the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you For him hath God the Father sealed And againe ver 32. 33. Then Iesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven For the bread of God is hee which cometh downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world And ver 35. I am the bread of life Hee that cometh to me shall never hunger And he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst In all these and the like passages whether avouched by our Saviour himselfe or by his Apostles after him we are taught no other Doctrine then the Prophet in his name and by his spirit had taught the people verse 3. Incline your eare and come unto me heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Was this Covenant yet to make being made before first with Abraham then renewed with David The Apostle for conclusion tells us Heb. 11. v. 39. Neither Abraham nor any other of the Patriarchs or holy men though in their generations renowned for their faith did receive the promise and if not the promise then not the everlasting Covenant whereof the Prophet here speakes What was that The reall object of the Covenant or blessing promised But if it be demanded what this blessing promised was It was Christ Iesus not only as he was exhibited in the flesh but raised from the dead as is more largely declared in a treatise upon v. 40. Chap. 11. to the Heb. to be annexed unto this present Treatise 2 All this hath been implied or intimated before in that of our Apostle Heb. 5. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternall Salvation to all them that obey him v. 9. that is to reflect upon the Prophet Esay's expression of this mystery to all that incline their eares unto him and faithfully heare him THE EVERLASTING COVENANT taken in this sense that is for the everlasting blessednesse or that degree of blessednesse exprest in the Gospell is not actually made with any none are reall partakers of it but such as are true and lively members of Christ's body such members of it as Abraham and David were not before the Son of God the Son of David was consecrated to his everlasting Priesthood and Kingdome 3 According to the most strict and genuine sense of the Prophet and our Apostle's interpretation of it Christ Iesus being raised from the dead is the very Covenant it selfe For so the words of the Prophet and our Apostle's interpretation of them runne verbatim without any interruption or obliquitie in construction I will make an everlasting Covenant to wit the sure mercies of David or as the Latine more fully misericordias illas stabiles Davidis That these words directly signifie the Person of Christ and his benefits is most cleere from v. 4. Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the people a leader and commander to the people So that Christ is called the sare mercies of David because in him and through him all God's promises or mercies promised to David are Yea and Amen that is were actually perform'd and made everlasting not in promise only but in esse Betwixt the Hebrew Text and the seventy Interpreters whose translation S. Paul in the fore-cited place doth follow a meere Grammarian or curious critick might observe some variation in words yet no difference or diversity in sense worthy the notice of a true Linguist or rationall Divine The Apostle when hee avoucheth this propheticall Oracle Esay 55. 3. as a confirmation of the concludency of the former testimony out of Psal 2. Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee omits the first part of it I will make an everlasting Covenant with you as being fully contained in the later part which is indeed an authentique exegeticall exposition of the former to wit God's promise or Oath to give this people and Nation in the time appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the holy and faithfull things of David saith our English But the full and punctual expression of our Apostles meaning will best appeare from the manner how he inferres that conclusion which he twise in this place avoucheth from the often mentioned place of the Prophet Isaiah For after that inference * v. 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee he addes for confirmation v. 34. 35. And as concerning that he raised him from the dead now no more to returne to corruption hee said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore hee saith also in another Psalme ◠Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption The briefe or extract of the Prophet Isaiah's meaning in S. Paul's construction is this THAT GOD BY RAISING VP CHRIST IESUS from the dead never to die againe did really exhibite or actually performe that Covenant made by Oath to David Psal 89. ver 28. My mercy will I keepe for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him c. and v. 35. Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not faile David his seede shall endure for ever and his throne that is not the successive throne of David but the throne of David's SEED as the Sun before me 4 David in the dayes of his flesh did receive the the promise or Covenant if you take it in the active or formall signification as for promissio quâ Deus promitit or pactum quo Deus paciseitur but if wee take this promise or Covenant in the passive sense id est for the blessing promised or covenanted that was not perform'd till Christ was raised from the dead and glorified as it followes Esay 55. v. 5. In this sense Zacharias calls the exhibition of the promised seed though yet in the wombe the performance of the Oath which God had sworne to give unto Abraham and his offspring So that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the faithfull things of David is contradistinct not to dissimulation or any suspicion of faining in the promiser but to the reversible or mutable state of the blessing promised It implies the immortalitie of the Son of David according to the flesh or the immutability of his holy Priesthood and Kingdome Briefly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivalent and somewhat more then so unto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is used by S. Peter Epist 2. Chap. 1. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure or rather firme and strong v. 10. in which place the word election must of necessitie be taken not in the formall or active sense but in the passive materiall or reall sense not for electio quâ Deus nos eligit but for the irreversible state in grace which is the effect
solemne calling to be the Sons of God And this part of redemption is common to all who are baptized according to Christs commission given to his Apostles and their Successors to this purpose Another part of our Redemption whether that be altogether distinct from the former or but a consequent to it is our actuall exemption from the rage or tyranny of sinne within our selves whilst we live here in the flesh And this degree of redemption is proper only to those who though they live in the flesh doe not live according to the flesh or the fashions of the world as having their hearts purified by a lively faith in Christs death The last part or finall accomplishment of our Redemption is the exemption of both body and soule from the powers of hell and death by Resurrection unto endlesse glory which is the everlasting salvation here meant And this is proper only unto such as finally shall be sayed by continuance in faith and obedience But let us not deceive our selves for God will not be mocked and wee shall but mock him if we presume to goe to heaven by curious Distinctions or nice Doctrines without a constant progresse in syncere unpartiall obedience Nor will externall conformitie to orthodox all rites or Religion or eye-service suffice to obtaine the salvation here promised to such as obey him or if we be addicted to eye-service or obedience let us performe our obedience not in our own eyes or as in the eyes of sinfull men but as in the eyes and view of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by our Apostle Chap. 4. of this Epistle ver the 9. In whose sight every Creature is manifest all things are open and naked This is that eternall word who is now made our high Priest and shall hereafter come to be our Iudge Let us then account it a principall part of our present and future obedience to powre out our soules in prayers and supplications to this our high Priest for the remission of all our sinnes past and seeing hee was consecrated once for all through afflictions or sufferings for so the current of our Apostles discourse implyes to be a compassionate and mercifull high Priest to his Father for us let us all publiquely and privately dayly and houâ—ely beseech him by his agony and bloody sweat by his Orâ—sse and bitter passion not only to make intercession for us but to powre out the spirit of prayer upon us â—o strengthen us with supplies of grace for â—ubduing the body of sinne which is within us unto the spirit and to quicken our spiâ—ies unto newnesse of life that so we may be able to stand before him in that great day of Iudgment SECT 2. Of the calling or designement of the Sonne of God to be an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech Of the differences and agreements in some particulars betweene the Preisthood of Aaron and the Priesthood of Melchisedech CHAP. 6. Of the Signification or Importance of the word calling used by our Apostle Heb. 5. with the generall Heads or Points to be handled and discust in this 2. 3. 4. Sections THat the making of the Sonne of God perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 9. implyes a solemne Calling or Consecration to his high Priesthood is yet more apparant from the words following v. 10. Calledan high Priest after the order of Melchisedech This word Called imports somewhat more then a name imposed upon him though at his Circumcision or at his Baptisme more then a mere title of dignitie But what more then so A solemne Calling or Designement unto this high Office or Prelacy Such a calling but more solemne then Aaron had unto the legall high Priesthood Vnto this Priesthood Aaron is said Chap. 5. v. 4. that hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by speciall Designement or destination advanced to the office of the high Driest during the Law But when the same Apostle speakes of the calling of the Sonne of God unto the high Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech v. 10. The word in the original is more significant and more solemne then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it referres to Aaron for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solemnly declared or pronounced by God to be an high Priest after the order of Mechisedech 2 The method of our present inquiry or search into this grand mysterie must be this First who this Melchisedech was according to whose order the Sonne of God was called to be a Priest or how Melchisedech whosoever he were did represent or shadow out the person of the Sonne of God Secondly wherein the Priesthood of Melchisedech did consist or wherein it differred from the Priesthood of Aaron and what calling hee had to such a Priesthood Thirdly what divine Designement or calling the Sonne of God had to his everlasting Priesthood Fourthly a parallel betweene the Consecration of Aaron or other of his Successors to this legall Priesthood and the Consecration of the Sonne of God to his everlasting Priesthood prefigured or foreshadowed not by Aaron or his Successors but by Melchisedech before the Law was given Fiftly the peculiar acts or exercises of the Sonne of God's everlasting Priesthood This fift or last Point must be referred as an appendix unto the Articles of the Sonne of God's Ascension and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father All these are Points of good use and worthy of deeper and better consideration then they usually are taken into by most Interpreters of sacred Writ or Controversywriters The first Question only may seeme to be too curious And so perhaps it is indeed if wee should take upon us to determine the individualitie of Melchisedech's person after whose order the Sonne of God was consecrated or made a Priest But on the other side it would be presumptuous absolutly to deny this Melchisedech to have been the same individuall person whom the later Iewes generally and many late learned Christian writers take him for The greatest difficulty in this Point ariseth from the Apostles description of Melchisedech Chap. 7. v. 3. Without father without mother without descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but made like unto the Sonne of God abideth a Priest continually 3 From this place some would peremptorily conclude that Melchisedech could be no mortal man no sonne of Adam but either the holy Ghost or the sonne of God then appearing to Abraham in the similitude or likenesse of man For of this Melchisedech save only in the history of Abraham Gen. 14. and 110. Psalme there is no mention at all in the old Testament To wave or rather dismisse their opinion who think Melchisedech was the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie seeing it is but a conjecture of some few who rather wave then prosecute it Let us see what probabilitie there is that this Melchisedech should be the eternal Word or Son of God appearing to Abraham in the likenesse of man and exercising
did solemnely confesse and acknowledg Christ Iesus to be as truly God as man The matter or object directly signified by these words is the only true and reall Foundation of faith as Christian of the Catholique Church it selfe Of this ranke or sort of names is the name Iehosadech as it was given unto the Father of Iesus the high Priest but this doth no way import that he was either Iehovah or a man more righteous thē other high Priests had beene and yet so called not by chance or out of vain ostentation of his parents but by divine instinct or appointment of God Or whatsoever intent his parēts might have in giving him this name God did so direct their intentiōs as he did Caiphas his speech to be a kind of prophecy of what was to come We may say of Iehosadech as the Angell said of Iesus and his fellow-Priests that hee was vir portendens his very name and office did portend or bode that Iehovah himselfe the righseous Lord should become our high Priest And in as much as the Sonne of Iehosadech was the first high Priest the first of all the sonnes of Aaron that was called Iesus that is a Saviour this likewise did portend or fore-shadow that the Saviour of God's people the high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech should be the son not of David only but of Iebovah the righteous Lord or Lord of righteousnesse And if he were to be as truly the Sonne of Iehovah the righteous Lord as he was to be the sonne of David then questionlesse hee was to be as truely Iehovah that is as truly and essentially God as hee is truly and essentially man For the relation betwixt the Father and the Sonne is much more strict in the Divine nature then it can be amongst men 9 Amongst men it will follow that if the Father be a man the Sonne must be a man if the Father be mortall the Sonne must be mortall but it will not follow that if the Father be a righteous or potent man the Sonne likewise must be a righteous or potent man The reason is because they are divided in substance But in as much as the Sonne of God is of the same substance or essence with his Father it will directly follow not only that if the Father be God the Sonne is God but also that if the Father be Lord of righteousnesse the Sonne also must be Lord of righteousnesse Yet in as much as not Iehosadech the Father but Iesus the Sonne became legall righteousnesse or a temporall Saviour to God's people in captivity this truly fore-shadoweth this truth unto us that although God the Father be as truly the Lord of righteousnesse as God the Sonne both being of one substance yet is Iehovah become our righteousnesse and our salvation not in the person of the Father but in the person of the Son CHAP. 23. The obiection of the Iewes against the interpretation of the former Prophecy Ierem. 23. answered In what sense Iudah is truly said to be saved and Israel to dwell in safety by Iesus the Sonne of God and Sonne of David YEt here the Iew will object that this prophecy is not yet fulfilled because Iudah is not fully saved nor Israel planted in their owne land But the Apostle hath fully answered this objection if wee could as rightly apply his solution All saith he are not Israel that are called Israel Rom. 9. 6. Yet many are true Israelites indeed which are not so in name Nor is he a Iew that is one outwardly but that is one inwardly The Apostle in the same place gives us to understand that many are Iewes or of Iudah inwardly which are not of Iudah outwardly or so called by name Whosoever is inwardly or in heart that which the name of Iudah importeth he is truly of Iudah though not the seede of Iudah or of Abraham concerning the flesh Now the name of Iudah or Iew importeth as much as a confessor or true professor of Abraham's faith and every one is a true Israelite that is so qualified as Nathaniel was one in whose spirit there is no guile unto all such and only unto such the Lord imputeth no sinne and all they unto whom the Lord imputeth no sinne all such as truly confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God and promised Branch of David are saved by him whether they be the somes of Iacob or of Abraham or Gentiles according to the flesh So that in conclusion all ludah and all Israel according to the full extent of this prophecy are saved by this Iesus for all of them dwell in safety they are not become afraid of themselves but possesse their soules with patience To become Iewes or Israelites in this sense is the first degree of salvation and this degree they likewise have from Iesus through whom and in whom they are to expect the accomplishment of their salvation Christ then first saves us from our sins that are inherent in us or as the Apostle speaks hee first sets us free from the Law of sinne by the spirit of life which is in him and finally exempts us from the wages of sinne which is everlasting death And thus much is contained in that fore-cited promise Ierem. 16. and in the close and conclusion of that prophecie Ierem. 23. concerning the saving of Iudah and Israel by the branch of David whose name or title is The Lord our righteousnesse Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the seede of the house of Israel out of the North country The Hebrew phrase Meeretz zaponah according to the usuall and ordinary rate of that language signifies indeed from the North-land yet the originall of this signification or importance of these words was from a conceit which the Iews or such as had their habitation neere unto the Aequinoctiall line had That those parts of the world which were more remote from the Aequinoctiall or Southerne climes were hidden from the sun and were at least in respect of their Country lands of obscurity and darknesse The very prime and native signification of the originall words in the Prophet rendred by our English from the North land or Country is verbatim from the land of obscurity or darknesse And whatsoever the land of Chaldea whereof Babylon was the chiefe City or Metropolis was unto others it was unto the captive Iewes a country of darknesse a land of obscurity the very shadow of death And their deliverance from it was a true type or shadow of our deliverance from the region or land of darknesse it selfe The full importance of the Evangellicall mystery included in the fore-cited passage of the Prophet Ieremy according to the most proper and most exquisite literall sense is expounded unto us by our Apostle S. Paul Coloss 1. 12. 13. God the
of being granted prove only thus much that the only begotten Son of God or first born to Abraham and to David had a just title to the eternall Priesthood They doe not directly prove that Iesus whom the Iewes have crucified to be that Sonne of God and seed of David meant by the Psalmist in the Psalme fore-cited Or this being granted all put together doe not manifest his Consecration or actuall admission to the high Priesthood by whose erection the Priesthood of Aaron was changed which is the conclusion punctually intended by our Apostle 4 For a more satisfactory declaration of the strength of this argument we are to take the words of the Psalmist into a further and more punctuall consideration then hitherto wee had occasion to take them As first of what GENERATION these words ego hodie genuite are principally meant whether meant at all of David or how of him and how of Christ the Sonne of God and Sonne of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many of the Ancients being seconded by more of the Schoolmen and middle ag'd allegorizing Commentators understand this Psalmist's Oracle of that GENERATION of the Sonne of God which is mentioned in the NICEN Creed or that Creed which is to be publiquely read in the second service of our Church Begotten of his Father before all worlds and in these mens construction by the word HODIE is meant HODIE AETERNITATIS the day of eternity or eternal day wherein there is no succession of parts of houres or minutes But this interpretation is dislik'd by Calvin who is alwaies zealous for the literall though sometimes with prejudice to the mysticall or principally intended sense Yet that sense in this place cannot be exprest by HODIE AETERNITATIS or by the eternall Generation of the Sonne of God That it cannot be the literall sense of this Psalmist is apparent because neither the Resurrection of the Son of God nor his Consecration to the everlasting Priesthood can with any colour of probability be inferred or pretended from it much lesse can it be the mysticall or true allegoricall sense of this Oracle for these alwaies must be grounded upon the literall and no Scripture can be said to be fulfil'd according to the mysticall or true allegoricall sense untill it hath been first verified according to the literall sense Now the eternall GENERATION of the Sonne of God cannot follow either his Resurrection from the dead or his Consecration to his everlasting Priesthood nor could ever any Periphrasis or notation of it be either fulfil'd or verified in time seeing it is before all times 5 May we say then with good Commentators as with Calvin for one that these words this day have I begotten thee have no manner of reference to the Son of God's Generation before all worlds Certaine it is that this Generation is no part of the object no part of the immediate subject whether according to the literall or mysticall sense of the Psalmist's words whether we consider them written or intended by him or as avouched by S. Paul and other Apostles for the further confirmation of Christ's Resurrection from the dead All that can be said on their parts whom Calvin censures is this that the eternall GENERATION of the Son of God might be taken as a common notion or presuppos'd truth both by the Psalmist when he writ and by the Apostle when hee avouched these words ego hodie genuite That the Word or Sonne of God was from Eternity this was a common prenotion to all the Ancient learned or faithfull Hebrewes And that he who was the only begotten Sonne of God before all worlds should be begotten by him from the dead that is prov'd at large by S. Paul Act. 13. And that the raising of that Iesus the Sonne of David whom the Iewes had crucified from the dead unto immortall endlesse life was an authentique declaration that this Sonne of David was likewise the Sonne of God their expected Lord and Messias is most sweetly deduced by our Apostle Rom. â— v. 1. 2. 3. 4. Paul a Servant of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle separated unto the Gospel of God Which hee had promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning his Son Iesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holinesse by the Resurrection from the dead This passage rightly infers that Christ was the Son of God the uncreated Word by whomall things were created before hee was made the Son of David â—â—â— he was made so only according to the flesh or humane nature but this eternity of his uncreated Person or essence was no part of our Apostles divine discourse or most concludent argument Act â—3 Men and Brethren children of the stock of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent For they that dwell at Jerusalem and their Rulers because they know â—â—â— not nor yet the voiceâ— of the Prophets which are â—â—â—â— every Sabbath day they have fulfilled them in condemning him And though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilat that he should be â—â—â—ine And when they had fulfilled all that is written of him they tooke him downe from the tree and laid him in a Sepulchre But God raised him from the dead and he was seene many daies of them which came up with him from Galileo â—â— Ierusalem who are his witnesses â—â—to the people And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Iesus againe as it is also written in the second Psalme Thou are my Sonne this day have I begotten theâ— And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to returne to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David from v. 26. to 34. For the clearer fuller explication of this passage we are to enquire what manner of testimonies or predictions in which the Apostle instances were as whether propheticall only or typically propheticall 6 To begin with the former Ego hodie genui te this day have I begotten thee that with submission of my opinion to better judgments is a prediction typically propheticall which kind of prediction as hath been observed before is the most concludent and this one of the highest ranke in that kind that is an Oracle truly meant of David according to the literall sense and yet fulfil'd of Christ the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead both according to the most exquisite literall and the mysticall or principally intended sense David without all question was the composer of the second Psalme and the joyfull occasions or extraordinary matter of exultation which raised his spirit to that high and majesticke straine of divine
glory of Mount Sion not so much for its native situation though that were glorious as for that it was now become the pedestall to the Arke wherein Iehovah or Iah kept his residence The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan an high hill as the hill of Bashan Why leape yee yee high hills This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever ver 15. 16. Yet all these glorious hopes or hoped promises prophesied of in this Psalme are to be interpreted according to the rules before observed upon Psal 89. Many of the blessings hoped for and fore-prophesied were meant according to the literall sense of David himselfe and his posterity yet but conditionally true of them absolutely irreversibly and everlastingly true only of David's son or seede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of that God and Lord who in the fulnesse of time was to be enclosed in the Virgines wombe and to have his everlasting habitation in the fruit of her body after a more admirable and peculiar manner then he resided in the Ark when David brought it unto the hill of Sion Hee is often said indeed to dwell in the Arke and in the Temple but never so did dwell in them in such a sense as our Apostle describes his habitation in the man Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily or as Chemnitius renders it by personall residence 4 For the encomiasticall part of the 68. Psal sofarre as it concernes mount Sion Ierusalem or Iudah the Reader may find a paraphrasticall exposition to it Psal 48. which was composed after this and as it is most probable in the dayes of Iehosaphat For any paraphrase or Comment upon that Psalme I leave the learned Reader to his owne choice I would only commend one passage of Calvin's Comments upon it which an ingenuous censurer of this great Dr when hee treads awry or speakes harshly but a more friendly encomiast of him when he goes aright hath commended to me upon the close of that Psalme Walke about Sionand goâ— round about her tell the towers thereof ver 12. c. Argutum simul soliduÌ„ est diligenter notâ—ndum quod hic â—alvinus auguratur interpretatur de excidio urbis Templi ut splendoreÌ„ Templi narrent posteritati Non opus erat auditu narratione â—i visibus humanis semper pâ—tuisset Narrantur posteritati quâ— non exhibentur veluti quotidiâ—â—â—â—â—â—cula spectacula â—op in v. 14. This commendable observation upon the 48. Ps makes a speech of this same Calviâ— upon the principall passages of the 68. Psalm more harsh and distastful to this ingeâ—â—oâ—s censurer and to others which have their senses exercised in the interpretation of prophecies especialy such as are alleaged by the Apostles or Evangelists So was the 19 v. of this Psalme urged by S. Paul to prove our Saviours Ascension Ephes 4. Calvinus ait Paulus locum hunc subtilius ad Christum deflectit mallem dicere divinius ad Christum transfert accommodat 5 But this ingenious Writer and accurate Latinist useth this word accommodat in another sense then Iansenius Suarez or Maldonat or other literalists doe which oftentimes though not alwaies oppose the word accommodation or allusion to concludent proofe for of all the prophesies which point directly to the Article of Christ's Ascension this 19. ver alleaged by S. Paul to this purpose is most concludent if we could rightly parallel the literall or historicall passages which are well deciphered by Calvin with the mysticall or principally intended sense or actuall accomplishment of David's words The historicall occasion from which the spirit of prophecy in David tooke its rise to proclaime this grand mystery of the Gospell was the often mentioned triumphant introduction of the Arke of God or in equivalent sense the God of Israel which dwelt in the Arke into the hill of Sion which from this time and occasion was instiled the place of God's rest because the Arke of God as was presumed was there to reside without wandring as in the place which God had chosen for it To this purpose Psal 78. He smote his enemies in the hinder parts hee put them to a perpetuall repreach Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim but chose the Tribe of Iudah the Mount Sian which he loved And he built his Sanctuary like high pallaces like the earth which he hath est ablished for ever ver 66. 67. 68. 69. From this designation of the Arke to reside in Ierusalem David haply who knew best the tenour of God's promise concerning this businesse would not suffer it to goe along with him when he fled from Ierusalem as being in danger of suprisall by his son Absolon CHAP. 37. Of the concludency of the Apostle's Allegation Ephes 4. 7. 8. Out of the 18. ver of the 68. Psal BVt to set forth the parallel betwixt the Prophet and our Apostle The custome among the Romans and other Nations was to bestow congiaries or largesses upon their friends or natives when they led their enemies captive in solemne triumph Whether David led any enemies of which hee had conquered many in such triumph or whether he did meerly as a Prophet or sacred Poet display his former victories gotten over the enemies of God and his Church by the manner of the Nations triumphs over their enemies is not in my observation evident This is certaine hee dispersed not painted or poeticall but reall largesses unto the people in gratefull memory of the former victories which God had given to him his Predecessors the former Champions for the people of Israel And more then probable it is that David in this hymne had speciall reference to the victories and triumphs of Barach and his associates over Sisera most divinely expressed by Deborah in her song Iudg. 5. My heart is toward the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse yee the Lord. ver 9. Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song Arise Barach and lead captivity captive thou son of Abinoam Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the Nobles among the people The Lord made mee have dominion over the mighty v. 12. 13. Whether David when hee composed the 68. Psalm did imitate the triumph of Barach and Deborah over Sisera Generall of Iabin's host by matter of fact as by leading his captives in triumph which is most probable or only seeke to exceed Deborah in his song by more full expressions of his thankfulnesse towards God who had given him greater victories over greater enemies is not manifest But it is more then matter of opinion or pious credulity that both the victories of Barach and David over the visible enemies of God's people or whatsoever other historicall occasions Deborah or Barach or David had to utter their songs were but types or ominous or lucky prenotions of that great victory