctrine of the Gospel is now more fully and clearly revealed in that this runneth wholly upon the spiritual and celestial Blessings in that the Ceremonials are removed and the more Spiritual Service substituted for it in that it is more generaly dilated and enlarged to all Nations in that a large measure of Spiritual Gifts and efficacie of the Spirit is now vouchsafed in that the continuance of it without change is to be to the end of the world hath sworne by himself Having no greater to swear by chapter LI verse 14 Heb. VI. 13. So Gen. XXII 16. Jer. XXII 5. Amos VI. 8. By his soul So is the Hebrew in this text and chap. LI. 14. By the excellency of Jacob Amos VIII 7. By his Holinesse Amos IV. 2. And againe the Forme of his Oath is thus expressed As I live Heb. I. live so Jer. XXII 24. and XLVI 18. Ezek. V. 11. And I live for ever Deut. XXXII 40. So men use to swear The Lord liveth Jer. IV. 2. and V. 2. As the Lord liveth that made us this soul Jer. XXXVIII 16. Gods oath shall undoubtedly be fulfilled Psal. CX 4. and CXXXII 11. Heb. VI. 17 18. Of Oaths see more in the Annotations on Hos. IV. 15. and Gen. XXIV 3. carried away captive chapter LII verse 28 Five captivities into Babylon are mentioned in Scripture Lamentations THese are not those of Jeremie for Josiah 2 Chron. XXXV 25. No more then those were for him Ezek. XIX 1 14. which indeed were commanded to be taken up by Ezekiel for Jehoachaz and Jehojakim But these were written by Jeremie in the time of the Babylonish captivity after the Temple of the Lord and Citie of Jerusalem were burnt and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar Lamenting here those more then lamentable miseries As the whole Matter and Contents of this Book doth declare And particularly that very passage it self chap. IV. 20. which is appliable properly to King Zedekiah and not to King Josiah The LXX and Jerome doth expresse this very time in the beginning of the Book it self These Lamentations are full of Pathetical expressions And for the weight of the Matter and the Help of Memorie The first second and fourth Chapters do containe twenty two verses apiece according to the number of the Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet and do begin each verse with one of them in their order methodicaly And chap. III. contains 66. verses treble the former number And begins each three of them with one letter of the Hebrew Alphabet in the order methodicaly The last Chapter only is without this Art Many Signes of Lamentations are expressed here Which from hence and other Scriptures may more fully be gathered thus Sighing Mourning mournful Songs weeping howling Fasting changing of the garments mourning women Ier. IX 17. 2 Chron. XXXV 25. Amos V. 16. rending of the Cloathes wearing black and sack cloth sitting on the ground and keeping silence lying prostrate upon the ground sitting lying covering rowling wallowing in ashes in dust and ashes casting up dust ashes earth upon them and their heads spreading and wringing the hands laying the hands upon the head smiting with the hand stamping with the feet hanging down the head uncovering the head and bare and againe in some ages the covering the head covering head and face too as our close mourners covering the upper lip bare-foot shaving the head and beard making baldnesse plucking off the haire beating the breast printing marks upon the flesh tearing it cutting it Amongst other places see these viz. Lam. II. 10. and III. 16. Lev. X. 6. and XIII 45. and XIX 27 28. and XXI 5 10. Deut. XIV 1. Iosh. VII 6. 1 Sam. IV. 12. 2 Sam. I. 2. and XIII 19. and XIV 2. and XV. 30 32. and XIX 4. 2 Chron. XXXV
I will be in my bringing of them out of Egypt notwithstanding all Pharaohs obstinacie V. 7. breathed To shew that mans spirit is not of the earth as his body but of nothing by the insufflation of God and so differing from the spirit of beasts Job 33. 4. Eccles 3. 21. It hath iâ—s immediate original from the Father of spirits who did by creating infuse it or by infusion create it V. 8. planted On the third day chap. 1 11 12. Eastward From Moses in the wildernesse where he wrote this History in Eden A part of Mesopotamia V. 9. tree of life Because naturaly much but sacramentaly more it conduced thereunto tree of knowledge From the event in respect of our first parents V. 10. went out of Eden Flowing into it from above V. 11. Pison A part of Tygris Paâ—itygris or Pisotygris Havilah From Havilah the sonne of Cush Gen 10. 7. 25. 18 1 Sam. 15. 7. V. 13. Gihon The lower part of Euphrates Ethiopia Cush i. e. the Westerne Ethiopia adjacent to the Desert Arabia V. 14. Hiddekel The upper part of Tygris Euphrates Called the river the great river Deut. 1. 7. 11 24. Rev. 9. 14. V. 17. Thou shalt not eate of it The thing in it selfe indifferent but made unlawful to him by Gods command both sheâ— the Lords absolute dominion over him and his sin to be the greater and more notorious if he disobeyed it surely die Be subject to mortality misery death and to him which hath the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. A man sentenced to death we count him a dead man dead in Law though he and his execution be reprieved for a time If he had not sinned he had continued in a safe and blessed condition free from death and all maner of evil V. 19. and brought them unto Adam Gen. 7. v. 8. 9. V. 20. And Adam gave names Not that the names must needs be given according to their natures V. 21. ribs With the flesh v 23. The want of which rib God could and easily did sufficiently supply by closing up the flesh instead thereof V. 22. made he a woman 1 Cor. 11. 8. brought her to the man As to her husband Thus the married estate honourable in the state of Innocency Matth 19. 4 5 6. V. 23. This is now bone c. He knew it partly of himself but more by divine revelation V. 24. Therefore shall a man leave c. These seeme to be rather the words of God Matth. 19. 4. 5. then of Adam or of Moses And are spoken both simply Gen. 24. 58 59. and comparatively rather leave the duty of children to parents then of husband to wife when any such case of necessity shall fall out And they Explained by twaine Matth. 19. 5 6. by two 1 Cor. 6. 16. Against Polygamy and unlawful divorces and carnal copulation out of marriage V. 25. both naked c. That shameful through sin since the Fall Rom. 6. 21. which was not so before not shall be after the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 43. CHAP. III. â—â—rs 1. SErpent Divers sorts are of them Some specious and beautiful to the eye subtil Prudent Matth. 10. 16. crafty 2. Cor. 11. 3. and so the fitter instrument for Satan he said Many Angels fell Mar. 5. 9 12. 2 4. Pet. 2. Jude v. 6. having one for Principal Matth. 25. 41. And they fell from the beginning 1 John 3. 8. Now they are called Devils or Daemons of their knowledge and cunning still remaining One of them if not the Principal opened here the Serpents mouth and caused it to speak with mans voice 2 Cor. 11. 3. as the Lord did with Balaâ—ms Asse And the Devil did this speedily after mans creation Whence he is called a Murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. and that old Serpent which deceiveth the whole world Rev. 12. 9. yea hath God This would be an abrupt beginning But it seemes to presuppose a Precedent parley in a more cunning and winning way V. 2. And the woman said She wonders not at the Serpents speaking and speaking so or it may be she did at the first for a while at least though it be not here expressed yet haply conceiving that her knowledge in some things was to increase by experience as our blessed Saviour did Luke 2. 52. He came to finde fruit on the fig-tree when the time of figs was not yet Mar. 11. 13. And she being not apt bâ— able to suspect any evil or sinne as not knowing the fall of the Angels or any evil to be in the world she might the rather entertaine this conference V. 3. Neither shall ye touchit lest ye die These words may be uttered with a good intention and receive a good interpretation in answer to the Serpents question she hereby heightening Prohibition to the utmost to put the greater â—ie upon her obediente and averring and ascertaining the danger and death which otherwise would ensue as Matth. 15. 32. compared with Marke 8. 3. V. 4. ye shall not surely die Thus the Devil is a liar and the father of it John 8. 44. V. 5. as Gods Satan might be pretend to meane it of the Angels But the woman conceived it of the true God in plurality of persons as appears v. 22. Knowing Satan abuseth the name of the treeâ— to a wrong sense pretending all good but intending all wofull knowledge of sinne and misery by it experimentally V. 6. And when the woman saw c. Here was the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1 John 2. 16. And thus through his eating by one man sinne and death entered into the world In Adam all his posterity sinned being then in his â—oines Rom. 5. 12 19. And in Adam all die 1 Cor 15. 22. Rom 5. 15 16 17 18. and he did eate Yet it is said Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression â— Tim. 2. 14. She first and deepest in the transgression and she not the Devil immediately the meanes to induce her husband to sinne she giving the forbidden fruit to him with words to perswade him v. 17. though she did not purposely deceive him as the Devil did purposely deceive hee V. 7. And the eyes of them both Small distance then betweene the time of both their eating naked In body before without shame while without sin chap. 2. 25. But now experimentally they know that they were naked both in body and soule with shame as Exod. 32. 25. through guilt of sinne and sting of conscience they sewed A silly shift And therefore notwithstanding this they seek to hide themselves v. 8. But for their souls they did not nor indeed could make any shift at all aprons To cover especially those parts of all most uncomely now which serve for generation By which sinne hath its derivation to all mankinde V. 8. voice of the Lord God walking Either in an humane shape or otherwise without that
Abel and the rooâ— of that holy progeny wherein the Church was afterward established V. 26. Enos Sorrowful Psal. 9. 20. that the Nations may know themselves to be but Enos i. e. woful men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then began men to call the Worship of God grew more publick and solemne and in a sort restored and revived again in the persons and families of Seth and Enos having bin almost buried in the paucity and privacy of the godly before this time a separation now being made by them from the profane society of the wicked such as were generaly the posterity of Cain CHAP. V. Ver. 3. IN his own likenesse after his image such as he was now sinful not as he was created Holy Yet still God was the Father of spirits the God and Creator of the spirits of all flesh Heb. 12. 9. Numb 16. 22. V. 4. And he begat sonnes and daughters after Seth yet not excluding some to be begotten before Seth as Cain and others And the same is likely to be understood of the rest of the ten Patriarches in this chapter before the flood That they begat sons and daughters as well before as after the birth of those Patriarchs by whom the line of the Genealogy and Chronology is drawn For it is scarce probable that in this first Age of the world before the flood wherein mankinde had most need of multiiplication the Patriarchs should be so old as the half of them above 100. yea Jared 162 Lamecb 182. Methusalah 187. Noah 500. before they had any children though indeed Noah for his part had no more then three when the flood came 1 Pet. 3. 20. But so old they were before that sonne was borne who was the Progenitor of our Saviour and in whose race the main progresse and succession of the true Church did consist V. 5. All the dayes Adam was living in Lamechs dayes V. 21. Enoch walked with God the seventh of Adam followed not the wickednesse of his age But pleased God prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Sants to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude ver 14 15. And Henoch was not died not as others but was translated by faith God took him body and soule as after he did Elias that he should not see death and he was not found Heb. 11. 5. after he had lived on earth so many yeares as there are dayes in our yeare Thus was he a pledge and pawne of the Resurrection and life eternal and celestial and prophesied of the last and general judgement Adam and Methusalah and five Patriarchs between them were living witnesses of his Translation V. 27. All the dayes of Methusalah the longest liver and died the last of the nine Patriarchs in the beginning of the yeare of the flood V. 29. Noah Thus Lamech his father prophesied of him at his birth presaging comfort and rest by him in the midst of all miseries in those evil and uncomfortable times V. 32. And Noah begat i. e. began to beget So chap. 11. 26. and chap. 7 10. Japheth the eldest Sem the second Chaâ—â— youngest Of the LXX-Chronology in this Chapter They extend the age of Methusalah beyond the flood contrary to Scripture and adde almost 1600. yeares to the true Chronology in this and the eleventh chapters Haply out of some considerations touching the Heathens for whom that Greek Translation was made But the LXX now is no where extant but patched infinitely CHAP. VI. Ver. 1. WHen men began to multiply very greatly and specially Cains wicked progeny and wickednesse with them and daughters the occasion both of the corruption and calamity set forth in the ensuing story V. 2. That the sonnes of God Professors of the true Worship of God Deut. 14. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 18. 1 John 3. 1. Which here grew remisse in Religion Daughters of men of the profane race of Cain that had little of God or his image in them in their mindes or manners but were meer men 1 Cor. 3. 3. natural men unregenerate and out of the Church and such these their daughters were Faire without respect to spiritual beauty not minding at all what they were for Religion and manners Thus beauty intangleth the fond and fleshly affection Wives Loved liked and chosen only for Beauties sake Gods Law after forbade such marriages with those out of the Church Deut. 7. 3 4. Exod. 34. 16. 2 Cor. 6. 14. V. 3. My spirit In the Patriarchs and specially in Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. And by good motions and checks of conscience in the men of these times As Nehem. 9. 30. For that he also is flesh even my people also all mankinde v. 12. are fleshly not having the Spirit Jude v. 19 Rom. 8 8 9 Gal. 5. 16 17. 120 years granted for trial of their repentance the long suffering of God waiting whether in this space of time while the Ark was a preparing they would repent 1 Pet. 3. 20. by mortification of the flesh and vivificatiâ— of the Spirit or as St. Peter expresseth it be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the Spirit ch 4. 6. agreeing with that of Paul 1 Cor. 5. 5. This was twenty yeares before the birth of Japheth V. 4. Giants Men of huge stature and strength beyond others in those dayes such as Og was of the race of giants and the Anakimâ— in Moses time Numb 13. 33. Amorites Amos 2 9 Deut. 3. 11. Goliath Isbbi-benob Saph Lahmi in Davids time 2 Sam. 21. 16 18. 1 Chron. 20. 5 6 8 Men who in the pride and confidence of their bodies greatnesse were apostates from God oppressors of men fierce and cruel And also after that After those unlawful mixtures and marriages v. 2. many of their seed became such Giants and after that destruction threatened v. 3. V. 5. Every imaginariâ—n This heightens the sinfulness of this age Mic. 7. 3. But Gen. 8. 21. More strongly proves the universal corruption of mans nature by the fall V. 15. 300 cubits The length is ten times the height and six times the breadth resembling for the fashion of it a mans coffin V. 16. In a cubit shalt finish it The Ark not the window Doore Wide to receive an Elephant closed up and pitched belike when all were in and that by God himself ch 7. 16. With lower second and third stories These stories considered with the quantity and kinde of the cubits a common cubit then being longer then our cubits now and the sacred cubit being double to the common cubit as appears by comparing 1 Kings 7. 15. with 2 Chron. 3. 15. not to speak of a Geometrical cubit six times as some alledge as great as a common cubit we may easily conceive the capacity
and Reuben her eldest sonne being so old to gather Mandrakes in the field a year before Issachar her fifth childe was borne by her And this is further evidenced by the age of Iudah being but fifty upon this account it self that is 10 years elder then Joseph when yet he and his grandchildren by Tamar both Hezron and Hamul came down with Iacob into Egypt XLVI 12. whereby it also appears that Iudah marrying at 17 years of age which was the first year of Jacobs returne from Laban the Syrian into Canaan XXXVIII 1 2 3. Then both Er and Onan and Pharez must needs marry each when they were about 12 or 13 years old which was rare in that age of the world And this truth of the time of Jacobs marriage will stand well with the computation of time by the ages and acts of Judah and his posterity and with a right rendition of those texts Gen. XXIX 20 21 25 27 28 30. which should be somewhat altered in our English translations Here then those large Annotations 1651. making Jacob to marry both Leah and Rachel at the end of the first seven years service And the twelve children to be borne within the compasse of the seven later years And Judah to be but three years elder then Joseph And to marry at fourteen years of age And Er and Onan to marry at fourteen apiece And Hezron and Hamul to be borne in Egypt and to come downe with Jacob only in the loynes of their father Pharez wherein yet there remaines a contradiction in them as appears by comparing together their Annotations on Gen. XXXVIII 1. and XLVI 12 27. do in all the said particulars seeme to me to misse the right and at least to require a more serious review and consideration See the said Annotations on Gen. XXIX 27 30. and XXXVIII 1 2 6. and XLVI 12. Sacks Sacks chapter XLII verse 25 saccus and Amen are the words that hold most in most languages Benjamin Benjamin not 24 years old when he came into Egypt chapter XLVI verse 21 but hard upon 30. Yea some conceive him to be conceived in Padan-Aram out of Gen. XXXV 24 26. and so to be 33 years old at that time yet is he called a Lad Gen. XLIII 8. and XLIV 22 30 31 32 33 34. and a little one v. 20. And yet at that time said to be the father of ten sonnes Gen. XLVI 21. And two of them Naaman and Ard if not more seeme to be his grand-children Num. XXVI 40. But not borne in Egypt no more then Hezron and Hamul were borne there And so both Benjamin and his eldest sonne Belah must marry very young as the like was observed in Er Onan and Pharez before The number The number of the souls that came out of Jacobs loines and came down with him into Egypt verse 26 are truly told and reckoned to be 66. Gen. XLVI 26. And this is the exact number For Joseph and his two children came not down with Jacob into Egypt but were in Egypt before And leaving out Er and Onan that were dead before in Canaan and reckoning in Hezron and Hamul the grand-children of Judah by Tamar as the expresse letter of the Text doth in both points require the said number of 66. doth rightly arise And to imagine otherwise that Hezron and Hamul were borne in Egypt and did go down thither with Jacob onely virtually in the loines of their father Pharez it doth not onely contradict the Text as was said but also doth overthrow the whole intent and drift of the Record Catalogue and Genealogy in that chapter which is to shew the small number that went down personally with Jacob into Egypt Deut. XXVI 5. That thereby wonderful multiplication of their posterity in Egypt Exod. XII 37. and in little more then a year after Num. I. 45 46. by Gods blessing might the more gloriously appear And if some or any of those mentioned in the said Catalogue went down onely virtually in the loines of their parents in that sense as well might 46000 yea 600000. be said to have descended with Jacob into Egypt Again the number of the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt are truly told to be 70. Gen. 46. 27. Exod. I. 5. Deut. X. 22. So justly reckoning Jacob himself and Joseph with his two sons who were then in Egypt already And so these 70. are made up of those summes 33. 16. 14. 7. set down in Gen. XLVI 15 18 22 25. Again the number is told to be 75. by Stephen and Luke recording Stephens speech Acts VII 14. Here denying any corruption of the Text some would lay a failer of memory upon Stephen as the like again in v. 16. as not being so priviledged in this sudden Speech as the holy Pen-men were inspired for the writing of Scripture And thereupon say That Luke dealt tfaihfully in relating what Stephen spake Others say That Stephen herein did wittingly and willingly follow the Translation of the LXX Interpreters on Gen. XLVI 27. and Exod. I. 5. As in divers citations the holy Writers of the New Testament do That Translation being then in high esteeme and almost onely in use Yet the five persons superadded by them seeme not to be those which the LXX fetch out of 1 Chron. VII 14 20. But rather all those that are named Gen XLVI namely Jacobs four wives and Er and Onan which make up 75. in all leaving out Jacob himself Exodus EXODUS Containes an History of 141 years and some few dayes over And not of about 146 years This truth appears thus From the death of Joseph to the birth of Moses were 60. years and either 56. or 65. or 72. or 80. And this assertion of 60. years is thus gathered The Israelites being in Egypt from the going down of Jacob thither till Moses brought them out thence 210 years as hath been shewed on Gen. XV. 13. And Joseph being 40 years old when his father Jacob came down as being 30 when Pharaoh advanced him Gen. XLI 46. And after that seven years of Plenty passing and the third year of Famine in being when Jacob came down And Joseph living 110 years Gen. L. 22. So leaves 70 of his life to be spent in Egypt after Jacobs coming down thither And Moses being 80 years old when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt Exod. VII 7. So leaves just 60 years between Iosephs death and Moses his birth For those three numbers of Iosephs 70. and the said interval of 60 and Moses his 80. make up the said summe of 210 years Now to those 60 years before the Birth of Moses adde those 80 years of his age Exod. VII 7. And the time spent about getting leave of Pharaoh for their departure Exod. Ch. III. to the XII which was some small part of year viz within one moneth And their coming forth on the first moneth the 15 day Num. XXXIII 3. And their coming into the Wildernesse of Sinai in the
due order without any other letter or verse interposed cease from anger Upon unjust causes verse 8 in an unjust maner and measure Ephes. IV. 31. yet in it self lawful Ephes. IV. 26. Mark III. 5. A little Prov. XV. verse 16 16. and XVI 8. and X. 22. Eccl. IX 7. I have been young This was Davids experience in his time verse 25 It followes not to be so in all ages to bring to remembrance That he might remember Gods chastisement upon him for his sinne chapter XXXVIII or that God might remember him to help and deliver him out of it lest otherwise A like argument or expression God useth verse 16 Deut. XXXII 27. to Jeduthun Or for him chapter XXXIX and his posteritie 1 Chron. XXV 3. So Psal. LXXVII title Even from good Not much unlike that idiotisme and expression verse 2 Gen. XXXI 29. Num. XXIII 25. the fire burned See Jer. XX. 9. Job XXXII 18 19. verse 3 a moath The moath is suddenly crushed verse 11 Job IV. 19. and doth insensibly consume a garment Job XIII 28. Hos. V. 12. That this Psalme should wholly be understood of Christ chapter XL excluding David may seeme not so safe and warrantable I waited They are Davids words throughout this Psalme verse 1 Yet he being in some things a Type of Christ and was to be the Father of Christ according to the flesh he useth some words propheticaly of Christ speaking them as in the person of Christ which are directly applyed to Christ by the Apostle Heb. X. 7 8 9. and heard my cry Thus from experience of mercie formerly received in Gods hearing his Prayers and delivering him from deepest dangers in the former part of the Psalme he strengthens his faith in Prayer for obtaining like mercie and deliverance in the later part of the Psalme so as there is no shew of opposition or contradiction between the beginning and ending of it an horrible pit Not that imaginarie Limbus Patrum verse 2 nor that state of sinne before regeneration whereunto their own preparatorie dispositions to their conversion did availe and prevaile whiles they were in that state of sinne to their deliverance out of it by merit of congruity But this pit is the depth of miseries the evils of punishments the gulph of temporal afflictions wherein David was plunged after his conversion and the graces of faith hope and invocation appearing in him ver 1. a new song For new benefits and deliverances verse 3 and those such and so new as the like were scarce heard of before many shall Psal. XXXII 6. fear and shall trust These two conjoyned in a pious soul fear and faith a reverent fear and trust in Gods mercie Psal. CXXX 4. unto our God To god and Christ. his trust Whose sure mercie to them is such verse 4 as we read 1 Tim. IV. 10. Deut. I. 31. and XXXII 10 11 12. John III. 16. Many O Lord my God David speaking to God and Christ verse 5 if not in the person of Christ as his Type with admiration of his infinite goodnesse and mercy towards man and in ordering the meanes of his salvation So that he riseth up now to a more general admiration of Gods wonderful works and thoughts towards his and of the number quantity and quality of them Sacrifice Christs words verse 6 Heb. X. 5. So that these words and the next are spoken unto God in the person of the Messias who was to come of the seed of David Heb. X. 5 6 7. See the like before XVI 10. David having spoken in the former verse of Gods wonderfull works and thoughts towards mankinde doth in this maner in the words of the Messias rise up to the very highest of them all in these two verses For Sacrifices see my Table of them in Leviticus not desire Jer. VII 22. Hos. VI. 6. Prov. XXI 3. 1 Sam. XV. 22. Psal. L. 5 16. Matth. XII 7. Mark XII 33. And Christ was now to put an end to them Dan. IX 27. as not able in themselves to purge away sinne Heb. X. 4. Therefore God desired them not simply of themselves without inward piety concurring as the very life and soul of them Or in comparison of the spiritual worship of God or in comparison of that al-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ which he was to offer in the body of his flesh Heb. X. 1 4. Rom. VIII 3 4. After which these Legal Typical Sacrifices were to be abolished as was said And that Sacrifice of Christ one offered never to be reiterated Heb. IX and X. chapters contrary to that blasphemous sacrifice of Christ in the Popish Masse mine ears hast thou opened Digged open or peirced made me obedient to thy voice or bored to make me thy servant for ever in allusion to the Law Exod. XXI 6. For these words here we read Heb. X. 5. but a body hast thou prepared me or fitted me Wherein the Apostle either followeth the LXX or cites not the words but the sense Rom. VIII 3. Phil. II. 7. it being the same both wayes in issue Besides that varieties of readings in both places are alledged out of ancient Copies by the learned Papists themselves deny not this text to be incorrupt The Apostle faithfuly retaining the sense and scope of the place without tying himself to the letter of the words in his quotation The variation is but a change of the figurative phrase into a proper to expresse the ready obedience of Christ to do the will of his Father in the work of the redemption of mankind John V. 30. VI. 38. and IV. 34. whereunto by framing him a body God had fitted him Sinne-offering Heb Sinne. Put often in the Law for the Sinne-offering So Levit. IV. 3. 24. Exod. XXIX 14. In which sense Christ is called Sinne 2 Cor. V. 21. Then said I verse 7 Lo I come When thou hadst so fitted me Mark X. 32 33 34. In the volume or Scroll rowled up Jer. XXXVI 2. Ezek. II. 9. The Volume of the Law and Scripture Luke XXIV 27 44. John V. 39. of the Book Sepher or Book generaly signifies any writings Court-rools c. Deut. XXIV 1. 2 Kings V. 5 6. Jer. XXXII 11. it is written of me So Christ himself saith Matth. XXVI 24 John V 46. See Luke XXIV 44 46. Acts XIII 29. I delight Luke XXII 15. Heb. X. 10. to do thy will Heb. X. 10. John VI. 38. Luke XXII 42. In all things to be performed by me in my flesh which are required by thee for the redemption and salvation of man even to my obedience in suffering the death of the Crosse Phil. II. 8. Thus Christ in regard of his humane nature was truly lesse then the Father John XIV 28. was subject to him his will to the will of his Father took upon him the forme of a servant Phil. II. 7. was truly a servant Esay XLII 1. obeyed the mandates of the Father John XII 49. and XIV 31. and XV. 10. Being our Surety was made under
XII 37. But that where Jacob built booths Gen. XXXIII 5. Afterward a Citie in the Tribe of Gad upon the river Jabbok East of Jordan justly destroyed by Gideon Judg. VIII But repaired after Gilead is mine Thus David triumphs in having verse 7 or in assurance to have upon Gods word and promise these utmost bounds and Tribes of Judea beyond Jordan though they stood longest out for Ishbosheth Sauls sonne Moab is my washpot I can and will use it to base offices verse 8 as to wash my feet use it as a conquered Nation in servile and abject condition See 2 Sam. 2. VIII Psal. CVIII 9. Over Edom Trample it under foot or use it to base offices See Matt. III. 11. as to pull off my shooe to wipe my shooe or as Sapores the Persian used Valerian the Romand Emperour or Temerlan the Scythian used Bajazeth the Turk or Pope Alexander the third used Frederik the Emperour and Pope Caelestine the third did to Henry the Emperour bring it to a base and ignominious subjection triumph thou An ironical apostrophe or bitter mock to Philistia or the Philistines in the West border of Palestine And divers such ironies are in Scripture See the Observations on Amos IV. 4. who will The answer is in the two next verses verse 9 Through God Davids wish verse 12 and confidence See 1 Chron. XIX 13. From the end of the earth Of Judea chapter LXI verse 2 being now likely driven thither by Saul or Absalom rather 2 Sam. XVII 24. prolong In this likely David hath a principal eye to Christ. verse 6 once chapter LXII verse 11 twice See the like Job XL. 5. mercie verse 12 for thou renderest Even reward it self is of mercie in the wildernesse of Judah chapter LXIII 1 Sam. XXII 5. and XXIII 14 15. Thus Davids Psalmes are not set down in this Book according to the Order of time and occasions wherein and whereupon they were made and inspired seene thee in the Sanctuary Davids desires to the Sanctuary verse 2 and to Gods Ordinances therein Psal. XXVII 4. and LXV 4. meditate Davids night-meditations verse 6 my soul followeth hard after thee 1 Cor. VI. 17. verse 8 Phil. III. 13 14. that sweareth by him Swearing here taken for the whole worship of God verse 11 Deut. VI. 13. Esay XLV 23. and LXV 16. Of Swearing see the Observations on Hos. IV. 15. O thou that hearest prayer chapter LXV verse 2 to thee An heavenly incouragement to Prayer choosest verse 4 and causest God 's free grace not mans free will Thou visitest the earth This Psalme may seeme composed after some year of famine verse 9 with the river of God The raine Deut. XI 10 11. submit Though feignedly and falsely chapter LXVI verse 3 Psal. XVIII 44. 1 Sam. XXII 45. As the faithfull shall obey God willingly and sincerely with the incense of rams Meaning their fat which was burned on the Altar verse 15 or incense with it as in Peace-Offerings Levit. II. 1 2 16. and VI. 15. If I regard John IX 31. verse 18 James IV. 3. Job XXVII 8 9. Prov. I. 28 29. Esay I. 15. Micah III. 4. Ezek. VIII 18. Prov. XV. 29. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law his prayer is abomination Prov. XXVIII 9. David penned by inspiration this Psalme chapter LXVIII It seemes after his victories over the Philistines and other neighbouring enemies and upon the occasion of that publick joyful solemnity in bringing the Arke into the Citie of David 2 Sam. VI. 1 Chron. XIII XIV XV. chapters It consists most of Praises and Prophesies Let God These words Moses used verse 1 Num. X. 35 at the removing of the Arke and Tabernacle from Mount Sinai And may be taken as a Prayer or a Prediction or an assertion of what is done when God thus ariseth arise To help his to scatter his enemies See Psal. III. 7. and X. 12. and LIX 5. extol him that rideth upon the heavens Verse 33. Psal. XVIII 10. Deut. XXXIII 26. Esay 19. 1. some translate thus verse 4 make an high-way for him prepare it as Esay XL. 3 4. Matth. III. 2. Luke I. 76. as Matth. XXI 8. And thus was done Or thus him that rideth in the Deserts that is as he did in the Wildernesse of Arabia before his Arke and people verse 7. This variety of interpretation is of small concernment Jah Some would have it the contract of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie the strong God Jah is used again ver 18. God is called also by the Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Jove or Jupiter that is Iah-father deemed by Varro to be the God of the Jewes This is the proper name of God Esay XLII 8. Exod. VI. 3. 2 Chron. VI. 33. Acts XVII 23 25 28. Psal. LXXXIII 18. See more in the Observations on Esay XXVI 4. habitation Of heaven verse 5 and of his Sanctuary 1. â—ings VIII 30 38 39. solitarie in families Senselesse here is the Popish text verse 6 throughout the verse and foolish is Bellarmines interpretation and application See Exod. I. 21. Psal. CXIII 9. Ruth IV. 11. a dry land Without fountains of waters or showers of raine A special judgement in those hot countries when thou wentest forth Iudg. verse 7 V. 4 5. Gods praise in bringing his people out of Egypt in giving them the possession of Canaan in destroying the Kings their enemies verse 7 13. The earth shook Ezod verse 8 XIX 18. Iudg. V. 4. Psal. CXIV and CIV 32. Heb. XII 18. Sinai An hill of a great height Of Sinai see more in the Observations on Exod. II. 11. and on XIX 3. a plentiful raine God did blesse his inheritance of the Land of Canaan which he gave to them verse 9 with raine and all temporal blessings which was an argument for their praising of him And specially as the inheritance of Canaan and all temporal promises and earthly blessings to them were shadowes and types intimations and pledges of spiritual blessings and eternal life in heaven Heb. XI 13 16 and 26. Iohn V. 39. gave the word The occasion verse 11 it was his doing he ministred the matter and speech unto them in the glad tidings of victories As Psal. CXVIII 23. of those that published it The word here is of the feminine gender and so may be understood of maids and women entertaining and publishing these good newes of victories with Songs and melody As Exod. XV. 20. Judg. V. 11. and XI 34. 1 Sam. XVIII 6. Or of men as the feminine is used for a masculine in Koheleth Eccl. I. 1. Such publishers as 2 Sam. XVIII 19. did flee Deut. verse 12 XXVIII 7. As Exod. XIV 25 27. Josh. X. 11 16. Judg. V. 19 22. and VIII 12. 2 Sam. V. 25. And in this verse again the Popish text scarce bears any sense and their interpretations are suitable though ye
XII 29. on my side Heb. verse 6 XIII 6. Psal. LVI 4. 11. All nations David had to deale with all the neighbouring nations round about him verse 10 Thou Speaking to the enemie verse 13 Open to me The gates of the Sanctuarie verse 19 or house of God the gates of the Court thereof which the Levitical Porters were to do for men to come and serve the Lord. of righteousnesse For the righteous and cleane only were to enter in thereat 2 Chron. XXIII 19. See Esay XXVI 2. Apoc. XXI 27. The stone David Typicaly verse 22 His Sonne the Messias Realy Mat. XXI 42. Ephes. II. 20. builders refused The Rulers refused David in the reignes of Saul and Ishbosheth The Priests and Elders refused Christ Mark XII 2 10. Luke XIX 14. 1 Pet. II. 7. the head stone Acts IV. 11. Luke XX. 17. Of this stone see more Esay XXVIII 16. Dan. II. 34 35 45. Zech. III. 9. Rom. IX 33. the day A chief and choise day of God shewing his mercie verse 24 Save nowâ—beseech thee Heb. Hoshiahâ— na verse 25 in Greek sounded Hosanna wherewith Christ is welcomed to Jerusalem and the Temple Mat. XXI 9 15. Luke XIX 37 38. we have blessed you These seeme to be the Priests words verse 26 relating to Num. VI. 23. light Prosperity verse 27 under the Kingdome of David and Christ. even unto the hornes of the Altar Likely the hornes of the Altar Exod. XXVII 2. intended for that use Or sacrifices abundantly all the Court over till you come to the hornes of the Altar Levit. IV. 7. Blessed Of this Psalme see the Observations on the beginning of the Book of Psalmes chapter CXIX verse 1 David probably is the penman of it The stile is plaine fitted for all capacities And the Alphabetical order was used for help of memory It is full of the ardent pious affections of a religious soul. Petitions for saving knowledge and gracious assistance from God and Promises of all holy sincere obedience thereupon are in every Octonarie with wondrous art and variety of sense yet running much upon the same words without any tautologie Before I was afflicted So verse 71. verse 67 Before I spake or answered is not so proper an interpretation of this place though it pleased Junius unlesse we understand it thus Before I cried out by reason of affliction my soul is continualy in my hand i. e. verse 109 my life is dayly in danger As Iudg. XII 3. 1 Sam. XIX 5. and chap. XXVIII 21. Many read this text in thy hand or hands understanding Gods hand which imports not danger but safety and security as Psal. XXXI 5. Luke XXIII 46. 1 Pet. IV. 19. And is indeed a wrong reading and breeds sundry senses not consonant or consisting with the tenour of this verse any iniquity either in me verse 133 subjective or of others against me objective And so the later way may be understood that Gal. II. 7 90 Ephes. VI. 12. Heb. XII 4. Psal. XLIX 5. and XL. 12. and LXV 3. and XXXIX 8. A song of degrees or ascensions chapter CXX heights or excellencies This and the fourteene Psalmes following have this Title prefixed The meaning whereof is variously conjectured As thus That they were to be sung with a loud voice as 1 Chron. XV. 16. Or upon the steps and degrees of the staires ascending to the Court of the people or to that of the Priests which they say were fifteene in number according to these number of these Psalms Or in the coming of the Ark into the Temple Or in their returne out of Babylon Or to be sung in their returne into their own land in the time of the Messias Others have other conjectures yet without any certaine determination neither is it much material Of these four bear Davids title and some of the rest not unlikely were penned by him I David likely verse 1 from lying lips Of such as falsely accused him to Saul verse 2 1 Sam. XXIV 9. and chap. XXVI 19. what shall be given What good or profit shalt thou get or gaine by it verse 3 sharp arrowes Such is a false tongue verse 4 or such are the plagues God will render as a reward unto it Woe is me Laments verse 5 that in his exile he was forced to dwell so long with the cruel and barbarous posterity of Mesech the sonne of Japhet Gen. X. 2. and of Kedar the sonne of Ishmael Gen. XXV 13. or rather with men of like evil cruel conditions to them hills Moriah chapter CXXI verse 1 and Zion where God dwelleth But most to God himself verse 2. The Sunne By its parching heat verse 6 as Ionah IV. 8. Nor the Moon by its cold vapors Gen. XXXI 40. nor any discommodity shall be able to annoy thee Psal. XCI 5. I David having brought the Ark of the testimony to Ierusalem chapter CXXII verse 1 and setled the Thrones of judgement there pens this Psalme of joy and gladnesse therefore Praising the Citie and praying for the prosperity of it testimonie The Ark. verse 4 See the Observations on Ex. 25. 16. thrones of judgement Both Ecclesiastical verse 5 and Civil as God had commanded Deut. XVII 8 c. the captivity of Zion Out of Babylon chapter CXXVI verse 1 which returne figured our Redemption by Christ. that dreame So incredible it was and the joy of it that we half doubted whether it were true or but a dreame As Peter did Acts XII 9 11. See Esay XXIX 7 8. And the like speech we read of in Abdolominus when he was taken from manuring the earth to possesse a Kingdome and in Isaacus Angelus when he was suddenly lifted up to the Empire and in that famous Iohn Chrysostome when he was first chosen into the Presbyterie Turn again Prayes that the deliverance begun verse 4 may be carried on and brought to perfection For it had many stops and hinderances as appears in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah They that sow in tears That went mournfuly into captivity verse 5 shall return joyfuly for Solomon Seemes to be inspired and penned for Solomon chapter CXXVII by David a litle before his death Psal. LXXII title Except the Lord This is true generaly verse 1 yet may relate to the future building of the Temple by Solomon and the safe keeping of the Citie Ierusalem or rather to the building of Solomons house and posterity so By building verse 2 keeping blessing their labours without sorrow he giveth Or surely will give or rightly doth give his beloved Whom he loves and who in assurance of his love commits himself to him and his care The Hebrew word Iedid seemes to allude to Solomons name Iedidiah 2 Sam. XII 25. his darling sleep Or quiet rest without carking care and sorrow The Hebrew word is written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet dumb letter otherwise then usual to denote the more quietnesse And this rest not your care and toil but Gods blessing will bring unto you Prov. X. 22.
of my bread As the Virgin Mary is not meant by wisdome verse 5 verse 1. so neither the Eucharist by this Bread and Wine here as some Papists would poorly seek to perswade us Reprove not a scorner Chap. verse 8 XXIII 9. and chap. XXIV 9. and XXVI 4. Matth. VII 6. The basest can mock As the abjects did David Psal. XXXV 15. thy dayes shall be multiplied Chap. verse 11 X. 27. and III. 2 16. Exodâ—s XX. 12. if short life would not prove a blessing to thee 1 Kings XIV 13. Esay LVII 1 2. as it was to Enoch to Josiah and others who did live long in a little time here and then lived for ever in heaven clamorous The most lewd verse 13. 17. are the most loud stollen waters Those pleasures where the Devil is a play-fellow But such morsels of sinne are murdering morsels not nourishing The Proverbs Here the name of Solomon is prefixed again chapter X as it seemes to a second Head verse 1 or Collection of Proverbs wherein the Opposition of Contraries in the same verse is very much used and the first part often serveth much to usher in the second from death The second death verse 2 and from the first too many times and alwayes as to the evil and sting of it The Lord will not suffer Though he refuse to enrich himself by evil arts verse 3 and though he give to the poor yet he shall not want necessaries Psal. XXXVII 25. and XXXIV 9. Blessings Chap. verse 6 XXVIII 20. Gen. XXVII 33. a confluence of all and of all kinds of Blessings The memorie Their name is heire to their life verse 7 their stock remains goes forward and shall do till the day of doome Chap. XXII 1. and chap. XV. 30. Eccles. VII 1. 3 Iohn verse 12. but the name of the wicked shall rot A frequent phrase and speech with the Hebrews which they abbreviate and write thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall receive commandment Be subject to Gods holy word verse 8 without replies and cavils winketh Winketh wiles verse 10 sorrow Sinne and sorrow to himself and others a well of life Flowing as an ever-flowing fountain verse 11 Psal. XXXVII 30 31. Matth. XII 35. Heb. VIII 10. love covereth 1 Cor. verse 12 XIII verse 20 7. verse 21 1 Pet. 4. 8. as choice silver Prov. XXV 11. feede many Luke XIX 48. 2 Cor. VI. 10. They are empty Vines that bear fruit to themselves only Hos. X. 1. no sorrow with it Wealth without woe verse 22 store without sore gold without guilt of sinne or guilty conscience a sport These dance to hell verse 23 hath wisdom For his sport and delight Rom. VII 22. Job XXIII 12. The fear Iob XV. verse 24 21. and ch XXIX 25. shall be granted If they fail not in the matter manner intention or duration of their desires and prayers being content either to wait or to want the thing desired being heartily willing that God should be glorified though themselves be not glorified Whirlwind Iob XXVII 20 23. verse 25 shortned Eccles. verse 27 VII verse 28 17. The hope Psal. CXXX 5. Prov. XIV 32. Heb. VI. 18 19. Pride Where pride is in the saddle chapter XI verse 2. 7. shame is in the crooper the hope His hope made a bridge of his own shadow and thinking to go over it he falls into the water he as a childe grasps at a shadow on the wall in his stead As it befell Haman verse 8 Daniels enemies in the denne of lions and others 2 Thes. I. 6 7. holdeth his peace From despising words verse 12 opprobrious language not seeking to wash off durt with durt concealeth Tacitus to him is the best historian verse 13 own flesh As Baals Priests verse 17 and some popish merit-mongers verse 18 sure reward Only he must have patience and not look to sow and reap all in one day James V. 7. pursueth evil As Asahel followed Abner verse 19 Ephes. IV. 19. adding drunkennesse to thirst with both hands Hel gapeth for him a froward heart A man may die by inward bleeding verse 20 Jer. IV. 14. The Heart appears in the life as the candle in the lanthorne only good Rom. verse 23 VII 22. Heb. XIII 18. Yet when the flesh gets the winde and hill of the Spirit it sometimes over-bears as a gust of winde forceth the ferry-man backward is wrath Proves such Rom. II. 8 9. that scattereth The five loaves in the Gospel were multiplied by division verse 24 and augmented by substraction trusteth Riches were never true to any that trusted in them verse 28 Luke XII 15. Psal. LII 6 7. exoriuntur ut exurantur as the grasse winneth souls James V. verse 30 20. Dan. XII 3. One soul more worth then all the world as he tells us who only went to the price of it Mat. XVI 26. recompensed Chastened verse 31 Their afflictions are not penal but medicinal or probational in the earth Which is their house of correction not in hell much more Totaly and finaly Nahum I. 9. as 1 Sam. XXVI 8. 1 Pet. IV. 17 18. not be established chapter XII verse 3 Though he may flourish for a time not be moved Chap. X. 25. Psal. LXII 2 6. a crown A choise and chief ornament verse 4 but the mouth Hence are those many Apologies of the Christians in all times verse 6 and ages according to his wisdome James III. verse 8 13 17. 2 Cor. X. 18. Rom. I. 22 23. 1 Cor. II. 4 8. the net of evil men Such a net as that Hab. verse 12 I. 15. that they may do the like use all cunning arts and crafts of doing mischief he so furiously pursueth his lusts as if he desired to be intangled in the net of his own destruction Or he desireth the forteresse against evils but all in vaine or the fortresse of evil men to be secured and defended by them and their strength Thus various may be the reading and sense of these words is snared The venome of his heart blisters his tongue verse 13 that it breaks out at his lips to his own ruine A fools wrath He hath no power over his own passions verse 16 chapter XXIX 11. covereth shame 1 Sam. X. 27. Passeth by an offence covereth an injury no evil Esay XXVII verse 21 9. filled He that makes a match with mischief shall have his belly full of it chap. I. 31. and XIV 14. deal truly Psal. verse 22 LI. 6. verse 23 Esay LXIII 8. Ephes. IV. 15. 1 John I. 6. 8. concealeth Loves not to out-lash Yet is not niggard where there is need chap. XV. 7. proclaimeth In it is and out it must what ever come of it a good word As cordials of comfort verse 25 breasts of consolation wells of salvation more excellent As a Prince of God among them verse 26 as Abraham among the Hittites Gen. XXIII 6. Psal. XVI 3. no death No sting in it verse 28 And they passe from the jawes of death to the joyes
4 20 27. 1 Cor. II. 14 15. Esay I. 3. Usurie See the Annotations on Ezek. XVIII 8. verse 8 See also Nehem. V. 7 10. Ezek. XXII 12. And see that Matth. XXV 27. for him Chap. XIII 22. Job XXVII 17. Eccles. II. 26. even his Prayer Chap. XV. 8. verse 9 and I. 28. Jer. XI 11. and XIV 2. Zech. VII 12 13. John 9. 31. to go astray Chap. XXVI 27. verse 10 Matth. XV. 14. He shall be catcht in his own trap upright 2 Pet. III. 17. and 1 Pet. I. 5. in his own conceipt A very small winde will blow up a bubble verse 11 Chap. XIV 12. and Chap. XVI 2 25. and Chap. XXI 2. See the Explanations on those texts This rich man here thanks his wit for his wealth he sacrificeth to his own net 1 Tim. VI. 17. great glorie Verse 28. verse 12 Chap. XI 10. and Chap. XXIX 2. Their joy carries publick and eminent good in the mouth of it as the Cause of it and so bespeaks a common joy hidden Keeps close or flees So Matth. II. 13. Apoc. XII 14. And those worthies of whom the world was not worthie Heb. XI 38. covereth his sinnes Psal. XXXII 5. 1 verse 13 John I. 9 10. Job XXXI 33. Gen. III. 12 13. Sinne and shifts came into the world together But if not confession sure confusion will follow upon it In the Court of Heaven it is best to plead Guilty 2 Sam. XXIV 10. and forsaketh Many Papists use Confession as drunkards use vomiting not to forsake sinne but that they may adde drunkennesse to thirst hardeneth his heart Esay LXIII 17. Psal. XCV 8. Heb. III. 8 15. and IV. 7. verse 14 The dehortation in this case is urgent the accusation dreadful the sinne it self direful As the heart so the neck and the face are said to be hardened made stiffe not to hear harder then a rock God is said to harden the hearts of Pharaoh and sundrie others And that whom he will he hardeneth Rom. IX 18. But how he doth this see in the Observations on Esay VI. 9 10. fall Into ruine without remedie a wicked ruler As a Lion verse 15 and Bear Zeph. III. 3. Micah III. 3 11. Jer. LI. 34. flee to the pit Die without mercie verse 17 Gen. IX 6. Exod. XXI 14. Deut. XIX 13. uprightly Chap. X. 9. Psal. XXIII 4. verse 18 perverse Crooked and doubling can shift his saile to every wind verse 6. chap. XIX 1. tilleth Chap. XII 11. verse 19 We must earne our bread ere we eate it haste to be rich Verse 22. chap. XX. 21. 1. Tim. VI. 9 10. verse 20 robbeth As Micah rob'd his mother verse 24 Judg. XVII 1 2. And Absalom did his father of his crown proud heart Chap. XIII 10. verse 25 through haughtinesse and ambition thinking great thoughts of himself and nothing too good for himself not enduring to be crossed in the least Esay II. 11 12 13. trust in the Lord 1 Tim. VI. 6. That which would break a proud mans heart will not break an humble mans sleep giveth Chap. XIX 17. verse 27 See there Chap. XXII 9. and chap. XXIX 7. 2 Cor. IX 6 7. Deut. XV. 8 10. Matth. V. 42. and chap. X. 42. Luke VI. 35. Esay LVIII 7. Eccles. XI 1 2. Job XXIX 16. and Ch. XXXI 16 20. hardeneth his neck Esay XLVIII chapter XXIX verse 1 4. Jer. VII 26. and chap. XVII 23. Neh. IX 16 17. Acts VII 51. There is much complaint of it and exhortation against it Without remedie 2 Chron. XXXVI 13 16. Remedilesse sinning brings remedilesse destruction Gods wrath shall shatter into shivers Esay XXX 13 14. such a sinner as will needs stand and stout it out with him a snare That strangles his joy verse 6 checks and choaks all his comforts that his jollitie is but the counterfeit and hypocrisie the mask of mirth chap. V. 22. and XIV 13. Eccles. VII 6. Guilt within makes his heart ake and quake when his face and forehead faines a smile righteous sing Righteousnesse carries joy and comfort in its own mouth in the deed-doing that peace and joy Phil. IV. 7. Rom. XV. 13. even in tribulations chap. V. 3. 2 Cor. VII 4. scornful men Being proud verse 8 and contentious bring mischiefs upon the stage a Citie into a snare set all on fire But wise men of a milder temper turne away the wrath of God and man Job XXII 30. Psal. CVI. 23. Exod. XXXII 10. Gen. XVIII 32. whether he rage or laugh He the fool or he verse 9 the wise man as some sense the words there will be no quiet and that through the fooles fault he as a foul stomack will turne good nourishment it self into vitious humours Luke VII 30. The blood-thirsty hate As being enemies to them verse 10 and their bloodinesse his soul The soul of the upright yea of his enemies all his minde Hath no command of himself verse 11 specialy when he is angry yea or in his foolish jollitie till Due season and occasion all his servants They will be fit helves for such hatchets verse 12 fit lettice for such lips to humour them and ingratiate themselves They take their Rulers as Looking-glasses wherein and whereby they dress themselves wicked are multiplied 1 Sam. XXIV 13. verse 16 the sluce and flud-gate of transgression is then set loose and of it self will make an inundation see their fall Psal. LVIII 10 11. and Psal. XXXVII 36. and XCI 8. no vision As 1 Sam. III. 1. verse 18 2 Chron. XV. 3. Hos. IV. 6. Psal. LXXIV 9. Matth. IX 36. And so in time of Popery when Preaching failed and the Scripture was not read Keepeth Doth not only hear but practise James I. 22. Luke XI 28. John XIII 17. So on chap. XIX 16. A servant will not Some such there are verse 19 Luke XII 47. Exod. XXI 20 21 26 27. Ephes. VI. 5. sonne at the length And turne young master verse 21 so ungratefuly abusing himself and his masters goodnesse to him An angry man See on chap. XXII 24. verse 22 pride Chap. XV. 33. verse 23 and XVIII 12. Job XXII 29. Luke XIV 11. Matth. XXIII 12. partner Chap. I. 10 13 14. Psal. L. 18. Apoc. XVIII 4. Ephes. V. 7 11. verse 24 and IV. 8. fear of man Apoc. XXI 8. cowes a man both to sinnes verse 25 and sufferings where it prevailes above the fear of God So even in Abraham Peter and others trusteth Esay XXXIII 15. and chap. XL. 30 31. the Rulers favour Chap. XIX 6. from the Lord. Who ruleth verse 26 and over-ruleth the Ruler chap. XXI 1. and orders every mans state and condition of life This Chapter is not Solomons chapter XXX But in this are the words of Agur some man famous in his time for wisdome his words unto his disciples or friends Ithiel and Ucal Or here is a Comportation and Collection of Agurs wise sayings and Sentences though none of all their names mentioned in the first verse are found elsewhere
disease but this vanity and vexation passeth on from one generation to another that they are thus variously affected towards their Princes in all ages shall not rejoyce in him But grow wearie of him whom now they so zealously affect and with so much loyaltie adhere unto and shall wish for another Surely this Must needs be a vanitie and vexation to people but to Princes specialy Keep thy foot Having searched and found verse 1 That neither humane Wisdome and Knowledge chapter V nor Pleasures nor Riches nor Honours or Crowns can make men happy but are all full of vanitie and vexation and that it is a thing beyond the sphere and activitie of any creature for to do He now ascends higher to search for it in the worship and service of God And discovers even here much vanity not in the thing it self but as it is performed by vaine and foolish men And therfore for remedy of this he prescribes sundry Caveats to prevent it And first this in these words Keep thy foot Where the letters are plural the Points direct to read it in the singular number That all and every one should look well to his affections and inward man that all be composed and in a right temper when he goes to worship God Ps. LVII 7 8. and CIII 1. See Exod. III. 5. and chap. XIX 21. Josh. V. 15. house of God The Gate of Heaven Gen. XXVIII 17. Psal. CXVIII 20. the beauty of holinesse Psal. XCVI 9. This the likeliest place where Felicitie is to be found But here then our preparation before and our deportment in this place must be as in the Presence of God looking him full in the face ready to hear As Acts X. 33. which includes obedience in it Psal. LXXXV 8. Job XXXIV 32. 1 Sam. III. 10. Acts IX 6. James I. 19. the sacrifice of fooles Outward services and ceremonies foolish sinners are apt enough to to load God with even to loathing Esay I. 11 14. So as their heart and inward man in spirit and truth may be free to themselves and farre enough from God 1 Sam. XV. 22. that they do evil In so doing doubling their iniquity by a seeming sanctitie Ios. XI 12. Esay LXVI 3. nor rash In prayer to God verse 2 Rom. VIII 26. nor hastie precipitate unadvised for God is in heaven Job XXVI 14. Esay LVII 15. Come thou with all possible reverence humilitie and self-abasement Job XLII 6. Gen. XVIII 27. few Luke XVIII 13. Matth. XXVI 39 42 44. Against battologie Matth. VI. 7. Prov. X. 19. For a dream Multitude of businesse produceth dreames verse 3 multitude of words which usualy are rash hasty and sudden produceth folly specialy in Prayer to God chap. X. 14. Vowest Of vowes verse 4 see my Annotations on Jonah I. 16. Better It is a voluntarie service to vow verse 5 Num. XXX But being lawfully made must be performed Deut. XXIII 21 22 23. neither say thou before the Angel Exod. XXIII 20 21. verse 6 that Angel of the Covenant Mal. III. 1. Psal. II. 12. For in the multitude of dreams Verse 3. verse 7 Prov. X. 19. As in those are many Vanities so vaine will thy many words and excuses be in pleading an erroneous mistake and extenuating the non-performances of thy vowes and promises to God but fear thou God The true remedy against the former vanities of rash vowes and prayers and addresses to God The fear of God is the foundation of all holy duties Marvaile not Be not amazed verse 8 or astonished to doubt of God or his Providence or to forsake his service Many are sorely tempted hereby for he that is higher There lies an appeale to an higher Court. And wherein they deale proudly he is above them Exod. XVIII 11. Psal. LXXVI 12. higher then they Higher here in the plural number may relate to the holy Trinity or to Angels by whom God doth punish Princes Esay XXXVII 36. Acts XII 23. Moreover the profit of the earth Is for all men verse 9 and uses and above all other profits the King 1 Chron. XXVII 26. 2 Chron. XXVI 10. Amos VII 1. The commendation of tillage and grasing And this shewes the vanity of earthly felicity When the highest stands in need of the lowest to sustaine and support them Shall not be satisfied with silver The loving and desiring doth increase with the having verse 10 It cannot therefore be mans chiefest good seeing it doth not terminate and satisfie the appetite They can never say It is enough but are like the grave and barren womb Prov. XXX 15 16. What good Little else verse 11 and that is small enough The sleep And herein he hath advantage over that great rich man verse 12 And this vanity of riches he pursueth in the five verses following He resumeth in this verse 18 and the two next verses his former assertion touching the right use of Riches And concludeth with it as he did chap. II. 24 25 26. An evil Another and another chapter VI verse 1 one still after another our lives full of them And yet we vainly dote on this life which is indeed but a lingring death common Usual among all sorts of men an epidemical evil disease God hath given In way of Providence verse 2 as he maketh his Sunne to shine and raine to fall on the good and bad Wanteth nothing That he can justly and reasonably desire though indeed this covetous mans desires are bottomlesse and boundlesse And he wants all things not having power to make use of any thing but a stranger Hos. VII 9. Jer. V. 17. Lam. V. 2. many years And many children verse 3 not like him chap. IV. 8. But filled both with children and years and yet not filled with good with the comfortable use and fruition of his blessings and estate lives beside it is not master of it but mastered by it no burial Deut. XXVIII 26. Jer. XXII 19. through enemies or greedy heirs to such covetous caitifs and niggardly misers an untimely birth An abortive that comes from birth to burial from womb to tomb Matth. XXVI 24. is better then he He is in rest having never had sense or reason to feel losse or paâ—ne ver 4 5. A thousand years Which never man yet did yet hath he seene no good Better then to have beene without those years verse 6 they did but lengthen his misery Prov. XV. 15. Job XIV 1. to one place The house appointed for all living Job XXX 23. Esay L. 11. Thus he findes in the end all to be vanity and vexation of spirit For his mouth For food verse 7 and rayment for his body This is all he can have of all his worldly labours And a little of this would suffice him appetite Yet that is never filled it is insatiable chap. V. 16. nor can be filled with these worldly things much lesse his soul can Riches have no suitablenesse with it no proportion either in excellency or in duration unto it Wise more then
Whether thou wilt or no when thou shalt in vaine call to rocks to hide thee into judgement If not in this life yet at thy death thy doomesday and at the judgement of the great day Jude 6. called The terror of the Lord 2 Cor. V. 10. Acts XVII 30. See Esay XXVIII 17. Therefore remove sorrow Sinne verse 10 which is the true cause of sorrow as the end will prove Prov. XIV 13. and the true cause of Gods indignation Or particularly this sinne of thy indignation and all inordinate passions thy swelling and storming at the will and wayes of God or at any serious advice given thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember 1. Chron. XXVIII 9. Prov. XXIII 17. thy Creator Heb. chapter XII verse 1 Creators Father Sonne and Holy Ghost So God my Makers Job XXXV 10. The Makers of Israel Psal. CXLIX 1. thy Makers is thy husbands Esay LIV. 5. Gods created Gen. I. 1. youth Youth is slippery prone to lusts and sensual pleasures apt to put off the evil day farre from them to look on death and judgement as at a great distance as evil men use to do Ezek. XII 27. Amos VI. 3. 2 Pet. III. 3 4. Solomon here calls on them to remember themselves better to minde God in the Spring of their age to present the first-fruits to God as young Samuel Jeremy and Timothy did and not to leave and reserve the dregs and snuffs to God while the evil dayes Old age is very unfit to begin so great a work in Old age will bring evils enough of its own besides While the Sunne Before the sight of thine eyes grow dimme Or verse 2 before thy most delightful and pleasant things begin to grow unwelcome unpleasant to thee The darknesse of lights about them as of the Sun candles torches c. Whence we need Spectacles Returning of the clouds after the raine alludes to the winterly state of old age In summer after raine the clouds break up and fair weather comes Not so in winter So in youth Not so in old age nor the clouds return One grief comes upon the neck of another as the billows of the sea wallow and tumble upon the back one of another A proverbial speech as Psal. XLII 7. the Keepers of the house The hands and armes verse 3 Some here take in the head and ribs and outward senses and inward faculties but not so properly strong men Thighs and legs Here some take in the feet Grinders The teeth They come not with us into the world And they commonly leave old men before they go out of the world look out of the windows The eyes out of the eye-lids darkened A further degree of dimnesse then that ver 2. And the doores Old men shall shut the street-dooers shall stay within doores because the weaknesse of their appetite and digestion when the sound of the grinding with the teeth was low and doth cause them to eat little and so weakens their bodies to stir abroad Others by streets here understand those Pipes and passages which are for the meat to go down to the stomach and for the breath and aire to go down to the lungs which passages have doores and covers which open and shut And these being weakened in old age breed weaknesse of the body and difficulty of swallowing and of speaking Those which stretch the words to the Hearing or to the eye-lids or to all the senses seeme to misse most of the true meaning doores Lips When for want of teeth the meat is rolled and ravelled in the mouth and hath need of shut lips to keep it from falling out of the mouth at the voice of the bird Shall wake out of sleep at every little noise through the badnesse of sleeping and wearines to lie long in bed by reason of little ease and much paine and akings daughters of musik That we can neither sing our selves nor be delighted with the musik of others 2 Sam. XIX 34 35. afraid of that which is high To go up it verse 5 being weak and short-winded And fear stumbling at every little stone in the way Both heights and hollows in the way annoy their goings almond-tree The gray-hairs which some call the white flowers of the Church-yard grashoppers Every light thing shall be a burthen to them who are now already become a burthen to themselves and desire shall faile The lust of the flesh libido As also the lust of the eye and the pride of life In decrepit age all these desires die though they reigned and raged in him before long home The grave his own house and long home Nox est perpetua Vna dormienda Esay XIV 18. never to returne hither again Job VII 10. But long to abide there till the Resurrection-day mourners Jer. IX 17. verse 6 and XXII 18. Amos V. 16. See Job III. 8. silver cord The marrow of the back-bone be loosed or lessened and contracted whence old men grow crooked and bending in the back Some take this for the sinewes which are the ligaments of all the members and are loosened by cold humours and palsie-distempers golden bowle The heart the blood of it or the pericardion or the brain pan pia-mater and pericranion Some understand this of the cista fellis the gaul and choler which easily breaks out in old men Some of the skull parted in the sâ—tures and seams of it diseases grow round as a bowle-golden for the colour and precious use of it in preserving the brains or the pitcher be broken at the fountain By fountain we may understand those principal parts as the Heart Head Liver from whence the vital supplies of spirit heat blood sense and motion are drawn into the body By Cisterne the same aforesaid or those places of the body whereinto those vital supplies are drawn and conveyed By the pitcher and wheele the veins arteries and sinewes which as subservient instruments do conveigh those supplies into the several parts of the body Some understand by the pitcher the bladder and by the cisterne the belly that neither duly performe their office by the fountaine or spring the issuing forth of the water the retentive faculty of the muskle at the neck of the bladder being broken so that water the urine issueth from him insensibly without stay the wheele broken at the cisterne The Lungs broken off from their motion of inspiration and respiration by phlegme from the stomach stopping and stifling the Lungs The Lungs are as the wheele transmitting the aire in and out up and down and when this free course is stopped then follows ratling in the throat and death after The stomach is the cisterne from all the body And the spirit shall returne Gen. II. 7. Joh XXXIV 14 15. verse 7 And even the wisest Heathen have avouched the immortality of the soul and a life of joy or paine after this life ended according to our carriage here So Socrates Plato Cicero Plutarch Epicharmus Euripides Lucretius Heraclitus Virgil and others
whose fire is in Zion Kept on his Altar there ever burning Or rather fire to burne up the enemies of him his worship his people a King Ezekiah chapter XXXII verse 1 Yet a type of Christ as before him David Ezek XXXIV 24. Shall reigne Hence some suppose this Prophecie to have been delivered in Ahaz his dayes Some in Hezekiahs concerning his religigious and righteous government of his people specialy after the overthrow of Sennacherib and his recovery out of his sicknesse Princes Under Hezekiah And a man Each one under him verse 2 in a weary land Where men are weary of travelling through heat and drought not be dim Or closed as those ch XXIX 10. and VI. 9. Not look another way verse 3 from God unto Idols from the light of Gods Word and his judgements conspicuously manifested unto them not wilfully shut their eyes or turne them aside from them as those chap. XXVI 11. Shall hearken Not refuse to hear as formerly chap. XXVIII 9 13. and XLVIII 18. but hearkeu diligently as chap. XXI 7. and XXIX 18. and XXX 21. and XXXV 5. stammerers That did but stammer before at any good and religious speech verse 4 shall now manifest the inward alteration and change of their hearts by their ready religious speaking the language of Canaan that which may minister grace and edification to the hearers no more called liberal They shall no more call vice verse 5 vertue evil good but they shall in singlenesse of soul call sinne sinne a spade a spade For the vile person His description verse 6 Churle His description verse 7 Liberal His description verse 8 The drift seemes to be this That in Hezekiah's reigne base-minded and evil-affected persons should not be now raised and advanced unto places of honour and authority as in his father Ahaz his time too many had been and too likely base and wicked Shebna But now only worthy men Rise up Esay here returnes to speak of those troubles that were to come verse 9 before the establishment of the State in maner before described ye women The Court-Ladies especialy that were faulty as the men and the more secure and carelesse as lesse fore-seeing dangers to come and yet must suffer in them alike though lesse able to bear them then the men Therefore Esay rouzeth up them and by them the men Many dayes and years Heb. Many dayes above a year verse 10 Some use the translation in the text and apply it to the LXX years in the Babylonish captivity Others rather use the marginal reading and apply it to a just and exact limitation of that calamitous time of almost two years whiles the Assyrian abode in the land For full two years he could not be there considering he came in in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah 2 Kings XVIII 13. And afterwards Hezekiahs life was prolonged fifteen years chap. XXXVIII 5. And he reigned but 29. in all 2 Kings XVIII 2. for the teats Which were to them as teats verse 12 Some translate There shall be beating upon the breasts Nahum II. 7. shall come up thornes Esay seemes here to passe from that short invasion of the Assyrian verse 13 to that greater and longer of the Chaldean Nebuchadnezzar As if he should say I am now farther to acquaint you with this later and which is far worse every way and of a far longer continuance in this and the next verse for ever a long time about seventy years Of ever see the Observations on Deut. XV. 17. Vntill the Spirit Esay concludes verse 15 as usualy with gracious Promises This promise may extend also to the time of the Messias when it shall haile coming down on the forrest God will preserve the fruits of the earth for them verse 19 that they shall not with storme and tempest be destroyed and the Citie shall be low in a low place Though the Cities built there yet shall be there secure verse 18. even though say some it haile never so much and Cities be brought never so low Blessed are ye Gods blessing on their husbandry and labours verse 20 Appliable to Gods spiritual husbandry in the Ministery of the Gospel This Chapter seemes to begin another Sermon chapter XXXIII continued on in the two next Chapters And in the whole Sermon Esay mainly insists upon the destruction of the enemies of Gods people and upon their defence and deliverance their priviledges and joyful flourishing estate thereupon ensuing and opposed thereunto This Chapter is much of the same nature and subject with the former Chapter Woe to thee Nebuchadnezzar or rather Sennacherib ver 8. verse 1 they shall deale treacherously with thee This may relate to Sennacheribs two sons slaying their father ch XXXVII 38. O Lord The Prayer of the faithful in time of trouble verse 2 At the noise This is in way of answer to the former Prayer verse 3 fled As the maner of the Prophets is to speak of things future as past So it came to passe in the Assyrian Camp your spoils Speaking to the Assyrians verse 4 shall he run upon them The Jew pillaging the Assyrian camp of thy times O Hezekiah verse 6 their valient ones shall cry Shew the disttesse of Gods people verse 7 the Jewes should be in the Ambassadors Sent with presents to Sennacherib 2 Kings XVIII 14. Or those sent out to Rabshakeh ch XXXVI 3. He hath broken the Covenant Sennacherib did so verse 8 2 Kings XVIII 14 17. Now will I arise To help and deliver my people verse 10 in this extremity ye shall conceive chaffe The Assyrians verse 11 as the burnings of lime Describes that fatal blow in the Assyrian Camp verse 12 The sinners in Zion are afraid Terrified with this dreadful execution done upon the Assyrians verse 14 and complaining and fearing lest the like vengeance might light also upon them as they knew they deserved it As Num. XVI 34. with devouring fire With God who is a consuming fire He that walketh The Prophets answer verse 15 Thine eyes shall see the King A further blessing that such should enjoy verse 17 the sight of their King and State settled in prosperity and glory the land that is very far off Liberty to travel abroad in safety unto the remotest parts of the land without danger or disturbance Or as some remote lands subdued by the King Where is the Scribe So now taunting Sennacherib verse 18 and his Officers in the Camp 1 Cor. I. 20. either minds not this Text or alludes only to the phrase in it not see For they shall be slaine verse 19 or flee Look upon Zion See how safe verse 20 and whole it is No galley Of any enemie shall be able with help of winde and oars verse 21 to get up to it to annoy it Thy tacklings Speaking to the Assyrians verse 23 the inhabitant Of Jerusalem forgiven their iniquity Being refined by their chastisements verse 24 and reformed and so God reconciled to them This Chapter chapter XXXIV for the
degrees Not the shadow only verse 8 which indeed depended upon the Sunne Nor could forraine people in remote places have taken notice of this miracle had no alteration beene in the course of the Universe 2 Cron. XXXII 31. For this miracle as it was visible in Judea so in other parts of the world also particularly in Babylon the King and Princes whereof observing the thing yet ignorant of the occasion except by report only which might deceive for their further satisfaction send Ambassadors to Hezekiah not only to congratulate his recovery but to enquire of the wonder 2 Chron. XXXII 31. In this Miracle if the Sunne went back in its ordinary pace and swiftnesse and in like sort did returne forward againe then that Day-light must be long thirty two hours if by a degree an hour be understood If the Sunne returned back ten degrees in an instant then it must be long twenty two hours But by a degree here most likely half an hour is understood See more of this in the Annotations on this text and my Observations on 2 Kings XX. 9 10 11. by these things men live By thy promises verse 16 and preformances of the same by his speaking and doing verse 15. is the life of my spirit As the life of all men is so continued so by these things is the life of my spirit miraculously prolonged and I recovered and shall out-live in all the rest of my years that bitternesse of my soul into which I was formerly cast ver 15. For Peace I had great bitternesse Instead of it verse 17 or presently after it and upon it upon that peace from the Assyrian by his overthrow then this grievous bitter affliction suddenly surprized me a lump of figs This might have no power in it verse 21 or if any at all yet not sufficient to this so signal and sudden a cure that I shall go So soone as within three dayes verse 22 as God had graciously promised 2 Kings XX. 5. And for which he asked the Signe 2 Kings XX. 8. Merodach Baladan 2 Kings XX. chapter XXXIX verse 1 12. Beredach Baladan Of the change of letters see the Observations on Gen. IV. 25. and 2 Sam. VIII 3. And of Names see the Annotations on Dan. I. 7. And on this text Merodach one of their Idols Jer. L. 2. King of Babylon Under the Assyrian glad over-much verse 2 for self-ends of pride or profit And of thy sonnes Manasseh was carried thither verse 7 2 Chron. XXXIII 11. Eunuchs Or Officers Thus those of the posterity and issue of Hezekiah 2 Chron. XXXVI 6 10 20. Dan. I. 3 4. for there shall be peace An humble submission preceding .. verse 8 And here an acknowledging this interim of favour in the delaying and deferring the judgement In the former Chapter Esay chapter XL upon the occasion therein related having made some mention of the Babylonian captivity doth now in the ensuing Prophecies mostwhat insist upon that same subject matter For the subsequent Sermons are generaly most if not all of them concerning that their Captivity the delivery out of it and the restitution of their Church and State in after-times Yet so as that all this reacheth farther unto the spiritual delivery of Gods people from the thraldome under sinne and Satan by the Messias herein typified and the glorious advancement and enlargement of his spirituall Kingdome in the dayes of the Gospel Comfort ye The Promulgation and approach of Gods purpose verse 1 concerning his peoples deliverance he commands for their comfort to be published to them Relating herein both to the time of the Babylonish captivity and also to the time of the coming of the Messias double Abundantly verse 2 so much to the full as God deemed fit to be inflicted The voice The undoubted certainty of the performance of it verse 3 is set forth and confirmed notwithstanding all obstructions and difficulties lying in the way And that first by the stability of Gods Word illustrated by the ficklenesse and frailty of all humane excellencie ver 3 8. of him that crieth This applied to John the Baptist more especialy Mal. IV. 5. Matth. XI 14. Marke I. 2 3. John I. 23. surely the people is grasse Yea verse 7 even the Babylonian Monarchy and it cannot hinder the performance of Gods Word purpose and promise for the deliverance of his people Saint Peter applies this to the work of Regeneration wrought in the soul by the Ministery of the Word 1 Pet. I. 23 24 25. So John VIII 51. 2. John II. O Zion that bringest good tydings Or verse 9 thou that bringest good tydings to Zion A second command for the promulgation and proclamation of this good tydings to Zion to Jerusalem be not afraid Make no scruple or doubt of publishing it and his work before him even that work verse 10 verse 11. lies open and easie to him who hath measared A second proof of the undoubted certainty of Gods performance of this his glorious Promise verse 12 from the immensity of his power and essence illustrated by the feeblenesse and vanity of all Creatures of Idols especialy ver 12 20. To whom then will ye liken God He is not like to Idols verse 18 They are not able to hinder him in the performance of his gracious promise for the glorious deliverance of his people Have ye not known Appliable both to the people of God verse 21 and also to the Heathen Idolaters yea verse 24 they shall not be planted Be as if not planted c. How sayest thou verse 27 O Jacob He taxeth now his own people who had been taught better things for their diffidence and distrust my way is hid from the Lord He looketh not after me what I endure and suffer or what course is to be taken for my deliverance He giveth power to the faint He maketh his might to appeare in mans weaknesse verse 29 This is much of the same argument with the former Chapter chapter XLI Keep silence God standing up to debate his cause verse 1 by his Prophet against the enemies of his people with them and their Idols requireth silence that he may be heard renew their strength To support themselves and their Idols and to hinder my work for the recovery of my people if they can the righteous man from the East Cyrus from Persia verse 2 to manifest my righteousnesse in fulfilling my promises and in righting the wrongs done to my people Yet Cyrus herein a type of Christ. calling the generations Having them at call and command verse 4. 5. saw it These strange works of God by Cyrus set on foot for the deliverance of his people and feared Their own safety drew near and came Not to God but to take counsel together how to secure and save themselves So the Carpenter They made recourse to their Idols verse 7 making more of them as if their safety consisted in the multitude of them But thou Confirmes and strengthens his against all fear
reunited in his Resurrection This verse then and two before and one following are most properly meant of Christ and of his Resurrection Acts II. 25 28 31. and XIII 35 36 37. Thou wilt shew me Experimentaly me Christ speaâ—s of himself the path of life Of glory after his Resurrection verse 11 All this true of Christ the head and in and by him true also of David of all his members Christs Resurrection and Glorification is the beginning of ours he the Author and meanes of it to us in our first Resurrection here by Regeneration to the life of Grace whereby Christ lives in us Gal. II. 20. He in us and we in him by Faith Ephes. III. 17. Rom. I. 17 And in our second Resurrection to the life of Glory as followes in this verse In thy presence Before thy face in the light of thy countenance See Gen. XXXII and Exod. XXXIII 14 15. Num. VI. 23. Psal. IV. 6. and XXXI 16. and LXXX 3. Deut. XXXIV 10. Esay VI. fulnesse Yet all the former but in part whiles we are in the way in fulnesse when we come to our countrey or heavenly Canaan Job XIX 26 27. 1 John III. 2. 1 Cor. XIII 12. Matth. V. 8. And yet this beatifical Vision of God in glory shall be to our fulnesse not to his The fulnesse of his infinite Essence by any created power of Saint or Angel by the eye of flesh though glorified or by the intellectual eye of a soul or spirit glorified cannot be seene 1 Tim. VI. 16. But to our fulnesse as farre as creatures are capable of our vessel thrown into this infinite Sea shall be brim full though it containe not all this Ocean Psal. XVII 15. And how great then shall this fulnesse then be when of things in this kinde revealed of God to his Apostles in this life by his Spirit the Apostle so speaketh as we read 1 Cor. XI 9. out of Esay LXIV 4 This is a fulnesse beyond all that of Faith and Hope a fulnesse that fills up all desires a fulnesse of fruition of satisfaction without satiety Apoc. III. Consider that saying of the Queen of Sheba 1 King X. 8. and of the Disciples at Christs Transfiguration Mat. XVII 4. At thy right hand And by thy right hand Psal. XX. 7. LXIII 9. CXVIII 16. for evermore Without which eternity there were no true felicity right My plea for my righteous cause chapter XVII verse 1 my righteous cause and complaint ver 2. I am purposed Psal. XXXIX 1. verse 3 of thy lips Guiding and directing me verse 4 when I awake Our of the sleep of death verse 15 Esay XXVI 19. with thy likenesse 1 Cor. XV. 49. 1 John III. 2. Apoc. XXII 4. Horne Signifieth power chapter XVIII verse 2 and glory Psal. XCII 10. Amos VI. 13. And Christ called the Horne of Salvation Luke I. 69. earth shook Here verse 7 and hereafter are sublime expressions not of what historicaly hapned but of the marvelous maner of Gods mighty presence assistance and concurrence in Davids victories in some sort Poeticaly set forth thundered Thunder is called Gods voice verse 13 Apoc. X. 3 4. and XIX 6. Of thunder See Psal. XXIX 3 10. and LXXVII 18. and CIV 7. Exod. XIX 16. XX. 18. Jer. X. 13. Job XXVI 14 XXXVIII 25. Esay XXIX 6. Apoc. IV. 5. and 8. 5. Some proud blasphemers have laboured to imitate the thunder and some impious Tyrants have exceedingly feared it according to my righteousnesse The justnesse of my Cause against Saul verse 24 and others and my sincere desire and endeavour to serve and obey God though not for any merit of my works thy self froward Meet with them in their own way verse 26 As Levit. XXVI 23 24. Bow of steele verse 34 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee This verse is applied verse 49 Rom. XV. 9. to the Calling of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ and praise unto God therefore And so formerly ver 43 44. and again verse 50. are more truly verified in Christ then in David to his Anointed verse 50 to David and to his seed for evermore To his Messiah his Christ as Psal. II. 2. to David literaly to Christ mysticaly called by the name of David Jer. XXX 9. Ezek. XXXIV 23 24. and chap. XXXVII 24. Hos. 5. to his seed both himself properly called the seed of David Rom. I. 3. Acts XIII 23. as the seed of Abraham Gal. III. 16. and to his seed Esay LIII 10. Heb. II. 13. And thus properly it is for evermore Day unto day Or day after day chapter XIX verse 2 the vicissitude or continual succession of day and night speaketh much divine knowledge The assiduity and constancy without any intermission by the Heavens preaching is hereby expressed There is no speech Among all variety of Languages verse 3 yet this language and idiome of the heavens is one and the same understood of all and heard of all ver 4. Their line Rom. X. 18. verse 4 the Apostle hath it their sound or voice And such a like difference is found in Micah V. 2. with Matth. chap. II. 6. And again in Rom. IX 33. with Isa. chap. XXVIII 16. The Apostle fits this Testimonie to his own purpose not derogating thereby from the truth of the literal sense As that Exod. XVI 18. is applied 2 Cor. VIII 15. Or rather the Apostle retaines the literal sense for the preaching of the Gospel to all the world Rom. XV. 19. Col. I. 6 23. And out of this testimonie of the Psalme in its literal sense proves that the Gentiles had heard and learned somewhat of God and pietie before out of the book of the Creation Rom. I. 19. Acts XIV 17. Which was a forerunner to this more ample Doctrine and School of the Gospel which now God was pleased to vouchsafe unto them In summe the Apostle herein followes the LXX And applies this to the preaching of the Gospel to the Heathens as God had formerly taught them in another a weaker maner and degree by his works of Creation They had as a voice to speak so a line to write rule direct and instruct as Esay XXVIII 10. sunne The carbuncle of heaven the eye and heart of the world for its light and heat to runne a race His race is without intermission or wearinesse and the swiftnesse of his running verse 5 being so great a body in its owne orbe is even to amazement and astonishment almost beyond imagination That the Sunne should stand and the Earth so move as some braines fancie is no lesse then a prodigious Paradox The Law From the Book of Gods works verse 7 he comes now to the Book of his Word in five verses And in this Schoole each verse in a maner doth expresse the name the nature the effects the preciousnesse of this Word much against all those imbasements and impeachments which the Papists would put upon it gold Gold of Havilah verse 10 good Gen. II. 11 12.
Vanitie of vanities He resumes and concludes his main Text verse 8 ater his large demonstration of it by so many convincing arguments the Preacher was wise And moreover verse 9 because he knew how hard it is to work man to a firme belief of this maxime That all these earthly things are but vanity he heaps up in these few words of his conclusion many cogent arguments yet more to re-inforce the same from his own wisdome from his care to teach the knowledge of this principal lesson his heed his search his ordering of it and other Proverbs from the delight and acceptablenesse of it from the uprightnesse and truth of it All which as they may relate to his teaching and writing in general so more specialy to the subject matter of this Book The words of the wise In this verse Solomon riseth higher verse 11 and comes up to the praise of the words of the wise in general which is most appliable to the Word of God in the Scripture the praise is from their power and efficacie they are as Goads as Nailes And from their Authority fastened â—d managed by the Masters of Assemblies the Preachers and Ministers And the Word and they both given from one Shepheard the great Shepheard of the Sheep the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet some would make this understanding of this verse That the Authors of these Collections compiled them together into one body under the name of Solomon guided thereunto and so given by and from Zerubbabel by these and by no other verse 12 no humane and vaine words or writings Psal. XIX 11. These are sufficient Some conceit that Zerubbabel speaks thus to Abihud Many books This most true in this age if not more then any other But these many in comparison of the Scriputure may well be called wast-papers And much study in them is a wearinesse of the flesh The Conclusion of the whole matter let us hear The first word of this verse verse 13 rendered Conclusion is written in the Original with an extraordinary big letter to put an extraordinary mark of Attention upon it The meaning of the words of this and the last verse need no Explanation THE Song of Solomon A Song it is as the title bears Not an Historie or a Prophecie which conceit while some have fancied to themselves to maintain the same they have been driven in their Expositions forcibly as it were to ravish the Text and to fall into sundry I might say ridiculous singularities and absurdities It is the Song of Songs the chiefest of his 1005. Songs 1 Kings IV. 32. the most excellent of all others and that for Expressions Mysteries Purity and Holinesse but most for the Subject and Matter of it which is sublime divine and Evangelical It is all a continued Allegorie full of Obscurities as is confessed by all somewhat the harder to understand by reason of so many diversities of understandings somewhat the more difficult because we meet here with diverse Hebrew words which are not found in the Scripure besides It is all mystical as many words almost so many Mysteries As is likewise said of the Apocalypse And the Jewes hereupon are said to forbid the reading of this Book among them till they came to thirty years of age Yet it appears to be an Epithalamium a marriage-Song a Song of Loves Penned by Solomon it seemes in his younger years and best times not long after his marriage with Pharaohs daughter whereunto he may haply allude in this Song and long before his foul falls in his old age But yet a greater then Solomon is here Here is Christ the true Solomon the Bridegroome and his Church the Spouse Here between them is set down all Rhetorick of Love pathetical Compellations affectionate Elogies Passionate Expressions all here pure and spiritual in this Celestial Poem Here is nothing of Temporal Carnal or worldly mixture in it The flowers and ornaments of Language in the Praises of Both are not applicable to bodily or natural beauties but to spiritual and supernatural Here is hidden Manna sancta sanctis Pearls are not for swine Here Solomon rips up and rifles as it were all the rarities of Nature to describe his sacred and supernatural mysteries Yea such is the matchlesse riches and sweetnesse of this Poem and the subject of it that though the storehouse of the whole world from both her spheres contribute to it yet all is not sufficient The richest earthly things are but grosse and sensible illustrations of spiritual Majesty and glory They can serve but as mystical representations as Emblemes as Hieroglyphiks as Manuductions and Perspectives to Grace and Glory Here between Christ and his Church are interchangings of mutual Praises Gloriations and Congratulations of Zealous spiritual longings and breathings of Loves and Vowes and Joyes of acclamations attestations and administrations His divine and glorious excellencies in himself and rich bounties and blessings to her and her precious heavenly graces and endowments ornaments and priviledges by him in an high character in lofty and stately sayings and similies are portraied and laid out to the life by her and by him And yet withal her failings and recoveries and his withdrawings thereupon and returnings are not omitted And lastly she being never satisfied with his Love out of the unquenchable flame of her affection she doth beg still a more intimate Union and communion with him and a perpetual fruition of him for her self and for all her members that yet knew him not And that he would hasten his last coming for the full finishing of all and her enjoyment of him in Vision Beatifical in the Life of Glory In all these Interlocutions betwixt them she speaking nine times He seven times And both joyntly together the same things as in a Chorus two times In a word There are such divine raptures as are able to fire the holy affections of the sons of men Let him kisse me chapter I verse 2 c. The speech of the Church the Spouse to Christ the Bridegroom to the 8. ver set forth in her wishes of his love in expressions of the worth of it of his sweet smelling graces and the powerful vertue of them in her and in others in his rich and gracious provisions for her in her Vindication of her own deformities and defects against the envious and uncharitable censures of others concerning her and in petitioning him for further counsel and direction If thou know not c. Christ his Reply verse 8 in the four next verses granting her last request with gracious and great commendations of her and rich promises made unto her While the King c. The Church in this verse 12 and the next verse returnes the fruits of Christs love and bounty magnifying by similies his gracious goodnesse to her and declaring what her cate shall be to keep and indeere him to her Behold thou art fair Christ here in this verse 15 and the next verse congratulates his Church Praysing again and so