of man commendeth the righteousness of God Rom. 3.4 5. To thee O Lord God belongeth righteousness but unto us confusion of face saith Daniel chap. 9. Vers 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity This he alledgeth viz. his original pravity not as an excuse but as an aggravation of his actual abominations which he saith were committed out of the vile viciousness of his nature See Psal 58 3 4. The Masorites here observe that the word rendred iniquity is full written with a double Vau to signifie the fulness of his sin whole evil being in every man by nature and whole evil in man which when the Saints confess they are full in the mouth as I may so say they begin with the root of sin not at the fingers ends as Adenibezek did stabbing the old man at the heart first and laying the main weight upon original corruption that in-dwelling sin as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 7.14 that sin of evil concupiscence as the Chaldee here that peccatum peccans as the Schools Tully belike had heard somewhat of this when he said Cum primum nascimur in omni continuo pravitate versamur Assoon as ever we are born we are forth-with in all wickedness Augustine saith Damnatus homo antequam natus Man is condemned as soon as conceived And in sin did my mother conceive me Heb. Warm me This Aben-Ezra interpreteth to be our great Grand-mother Eve Qua non parturiebat antequam peccabat David meant it doubtless of his immediate mother and spake of that poyson where-with she had warmed him in her wombe before the soul was infused Corruption is conveyed by the impurity of the seed Job 14.4 Job 3.6 31. Sin may be said to be in the seed incoative dispositive as fire is in the Flint Let us therefore go with Elisha to the Fountain and cast salt into those rotten and stinking waters And for our Children let us labour to mend that by education which we have marred by propagation Vers 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts Quam tamen mihi defuisse res ipsa demonstrat but this truth hath not been found in me when I acted my sin in that sort and did mine utmost to hide it from the world I have shewed little truth in the inward parts but have grosly dissembled in my dealings with Vriab especially whom I so plied at first with counterfeit kindness and then basely betrayed him to the sword of the enemy Sinisterity is fully opposite to sincerity trcachery to truth And in the hidden parts thou shalt make me to know wisdom Thus by faith saith one he riseth out of his sin being taught wisdom of God Others read it Thou hast made me to know c. And yet have I sinned against the light of mine own knowledge and Conscience although thou hast taught me wisdom privately E◠eheu quam familiaritèr as one of thine own Domesticks or Disciples Some make it a prayer Cause me to knew wisdom c. Vers 7. Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean Sprinkle me with the bloud of Christ by the Hyssop-bunch of faith not only taking away thereby the sting and stink of sin but conferring upon me the sweet savour of Christs righteousness imputed unto me See Heb. 9.13 14 19. where he calleth it Hyssop of which see Dioscorides lib. 3. chap. 26.28 David multiplieth his sute for pardon not only in plain terms but by many metaphors Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow So we cannot be by any washings of our own though with Snow-water Isa 6.46 The Brides Garments are made white in the Lambs bloud Rev. 1.14 the foulest sinners washed in this Fountain become white as the snow in Salmon Isa 1.18 1 Cor. 6.11 Eph. 5.27 Peccata non redeunt Vers 8. Make me hear joy and gladness God will speak peace unto his people he createth the fruit of the lips to be peace Isa 57.19 c. No such joyful tidings to a condemned person as that of a Pardon Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee Feri feri Domine nam à peccatis absolutus sum said Luther Davids Adultery and Murther had weakned his Spiritual condition and wiped off all his comfortables but now he begs to be restored by some good Sermon or sweet promise set home to his poor soul That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce By leaping over Gods pale he had broke his bones and fain he would be set right again by a renewed righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost by his former feelings of Gods favour Vers 4. Hide thy face from my sins We are not able to indure Gods presence much less his Justice for our sins nor can there be any sound peace of Conscience whiles he frowneth His favour is better than life but his displeasure more bitter than death it self See 2 Sam. 14.32 And blot out all mine iniquities See how one sin calleth to mind many thousands which though they lye a sleep a long time like a sleeping debt yet wee know not how soon they may be reckoned for Make sure of a generall pardon and take heed of adding new sins to the old Vers 10. Create in mee a clean heart O God His heart was woefully soiled with the filth of sin and the work of grace interrupted he therefore prayeth God to interpose and begin it again to set him up once more to re-inkindle those sparks of the spirit that lay almost quite smothered to put forth his almighty power for that purpose to farm that Augean stable of his heart to sanctify him throughout in spirit soul and body and to keep him blamelesse unto the comming of his son 1 Thes 5.23 Andrenew a right spirit within mee Or a firm spirit firm for God able to resist the Devill stedfast in the faith and to abide constant in the way that is called holy Vers 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence Deprive mee not of communion with thee and comfort from thee for that 's a peece of Hell torments 2 Thes 1.9 Cains punishment which possibly David might here mind as being guilty of murther And Sauls losse of the Kingly Spirit 1 Sam. 15.15 might make him pray on And take not thine holy Spirit from mee David knew that he had done enough to make the holy Spirit loath his lodging he might also think that the Spirit had urterly withdrawn himself and others might think as much beholding his Crosses Jer. 30.17 But the gifts and callings of God are without repentance and where the Spirit once inhabiteth there he abideth for ever Joh. 14.16 an interruption there may bee of his work but not an intercision and a Saint falling into a grosse sin may lose his jus aptitudinale ad calum but not his jus heredit arium his fitnesse but not his right to Heaven that holy place Vers 12. Restore unto mee the joy of thy salvation He had grieved that holy thing that Spirit of
the ropes or manage the oares c. The self-seeker the private-spirited man may he be but warme in his own feathers regards not the danger of the house he is totus inse like the snail still within doors and at home like the Squirrel he ever digs his hole towards the Sun-rising his care is to keep on the warme side of the hedge to sleep in a whole skin to save one whatever become of the many From doing thus Mordecai deterreth Esther by an heap of holy arguments discovering an heroical faith and a well-knit resolution At this time There is indeed a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccl. 3.7 But if ever a man will speak let him do it when the enemies are ready to devoure the Church as Croesus his dumb son burst out into Kill not King Croesus For Zions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest c. Esay 62.1 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth c. Psal 137.5 6. That noble Terentius General to Valens the Emperour being bidden to ask what he would asked nothing but that the Church might be freed from Arians And when the Emperour Niceph. upon a defeat by the Gothes upbraided him with cowardise and sloth as the causes of the overthrow He boldly replied Your selfe have lost the day by your warring against God and persecuting his people Then shall their enlargement Heb. Respiration a day of refreshing should come from the Presence of the Lord. Confer Job 9.18 At present they could hardly breath for bitternesse of spirit And deliverance arise Heb. stand up as on its basis or bottome so as none shall be able to withstand This Mordecai speaketh not by a spirit of Prophecy but by the force of his faith grounded upon the Promises of Gods defending his Church hearing the cries of his afflicted arising to their relief and succour c. Mira profectò at omnibus linguis saeculis â—â—cisque commendabilis fides saith one A notable faith indeed and worthy of highest commendation Thorough the Perspective of the Promises those pabulum fidei food of faith a believer may see deliverance at a great distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see it and salute it as those did Heb. 11.13 What though Sense saith It will not be Reason It cannot be yet Faith gets above and sayes It shall be I descryland Italiam Italiam laeto clamore salutar Virg. But thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed Here he thundereth and threatneth her if to save her self she shall desert the Church Mordecai's message like Davids ditty Psal 101.1 is composed of discords Soure and sweet make the best-sauce Promises and menaces mixed will soonest work God told Abraham that for the love he bare him Gen. 123. he would blesse those that blessed him and curse such as cursed him Their sin should finde them out and they should rue it in their posterity As one fire so one feare should drive out another And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom There is often a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1. God may have an end and an aime in businesses that we wot not of nor can see into till event hath explained it Let us lay forth our selves for him and labour to be publike-spirited such as fully satisfied him No man labour can be in vaine in the Lord. to see which way we may most glorifie God and gratifie our brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil 1.20 Verse 16. Thus Esther bade them returne Mordecai this answer A sweet answer and such as fully satisfied him No mans labour can be in 〈◊〉 in the Lord. Good therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the wise mans counsel In the morning sow thy seed 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 thy 〈◊〉 for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this 〈◊〉 that or whither they â—ath shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 Mordecai had filled his mouth with Argument and now God filled his heart with comfort Esther yields and resolves to obey him whatever come of it only she will go the wisest way to work first seeking God and then casting herself upon the King Ora labora God hath all hearts in his hand and will grant good successe to his suppliants Verse 16. Go gather together all the Jewes Great is the power of joynt prayer it stirres heaven and works wonders Oh when a Church-full of good people shall set sides and shoulders to work when they shall rouse up themselves and wrastle with God when their pillars of incense shall come up into his Presence Rev. 14.1 and their voices be heard as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder Rev. 14. What may not such thundring legions have at Gods hands Have it they will have it Coelum tundimus preces fundimus misericordiam extorquemus said those primitive Prayer-makers Rev. 9.13 the prayers of the Saints from the foure corners of the earth sound and do great things in the world they make it ring It was the speech of a learned man if there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart how much more then a volley of sighs from many good hearts together it filleth the eares of God so that God heareth nothing else And fast ye for me Who am now upon my life and for ought I know am shortly to appear before the Lord who requireth to be sanctified in all them that draw near unto him and wherein I may not look to have leave to erre twice Non licet in bâ—llo bis â—rrâ—re D. â—â—all Point therefore your prayers for me with holy fasting that they may pierce heaven and prevail Abstinence meriteth not saith a grave Divine for Religion consisteth not in the belly either full or empty What are meats or drinks to the Kingdome of God which is like himself spiritual but it prepareth best for good duties Full bellies are fitter for rest Not the body so much as the soule is more active with emptinesse Hence solemn prayer taketh ever fasting to attend it and so much the rather speedeth in heaven when it is so accompanied It is good so to diet the body that the soule may be fattened And neither eat nor drink three dayes c. That is saith Drusius two whole nights one whole day and part of two other dayes See the like expression Mat. 12 40. Others lay that in those hot countreyes they might fast three dayes as well as we two in these cold climates Tully in one of his Epistles telleth us Epist 10â— that he fasted two dayes together without so much as tasting a little water For the Romanes also and Grecians had their Fasts private and publike whether it were by a secret instinct of Nature or by an imitation of the Hebrewes Faciunt vespae favos The
presently confessed the fact Job Manl. loc com pag 290 and was executed for it Verse 17. And I brake the jawes of the wicked It is a mercy to have Judges saith One Modò audeant quaesentiunt as the Oratour hath it so they dare do as their consciences tell them they should do Job was such a Judge Cic. pro Milom he feared not to encounter and keep under those unruly Beasts and Belialists who oppressed the poor and then doubted not to oppose with crest and brest whatsoever stood in the way of their humours and lusts Hîc forti magnoque animo opus fuit saith One Here Jobs courage was put to the proof if ever Is it nothing to break the Jaw-bones of the wicked to take the prey out of the Lions mouth and to rescue the oppressed from the man that is too mighty for him Is it nothing to encounter the Hydra of sin to oppose the current of times and torrent of vice to turn the wheel over the wicked and to leave them as powerlesse as old Entellus in Virgil did Dares whom his fellowes led away well beaten and well nigh broken Jactantemque utroque cáput Virg. Aeneid crassumque crúorem Ore rejectantem mistosque in sanguine dentes And pluckt the spoile out of his teeth i.e. I made him make restitution of his ill gotten goods whether by fraud or force So that Jobs Court we see was not vitiorum sentina sed virtutum Officina his course was Parcere subjectis debellare superbos to fuccour the afflicted and to punish the proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio. Augustus the Emperor was wont to say That such an one only was fit to be a Magistrate that was free from foule offence himselfe and could withstand the corruptions of the times keep a constant countermotion to the evil manners of the multitude as Cato was ever inveying against covetousnesse and riot in the Roman State Here also we have in Job the lively picture of a good Magistrate much better then that of Caesar Borgia that Villain De Principe P. 185 whom Machiavel proposeth as the only pattern for Princes to imitate Verse 18. Then I said I shall dye in my nest Heb. I shall expire and breath out my last by a natural death in my house and amidst my people as a bird dyeth in his nest when he hath lived his utmost Pollicebar mihi securitatem I promised my self a prosperous and long life all health and happinesse Brent This some make to be a fault in Job as it was likewise in David when in his prosperity he said I shall never be moved Psal 30.6 And indeed the holiest hearts are apt in such a strait to grow proud and secure like as wormes and wasps eat the sweetest apples and fruits But others are of judgement That this was a commendable confidence in Job grounded upon Gods Promises and the conscience of his own uprightness an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual security a blessed calme and composednesse a Sabbath of Spirit flowing from faith and causing joy This was all well only that of Bernard must be carefully heeded and held to Laeti simus non securi gaudentes in Spiritu sancto sed tamen caventes à recidivo Be merry we may but not carnally secure rejoycing in the Holy Ghost but yet beware that we backslide not David by misreckoning of a point missed the Haven and ran upon the Rocks Psal 30. And Job here seemeth to have been mistaken by taking the promises of outward happiness with out exception of the cross for the which he is afterwards reproved by Elihu and also by God himself And Shall multiply my dayes as the sand i.e. Very long by a Scripture hyperbole Gen. 22.17 and 32.12 and 41.49 The Septuagint read As the Phoenix The Vulgar Latine as the Palm-tree which is reckoned among the long lived trees as is likewise the Phoenix among the longest lived creatures R. Solomon saith he liveth a thousand yeers others five hundred and then dyeth in his nest made of Frankinsence and Myrrhe and other sweet Odours which being kindled by the heat of the Sun he is burnt to ashes they say out of which ashes a long time after cometh another Phoenix How true all this of the Phoenix is I have not to say Let them that will reade more in Gesners History of Birds or let them look upon Lactantius his Poem called the Phoenix with Betuleius his Comment Verse 19. My root was spread out by the waters Heb. Opened to the waters which therefore had free recourse to it and much refreshed it Hereby he describeth his flourishing condition when time was through the perpetual inflowings of Gods free Grace and favour And the dew lay all night upon my branch Pernectabat because in the night the dew falleth Beza thus Paraphraseth this whole verse For downward the root of my good and upright conscience was spred out by the everflowing waters of Gods bountifulness with which it was daily watered and upward the boughs growing out of this root to wit my children my servants my flocks of sheep and in a word my substance were washed with the coelestial dew which from heaven fell down upon them so that by this blessing of God they were marvellously increased Verse 20. My glory was fresh in me i.e. I had daily new accessions to mine honours and I was herein like a Bay-tree that is alwayes green This was also Josephs happiness in Egypt David in the Court of Saul Mordecai's and Daniels in the Court of Persia and Queen Elizabeths concerning whom besides that famous Epitaph set upon her Tomb by command of King James Thuanus a French Historian testifieth that the Lady Anna Atestina Mother to the Guises and Nemours pronounced her to be Glorioâ—â—ssimam omnium quae unquam sceptrum gestarunt felicissimam 〈◊〉 The most glorious and happiest Woman that ever swayed Scepter Among her Subjects the got a continual increase of honour and respects by coupling mildness with Majesty and stooping yet in a stately manner to the meanest sort but especially by setting up God and his sincere Service wherever she had to do trusting God with her precious life so much sought for by Popish Assassinates which whiles her Contemporary Henry 4. of France durst not do he loft his life and much of his honour witness that known Anagram Borbonius once Bonus orbi now Orous boni And my bow was renewed in my hand That is I had fresh and new supplies of strength Robur meum instaurabiâ—ur masusque reddetur Vatab. by friends and otherwise outwardly and inwardly according to that above Chap. 17.9 The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger See Gen. 49.24 1 Sam. 2.4 Verse 21. Vnto me men gave eare and waited i.e. Such a gift I had in flexanimous Oratory that my Auditours were held as it were by the ears in great
think things sufficiently refuted by the learned which yet had need to be further inquired into 5. That one younger man may see further sometimes into a matter then many others of longer standing and experience 6. That men may be esteemed obstinate and opinionative who are nothing less 7. That multitude and antiquity are but ciphers in Divinity c. Verse 13. Lost ye should say we have found out wisdom Or See that ye say not we need not search out words as verse 11. For we have found out wisdom rem acu pertigimus We have hit the nail on the head and said sufficient to convince him if any reason would do it whilst we affirm that God thrusteth him down as it were with a thump on the back and not man Who might do amisse but so cannot God who for as much as he fighteth against Job tossing him as a Tennis ball or as the wind doth a withered leafe from one affliction to another who can doubt but that he holdeth him a wicked man This saith Elihu is a very weak way of reasoning therefore never please your selves in it as convincing Hoc argumentum tam facilè dilustur quam vulpes comest pyrum as one merrily phrased it There is no judgement to be made of a person or cause by the good or evil successe of things sith none out of hell ever suffered more then Gods dearest children witnesse that little Book of Martyrs Hebr. 11. Neither have any sped better here then those worst of men Turks Papists Persecutors c. Verse 14. Now he hath not directed his speech against me And so I have no particular edge or grudge against him he hath no reason to think that I come prejudicated or exasperated This Elihu speaketh purposely to get within Job that he might the better perswade with him We must endeavour to preserve in the party with whom we would prevaile an opinion of our love and good affection to him for else we shall lose all our sweet words sith man is a cross and crabbed creature duci vult trahi non vult lead him you may drag him you must not Neither will I answer him with your speeches But with better He shall have from me soft words and hard Arguments I will come over him in a milder manner and to better purpose whilst moved merely by a zeal for Gods glory I shall shew him his miscarriages not in mine own words but in Gods That 's a true saying of learned Junius Personatae reprehensiones frigent plerimumque interest ex animo omnia ut conscientia fert animusque facias an de industria Verse 15. They were amazed As if they had seen Medusa's head or some such terrible spectacle that had rendred them dumb Talkative enough they have been when there was no such necessity but now that they might speak to some purpose they stand like stocks and are mute as fishes whereby they bewray their ignorance and folly Silence in some cases is sepes sapientiae as the Rabbins speak Pirke aboth the fruit and fence of wisdome Amos 5.13 See the Note there But withal there is a sinful silence which Luther wished never to be found guilty of Modò impii silentii non arguar Luth. And it is the divel doubtlesse that gaggeth people when being called to speak of or for God as these friends of Job were at this time they answer no more They leave speaking The desert a good Cause or betray it by a cowardly silence It may be feared the spirit of faith is no indweller where the door of the lips move not right 2 Cor. 4.13 He speaks thus of those three seniors in a third person by way of irony and contempt turning his talk to the by-standers whereof its likely there were many or as Tremellius thinketh to Job with whom he seeketh to ingratiate Verse 16 When I had waited for they spake not but stood still Or Seeing I have waited but they have not spoken c. Nothing appears but a dumb shew a deep silence such as Elihu much marvelled at and therefore setteth it forth in many words all to one purpose See verse 15. Verse 17. I said I will answer also my part It is a vertue to be forward and forth putting in that which is good and a vice to be shye and shame faced A Christian should catch at opportunities of doing and receiving good he should be ready to every good work as the busie Bee so soon as ever the Sun breaks forth gets abroad to gather honey and wax I also will shew my opinion Heb. My knowledg as verse 6. and so the Vulgar readeth it Hereupon Gregory taking Elihu but not well for an arrogant person sheweth that such love to vaunt themselves and out of ostentation to set forth their good parts to publick view and are therein like unto a vessel without a cover touching which the Law saith that it shall be counted unclean Thus He. But to utter a mans knowledge for the benefit of others as good Elihu did is not pride but zeal however the world censure it And they have doubtlesse an heavy account to make who hide their talents and having a great treasure of rare abilities will not be drawne to impart them the canker of these mens great skill shall be a swift witness against them Vile latens virtus Verse 18. For I am full of matter Heb. Of words such as are weighty and stuffy steep'd in mine understanding as Plutark saith Phocions words were and very well digested I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in very good case to speak as full of solid Arguments as the Moon is of light Whether Elihu speaketh this arrogantly and from the flesh or from the Spirit I determine not saith Brentius here But sure it is that such words as these howsoever they may seem arrogant and carnal Possunt tamen esse spiritualissima yet they may be very spiritual as Jer. 4. and 20. And as sure it is that we should be in company like full clouds or paps that pain themselves with fulness till eased of their milk The Spirit within me constraineth me Heb. The spirit of my belly that is Gods Holy Spirit inhabiting mine heart and exciting me to so good a work The love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5.14 It hath not only an impulsive but a compulsive faculty Sicu◠flatus in ventre conclusus magno impetu exitum quaerit sic zelus mentis quaerit exitum per sermonem Pisc Rumperer medius si non erumperet sermo intra me conceptus as Brentius here paraphraseth I should even burst if I did not vent my conceptions which like a child in the womb at full time or as wind in the bowels want room and presse to come out Psal 39.3 Jer. 20.9 Verse 19. Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent By this elegant similitude Elihu illustrateth what he had said before wherein as Merlin well observeth he compareth words shut
See verse 15. Where all the beasts of the field play And play they may securely for him for he is so far from using his sword to destroy them that when he is to passe through the herds of other beasts or cattle he maketh way saith Pliny with his Snout that he may not hurt any of them and beckneth to them therewith as it were with his hand that he will only pass by them and do them no harm Verse 21. He lyeth under the shady trees Vatablus readeth the words question-wise thus Sic R. Levi. Kimchi Lyeth he under the shady trees in the covert of the reeds and fens No such matter he is too big to be shaded by trees neither can reeds and fens cover him But Aristotle tells us That he loves to lye by the banks of Rivers beset with trees Debist anim l. 9. c. 46 Plin. lib. 8. c. 10. as being naturally hot and bred in hot Countries and yet he is impatient of cold and winter And therefore when Hannibal brought many Elephants out of Africa into Italy they all perished in the cold Alps except only that one whereupon Hannibal himself rode In the covert of the reed and fens Hence Cardinus saith That the Elephant is of a Swinish nature Ad calorem frangendum crasso caeno per. funduntur Plin. delighted with mud and mire And Gulielmus Parisiensis applyeth Behemoth in the fens to the divel in sensual hearts He sleepeth in moist places saith he that is in those that lye melting in sinful pleasures and delights therefore Luke 11. it is said that he walketh in dry places seeking rest but finding none and Ezek 47.11 when the waters of the Sanctuary overflowed the miry places could not be healed Verse 22. The shady trees cover him with their shadow c. He leaneth against those trees and sleepeth for lye downe and rise again he cannot for want of joynts in his limbs And why may not we conceive the trees in those parts big enough to overshade the Elephant when as in America but especially in Brasile the trees are so huge Abbots Geog. pag. 271. that it is reported of them that several families have lived in several armes of one tree to such a number as are in some petty Village or Parish amongst us The willowes of the brook compasse him about To shelter him from the wind and cold And although they cannot swim they are so big yet they love to be about pooles and brooks for shade and to ease their thirst for the Elephant drinketh off fourteen firkins of water in a morning saith Aristotle and eight at night as it followeth Verse 23. Behold he drinketh up a River and hasteth not Viz. Through fear tanquam canis ad Nilum as the dogs that drink at Nilus fear the Crocodile or as they of this Land anciently drank in fear of their lives the whiles and were therefore wont to have some friend to undertake for their safety whence that expression of him who is drunk to I 'll pledge for you The Elephant as he drinks huge draughts beyond that of the Camel Lib. 8. cap. 18. who drinketh saith Pliny Et in praeteritum in futurum for both the time past and the time to come so he drinks without disturbance for who dare deal with him Other cattle through the frightfulnesse of their disposition break their draughts to stare about them Not so the Elephant who drinks as if he would exhaust and drain dry the River and steps into it with such a big body as if he would stop the course of it therefore some read the words thus He hindreth the River that is hasteth not Some by he hasteth not understand that custom of the Elephant not to drink till he have first by going into and stirring the water made it pudley for he loveth not clear waters as Elian writeth Neither yet doth he at any time enter higher into a River then he can breath through his large Snout for swim he cannot by reason of the weightinesse of his body saith Aristotle Hist anim l. 9. cap. 46. He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth In the vast imagination of his fancy he conceits that he can devour and drink up whole Jordan at once Jordan is the greatest River of Canaan running along the Land and falling into the dead Sea which yet grows no bigger by swallowing it Hereunto some think that this Text alludeth But better by Jordan here which ariseth from the root of Lybanus and as some say from a double fountain the one on the right side called Dan and the other on the left called Jor we may understand by a Synecdoche any River and so these words are nothing else but an hyperbolical repetition of the former Verse 24 He taketh it with his eyes It that is Jordan which he thinks when he seeth it to drink up at a draught but it is better filling his belly then his eye as we say Others He thrusteth his head in up to the eyes through extreme greedinesse Brentius readeth it Oculis suis capitur ipse decipulis perforatur nasus and saith That this Creature is taken only by his eyes and nose for otherwise he is as slick and slippery as an Eele so is Satan saith he neither can we shun his wiles but by the Spirit of faith In Gen. 3. p. 67. But Nouns hoc spumosum Luther in one place calleth allegories Spumam Scripturae the froth of the Scriptures and in another the allegorical sense is a beauteous harlot that inticeth idle men who think themselves in Paradice and in Gods bosom when they fall upon such speculations Gregory and others who have wholy allegorized this and the former chapter applying all to the divel and Antichrist observed not what was the state and scope of this disputation Some read the Text thus Will any take him in his fight will any pierce his nose with snares q.d. That is not the way to take him or hold him when taken He must be caught by wiles and not by main force or open strength See Pliny to this purpose although when he is once caught he is soon tamed and made tractable to many uses See Aristotles history of living Creatures Lib. 8. cap 8. et 9 Lib. 9. cap. 46. Pliny saith he had seen Elephants dance on the Rope and write Greek letters with their feet c. His nose pierceth through snares Or Will any bear his nose to put in snares Though he be apt enough to be tamed and taught yet he will not endure halter bridle bit or ring in his nose as neither will Leviathan of whom the like is spoken chap. 41.1 2. CHAP. XLI Verse 1. Caust thou draw out Leviathan with an book AS men use to do the lesser fishes in angling No as little as thou canst bore Behemoths nose with a snare chap. 40.24 Leviathan is a common name for all great Sea-Monsters Psal 104.26 Beza
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comliness The Protestants at Lions in France called their publick meeting-place Paradise And the place where thine honour dwelleth i.e. Where thou thy self dwellest or thine Ark which is called Gods glory 1 Sam. 4.21 Psal 78.61 yea Gods self Psal 132.5 and Gods face Psal 105.4 Vers 9. Gather not my soul with sinners I have loved thy House which sinners never delighted in therefore gather not my soul with sinners so the Syriack senseth it Let me not dye the death of Sinners for I never cared for their company so the Rabbines See the Note on vers 5. Let me not share with them in punishment for I could never abide their practice Balaam would dye the death of the righteous but he liked not of their life Euchrites would be Craesus vivens Socrates mortuus Sir Walter Rawleigh would live a Papist there being no Religion like that for Licentious liberty and lasciviousness but dye a Protestant We have some that would gladly dance with the Devil all day and then sup with Christ at night live all their lives long in Dalilaes lap and then go to Abrahams bosome when they dye But this cannot be as David well understood and therefore both eschewed the life of a wicked person and deprecated his death Gather not or take not away c. The righteous is taken away Heb. gathered Isa 57.1 as men gather Flowers and candy them preserve them with such to be gathered David would hold it an happiness but not with sinners with sanguinaries for such are gathered but as house-dust to be cast out of doors Vers 10. In whose hands is mischief Wicked contrivance Here we have the true portracture of a corrupt Courtier such as Sauls were Vers 11. But as for me I will walk Whatever others do their example shall be no rule to me to deviate See my Righteous mans recompence D. 1. Redeem me c. For I am likely to suffer deeply for my singularity Vers 12. My foot standeth in an even place i.e. Mine affections are in an equal tenour A good man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the scales of his minde neither rise up toward the beam through their own lightness or their over-weening opinion of prosperity nor are too much depressed with any load of sorrow but hanging equal and unmoved between both give him liberty in all occurrences to enjoy himself I will bless the Lord For performance of promises chiefly in that great Panegyris Heb. 12. PSAL. XXVII Vers 1. The Lord is my light That is my comfort and direction he that dissolveth all my clouds of serrours within and troubles without To these all hee opposeth Gods All-sufficiency as making for him and as being All in all unto him Light Salvation Strength of Life what not and there-hence his full assurance and such a masculine magnanimity as feareth not the power of men and Devils be they who they will and do what they can Animo magno nihil est magnum When a man can out of this consideration God is my light inthings of the minde and my Salvation in things of the body as Aben-Ezra expoundeth it contemn and reckon all things else as matters of small moment it shews he hath in truth apprehended God and this is true holy magnanimity The Lord is the strength of my life He that keeps life and soul together saith Aben-Ezra as the Spirits do soul and body and therefore Quis potest me interimere saith Kimchi who can do me to death Of whom shall I be afraid Faith fortifieth the heart against distrustful fears which it quelleth and killeth In a fright it runneth to the heart as the bloud doth and releeveth it setting it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Gunshot of Creature-annoyances Expertus loquor for Vers 2. When the wicked even mine enemies came upon me Made impression upon me with utmost violence and open mouth as if they would have devoured me Cannibal-like or as a Lion doth a sheep inhumanissimè ferarumque more saith Junius barbarously and beastly They stumbled and fell Irritis conaitibus corruerunt they utterly lost their design as did those Amalekites who had sacked Ziglah 1 Sam. 30. and Saul often If a man stumble and fall not he gets ground but if after much blundering hee kiss the ground hefalleth with a force Davids enemies did so Corruerunt conciderunt they were irreparably ruined Vers 3. Though an Host should encamp against me See Psal 3.6 with the Note We should propound the worst to our selves the best will bring with it as wee say especially if we finde our faith to be in heart and vigour as here Davids was Though War shouldrise against me War is a complexive evil and is therefore called so by a specialty Isa 45.7 I make peace and create evil that is War Sin Satan and War have all one name saith a learned Divine evil is the best of them the best of sin is deformity of Satan enmity of war misery In this will I be confident In this In what In this one ensuing Petition saith Aben-Ezra or in this that I have said before The Lord is my light and my Salvation in this confident gloriation of mine which is such as an unbeleever is a perfect stranger unto Vers 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord One thing above the rest Every of Gods suppliants hath some one special request that he mainly insisteth on Ut cultu Del libeto legitimouti possit Jun. and King Davids was the liberty of Gods Sanctuary and enjoyment of his publick Ordinances Hoc primus petit hoc postremus omittit This was dearer to him than Wife Children Goods all This Sute he knew to be honest and therefore he began it and being so he is resolved never to give it over but to prosecute it to the utmost and to persevere in prayer which is a great vertue Rom. 12.12 till he had prevailed That will I seek after As Gods constant Remembrancer who loveth to be importuned and as it were jogged by his praying people Herein David shewed himself a true Israelite a Prince of God and as Nazianzen stileth Basil the Great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of desires flowing from the Spirit He knew well that a faint Suter doth but beg a denial That I may dwell in the House of the Lord i.e. In the place where was the Ark with the Prophets Priests Levites Asaph and his brethren c. with whom David desired to be taken up in the service of God free from Secular cares and delights at times convenient Pyrrhus told Cyneas that when he had finished his Wars once he would then sit still and be merry The Roman Generals when they had once triumphed over their enemies might take their ease and pleasure for ever after But good David resolves to improve his rest when ever God shall grant it him to perpetual piety That I may dwell saith he or sit in the house of Jehovah
dejection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever befalls thee yea against all distempers sith they hinder comfortable intercourse with God and that Spiritual composedness that Sabbath of spirit that we must enjoy or else we cannot keep that continual Holy-day 1 Cor. 5.8 How many are there who through unnecessary sadness come to Heaven before they are aware Dr. Sibbes Hope thou in God Faith quieteth the soul first or last saith a Reverend man on these words there will be stirring at the first As in a pair of Ballance there will be a little stirring when the weight is put in till it come to a poise so in the soul it comes not to a quiet consistency till there be some victory of faith till it rest and stay the soul For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Heb. Homil. in Genes The healthâ— of his countenance Adhuc confitebor ei salutes vultus ejus Chrysostom bringeth in a man loaden with troubles coming into the Church where when he heard this passage read Why art thou cast down hope in God c. he presently recovered Vers 6. O my God my soul is cast down within me Though before he had schooled himself out of his distem pers yet now he is troubled again such are the vicissitudes and interchanges of joy and sorrow that the Saints are here subject unto as soon as the Spirit gets the better as soon the Flesh sometimes good affections prevail sometimes unruly passions Affections are the wind of the soul passions the storm The soul is well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly Therefore will I remember thee from the Land of Jordan That is saith one I will call to minde former experiments there and take comfort Or I will remember thee as I may here at Mahanaim beyond Jordan under the mount Hermon and that other little Hill where I have found thee in my meditations and prayers propitious unto me though I cannot now worship thee in the beauty of holiness being driven out by my ungracious Son Absolom from the place where thine honour dwelleth Vers 7. Deep calleth unto deep Vorago voraginom advocat i.e. one calamity inviteth another Aliud ex also malum they come thick and three-fold Gurges gurgitem excipit Beza the Clouds return after the rain Eccles 12.2 as one shower is unburthened another is brewed One affliction followeth and occasioneth another without ceasing or intermission so that they are grown as it were to an infiniteness as Psalm 40.12 At the noyse of thy water-spouts i.e. Thy Clouds pouring down amain in a storm at Sea especially by a Cataclysm of waters falling at once out of the Clouds sometimes to the overwhelming and breaking of a ship This Mariners call a spout Psal 18.4 The flouds of Belial made me afraid All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Fluctou fluctum trudit yet not without the Lord the enemies and the evils that befell him are called Gods waves or breakings Propter peccata noltra à te immiffa Kimchi Vers 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness He will after all this misery send forth a Commission and a command to set me free and his Mandamus will do it at any time And in the night his Song shall be with me When others that are without God in the World have restless nights the gnats of cares and griefs molesting them a Saint can sing away care and call his soul to rest as Psal 116.7 being filled with peace and joy through beleeving such as setteth him a singing to Gods glory And my prayer unto the God of my life i.e. My Praises which are a chief part of prayer 1 Tim. 26.1 Thanks-giving is an artificial begging Gratiarum actio est adplus dandum invitatio Vers 9. I will say unto my God nay Rock why hast thou forgotten me Tenè veâ—â— mei immemoremesse Thus I will in a familiar manner expostulate with him and lay my case open unto him as to a friend The flesh suggesteth that he is forgotten but faith holdeth its own fastning on the Rock of ages Why go I mourning Heb. Black as one that is in mourning weeds or that had lain among the pots Vers 10. As with a sword in my bones Heb. A murthering weapon which when thrust into the bones causeth most exquisite pain so deeply was good David affected with the dishonour done to God by his blasphemous enemies it went to the very heart of him as a dagger While they say daily See the Note on vers 3. Vers 11. Why art thou cast down See vers 5. Who is the kealth of my countenance i.e. The Author of my manifold present and apparent safety such as shall make me look blithe and beautiful cheery and chirp PSAL. XLIII VErs 1. Judge me O God This Psalm is as it were an Epitome or an Appendix to the former and little differing in words or matter Plead my cause See Psal 35.1 Against an ungodly Nation Heb. A Nation not mild or merciful so he calleth Absoloms Complices who sought and would have suckt his bloud Such are a people of Gods wrath and of his curse O deliver me c. From Absolom or Abitophel or the whole Faction Vers 2. For thou art the God of my strength As being in Covenant with me both offensive and defensive In the Lord Jehovah is a Rock of ages or everlasting strength Isa 26.4 for God of my strength Psa 42.9 is my Rock Why go I mourning See Psal 42.9 Vers 3. Lux veritas piorum comites O send out thy light i.e. thy comforting grace opposed to that vers 2. I go mourning or in black And thy truth i.e. Thy faithfulness opposed to the deceitful man vers 1. The Rabbines interpret Light and Truth by Christ and Elias the Arabick maketh it a prayer for the Jews conversion Let them bring me unto thy holy bill Zion the place of holy assemblies for Gods service Iterum commendatur hic dignit as ministerii Publici Vaeigitur illis qui caducorum bexeruns usum redimunt sacri ministerii jacturâ qui conciones â—acras Sacramenta ultro negligunt c. And to thy Tabernacles Socalled either because it was set up at sundry times in sundry places whilst it was tranfportative or else because it was parred by veiles into several rooms Heb. 9.2 3. Vers 4. Then will I go muto the Altar of God Not without store of Sacrifices Gods service is now nothing so costly and should therefore be more chearfully performed Heathens had their Altars c. all save the Ferfiaus Vers 5. Why art thon bowed down c. See Psal 42.9 11. PSAL. XLIV MAschil i.e. Making wise or giving instruction for which purpose this Psalm was composed by David as it is most probable or some other excellent Prophet for the use of the Church which is hares crucis
the mercies of the Lord Gods Mercies moved him to promise his faithfulness bindeth him to perform Ethan promiseth to celebrate both were the times never so bad their case never so calamitous I will make known thy faithfulness Which yet I am sometimes moved to make question of Thus the Psalmist insinuateth before he complaineth Vt faclendum docent Rhetores in causis invidiosis wherein he sheweth himself a right Rhetorician Vers 2. For I have said I beleeved therefore have I spoken it I dare say it shall be so because thou hast said it so the Greek here hath it what God saith we may write upon it because all the words of his mouth are in righteousness neither is there any thing froward or perverse in them Prov. 8.8 Mercy shall be built up for ever Till the top-stone be laid and judgement bee brought forth into victory Mat. 12.20 the sure mercies of David fail not Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the heavens Or with the very heavens that is so sure as they are established If that Martyr could say The Heavens shall sooner fall than I will forsake the truth I have learned how much more may we say so of Gods unfaileable faithfulness See vers 33. Vers 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen i.e. With Christ who is Gods elect one Isa 42.1 and in him with all his people Ephes 1.4 I have sworn unto David The Father and Figure of Christ who is frequently called David and is here chiefly to be understood O happy we for whose sake God hath sworn saith Tertullian and O most wretched if we beleeve him not thus swearing Vers 4. Thy Seed will I establish for ever Davids for a long time but Christs for ever and aye And build up thy throne to all generations Christs Kingdom hath no end Isa 9.7 Luke 1.33 This is very comfortable The Jews understanding this promise of Davids Kingdom have oft attempted the restauration of it but in vain and to the ruine of their Nation Vers 5. And the heavens shall praise thy Wonders Heb. Thy Miracle viz. in their circumgyration which sheweth a first mover in their embroidery influences c. yeelding matter and occasion of praise And thus All thy Works praise thee O Lord but thy Saints bless thee Psa 145.10 and so by Heavens here we may understand the Angels of Heaven as they are called Mat. 24 36. as by the Congregation of Saints the Church universal in heaven and earth by whom God is highly praised for the Covenant of Grace Vers 6. For who in the heaven can be compared c Thou farre transcendest the brightest Cherub all whose excellency is but derivative a drop of thine Ocean a spark of thy flame Who among the Sons of the mighty Inter chores Angelorum saith the Chaldee What Angel what Man Vers 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly c. Heb. Daunting terrible in the socret of the Saints very much The holy Angels make their addresses unto him with greatest reverence and self-abasements for they know that he humbleth himself to behold things in heaven Psal 113. How much more then should we set our selves to serve him with reverence and godly fear sith our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Vers 8. Who is a strong Lord like unto thee Heb. Who is like thee mighty Jab This is to magnifie God when we get above all Creatures in our conceptions of him Or to thy faithfulness 〈◊〉 out thee those that are round about thee or thou art full of faithfulness Vers 9. Thou 〈◊〉 the raging of the sea That it overwhelm not the earth this work of Gods Power is often celebrated as well it may all things cinfideâ—â—â— Vers 10. Than hast broken Rahab in 〈◊〉 i. e. which is called Rahab for it strengtheâ—â—â—â—de As a 〈◊〉 is slain Or as one deadly wounded as such an one is soon dispatcht so here Vo Halal vulneratum lethaliter designat Then hast 〈◊〉 c. See Isa 25. â—â— with the Note Vers 11. 〈◊〉 heaven is 〈◊〉 thâ—â—earth also in thine Thâ—â—â— madest them by thy Power and thou maintainest them by the Provideâ—â—â— thou doest whatsoever thou wilt in both Psal 115.3 As for the World c. See Psal 24. 〈…〉 Vers 12. Tabor and Hermon That is the West and East of Judea but put here for the West and East of the World Judea was the World of the World as Atheâ—s the Greece of Greece as Solon the Epitome of Athens Vers 13. Thou hast a mighty arm Men should therefore both tremble before God and trust in him 1 Pet. 2.6 Strong is thy hand Even thy left hand q. d. tu polles utraque manu thou hast both hands alike powerful Vers 14. Justice and Judgement are the â—â—bitation or basis of thy 〈◊〉 these are the supporters and pillars Mercy and Truth c. These are the fore-runners or satellites I should much fear Justice and Judgement saith Austin were it not that Mercy and Truth comfort me Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Johâ— Vers 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Jubilatioâ—â—â— the sound of thy Word the free use of thine Ordinances serving thee with cheerfulness and giving thee thanks with exaltation of heaâ—â—â— and rapture of spirit Scias unde gauâ—â— quod verbâ—â— explicate 〈◊〉 possis saith Aâ—stiâ—s Accipa quod seâ—â—â— antequam 〈◊〉 faith Cyprian writing to Donatur concerning the joy of his Conversion They shall walk O Lord in the light of thy 〈◊〉 In the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the holy Ghost Vers 16. In thy name shall they rejoy 〈◊〉 a day Or every day Bonis semper ferie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Diâ—genes in Plutarch God crowneth the Kalender of good mens lives with many feâ—tivals Vers 17. For thou art the glory of thew strength And hence it is that they are filled to pfull with comfort and do over-abound exceedingly with joy in all their tribulation 2 Cor. 7.4 Vers 18. For the Lord is our defence Heb. our shield the body cannot bee wounded but through the shield And the holy one of 〈◊〉 our King How then can any one cry aloud Mich. 4.9 Vers 19. Then thou spakest in Vision to thy holy one i. e. to Samuel thy Priest and Prophet â— 1 Sam. 16.12 one of those few that lived and dyed with glory I have 〈…〉 upon one 〈◊〉 is migthy I have called David to the Kingdom and qualifie him 〈…〉 chiefly intended here is Christ able to save them to the 〈…〉 to God by him Heb. 7.29 〈…〉 One of them 〈◊〉 or one of singular 〈…〉 of the vulgar Vers 20. 〈…〉 and in 〈…〉 With my holy oyl have I annoynted him How Christ was appointed and annoy 〈…〉 Vers 21. 〈…〉 and carry him thorough all conditions with comfort See Ezra 22 with the Note 〈…〉 i.e. 〈…〉 more strength than the hand Vers 22. The enemy shalt 〈…〉 Or shall profit nothing 〈…〉 at all as
subsist in the feeling of thy favour as 1 Sam. 25.6 And keep thy word For which end only I desire life See the like Psal 118.17 Non peto vitâ—m propâ—â—r deliâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Kimchi Non aliter pelit vitam quam ut prastet se fidelem Dei 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 David doth no otherwise desire life than for this that hee may faithfully serve God Vers 18. Open thou mine eyes Heb. Vnveil theâ— velumen umâ—ot 〈◊〉 evolve give sight and light irradiate both organ and object In spirituals wee are not only dim-sighted but blind as Beetles 1 Cor. 2.14 Oh pray for that precious eye-salve Rev. 3.17 for that supernal light 2 Cor. 4.6 and whensoever wee open the Bible to read say as here open thou mine eyes c. as when wee close it up again say I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandement is exceeding broad vers 96. Wondrous things Mâ—rabilia magnalia mysteria such as none can understand and unriddle but such as plow with Gods own heifer 1 Cor. 2.11 Vers 19. I am a stranger in the earth And therefore apt to lose my way without a guide I shall surely else bee wildred and lost Hide not thy Commandements from mee viz. In the spirituall sense and effectuall operation of them Philosophers observe that lumen est vehiculum influentiae light is the convoy of influence as it begets the flower in the field the pearl in the earth c. so the foundation of all renovation is Illumination Hence David so earnestly beggeth it here and vers 17. Vers Comminuitâ—r 〈◊〉 20 My soul breaketh The Seventy render it My soul hath desired to desire thy Judgements How many broken spirits do even spend and exhale themselves in continuall sallies as it were and egressions of affection to God and his judgements The stone will fall down to come to its own place though it break it self in many peeces so the good soul Vers 21. Thou hast rebuked the proud c. Thou chidest them threatenest them plaguest them and so settest it on as no creature can take it oft And this is one reason why I love and observe thy laws ne paria patâ—ar lest I should suffer in like sort sith men must do it or dye for it Vers 22 Remove from mee reproach and contempt Cast upon mee by those proud haughty scorners vers 21. and that for nothing but because I keep thy Statutes therefore it is that they despise and defame mee but do thou Lord take an order with them behold I put them into thine hands and my self upon thy care to clear mee and set mee right for I am well resolved Vers 23 Princes also did sit c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By publick invectives such as were those of our Henry the eighth and of Lewis King of Hungary and Bohemia two very potent Princes against Luther Denotat continuum clamâ—rem Kimchi Vers 24. Thy Testimonies are my delight In mediâ—â— crucibus to them I run as to my cordiall they are my pleasure and pastime And my Counsellours My learned Counsel by whose advice I do all here I am sure to find consolationem consultissiâ—am directionem counsell and comfort in all my necessities Vers 25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust Those Princes my Persecutors Sauls counsellors have brought mee to deaths-doore as Psal 44.25 22.15 I am in a forlorn condition as far below hope as they are above â—ear Theodoret expoundeth it of humility and Theodosius the Emperor used these words when reproved by Ambrose for the slaughter at Thessalonica Theod. Eccleâ— hist l. 5. c. 18. hee lay on the ground and humbly begged pardon Vers 26 I have declared my wayes My sins and troubles those thou hast remitted and these thou hast remedied Teach mee thy Statutes Shew mee how I may walk worthy of such a love and live up to my mercies Vers 27 Make mee to understand c. Give mee a mouth and wisdome that I may not talk at random of thy word and works but understandingly and fruitfully Vers 28 My soul melteth Heb. Droppeth away like water I weep out my life together with my grief Strong thou thee mee 〈◊〉 to thy word Support â—â—ee by thy promise Vers 29 Remove from mee the way of lying A sin that David through diffidence fell into frequently See 1 Sam. 21.2 8. where hee roundly telleth three or four lyes and the like he did 1 Sam. 27.8 10. this evil he saw by himself and here prayeth against it And grant mee thy Law For a preservative from this soul sin herein gratfie â—â—ee good Lord. Vers 30 I have chosen the way of Truth I am fully bent against lying and am resolved to speak truth though I have done otherwise sometimes through frailty Thy Judgements have I laid before mee Thereby to fright my conscience that I might not so much as equivocate Some render it judicia tua 〈…〉 I have kept pace with thy judgements scil in the bent and bias of my heart at least Vers 31 I have stuck unto thy Testimonies Hitherto I have done so let mee not now shrink from them or hang loose to them lest I lose the things that I have wrought and shame my self for ever by my recidivation Vers 32 I will run the way Do thy work with utmost diligence and delight come off roundly and readily therein take long strides towards heaven When thou shalt inlarge my heart By thy free Spirit and by the joy of faith when thou shalt have oyled my joynts and nimbled my feet then shall I run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40.31 our promises of obedience must be conditional sith without Christ we can do nothing Joâ— 15.5 Vers 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Which is both hard to hit and dangerous to miss teach me therefore And I shall keep it Lex jubet gratia juvat O beg of God that we may persevere sith the evening crowneth the day c. Vers 34. Give me understanding Wee can neither know nor do Gods will without Divine light and aid as appears clearly by this fifth Octonary which therefore Austin made so great use of against the Pelagians Vers 35. Make me to go in the path Which I shall soon forsake if thou guide me not Te duce vera sequer te duce falsa nego For therein do I delight After the inward man Rom. 7.22 Thou hast given me to will give me also to work what is wel-pleasing in thy sight Vers 36. Incline my heart Through the exercises of thy Word and the working of thy Spirit And not â—o câ—vetousness Which draweth away the heart from all Gods testimonies and is the â—opt of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 Some think it is put here for all other vices The Chaldâ—e hath it And not to Mammon that mammon of iniquity as Christ calleth it the next odious name to the Devil Now to good God inclineth mans heart
Manl. lecâ— com 78. that for three choice books hee gave thirty thousand silverlings or florens Now what were all his books to the Bible To blame then was that Anabaptist who said in Melancthous hearing that hee would not give two pence for all the Bibles in the World Vers 73 Thy hands have made and fashioned mee Plasmaverunt which Bazil interpreteth of the body curiously wrought by God Psal 139. as Made Formaverunt Firmaverunt of the soul q. d. Thou art my Maker I would thou shouldest bee my Master A body hast thou fitted mee Heb. 10.5 a reasonable soul also hast thou given mee capable of salvation I am an understanding creature still neither have I lost my passive capacity of thy renewing grace Give mee understanding And thereunto adde sincere affection v. 80. that these may run parallel in my heart and mutually transâ—â—se life and vigour into one another Vers 74 They that fear thee will bee glad c. As hoping that they shall also in like sort bee delivered and advanced Because I have hoped in thy word And have not been disappointed The Vulgar rendreth it super speravi I have over-hoped and Aben-Ezra glosseth I have hoped in all thy decree even that of afflicting mee as in the next verse Vers 75 I know O Lord that thy Judgements are right That is that I suffer deservedly To thee O Lord belongeth Righteousness c. Dan. 9. And thâ— thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted mee That thou mayest be true to my soul and not suffer mee to run on to my utter ruine Or in faithfullnesse that is in measure as 1 Cor. 10.13 Vers 76 Let I pray thee thy mercifull kindnesse That I faint not neither sink under the heaviest burden of these light afflictions According to thy word to thy servant To thy servants in generall and therefore I trust to mee who am bold to thrust in among the rest and to put my name in the Writ Vers 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto mee c. Hee repeateth the same thing in other words and re-enforceth his request showing that hee could not live without divine comforts For thy Law is my delight Thou hast my heart and good will which sheweth that I am thy workmanship in a spirituall sense also Ephes 2.10 Oh look upon the wounds of thine hands and forget not the work of thine hands as Queen Elizabeth prayed Vers 78 Let the proud bee ashamed Theodoret thinks that David here prayeth not against but for his enemies quandoquidem confusio ignominia salutem procreat But that 's not likely For they dealt perversely with mee Writhing my words and deeds to a wrong sense Or they would pervert mee But I will meditate in thy Precepts Or I will speak of them and so stop their mouths and save my self from them Vers 79 Let those that fear thee These are fitly opposed to those proud ones as Mal. 3.13.16 Turn unto mee From whom they have shrunk in mine affliction And those that have known thy Testimonies Deum cognoscere colere to know and serve God is the whole duty of a man saith Lactantius Vers 80 Let my heart bee sound For the main though I have many failings Pray wee against Hypocrisie That I bee not ashamed As all dissemblers once shall bee Vers 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation Saying as those good souls Jer. 8.20 The Harvest is past the Summer isended and wee are not saved Physitians let their patients blood sometimes etium ad 〈◊〉 deliquiâ—m till they swoon again Howbeit they have a care still to maintain nature so doth God the fainting spirits of his people by cordialls Isa 57.16 But I hope in thy Word Vivere spâ— vidi qui moritur◠〈◊〉 Vers 82 Mine eyes said God sometimes deferreth to help till meâ—â—have left looking Luk. 18.8 when the son of man commeth shall hee find faith hardly This hee doth to commend his favours to us and to set a price on them Saying When wilt thou comfort mee This is a Prosâ—popaia as if Davids eyes said thus whilst they earnestly expected comfort Vers 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke Shrivelled wrinkled withered dryed up My body by long suffering is but a bag of bones and that black and sooty confer Psal 32.3 102.3 My soul in danger of being bereft of all spirituall moisture Yet dâ— I not forget thy Statutes Nay I do the rather remember them and fetch relief from them Vers 84 How many are the dayes of thy Servant i.e. Mine evil dayes Prov. 15.15 All the dayes of the afflicted are evill See Psal 37.12 and these soon seem many to us When wilt thou execute Judgement c. This is the voice of those Martyrs Rev. 6. who are thereupon willed to have patience till the number of their Brethren is fulfilled Vers 85 The proud have digged pits for mee The pride cruelty and craftiness of wicked Persecutors are fore-tokens of their utter destruction The Greek rendreth it they have told mee tales Prov. 16.27 An ungodly man diggeth up evill Which are not after thy Law Neither they nor their pits But what care they for thee or thy law and shall they thus escape by iniquity Psal 56.7 Vers 86. All thy Commandements are faithfull Heb. Faithfullness that is they are true sure equall infallible They have persecuted mee wrongfully For asserting thy truths and adhering thereunto Help thou mee The more eagerly men molest us the more earnestly should wee implore the divine help Vers 87 They had almost consumed mee upon earth In Heaven I shall bee out of their reach But this is their hour and the power of darknesse Luk. 22.53 But I forsook not thy Precepts No trouble must pull us from the love of the truth You may pull my tongue out of my head but not my faith out of my heart said that Martyr The Saints chuse affliction father than sin Vers 88 Quicken mee after thy loving kindnesse David under long affliction had his damps and dulnesses as the best faith if long tryed will flag and hang the wing Hee therefore rouseth up himself and wrestleth with God for quickening grace which hee promiseth to improve and not to receive the grace of God in vain so shall I keep the Testimony of thy mouth Vers 89 For ever O Lord thy word It is eternall and perpetuall neither can it bee vacated or abolished by the injurie of time or indeavours of tyrants The Bible was imprinted at the new Jerusalem by the finger of Jehovah and shall outlive the dayes of Heaven run parallel with the life of God with the line of eternity The Saints also and Angels in Heaven live by the same law as wee do here and we pray to bee conformed unto them Vers 90 Thy faithfullnesse is unto all generations Hee singleth out Gods word of promise and sheweth it to bee immutable and unmoveable as the earth is in the middle of Heaven by the word of Gods power See
Spirits at 〈◊〉 battel with their reboated Now for the fruit of prayer together with the many Psalms sung by that religious army in their severall stations whereof I have been an ear-witness Vers 8 To bind their Kings with chains Restraining their vices and bringing them to the obedience of faith See Isa 45.14 This is doubtless a desiteable servitude or rather freedome this is not as chains and fetters but as girdles and garters to gird up their loins and to expedite their course the better Vers 9 To execute upon them the Judgement written The Jews thought they might kill any Idolaters and now to kill a Christian is counted by them a meritorious work The wicked are apt to exceed their commission Zech. 1.15 So may the Saints David was too cruel to the Ammonites 2 Sam. 11. Theodosius to the Thessalonians Here therefore they are limited to the word written This honour have all his Saints As having obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 PSAL. CL. VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord See Psal 148.1 Praise God in his Sanctuary It is probable saith Beza that hâ—c Psalmâ— mirifici ardoris plenâ— by this Psalm which is so full of wonderfull ardour the holy singers of the Sanctuary did mutually stir up one another to praise the Lord. It hath been noted before that here wee have in six verses twelve Hallelujahs Some by Sanctuary understand Heaven Others the hearts of beleevers Praise him in the firmament of his power Or for the firmament wherein appeareth his power Psal 19.1 Or for the Church and the firmament of faith Vers 2 Praise him for his mighty acts Those wonderfull effects of his creative and providentiall omnipotencie Praise him according to his excellent greatnesse Or Greatness of greatness which yet can never be done but must be indeavoured Propound the highest pitch and best patterns Vers 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet With all your might and members with utmost joy and jollity in the Lord. Lord I am a musicall instrument saith Nazianzen Orat. de Basilio for thee to touch that I may sound forth thy glory and praise Vers 4 Praise him with the Timbrel and dance Or Pipe But these are antient things as it is said in another case Justin Maâ—tyr musices usum reprehendit qu. 107. ad Orthodox Sic Theodoret lib. de sacrific 1 Chron. 4.22 and now out of date When the use of these musicall instruments crept into the Christian Churches which was not till alate neither great abuses crept in with it the preaching of the word was changed into songs Anthems little understood by those that sang them and that grave and simple Psalmodie or singing of Psalms so much used of old and by this blessed Reformation restored to the Church was justled out or rather turned in turpissimum lenâ—câ—â—ium as one justly complaineth such as Nebuchadnezzar made before his golden image Dan. 2. When Aristotle was asked what he thought of musick he answered 〈…〉 nec citharâ—◠〈◊〉 thinking it an unprofitable Art to men that was no more delightfull to God Plato told the Musicians who pressed into his company that Philosophers could do well enough without them There is no doubt a lawfull use of musick and great power it hath to move mens minds one way or another 2 King 3.15 1 Sam. 16.23 But in Gods publick-worship it is dangerous to do any thing without his speciall warrant though we intend never so well in so doing as wee see in Vzza Temple-musick was part of the Jewish pedagogie of the leviticall-worship and therefore cannot bee retained without injury to Christ Vers â—â— Pison 5 Praise him upon the loud Cymbals These were saith Cicero instrumenta are◠〈…〉 in matris 〈◊〉 sacris usurpata bells some render it The Apostle speaketh of a tinkling Cymbal And a grave Divine complaineth that God cannot please some hearers D. Sâ—ough â—â— 2 Tim. â—1 13 〈…〉 unless hee speak tinkling and tickling words Vers 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Or Let every breath praise the Lord. Tâ—â— Dei 〈…〉 saith a Father We have all as much reason to praise God as we have need to draw breath our breath should bee like the smoak of the Tabernacle or those pillars of incense therehence ascending 〈◊〉 rendreth it 〈…〉 Let the very whole soul of us praise the Lord 〈◊〉 the Lord The Psalmist had made an end and 〈…〉 hath 〈…〉 When 〈…〉 said 〈◊〉 utmost for Gods praise 〈◊〉 must rest 〈…〉
casteth in Jobs teeth but herein he dealt with him as injuriously as Bonner did with Philpot the Martyr when he said to him Act. Non sol 16 50. Also I lay to thy charge that thou killedst thy father and wast accursed of thy mother on her death-bed c. Verse 35. They conceive mischief and bring forth vanity Here Eliphaz for a close by an elegant and usual Metaphor taken from child bearing sheweth that all such as conceive with guile or wrong to others by that time they have reckoned their months aright though they grow never so big shall bring forth nothing but wind and vanity Like as a woman that thinks she hath conceived and is deceived pleaseth her self with the thoughts of a child but brings forth nothing but wind water or some dead mass Brentius exemplifieth this by the Papists devising tot modos formas confitendi Missandi so many wayes and formes of Confessing and Massing Poor souls when stung by the Fryers Sermons or otherwayes troubled in mind run to those practices for help but all in vain for though stilled for a while yet conscience recoileth upon them and making them miserable leaveh them desperate as Popery is a Doctrine of desperation Mean while till they are consuted by the event wicked men please themselves not a little in their sinful conceptions they have a kind of a sensâ—â— veneris which Scaliger will have to be the sixth sense In male agendo voluptatem quaesierunt Merlin Spec. Europ besides those five commonly counted of a sensual delight in theâ— sinful projects As one speaking of the Councel of Trent saith That it was carried on by the Pope with such infinite guile and craft as that themselves will even smile in the tryumphs of their own wits when they hear it but mentioned as at a master stratagem these heathens so they are called Reâ—â— 11.2 consider not that whites they thus â—umultuate they do but imagine a vain thing Psal 2.1 and that the childs name is Vanity as here And their belly prepareth deceit Not their head but their belly prepareth accurately and strongly prepareth so the word signifieth deceit self-deceit so some sense it or rather to deceive and undo others whom they cannot over-come by might to overcome by â—eight And in these guileful projects they delight and take a contemplative kind of pleasure as the voluptuous person doth in his lust Psal 52.1 2. CHAP. XVI Verse 1. Then Job answered and said ALthough he had little or nothing to answer unto but what he had answered before yet that he might not say nothing he replyeth to Eliphaz his painted speech and giveth him to know That Prudentibus viris non placent phalerata sed fortia as B. Jewel was wont to say that is that wise men look for matter and not for words only from those that accoast them Verse 2. I have heard many such things Heard them over and over till I am even sated and nauseated Vexatus toties rauci q.d. Your sayings are superfluous your proofs insufficient you produce nothing new nothing but what is trivial and of very common observation Hac sex centies audivi Mine eares are grated and grieved with these unnecessary repetitions only re-inforced with greater bitternesse which as it addeth nothing at all to the weight of your words so it causeth me to add this Miserable Comforters are ye all Heb. Comforters of misery or of molestation onerous and burdensome so the Vulgar rendreth it and in that sense weighty if you will laying more load upon me who was before in a sinking condition You charge me for sleighting the consolations of God and pretend to come purposely to comfort me but such cold comforters I have seldome met with for in stead of abating and allaying my sorrowes you do all you can to increase and heighten them Is this your kindnesse to your friend Calvin noteth upon this Text That some Comforters have but one Song to sing and they have no regard to whom they sing it But Saint Jude's rule is Of some have compassion making a difference others save with fear ver 22 23. which whiles Jobs friends observed not they were justly stiled Miserable Comforters Verse 3. Ampullatur in arti Shall vain words have an end Heb. Shall there be an end to words of wind Bubbles of words big swoln speeches full of pride void of reason when shall we once have an end of them They that would comfort another indeed must not multiply vain repetition for these are very burdensome to a serious ear much more to a sad heart much lesse bitter speeches least of all taunts and buffooneries as vers 4. For like as if the eye be inflamed the mildest Medicine troubleth it so is it here how much more when harsh and uncouth Or what emboldneth thee that thou answerest That thou rejoynest having been so fully answered before Some men will never be said or set down such is their pertinacy they will not lay down the bucklers though beaten to their heads Sed prastas berbam dare quam turpiter pugnare Better yeild then stand out with dishonour Verse 4. I also could speak as you do c. Every whit as curiously and furiously I could scold and scoff as freely as you do but I know no warrant so to retort and retaliate Being reviled we blesse being defamed we entreat 1 Corinth 4.12 13. To render railing for railing is to think to wash off dirt with dirt If your soul were in my souls stead Some read it optatively as Isai 64.1 Would to God your soul were in my souls stead for then I would heap up words against you and act your part upon you but Job was not so malicious or vindictive as to think that tallying of injuries is but justice Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindictae cupidius saith Luther Hypocrites are cruel spiteful and revengeful but Job was none such He therefore telleth his friends that if they were in his condition he would deal much more mildly with them I could heap up words against you I could but would not Posse nolle nobile est Gen. Or thus Would I heap up c. and handle you thus discourteously by speeches and gestures as you do me It were easie to wag a wicked tongue and to shake my head at you in despite and mockery but were this Religion Doth not moral Philosophy say If a wise man speak evil of thee endure him if a fool pardon him Vinâ—it qui patitur as David did Saul overcoming evil with good though when he marched against Nabal how rough and rash was he in a resolution of revenge 1 Sam. 25.32 Verse 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth I would speak to your hearts and raise up your drooping spirits True it is that consolatiuncula creatâ—rulae as Luther calleth them creature comforts are poor businesses neverthelesse God conveyeth comfort many times by one man
to another as the aire conveyeth light or water heat His comforts are either rational fetch'd from grounds which faith ministreth or real from the presence of any thing that comforteth as the sight and discourse of a friend And herein how forcible are right words chap. 6. 25. They are of force we see here both to strengthen the feeble minded and to abate the strength of their sorrowes to asswage the most swelling floods thereof And thus one man may be an Angel nay a God to another Now whereas some might say You that are so good at comforting others and promise so fair Why are you not comfortable Job answereth in the next verse that this was their fault who had unkindly kept him off from receiving any comfort Verse 6. though I speak my grief is not assâ—agest Heb. If I speak scil to bewail my misery or to maintain mine innocency ye say ' â—is good enough for me and how can I be but wicked who am so punished As If I forbear what am I eased Heb. What goeth from me q.d. Ye conclude me guilty because silent as if I had nothing to say for my self Some make the words to refer to God as if Job had said Whether I speak or whether I forbear God doth not come in to my help I find no comfort from him c. and by the next verse it should seem that this is the right sense Verse 7. But now be hath made me weary i.e. God whom he acknowledgeth the Author of his afflictions but he should better have born up under them Quis cum fatigevis Dolor vel Dem ipse Lavat then to faint and fret even unto madnesse as the Septuagint here translates Job was now not only wet to the skin but his soul came into iron as Josephs once Psal 105.18 Like Ezekiels book chap. 2. he was written quite through with woes and lamentations And he might say with heman Psal 88.15 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted The grief which he here describeth Major erat quà m ut verbis comprehendi gravior quà m ut ferri molestior quam ut credi passes saith Brentius i.e. In locum Was greater then could be uttered heavier then could be born more troublesome then can be believed He therefore sets it out as well as he can and amplifies it by figures and Hyperbolies to move God and his friends to pity him and to shew that he complained not without cause Thou hast made desolate all my company Heb. Thou hast wonderfully desolated or wasted all my company that is all my joynts and members so the Vulgar translateth it but they do better that understand it of Jobs family and familiar friends In nibilum redacti sunt omnes artus mei who were either destroyed or stood amazed at his so great affliction and yeelded him little comfort Ne te autem turbet enallage persona faith Mercer here the change of person need not trouble us only the troubledness and unevennesse of Jobs speech sheweth that his spirit was troubled and unsettled We meet with the like oft in the Psalms Verse 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witnesse against me viz. that I am an afflicted man but yet not a wicked man such as Eliphaz had described by his pingis aqualiculus those collops in his flank chap. 15.27 Persius Thou bast made me all wrinkled so Broughton rendreth it or Thou hast wrinkled me The Hebrew word is found in Job only but in the Rabbins more frequently Grief had made surrowes in Jobs face and his tears had often filled them And my leannesse rising up in me scil By the continuance of my sores and sorrowes which have made my body a very bag of bones and cause me to cry out My leannesse my leannesse wo unto me Isai 24.16 My flesh through my grievous anguish being fallen from my bones which rise up in a ghastly manner Beareth witnesse to my face scil That I am one of Gods Plagipatidae poor Afflicted But what of that Scourgeth he not every Son whom he receiveth Heb. 12.7 Others render it Iumâ— face where my leannesse sitteth and is most conspicuous like as it is said of our Saviour That with fasting and paines taking he had so wanzed and macerated himself that at little past thirty he was looked upon as one toward fifty Mr. Clark in his life John 8.57 And as Mr. John Fox the Martyrologue by his excessive paines in compiling the Acts and Monuments of the Church in the space of eleven years grew thereby so lean and withered that his friends hardly knew him to be the same man Verse 9. he reareth me in his wrath c. Who did all this to Job The devil say some his Disease say others that was a most uncharitable censure passed by Luther upon Occolampadius Lib. de Missa prin Anno Dom. 1533. that he died suddenly ignitis Satanae telis confessus slain by Satans fiery darts because he died of a Carbuncle But Job surely meaneth it of God upon whom his heart was still though he speak here somewhat unhappily of him out of the sense of the flesh and greatness of his grief Who hateth me Heb. He Satanically hateth me What strange language is this from him who elsewhere calleth God his Salvation his Redeemer chap. 13.15 16 18. and 19.25 and will by and by call him his witnesse in heaven to whom his eye powreth out tears vers 19 20 How shall we reconcile these so contrary passions and passages otherwise then by saying that every good man is two men c neither can it possibly be expressed how deeply sensible the Saints are of Gods displeasure when they are more then ordinarily afflicted by him and especially when he seemeth to fight against them with his own hand Hereby saith Ferus we may easily see in what a perplexed estate wicked Reprobates shall be at the last day when God shall declare himself to be such an enemy to them indeed for so much as one of his Elect and a most rare man but conceiving him to be against him because hee had no present sense of his favour was thus extremely troubled He gnasheth upon me with his teeth as extremely angry Act. 7.54 and by sharpning his teeth threatning destruction Psal 37.12 Mine enemy sharpneth his eyes upon me which cast forth as it were sparkles of fire An elegant Hypotyposis or description of his sad condition to the life Vt non tam gestares quam nunc geri videatur saith Brentius as if we saw it even acted before our faces Brent in loc Verse 19. they have gaped upon me with their mouth They who Non solum Dens nec solum amici mei sed tota rerum machinae mihi adversaâ—ur Not God only nor these friends of mine but all the creatures are up in armes against me and threaten to devour me at one morsel They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully i.e. They have
forth God saith Scaliger as by those which set forth our ignorance Our safest Eloquence concerning God is our silence saith learned Hooker But the thunder of his power who can understand Heb. Of his powers that is his powerful thunder which whilst Alladius King of the Latines would by certain Engines that he had made him imitate he justly perished by a Thunderbolt from heaven his house also wherein he had attempted so to do was consumed with fire from heaven as Dionys Halicarn and Orosius testifie Some by thunder here understand Gods astonishing presence and utterance of himself Others his force and grandeur his notable and thundering exploits which shine all the world over and to which if all that have been instanced shall be compared they will appear to be but as a few heat drops to a great showre of raine He that shall go about co declare them Lucret. shall be forced to say with the Poet Clandicat ingenium delirat linguaque mensque CHAP. XXVII Verse 1. Moreover Job continued his Parable and said IT was Zophars turn and Job waited a while as it was fit to see whether he or any other of them would take up the bucklers again against him which when they did not as hearing his high expressions concerning Gods Power and Providence and haply having now a better opinion of him then before he asswageth his grief by defending his innocency and maintaining his opinion in the five following Chapters Here be is said after some râ—spit to eâ—assume his Parable which hath its name in Hebrew from Lâ—rding it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermo figuratus princâ—patum tenet ac vâ—lut dominatur and bearing sway because allegories and figurative speeches bear away the bell as they say from plainer Discourses are more gladly heard or read sooner understood and better remembred The word rendred continued is in the Original added 〈◊〉 lift up importing either that he spake now with a courage as we say and with a greater Emphasis as having silenced his adversaries or that he uttered himself in an higher stile and his matter were Master-sentences Maxims Axioâ—â—â— Speeches of special precellency and predominancy such as might well challenge a throne in the minds of all men Verse 2. As God Liveth who hath taken away my iudgement Job well knew the Nature and end of an Oath which is to put an end to all strife and controversie among 〈◊〉 Hab. 6.16 For more Authority sake therefore to his ensuing Discourse as taking God to witnesse in a matter of so great moment and that his friends might the better believe him he doubteth not to begin his speech with a private oath for a publick is that which is taken before a Magistrate who upon just cause may exact it which so it be sparingly and warily used is not unlawful as appeareth by the example of Jacob and Laban Boaz and Ruth Jonathan and David scil to help the truuth in pâ—â—essiâ—y and when the other party will not otherwise be satisfied But what 〈…〉 to say that the God whom he so solemnly taketh to witnesse had taken 〈◊〉 his judgment Can the righteous Judge do otherwise then right Or doth not the 〈◊〉 know that he iâ— punished lesse then his iniquities deserved 〈…〉 A Job was at present under a soâ—e temptation and being pressed out of measure above strength he spake unadvisedly with his lips and is afterwards barely told of it by Elihu chap. 34.5 The best faith if long tryed may flag and hang the wing Moses at Meribah David at Gath Elias under the Juniper sufficiently shew that every new man is two men that the flesh eftsoones lusteth against the spirit and that the best may have their outbursts yet so as that the seed of grace still abideth in them and some way shewes it self Job here for instance He complaineth of Gods severity but stormeth not against him He blustreth but he blasphemeth not He holdeth himself hardly dealt with by God and yet whilst he so solemnly sweareth by him he thereby acknowledgeth him a witnesse of his conscience a Patron of Truth a Lover of Right an Avenger of Perjury and lastly the Authour and Arbiter of his life which he resolveth rather to let go then his Innocency He can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor 13.8 And the Almighty who hath vexed my soul Heb. Hath imbittered Job should have remembred that bitter potions bring sweet health and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bitternesse would soon be past but he remembred only at present the affliction and the misery the wormwood and the gall Lam. 3.19 Now no affliction but especially soul-affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 But patient Job wanted patience to wait for that Adeo nihil est in nobis magni quod non queat minui such failings are found in the very best Verse 3 All the while my breath is in me Periphrasis vitae Dum spiritus hos regat aâ—tus Whiles I have an hour to breath I will hold to this Oath of mine neither may you ever hope to dispute me out of mine integrity Life is described by breath which when it faileth the man dyeth 1 Kings 17.17 Psal 146.4 Isai 2.22 Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils every moment ready to puff out What is man saith Nazâ—anzen but soul and soil Eutrop. Ores breath and body a puff of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either Jovinian the Emperour was choaked with the smoak of charcoal Pope Adrian with a flye getting into his throat as he gaped The Cardinal of Lorrain was lighted to his Lodging and to his long home both at once by a poisoned Torch Defer not saith One sith at the next puffe of breath thou moist blow away thy life And the spirit of God is in my nostrils He seems to allude to Gen. 2.7 or some tradition of the Fathers to like purpose Acts 17.25 God giveth to all life and breath and all things And again verse 28. In him we live and move and have our being Wherefore let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Psal 150. ult Yea let every breath as some read it praise the Lord. Let it be as the smoak of the Tabernacle as Pillars of Incense ascending up to heaven Chrysost Tam Dei meminisse opus est quam respirare Verse 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness Which I should do should I contrary to that which the Spirit of God witnesseth to my conscience through a fained humility confesse that I have been wicked Let Gods dejected servant take heed left by the temptation of Satan and the misgivings of their own evil hearts of unbelief they be drawn to bely the work of Gods spirit in them and to hold themselves utterly void of grace because not indued with such
and such measures of grace Learn to distinguish between imbecility and nullity shew your selves faithful in weaknesse though but weak in faith There is an allowance to gold with which it may passe neither is it to be cast aside because it wanteth some graines and hath a crack Nec vinum rejicimus eâ—si facem habeat saith Spinâ—us Spin. de instit Christ God seeth nothing amisse in that man whose heart is upright 2 Chron. 15.17 He layes the finger of mercy on the sears of his peoples sins as that Limner in the Story He will not crush but cherish that worm Jacob. Nor my tongue utter deceit No for that were to speak wickednesse yea to speak your self wicked For the remnant of Isratl shall not by betraying the truth do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth Zeph. 3.13 For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lye so he was their Saviour Isai 63.8 Verse 5 God forbid that I should justifie you scil By saying as you say viz. that I am an hypocrite and secretly guilty of some soule practises for which I that grievously suffer I know nothing of this Nature by my self God forbid Absit res profana sit mihi The Hebrew word signifies a profanation or profane thing It was the same they used when they rent their cloathes at blasphemy Till I die I wil not remove my integrity My perfection some render it and so God accounteth it when the bent frame and tendencies of the heart are for him though the mans wants be many and great This Job knew and would hold to Let not the Divel baffle us out of our integrity Verse 6. Mordicùs tenâ—bâ— My righteousnesse I hold fast As with tooth and nail yea though it be to the losse of my teeth as it befel that valiant Sir Thou as Challoner who served Cambd. Eliz. 66 when he was young under Charles 5 in the Expedition of Algier where being shipwrack't after he had swum till his strength and his armes failed him at the length catching hold of a Cable with his teeth he escaped not without the loss of some of his teeth And will not let it go scil Upon your perswasions or suspitions so long as the bird in my bosom continueth singing My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live His heart must needs reproach him who habitually doth evil what good shew soever he doth make before men and though he hide his wickednesse with no lesse subtle sleights then once Rachel did the Idols Rahab the Spies Conscience is Gods Spye and mans Overseer It is Inâ—â—â— Judex Vindex neither is a body so torn with stripes as a mind with remembrance of evil actions This Job knew and would therefore keep his conscience cleare This was also Saint Pauls greatest both care Acts 24.16 and comfort 2 Cor. 1.12 Verse 7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked q d. I need wish my greatest enemy no greater hurt then to be as the wicked for then he is sure to be wretched So far am I from saying that God favoureth the wicked or that he alwayes suffereth them to escape unpunished And he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous Or froward and perverse This is the same again in other words and it is well noted to be a popular manner of speaking wherein when men expresse an abomination of a thing they wish it so their enemies taking it for granted that the power of malice is so great that no man can expresse it in the wish of any particular evil See the like phrase 2 Sam. 8 32 1 Sam 25.26 Dan. 4.29 Verse 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite c. Here Job proveth himself to be no hypocrite by his and their different character and carriage especially under affliction Though God kill Job yet he will trust in him but what is the hope of the hypocrite c He that maketh a bridge of his own shadow must needs fall into the brook The common hope thinks it takes hold of God but it is but as a child that catcheth at the shadow on the wall which he thinks he holdeth fast in his hand but soon finds it otherwise so shall the hypocrite at death his hope shall be then as the giving up of the Christ and that is but cold comfort Whiles he was in health and had all well about him he nourished strong hopes of Gods favour and the rather because he gained and gathered wealth apace So bladder like is the soul that is filled with earthly vanities though but wind it growes great and swells in high conceitednesse but if pickt with the least pin of piercing grief how much more when struck with deaths dart it shriveleth to nothing and is ready to say as one rich wâ—â—ch did on this death-bed Spes fortuna valeta Life and hope adien to you both at once Though he hath gained Or When he hath been covetous raking together 〈◊〉 â—em quâ—cunque modo rem See this notably exemplified in that rich fool Luke 12. whose life and hopes ended together When God taketh away his soul Extrabet Shall pull it out by violence as a sword out of its â—eath when God shall make a breach upon their Cittadel come upon them by forcible entry turn them out of their cottages of day by 〈…〉 cut them in twain as he did that evil servant Matth 4. tear their bodies and souls asunder as a man teareth the bark from the tree or the shell from the fâ—sh leaving it naked Where then shall be the high hopes of the Hypocrite And O what a dreadful skreek giveth his guilty soul then to see it selfe lanching into an infinite Ocean of scalding lead and to consider that it must swim naked in it for ever Verse 9. Will God hear his cry Here 's another distinctive Note between a hypocrite and an honest man As many are said in Daniel to cleave to the better side by flattery so many false signes will come in and flatter a man when he is in health and prosperity and give their testimony speak the same thing that true evidences do but this will not alwayes hold When trouble cometh upon him Then the hypocrite will cry and make pitiful moans as a prisoner at the Bar begs for his life Then Joab and Adoniah will run to the hornes of the Altar who till then little cared to come there But with as ill successe they cry to God as Saul did 1 Sam. 28.15 and as other of Davids enemies did Psal 18.41 For either God answereth them not at all Ezek. 21.2 3. Or else he answereth them according to the Idols of their hearts Ezek. 14. gives them bitter answers as Judge 10.13 14. Or if better it is for the good of others and for a further mischief to themselves that he may snatch away his owne and he gone Hâ—l 2.9 and that he may consume them after he