Spiritual Promises and especially that of the Messiah coming out of his Loins and assuring it by a special Covenant Sealed by Circumcision the Church began now to take Root and to be imbodyed in Jacob's Family under the name of Israel and here God undertook the protection of his People and Worship by the visible presence of Christ her Head that Angel of the Covenant going continually with them Comforting and Defending them till they came into Aegypt where the Church continued until Joseph's Death where this Book ends CHAP. I. IN * 〈◊〉 â—…6 102. 〈◊〉 â—… 146. 6. 〈◊〉 24. Jer. 〈◊〉 51. 15. 〈◊〉 12. 1. Acts 〈◊〉 1â—… 17. 24. 〈◊〉 11. 3. the beginning a To wit Of Time and Things in the first place before things were distinguished and perfected in manner hereafter expressed Or the sense is this The beginning of the World was thus And this phrase further informeth us that the World and all things in it had a beginning and were not from Eternity as some Philosophers dreamed God Created b Made out of nothing the Heaven and the Earth c Either 1. The Heaven and Earth as now they are with their Inhabitants So this verse is a sum in or brief of what is particularly declared in the rest of this Chapter Or 2. The substance and common matter of Heaven and Earth Which seems more probable by comparing this verse with the next where the Earth here mentioned is declared to be without form and the Heavens without Light as also with Gen. 2. 1. Where the Heavens and the Earth here only said to be created are said to be finished or perfected Yet I conceive the third Heaven to be included under the Title of the Heaven and to have been created and perfected the first day together with its blessed Inhabitants the Holy Angels as may be collected from Iob 33. 6 7. But the Scripture being written for men and not for Angels the Holy Ghost thought it sufficient to comprehend them and their dwelling place under that general term of the Heavens and proceedeth to give a more particular account of the visible Heavens and Earth which were created for the use of man In the Hebrew it is The Heavens and the Earth For there are three Heavens mentioned in Scripture The Aereal the place of Birds Clouds and Meteors Matth. 26. 64. Rev. 19. 17. 20. 9. The Starry the Region of the Sun the Moon and Stars Gen. 22. 17. The highest or third Heaven 2 Cor. 12. 2. the dwelling of the Blessed Angels 2. And the Earth e The same confused mass or heap is here called both Earth from its most solid and substantial part and the deep from its vast bulk and depth and Waters from its outward face and covering See Psal. 104. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 5. was without form and void f i. e. Without order and beauty and without furniture and use and darkness was upon the face g The surface or uppermost part of it upon which the light afterward shone Thus not the Earth onely but also the Heaven above it was without light as is manifest from the following verses of the deep and the Spirit of God h Not the Wind which was not yet Created as is manifest because the Air the Matter or Subject of it was not yet produced But the Third Person of the Glorious Trinity called the Holy Ghost to whom the work of Creation is attributed Iob 26. 13. as it is ascrib'd to the Second Person the Son Ioh. 1. 3. Col. 1. 16 17. Heb. 1. 3. and to the first Person the Father every where moved upon the face of the Waters * i. e. Upon the Waters To cherish quicken and dispose them to the production of the things after mentioned It is a Metaphor from Birds hovering and fluttering over and sitting upon their Eggs and young Oaes to cherish warm and quicken them 3. And God said i i. e. Commanded not by such a word or speech as we use which agreeth not with the spiritual nature of God but either by an act of his powerful will called the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. Or by his substantial Word his Son by whom he made the Worlds Heb. 1. 2. Psal. 33. 6. who is called The Word partly if not principally for this reason Iohn 1. 1 2 3. 10. * 2 Cor. 4. 6. Let there be Light And there was Light k Which was some bright and lucid Body peradventure like the fiery Cloud in the Wilderness giving a small and imperfect Light successively moving over the several parts of the Earth and afterwards condensed encreased perfected and gathered together in the Sun 4. And God saw l i. e. Observed with approbation the Light that it was good m i. e. Pleasant and amiable agreeable to Gods purpose and mans use and God divided †Heb. Between the Light and between the Darkness the Light from the Darkness n Made a distinction or separation between them in place time and use that the one should succeed and shut out the other and so by their vicissitudes make the day and the night 5. And God called the Light Day and the Darkness he called Night †Heb and the Evening was and the Morning was c. and the Evening and the Morning o It is acknowledged by all that the Evening and the Morning are not here to be understood according to our common usage but are put by a Synecdoche each of them for one whole part of the natural day But because it may be doubted which part each of them signifies some understand by Evening the foregoing day and by the Morning the foregoing night And so the natural day begins with the Morning or the light as it did with the antient Chaldeans Others by Evening understand the first night or darkness which was upon the face of the Earth ver 2. which probably continued for the space of about twelve hours the beginning whereof might fitly be called Evening and by Morning the succeeding light or day which may reasonably be supposed to continue the other twelve hours or thereabouts And this seems the truer opinion 1. Because the darkness was before the light as the Evening is put before the Morning v. 5 and 8. and afterwards 2. Because this best agrees both with the vulgar and with the Scripture use of the terms of Evening and Morning 3. Because the Jews who had best opportunity of knowing the mind of God in this matter by Moses and other succeeding Prophets begun both their common and sacred days with the Evening as is confessed and may be gathered from Levit. 23. 32. were the first day p Did constitute or make up the first Day Day being taken largely for the natural Day consisting of 24 hours These were the parts of the first Day and the like is to be understood of the succeeding days Moreover God who
a Let his Excellency discovered in his works be the Matter of your joy and praise O ye righteous for * â—…sal 147. 1. praise is comely for the upright b It well becomes them to Exercise themselves in this work of praising and blessing of God Partly because they have such singular and abundant Obligations and Occasions to do so and Partly because they will praise God worthily and Heartily and with due Reverence and Thankfulness as God requires and deserves to be praised whereas ungodly men do indeed disparage and 〈◊〉 the Holy Name of God while they 〈◊〉 to praâ—… and therefore God rejects their Praâ—…s and Prayers See 〈◊〉 5â—… 16. and 109. 7. Prov. 28. 9. 2. Praise the LORD with harp sing unto him with the psaltery and * Psal 92. 3. an instrument of ten strings c He mentions these Instruments because they were used in the publick Worship and Praises of God in the Tabernacle 3. * Psal. 96. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 149. 1. 〈◊〉 â—…2 10. Sing unto him a new song d Either 1. Newly Composed As God gives you 〈◊〉 occasions so do not you content your selves with the olâ—… Songs or Psalms made by the holy Men of God but make New ones suited to the occasions But neither had all the Rigâ—…ous to whom he speaks v. 1. the Gift of Composing Songs nor was it of any Necessity or Importance that they should make new Songs to praise God at least for the Works here mentioned when there were so many made by David and other Holy Prophets for the use of God's Church and People when they had any such occasion Or 2. Renewed or repeated or sung again in which Sence Iob saith his Gâ—…y was Nâ—…w or fresh in him Iâ—…b 29 20. i. e. Renewed or continued from Day to Day and the Command of Love is called New Iob. 13. 34. because it was renewed and re-inforced by Christ. So this Song is here called Nâ—…w not so much from the Matter as from the singing of it because it was sung afresh or again play skilfully with a loud noise 4. For the word of the LORD is right e All God's Counsels and Commands either contained in the Scriptures Or given forth in his Providence for the Government of the World are wise and Just and Good without deceit or defect and all his works are done in truth f i. e. All his works of Providence agree with his Word and are no other then the accomplishment of his Promises or Threatnings or other Declarations of his Mind and Will in his Word although sometimes for a season they may seem contrary to it 5. * Psal. 4â—… 7. He loveth righteousness and judgment g i. e. Just judgment by a Figure called Hendyadis as Ier. 22. 3. Or Iustice relates to the Sentence and Iudgment to the Execution of it He not onely doth Justice to all men as was implied v. 6. but which is more he Loves it and Delights in it * Psal 119. 64. the earth is full of the ‖ Or mercy goodness of the LORD h He not onely doth no man wrong but he is very kind and merciful to all Men in the World to whom he gives many Favours and Invitations to his Love and Service See Mat. 5. 45. Act. 14 17. Rom. 1. 20 21. 6. * Gen. 1. 6 7. Heb. 11. 3. 2. Pet. 3. 5. By the word of the LORD i Either 1. By the Hypostatical word Christ who is oft called God's Word even by the Chaldee Paraphrast as also Iohn 1. v. 1 2 3. where he is said to be that â—…rd by whom all things were made So that which is here spoken more darkly and doubtedly according to that state of the Church is more clearly declared in the New Testament Or 2. By his Will or Command as this very Phrase is here used v. 4. and as it seems to be explained v. 9. And so it hath a great Emphasis in it that God made this admirable structure of the Heavens and all its glorious Stars not with great pains and time and help of many Artists and Instruments as men do far meaner Works but with one single Word which is much to the Glory of the Creator were the heavens made and all the host of them k The Angels Or the Stars See on Gen. 2. 1. * Job 26. 13. by the breath of his mouth l Either 1. By the Holy Ghost so called Iob 33. 4. And so here are all the Persons of the Trinity Iâ—…hovah the Father and the Word and the Spirit to each of which this Work of Creation is elsewhere ascribed as was noted on Gen. 1. 26. Or 2. By his Word as it was expressed in the last Clause which is so called Isa. 11. 4. 2. Tâ—…s 2. 8. 7. * Gen. 1. â—… 〈◊〉 26. 1â—… 〈◊〉 â—…8 8. He gathereth m Or gathered For he speaks of the first Creation when this was done Gen. 1. the waters of the sea together * Psal. 78. 1â—… as an heap o Either in the Clouds or in the Bowels of the Earth Whence he can draw them forth when he sees fit he layeth up the depths in store houses o Either in the Clouds or in the Bowels of the Earth Whence he can draw them forth when he sees fit n By which Expression he brings to our Minds this great work of God that the Sea which is lighter and higher than Earth is yet Confined within its Bounds that it might not overâ—…ow the Earth 8. Let all the earth p All the people of the Earth as the next Clause expounds this not only Iews but Gentiles who equally enjoy the Benefit of this great and glorious work of God fear the LORD let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 9. For * Psal. 148. 5. he spake and it q The work here mentioned v. 6 7. Or stood forth as a Servant at his Masters Command Or was or did exist was done he commanded and it stood fast r. 10. * Isa. 19. 3. The LORD †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringeth the counsel of the heathen s Or of the Nations though Nations combine themselves and their Counsels together yet he defeats them when he pleaseth Thus he passeth from the work of Creation to the works of Providence and from the Instances of his Power in Sensless and unreasonable Creatures to manifest his power in over-ruling the Thoughts and Wills and Actions of all Men whether single or united to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect 11. * Prov. 19. 2â—… Isa. 46. 10. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever t All his Purposes and Designs and especially those which concern his choseh people of whom he speaks in the next Verse are always successful and irresistible the thoughts of his heart †Heb. to Generation and Generation
All my postures and motions my actions and my cessations from action thou understandest my thought c All my secret counsels and designs afar off d Before they are perfectly formed in my mind Thou knowest what my thoughts will be iâ—… such and such circumstances long before I know it yea from all eternity 3 Thou ‖ Or winâ—…owest compassest my path e Thou watchest me on every side and therefore discernest every step which I take It is a Metaphor either from huntsmen watching all the motions and lurking places of wild beasts that they may catch them or from Souldiers beâ—…ieging their enemies in a City and setting watches round about them and my lying down f Me when I lye down in my bed where men oft contrive what they execute in the day time and art acquainted with all my ways 4 For there is not a word in my tongue but lo O LORD thou knowest it altogether g Thou knowest what I speak and with what design and disposition of mind Or rather as others render it and which is more admirable When there is not a word c. Thou knowest what I intend to speak either in prayer to thee or in conversation with men when I have not yet uttered one word of it 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before h With thine all-seeing and all-disposing Providence and laid thine hand upon me i Thou keepest me as it were with a strong hand in thy sight and under thy power 6 * Psal. 131. 1. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it k I am so far from equalling thy knowledge that I cannot apprehend it in what manner thou dost so perfectly know all things even such as are most secret and have yet no being and seem to depend upon many casualties and uncertainties 7 * Jer. 23. 24. Whither shall I go from thy spirit l Either 1. from the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity or 2. from thee who art a Spirit and therefore canst penetrate into the most secret parts or 3. from thy mind or understanding of which he is here speaking as this word seems to be taken Isa. 40. 13. compared with Rom. 11. 34. for what there is called the Spirit of the Lord is here called the mind of the Lord. And as the Spirit of God is oft used in Scripture for its gifts and graces so the Spirit of God in this place may be put for that knowledge which is an Attribute or action of God or whither shall I flee from †Heb. thy â—…ace So Gâ—… thy presence m A man can go to no place which is out of thy sight 8 * Am. 9. 2 3 4. If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if * Prov. 15. 11. I make my bed in hell n If I should or could repose and hide my self in the grave or in the lowest parts of the earth which are at the farthest distance from Heaven behold thou art there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea o If I should flee as swiftly from thy presence as the morning light doth which in an instant scatâ—…ereth it self from East to West for the Sea being the Western border of â—…anaan is oft put for the West in Scripture And wings are Poetically ascribed to the morning or morning light here as they are elsewhere to the Sun as Mal. 4. 2. and to the winds as Psal. 18. 11. 104. 3. and to other things of eminent swiftness 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me p I could neither go thither without thy conduct nor subsist there without thy powerful support and much less could I go out of thy sight for a man may see many things which are out of his power 11 If I say Surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light q Shall be as clear and manifest to God as the light it self about me 12 Yea * Job 26. 6. 34. 22. Heb. 4. 1â—… the darkness †Heb. darkneth not hideth not from thee but the night shineth r Or enlightneth as this word is used Psal. 19. 9. Prov. 29. 13 c. discovereth me and all mine actions as the day †Heb. as is 〈◊〉 darkness so is the light the darkness and the light are both alike to thee s This is repeated so oft to reprove and confute the ridiculous conceits of many ungodly men who flatter themselves with hopes of secrecy and impunity for those sins which they commit in the dark See Isa. 29. 15. 13 For thou hast possessed t Or thou dost possess thou dwellest in them thou art the Owner and Governor of them and therefore must needs know them Or thou hast formed as some of the Ancients and others render it my reins u The most inward and hidden part of the body supposed also to be the seat of mens lusts and passions thou hast covered me x Either 1. with that covering called the after-birth wherein the infant is wrapped and preserved in the womb by the wonderful care of Divine providence Or 2. with skin and flesh as it is expressed Iob 10. 11. in my mothers womb 14 I will praise thee for †Heb. by 〈◊〉 things I aâ—… become 〈◊〉 I am fearfully and wonderfully made y Thy infinite wisdom and power manifested in the rare and curious structure of mans body doth fill me with wonder and astonishment and with the dread of thy Majesty marvellous are thy works z Both in the lesser world man and in the greater and that my soul knoweth †Heb. greatly right well a I am well assured both by thy word and by the contemplation and study of thy works to which I have much addicted my self that they are wonderful although I do not so accurately understand all the particulars of them as I would do 15 * Job 10. 8 10. Eccl. 11. 5. My ‖ Or strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance b Or My bone as the LXX and others render the word And bone may be here taken collectively for bones as is usual in such words or for the whole fabrick of the bones And the bones may be very fitly mentioned here because they are inward and invisible as being covered with skin and flesh and sinews Or the bones may be put Synecdochically for the whole body as being the most substantial part of it as they are Psal. 35. 10. was not hid from thee when I was made in secret c In the dark vault of my mothers womb and curiously wrought d Heb. embroidered exquisitely composed of bones and muscles and sinews and veins and arteries and other parts all framed with such wonderful skill that even Heathens upon the contemplation of
so this is a Genitive case of the object as Mat. 12. 31. blasphemy of the spirit for so it is in the Greek is blasphemy against the holy Ghost as it is called Mark 3. 28. Luk. 12. 10. and power of all flesh Ioh. 17. 2. is power â—…ver all flesh and power of spirit Mat. 10. 1. is power over or against spirits Luk. 9. 1. and prayer of God Luk. 6. 12. is prayer directed unto God and the spoil of the poor Isa. 3. 14. is the spoil taken from the poor and violence of the children of Iudah Ioel 3. 19. is violence against them as we translate it to do a trespass against the LORD g Which words may be added either 1. to express a new sin of prevaricating or dealing falsly with God either by a false oath which is a special injury to God or by a lie or simple denial that he hath taken any thing of his neighbours which also God takes as a sin especially concerning himself who in such cases is the câ—…ely judge of what is 〈◊〉 said or sworn See Act. 5. 3 4. Or 2. to aggravate the former sin and to shew that such injuries done to men are also sins against God who hath commanded justice to men as well as religion to himself But the former is more probable both because here is a ram of atonement to be offered to God for the special injury done to him as well as satisfaction is to be made to the man whom he injured and especially by comparing this with the parallel place Levit. 6. 2 c. and that person be guilty h i. e. Shall be sensible of his guilt or be convicted in his conscience of his sin for otherwise this might seem a meer tautology if it were onely meant of being really guilty of sin which was expressed before in those words when one shall commit any sin i. e. be guilty of any sin 7 Then they shall confess their sin i They shall not continue in the denial of the fact as such persons oft do but shall give glory to God and take shame to themselves by acknowledging their sin with grief and remorse See Lev. 5. 5. and 6. 4. which they have done and he shall recompense his trespass * Lev. 6. 5. with the principal thereof k i. e. The thing he took away or what is equivalent to it and add unto it the fifth part thereof l Which is added both as a compensation to the injured person for the want of his goods so long and for his trouble for the supposed utter loss of them and as a penalty upon the injurious dealer to discourage others from such attempts Qu. How doth this agree with that law Exod. 22. 1 Ans. That law was made against notorious and obstinate thieves who were legally convicted of their crime and this against more modest thieves whose necessities might induce them to steal and whose consciences are affected with their sin and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed 8 But if the man have no kinsman m Which might be the case commonly with Proselytes if not with Israelites This also supposeth the person injured to be dead or gone away into some unknown place and the person injured to be known to the injurer to recompense the trespass unto let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD even to the priest n Whom God appointed as his deputy to receive his dues and take them to his own use that so he might more chearfully and intirely devote himself to the ministration of holy things This is an additional explication to that law Lev. 6. 2. and for the sake thereof it seems here to be repeated beside the * Lev. 6. 6. and 7. 8. ram of the atonement whereby an atonement shall be made for him 9 And every ‖ Or heave-offering * Lev. 6. 18 26. and 7. 6 32. chap. 18. 8. Deut. 18. 3. offering o Heb. every heave-offering the heave-offering being here taken largely so as to comprehend also the wave-offering for both these were Aarons portion See Exod. 29. 26 27 28. of all the holy things of the children of Israel which they bring unto the priests p To wit to offer unto the Lord by his hands shall be his q i. e. the Priests See Levit. 6. 16. 10 And every mans hallowed things r Understand this not of the sacrifices no not of such of them as were voluntary or vowed as most understand it because these were not the Priests peculiar but a good part of them was offered to God and the remainder was eaten by the offerer as well as by the Priest as is manifest but of such other things as were devoted to God and were such as could not be offered in sacrifice as suppose a man consecrated an house or rent of it to the Lord this was to be the Priests And this restriction may be easily collected from the nature of the thing because he speaketh in this and the other branches here of such things as were appropriated to the Priests as his portion which none of the sacrifices were shall be his whatsoever any man giveth the priest it shall be * Lev. 10. 13. his 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 12 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them If any mans wife s This law was given partly to deterre wives from adulterous practises and partly to secure wives against the rage of their hard-hearted husbands who otherwise might upon meer suspitions destroy them or at least put them away Quest. Why was there not the same law for the trial of the husband when the wife was jealous of him Ans. This might be either 1. because the womans sin is greater because there is not onely filthiness and falsness in it which is also in the mans sin but also peculiar unrighteousness in dishonouring his name and family and transferring his estate to strangers and other mens children or 2. because there was not like fear of inconveniencies to the husband from the jealousie of the wife who had not that authority and power and opportunity for the putting away or killing of the husband as the husband had over the wife Or 3. because being the inferiour and the weaker sex and more subject to jealousies and groundless suspitions it was not thought expedient to trust them with such a power or priviledge go aside t From the way of religion and justice or from her faith given to her husband or to the by-paths of falshood and filthiness and that either in truth or in appearance and in her husbands opinion and commit a trespass against him 13 And a man lie with her carnally and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and be kept close u She utterly denying it Prov. 30. 20. and none being able and willing to discover it and she be defiled and there
z Whose kindness and compassion to him as he had formerly experienced so now he expected it in his deep distress This practice of divination by the dead or by the Ghosts or Souls of dead Persons called up by Magical Art was very usual among all Nations and from them Saul learned it 12 And when the woman saw Samuel she cryed with a loud voice a For fear of her life Saul himself being Witness of her Crime and the woman spake to Saul saying Why hast thou deceived me for thou art Saul b This she knew either by some Gesture of Reverence which this supposed Samuel might shew to Saul as to the King or by information from this Ghost or from the Spirit by whose help she had raised him 13 And the king said unto her Be not asraid for what sawest thou And the woman said unto Saul I saw ‖ Or a god gods c i. e. A god a Divine Person Glorious and full of Majesty and Splendor exceeding not onely Mortal men but common Ghosts She useth the Plural Number gods either after the manner of the Hebrew Language which commonly useth that word of one Person or after the Language and Custom of the Heathens But the whole Coherence shows that it was but one For Saul desired but one v. 11. and he enquires and the Woman answers onely of one v. 14. ascending out of the earth d As if it came from the place of the dead 14 And he said unto her ‡ Heb. what is his form What form is he of And she said An old man cometh up and he is covered with a mantle e The usual Habit of Prophets 2 King 2. 8 13. Zech. 13. 4. and particularly of Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 27. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel f The Woman pretended and Saul upon her Suggestion believed that it was Samuel indeed And so many Popish and some other Writers conceived But that it was not Samuel but the Devil representing Samuel is sufficiently evident For First It is most incredible that God who had just now refused to answer Saul by the means which himself appointed and used in that case would answer him or suffer Samuel to answer him in that way and upon the use of those means which God detested and contemned which would have given great countenance and encouragement to Saul and the Witch and all Professors and Consulters of those Devillish Arts. Secondly There are divers passages in this Relation which plainly discover that this was no good but an evil Spirit as first That he receives that Worship from Saul v. 14. which good Spirits would not suffer Revel 19. 10. and 22. 8 9. Secondly That amongst his other sins for which he condemneth him he omitteth this of asking Counsel of one that had a familiar Spirit to enquire of it for which transgression with others he is expresly said to have died 1 Chron. 10. 13. which the true Samuel who was so Zealous for Gods Honour and so Faithful a Reprover would never have neglected especially now when he takes Saul in the very Fact Thirdly That he pretends himself to be disquieted and brought up v. 15. by Saul's Instigation and the Witches Art which is most false and impious and absurd to imagine concerning those Blesâ—…ed Souls who are returned to their God Eccles. 12. 7. and entred into peace and rest Isa. 57. 2. and lodged in Abraham's bosom Luk. 16. 22. and rest from their labours Revel 14. 13. The onely Argument of any colour to the contrary is onely this That the Devil could not so particularly and punctually discover Saul's future Events as this Samuel doth v. 19. But this also hath little weight in it it being confessed and notoriously known that evil Spirits both in the Oracles of the Heathen and otherwise have oft-times foretold future contingencies God being pleased to Reveal such things to them and to permit them to be the Instruments of Revealing them to Men for the trial of some and for the terror and punishment of others Besides the Devil might foresee this by strong conjectures as by the numerousness strength courage and resoluteness of the Philistine Host and the quite contrary condition of the Israelites and by divers other symptoms far above the reach of Mortal men but such as he by his great Sagacity could easily discern And for that express determination of the time to morrow v. 19. that word may be understood not of the very next day but indefinitely of some short time after this as it is taken Exod. 13. 14. Deut. 6. 20. Ios. 4. 6 21. And then it was easie to gather from the present posture of the two Armies that the Fight and the Ruin of the Israelites was very near And that it was not the very next day but some days after this is evident from the course of the Story and hath been proved by a late Learned Writer See my Latin Synopsis on this place and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself 15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up g As the Devil appeared in Samuel's Shape and Garb so also he speaketh in his Petson that he might 〈◊〉 Saul and encourage others to seek to him in this wicked way And God permits him to do so for Saul's greater condemnation and punishment And Saul answered I am fore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither ‡ Heb. by the hand of prophets by prophets nor by dreams h He omitteth the Uâ—…im here because he neither did nor could enquire by that because Abiathar had carried it away to David and so he expected no answer that way therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do 16 Then said Samuel Wherefore then dost thou ask of me seeing the LORD is departed from thee and is become tâ—…ine enemy 17 And the LORD hath done ‖ Or 〈◊〉 himself to him i i. e. To David as it is explained in the following words The Pronoun Relative put before the Noun to which it belongs as is usual in the Hebrew Text as Psal. 87. 1. and 105. 19. Prov. 7. 7 8. Ier. 40. 5. Otherwise to him is put for to thee such changes of Persons being frequent among the Hebrews Otherwise for himself i. e. for the accomplishment of his Counsel and Prediction and Oath and for the Glory of his Justice and Holiness * Chap. 1â—… as he spake by †me k Still he nourisheth this persuasion in Saul that it was the true Samuel that spake to him for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thâ—…ne hand and given it to thy ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 hand neighbour even to David 18 * Chap. 〈◊〉 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek
thy glory c Always ministring matter of thy glorying in him or thy interest in this God shall be great honour â—…o thee or else it is the same thing with the sentence immediately before in oâ—…her words that will make thee glorious a Metonymy of the Efficlâ—…t thus he is said to give glory Psa. 84. 11. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw itself for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended d Literally he means the Jews mourning in Babylon but especially the uninterrupted happiness of the Church the Hebrew here for ended signifies recompensed their days of rejoicing shall abundantly recompense all their days of mourning 21 Thy people also shall be all e i. e. the greater part the word in this use hath been shewn frequently or altogether righteous compleatly righteous righteous f As this respects the Jews the sense may be they went into Captivity wicked but most of them being dead and many of the Survivours tarrying behind they that returned are said to be righteous Chap. 1. 25 26 27. and 4. 4. but Principally as it respects the Church they shall be all Saints either by profession as Paul calls them frequently Saints by calling or rather by an inherent righteousness or perfectly by the imputed righteousness of Christ see on ch 35. 8. they shall inherit the land for ever g i. e. for a long time as you have many instances and this is spoken lest that poor remnant should be afraid of being driven out again but with reference to the Church that they should for ever be continued as God's peculiar people the * Chap. 4. 2. 61. 3. See Chap. 32. 16. Mat. 15. 13. branch of my planting h put by apposition viz. Thy people being of my planting and so also the next clause the work of my bands and therefore cannot miscarry being what I shall take delight in and thus the Children of God are said to be his workmanship created in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. * Chap. 29. 23. 45. 11. the work of my hands that I may be glorified i Either that I may make them glorious in being thus planted or my self glorious in thus planting them 22 A little one shall become a thousand k Though of very small beginning and contemptible yet shall greatly multiply Though the Church at first will be but a very few yet will it encrease into many thousands this plant or seed will spring up to many some understand it that many shall be converted and brought into the Church by men of very few low and mean parts however these things seem to agree better to some state of the Church here then to the state of the Church Triumphant and a small one a strong nation l If this signify not the same with the other as probably it may the word strong signifying numerous Ioâ—…l 1. 6. then we may understand it that as the former respected their number so this their strength I the LORD will hasten it in his time m viz. In due time the time that I have appointed q. d. Let not this be doubted because I have undertaken it to whom nothing is difficult when the time of the promise comes he will make hast it will be done speedily or as soon as it begins it shall hasten apace as it did in Peters Sermon 3000 in one day Acts 2. and 5000 in another Acts 4. and so soon filled the whole world and one Paul planted whole Churches as the people in Egypt increased from 70 Persons to a vast multitude CHAP. LXI 1 THe * Luke 4. 18. spirit of the LORD is upon me n As it were to accomplish that which is foretold and promised in the foregoing Chapter whereby this appears to be either the holy-Holy-Ghost see on 1 King 18. 12. or the Spirit of Prophecy i. e. the gift of Prophecy so we are often to understand by the Spirit viz. The gifts as the Spirit upon Sampson viz. The gift of valor courage and strength see 1 Cor. 12. 4. c. Though the Prophet may speak this of himself in Person yet that it is principally understood of Christ is evident because he applieth this Text unto himself Luke 4. 18. being the first text he preached upon after his Baptism at which time the Holy Ghost did descend upon him in a visible shape of which that Iohn who Baptized him was an ocular witness Iohn 1. 32 33 and so making good the truth of this Prophecy and it is said to rest upon and dwell in him according as it is prophecied ch 11. 2. 42. 1. because the LORD hath anointed o Set me apart i e. both capacitating him with Gifts and commissionating him with Authority and yet more as it is applied to Christ a Power to make all effectual from whence he hath also the name of Messiah among the Hebrews and of Christ among the Greeks nay Christ alone among the Prophets hath obtained this name Psal. 45. 7. and the Prophet seems here to describe first who Christ is and then what are his Offices this being the usual Ceremony for the designing Persons to the Offices of Prophets Priests and Kings as hath been diverse times shewen in all which respects it doth most eminently belong to Christ so that the Prophet doth hereby intimate both the final cause of his unction viz. that he should execute these Offices to which he was anointed and the effect of it that unction being upon him as the head it would flow from thence to his members and so is an unction more peculiar to them and in a more general way it hath respect unto all the faithful 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. 1 Iohn 2. 20 27. me to preach good tidings p Being meant of Christ this relates to his Prophetical Office Literally this points at the good news that Isaiah brought of Cyrus his being raised up to bring them out of Babylon now they are become meek and humble but if it be thus taken it must be understood of his Prophecies left behind him for he died many years before the Captivity But they chiefly signify the good tidings of the Gospel that discovers Christ come in the flesh to redeem poor sinners from the Captivity of sin and Satan such as are meek and humble or afflicted as the word signifies because ordinarily afflictions make men meek and humble called also the Poor and our Saviour expresseth it by that word Luke 4. 18. To these the Gospel these good tidings are brought Mat. 11. 5. Whether by Poor you understand 1. The Gentile void of all Grace and Salvation or tenders of it till now Or 2. Properly so called indigent and needy Persons of which sort were the greatest number that followed Christ of which the reason might be because Christ preached the contempt of the World and Riches